MARCH 31, 2017 VOLUME 48 ISSUE 13 AMERICAS LGBT NEWS SOURCE WASHINGTONBLADE.

COM

Anti-trans messages assert

you cant change sex

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com

A bus that features anti-transgender

slogans is expected to stop in D.C. next
week. CitizenGO, which describes itself
as a community of active citizens who
work together by using online petitions
and action alerts as a resource to defend
and promote life, family and liberty, said
its #FreeSpeechBus will be in the nations
capital on April 3.
The bus is scheduled to make stops in
Boston and then New Haven, Conn., on
March 31. It is also expected to stop in
Philadelphia on April 1 and Baltimore on
April 2.
The bus, which is orange, contains
This bus, with messages attacking trans people, is slated to stop in D.C. next week.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOGO CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

The Gay Games attract thousands of athletes and
spectators; D.C. faces competition from two cities in its
bid to host the 2022 event.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
A look at LGBT rights in two
cities competing with
Washington to host Gay Games
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
Advocates in Hong Kong and Guadalajara, Mexico
say LGBT rights and the quality of life for LGBT people
have advanced signicantly over the past decade in
their respective cities as they compete against D.C. to
host the 2022 Gay Games.
With the assistance of LGBT sports groups, both
cities have submitted a bid to the Federation of
Gay Games highlighting their citys reputation for
hosting large international events and its ability to
accommodate tourists and visitors, especially LGBT
visitors.
The FGG announced in February that Washington,
D.C., Hong Kong and Guadalajara had been selected
as the three nalists in the process of selecting the
host city for the 2022 Gay Games. The FGG said it
would select the winning city at its annual meeting in
October following visits by its site selection committee
to each of the three cities in June.
As many as 15,000 mostly LGBT athletes and as
many as 10,000 spectators are expected to attend
the Gay Games in 2018 in Paris, and its possible that
a similar number could turn out for the 2022 Gay
Games, observers have said.
Mayor Bowser and the City Council have expressed
strong support for D.C.s bid and the regions existing
sporting venues, infrastructure, and its long record
of inclusive pro-LGBT laws make the city a strong
contender for the Gay Games, observers have said.
A 300-plus page bid document submitted by Gay
Games Hong Kong 2022 and an LGBT sports group
called Out in Hong Kong says eorts to bring the
Gay Games to Hong Kong have received active
support from the Hong Kong government, the
CONTINUES ON PAGE 15
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EDGAR MADDISON WELCH
PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK
Comet Pizza gunman pleads guilty
A North Carolina man arrested in December for entering D.C.s gay-owned
Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant with an assault rie pleaded guilty in
federal court on Friday to charges of interstate transportation of a rearm and
ammunition and assault with a dangerous weapon.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys oce
dropped a third charge against defendant Edgar Maddison Welch possession
of a rearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Welch, 28, told D.C. police he entered the restaurant on Dec. 4 armed with his
rie with the intent of breaking up a child sex ring that he learned was operating
inside a hidden room at the restaurant from stories posted on the internet.
Police said he surrendered peacefully after ring three shots to break open
the lock on an inside door at the restaurant and determined there were no signs
of a child sex ring.
As part of a plea bargain agreement signed by Welch, prosecutors also agreed
to recommend that Welch be sentenced to the middle range of non-binding
sentencing guidelines that suggest 18 to 24 months in prison for the rst charge
and 18 to 60 months for the second charge.
U.S. District Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is presiding over the case,
is free to disregard sentencing guidelines. Under the criminal statutes linked to
the two charges to which Welch pleaded guilty she could sentence Welch to no
incarceration or to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The plea agreement also calls for Welch to pay $5,744.33 in restitution to
cover the cost for repairing damage he caused at Comet Ping Pong by ring his
rie inside the restaurant.
Jackson scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 22 and ordered that Welch
remain held in jail pending sentencing.
Welch, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, replied yes, maam, repeatedly
in response to questions by the judge about whether his decision to plead guilty
was fully voluntary and not coerced and that he understood he was giving up his
right to a trial by jury.
The defendant was motivated, at least in part, by unfounded rumors about a
child sex-tracking ring that was being perpetrated at Comet and that involved
nationally-known political gures, said a statement led by prosecutors in
support of the guilty plea.
The defendant had begun to focus on those rumors (known collectively as
Pizzagate rumors) on Dec. 1, 2016, principally by watching YouTube videos and
reviewing related internet content, the statement says. The defendant then
took it upon himself to act in what he believed would be a violent confrontation
at the restaurant, according to the statement.
When he left home, the defendant carried with him, either on his person or
otherwise in his car, three rearms and ammunition associated with each: (1) a
9mm AR-15 assault rie loaded with approximately 29 rounds of ammunition;
(2) a fully loaded 6-shot .38 caliber pistol; (3) a loaded twelve-gauge shotgun; and
(4) a box of shotgun shells, the statement says.
Acting D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham at the time of the incident denounced
what he described as fake news that prompted Welch to drive from North
Carolina to D.C. with rearms and ammunition that could have resulted in
multiple deaths and injuries at a family restaurant.
Comet Ping Pong, which is owned by gay businessman James Alefantis,
became the target of harassing phone calls and death threats after the fake
stories linking it to a pedophile ring were posted last year on social media outlets.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO CA L N E W S
JR.s manager DAVID PERRUZZA organized a fundraiser to benet Casa Ruby.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Casa Ruby fundraiser at JR.s pulls in $17,000
A fundraiser on March 23 at the 17th Street, N.W. gay bar JR.s drew about 150 people
and pulled in more than $17,000 for Casa Ruby, the D.C. LGBT community services
center.
The fundraiser, organized by JR.s manager David Perruzza, took place less than
two weeks after an attacker smashed the front door to Casa Rubys oces on Georgia
Avenue, N.W., assaulted a transgender woman, and shouted anti-trans slurs and threats
at the centers clients.
I know the only way we can stand against hate and intolerance is by coming together
and raising our voices, said Ruby Corado, Casa Rubys founder and executive director,
while standing amid the overowing crowd at the JR.s fundraiser.
And the people who showed up today are not only contributing their money but
theyre also coming together to say to the people out there were standing together
against violence, she said.
Perruzza announced in a Go Fund Me campaign he created that the money would
help Casa Ruby replace its damaged front door with a stronger, more secure security
system that would ideally prevent another attacker from breaking open the door.
He said that through people attending the fundraiser, through purchases in a silent
auction held at the bar during the event, and through the Go Fund Me site, a total of
$17,902 was raised as of March 23.
D.C. police on March 13 arrested Andrew J. Cook, 20, of Southeast Washington on
charges of destruction of property, simple assault, and making threats to do bodily
harm in connection with an incident at Casa Rubys oces on Georgia Avenue, N.W.,
one day earlier.
Corado said Cook, who identies as straight, had been a visitor at Casa Ruby during
the past several weeks prior to the incident and suddenly became violent after accusing
some of the trans women of talking about him, according to a police arrest adavit.
A D.C. Superior Court judge on March 14 released Cook from jail on his own
recognizance pending a hearing scheduled for April 3.
Since the week of the incident there have been hundreds of people sending us love
cards, making calls, emailing and sending messages on Facebook and other social
networks, letting us know that were not alone, Corado said. So I take this moment as
the coming together of our LGBT community to ght hate.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 0 5

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Trumps Census includes, then cuts LGBT survey questions
Agency says proposed LGBT
categories inadvertently
included in report
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
The inclusion of LGBT categories in the
Planned Subjects for the 2020 Census
Report unveiled on Tuesday must have
been music to the ears of LGBT advocates
seeking to include sexual orientation
and gender identity in federal surveys.
But the celebration was short-lived: The
U.S. Census on the same day announced
those categories were included in error.
Just days before its deadline, the U.S.
Census delivered to Congress its report
on planned subjects for the survey,
including gender, age, race, ethnicity,
relationship and homeownership status.
Under law, the report is due three years
before Census Day, with the next one set
to occur April 1, 2020.
Our goal is a complete and accurate
census, Census Bureau Director John
Thompson said in a statement. In
planning for the 2020 Census, the Census
Bureau has focused on improving its
address list by using imagery, nding ways
to increase household self-response,
leveraging resources inside and outside
the government, and making it easier
and more ecient for census takers to
complete their work. Furthermore, for
the rst time ever, the decennial will
oer an online response option with
the ultimate goal of improving question
design and data quality while addressing
community concerns.
The report outlines the importance
of including these questions in either
the decennial U.S. Census or the newer
and more detailed annual American
Community Survey, which was established
in 1985 and seeks to ascertain socio-
economic and housing statistics.
But apparently an initial version of this
report went too far. The U.S. Census issued
a notice shortly afterward indicating the
report was corrected because the initial
appendix inadvertently included LGBT
categories.
The Subjects Planned for the 2020
Census and American Community
Survey report released today
inadvertently listed sexual orientation
and gender identity as a proposed topic
in the appendix, the statement says.
The report has been corrected.
The National LGBTQ Task Force
has downloaded and published
anunredacted copy of the report and
posted on its website an imageof the
initial report and the redacted one
that followed.
Neither the U.S. Census, nor the
American Community Survey, had
ever included questions about sexual
orientation or transgender status. (In fact,
no federal survey even during the Obama
years included questions on transgender
status, although some included sexual-
orientation questions).
With eorts to streamline the decennial
U.S. Census, the addition of LGBT
questions would have been unlikely. The
inclusion of LGBT categories in the report
may indicate those categories were
initially planned for the more detailed
annual American Community Survey,
thentaken away.
The Blade has placed a call to the
Census Bureau seeking comment on why
the LGBT categories were included in the
report in the rst place and why those
categories wereremoved.
LGBT advocates had been pressing
for the inclusion of questions about
sexual orientation and gender identity in
federal surveysand criticizedthe Trump
administration for proposing to include
them in the U.S. Census or American
Community Survey, then immediately
took them away.
Meghan Maury, criminal and economic
justice project director for the National
LGBTQ Task Force, said in a statement
the cut is the latest step from the Trump
administration to deny LGBTQ people
freedom, justice, and equity.
LGBTQ people are not counted on the
Census no data is collected on sexual
orientation or gender identity, Maury
said. Information from these surveys
helps the government to enforce federal
laws like the Violence Against Women
Act and the Fair Housing Act and to
determine how to allocate resources like
housing supports and food stamps. If
the government doesnt know how many
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
The U.S. Census proposed, then removed
LGBT questions in the U.S. Census and
American Community Survey.
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE
LGBTQ people live in a community, how fair and adequate access to the rights,
can it do its job to ensure were getting protections and services we need?
Court nds anti-gay workforce
bias legal, still rules for gay plaintiff
A federal appeals court ruled Monday anti-gay bias in the workplace is legal
under current federal civil rights law barring discrimination based on sex, but
nonetheless handed a victory to a gay plainti on the basis that the discrimination
she faced amounted to illegal sex-stereotyping.
In a 15-page opinion, a three-judge panel on the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of
Appeals unanimously found precedent bars the court from concluding the
global DDB Worldwide Communications Group illegally discriminated against
Matthew Christiansen for being gay under the Title VII of the Civil Rights of Act.
The per curiam opinion found a district court handling the Christiansen
v. Omnicom Group erred in its conclusion sexual-orientation discrimination
constitutes sex discrimination under federal civil rights law, citing the 2000 decision
in Simonton v. Runyon and the 2005 decision in Dawson v. Bumble & Bumble.
Because we are bound by the decisions of prior panels until such time as
they are overruled either by an en banc panel of our Court or by the Supreme
Court...it [is] ordinarily...neither appropriate nor possible for [a panel] to reverse
an existing Circuit precedent, the decision says. We thus lack the power to
reconsider Simonton and Dawson.
However, the court concluded Christiansen, whos openly gay and HIV positive,
made a compelling case he faced discrimination based on sex-stereotyping,
which the U.S. Supreme Court determined is unlawful in the 1989 decision of
Price Waterhouse v. Coopers.
Christiansens complaint identies multiple instances of gender stereotyping
discrimination, the decision says. His complaint alleges that his supervisor
described him as eeminate to others in the oce...and depicted him in tights
and a low-cut shirt prancing around. The complaint further alleges that the
Muscle Beach Party party poster, depicting Christiansens head attached to a
bikini-clad female body lying on the ground with her legs in the air, was seen by
at least one coworker as portraying Christiansen as a submissive sissy.
As a result, the court reverses the district court decision rejecting Christiansens
allegations of sex-stereotyping in the workforce, remanding the decision for
reconsideration.
CHRIS JOHNSON
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 0 7

