JUNE 16, 2017 VOLUME 48 ISSUE 24 AMERICAS LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE WASHINGTONBLADE.

COM

THOUSANDS DESCEND ON D.C. FOR PRIDE, EQUALITY MARCH

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0 4 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 LO CA L N E W S

Equality March draws thousands from across country

Speakers stress need
to link LGBT equality
to racial justice
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
Carrying rainbow ags and signs
reading Love, not hate, makes America
great and Resist Trump, tens of
thousands of LGBT people and their
supporters marched from the White
House to the National Mall near the U.S.
Capitol on Sunday in the Equality March
for Unity and Pride.
Through dozens of signs held by
marchers saying Remember Pulse and
in speeches at a rally on the Mall, march
participants noted the event took place
one day before the rst anniversary the
shooting rampage at the Pulse nightclub
in Orlando, Fla., that took the lives of 49
mostly LGBT people.
Three survivors of the Pulse incident,
which has become known as the nations
worst mass shooting, spoke at the rally.
Before they spoke veteran gay activist
Nicole Murray Ramirez of San Diego and
one of 13 national co-chairs of the march,
called for a moment of silence to remember
the victims of the Pulse shooting.
Equality March founder David
Bruinooge, who served as a co-chair, said
he was uncertain of the exact number of
people who turned out for the march.
But he said reports he received from
knowledgeable observers led him to
believe at least 50,000 and possibly as
many as 80,000 people from throughout
the nation took part in the march and rally.
The U.S Park Service, which issued a
permit to allow the Equality March to hold
its rally on the Mall, no longer releases
crowd estimates for large events as it
once did in past years.
The march began at 10:08 a.m. at 17th
and I Streets, N.W., two blocks north of
the White House. It took nearly two hours
for all of the marchers to stream past the
White House, walk south on 15th Street
to Constitution Avenue and head east to
Organizers estimated a crowd of up to 80,000 marched on Sunday.
very thankful for everyone who came out
for this from the beginning, he said.
It was a grassroots organization and
we did it with zero corporate dollars,
Bruinooge said. And were proud of that
and that people stepped up and made
their voices heard today.
Among the more than a dozen speakers at
the rally were veteran lesbian activist Mandy
Carter of North Carolina, co-founder of the
National Black Justice Coalition; Imani Woody,
founder and CEO of D.C.s Marys House for
Older Adults; Doug Kimmel, founder of the
New York-based LGBT seniors advocacy
group SAGE; Sarah McBride, transgender
rights advocate and national press secretary
for the Human Rights Campaign; and Chase
Strangio, sta attorney for the ACLUs LGBT
and AIDS Project.
Javier Cifuentes, HRCs Youth
Ambassador, and Thomas Tonatiuh
Lopez Jr. of the Indigenous Youth Council
gave rousing speeches that captured
the theme and tone of what leaders of
the Equality March said was one of their
key messages that the LGBT rights
movement must work in solidarity with
attention than most of the other signs. It
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Also speaking was former National
Basketball Association player Jason Collins.
Many of the marchers carried signs
calling on President Donald Trump to
respect the rights of LGBT people and
refrain from rolling back LGBT rights.
Blade wins four journalism awards
The Washington Blade was honored
by the D.C. chapter of the Society
of Professional Journalists with four
Dateline Awards on Tuesday.
The Blade winners include:
Features editor Joey DiGuglielmo for
best feature story in the weekly category
for a piece titled, Hes for Trump, hes for
Clinton, a prole of a local gay couple on
opposite sides of the political aisle.
International News Editor Michael
Lavers for best editorial/opinion writing
for A glimpse into another side of Cuba,
a rst-person account of reporting from
Several marchers, while walking in front
of the White House, began to chant, Hey
hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go
and lock him up.
Others turned signs toward the White
House that said Shame, Shame and Our
House. A young gay man who traveled to
D.C. from Chicago to join the march and
who identied himself as Ming held a sign
that appeared to draw laughter and more
read, Mike Pence blocked me on Grindr.
Many of the marchers, both women
and men, were accompanied by children
who held signs expressing support for
LGBT equality.
Jim Martin, who traveled to D.C. from
Ohio to attend the march, said he was
proud to march beside his lesbian
daughter Shavon Martin.
President Trump was out of town at
the time of the Equality March, spending
the weekend at his summer estate in
Bedminster, N.J.
But at 10:40 a.m., shortly after the
Equality March reached the White House,
a uniformed Secret Service ocer could
be seen standing on the White House
roof looking at the marchers on the
street below through what appeared to
be either a camera or binoculars.
JUNE 17, 2016 VOLUME 47 ISSUE 25 AMERICAS LGBT NEWS SOURCE WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

the Mall at Third Street, where a stage
had been built at the site of the rally.
Large numbers of marchers could been
seen leaving the site of the rally shortly after
arriving there. Many moved to the sides of
the Mall and watched the rally in the shade
under trees as the temperature rose to
close to 95 degrees. As the rally continued
for nearly two hours the center of the Mall
in front of the stage was nearly empty.
There was denitely tens of thousands
of people at the march, said Bruinooge.
And the Mall was lling up but clearly on
this hot and blistering day people were
nding shade under the trees, which is
great. It was a peaceful, safe day and were
the nations other progressive movements
and social causes such as immigrant
rights, racial justice, transgender rights,
the rights of indigenous peoples, and
womens and reproductive rights.
Among several celebrities who spoke
at the rally were actress, singer, and
songwriter Sara Ramirez, who has
emerged as an outspoken straight ally;
actor and LGBT advocate Asia Kate Dillon,
star of the Netix TV series Orange is
the New Black and the Showtime series
Billions, who identies as non-binary;
and gay actor Charlie Carter of the ABC
series Desperate Housewives and the
MTV series Teen Wolf.
the Communist island.
Blade editor Kevin Na for best
commentary and criticism for A tribute This cover image won a design award
for Blade creative director James Neal.
to gay bars, a reection on the role of
safe spaces for the LGBT community in
the aftermath of the Pulse massacre.
Creative director James Neal for his design of several front-page covers,
including Enough, a bold reaction to the Pulse massacre.
This year, 82 entries were nalists for their TV, radio, newspaper, magazine,
newsletter/trade publication and online work. Winners were announced at the
chapters annual Hall of Fame dinner at the National Press Club.
These awards are a reection of the Blades nearly 50-year dedication to
quality journalism, said publisher Lynne Brown. Congratulations to our team
on their much deserved honors.
STAFF REPORTS
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM T:9.75 JUNE 16, 2017 05