APRIL 18, 2017

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0 8 M A RCH 3 1 , 2 017
Gay candidate launches bid for Texas congressional seat
Duncan challenges
Republican who told
constituent to shut up
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
A gay HIV/AIDS activist has launched
a bid for a Texas congressional seat
currently held by a 16-term Republican
member of Congress who recently gained
notoriety for instructing a constituent to
shut up during a town hall meeting.
Currently the compliance ocer at Prism
Health North Texas, the largest non-prot
HIV/AIDS service organization in the area,
Duncan declared in a statement Monday
his intention to seek the Democratic
nomination to run for the seat representing
Texas 6th congressional district.
Im excited to begin the campaign and
meet the voters of the 6th Congressional
District, Duncan said. I am committed
to representing the people of Texas
with a vision of progress. I will utilize my
constituents experiences, hopes, and
concerns to be a compassionate leader
who seeks change and expects results.
JOHN W. DUNCAN has launched a bid for a Texas congressional seat.
Duncan bills himself on his campaign
website as an advocate for the rights of
the most vulnerable. The candidate says
he has been a vocal supporter ofmarriage
equality and reproductive rights as well as of
eorts to eliminate the racial and economic
injustices so rampant in our world. Duncan
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN W. DUNCAN CAMPAIGN
identies as a lifelong Christian, which he
says has inuenced the way I understand
immigration reform and refugees.
In addition to representing the people,
I commit to protecting health care and
making it more aordable, improving our
public schools and enacting comprehensive
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
immigration reform that includes a path to
legal status, Duncan said in a statement.
Duncan faces signicant odds in
defeating Rep. Joe Barton (R), a 32-year
incumbent who currently holds the seat
in the safe Republican district. Last year,
Barton won the race with 58.3 percent of
the vote compared to the 39 percent won
by Democrat Ruby Fay Woolridge.
Weeks ago as the town halls of
Republican members of Congress were
lled with opponents of Obamacare repeal,
Barton became irate with constituents
who pressed him to support legislation to
combat violence against women, telling
one questioner, You, sir, shut up.
Duncans campaign is set to kick o
formally onApril 11 at J Gilligans Bar & Grill in
Arlington, Texas. It remains to be seen if other
candidates will enter the race. In the previous
cycle, the candidate ling deadline was Dec.
14 and the primary was March 1, but nothing
has been set for the current cycle.
According to his campaign website,
Duncan lives in Arlington, Texas with his
husband, Tim, whos a Christian minister,
and their two rescue dogs, Dolce and Makea.
Here is the link to the Duncan for
Congress campaign website.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
In loss for Trump, House pulls bill to repeal Obamacare
President directed
cancellation as near
certain defeat loomed
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
In a loss for President Trump, the U.S.
House withdrew legislation set for a vote
last Friday to repeal Obamacare.
Moments before the vote was
scheduled, the Republican-controlled
House cancelled the vote on the American
Health Care Act, a measure crafted by
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)
and endorsed by Trump.
Ryan said at a news conference
following the decision to withdraw the
bill that it was a disappointing day for
Republicans, who campaigned on repeal
of the Aordable Care Act. The decision
to withdraw the repeal bill comes during
the same week as the seventh-year
anniversary of Obamacare.
Moving from an opposition party to a
governing party comes with growing pains,
and well, were feeling those growing pains
today, Ryan said. We came really close
today, but we came up short.
The vote was scheduled after days of
negotiations between the White House
and lawmakers as many Republicans
held out support for the legislation. Even
though most observers predicted the
votes to pass the bill were lacking, Trump
ordered a vote Friday on the legislation
saying the time had come for the House
to act ormove on.
Ryan said during the news conference
after he advised Trump to cancel the vote,
the president made the call to take that
course of action. It wasnt immediately clear
whether a vote on the legislation or anything
like it would come up at a later time.
Were going to be living with
Obamacare for the foreseeable future,
Ryan said under questioning from
reporters on what comes next.
In debate on the House oor,
opposition to the American Health
Care Act was unanimous among the
Democratic caucus, which decried the
measure as Wealth Care because it
would have aorded tax cuts to those
making more than $200,000 a year, but at
the same time raise insurance premiums
for older Americans.
According to scoring from the
Congressional Budget Oce, an
estimated 24 million people would have
lost insurance coverage as a result of the
plan, largely as a result of cuts to Medicaid,
which was expanded under Obamacare.
For states that agreed to expand Medicaid,
individuals at 133 percent of the poverty
line and below would be eligible for
coverage under the program.
A handful of moderate Republicans
Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) -
came out against the legislation because
they said it would undermine insurance
enrollment in their districts. But members
of the House Freedom Caucus opposed
the bill on the basis it didnt go far enough
to undo Obamacare. The anti-LGBT
Heritage Foundation urged a no vote
on the bill on the basis it would leave the
regulatory architecture of the Aordable
Care Act in place.
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a lawmaker
with a notoriously anti-LGBT reputation
who was initially a no vote on the AHCA
because it didnt go far enough, defended
the measure as the rst part of the
repeal apple on the House oor.
If I thought we could do it all in one
bite, I would stand for that, King said. But,
instead, heres what we got: Weve got a
$1 trillion tax cut. Weve got a $1.15 trillion
spending cut. We got a $150 billion decit
reduction. Weve got a bill that eliminates
the employer mandate, eliminates the
individual mandate, and it eliminates federal
mandates in the essential health benets
package on those 10 mandates, by the way.
It expands health savings accounts, doubles
them, and it allows for us to pass selling
insurance across state lines and it enables
catastrophic health insurance.
The cancelled vote is a victory for LGBT
rights supporters and HIV/AIDS activists,
who opposed the bill on the basis that
undoing the Medicaid expansion would be
devastating for LGBT people. An estimated
40 percent of people with HIV receive
coverage through Medicaid and, according
to a recent report by the Center for American
Progress, an estimated 18 percent of LGBT
people, or about 1.8 million people.
The CAP report found a signicant
dierence in the number of LGBT people
insured before and after Obamacare
went into eect. In 2013, before the ACAs
coverage went into eect, 1 in 3 LGBT
people making less than $45,000 per
year were uninsured, the report. But that
MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 0 9
The House pulled a vote on a health care bill
endorsed by President DONALD TRUMP.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY LEE WHITMAN
gure, the report found, dropped to 1 in 4 replace Obamacare a major part of his
in 2014 and 1 in 5 in 2017. presidential campaign, but now failed
The failure of the bill is a massive blow to achieve that goal or any other major
to President Trump, who made his deal- legislative victory despite Republican
making prowess and plan to repeal and control of both chambers of Congress.
Perry rebukes alma mater for
electing gay student president
Energy Secretary Rick Perry took a break from managing the U.S. nuclear
arsenal to condemn his alma mater Texas A&M for electingits rst-ever openly
gay student body president, saying the system was rigged in his favor in a quest
for diversity.
In an op-ed published late Wednesday for the Houston Chronicle, Perry
questioned the process leading to the election of Bobby Brooks, suggesting it was
unfairly taken from the top vote-getter, Robert McIntosh, who was disqualied
amid accusations of voter intimidation and failure to report a campaign expense.
Earlier this month, Texas A&M informed Brooks hed be the next student
president. The process, Perry wrote, at best made a mockery of due process
and transparency and at worst allowed an election to be stolen outright.
Brooks presidency is being treated as a victory for diversity, Perry wrote.
It is dicult to escape the perception that this quest for diversity is the real
reason the election outcome was overturned. Does the principle of diversity
override and supersede all other values of our Aggie Honor Code?
(According to the student newspaper, The Battalion, the student governments
judicial court later cleared McIntosh of the voter intimidation charge, but upheld
the failure to report a campaign expense.)
Amy Smith, senior vice president of marketing and communications at Texas
A&M University, said in a statement the school appreciates Perrys commitment
to his alma mater, but was surprised that he weighed in on the university
student body election and respectfully disagree[s] with his assessment.
These elections are run by the students with advisors from student aairs and
issues that arise are adjudicated in accordance with the Student Government
constitution and by-laws, Smith said. The disqualication of the leading
vote-getter resulted in the certication of Bobby Brooks as the next Student
Body President eective April 21, 2017. To suggest that the same decision of
disqualication would not have been made if the roles were reversed is to deny
the Texas A&M of today where accountability applies to all.
Smith added Brooks in his role as student president represents all students
of all backgrounds and the school is grateful to other students who ran for
oce who will undoubtedly continue to be leaders on the campus.
CHRIS JOHNSON
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 0 M A RCH 3 1 , 2 017 I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S

Hundreds to attend LGBT

conference in Dominican Republic
More than 300 people from
across Latin America and the
Caribbean are expected to attend
a conference in the Dominican
Republic this week that is
designed to bolster LGBT and
intersex political engagement in
the region.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory
Institute is co-sponsoring the
gathering that will take place at
a hotel in the Dominican capital
of Santo Domingo from March
31-April 1. Caribe Armativo and
Diversidad Dominicana which
are LGBT and intersex advocacy KENDRA STEFANI JORDANY is a transgender
groups in Colombia and the woman from Honduras who is running for
a seat in the Central American Parliament.
Dominican Republic are also She is among the more than 300 activists
organizing the conference. expected to attend a conference in the
Dominican Republic. A group of LGBT activists from Ukraine visited D.C. earlier this month.
Gay and Lesbian Victory
PHOTO COURTESY OF KENDRA STEFANI JORDANY WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Institute President Aisha C.
Moodie-Mills; Dominican
Congresswoman Jacqueline a country that already got rid of colonialism, slavery and LGBTQ discrimination, said
Montero; Caribe Armativo Director Wilson Castaeda; Diversidad Dominicana Sharyhina in remarks that she made through an interpreter at the reception. We are
Executive Director Rosanna Marzn and Victor Terrero, executive director of the really excited that you continue this work and move towards an inclusive society.
Dominican Republics National Council on HIV and AIDS, are expected to speak The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation sponsored the activists trip. Open World Leadership
at the conferences opening plenary on March 31. Center, which Congress established in 2000 in order to administer a program that has
Sandra Morn, who is the rst openly LGBT person elected to the Guatemalan invited more than 26,000 civil society leaders from the former Soviet Union to the U.S.,
Congress, and Tamara Adrin, who is the rst openly trans person elected to supported the delegation through grants organizations that provided the advocates
the Venezuelan National Assembly, are among those who are also scheduled to with housing and activities.
attend the conference. Elected ocials and activists from Haiti, Belize, Aruba, St. MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Lucia, El Salvador, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Ecuador, Nicaragua,
Costa Rica, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Spain,
Jamaica, Argentina and the U.S. are also expected to take part. OAS holds hearing on violence in El Salvador
Victory Institute and our partners will bring together more than 350 LGBTI leaders
from the Caribbean and Latin America to develop strategies for building LGBTI The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights last week held a hearing on anti-
political participation to advance equality, Moodie-Mills told the Washington Blade LGBT violence and hate crimes in El Salvador.
on Tuesday. Throughout the conference in Santo Domingo, we will emphasize that Bianka Rodrguez of Comunicado y Capacitando a Mujeres Trans, a Salvadoran
representation is power, and that more LGBTI representation in the region is the advocacy group known by the acronym COMCAVIS, told commissioners during the
best means to advance equality for our community. March 21 hearing in D.C. that at least 600 people have been victims of hate crimes
MICHAEL K. LAVERS based on their sexual orientation or gender identity since 2004.
Statistics from COMCAVIS and Asociacin para Impulsar el Desarrollo Humano
(ASPIDH) Arcoiris Trans, another Salvadoran advocacy group, indicate roughly two
dozen trans people were reported killed in El Salvador in 2015. One of these victims
was Francela Mndez, a prominent trans rights advocate who was a board member of
LGBT activists from Ukraine visit D.C. Colectivo Alejandra, a trans advocacy group that is based in the Salvadoran capital of
San Salvador.
Three trans women were killed in San Luis Talpa, a municipality in La Paz Department,
Five LGBT rights advocates from Ukraine met earlier this month in D.C. with their last month. Rodrguez said eight trans women have ed El Salvador since these murders.
American colleagues and elected ocials. The violence that El Salvador faces is a problem that aects all sectors of society, she
The activists who are from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and the cities of Kryvyi Rih, said. LGTBI (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex) people arent immune to
Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia arrived on March 15. this problem.
The activists visited the Washington Blade oces on Monday. They have also met The Organization of American States, which is based in D.C., created the Inter-
with representatives of the Human Rights Campaign, P-FLAG, Human Rights First, the American Commission on Human Rights in 1959 as a way to promote human rights
Council for Global Equality, HIPS, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the throughout the Western Hemisphere. Anti-LGBT violence and discrimination in El
Metropolitan Police Departments LGBT Liaison Unit, the National Gay and Lesbian Salvador is among the LGBT-specic issues the commission examined last week.
Chamber of Commerce and other groups. El Salvador, which borders Guatemala and Honduras, has one of the worlds highest
Gay Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline met with the activists on Capitol Hill. murder rates. Anti-LGBT rhetoric from politicians and religious gures, discrimination,
They also visited the oces of U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), poverty and a lack of educational opportunities are among the factors that have made
Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and spoke with LGBT Salvadorans particularly vulnerable to violence.
members of their respective stas. A report from El Salvadors Attorney for the Defense of Human Rights indicates 52
The activists also met with former Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe. percent of trans women it surveyed said they received death threats. A press release
It was a very important trip for us, Anna Sharyhina of Queerhome Kharkiv told the Blade the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released on March 23 indicates 17
on Tuesday before she spoke at a reception that HRC and the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, of the more than 40 reports of serious crimes against LGBT people that have been
which supports pro-democracy eorts in the former Soviet republic, co-hosted. committed in the Western Hemisphere so far this year come from El Salvador.
Its very important to keep connections and continue establishing networks with MICHAEL K. LAVERS
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO C A L NEW S
Anti-trans bus to stop in D.C. next week
A bus from HazteOir, a Spanish right-wing Catholic group, was banned from Madrid last month. A similar bus that is part of a campaign from
CitizenGO is scheduled to stop in D.C. next week.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
stylized images of boys and girls with
symbols of male and female chromosomes.
It also has large slogans that read, Boys are
boys and always will be and Girls and
girls and always will be.
You cant change sex, they read.
Respect all.
The bus also contains the link to a
website that urges people to sign a
petition to defend freedom of speech.
CitizenGO has not announced where
the bus will stop in D.C. and whether
there will be any public events that will
highlight the campaign.
Brian Brown, president of the D.C.-
based National Organization for Marriage,
is a member of CitizenGOs board of
trustees. A NOM spokesperson told the
Washington Blade on Tuesday that plans
for a public event have not been nalized.
Bus vandalism hate crime
The bus was in New York last week.
CitizenGO supporters posted pictures to
social media that indicate the bus drove
past the Stonewall Inn in Manhattans
Greenwich Village. It was also in front of
Trump Tower and in Times Square.
CitizenGO wrote on its website that
it was attacked and vandalized right in
front of the U.N. on March 23.
Pictures that CitizenGO posted to its
website show the bus windshield was
broken and trans rights was written
onto the side of it. CitizenGO also claims
the bus driver received minor injuries
during the incident.
This is a hate crime and sadly
the way that those who pretend to
preach tolerance feel about opposing
viewpoints, wrote CitizenGO on its
website, which also urges supporters to
help it pay for the costs associated with
repairing the bus.
There will be some major costs to
get the bus back on the road in a timely
manner, it wrote. We are liable for the
bus and safety of the bus driver.
CitizenGO spokesperson Gregory
Mertz told the Blade on Monday that
damage to the bus was much greater
than expected.
The vandalism coincided with the
annual U.N. Commission on the Status of
Women meeting. Advocates have sharply
PHOTO BY MARA FONTECHA MUOZ
criticized President Trump for appointing
Lisa Correnti, executive vice president of
the Center for Family and Human Rights,
which the Southern Poverty Law Center
has designated an anti-LGBT hate group,
to the U.S. delegation.
campaign and sought to prevent the bus
Judge bans bus
from Madrid
The CitizenGO bus is expected to arrive
in D.C. less than two months after Trump
rescinded the Obama administrations
guidance on how public schools should
accommodate trans students.
The U.S. Supreme Court on March
28 had been scheduled to hear oral
arguments in the case of Gavin Grimm,
a trans student who alleges his Virginia
school districts policy that prohibits him
from using the boys bathroom or locker
room violates Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972. The case was
sent back to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals in Richmond, Va., on March 6.
HazTeOir, which is CitizenGOs far-right
Catholic aliate in Spain that translates
into Make yourself heard, has launched
a similar campaign.
MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 1 1
CHELSEA CLINTON was among those who
criticized the anti-trans bus campaign on
Twitter.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
An orange bus contained stylized
pictures of boys and girls with slogans
that asked, Do boys have a penis? and,
Do girls have a vagina? Another bus also
contained anatomical images that said,
This is a penis and, This is a vagina and
a man asking, What is this?
Gender identity is not chosen, reads
a slogan on the bus. Dont let others
choose it for you.
Madrid authorities said the bus
violated a local advertising ordinance and
impounded it. Reuters reported a judge
banned the bus from driving through the
Spanish capital on March 2 because it
could provoke hate crimes.
The HazTeOir bus was expected to
travel to the cities of Barcelona, Valencia,
Granada, Zaragoza, Pamplona, San
Sebastin, Bilbao and Vitoria.
LGBT rights advocates in Pamplona
surrounded the bus as it drove through
the city on March 21. Activists in Madrid
and other cities across Spain also
protested the campaign.
Local authorities criticized the HazTeOir
from driving through their respective
jurisdictions.
Chelsea Clinton also criticized the
campaign.
Boys have been censored, reads a
banner on HazTeOirs website. Girls have
been censored.
Gay Guatemala, an LGBT website in
Guatemala, on March 16 posted a picture
of an orange CitizenGO billboard in the
city of San Cristobal, which is a suburb of
Guatemala City, that read, Boys have a
penis. Girls have a vagina. Dont be tricked.
If you are born a man, you are a man,
it reads. If you are a woman, you will
continue to be.
A Guatemala City-based activist with
whom the Blade spoke on Monday said
trans activists have led a formal complaint
against the billboard. The activist said there
is currently an open case.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO C A L NEW S
D.C. competing against two cities to host Gay Games
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
citys Equal Opportunities Commission,
the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and the
Constitutional and Mainland Aairs
Bureau, which oversees relations
between Hong Kong and China.
LGBT sports leaders in Guadalajara have
joined with the Guadalajara Convention
and Visitors Bureau to submit that citys
bid for the 2022 Gay Games, according to
FGG ocial David Killian. Similar to Hong
Kong, Guadalajaras bid document says
the city government and a large number
of mainline sports organizations as well
as LGBT sports groups in Guadalajara and
other cities in Mexico, including Mexico City,
have expressed strong support for holding
the Gay Games in Guadalajara and have
pledged to assist in hosting the Games.
Both Hong Kong and Guadalajara state
in their bid documents that holding the
Gay Games in their respective cities would
mark the rst time the Games have been
held in either Asia or Latin America. The
two documents also point out that while
LGBT rights have advanced signicantly
in both cities discrimination and bias
still exists and holding the Gay Games in
their respective cities could play a role in
strengthening support for LGBT equality.
Recent reports published by Out Right
Action International, an LGBT advocacy
organization that monitors LGBT-related
developments in countries throughout
the world, conrm that LGBT equality has
advanced signicantly in Hong Kong and
Mexico. The reports also point out that
similar to other countries, including the
United States, LGBT people are not fully
protected under the law in some areas
and anti-LGBT bias and discrimination
remain a problem.
Status of LGBT rights
in Hong Kong
As a British colony, Hong Kong had
long criminalized homosexual acts under
British law and did not repeal its anti-
sodomy law until 1991, long after it had
been repealed in Great Britain. However,
under the decriminalization in Hong Kong
the age of consent for gay men was set
at 21 while it remained at age 16 for
heterosexuals. The law was silent about
lesbians. It was not until 2006 that a court
ruled the higher age of consent for gay
men violated Hong Kongs Bill of Rights
Ordinance, resulting in an age of consent
at 16 for gays and straights.
In a separate court ruling in 2005 it was
declared that the Bill of Rights Ordinance
could be interpreted to cover sexual
orientation in its non-discrimination
protections. But the ordinance only
applies to government agencies and not
to private sector institutions.
Despite a growing LGBT rights
D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER has said the city
government is working diligently to support
the citys bid for the 2022 Gay Games.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
movement with numerous LGBT
advocacy groups and annual LGBT Pride
celebrations, advocates have yet to
persuade the Hong Kong government to
legally ban discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity in the
private sector. Hong Kong law also does
not recognize same-sex relationships.
Although tolerance and acceptance
of the LGBT community has grown
signicantly in Hong Kong since the 2000s,
according to activists there, a setback
surfaced in 2011 when Hong Kongs
Social Welfare Department retained a
controversial psychiatrist to train social
workers on how to use conversion therapy
to change people from gay to straight.
Gay Games Hong Kong 2022
nevertheless says in its bid document that
the ght for LGBT equality in Hong Kong
has been gathering momentum in recent
years, fueled by renowned local gures
proudly proclaiming their homosexuality
and encouraged by progressive legislation
in other countries.
Meanwhile, the arrest this week by
Hong Kong police of nine leaders of a
2014 pro-democracy campaign one day
after a committee considered supportive
of China chose Hong Kongs next chief
executive ocer is not expected to
adversely impact Hong Kongs bid to
host the 2022 Gay Games, according to
activists familiar with Hong Kong politics.
Some observers said the arrests of the
protest leaders immediately after the
selection of a new Hong Kong government
leader, Carrie Lam, who was favored by
Beijing, is a sign that Chinas inuence
over Hong Kong is on the rise and the
longstanding tension between Hong Kong
and China was expected to increase.
Lams victory, despite her lack of
representation and popular support,
reects the Chinese Communist Partys
complete control over Hong Kongs
electoral process and its serious intrusion
of Hong Kongs autonomy, Joshua Wong,
leader of a dissident political party in
Hong Kong, told the New York Times.
With Chinas policies on LGBT issues
considered signicantly less supportive
than Hong Kongs policies, some
observers say its hard to predict where
Hong Kongs LGBT community will stand
ve years from now when the Gay Games
would be held.
But in response to an inquiry from
the Washington Blade, Gay Games Hong
Kong 2022 ocials Dennis Philipse and
Benital Chick sent the Blade an email
statement saying the association with
China by Hong Kongs newly selected
government leader, Carrie Lam, could be
a benet to the LGBT community.
We know from our constant contact
with those close to Ms. Lam that she
appears to be supportive and we
have no reason to believe otherwise,
the statement says. Ms. Lam is both
aligned with Beijing and strongly vested
in maintaining Hong Kong as the open
Western gateway to Asia as it has for
hundreds of years, the statement says.
While tensions between China and
Hong Kong exist on many levels in terms
of economic and political issues, China has
been tolerant toward apolitical gay issues
as seen in the many gay events now held
in China such as the Shanghai Pride and
homosexual movies/TV series in China,
the two activists said in their statement.
There have been LGBT+ sports leagues
in China and gay issues have never been a
source of tension between Hong Kong and
China. As such, we dont see any potential
problems that will arise in holding the Gay
Games, the statement concludes.
Under an agreement with Great Britain
in 1997, the British returned Hong Kong
to China with the understanding that for
the next 50 years Hong Kong would retain
an autonomous system of government
and its relationship with China would
consist of one country, two systems.
Experts familiar with China note that
since that time China has pushed hard
to increase its inuence over Hong Kong,
leading to growing tension between
Beijing and Hong Kongs leaders and its
diverse population. Observers say that so
far China has not sought to curtail LGBT
rights advances in Hong Kong.
According to Out Right Action
International, since China decriminalized
homosexuality in 1997 and removed it
from its ocial list of mental disorders
in 2001, the Chinese government has
remained largely silent on the issue of
homosexuality.
However, the policy of silence has left in
place widespread discrimination against
LGBT people throughout Chinese society
that is not covered under Chinas non-
discrimination laws covering employment
and other areas, Out Right Action says in
a 2014 report on China. LGBT couples are
MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 1 5
not recognized as families under Chinas
laws, the report says.
As of early this week the Chinese Embassy
in Washington didnt respond to a question
from the Washington Blade asking if China
has a position on whether the Gay Games
should be held in Hong Kong.
LGBT rights in Guadalajara
Although LGBT rights in Mexico have
advanced signicantly in recent years,
LGBT Mexicans can boast that same-sex
sexual acts were decriminalized in Mexico
1871 far ahead of the United States.
The decriminalization came shortly after
Frances brief occupation of Mexico ended
and the Napoleonic Code was adopted,
which, among other things, did not dene
consensual sodomy as a crime.
Activists familiar with Mexico note,
however, that separate laws prohibiting
public immorality or indecency have
long been used to prosecute gays under
certain circumstances.
LGBT organizations began to form in some
regions of Mexico in the 1970s, with LGBT
parades taking place in Mexico City since
1979 and in Guadalajara since the 1990s.
Out Right Action International reports
that although Mexicos constitution
doesnt specically prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation or gender
identity, a clause in the constitution
banning discrimination based on
preferences of any kind and for any
other reason which degrades human
dignity have been interpreted by some
legal experts means LGBT people should
be covered under the document.
In a separate development, Mexicos
national legislature in 2003 passed
a law prohibiting sexual orientation
discrimination in employment, but the law
doesnt cover gender identity or expression.
In 2015, Mexicos Supreme Court ruled
that it was unconstitutional for states
and regions to ban same-sex marriage.
However, the ruling did not make the
action immediately and fully binding on
states, where, like in the U.S., marriage
laws are written. Unless approved by
newly adopted state laws, same-sex
couples must le a legal petition and incur
legal costs of $1,000 or more in order to
obtain a marriage license.
In a separate ruling, the Mexican
Supreme Court in January 2016 eectively
legalized same-sex marriage in the state of
Jalisco, which includes Guadalajara and the
popular gay resort city of Puerto Vallarta.
Several other Mexican cities,
meanwhile, including Mexico City, had
legalized same-sex marriage, resulting in
a patchwork of places where same-sex
couples could marry in a way similar to
heterosexual couples.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Licensed
FREE 16 M A R C H 31, 2017 BA LT I MO RE N E W S

Estimates! Bonded
Insured BMore Proud Summit goes between the lines
SERVICES LLC The BMore Proud LGBTQIA
Leadership Summit, a conference

consisting of LGBT students and allies
from area colleges and universities,
was held on March 25 at the Owings
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These conferences began in 2010
at various campuses, and with the
exception of two years, have been an
annual event. Panelists from left: DAN MCEVILY, STEVE
CHARING and RODNEY BURGER discuss
The goal of BMore Proud is to The Queer Media in a Trump America.
promote personal and professional PHOTO BY BOB FORD
growth of the LGBT community
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This years theme was Between the Lines and about 50 students attended.
Baltimore award-winning artist and educator Jaimes Mayhew was the keynote

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SAGECAPs monthly lunch and learn workshop is being held on April 13 at
Chase Brexton Health Services, 1111 N. Charles St., First Floor Community Room
in Baltimore. The session runs from 12-1:30 p.m.
This months topic, Are Your Documents in Order? will cover preparing legal
documents, such as advance directives, wills and power of attorney.
SAGECAP is a partnership between the LGBT Health Resource Center of
Chase Brexton Health Care and SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders).The
programs and services are designed to help address the critical issues faced by
LGBT older adults.
Susan Francis of Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, which oers free
advance planning for low to moderate income Marylanders, will present the
session.