T:11.5
Speak volumes
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0 6 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
Pride protest ignites debate in D.C.s LGBT community
Accounts dier wildly in
assessment of No Justice
No Pride actions
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
The actions of protest group No Justice No
Pride, members of whom formed a blockade
Saturday evening that required the Capital
Pride Parade to be rerouted and delayed by
hours, have inspired a wide range of strong
reaction from parade participants, long-time
D.C.-area LGBT activists, Capital Pride ocials,
observers and others.
Social media was ablaze Saturday and
throughout the weekend with some
saying the group, a self-described ad-hoc
coalition of activists that seeks to end the
LGBT movements complicity in systems of
oppression that harm LGBTQ2S (i.e. queer/
two-spirit) communities, ended up doing little
more than angering and alienating people
who should be their allies while others said the
loudest denunciations seemed to come from
cis, white, gay men who were mad because
their party got delayed.
I think their parade interruption was ill
advised, said Lane Hudson, a longtime, D.C.-
based gay activist. From what I know about
Capital Pride, they are very open minded and
welcoming. To suggest otherwise is simply not
true. If there is a lack of LGBT, queer and two-
spirit involvement, its because of a choice (by
those folks) not to get involved in Capital Pride.
Its about who shows up.
SaVanna Wanzer, a Capital Pride board
member, trans woman of color and founder
of Transgender Pride (an ocial Capital Pride
event), agrees.
When we have our (Trans Pride)
organizational meetings, its the same six
people who show up every year along with the
executive producer and producer of Capital
Pride, Wanzer said. I dont know if any of the
protestors have any desire to volunteer with
Capital Pride or not but we would love to have
more trans people of color involved.
On Saturday, June 10 about 3:30 p.m., a
couple hundred No Justice No Pride protesters
held a march of their own on the Capital
Pride Parade route walking together while
pop songs blasted from a loudspeaker and
participants chanted anti-corporate slogans.
Later another group joined hands with a
chain-like material on P Street between 15th
and 16th streets, N.W. in the planned route
of the parade. Ten protesters formed a chain,
chanting slogans and clashing vehemently
with bystanders. Eyewitnesses said they saw
no violence erupt though some No Justice
protesters say they were kicked and spit on.
The parade was signicantly delayed and
eventually was rerouted. There was a strong
presence of D.C. Metro Police at the site of the
protest. No arrests were made.
No Justice No Pride members distributed
No Justice No Pride protesters block the Capital Pride Parade in Washington last weekend.
pink sheets in which they demanded that
Capital Pride add more trans women
of color to leadership positions, more
stringently vet which corporate sponsors
are allowed to give money to Capital Pride,
prevent uniformed police ocers and
military personnel from participating in the
parade because of fraught histories with
these groups and LGBT people and many
other issues. A full list of their demands
can be found at nojusticenopride.org.
The group found supporters among the
D.C.-area LGBT establishment.
It does seem to be predominantly the
cisgender, white gay men who are the most
upset these people werent dragged away balance between corporate and grassroots
and arrested, said one long-time local black
lesbian activist who is not allowed to speak on
the record because of her job. But D.C. has a
long history of allowing protesters to exercise
their First Amendment rights. Were not going
to drag people from the street so you can
continue to party. Thats ridiculous. This is
a backlash against the white gay men from
Logan Circle. Did they want this to turn into the
next Ferguson? Think a little bit about the pros
and cons and check your privilege at the door.
Others, though, say the No Justice
protesters had no interest in having their
concerns addressed in a reasonable way and
refused to back down. A pre-Pride meeting at
National City Christian Church on May 8 was
heated on both sides. No Justice No Pride
plans a debrief and forum on Friday, June 23.
Look for the group on Facebook for details.
There are people out there who are never
going to be satised, 100 percent no matter
what you do, Wanzer said. Theyre always
going to have a complaint, theyre always
going to have something to say. They say
theyre protesting for the rights of trans people
of color, but not all the local trans people of
color are on the same page with them. We
dont need them to protest or speak out on
our behalf. What they did was inappropriate
because it took away from the enjoyment
and the feel of Pride. If anything it backred in
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
a way because it made those of us in Capital
Pride more unied.
Others say the protesters have several
good points but did themselves more harm
than good with their tactics.
It remains to be seen if tactics like
disrupting Pride parades engage or alienate
the community and allies, said Dave Kolesar,
a local white gay man. And with regard
to corporate sponsorships of Pride, there
was a time not that long ago when nding
corporations to sponsor events was nearly
impossible as a conservative backlash would
inevitably follow. So while it is always a
legitimate concern to be able to strike the right
involvement, I would be cautious about
pushing corporations away.
Hudson agrees.
Most of the corporations they are targeting
have 100 percent ratings on the (Human Rights
Campaign) Corporate Equality Index. While
intersectionality is much needed, it cannot
always require purity. Life, including activism,
is a set of choices. Progress isnt always perfect
and it can always be built upon.
Others say the No Justice No Pride
protesters dont understand the long and
tangled history the D.C. LGBT community
has with some of the groups they targeted.
Cathy Renna, a longtime activist who spoke
on behalf of Capital Pride this week, says she
knows of trans folks who worked for defense
contractors Northrop Grumman, one of the
groups No Justice said was not an appropriate
Pride sponsor, when they couldnt continue
their military service with Dont Ask, Dont Tell
still in eect.
And to tell military and police they werent
welcome at the parade, Renna says, was
unrealistic.
I think there was a good faith eort during
and after the community forum to try and
address some of these concerns, particularly
with the police contingent but Capital Pride
was not going to exclude them because they
did not want to exclude any groups, Renna
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO CA L N E W S
said. Most people understand the Gay &
Lesbian Liaison Unit has a long history working
with our local community and anytime you
have a crowd of any size like that in D.C.,
theres going to be a sizable police presence.
I have a lot of mixed feelings, said Ruby
Corado, a long-time D.C.-based trans activist
who runs Casa Ruby, a local LGBT community
center. While I acknowledge that some of
their issues are valid and I think theres value
to what the group is saying, I struggle with how
theyre doing things. I really do think shutting
down the parade for three hours was a little
bit too much, I really do, because there were
a lot of people there, lots of trans and queer
people of color, whod worked really hard and
were there to celebrate. Yes, sure, do hold
Capital Pride accountable, but everyone needs
to be held accountable, not just Capital Pride.
Yet accounts of exactly what happened,
how the protest was handled and who exactly
was behind it dier based on whom you ask.
Several local trans residents declined Blade
requests for comment for fear of angering No
Justice protesters.
Renna spotted a group of about 50-75
people carrying a tri-colored banner that
said No Justice No Pride Queer & Trans
Resistance on Friday on 14th Street, N.W. and
said it appeared to be a signicantly dierent
group than those who protested at the parade.
Emmelia Talarico, a No Justice No Pride senior
organizer said she had no knowledge of who
that group was.
As far as I know, that didnt happen,
Talarico, a trans woman, said. If some
folks did that, they did not meet with us as
representatives of No Justice No Pride.
Talarico also denied other rumors
circulating this week that some of the
protesters at the Saturday parade were paid.
She said the reality was quite the opposite.
Thats not at all true, she said. We did
pay for about six or seven people, black trans
women, to perform at the healing space
we had but that was because we felt that
they deserved to be paid for their work like
anyone else would be. No one who was in
the blockades who took action in the street
were paid. Some of us even emptied our bank
accounts to make this happen.
She also said assertions by some that the
No Justice folks were far-left radicals who are
out to destroy Pride in D.C. and in other cities
is wildly inaccurate.
We dont want to destroy Pride, we want
to make it better, Talarico said. Its not about
destroying Pride, its about making it into
something thats more representative of all of
us and honors those of us who are struggling
at the margins. A lot of this is coming from
ssures that have been boiling beneath the
surface for decades. The reason people are
reacting so strongly is because were forcing
them to see it for the rst time in a long time.
Accounts also vary as to how much dialogue
happened in previous years about some of
CONTINUES ON PAGE 17
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM JUNE 16, 2017 07

0 8 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
DANICA ROEM is a transgender journalist who is challenging Virginia state Del. Bob
Marshall (R-Prince William County)
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROEM
Va. trans candidate wins primary
A transgender former journalist pulled o a surprise victory in a Virginia
primary on Tuesday, winning the Democratic nomination to face o against anti-
LGBT Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) in the general election.
Danica Roem, who was seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the
13th District seat in Virginias House of Delegates, beat out Steve Jansen, Andrew
Adams and Mansimran Kahlon to winher partys backing, the Associated Press
reported at 8:30.
If Roem succeeds in besting Marshall, she could become the rst openly
transgender person to be elected and seated as a state legislator. The general
election will be held Nov. 7.
Roems opponent in the general election, Marshall, has a long anti-LGBT
history over the course of his 13 terms in the Virginia General Assembly. Marshall
was responsible for the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which made a ban on
same-sex marriage part of the state constitution in Virginia until a federal judge
overturned the measure.
More recently, Marshall pushed legislation that would bar transgender people
from using the restroom in any government-owned building consistent with
their gender identity.
At the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund brunch last month, Roem acknowledged
her victory over Marshall would have particular signicance, referencing his
remarks calling transgender people gender confused.
Also in Virginia, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam came out on top in a contested primary
to win the Democratic nomination in Virginias gubernatorial race, besting former
U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, who was endorsed by progressive leaders.
The Associated Press declared Northam the winner in the primary about an
hour after polls closed in the state at 7 pm.
With 91 percent of precincts reporting, Northam had secured 55 percent of
the vote compared to 45 percent claimed by Perriello.
Northam, who was endorsed by LGBT groups such as the Pride Fund to End
Gun Violence and Equality Virginia, beat out Perriello despite his endorsements
from progressive leaders like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren
(D-Mass.).
In an interview with the Washington Blade in June, Northam said theres still
a lot of work to do to combat anti-LGBT discrimination in Virginia and those
eorts begin with good leadership.
CHRIS JOHNSON
Uproar bar shuttered after deck buckles
D.C. Fire and EMS Structural experts evacuated Uproar gay bar & restaurant (639
Florida Ave., N.W.) about 7:40 p.m. Sunday after responding to a call about the buildings
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO CA L N E W S
The Uproar bar on Sunday night.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY LOU CHIBBARO JR.
roof deck buckling or bowing, according to Fire and EMS spokesperson Vito Maggiolo.
Fire and EMS ocials closed the street to cars and pedestrians while waiting for a city
building inspector to arrive and assess the structural soundness of the building.
Four police cars and two re trucks with ashing lights drew the attention of people
in the area, including Uproar customers arriving from D.C.s Capital Pride festival.
Maggiolo said the street and one adjacent building would remain closed until the
building inspector assessed the situation.
In a statement, Fire and EMS ocials said the incident involved oor joists
compromised from excess weight causing the roof to bow. The statement said the
departments Cave In Task Force was taking steps to install shoring to strengthen the
roof structure.
But a short time later someone from the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory
Aairs attached a notice to Uproars front door prohibiting anyone from entering the
building until further notice.It read in part, This structure, equipment and/or system is
unsafe and its occupancy or use has been prohibited by the code ocial.
No injuries were reported. A representative from Uproar couldnt immediately be
reached for comment.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Norton, Capital Pride disagree
over why she missed parade
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is attributing her absence from this weekends
Capital Pride parade to the lack of an invitation to the event and a requirement that she
pay to take part, although organizers dispute her account and say the fee is customary.
Benjamin Fritsch, a Norton spokesperson, said in a statement shared with the
Washington Blade and other media outlets the delegate assumed she would go to the
Capital Pride Parade which he said she has done each year even before her nearly
26 years in Congress but this year never received an invite.
She has always received a letter of invitation from the parade organizers, but this year
did not receive one, so her sta reached out to them well in time for her to participate,
Fritsch said. The organizers said they would put her on a waitlist. They also said that the
congresswoman would have to pay more than $600, and an additional smaller fee to be
put on the waitlist. Therefore, she decided not to participate.
Although Norton was absent from the parade, other ocials who took part includedD.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large), D.C. Council member
Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), D.C. Council member and former D.C. Mayor Vince Gray (D-Ward 7).
Bernie Delia, president of Capital Pride Alliance, responded to Norton by saying
organizers have never extended invitations to elected ocials to participate in the event
at least the past nine years.
Months in advance of the parade we inform prior parade entrants that the registration
is open, Delia said. In this case we did what we have always done hold a spot in the
line-up for D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton for when she showed up, as she has done
for every previous Capital Pride Parade.
Delia said a Norton staer called late last week seeking to register. Although the
staer was told that would result in an automated system generating an email indicating
Norton was on a wait list, Capital Pride organizers explained they would manually
override that and place the delegates contingent in the parade, Delia said.
The $600 fee, Delia said, is standard for participation in the parade and the same
amount charged to all political contingents in the past. Delia acknowledged Capital
Pride charges a $10 fee for being on the wait list, but said Norton was never really on it
and that $10 is credited to the account balance for the entry fee.
We regret the confusion and look forward to Del. Nortons participation in future
Capital Pride Parades, Delia said.
CHRIS JOHNSON
EQUALITY MARCH
W A SH I N GTOfor
NBunity & pride
LAD E.C OM J U N EJUNE
1 6 ,09,
2 02017
17 09
09

Gay Games XI Bid Rally

Wednesday, June 28 69 pm
National Museum of the American Indian

/ ggdc2022
@ ggdc2022
www.ggdc2022.org

Help us show the world that DC is ready to host the Gay Games!

Come to our Bid Rally on the National Mall at the

National Museum of the American Indian on Wednesday,
June 28th at 6:00 pm. (4th Street & Independence Av
A e, SW)

Washington, DC, is one of three finalists to host Gay Games XI

in 2022. We expect 12,000 participants from 100 countries
and 100,000 visitors to be a part of this global event.