Screening of Major! at Morgan State

SPEAK WITH OUR PREPLANNING ADVISOR,
JAMIE ARTHURS AT (202) 966-6400 OR EMAIL
JAMIE.ARTHURS@DIGNITYMEMORIAL.COM
There will be a screening of Major! a new documentary lm about the
pioneering elder black transgender activist, Miss Major Grin-Gracy. It will take
place on April 4 from 6-9 p.m. in Room 210A, Morgan State University Student
Center, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane in Baltimore.
Miss Majors life and work are a testament to the urgency of justice for trans
folk like Alphonza Watson, who was murdered in Baltimore on March 23, said
the Rev. Cedric A. Harmon, executive director for Many Voices: A Black Church
Movement for Gay and Transgender Justice, the group that organized the event.
The documentary is being presented in conjunction with the Womens and
Gender Studies Program of Morgan State University.
At 76-years-old she is still helping communities across the country realize a
world where hate crimes towards folks like Alphonza do not happen and where
systemic conditions of poverty and discrimination are combated head-on. It is
within these conditions that violence so often festers, Harmon said.
The gathering will be more than a lm screening, he adds. It will also be a
chance for the Baltimore community to reect on justice for some of the most
marginalized people in our nation: low-to-no income black transgender and
gender-variant folk. The lm also argues that trans justice must go hand-in-
hand with criminal justice reform.
The screening is free and will be followed by a discussion. For more
information, email info@manyvoices.org.
STEVE CHARING

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 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

18 M A R C H 31, 2017 H E A LT H N E W S

Controversial views cost Hopkins on HRC report

BALTIMORE The views of two psychologists at Johns Hopkins Medicine who
believe people arent born gay or transgender have resulted in the venerable
medical institution taking a 25-point hit on its latest score on the Human Rights
Campaign Health Index, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Hopkins lost points under the indexs responsible citizenship clause, which
focuses on activity that could undermine the care or equality of LGBT patients.
HRC said it made the deduction because Johns Hopkins wont say the views
of Dr. Paul McHugh and Dr. Lawrence Mayer do not represent the views of
the hospital and that the hospital operates in accordance with the medical
consensus and appropriate standards of care, the Sun reports.
McHugh is a university distinguished service professor of psychiatry and
a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Mayer divides his time as a
scholar in residence at Johns Hopkins and a professor at Arizona State University.
He mostly conducts research at Johns Hopkins and no longer teaches. Their views
have been controversial in medical and LGBT rights circles, the Sun article notes.
Our goal is to get them to make an armative statement, Tari Hanneman,
director of the health equality project at the Human Rights Campaign said about
Johns Hopkins, according to the Baltimore Sun article. We want them to say
they support arming care for (LGBT) people.
Hopkins said in a statement that last year it was awarded leadership status as
part of the Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index and has expanded
its commitment to provide the best possible care to all patients. Among the
initiatives was creating a Center for Transgender Health, which is focused on
supporting the needs of the LGBT community.
While we can appreciate the opinions of outside organizations, the outcomes
of our patients, and the satisfaction of our patients and their families who come
to Johns Hopkins Medicine seeking help, are the ultimate measures of our
success, the statement said, according to the Baltimore Sun.

LGB teens smoke at higher rates study nds

LONDON Lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents report higher rates
of tobacco use than heterosexual teens, according to a U.S. study that also
highlights gender dierences in smoking habits, Reuters reports.
Overall, about 41 percent of lesbian and gay teens use tobacco products
including both traditional and e-cigarettes, as do 39 percent of bisexual youth
and 32 percent of adolescents who are uncertain about their sexual orientation,
the study found. That compares to 30 percent of straight teens.
Lesbians were more than twice as likely as straight girls to smoke, the study
also found. Gay teens, however, had roughly the same odds of tobacco use as
straight boys, Reuters reports.
Gender does matter in tobacco use among sexual minority youth, said lead
study author Dr. Hongying Dai of Childrens Mercy Hospital and the University of
Missouri in Kansas City.
While some previous research has found teens who arent heterosexual
tend to be more drawn to smoking than their straight peers, the current study
oers fresh insight into how both gender and sexual orientation may separately
inuence tobacco use, Dai said by email.
For the study, researcher examined nationally representative survey data
collected from 14,703 adolescents in high school in 2015.
Most of the participants were straight, while 6 percent were bisexual, 2 percent were
gay or lesbian and about 3 percent said they werent sure about their sexual identity.
The survey looked at how often youth used four types of tobacco products
over the previous month: cigars, snu or chewing tobacco, traditional cigarettes
and e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered gadgets with a heating element
that turns liquid nicotine and avorings into a cloud of vapor that users inhale.
Gay and lesbian teens, as well as youth uncertain about their sexual
orientation, or questioning, were more likely than their straight peers to use all
four types of tobacco products, researchers report in Pediatrics.
Bisexual teens, a predominantly female group, were more likely than heterosexual
youth to use cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes but less likely to use snu.
The results highlight the need for tobacco control policies that specically
target youth who arent heterosexual, the authors conclude.
Limitations of the study include the lack of data on transgender teens and the
exclusion of youth who dropped out of high school, the researchers point out. The
study also counted any amount of tobacco use the same way, so it didnt separate
teens who reported trying one cigarette from youth with a daily smoking habit.
It also wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether sexual
orientation directly inuences tobacco use, Reuters reports.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

F I T NES S M A R C H 31, 2017 19

The power of repetition

Fitness goals require a solid plan and a strategy
Repetition at the gym doesnt just refer
to reps or how many times you do a
certain exercise. Theres a certain power Educated at Brown, Harvard,
in doing the same thing repeatedly.
Todays exercise culture is based in and Johns Hopkins
doing dierent exercises a lot and the
crazier and most diverse the workout,
Washingtonian Magazine Top Doc
GERARD BURLEY is a D.C.-based personal trainer. the more it sells. Especially in todays US News & World Report
Reach him via @CoachGFit or coachg@coachgt- noncommittal culture of studio and
ness.com. workout hopping, I constantly talk to Top 1% of Doctors in USA
people who tell me of weekly workout
Dual Board Certified:
plans that consist of seven dierent kinds of workouts. While I love that they are moving
and dedicated to their tness, when you do seven dierent workouts in seven dierent Facial Plastic Surgery
days youre really getting better at nothing. Body Plastic Surgery
Good athletes get good by doing the same thing over and over and over and over and
then one more time. Today Ill give you a few tips on how to make sure your workout
doesnt have too much variety and is streamlined, ecient and eective.
How much is too much? Ill be the rst to say that variety is fun. Doing new things
keeps people interested in their workouts and ready to stick to a program because it
doesnt get boring. But studies have shown that what really keeps people in a program
is seeing progress. When people can see that theyre progressing by getting stronger,
performing skills better and feeling in better shape, they tend to stick with the game plan.
To achieve these three goals takes time and practice. That means doing the same thing
repeatedly. If you have a goal in mind, you train at least three times a week purely focused
on that goal. If your goal is weight loss, you should be focusing on three to four exercise
sessions centered around purely burning as many calories as possible.
When body builders train, they move from one focus to another and put all they have
into that goal. When a body builder wants to build muscle, thats all theyre focusing on
and when they want to burn fat, thats all they are focused on. If your training plan right
now looks more like the appetizer sample platter than the menu entre, you may be
setting yourself up for failure and future frustrations.
Finding your goal. The rst step to accomplishing your goal is actually deciding what
your goal is and building actionable skills to get you to that goal. The biggest mistake I see
in people trying to accomplish goals are beginners making goals that are way too broad.
I want to be in better shape is not a goal, its a wish. Be specic with your goals and
gradually add to them to consistently get better. Laser Liposuction
Think of your workout plan like you do work. Your companys goal would never be to
be a better company. Companies lay out specic attainable goals each year and break
Pec and Ab Etching
them down into quarterly, monthly and weekly goals. When the company sets out on a Facial Rejuvenation
specic goal for the quarter, its an all in approach just to that goal and thats how your Gynecomastia
workout should be.
What does being in better shape look like to you? Having six-pack abs? Running a ve Laser Hair Removal
kilometer race or a marathon? Once you gure that out, you can make some action items Botox & Skin Care
to get you to that space.
Taking action. Now that youre focused and have a specic goal, how do you take the
Transgender Surgeries
rst step toward that goal? This is where it helps to have a trainer or experienced coach to Ultherapy
help you to setup the action plan, but if youre doing this yourself, think backwards. Think
of your goal as a destination and were going to plot out the map to that destination by
working backwards.
CALL TO ASK
ABOUT OUR
If your goal is to run a ve kilometer race without stopping and we know today that you
can only run one kilometer nonstop, lets think that we can add on a half of a kilometer

LASER LIPO SPECIALS

a week, which means we will need at least eight weeks before we can get up to the ve
kilometer distance.
I always like to next look at your schedule and dedication. Do you have the ability to
run three times a week? If not then maybe we should add on a few weeks to our training
program. Finally I like to add in mess-up time because things always go wrong and
something inevitably will come up, so I like to add another week. That way we have good
expectations and if we beat those expectations, then youre extra proud of yourself, but it
all comes down to stayed focused on the plan.
Staying focused on the same types of workouts can be very benecial to achieving your
tness goals. Have a clear-cut idea and then devise a specic plan to carry out. This spring
stay the narrow course and watch your summer goals pop up right along with the owers.