The Gay Games site inspection team will be in town to meet

YOU and see first-hand all that DC has to offer.
We ask that you leave bags at
home to keep metal detector
Please join us for food, drink, music and giveaways! security lines moving.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 0 J UNE 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 LO CA L N E W S

Comings & Goings Baltimore mayor honors

Weaver joins exec team at HSC; LGBT leaders at reception
Hockman sells consultancy
By PETER ROSENSTEIN

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our com-
munity. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining
boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at
comingsandgoings@washblade.com.

Congratulations to H. Bradley Weaver. It has been

announced by the HSC Health Care System (HSC) that he
will be a part of its new executive team as Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Ocer of Health Services for
Children with Special Needs. The HSC Health Care System is
a nonprot health care organization committed to serving
families with complex health care needs and eliminating
barriers to health services. The System combines the
resources of a care coordination plan (Health Services for
Children with Special Needs, Inc.), pediatric specialty hospital
(The HSC Pediatric Center), and home health agency (HSC
Home Care, LLC) with its parent organization, The HSC H. BRADLEY
Foundation, to oer a comprehensive approach to caring, WEAVER
serving and empowering people with disabilities.
According to HSCs new CEO, Bradley will be part of Baltimore Mayor CATHERINE PUGH (center) with this years Pride honorees.
the leadership team that will lead the organization in its WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY STEVE CHARING

eort to strengthen the coordination and delivery of high

quality services for individuals complex health needs in the
Washington, D.C. region. Celebrating 42 years of the Baltimore Police Departments LGBT
Weaver is a graduate of Dartmouth College and attended liaison; Ian James, who works with STAR
the Accenture Project Management Program among other
rallying together TRACK, an organization which seeks to
training programs. improve the health of youth and young
Congratulations also to Larry Ray for receiving an By STEVE CHARING adults in the city and the state; and Del.
Excellence in Teaching Award celebrating his 30 years of Maggie McIntosh of Baltimores 43rd
teaching. The George Washington University School of Law LARRY RAY About 50 people attended a legislative district, the rst openly LGBT
Dean Blake D. Morant presented Larry Ray with the award. reception at City Hall on June 12 in member of the state legislature and
He began teaching mediation and now is a senior professor which Baltimore Mayor Catherine F. who has been in the forefront of the
teaching negotiation. He has now taught more than 2,500 Pugh bestowed mayoral medallions movement to expand LGBT rights in
law students. The dean said, Students praise his teaching as upon leaders of the LGBT community. Maryland.
innovative, exciting and immediately useful in the workplace The event, which kicked off the final In addition, medallions were given
as well as home. week before Baltimore Pride, was the to: Mark McLaurin, the political
He also teaches business negotiation at Capital University first LGBT awards ceremony to take director for SEIU Maryland and D.C.
School of Law; is a Senior Instructor at the American place at City Hall in connection with and is co-chair of Police Commissioner
Management Association (AMA); Arbitrator at FINRA and the annual celebration. Davis LGBT Advisory Committee;
executive coach at various federal agencies. Previously, he After preliminary introductions that Merrick Moise, the LGBTQ Community
served as a Columbus, Ohio, prosecutor and also as director included Police Commissioner Kevin Liaison for the Baltimore City States
of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section. Davis, the 2017 Queen of Pride Dee Attorneys Office; Kenneth Morrison,
He has served as a vice president of the Stein Democratic JOHN HOCKMAN A. Diamond, and executive director of co-executive director of the GLBT
Club. the Center for Black Equity Baltimore Community Center of Baltimore
Ray was born in Ohio and received his J.D. from the Capital Carlton Smith, Pugh noted 42 years and Central Maryland (GLCCB); Ava
University Law School, Columbus, Ohio, and his bachelors with honors from Muskingum of rallying together in displaying the Pipitone, executive director of the
College, New Concord, Ohio. mayors proclamation celebrating Baltimore Transgender Alliance, the
Congratulations also to John Hockman. It was announced by McKinley Advisors new Pride month. only peer-run transgender advocacy
CEO Jay Younger, that they have acquired the association consultancy the d3 Group The more we understand that that organization in Baltimore; and Steve
founded by Hockman. we have more in common than we are Ziger, who serves on several boards
Hockman is a widely recognized adviser and strategist to the association community dierent, the better we will be, Pugh including the Baltimore Community
and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He said, Im a student of said. LGBT residents are invaluable Foundation where he is co-chair for
human dynamics and a specialist in the business of getting people to talk. Next to being to our city. How wonderful your the LGBT focus group.
a husband, nothing makes me more proud than helping leaders of organizations make contributions have been to our society. I am incredibly honored to receive
their best decisions about big challenges related to strategy, people, and performance. Pugh presented the medallions to this award, Merrick Moise, the only
Hockman has consulted with more than 100 associations in the U.S. and abroad. He the following: transgender African-American man who
is a longtime volunteer with ASAE. He has served as president of the International Coach Lillian Amaya, co-founder of IRIS was a delegate to the 2016 Democratic
Federation D.C. chapter and is on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Facilitators Network. (Individuality, Respect, Integrity, National Convention, told the Blade.
He grew up in Ohio, studied in Spain, lived in London, and worked in China, Egypt, Sexuality), an organization that The City of Baltimore is showing its
Indonesia, the UK and now makes his home in D.C. He received his bachelors degree promotes unity among the various commitment to our community. We
from Ohio State University, and did masters work at American University. Baltimore Latino LGBT communities; have a long way to go but we are making
Sgt. Kevin Bailey, a gay ocer serving as strides, he said.
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1 2 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
Hundreds turn out for D.C. vigil for Pulse victims
Activists call for channeling
grief into action
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined several
hundred people in Dupont Circle Monday
night in a candlelight vigil to commemorate
the rst-year anniversary of the June 12,
2016 shooting rampage at the gay nightclub
Pulse in Orlando, Fla., that claimed the lives
of 49 mostly LGBT people.
Many of those attending Monday nights
vigil wept as D.C. gay activist Jose Gutierrez,
co-founder of D.C.s Latino Pride, read the
names and ages of the 49 mostly Latino
LGBT people who were shot to death in
what authorities say was the worst mass
shooting incident in U.S. history.
Another 53 Pulse patrons were
wounded in the incident before police
shot and killed the perpetrator, Omar
Mateen, 29, who police said had targeted
Pulse for a hate crime and a terrorist
attack that he carried out with a powerful
assault rie.
We are here today for a very important
reason, said Jason Lindsay, founder and
executive director of the national political
action committee Pride Fund to End Gun
Violence, which organized the vigil.
We are here to reect and to mark the
one year since the Pulse tragedy, he said.
It was one year ago that the horror was
being told.
Lindsay added, On June 12, 49
beautiful individuals were murdered
in the most gruesome mass shooting
in U.S. history. But that it occurred in a
celebration at Pulse nightclub in Orlando
during a Pride Month Latin Night party
made it especially hurtful.
He noted, as have LGBT activists in
D.C., that the Pulse attack shattered the
long held assumption by LGBT people
that gay bars were safe havens where
people could go to be themselves in an
often hostile world.
Lindsay and Catherine McCarthy, a Pride
Fund volunteer and close friend of two gay
men killed in the Pulse massacre, told the
gathering that in addition to expressions
of grief and support for the Pulse victims
those attending the vigil must do what
they can as individuals to advocate for
changing the nations gun laws to prevent
mass shootings from happening.
Love is not all we need, McCarthy
said. It is not enough. We need love and
we need laws, she said. What Im asking
you tonight is this. Lets continue to
grieve imperfectly but let us keep pushing
relentlessly, she continued.
Lawmakers will not yield to the craven
indierence of the gun lobby, she told
the gathering. Our love cannot protect
D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER joined several hundred people in Dupont Circle Monday night in a
candlelight vigil to commemorate the Pulse massacre.
us but it will sustain us in this ght. We
are still here a year later and we will not
go away.
Bowser said she fully supports Pride
Fund To End Gun Violences mission of
pushing for both LGBT rights and sensible
gun laws.
Tonight we join our brothers and
sisters across Washington, D.C., across
our nation and certainly in Orlando, Fla.,
in honoring the 49 people who were
taken from us one year ago at the Pulse
nightclub, Bowser said.
Tonight we stand in remembrance of
their lives. And tonight we stand with the
city of Orlando as ambassadors of healing,
hope and inclusiveness, she said. We
oer our continued prayers and support
to the victims survivors and their families.
Bowser read a proclamation she issued
on Monday expressing D.C.s condolences to
and solidarity with the survivors of the Pulse
victims and with the residents of Orlando.
Today we stand with our brothers
and sisters in Orlando in proclaiming this
Orlando United Day, she said. May God
bless us all.
Those attending the vigil said the
somber but uplifting atmosphere at the
event was boosted by about a dozen
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
members of the Gay Mens Chorus of
Washington, who sang three songs,
including the John Lenin-Beatles ballad
Imagine and the African-American civil
rights hymn We Shall Overcome.
McCarthy told the gathering she has yet
to overcome the grief she experienced
upon learning that her friend of 18 years,
Christopher Drew Leinonen and his
boyfriend, Juan Ramon Guerrero, were
among those killed in the Pulse shooting.
Im still astounded by the number
of people I meet to this day who were
impacted by his short time on this earth,
she said. Between starting the rst group
for queer youth in our Florida county
public school system to living openly and
proudly and unafraid as a proud gay man,
we know now that he made it easier for
dozens of individuals to come out to be
themselves and live without fear.
LGBT activists in Orlando have told
similar stories of how friends and family
members in Orlandos large Latino
community spoke proudly about how
they had accepted and loved their sons,
daughters, or siblings who died in the
Pulse attack.
Lindsay told of how the work of
Pride Fund and other groups pushing
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO CA L N E W S
for gun law reform made a dierence
in Orlando by helping to elect Rep.
Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) last November
in the congressional district that includes
Orlando. Murphy, a strong advocate
for gun law reform, defeated 12-term
incumbent John Mica (R-Fla.) in an upset
victory that observers attributed to
Murphys opposition to gun law changes
called for by groups like the Pride Fund.
We have the opportunity every single
day to create change and honor them
with action, he said of the Pulse victims.
Getting to know many of their families
and individuals aected in Orlando even
just weeks after the attack, they said I
dont want another vigil, Lindsay told the
Dupont Circle gathering.
I dont want to speak to the news
again, he quoted Pulse survivors as
saying. I want to create change. I dont
want another mother to go through what
I have. I dont want another brother to
lose their sister.
He called on those at the vigil to become
involved in gun reform advocacy by viewing
his groups website at pridefund.org.
Trump tweets never forget
On the one-year anniversary of the
Pulse massacre, President Trump tweeted
on Monday an image of the 49 individuals
killed at the gay nightclub, urging his
followers to never forget the victims.
We will NEVER FORGET the victims
who lost their lives one year ago today in
the horric #PulseNightClub shooting,
Trump tweeted.
Trump also used the hashtag
#OrlandoUnitedDay, which is one of the
hashtags used by those remembering the
massacre in Orlando, Fla., as well as 49
people killed and 53 wounded on that day.
Trumps tweet is consistent with
remarks he made over his presidential
campaign invoking the mass shooting,
the deadliest in American history, as
evidence of the need to confront Islamic
extremism. During his acceptance speech
at the Republican National Convention,
Trump recalled the shooting and said
hed protect our LGBTQ citizens from the
violence and oppression of the hateful,
foreign ideology.
But the tweet contrasts with anti-LGBT
policy initiatives from Trump over the
course of his administration, such as
the revocation of Obama-era guidance
assuring transgender kids access to
school bathrooms consistent with their
gender identity, as well as anti-LGBT
appointments like U.S. Attorney General
Je Sessions and Secretary of Housing &
Urban Development Ben Carson.
Chris Johnson contributed
to this report.
W A S H I N GTO NB LA DE.C OM JUNE 16, 2017 13

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1 4 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
Pentagon celebrates Pride with LGBT service members
Military ocial wont
comment on potential
delay of trans accession
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
The U.S. military has entered a new
era under the Trump administration as
many wonder if the LGBT progress after
Dont Ask, Dont Tell repeal will remain in
place, but one thing that hasnt changed
is the annual reception at the Pentagon
recognizing Pride.
The event coordinated by DOD Pride,
the Pentagon anity group for LGBT
service members and civilians took place
on Monday as it has each year after repeal
of the militarys gay ban, and now after the
rule change allowing transgender people to
serve in the armed forces.
Representing the Defense Department
at the event was acting Under Secretary
of Defense for Personnel & Readiness
Anthony Kurta, who said during his remarks
all men and women who serve, including
civilian and military personnel in the
LGBT community are equal contributing
members of the DOD total force.
Diversity is more than race, gender and
ethnicity, Kurta said. It includes, among
other things, diversity of thought, diversity of
Obama officials reminisce, talk road ahead
Not the White House
Pride reception
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
VALERIE JARRETT urged LGBT people to be a
citizen at the Not the White House
Pride reception.
SCREENSHOT VIA FACEBOOK
President Trump may have declined to sign
a Pride proclamation or host a White House
Pride reception, but that didnt stop former
members of the Obama administration from
Rep. MARK TAKANO (D-Calif.) delivered
the keynote address at a Pentagon Pride
event.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
ability, diversity of background, diversity of
language, culture and skill. It is very broad.
DOD Pride had invited Defense Secretary
James Mattis to attend the event, but Kurta
represented Pentagons leadership in place
of the secretary. Later in the day, Mattis
was set to testify before Congress on
President Trumps plan tofund the Defense
Department in the upcoming scal year.
Also speaking at the event on the day
she was poised to exit military service
was Maj. Gen. Patricia Rose, a lesbian and
mobilization assistant to the deputy chief
of sta for logistics, engineering and force
protection at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
celebrating the occasion.
Hosted by Obama White House LGBT
liaisons Gautam Raghavan and Aditi
Hardikar, the celebration dubbedNot the
White House Pride Reception in homage
to Samantha Bees competing event with
the White House Correspondents Dinner
took place Saturday at the Brixton in D.C.
Among the speakers was the rst
openly gay Army secretary Eric Fanning,
who recalled meeting Edie Windsor, the
octogenarian plainti in the lawsuit that
overturned the Defense of Marriage
Act, to remind attendees the Trump
administration is temporary.
I saw Edie literally two days after the
election, Fanning said, and she Im
paraphrasing a little bit points up at me
and says, Get over it. She said, I started
voting in 1947. She goes, We made progress
and we got knocked back a little bit, but we
keep ghting and we will be back.
Also speaking was Valerie Jarrett, senior
adviser to former President Obama who
oversaw LGBT issues for the entire eight
years of the Obama administration, who
said shes feeling a little nostalgic over the
past ve months as you can imagine.
Recalling pro-LGBT moments of the
Celebrating Pride month, or any other
diversity month, is really about validating
that theres one inherent trait we all possess
and our nation benets from, and thats the
diversity of our unique backgrounds and
experience, Rose said.
Emphasizing the importance of diversity,
Rose said U.S. history provides ample
evidence undercutting the notion that value
is just some aspect of political correctness.
World War II provides bold insight to
the power of inclusion as opposed to
exclusion, Rose said. While our enemies
were trying to prop up the superiority of
their monolithic cultures, we were utilizing
the vast and distinct skills sets our diverse
military had to oer.
Rose cited as examples Rosie the
Riveter, the symbol of civilian women
who supported the industrial war eort
while U.S. troops fought overseas, and
Alan Turing, the gay mathematician who
invented the Turing machine to crack Nazi
encoded messages, then was sentenced
to chemical castration by the British
government for being gay.
While great advances have been made,
we still ensure subtle, and not so subtle,
prejudices and challenges to our right
to be who we are, to serve with dignity
and respect, Rose said. I share your
apprehension as we witness eorts at
home and abroad to turn back the clock on
Obama administration like Dont
Ask, Dont Tell repeal, winning marriage
equality nationwide, and the nal White
House Pride reception Jarrett said the
most important thing now for members of
the LGBT community is to be a citizen.
We cannot only focus on our issues,
Jarrett said. We have to be our sisters
keeper. We have to be our brothers
keeper. All of our brothers, all of our
sisters, and we have to sweep up
and use our voice and use our effort,
and this balcony is a beautiful sight.
Were going to take the feeling from
this balcony and were going to go
out in the streets of this great District
of Columbia, where we are going to
remind everybody what it means to be
an American.
Other speakers included Mara
Keisling, executive director of the
National Center for Transgender
Equality; lesbian comedian Kate
Clinton; and Precious Brady-Davis,
activist and organizer. Stephanie Rice,
musician and contestant on NBCs
The Voice, performed afterward.
The celebration took place on the same
day as the D.C. Pride Parade and days after
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
our justied advances, so now, more than
ever, we must not stand silent in face of
prejudice, injustice or atrocity.
Keynoting the event was Rep. Mark Takano
(D-Calif.), whos gay and co-chair of the LGBT
Equality Caucus as well as the No. 2 Democrat
on the House Veterans Aairs Committee.
There was a time when the
Department of Defense discouraged and
hid its diversity instead of celebrating
it as we are today, Takano said. The
progress has made this moment possible
that we should really never overestimate
Americas capacity to remake itself for
the better.
Making the point the military has
been a tremendous, tremendous
platform for how our country has
become a more perfect union, Takano,
a Japanese American, looked back to
the military service during World War
II of the 442nd Infantry Regiment,
which was composed almost entirely
of Japanese Americans.
Takano said he had a great uncle
who died in Italy fighting for the U.S.
military more than 70 years ago as the
nation interned Japanese Americans.
I think about a young 23 year
old giving 100 percent for his
country when his country was not
guaranteeing 100 percent to him,
Takano said.
former FBI Director James Comey testied
before Congress that he believed Trump
urged him to discontinue the investigation
into Michael Flynn a move that potentially
constitutes obstruction of justice.
Asked by the Blade during the event
if the Trump administration was what
she expected, Jarrett replied, Frankly,
It was hard to know what to expect.
I think one of the reasons why
I wanted to be here today was to
say Pride month is not just about
celebrating the enormous progress
that weve made, but its also about
recognizing we still have a lot of hard
work to go, and its no time to let up,
and we have to be as committed as
ever to bending that arc of the moral
universe, Jarrett added.
Jarrett cautioned clearly, we could
lose ground and the only way to
ensure progress is preserved would
be solidarity with the progressive
movement.
The only way were not going to lose
ground is if we build a big, inclusive tent
and we help everybody understand
why equality for the LGBTQ community
is equality for us all, Jarrett said.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM JUNE 16, 2017 15

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 Keep your promise to protect each other. WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

16 J U N E 16, 2017 BA LT I MO RE N E W S

Baltimore Pride will be held this weekend.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Stage is set for Baltimore Pride

Wills & Trusts Baltimore Pride 2017, dubbed Pride Unleashed, will culminate this weekend
with the parade and block party on Saturday in the Station North area and on
Powers of Attorney Living Wills Sunday with the festival in Druid Hill Park. Baltimore Pride, which originated in
Partnership & Prenuptial Agreements 1975, is run by the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland
(GLCCB).
(240) 778-2330 (703) 536-0220 A plethora of events and parties have already taken place during Pride
Week that began on June 9, such as a Pride Bar Crawl, Feeding the Homeless
www.PartnerPlanning.com Community Outreach, King & Queen of Pride Revue, Remembering the Pulse
victims vigil, Pride Interfaith Celebration, Queer People of Color Party, a GLCCB

Serving the LGBT Community open house, the mayors reception at City Hall, Twilight on the Terrace fundraiser
and many others.
in DC/MD/VA since 1983 This year, the parade on Saturday will not terminate in the Mount Vernon
neighborhood as had been the tradition but instead will wind up in the Station
North area. It will originate at Charles and Eager streets, and the parade,

Lawrence S. Jacobs/McMillan Metro, PC billed as the longest ever in terms of distance and the number of contingents
participating, will proceed north on Charles Street beginning at 2 p.m., traverse
North Avenue and end up at 22nd Street.
Prior to the parade at 12:30 p.m., there will be a pre-Pride extravaganza
show at City Stage (Charles St. and North Ave.) followed by the traditional High
Serving Our Community for 35 years Heel Race at the same locale.
The popular block party that will run from 4-10 p.m. has similarly moved
a d v i C e m e d iat i o N L i t i G at i o N a P P e a L S C o L L a B o r at i o N from Mount Vernon. Its footprint is located between 23rd Street on the north
(where the Main Stage will be situated at Charles Street) and North Avenue on
the south. Morton Street forms the western boundary and St. Paul Street is on
the east. Charles Street runs up the center of the footprint.
In addition, there will be a Youth Zone within the area for those between ages
14 and 20 with its own set of entertainers, such as Bunns of Steele, Summer
Heights, Damon, Positive Voices and Keyayshia among others.
This years block party headliner is Big Freedia, a New Orleans-based rapper
FamiLY | eState PLaNNiNG | emPLoYmeNt | immiGratioN
and ambassador of Bounce music, known as the Queen of Bounce. Big Freedia
ComPLeX LitiGatioN | CiviL riGHtS | LGBt | adoPtioN | BuSiNeSS
is scheduled to perform on the main stage at 9 p.m.

Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A. Other scheduled performers include King of Pride, Miss MD P.O.A., Azra,
Tara Evans, a show from the Baltimore Eagles Nest, Jessica Sutter, Tan Estintric
Odom, Coco Wilson, Queen of Pride, George Lovett and more.
at tor N e YS at L aw d C | m d | va
On the Dance Stage, scheduled performers are Life on Planets, Carolyn
3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 S P - L aw. C o m Victorian & DJ Oji, DJ Pope, FAQ, Malphunction, and The OGS.
6 9 3 0 C a r r o L L av e , S u i t e 6 1 0 ta k o m a Pa r k m d There will also be special parties that night at local gay bars including the
Baltimore Eagle, GAY Lounge, Flavor, Grand Central, Leons/Steampunk and
ADVERTISIN The G Drinkery.
PROOF
ISSUE DATE: 10.26.12 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com) The Sunday festival at Druid Hill Park is typically more subdued than the block
party and welcoming to families with its Family Zone. An innovation this year is
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 an Elder Tent for older LGBT folks and allies to hang out.
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GN
omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users
Visitors will meander through the festival visiting a multitude of vendors
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 representing shops, organizations and political groups as well as enjoying the
/LOGO REVISIONS copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair

ADVERTISER SIGNATURE food and beverages.

competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
SIONS or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred Pride-goers
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract sit on grassy areas at various locations to soak up the entertainment
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and warranties.
payment and insertion schedule.
on the Main Stage, the Dance Stage, and the Lady Lisa Drag Stage that features
local drag performers.
Some of the performers include Girl Named Chuck, Pretty Boi Drag, Moo Jack,
Rue Pratt, Black Asset, Ultra Nate as well as DJ Deezy, DJ Alex Funk, DJ Figment,
DJ Powerline and DJ Cover.
Noting its signicance, Mimi Demissew, co-executive director of the GLCCB,
says, Baltimore Pride is indeed one of the greatest celebrations of SGL/LGBTQ
culture held in our city. Equally important, Baltimore Pride helps the Center stay
open to continue serving its Baltimore and Central Maryland residents.
STEVE CHARING
202.319.8541 www.lgbtc.com Se habla espanol
~
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
L O CA L N E W S
No Justice No Pride demands
unrealistic, some say
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 06
these issues and whether concerns were
brushed aside and if Capital Pride was given
a reasonable amount of time to address their
concerns this year.
I can honestly say that we as a team, and
Im speaking as a board member of Capital
Pride, we are working as a team to better all or
at least most of the issues theyre protesting,
Wanzer said. But it cant be done overnight.
Its an ongoing eort and we are taking steps
and working on it.
Wanzer said she nds it interesting that
No Justice seemed to have no issue with
Transgender Pride this year.
The fact that there even is a Transgender
Pride doesnt t their narrative, so they just
ignored that, she said.
Sgt. Brett Parson of D.C. Metro Police,
a long-time spokesperson for the
department, said no arrests were made
because it was a peaceful event, he
wrote in an e-mail to the Blade.
As long as a First Amendment
assembly is peaceful, MPD makes every
eort to facilitate that expression of
rights while also ensuring the safety and
security of the community, he said.
Talarico said thats not true.
I was not surprised but I was very
disappointed at the way several folks,
mostly cis, white gay men, were treating the
activists, she said. We had bottles chucked
at us, trash dumped on us, I got punched,
shoved, kicked and spit at. We brought our
own de-escalators. We came peacefully
and with people trained to make sure this
would be a non-violent protest.
In a post-parade ocial statement,
Capital Pride organizers said they were
troubled by reports that some onlookers
responded to the protesters with verbal
and physical harassment.
Theres also confusion as to the degree to
which GetEQUAL, an advocacy group that
ghts for LGBT issues through confrontational
but non-violent direct action is intertwined
with No Justice No Pride. GetEQUAL Director
Angela Peoples has been active with No
Justice. Talarico said the two groups have been
working together.
We really respect them and love working
with them, Talarico said. I denitely
commend them for all the help they gave us. I
would say they are a very good group.
But as to rumors GetEQUAL may be
behind similar protests in other cities,
Talarico said she had no knowledge of
such actions. Peoples did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
We are aware of actions that have
happened in Tel Aviv, in Boston, Pittsburgh and
we know that there are actions being planned
in Philadelphia, New York, somewhere in
J U N E 16, 2017 17
Washington and in San Francisco. Some of
those folks have been reaching out to us
asking for tips, advice and support.
Talarico said she is unaware of any single
group spearheading the eorts, though.
Some of the narrative weve been pushing
seems to be resonating with people across the
country on their own issues and I think a lot of
the grievances are shared, she said. A lot of
these Prides have a lot of corporations that are
trying to exploit trans and queer youth and a
lot of those grievances are shared. I would like
to see a lot of these cities work tightly with their
local communities that are under attack and
address their own grievances.
Another recurring theme in some of the
No Justice criticism is that the group has
lost sight of who the real enemy is. Renna,
a longtime activist who formerly worked
with GLAAD and was around during the
ACT UP AIDS protests in the 80s, says
shes never seen the LGBT community at
this level of internal conict before.
Weve certainly had disagreement
in terms of tactics, but its just a bit
heartbreaking to feel like people are now
attacking other people personally and
that has not happened in the past. Theres
been such a complete lack of any benet
of the doubt or any sense of community
negotiation that both sides understand in
terms of the bigger picture and trying to do
things realistically. Some of these demands
are so overreaching and just not true.
Deacon Maccubbin, who started Capital
Pride in D.C. in 1975, said No Justices actions
show ignorance of Pride history and are a
disservice to the trans and LGBT people of
color who enjoy the parade annually.
There were so many disappointed
people at the parade, he wrote in
an online post to a GetEQUAL social
media comment that he gave the Blade
permission to reprint. There were kids
of all colors and gender expressions
who practiced for weeks to make their
contingents, their dance routines, their
signs and placards be something they
could be proud of. Shame on you. There
were huge numbers of people of color, joy
visible on their faces, their voices strong
and proud. You stomped on their day
of celebration. You had no consideration
for what they may have gone through to
be there and what sacrices they may
have made just to survive until 2017.
Todays action was a total fail. There was
nothing to be proud of in it.
Capital Pride organizers said they will
continue to encourage a robust, civil and
healthy conversation within the community
about all of the issues that impact us in the
days, weeks and months ahead.
Michael Key and Lou Chibbaro Jr.
contributed to this report.

1 8 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
An inspirational weekend
Parade protest, Equality
March serve as reminders
of work ahead
KEVIN NAFF is editor of the Washington Blade
and can be reached at kna@washblade.com.
Pride weekend in D.C. served as a pow-
erful reminder of the work ahead for the
LGBT movement on several fronts.
The Saturday parade was interrupted
twice by No Justice No Pride protesters
who want Capital Pride to rethink their
corporate sponsors, to ban police from
the parade and to diversify its board.
Whatever your view of that group and its
demands, their actions to disrupt the pa-
rade recall the very origins of Pride itself
in protesting police harassment at the
Stonewall Inn. Some contingents were
delayed as police re-routed the parade
around the protests but it remained a
peaceful protest and no arrests were re-
ported.
No Justice No Pride claims Capital Pride
organizers have rebued their requests
for changes to the celebration, which trig-
gered their protest. While we ought to en-
courage and applaud the D.C. police for
both participating in the festivities and
for protecting them, there have been le-
gitimate concerns raised about some of
Capital Prides corporate sponsors. And
Capital Pride organizers are listening and
have pledged to review the vetting pro-
cess for 2018s celebration, a welcome
move.
Following No Justice No Prides actions
on Saturday, many angry parade specta-
tors took to social media to denounce the
group. Again, regardless of what you think
of their tactics, its unfortunate that mem-
bers of our own community had to resort
to civil disobedience just to be heard. Part
of resisting the Trump administrations stayed to listen if some bigger names
attacks on all that is civil must be that we
stick together. Make no mistake that this
president seeks to divide and conquer.
His supporters would revel in news that
divisions within the LGBTQ community
somehow ruined Pride. When this admin-
istration invokes the Pulse massacre, its
not to sympathize with us, rather its to
stoke division and suggest LGBTQ Ameri-
cans should fear Muslims and support
E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
VIEWPOINT
Trumps unconstitutional travel ban.
And so the parade served as a remind-
er of the work ahead within the commu-
nity to address issues that were pushed
to the backburner during the years of
ghting for marriage equality, Dont Ask,
Dont Tell repeal and other marquee is-
sues.
Sunday brought the Equality March,
another reminder of our work ahead. Or-
ganizers estimated up to 80,000 joined
the march, which proceeded past the
White House to the National Mall on a
blisteringly hot day. Cries of lock him up
and this is what democracy looks like
rang out sporadically. There were some
shortcomings. The crowd wasnt as red
up as you might expect; the heat sapped
many who dispersed at the end of the
route rather than stick around to hear
the speeches. Perhaps more would have
had been brought in to re up the crowd.
Mainstream media coverage seemed
scant, a missed opportunity for greater
awareness of our issues.
But the sight of all those proudly out
LGBTQ people and our allies marching
together proved stirring and inspiration-
al. Lets hope the younger generation is
moved to action. After growing up during
eight years of the supportive and pio-
neering Obama administration, that gen-
eration is now grappling with the crush-
ing disappointment of the election result
and the attacks of a hostile White House.
What a dierence a year makes. Last
year, many of us were celebrating eight
years of progress at Obamas nal White
House Pride reception. This year, many of
those Obama ocials, including former
top adviser Valerie Jarrett, gathered on a
steamy D.C. bar rooftop to hear speeches
and reminisce about the good old days at
a party on Saturday.
As a remarkable Pride season comes
to a close, a few acknowledgments. First,
to our hard-working Blade sta for pull-
ing o comprehensive coverage of the
festivities and for organizing and selling a
series of successful events, including the
launch of our Pride Pils beer in conjunc-
tion with DC Brau. Thanks also to the hi-
larious Kate Clinton, whom we hosted at
a special performance on Friday night. A
big thank-you also to our advertisers and
sponsors; without their support none of
this would be possible.
Thats a wrap on another Pride season.
Can we nap now?
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V I E W PO I N T JUNE 16, 2017 19