2 0 MA RCH 3 1 , 2 017
Resist Trump by voting
Using new power to push
old power out of the way
KATE CLINTON is a longtime humorist. She
writes regularly for the Blade.
On America Held Hostage, Day #64
but whos counting? after seven years
of bellyaching, that brilliant, or merely
brilliantined, widow-peaked, Wisconsin
heartthrob, Paul Ryan was unable to mar-
shal the repeal of the Aordable Care Act
through Congress. For now, widows can
breathe a little easier on their Medicared-
for portable oxygen, and Ryan is as popu-
lar as a Noro virus on a cruise ship.
Despite the medias breathless report-
ing on the probability that the ACA would
live to ght another day, I fully expected
some last-minute, heartbreaking news, in
Russian, of a TrumpDontCare victory. I do
not wait around in the bleachers at the Ja-
vitts Center for the balloon drop anymore.
But Trump pulled out at the last moment,
something Im sure he has bragged about in
golf club locker rooms all over the world. Re-
peal was repelled. When I heard the news, I
did high-ve some bewildered people on an
elevator, but that was it. In the cruel totality
of Trump world, a win can feel so creepy.
Its as if for a surprise one afternoon, Trump
put us in our red MAGA hats, piled us all in
his truck (he hearts trucks), took us all to the
mall for an ice cream, but then it was back to
the basement bunker for us.
My cynicism didnt last long because
the next day, Day #65, was the nine-week
anniversary of the Womens March on an, anti-trans, two-faced, silver-haired Boul-
Washington. I still commemorate it every
Saturday. I pop on my Planned Parent-
hood pink pussy hat and stand outside
my building for an hour with my sign:
Drain the Golf-Courses.
The March was the largest single day
protest in American history. It was led by
women 1.2 million marched in D.C., 3.6
million marched throughout the rest of
the nation. One of every 100 Americans
marched that day.
When they marched back home they
kept on protesting. Citizens mobbed town
E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
C OM MU N I KA T E
hall meetings to let their representatives
know what they felt about ACA repeal.
That was real news to the reps and the
protests defeated the GOPs health care
repeal eort. That and those scary Free-
dom Caucus Deathers who always are so
disappointed if anyone, other than them-
selves, lives. You would think theyd be all
for abortion funding. You would be wrong.
Day after day, protesters stood vigil out-
side Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schum-
ers home, chanting, Do your job. His
constituents even parked a skeleton in his
driveway to show him what a spine looks
like. Schumer will lead a libuster to thwart
the nomination of that smarmy, anti-wom-
derian, Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
The leaders of the Womens March,
Black Lives Matter, Indivisible, the Color
of Change and many, many more groups
have reverse-engineered Teahaddist tac-
tics but without the violence, nationalism
and racism. They are organizing the back-
lash before votes happen, not after. They
are using new power to push old power
either into action or out of the way.
The old power is nally seeing, or re-
membering, the importance of movement
building for an electoral strategy. The new
power is seeing the importance of an
electoral strategy for movement building.
This transition to a non-binary singularity
is critical for democracy to survive Hair
Trump. One need look no further than
the fact that though 750,000 turned out to
march in Los Angeles only 14 percent of
voters turned out in the LA mayoral race a
few weeks later. What the Fascism?
Before the presidential campaign,
the Clintons dissolved their Foundation.
Despite all the fake news stories, the
Foundation challenged corporations to
be more responsible for the care of the
world by funding innovative research and
development initiatives. Compared to the
Trumps corporate entanglements, the
Clintons were less than emolumental.
As the last Clinton standing, I am an-
nouncing my own Clinton Initiative with
huge cash-prizes (in bitchcoins). I am ac-
cepting any and all strategic proposals to
make marchers and non-marchers into
voters. The challenge is how to make the
popular vote really popular.
In the long-haul of the resistance, Ive
heard many conversations about the impor-
tance of self-care. Voting equals self-care.
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B R O CK PA PER SCI SSOR S
Gay men: Damn, were awful to each other
And television isnt helping
BROCK THOMPSON is a D.C.-based freelance
writer. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Like so many of us, I felt a little let down
by When We Rise. As detailed in my last
column, I found it boring and preachy, a
frankly terrible combination. Thank god
for Feud coming along. If you havent
been watching Ryan Murphys new mini-
series, baby, you really should, if not
just for the subtle and not-so-subtle gin-
soaked jabs Bette Davis and Joan Craw-
ford sling at each other with regularity.
Besides all that, its a fascinating look at
the human condition loneliness, get-
ting older, needing to be needed all
set against the backdrop of a Hollywood
gone by.
I N S I DE LGB T W A S HING TON
Trump loses bigly as political realities set in
Health care debacle is latest
setback for president
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights
and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.
Donald Trump has come face to face
with political reality and is losing and los-
ing big. He is losing his ght to ban Mus-
lims from entering the country, a plan that
has been stopped by the courts. His eort
to stampede the Congress demanding an
immediate vote on his bill to repeal and
replace the Aordable Care Act has been
soundly rejected by members of his own
party. If he didnt understand it before
it must now be increasingly clear being
president of the United States is nothing
like being CEO of his own privately held
company. Independently elected mem-
bers of Congress wont jump to his tune.
Feud is a fascinating look at
the human condition loneliness,
getting older, needing
to be needed.
Granted, these are two batty and aging posure to gay friendships and dynamics
Hollywood starlets, not gay men today.
But gay men like me are naturally ocking
to the show. And Ive heard these barbs ing fun at Jacks appearance and gay man-
traded back in forth from so many gay
men at any given bar on any given Sun-
day Funday throughout our city. What is
to blame for just how awful gay men can
be to one another? Scores of gay writers
and therapists have been trying to crack
that nut for years now. And for some of
it, the way we see ourselves on television
probably isnt helping our cause.
For many of us at least, our rst ex-
The 63 million Americans who voted for
Trump now know he is totally unt and un-
prepared to be president. The 66 million
who voted for Hillary Clinton already knew
that. Now as Trump tries to get any of his
other initiatives through the Congress his
voters will see this over and over again.
Trump will end up saying to his voters about
all the issues he promised action on what
he said about healthcare, Nobody knew
healthcare could be so complicated. They
will rue the day they voted for him as he re-
neges on one promise after another.
An interesting sidebar of this ght for
repeal and replace was seeing the far-right
members of the Freedom Caucus meet with
Stephen Bannon, the man who ran the far-
right news service Breitbart that helped elect
many of them. He now works for Trump and
tried to convince them to fall on their sword
and vote for the bill. It didnt work.
The entire GOP healthcare repeal and
replace dance was like watching a Marx
Brothers movie. Now, Speaker Paul Ryan
(R-Wisc.) and the White House are looking
where to place the blame if not on each
other. Sean Spicer said Trump did all he
could when the president demanded Con-
gress take a vote, win or lose. Ryan then
went to the White House to focus any loss
were only found on the small screen. We
had nothing else to look to but Will pok-
sulted when you were safely miles away.
nerisms on Will & Grace, and then there
was Karen Walker, a sort of Pez dispenser
of nastiness. Queer Eye for the Straight
Guy seemed to spend 25 minutes of a
breezy 30-minute show bashing other
mens appearances, albeit in a funny way,
to only have ve minutes ofpositive ar- quite at Joan Crawford levels of alcohol
mations after they built the men in their
own gay image.
Dont get me wrong: those shows had
on Trump. I can only say I feel a sense of
Schadenfreude; a pox on both Trump and
the GOP members of Congress.
Maybe now reality has hit home, at least
for moderate Republicans, that while there
are denite tweaks that should be made to
the Aordable Care Act it is generally liked
by a majority of Americans. A Quinnipiac
poll showed only 17 percent of Americans
liked the Trump/Ryan repeal and replace
bill. The arch conservatives wanted the bill
repealed without a replacement and the
Republican moderates understand how
their constituents like and need Medicaid
and specically two major pieces of the
ACA keeping children on their parents
policy until age 26, and ensuring those with
pre-existing conditions get coverage.
Trump and the GOP leadership in the
House will nd they face the same ght on
every issue they start working on, includ-
ing tax reform, immigration reform and in-
frastructure development. None of these
issues will be easy to transform into a bill
for congressional action with such a wide
chasm of beliefs having opened up among
Republican members of Congress.
So now the burden potentially falls on
Democrats to come up with the xes that
we know need to be made to the Aord-
MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 2 1
their place and were certainly ground-
breaking in their own ways, tackling di-
versity in primetime lineups. But they
showed little diversity in how we treated
each other.
Someone stopped me at Trade a few
weeks back just to tell me how bad he
thought these columns were. And thats
partially true, I guess. And some of you
might be thinking, Brock, youre perhaps
the biggest gossip and bitch I know. And
thats probably more or less true as well.
Id like to think I can zing with the best of
them. A lot of us gay southern boys had
to develop sarcasm and a quick wit to
navigate the pitfalls of junior high hall-
ways. A quick wit that would have left the
bully or jock only realizing they were in-
But is there a way to use our powers for
good instead of evil? Is there a way to not
form a circular ring squad at every beer
garden in the city? And could pop culture
help us out here by setting a better tone?
And while Im not sure I know any gays
consumption, I think we would all do well
to remember the human condition the
next time we feel like trading barbs.
able Care Act. Obamacare was a great
step forward but over the past seven
years we have seen the problems that ex-
ist with it. In some states there is only one
health plan on the exchanges. We know
premiums have gone up for many people
and deductibles are so high that there are
many people who cant aord to use the
healthcare they could get. We must face
and deal with these issues.
Democrats could use the ideas Hillary
Clinton proposed during the presidential
campaign about how to x Obamacare.
They present a starting point for discus-
sion. There could be a public option de-
veloped and we know we have to begin to
look at how to potentially provide up to
$5,000 in tax credits to families to pay for
their out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.
These ideas should be presented and
discussed by Democrats in open forums
across the nation. They could be orga-
nized by the Democratic National Com-
mittee and combined with the work of
rebuilding the party state-by-state.
This will not be easy but it may be time
for Democrats to begin the work of devel-
oping their bill. If the president and Re-
publicans then dont accept it, Democrats
will have a plan to run on in 2018.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

2 2 MA RCH 3 1 , 2 017 O U R BU SI N E SS MA T T E RS

Tide turns against too-high $15 minimum wage effort

Latest veto by
Baltimore mayor unlikely to
be overridden
by local legislators
MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur
and community business advocate. Follow
on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at
OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.
The Fight for 15 campaign, largely bank-
rolled by labor union SEIU at an unsustain-
able expense of more than $100 million
over the past four years, has lost steam after
garnering gradual imposition of the targeted
minimum wage in only a handful of cities and
two states.
The tide is turning against this ill-advised
push toward too-high minimum wage hikes.
The eort has stalled and some jurisdictions
have even undertaken or are considering
reversals of planned increases. The detri-
mental eects have become evident and are
prompting campaign stagnation as business-
es shutter, consumer prices rise, jobs disap-
pear and employment prospects for those
most in need of work vanish.
Last Friday, Baltimore Mayor Catherine
Pugh, a Democrat, vetoed an increase in the
citys minimum wage to $15 phased-in for
most workers by 2022.
Without the new law, Baltimores mini-
mum wage will increase to $9.25 an hour be-
ginning July 1 when it rises throughout Mary-
land. The statewide minimum wage will then
shoot up to $10.10 per hour on July 1, 2018,
making it among the highest state rates and
at the commonly designated threshold pro-
ducing counterproductive results.
Pugh joined Marylands adjacent-to-D.C.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett,
also a Democrat, who successfully vetoed in
late January an eventual $15 minimum wage.
Ocials in the adjoining Maryland county
of Prince Georges, also bordering D.C., indi-
cated last year they would not pursue a $15
minimum wage.
Although the Baltimore $15 minimum
wage was supported by the required 12 of
15 City Council members necessary to over-
ride Mayor Pughs veto, it is now unlikely they
will do so due at least one Council member
already signaling a switch.
Pugh indicated her decision was based on
the nancial impact for the city governments
payroll and job-killing burdens for both non-
prots and small businesses. She noted
that the citys 76,000 unemployed residents
and 10,000 annually returning ex-oenders
would bear the brunt of diminishing lower-
skill and entry-level employment opportuni-
ties from job cuts, declining business devel-
opment and current employers relocating
outside the city.
Mayor Pugh referenced Baltimore becom-
ing the doughnut hole within the surround-
ing region were the city to raise its minimum
wage above the state level.
Although Mayor Pugh did not mention re-
ports issued in recent days by the D.C. CFO,
she could have. The Oce of Revenue Anal-
ysis has projected that the citys minimum
wage increases to $15 will result in a loss of
employment for fully 2-3% of District residents
employed at D.C. businesses. In addition, 82
percent of the total job reductions at local
businesses will be borne by D.C. residents due
to a commuter eect requiring they com-
pete with better-skilled suburban workers.
Among all states, only Californias $15 in
2022 and New Yorks complex law rising to
$12.50 in 2021 for most workers and increas-
ing by the rate of ination in future years un-
til reaching $15 have been victories for the
unions political campaign. Only a very small
number of cities, including usual ultra-left
suspects San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle
and D.C. where politicians and virtue-signal-
ing locals are more interested in generating
splashy headlines than creating sensible pol-
icy have approved increases toward a $15
minimum wage.
D.C. currently has the highest state rate
at $11.50 per hour, rising to $12.50 on July 1
on a continuing schedule of increases that
will reach $15 in 2020. The District is now the
outlier in the region and most of the country.
The Congressional Budget Oce and a
decisive majority of prominent economists
warn that once minimum wages rise above
$10 a multiplicity of deleterious eects begin
to outweigh benets as lower-skilled work-
ers are priced out of local economies, and
community small businesses begin reducing
job positions to accommodate costs.
While 29 states and D.C. have set mini-
mum wage levels above the federal amount,
nearly all are only modestly above the federal
minimum or levels lower than $10.
Mayor Pughs decision was smart and sen-
sible, and the Baltimore City Council should
sustain her veto.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM VOLUME 48 ISSUE 13 MARCH 31, 2017 PAGE 25

Our big gay wedding

LOCAL COUPLES SHARE STORIES FROM THEIR SPECIAL DAY
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Thinking about popping the question to your signicant other? Nervous about planning a
wedding? We asked local couples to share their wedding day memories, which just might put
you at ease.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOLA SNAPS PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO BY JOHN JACK GALLAGHER