Misguided attacks on Capital Pride

Dont tear down our
celebration to x a few aws
By DEACON MACCUBBIN
The group No Justice No Pride seems
to have chosen the right name, as they
appear to have neither. More important-
ly, they lack both historical context and
forward-looking vision.
In 1971, police in D.C. and elsewhere
were notoriously anti-LGBT (actually more
anti-gay, since they largely ignored the other
members of our community to concentrate
on gay men). The edgling Gay Activists Alli-
ance (now the GLAA) had tried for nearly two
years to schedule a meeting with the D.C.
police chief to talk about the harassment, ar-
rests, abuse and even blackmail being prac-
ticed by D.C.s Finest but the chief refused
to meet with LGBT people.
So a group of about a dozen staged a
sit-in in the police chiefs oce and, after
occupying the oce for about ve hours,
a smaller group of three Bill Bricker,
Cade Ware and myself agreed that we
would be arrested, the rst arrests for
LGBT civil disobedience in Washington.
When we went to trial some weeks
later, we pled nolo contendere, since we
knew we were guilty, but it gave us an
opportunity to explain to the judge how
long we had tried to get a meeting with
the police, how we had been stymied in
that, and why we had decided that civil
disobedience was our only option. Af-
ter deliberation, the judge returned and
said, Because you pled nolo contendere,
I have no choice but to nd you guilty. But
if I had been in your position, Id probably
have done the same thing. No ne. No jail
time. You are free to go. Two weeks later,
the police chief agreed to meet with us.
And that began a process. It started
with communication, spread into the
adoption of new training for police re-
cruits (training that members of the LGBT
community helped conduct), then spread
to better screening of new recruits, to
more inclusive direction by subsequent
police chiefs, to the establishment of a
Civilian Complaint Review Board and,
eventually, to the creation of the LGBT
Liaison Unit. LGBT victims of crime are
now assisted by openly LGBT and LGBT-
supportive police ocers.
Are there still some ocers who fail
to live up to the standards we and their
chief expect? Of course there are; in any
group of thousands, there will always be
a few bad ocers. But the overwhelm-
ing majority of D.C.s police force do their
job without prejudice. By all means, keep
up the oversight, continue to push for
removal of those few bad ocers, but
at the same time, welcome those LGBT
ocers and those supportive ocers to
march with us, to celebrate with us, to
continue to make progress inrespecting
all LGBT people in Washington.
There is merit in Pride looking closer at
which corporate sponsorships are appro-
priate, but the executive board of Pride
has already agreed to do that. As the
founder of D.C.s annual Pride Day event
in 1975 and the sole sponsor of the event
for the rst ve years, I have always been
in favor of melding both political and social
aspects in the celebration. Its a time to cel-
ebrate our victories as well as to push for
continued progress. For every commercial
booth that lines Pennsylvania Avenue (and
provides the bulk of the funding for the
event), there are non-prot and activist
booths oering Pride attendees ways to
get involved. No Justice No Pride would
be wise to participate there, too.
As for the call to remove members of
Capital Prides executive board, thats an
insult to those who have dedicated so
much time and eort to the community.
If you look at their bios, youll see that
they cross most gender and racial lines
and they have long histories of work in
LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations. Like-
wise, the Pride sta demonstrates that
ALL are welcome to the eort.
Staging the parade, the block party,
the entertainment, the parties, the work-
shops and all the other activities sur-
rounding Pride is a huge undertaking. If
youve read this far, consider volunteer-
ing to make it all even better. Just dont
tear it down in the process.
DEACON MACCUBBIN is the former owner
of Lambda Rising and the founder of D.C.s
original Pride event in 1975.

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

HRC and Planned Parenthood rescue Equality March

Thank you for helping to
fund the resistance
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights
and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.
Two organizations deserve thanks for
stepping up to the plate in a big way to
help make Sundays Equality March for
Unity and Pride the rousing success it
was. The Human Rights Campaign and
Planned Parenthood came across with
big donations and guarantees to allow us
to pay for everything. That included por-
table toilets, the stage, the cost of cover-
ing the mall, hiring the organization that
helped with the basics such as helping to
secure the nal permits, organizing vol-
unteers, arranging security and ensuring
the event would be accessible for those
with a disability.
Months ago, David Bruinooge, who rst
proposed the march on Facebook, was
joined by a small group of activists who
spent countless hours working hard on
this event. They chose the co-chairs and
did the work to determine the platform
and program. The group working with Da-
vid included, among others, Anika Simp-
son, Ashley Smith, Khadijhah Tribble, Mar-
vin Bowser, Jose Plaza, Ted Jackson, Sue
Doster, Layha Spoonhunter, Robert York,
Ryan Bos, Daryl Levine and Chris Dyer.
They kept in mind the goal of ensuring this
remained a grassroots event.
But the closer we came to the march it
became clear the grassroots werent rais-
ing enough to pay for it. The Human Rights
Campaign was the only one of our national
LGBTQ+ organizations willing to front the
needed money. Until the week before the
march none of them even sent out dedi-
cated emails to their constituents talking
about the march and directing them to
the ocial website where they could have
donated. The thousands who came and
marched in D.C. had no idea that until two
weeks before the march the money to pay
for the basics wasnt there. The money for
the rally and stage wasnt guaranteed until
the week before the march.
There are many reasons for this. The
major one is the fear of some in the
LGBTQ+ community that corporations
and our national organizations have too
much control and dont represent us fully
on every issue. Some still would insist on
a purity of purpose in anyone who par-
ticipates, which leads them to overlook
some of the history of our movement and
of other movements that have fought for
civil and human rights.
It is not unusual that allies in any move-
ment dont conform to every nuance of
the movement. The corporate world has
become a needed and strong ally neces-
sary to our progress. We fought decades to
get major corporations to lead the way es-
pousing diversity and practicing what they
preach. Today, the success of our commu-
nity in some ghts such as North Carolina
and Indiana wouldnt have been possible
without them. Our national organizations
are by nature political. They deal with the
world the way it is, not the way we would
like it to be. Sometimes that leads to mak-
ing decisions not acceptable to all in our
community. I stand second to no one in
having criticized a number of them. But de-
spite that it is important to recognize why
they must be there and remain strong.
As a cisgender white male in no way
can I feel what some in our community
feel or deal with every day. The slights I
face as a gay white male can never com-
pare to what my African-American LGBT
friends, or a Latina transgender woman,
face every day. But we can and do ght
together for all our rights.
It was heartening that for the Equality
March for Unity and Pride we all joined
hands; African American, white, Latino,
Asian, gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, ques-
tioning, two spirit and everyone who may
self-identify in another way. For at least
one day we were able to blend and raise
our voices demanding equality, full civil
and human rights for all.
Looking out at the crowd it was inspir-
ing to see we were joined by allies. The
straight community; immigrants ghting
for their rights, women still ghting for
their rights, men who understand their
world will be better when everyone is
equal; all speaking out for us as we must
speak out with and for them. John Donne
wrote the poem No Man is an Island.
That is truer today than ever before. We
are all under attack by an administra-
tion and a congress with few morals and
less understanding of what decency and
equality are. We must stand together and
resist and the Equality March for Unity
and Pride was a beautiful and inspiration-
al part of the resistance.

2 0 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
Capital Prides defense of Wells Fargo shows we are for sale
Banks unethical actions
should preclude
involvement in Pride
By ALEX MORASH
What is the meaning of Pride? Does
Pride stand for something? Important
questions for Pride as many in our society
question ourselves, our culture and our
elected leaders. The Washington Blades
recent interview with a Wells Fargo execu-
tive in response to calls that the bank be
removed from Washington, D.C.s Pride
parade and Capital Prides defense of this
corporate sponsor certainly shows us how
they view what Pride is: Pride is for sale.
The Blades May 31 interview with E.J.
Bernacki, Wells Fargos vice president
for corporate responsibility communi-
cations, discussed calls from the activist
group No Justice No Pride that the bank
Capital Pride gets around the block
An annual celebration
overcomes disruption
RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.
Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.
Get o the phone! a friend in the
crowd called out, smiling, as I live-tweeted
the Capital Pride parade on June 10 from
atop an open-air car passing the Argen-
tine Embassy on New Hampshire Avenue.
The network was overloaded, so I took
pictures to post later (@RickRosendall).
Few places are lovelier than Washing-
ton on a sunny June day. Being in the pa-
rade, swanning about and waving a rain-
bow ag from my perch (I was honored as
one of this years Pride Heroes), I saw the
ecient and gracious eorts of count-
less volunteers, in addition to the many
law enforcement ocers who guarded
us and facilitated rerouting us when the
ocial route was blocked by protesters
from No Justice No Pride and GetEqual.
This was matched by large, festive, sup-
portive crowds. At one point some people
worked up a chant for me.
be removed from Pride because the bank
helped to nance the Dakota Access Pipe-
line and private prisons. Important issues,
but what was so surprising was Capital
Pride defending Wells Fargo in the piece,
and ignoring the indefensible actions of
Wells Fargo that recently came to light.
Wells Fargos lending practices are im-
portant issues, but lets not forget that
last September Wells Fargo was ned
$100 million by the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB) after the agen-
cy uncovered the company had opened
up to 2 million fraudulent accounts. For-
mer employees have accused the compa-
ny of creating a culture that encouraged
fraud with unrealistic sales goals that if
employees did not meet would result in
termination. When this scandal came to
light, Wells Fargos rst response was not
to take ownership but instead to blame
its front line workers and red over 5,000
of them. This January, Sen. Elizabeth War-
ren described the companys actions
There is nothing constructive in NJNP and
GetEqual abusing people they expect to work with.
As we waited at 16th and P to be rerout-
ed around Scott Circle, volunteers from
Foundry United Methodist Church, an af-
rming congregation where the Clintons
worship when they are in town, brought
us trays of water and lemonade. As we
turned south onto 16th Street, shirtless
young men took in the sun. Ahead of us
were the statue of Gen. Scott and, behind
him, the north portico of the White House
in the distance. There were no crowds
beneath the shade trees on Rhode Is-
land Avenue as we made our way east to
14th Street. I thanked the police ocers I
passed, wanting them to know that, unlike
the protesters, I was glad they were there.
As I walked south on 14th Street af-
ter reaching the end of the parade route,
the police contingent passed by and was
cheered by the crowd. There is a disconnect
between the protesters and the vast bulk
of the LGBT community. NJNP dismissed
Capital Pride supporters as white cis men,
but it was a diverse crowd. In front of my
car a mixed-race lesbian couple made out
bluntly that Wells Fargo had worked their
employees to the breaking point for the Capital Pride admits the bank is a gold
purpose of stealing from their customers
an appalling and indefensible act.
None of this seemed to bother Ber-
nie Delia, the president of Capital Pride,
who the Blade reported felt criticism of
the bank overlooked that Wells Fargo
has an LGBT nondiscrimination policy,
and praised the bank. This also was not
the rst time Capital Pride defended the
bank. Capital Prides executive direc-
tor, Ryan Bos, made a similar defense of
Wells Fargo during a community meeting
in May. These defenses are nonsensical,
a company not actively discriminating
against its LGBT workers is not praisewor-
thy; it is a basic standard to be expected
just as one would expect a bank not
to charge customers for nancial services
they didnt ask for.
Wells Fargos actions are indefensible,
nevertheless, Capital Pride kept trying
and why it did shows us that in their view
to amuse the crowd, and another honoree
two cars ahead, outspoken black trans and
HIV/AIDS activist Dee Curry, danced.
A banner held by the protesters de-
clared their opposition to prisons, pipe-
lines, and deportations. As evening came,
the protesters, whom police had not ar-
rested, blockaded the Lockheed Martin
and Wells Fargo contingents.
Every generation has its passion. But we
need more than that. We need engage-
ment, expertise and nuanced judgment.
The radicals caricature-drenched attacks
on police and corporations fail by these
criteria. One of their problems is their
static, monolithic views. After the electoral
debacles of 2000 and 2016, it should be
clear that the major parties are not inter-
changeable. But ideological purists reject
anything short of their view of perfection.
That is a recipe for remaining powerless in
Congress and the White House.
Michael Petrelis, a former D.C. resident
living in San Francisco and a radical in his
own right, wrote on Facebook: I nd it
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
VIEWPOINT
Pride and our community are for sale.
sponsor that has given at least $15,000 in
donations and in-kind contributions.
Capital Prides continued defense of
Wells Fargo has nothing to do with cel-
ebrating our community, it is a blatant
money grab. It is appalling that Capital
Pride would lower itself in this way and
shows why Pride celebrations cannot
have corporate sponsors. Their recent ac-
tions are a signal to every major bank or
large company that if they write a check,
Capital Pride will stand with them, regard-
less of a companys prior bad acts.
When I wrote in The Advocate that
Pride had become too much about big
business I understood Pride was for sale,
I just didnt realize it would be this cheap.
ALEX MORASH is a writer on economic issues
based in Washington, D.C., and serves as a vice
president of the Gertrude Stein Democrats.
Follow on Twitter @AlexMorash.
VIEWPOINT
quite hypocritical of GetEqual ... to have
taken a robust six-gure sum years ago
from the gay heir to the Progressive In-
surance fortune, and played a key role in
getting DADT repealed. They wanted to
get gays in the military, yet they have is-
sues with gay cops? Somethings not quite
right with their thinking. I found their list
of demands to be obnoxious and unrea-
sonable. If you are too obnoxious for
Mike, you might have a problem.
At the Pride brunch earlier Saturday,
my friend Craig Howell, another former
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance presi-
dent, told me, You can never appease
totalitarians of whatever stripe. There is
nothing constructive in NJNP and GetE-
qual abusing people they expect to work
with. But thats just it: they want capitu-
lation, not cooperation. Walter Olson of
the Cato Institute wrote on Facebook,
Capital Pride should reject the absurd
demands of the disrupters out of hand
and without negotiation, both because
they are absurd, and because it is wrong
to yield to intimidation tactics.
A corollary of Howells dictum is that
you cannot reason with unreasonable
people. For me the day was summed up
neatly in the evening when a small group
chanting No police in Pride! marched
below my window, escorted by ocers of
the Metropolitan Police Department.
Copyright 2017 by Richard J.
Rosendall. All rights reserved.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM JUNE 16, 2017 21

#DCHousingExpo2017

Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents

9th Annual
DC Housing Expo & Home Show
Saturday June 24, 2017 | 10 am - 3 pm
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mt. Vernon Place NW
This FREE, ONE STOP SHOP offers resources
for homeowners, homebuyers, small businesses,
tenants and landlords:
Learn about First Time Homebuyers
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Register at
dchousingexpo2017.eventbrite.com.
For more details call 202-442-7200 or visit
dhcd.dc.gov/2017expo.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

2 2 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

From the Academy Award-winning

playwright behind Moonlight.

B E G I N S J U LY 1 2

WIG OUT!
I N A N U P D AT E D V E R S I O N
B Y TA R E L L A LV I N M c C R A N E Y

DIRECTED BY KENT GASH

When Eric falls for the handsome Wilson on the subway, he doesnt know
what hes in for. Because Wilson is also Nina, a rising drag star in The
House of Light, and when a competing house calls a ball for midnight,
Eric is drawn into battle. Part turf war, part pageant, all conquest, Wig Out
is a mesmerizing trip into the heart of African-American drag ball culture
by way of Ovid, Jay-Z, and Destinys Child. It's a dazzling spectacle about
the timeless desires to be desired, find your home, and dominate anyone
who throws you shade.

CALL 202.332.3300 OR
VISIT STUDIOTHEATRE.ORG
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM VOLUME 48 ISSUE 24 JUNE 16, 2017 PAGE 23

EUAN MORTON as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

Revisiting Hedwig
CONCERT-STYLE PUNK MUSICAL OFFERS STILL-HEADY TRANS STORYLINE

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

Two of the best musicals to come out of
the 1990s were Hedwig and the Angry Inch,
memoir meets rock concert, and Rent,
a modern take on Puccinis La Bohme
exploring a year in the life of bohemian
friends living in New Yorks Alphabet City.
Both enduring works feature unforgettable
genderqueer characters. And now tours of
both shows are overlapping in D.C.
Out actor/writer/director John Cameron
Mitchell wrote Hedwigs book and created
the title role o Broadway in 1998. Composer
Stephen Trask supplied the hard-driving
score. Hedwigs back story is riveting:
Wannabe glam rock star undergoes botched
gender reassignment surgery to escape East
Germany for America. And thats not that half
of it. In a night, Hedwig reminisces via songs
backed by the hard-rocking band the Angry
Inch, and inimitably lls in the gaps.
Mitchell developed the Hedwig character
in downtown New York clubs. Hes said
that Hedwig is not a trans woman, but a
genderqueer character. Shes more than a
woman or a man. Shes a gender of one and
that is accidentally so beautiful.
A successful revival of Hedwig opened on
Broadway in 2014 and currently acclaimed
actor Euan Morton is playing the title role
in that productions national tour. With his
gorgeous soaring tenor, Morton arguably has
the nest voice of the actors whove donned
Hedwigs wild blonde wig (a heady roster that
in addition to Mitchell includes Neil Patrick
Harris, Andrew Rennells, Darren Criss, Taye
Diggs and D.C.s own Rick Hammerly who won
a Helen Hayes Award for his eorts).
The score is denitely an odd combo and
ballads and rock songs and requires some
serious vocal acrobatics, Morton says. The
day following a performance, I can barely
speak which means I can no longer sing in
the shower which is one of my favorite things.
I really have to be careful, but its worth it
anything for the pleasure of performing this
role.
Its fair to say hes fallen in love with part.
To be honest, I rst really got a handle on
the part when I was cast and sent to the script,
he says. When I sat down and actually read
the script, I wasnt sure this was something for
me, but Im up for a challenge. Were brought
up being told where our box end. Its good to
go outside that box every now and then.
Morton received a Tony Award nomination
for his sensational portrayal of 80s icon Boy
George in Taboo. And while playing Boy
George prepared Morton to wear a lot of
makeup and some wild outts, he says thats
where it ends. No past part or any other actors
interpretation of the role has inuenced his
take on the part.
She is strong, aggressive, sexy and has led
a very large life. Hedwig takes the actors who
play her and molds them and uses them for
her ends and not the other way around. Its a
not a character you can force. Ive taken my
cues from Hedwig.
Morton, 39, didnt do extensive research
prior to joining the tour in November.
My entire life has been an investigation
into all things transgender. I was lucky enough
to leave home when I was very young. And
have been living and working with cisgender,
transgender, non-binary gays and straights
ever since. Ive experienced this story through
life. Ive seen and can empathize but never
really know what this is the years of
questioning and the pain. But I hope our tour
can be for those on the journey to see people
like themselves on stage.
Born in Scotland, Morton left home early
to study theater in London. Career highlights
include Broadways Taboo and the lead in
Fords Theatre production of Parade for
which he deservedly snagged a Helen Hayes
Award. Morton is married to theater producer
Lee Armitage and their son is Iain Armitage
the adorable boy theater critic whos currently
embarking on a big acting career. In March,
CBS announced that it had ordered to series
Young Sheldon, a prequel to the sitcom The
Big Bang Theory, starring young Armitage as
the title character.
Morton says Hedwigs concert feel is part
of what makes it work.
She spends an hour and forty minutes
talking directly to the audience. Shes doing
her thing present day which allows me to
bring in some Trump jokes. Theres no division
between whats happening and the audience.
If you want to be part of the art rather than just
an observer than come see the show.
Out actor David Merino is currently making
his professional debut playing Angel in the
20th anniversary tour of Rent. Merino
CONTINUES ON PAGE 32