KATY RAY AND
ERICA SANSING
Katy Ray is PR and communications
manager for LGBTQutie.com. Erica Sansing
owns Sansing Studios, a photo studio.
When and where were you married?
Erica and I were married at the Cathedral
of the Incarnation, an Episcopal cathedral
in downtown Baltimore. We opted for
a religious ceremony, as our faith is so
important to us, and we wanted to take our
vows in front of God, family and friends.
Given that most Christian-based faiths still
havent caught up to the true measures
of Jesus teachings, we had to opt for an
Episcopal marriage ceremony, as the
Episcopal church is one of few who will wed
gay couples. We had our reception at the
Rusty Scupper, overlooking the Baltimore
harbor. It was breathtaking.
What was the most dicult element
of your wedding to achieve? I think
rst and foremost, having two people
come together to make about a thousand
decisions is a great exercise in achieving
communication skills and compatibility.
Throughout the wedding process, we
learned to compromise on any and
everything. Of course it was dicult
to achieve the perfect day, but we did.
Finding the venue was pretty easy, and
the reception is so much easier when you
work in house with the caterer.
Did the overall heteronormativity
of the industry pose any problem?
If so, what? Absolutely. When lling
out questionnaires online, for anything
from owers to wedding registries,
there were many surveys where only
wife and groom were listed and you
couldnt put wife and wife for both. I am
impressed with Macys, however, as they
had provided the options we needed. We
were also very impressed with the Rusty
Scupper. Michelle Rigby, their wedding
event coordinator, was incredibly
supportive and arming. She made us
feel like queens and treated our big day
with such respect and enthusiasm. Sadly,
we did not have this same experience
with some local businesses.
Another issue that pops up is buying
wedding decor. Most decorations come
in sets of husband and wife or groom
and bride so we would have had to buy
doubles of some things to have wife and
wife seat signs, etc. Luckily for us, my sister
is a crafter, and she was able to make our
wedding decorations and provide that level
of visibility in decorations.
Any resistance or weirdness from
family/friends? I dont know many
marriages where family resistance
doesnt exist. But in terms of the wedding,
my wifes family was very supportive
and welcoming, and my sister and
her family were extremely supportive.
Unfortunately, my parents were not
in attendance and are not a present
part of my life. My best friend Circon
walked me down the aisle and stood
by my side, which was innitely more
meaningful than the patriarchal tradition
of a father giving his daughter away.
The whole notion behind that is rooted
in heteronormativity, patriarchy and
womans inferiority. Thats not to say
women shouldnt be walked down the
aisle by their fathers, but for me it made
more sense for the person who was there
for me most in my life to walk me down,
and I have no ill-resolved feelings about
that person not being my father.
What advice would you give other D.C.-
area same-sex couples planning to wed?
1. Communicate: Its really important to
listen to each other and make sure you
communicate your needs. Have negotiables
and non-negotiables, and know what
those are going into the conversation.Our
wedding was our perfect compromise, and
I couldnt be happier.
2. Budget: You really want to make
sure you have a general gure for what
youre going to spend. My wife and I
decided to purchase a house before our
wedding, because we felt that having a
home for our lifetime was substantially
more important than spending too much
money on one day of celebration.
3. Try to have fun and cherish the
good times: Wedding planning should
be fun! Dont let anyone rob you of that
excitement; not family, ignorant wedding
industry workers or anyone.
4. Find a place that oers you inside
catering and a menu at price per person. It
saves you so much headache on the day of.
5. Your wedding is for YOU, not anyone
else.
CHRIS AND CHASE
MAGGIANO
Chris is president of Cormier & Co.,
a consulting rm; Chase is executive
director of the Washington Chorus.
When and where were you married?
Sept. 4, 2016 at Chases family home in
CONTINUES ON PAGE 32

2 6 M A RCH 3 1 , 2 017
Region oers everything
from big, grand spaces to
small, cozy rooms
By MARIAH COOPER
mcooper@washblade.com
Spring is in the air and so is wedding
season. While many couples are preparing
for their spring and summer weddings
this year, its not too late to start getting
some inspiration of your own. These
Washington-area venues have options
from small, intimate ceremonies to
elaborate, party-driven aairs. Whether
its a historic mansion, on board a cruise
or inside a luxury hotel, theres a venue
waiting for your save the date.
The Oaks Waterfront Inn (25876 Royal
Oak Rd., Royal Oak, Md.) is ideal for the
couple that wants a destination wedding
close to home. Located minutes away from
the Eastern Shore town of St. Michaels
on a secluded cove, the special day will
include private use of the waterside estate
and grounds. Saturday wedding packages
allow the couple use of all activities
including canoes, putting green, shue
board and badminton. the-oaks.com.
Reston Parks and Recreations the
Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron
Ave., Reston, Va.) oers an intimate space
overlooking Lake Newport. The Lakeside
Room accommodates 50-75 guests and the
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
The Ronald Reagan Building has both indoor and outdoor wedding venue options.
Lake View Room oers a natural light-lled
space with a replace for up to 95 guests.
The venue also oers rentals for larger
groups of up to 145 guests. reston.org.
Ronald Reagan Building and
International Trade Center (1300
Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) has both indoor
and outdoor ceremony and reception
options. Celebrate the big day outside
in a reception on the Woodrow Wilson
Plaza against granite cobblestones and
sculptures on a landscaped courtyard.
For an indoor aair, take advantage of
the 1,550 maximum occupancy of the
Atrium or for a smaller gathering of 200-
1,000 guests utilize the Atrium ballroom.
itcdc.com/event-spaces.
The Jeerson Hotel (1200 16th St.,
N.W.) has accommodations for smaller
ceremonies in its cozy rooms. Exchange
vows in the Book Room among book
shelves and a crackling replace or have
a celebratory three-course dinner in the
hotels Private Wine Cellar. A 60-minute
cocktail reception will follow the ceremony.
The hotel also oers spa services at the
Petite Spa, located in the hotel, for the
couple and members of the wedding
party. Overnight stays are encouraged,
especially in the Martha Jeerson Bridal
suite. jeersondc.com/tie-the-knot.
Odyssey Cruises (600 Water St.,
S.W.) gives a nautical touch to any
special event. Enjoy views of the skyline
and monuments while traveling down
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RONALD REAGAN BUILDING
the Potomac River while celebrating
the union. Odyssey Cruises wedding
planners can help curate entertainment,
dining and beverage packages to make
the day tailored to the couples taste.
The cruise line also does engagement
parties and luncheons before the date.
odyssesycruises.com.
The Line Hotel (1770 Euclid St., N.W.),
located inside a 110-year-old historic
church, oers 10,000 square feet of
event space, a rooftop terrace and a
grand ballroom for guests of up to 700
people. Spike Gjerde, a James Beard
Award winner, will create a banquet
menu lled with food and drink to mark
the special event. Watch the sun set with
a panoramic view of D.C., including a
view of the Washington Monument, on
the Vela Rooftop Terrace. The Banneker
Ballroom can also be transformed into
three separate spaces to suit any wedding
day need. thelinehotel.com.
The Howard Theatre (620 T St., N.W.)
is the ultimate entertainment venue
for the wedding party that wants to
dance the night away. The main oor
can accommodate up to 500 guests and
the Mezzanine, popular for a cocktail
hour lounge, accommodates up to 300
people. Multiple bars are located in the
space as well as a full-service kitchen.
There is a large stage, state-of-the-art
sound, lighting and on-site production
engineers to get any party started.
WEDDINGS
thehowardtheatre.com.
Cherry Hill Park Ballroom (9800
Cherry Hill Rd., College Park, Md.) oers a
classic ballroom wedding experience. The
3,600-square-foot space can hold up to
180 people. A fully equipped commercial
kitchen and bar are available for a caterer
of the couples choice. Smaller weddings
can also benet from the space with
cocktails and hors doeuvres in the pre-
function room before the ceremony is
held in one of the spaces meeting rooms.
cherryhillballroom.com.
Stonewall Golf Club (15601 Turtle
Point Dr., Gainesville, Va.) is located on
a golf course alongside Lake Manassas
with oor-to-ceiling windows oering
views that make a stunning backdrop
for wedding photos. The space can
accommodate up to 150 people to witness
the big day. stonewallgolfclub.com.
Kentlands Mansion (320 Kent Square
Rd., Gathersburg, Md.) is the wedding
venue choice for the couple that wants
old school charm. The mansion, built
in the early 1900s, features dark wood
paneling, polished hardwood oors,
22-foot ceilings and crystal chandeliers.
One-hundred-fty guests can be
accommodated for a cocktail reception
and 110 for a seated event. With eight
rooms and an outdoor space, there are
plenty of ways to customize a historical
wedding day. gathersburgmd.gov/about/
gathersburg/city-facilities.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 2 7
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 8 M A RCH 3 1 , 2 017 Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R J A CQ I E MCKE N ZI E
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
Almost two years. And honestly,
my family is pretty conservative so
the hardest was my dad and my
grandparents. I had to explain to him
this wasnt a phase. I havent been out
long. Ive spent the last six years of my
life breaking free of chains, link by link,
that were both thrust upon me and
self-imposed. For a long time, I was the
person I thought everyone wanted me to
be. That skin is completely shed and this
new skin I really like.
Whos your LGBT hero?
All those who fell at Pulse while rescuing
others. Also, Blue Star. Shes done so
much work to help victims and the
Orlando community recover from this
tragedy.
Whats Washingtons best nightspot,
past or present?
I have danced it up at Phase 1.
Describe your dream wedding.
Hmm. If that were to ever happen
again, it would be something extremely
small, on the beach at sunset with
the kids splashing in the water in the
background. Very intimate.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEN BOCCIA PHOTOGRAPHY
passionate about?
Education and environmental issues.
The things we are not providing for our
nations children and our natural world.
Its just atrocious.
JACQIE MCKENZIE What historical outcome would you
change?
The election. Because who is this guy in
the White House?
By JOEY DiGULIELMO Whats been the most memorable pop
joeyd@washblade.com culture moment of your lifetime?
I love Obama and his dad jeans. Hes
When Jacqie McKenzie found herself a single mom and chemistry teacher very GQ now that hes out of oce. Im
at a private school, she realized she needed to supplement her income so she happy to see him living life.
turned to one of her hobbies photography.
Around 2010, the now-34-year-old Oakland, Md., native started Jacqie Q On what do you insist?
Photography (jacqieq.com) and eventually it became her full-time work. Kindness and compassion.
About 75 percent of her work is weddings and she shoots on average 10-15
per year, both opposite- and same-sex couples, the latter of which she says What was your last Facebook post or
shes especially drawn to. Tweet?
Same-sex weddings are full of so much love and respect, she says. There My last post was a meme that says,
can be drama at every wedding, but in my experience, all the nonsense falls Stopping Trump is a short-term
away when a same-sex couple gets married. Theyre doing this because they solution. The long-term solution is xing
love one another and want to devote their loves to one another and not just an education system that created so
throw a party. many ignorant people willing to vote
McKenzie shoots all over the D.C./Baltimore area. She has two sons, for him. This was a statement made by
Declan and Colin, and is bi. Im keeping quiet on this one, she says of her Andy Borowitz.
relationships status. Its new.
McKenzie enjoys the ying trapeze, sky diving and kayaking in her free time If your life were a book, what would
as well as getting back to nature. the title be?
Make Your Own Happy
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you
do?
Discourage anything other than being
your authentic self. This would be in
the realm of designer babies for me.
Acceptance is key. Accept and love
everything that makes you uniquely you.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I believe in spiritual energies and karma.
What you put in will come back to you.
Whats your advice for LGBT
movement leaders?
Keep ghting. Keep pushing. Theres an
ever-growing army behind you.
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
My relationships. There is nothing in this
world I value as much as the people I
love.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
That a person who identies as bisexual
is attracted to everyone, any breathing
person. It doesnt work like that.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
Wild Things was probably the most
inuential movie for me. Like I said, I
grew up in a small, conservative town,
but also I was very sheltered as a kid. It
was the rst time I had seen any sort of
same-sex relations. I remember thinking,
Whoa! This is a thing?
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
I hate that chivalry is one-sided. If I want
to hold the door for a man, I should be
able to hold the damn door without
some man card comment.
What trophy or prize do you most
covet?
I dont covet prizes, only positive, loving
relationships.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
I wish I would have known that I didnt
need anyones permission or approval.
It took me a long time to accept and love
myself as I am because I was so focused
on the constant criticism I received at
home.
Why Washington?
Washington is full of life, full of color, full
of history. Its like the CPU for the entire
country, so Im embracing being so close
to the brain of the nation. I cant say Ill
always be here. I have big plans.
 W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 2 9

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 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
30 M A R C H 31, 2017
Your Ceremony,
Your Way
The ceremony Ruth put together for us
reflected our personalities perfectly. We would
Same-sex couples spending
definitely recommend Just Right Ceremonies
more, having more guests
to anyone looking for a wonderful and caring after Supreme Court ruling
officiant! -- Andrew & Adam
From STAFF REPORTS
Whether youve been together for just a few months or for NEW YORK Spending on same-sex
a few decades, whether youre traditional or cutting edge, weddings has skyrocketed since it became
well work with you to craft a ceremony thats unique, legal in the United States with the Supreme
personal, and memorable. Court ruling in June, 2015. Its up 85 percent
among LGBT men and 56 percent among
We love performing weddings for our LGBTQ community, LGBT women according to the Knot LGBT
Weddings Study which surveyed 979 LGBT
and we have special expertise in interfaith weddings. respondents in the U.S. who were married
or engaged to be married.
Call Alex at 301-787-9954 or Ruth at 410-956-0974 The 2016 study, the latest for which
or email us at info@justrightceremonies.com gures are available, explored how
couples are proposing, how much theyre
spending, family acceptance and support,
tradition and other statistics related to
same-sex marriage. The Knot, a wedding
industry brand, collaborated with Logo
on the study.
The average cost of a wedding for male
couples is $33,822, and $25,334 for female
couples. In contrast, wedding spend
increased by a mere 1 percent for men and
15 percent for women from 2014 to 2015,
and the average cost of a wedding prior to
legalization was $18,242 for male couples
and $16,218 for females. Couples are now
inviting more guests to their wedding, and
participating in more wedding-related
events than ever before, from engagement
parties to showers and more. For the rst
time, LGBT elopements are down.
There is a 53 percent increase in family
acceptance, and more couples are seeking
permission from their signicant others
family before proposing. Now that same-
sex marriage is legal across the US, 15
percent of men and 10 percent of women
A D V E R T I reported S I N G Pfeeling R O O Fmore pressure to get
Family Building through:
ISSUE DATE: 04.10.15 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JERYL PARADE (jparade@washblade.com) married. Spending on engagement rings
nearly doubled, and 87 percent of men and
NS the
Adoption
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
90 percent of women report having a formal
GN
omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
engagement proposal; of the transgender
Donor Agreements
responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users
EVISIONS can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or
any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any community, 94 percent of respondents
/LOGO REVISIONS copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
SIONS
competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
ADVERTISER SIGNATURE reported having a formal proposal.
Surrogacy
or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
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and warranties. traditions, trends and spending continue
to evolve. Our team at the Knot is
Serving the LgBt coMMunity for ALMoSt 20 yeArS. noW in Dc, MD & vA! dedicated to providing tools for every
827 Woodside Parkway Silver Spring, MD 20910 couple in America to use during their
wedding planning process, from I will all
p: 301.221.9651 f: 240.491.9551 the way until I do, said Kristen Maxwell
jfairfax@jenniferfairfax.com www.jenniferfairfax.com Cooper, executive editor at the Knot. The
Knot is all about inspiring, planning and
booking every wedding in America, and
we meaneverywedding.
Among the ndings are:
WEDDINGS
Men on average spent $5,719 on rings
(up from $2,250 in 2015) and women
spent $5,349 (up from $3,163 in 2015).
Transgender people spent $11,145 on
average, a new feature to the 2016 study.
The average age for men was 37;
women, 33.
Men, on average, had 121 guests (up
from 77 in 2015) and women had 117
(up from 71). The trans average was 116
guests.
The average length of engagement
for men was nine months (down from
11 months in 2015); women, 11 months
(down from 13 months).
September was the most popular
month to get married for men (14 percent)
followed by October (13 percent). It was
August and October (tied at 16 percent
each) for women.
Destination weddings are extremely
popular for gay men (53 percent) and
lesbians (49 percent).
Seven in 10 couples report paying
for the majority of their wedding
ceremony (men, 72 percent; women, 70
percent). When it comes to the wedding
reception, 68 percent of men and 64
percent of women reported paying
for the majority of the event. Families
contributing to the wedding ceremony
increased 11 percent for men (up from
6 percent in 2015 to 17 percent in 2016)
and 8 percent for women (up from 11
percent in 2015 to 19 percent in 2016).
Twenty-three percent of LGBT couples
reported the majority of their wedding
receptions are paid for by their families.
When proposing, 42 percent of men
and 46 percent of women reported
asking permission from their partners
family, up from 24 percent of women and
21 percent of men in 2015.
The number of men insuring their
engagement rings more than doubled,
from 26 percent in 2015 to 60 percent
in 2016. The most popular engagement
ring styles for women include a diamond
center stone with side stones and/or
accents (39 percent) and a diamond
solitaire ring (30 percent).
There is a 53 percent increase in LGBT
couples gaining family acceptance, but
more than half of couples still reported
that family was not accepting of their
marriage. Up from 28 percent for both
men and women in 2015, family approval
and willingness to help with their wedding
increased to 43 percent for men and 44
percent for women in 2016.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 3 1

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 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
32 M A R C H 31, 2017
Local couples talk joys,
stresses of getting married
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
Middleburg, Va.
What was the most dicult element
of yourweddingto achieve? We wanted
to make sure we enjoyed the day and also
that it was unique to us.This took a lot of
eort but paid o in the end. It was truly
the best day of our lives.
Did the overall heteronormativity
of the industry pose any problem?
If so, what? The industry is shockingly
heteronormative and gendered.We only
used vendors that acknowledged that
they have same-sex couple clients and
encouraged those who didnt get our
business to change their approach.
Any resistance or weirdness from
family/friends? Chriss mom found a
NOW STARRING surrogate before we even cut the cake (a
cousins girlfriend), so theres that. Well
GRAMMY
probably adopt in a few years but it was
still funny.
What advice would you give other
D.C.-area same-sex couples planning
WINNER
to wed? Theres a lot of external stress
and pressure that comes at you when
planning your wedding. Decide what one
or two things are most important to you
BRANDY
and then let them guide what the day will
be for you.
SUSAN MESSINA AND
MARYANN KRAYER
April 416, 2017 | Opera House Susan Messina is director
development and communications for
of
Iona Senior Services. Maryann Krayer is
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! a school psychologist in Charles County,
KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600 Md. Theyve been together since 1991.
PHOTO BY JASON BELL
Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.
For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540. When and where were you
married? We were legally married in
Theater at the Kennedy Center Major support for Musical Theater Kennedy Center Theater January 2013 at our congregation, River
is made possible by at the Kennedy Center is provided by Season Sponsor
Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation
in Bethesda, Md. We had already had a
commitment ceremony there in 2007,
A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T
when it was not legal, but that was when
we had our big ceremony. The 2013
ceremony was a big hit, an all-church
event where ve couples participated,
four of whom repeated their vows from
their legal weddings in other jurisdictions.
We were the only couple to actually get
married at that time. River Road hosted
a big potluck and it was followed by all-
generation dancing. People still talk about
it as the best party River Road ever threw.
What was the most dicult element
of your wedding to achieve? I will only
speak about our commitment ceremony
since that is the most true wedding-like of
our two events.The most dicult element
for us honestly was just the massive
project management of the event. We had
about 80 guests and many of them were
from out of town, so we had to provide
them with a lot of hand holding.
Did the overall heteronormativity
of the industry pose any problem?
If so, what? We had no problems with
the caterer or stationer. We did our own
owers. I borrowed a friends dress and
my partner wore a suit she already owned.
The only misstep was at our Dupont Circle
hotel where we stayed the night.We had a
problem with our room and when I called
to ask for a new one I mentioned it was my
honeymoon. They accommodated us and
then sent champagne to the new room.
The funny thing was they sent it to Mr. and
Mrs. Krayer because my wife had made
the reservations in her name and even
though it was Dupont Circle, they made the
assumption we were a man and woman.
Any resistance or weirdness from
family/friends? We had no weirdness.
My parents even asked if they could invite
their best couple friend.
What advice would you give other
D.C.-area same-sex couples planning to
wed? Make a budget and stick to it. Think
about who you want to be there the most.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 3 1 , 2 0 1 7 3 1

Celebrate your Wedding

Lakeside in Reston
Situated on Lake Newport in Reston, VA, the Lake House is surrounded by native plants
and flowers overlooking the lake. This unique venue offers a deck, fireplace and abundant
natural light.

Ideal for Weddings, Engagement Parties and Rehearsal Dinners. Ask about our Special Wedding
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Visit www.reston.org and search keywords Lake House rentals.

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25876 Royal Oak Road, Royal Oak, Maryland One hour from Annapolis, minutes from St. Michaels
410-745-5053
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

LIVE
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
34 MA R C H 31, 2017 O U T & A BO U T

an evening with
BRASS-A
-HOLICS
THURSDAY MARCH 30
THE HAMILTON LIVE AND WPA PRESENT

THE KNIGHTS By MARIAH COOPER

& CHRISTINA
COURTIN
W/ HOLLY BOWLING
A PART OF THE 2017 SHIFT FESTIVAL
OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS
FRIDAY MARCH 31
SAT, APRIL 1
RODNEY CROWELL PHOTO COURTESY OF SVETLANA LEGETIC

W/ SCOTT MILLER
SUN, APRIL 2
Gloria Gaynor to sing at Library of Congress
THE HILLBENDERS PRESENT
THE WHOS TOMMY: A BLUEGRASS OPRY Singer Gloria Gaynor (I Will Survive) will be at the Library of Congress Thomas
THURS, APRIL 6 Jeerson Building (10 First St., S.E.) on Saturday, May 6 for various events as part
ELIANE ELIAS of its Bibliodiscotheque series celebrating disco.
At 4 p.m., the singer will appear with Good Morning Americas Robin Roberts
FRI, APRIL 7 for an interview. At 5 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion, Gaynor will sign copies of her
MIPSO W/ DAN MILLS book We Will Survive. And at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall, Gaynor and her band will
kick o a disco dance party. Attendees are asked to wear 70s/disco attire. Its
SAT, APRIL 8
free but advance registration, which started this week, is required.
WILLIE NILE W/ JAMIE MCLEAN BAND Tim Gunn will appear for a segment on disco fashion on Tuesday, May 2 at 7
MON, APRIL 10 p.m. in the Mumford Room.
LAGUNITAS PRESENTS Visit loc.gov/concerts for more information. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMPSON

LOW CUT CONNIE W/ SKRIBE

TUES, APRIL 11 Sampson in D.C. April 5
OMMEGANG PRESENTS
THE FELICE BROTHERS Out comic Sampson performs at
W/ THE BROTHER BROTHERS Busboys & Poets (2021 14th St., N.W.) for
Black Joy: A Stand Up Comedy Aair on
WED, APRIL 12
Wednesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.
TERRAPIN PRESENTS
The show is a tribute to iconic comedian
ROADKILL GHOST CHOIR Moms Mabley focusing on political and
THURS, APRIL 13 social strife. Sampson has appeared on
DIRTY BOURBON RIVER SHOW BET, MTV, FOX, among others. Tickets are
$20. Doors open at 7 p.m.
W/ HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL
Purchase tickets at sampsoncomedy.com.
FRI, APRIL 14
THE WEIGHT Dining Out for Life is April 6
FEAT. FORMER MEMBERS OF THE BAND,
LEVON HELM BAND, AND RICK DANKO GROUP
Dining out for Life, a benet for Food
SAT, APRIL 15
& Friends, returns throughout the day on
AN EVENING WITH
Thursday, April 6.
CHATHAM COUNTY LINE PHOTO BY PERRY MANDELBOYM; COURTESY OF OGE GROUP Local restaurants will donate 25-110
SUN, APRIL 16 percent of meal proceeds to Food &
10:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM Friends to support children and adults
EASTER GOSPEL BRUNCH Baltimores Light City Festival returns living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other
FEATURING WILBUR JOHNSON serious illnesses. Freddies Beach Bar and
& THE GOSPEL PERSUADERS Restaurant will be donating 110 percent
Light City: a Festival of Light, Music and Innovation, an interactive and free of its dinner proceeds and Annies
TUES, APRIL 18
festival, runs throughout Baltimore from March 31-April 8. Paramount Steakhouse will donate 100
KINKY FRIEDMAN Baltimores Inner Harbor features the BGE Light Art Walk, a mile-and-a-half percent of its dinner proceeds. All Set
W/ BRIAN MOLNAR art walk, which includes more than 23 large-scale light installations. Works, Restaurant & Bar will donate 75 percent
including illuminated sculptures, projections and interactive technologies, from and Bucks Fishing & Camping, Comet
both local and international artists will be on display. Various bands and DJs Ping Pong, Delhi Clubb, Pearl Dive Oyster
will perform all well such as Biz Markie, Alexis Joyce, Ama Chandra, Blood Mist, Palace and Republic will all be donating
Bloomer, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and many more. 50 percent of their dinner prots.
For more information, visit lightcity.org. For a complete list of participating
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
restaurants, visit diningoutforlife.com.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
D I N IN G
The acid trip wine pairing at ENO is a tasty option at an easily overlooked bistro.
These happy hour hideaways
are worth visiting next time
youre in Georgetown
By KRISTEN HARTKE
An afternoon spent shopping along
the streets of Georgetown can be a bit
exhausting. The sidewalks are narrow
and crowded with tourists and college
students, and many of the local hotspots
ll up quickly when youre in dire need of
a drink and a snack.
Georgetown has several spots on its
winding side streets to get away from
the hustle and bustle, but there are
two standouts, Bar Vin and ENO, that
recall the days when the neighborhood
was particularly known for its French
restaurants where patrons could get
a good glass of wine and classic Gallic-
inspired nibbles.
In a time when Georgetown, and D.C. in
general, seems to be lled with purveyors
of burgers, pizza and overly complex
cocktails, Bar Vin is a delight. Tucked
next door to its parent restaurant, Chez
Billy Sud, Bar Vin (1035 31st St., N.W.)
has been open just a year, but sits as
comfortably as any beloved decades-old
neighborhood hangout, paneled in dark
wood with a gleaming copper-topped
bar. The vibe is utterly relaxed and the
happy hour oerings are both aordable
and authentic.
Bar Vins wine list oers a tasting
throughout various regions in France,
such as the better-known varieties
from Bordeaux and Champagne, but
also small estate-specic wines from
areas like Chinon and Vaucluse. Let the
bartenders be your guide and try a few
sips of dierent wines to decide which
region suits your mood. Fuel up with
a country-style pt, accompanied by
prunes, pistachios and cornichons, or a
classic plat du fromage (which sounds so
much fancier than cheese plate). For a
real treat, get the basket of freshly baked
bread and rolls still warm from the oven
and the citrusy marinated olives.
If your bent leans more toward cocktails,
youll nd several that focus on some of
M A R C H 31, 2017 37
PHOTO BY KRITEN HARTKE
the most classic French liqueurs, including
an Old Fashioned featuring armagnac,
a type of brandy made in southwestern
France, and the never-trendy but perfectly
balanced Kir Royal, prepared with just the
right note of creme de cassis. If youre
feeling particularly French, sip on a glass of
pastis, one of many anise-based liqueurs
found throughout the Mediterranean,
mixed with a little bit of water to your
preference.
ENO Wine Bar (2810 Pennsylvania
Ave., N.W.) is not o the beaten path in
Georgetown, yet can still be easily missed.
Located just across the Pennsylvania
Avenue Bridge that connects Foggy
Bottom to Georgetown and adjacent to
the Four Seasons Hotel, ENO sits on a
the 7 fingers of the hand
cuisine
block that many pedestrians just pass
............................
through on their way to shopping and
dining further up the street. But its well
worth making a stop there. In fact, you
may never make it to Wisconsin Avenue.
While ENO is not as specically French-
forward as Bar Vin, its still French-
inspired and oers its own calming respite
from the Georgetown hyperactivity. With
an extensive array of cheese from France,
Vermont and Virginia, along with locally
............................
& confessions
prepared charcuterie, you can start o
with the bartenders choice of three
meats and three cheeses to whet your
appetite, or go straight into the raclette
april 8 & 9
and potatoes a rich melted cheese
dish from Switzerland thats been making
a comeback in local restaurants, from
Brasserie Beck to the new Whole Foods
on H Street.
The wine ights are particularly Theater and acrobatics
interesting at ENO, highlighting vintages
from France, Spain, Italy, New Zealand and
meet on-stage cooking!
the U.S. The acid trip ight focuses on
particularly bright and acidic white wines, Enjoy food trucks and more
from a New Zealand riesling to a Yakima between shows on Sat, 4-8 p.m.
Valley (Washington) gewrztraminer,
while the regions unknown ight 888-945-2468 OR
presents less familiar options, such as a
savory Greek red wine and a fruity red
CFA.GMU.EDU/CUISINE
blend from Lebanon.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
KRISTEN HARTKE is a D.C.-based food
and beverage writer. Follow her kitchen
adventures on Twiiter, @khartke.

3 8 M A RCH 3 1 , 2 017
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
Go Gay D.C. hosts a happy hour social
at Uproar Lounge & Restaurant (639
Florida Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m.
No cover. All are welcome. For more
details, visit gogaydc.com.
The Community Advisory Board on
LGBT Community-Driven Research
hosts a community conversation on the
health needs and interests of same-
gender loving men of color in the District
at Covenant Baptist United Church of
Christ (3845 Capitol St., S.W.) tonight
from 6-8 p.m. Dinner will be served. For
more information, visit facebook.com/
lgbthealthdc.
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
Singer/songwriter Crystal Bowersox
performs at Rams Head On Stage (33
West St., Annapolis, Md.) today at 1 p.m.
Country singer Jack Ingram performs
along with her. Tickets are $35. Doors
open at noon. For more information, visit
ramsheadonstage.com.
Family Equality Council hosts a free
LGBT family building session at the D.C.
Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from 3-6
p.m. This workshop is for LGBT individuals
looking to start or grow their family. For
more details, visit thedccenter.org.
Equality Virginia hosts its 14th annual
Commonwealth Dinner at the Greater
Richmond Convention Center (403
North Third St., Richmond, Va.) tonight
at 6 p.m. Gov. Terry McAulie and singer
and actress Georgia Rogers Farmer are
the evenings special guests. General
tickets are $150 and VIP tickets are $275.
VIP reception begins at 5 p.m. General
registration and the silent auction begins
at 6 p.m. The dinner program is at 7 p.m.
followed by the after dinner dance at 10
p.m. Attire is black-tie optional. For more
information, visit equalityvirginia.org.
The Cherry Blossom Wine and Beer
Festival is at the Yards Park (355 Water
St., S.E.) today from 1-4 p.m. and from 6-9
p.m. The festival includes unlimited full
pours of beer, cider and wine spritzers
and tastings for more than 100 wines,
craft beers and ciders. There will also be
Boozy Bingo and live music from Je from
Accounting and DJ Julian Rivera. There
is also a Sunday session from 1-4 p.m.
General admission tickets are $50. The
wine lovers package is $89 and includes
general admission and four bottles of
wine to take home. For more details, visit
cherryblossomfestival.org.
Hatersroast: the Shady Tour is at
Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.)
tonight at 8 p.. RuPauls Drag Race
alumni will roast each other including Bob
GINA YASHERE will be at the CAMP Rehoboth Womens Fest next weekend.
the Drag Queen, Phi Phi OHara, Alaska,
Ginger Minj, Darienne Lake, Kim Chi, Jinkx
Monsoon and Acid Betty. Tickets range
from $20-50. For more information and
to purchase tickets, visit dragfans.com.
Man Upp and Joe Whitaker presents
DILF Washington D.C. Jock/Harness
dance party at the D.C. Eagle (3701
Benning Rd., N.E.) tonight from 9 p.m.-3
a.m. A cigar-and-pipe men social begins
at 8 p.m. on the lower patio. DJ Shea Van
Horn spins. Cover is $10. For more details,
visit dceagle.com.
SUNDAY, APRIL 2
The D.C. Chamber Music Society has a
free concert at St. Marks Capitol Hill (301
A St., .S.E) today at 3 p.m. The group will
perform Philip Glass String Quartet No.
1, Johannes Brahms String Sextet No. 1,
Op.18 in B-at minor ad Sergei Prokoev
Quintet OP. 39. For more information,
visit dcconcertorchestra.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMP REHOBOTH
MONDAY, APRIL 3
La Ti Do performs TV/movie themes
at Bistro Bistro (1727 Connecticut Ave.,
N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. April featured
guest Anya Randall Nebel and spotlight
featured guest Amanda Spellman will
perform. Guest performers include Janet
Aldrich, Keith Anderson, Linda Bard and
more. General admission tickets are
$15. Tickets are $10 with a same day
receipt from Bistro Bistro. Student and
senior tickets are $7 and non-performing
LTD alumni tickets are $5. For more
information, visit latidodc.wixsite.com.
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, APRIL 4
The National LGBT Task Force hosts
an informational meeting on how to join
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
CA LE N D A R
the Creating Change conference host
committee at National City Christian
Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.) this
evening at 6 p.m. Creating Change will
be the nations largest LGBT conference.
Email creatingchange@thetaskforce.
org. For more information, visit
creatingchange.org.
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts a
transgender and non-binary support
group today from 5-7 p.m. For more
details, visit smyal.org.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5
The Ask Rayceen Show presents its
annual #AskRayceen Mini Ball at Human
Rights Campaign (1640 Rhode Island
Ave., N.W.) tonight from 6-9:30 p.m.
Show begins at 7 p.m. Ball categories
will include best dressed, runway in all
black and voguing with a prop. Special
categories include female face, face over
40, butch/trans realness, among others.
Rayceen Pendarvis hosts. All are welcome.
Admission is free. For more information,
visit facebook.com/askrayceen.
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 Memoirs of
Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar at the
Tenleytown Library (4450 Wisconsin Ave.,
N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.
For more information, visit bookmendc.
blogspot.com.
THURSDAY, APRIL 6
Camp Rehoboth hosts its annual
Womens Fest today through Sunday,
April 9 at various locations throughout
Rehoboth, Del. Keynote speaker will be
Human Rights Campaign National Press
Secretary Sarah McBride. Entertainers
include Sweet Baby Jai, Karen Williams,
Gina Yashere, Tret Fure, Julie Wheeler,
among others. The fest also includes
workshops and lm screenings.
Tickets range from $10-100. For more
information visit camprehoboth.com/
events/womens-fest.
Equality Federation hosts its 2017
D.C. mixer at Studio Theatre (1501 14th
St., N.W.) today from 6-8:30 p.m. There
will be an open bar and snacks. Equality
Federation ghts against anti-LGBT
legislation and attacks in the community.
General admission tickets are $50.
For more details, visit facebook.com/
equalityfed.
The Pancakes & Booze Art Show is
at Penn Social (801 E St., N.W.) tonight
from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. More than 100 artists
will display their work. There will be a
free pancake bar and live body painting.
DJ Jon Chris spins. Tickets are $7 in
advance and $10 at the door. For more
information, visit pancakesandbooze.
com/washingtondc.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
BO OK S
Family secrets dont
stay buried in
coming-of-age novel
TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading
since she was 3 years old.She lives in Wisconsin
with two dogs and 12,000 books. Reach her at
bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
You must not tell.
You cannot breathe a word to anyone
who doesnt already know. That Which
Cannot Be Spoken must remain buried,
put away, frozen, lips sealed or in the
closet. You cannot tell because, as in the
new novel This Is How It Always Is by
Laurie Frankel, secrets change everything.
In the beginning was Roosevelt, known
to his loved ones as Roo. Not long after he
was born, Ben entered the family. Then
the twins, Orion and Rigel, arrived and so
Rosie Walsh, still hoping for a girl baby,
did everything the Talmud recommended
she do next. Months later, she and her
husband, Penn, welcomed Claude.
And that was OK. Another boy in their
raucous, rowdy family of boys was ne
and Rosie and Penn loved them all. They
were happy in their big, rambling, open
farmhouse just outside of Madison, Wis.
Rosie loved her job. Penn worked on his
novel. And Claude dreamed of being a girl.
It started when, as do most parents,
Rosie told Claude that he could be
anything he wanted to be someday.
Claude was 3 years old and loved dress-
up; it didnt seem odd to let him wear
dresses at home. But soon, home wasnt
enough and Claude tantrumed until he
was allowed to wear dresses to preschool,
M A R C H 31, 2017 39
IMAGE COURTESY OF FLATIRON BOOKS
though he was told that hed have to use
the nurses station bathroom and his
teacher was not happy.
Still, Rosie and Penn were willing to do
what it took to make Claude feel secure. AMERICAN VISIONARY:
John F. Kennedys
With his dresses and pink, he was a
condent child; without, he was sullen
and sad. None of his classmates minded
Life and Times
his clothing. His brothers never gave it a
second thought. Claude was simply Claude,
until he asked his parents to call him Poppy.
And that was ne, too, especially when
the family moved to another state and it
was easier to keep quiet until it wasnt. May 3September 17
Until Poppy started growing up, the
world became a vicious place, and secret A look at the legacy of JFK through the
keeping couldnt last forever.
And so, heres the thing: once youve golden age of photojournalism.
started reading This Is How It Always Is,
you might as well just clear your schedule.
Cancel all appointments. You wont want
to do anything but read, so just give in.
Smithsonian
Blame it on the book. 8th and G Streets NW, Washington DC
Part of the appeal, I think, is in the AmericanArt.si.edu/jfk #atSAAM #JFK100
way that author Laurie Frankel writes:
there are no airs, no try-to-impress-you
words, nothing uppity. Her characters are John F. Kennedy. Photo Philippe Halsman, Magnum Photos
normal people with everyday lives, trying
to maintain that normalcy and Frankel
writes like they might talk: with down-to-
earth matter-of-factness and a fast dash
of humor that winds its way through a
serious topic. And on that topic, youve
perhaps heard it before (or something
similar) but not in a voice like this, and not
quite as enjoyable.
One more thing: be sure to read
Frankels after notes, which brings her
novel full circle and will make you smile.
But dont peek; instead, start This Is
How It Always Is from the beginning and
savor it properly. Itll make you want to
tell everyone.
THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS
By Laurie Frankel
Flatiron Books
$25.99
329 pages 202.319.8541 www.lgbtc.com Se habla espanol
~
4 0 MA RCH 3 1 , 2 017 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

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Sales agents gearing up to
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your credit cards, co-signing on any loans
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Your home inspector can identify poten-
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tlement agent or title attorney can explain
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work with, and develop a game plan to
win the home you desire.
VALERIE M. BLAKE can be reached at 202-246-8602
or at Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com. Each Keller Wil-
liams Realty oce is independently owned and op-
erated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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END OF LIFE CELEBRATIONS

every life deserves reflection and celebration
Walk to Shopping
TRANSLATION:
No public transportation nearby.

VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI

Dupont Circle Office 202.243.7700 (o) 202.246.8602 (c)
Tara Zimnick-Calico 571.722.3274
Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com www.DCHomeQuest.com info@621events.com www.621events.com