2 4 J UNE 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R LE E CRO MW E LL
LEE CROMWELL
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
Since I was 16 and my parents. I wrote
them a letter because I was scared to say it in
person, but they were great about it.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Whos your LGBT hero?
Fran McDaniel, a mentor from my
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO undergrad. The rst person who helped
joeyd@washblade.com me see how being gay is a part of my most
authentic self.
Over a 10-year period, CulturalDCs Source Festival has developed and produced
about 250 new plays, employed 1,100 artists from all over the country and performed Whats Washingtons best nightspot,
for more than 16,000 viewers. past or present?
Running through July 2, this years festival oers Perfect Arrangement, set in a I used to love Apex when I would visit.
Georgetown duplex in 1950 in which two married, opposite-sex couples live next Number 9 is pretty great. But Ill enjoy anyplace
door to each other. Theyre all gay but use their marriages and living arrangements with good food/drink and a nice rooftop view.
to hide. The piece by Topher Payne won a 2017 Lambda Literary Award.
The festival is also oering six best of 10-minute plays, readings of three Describe your dream wedding.
full-length plays, six new 10-minute plays and two artistic blind dates, which In October, because I want photos taken
could be anything. with the changing leaves and to not be too hot
Associate Producer Lee Cromwell says the festival oers a rare chance to see in a tux.I also would like tons of music, both in
thematic work explored dramatically. the ceremony and at the reception.
Even though D.C. is a good city for theater professionals, theres always
a need for artists new or recent to D.C. to make art and connections, the What non-LGBT issue are you most
35-year-old Harrington, Del., native says. The festival is a great way to try out passionate about?
new formats of art or to spend an evening laughing and discovering a new Support for the arts and artists. Those
world. Full details on the festival are online at sourcefestival.org. Productions are two very dierent issues that often get
are held at Source (1835 14th St., N.W.). jumbled together.
Cromwell, who came to Washington three years ago to be back on the East Coast
after a stint in grad school in Indiana, works several part-time gigs in theater, music What historical outcome would you
and education. Hes single and lives in Petworth. He enjoys Mall walks, Netix binges change?
and, of course, the performing arts in his free time. I would change political elections, local
and national, that were won through fear,
intimidation and false narratives.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
Watching the musical Hamilton became a
part of the greater pop culture.
On what do you insist?
Being on time, open communication and
always trying to nd humor in this crazy life.
What was your last Facebook post or
Tweet?
Other than press/marketing for the Source
Festival, my latest posts have been YouTube
music links.
If your life were a book, what would the
title be?
Passion With a Side of Humility (or some
spin on the juxtaposition of being passionate
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
and driven vs. the idea of humility and working
collaboratively).
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you do?
I dont think it is changeable, but if that ever
happens I would ght to make sure that it is
never used for harm.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I believe in a greater spiritual presence, but
one that is not easy to dene or explain.
Whats your advice for LGBT movement
leaders?
To serve the LGBTQ communities is to
appeal to a broad range of perspectives;
honoring all dierent types of humanity is
much more complicated, but in the end, more
valued and appreciated.
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
People I believe in. Im ercely loyal to those
closest to me.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
That we get locked into way too many
judgments purely by our body type and
physicality.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
Too many to list. The Birdcage comes to
mind rst.
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
Asking How are you? when people dont
care or take the time to really listen to the
response.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
Writing this on the weekend of the Tony
Awards in New York brings that to mind. But
its usually other performers or plays that I
champion that I want to win accolades.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
That its OK to start on a journey and not
know the destination.
Why Washington?
The vibe of this city is unlike any other Ive
known and I feel like I t here.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
T HE ATER
Brassy ballet
Out choreographer calls
Chamber Dance Project
contemporary dance
at its nest
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
In an airy white rehearsal studio in
Northwest Washington, Luis R. Torres
smiles through the sweat. He laughs
as he easily switches from Spanish to
English teaching two young male dancers
their parts for a piece in Chamber
Dance Projects upcoming fourth-season
program Ballet, Brass & Songs.
Its work but theres a lot of joy in the
process, says Torres, 42. He rst danced with
the company and now is its ballet master.
His duties include restaging choreography,
rehearsing the dancers and ensuring
pieces have the right count, musicality
and style. Today hes restaging the New
Orleans-inspired Rue Noir by New York
choreographer Jennifer Archibald.
Founded by choreographer Diane
Coburn Bruning, Chamber Dance Project is
a company of professional artists dedicated
to redening contemporary ballet in
partnership with live music played by visible
musicians sharing the stage. Their upcoming
performance takes place at Shakespeare
Theatre Companys vast Sidney Harman Hall,
giving the ingenious and thrilling company
the opportunity to perform for their largest
audience to date.
Torres, who is gay, rst connected with the
companys artistic director Bruning when he
was completing a masters degree at George
Mason University. He restaged some of her
choreography after having seen the piece on
video. Bruning was mightily impressed. Soon
after, she asked Torres to dance in her male
duet Exit Wounds, a piece rst performed
early in Chamber Dance Projects meteoric
four-year tenure, and then hired him as the
companys ballet master.
Luis is brilliant at what he does,
Bruning says. He allows me to focus on
the choreography while he takes care
of the mechanics. Hes the master of all
things related to dancers partnering. Hes
the skeleton behind my ideas. Its been a
great collaboration.
Ballet Brass & Song features the premiere
of Songs by Cole, a ballet with a live jazz
trio performing the beloved music of Cole
Porter; sultry tangos of Sur by Argentinean
choreographer Jorge Amarante; and the
soaring athleticism of the poignant male duet
Exit Wounds by Diane Coburn Bruning; and
the aforementioned Rue Noir. The onstage
music includes the companys string quartet,
Mosche Brass Band and a jazz trio led by
acclaimed singer Lena Seikaly.
The Cole Porter piece is a reaction to
a contemporary driving work I did last
J U N E 16, 2017 25
PHOTO COURTESY CDP
LUIS TORRES says being gay informs his artistic
endeavors as a dancer and choreographer.
season, Bruning says. It was time for me
to do something on the lighter side. But I
also wanted to include his wit and incisive
intelligence.
For Torres, Chamber Dance Project is
a month of intense rehearsal leading up
to its annual program, but the job also
entails promotions and the various events
throughout the year. Torres is also an adjunct
professor at George Mason University and a
guest teacher and choreographer in many
locations around town, and he is a company
member and ballet master at the Washington
Ballet. Before the Washington Ballet, he was
a soloist with Ballet Theatre of Maryland in
Annapolis, Md., and performed soloist and
principal roles with Ballet Arizona.
He says restaging other choreographers
work never gets old.
To keep it fresh I go to the music. I love
music. Its the main reason I dance and I want
to translate that excitement. Chamber Dance June 2224 | Concert Hall
Project is contemporary dance at its nest.
We invite dancers with top-notch classical Steven Reineke, conductor
training who are interested in exploring With the Choral Arts Society of Washington
space and movement to the next dimension
with live music. Our dancers may be on From a galaxy far, far away to the magical Hogwarts, John
point or wearing sneakers or cowboy boots. Williamss scores have transported moviegoers for decades.
Its my time to think outside the box and to Journey through a catalogue of music composed by the
create a new image or feeling. Im explaining
to dancers how to approach the work and most Oscar-nominated man alive, including an all-Star Wars
break through despite misgivings they have. second half celebrating the franchises 40th anniversary.
After a several years he was awarded
a scholarship to Point Park University
in Pittsburgh where he trained under
Roberto Munoz who was to become TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Torres longtime mentor. KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600
Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.
For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
David and Alice Rubenstein are the NSO Pops: The Music of John Williams is sponsored in part by
BALLET, BRASS & SONG Presenting Underwriters of the NSO. U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management.
June 22-24
Chamber Dance Project AARP is the Presenting Sponsor of the
Sidney Harman Hall 2016-2017 NSO Pops Season.
610 F St., N.W.
$30-45
Chamberdance.org

26 JUN E 16, 2017
After Ellen, a new perspective on love
Local rainbow family
launches program to help
foster kids with luggage
By MARIAH COOPER
mcooper@washblade.com
While dining at Rosa Mexicana in D.C.,
Rob and Reece Scheer found themselves
interrupted from enjoying an evening out
with their four adopted children. A woman
sitting nearby hurled comments in their
direction that the parents were destroying
their little boys and turning them gay.
We thought we were the only gay dads in
the entire city when we lived there, Rob says.
Not only are Rob and Reece a same-
sex couple raising children, but they are
also white parents raising black children.
Despite living in the nations capital, the
community wasnt as understanding of
the blended family as the Scheers would
have hoped.
We were down at the Mall and I had
my baby on my shoulders, Rob says. My
daughter was holding my hand. My other
two boys were holding my husbands
hand. We had an African-American couple
literally come up to us and say, How dare
Love, hope, you take our children? You cant teach
them how to be black. I remember looking
success,
at the woman and telling her, Youre right
I cant, but I can teach them how to not be
an ugly human being which is what youre
family, being right now.
The couple, who met in D.C. 12 years
security. ago and have been married for seven
years, originally wanted to adopt only one
baby. In 2009 while waiting for a child, they
received a request to foster 4-year-old
Amaya and her brother, 2-year-old Makai.
The Scheers fell in love with the kids.
Some things we all have in Instead of the one baby they were
common. planning on, they decided to make both
Theres nobody like me to protect the Amaya and Makai a permanent part of
things we all value. Like a good neighbor, the family. Later that year the Scheers also
State Farm is there. CALL ME TODAY.
adopted two brothers, Greyson and Tristan.
When their children arrived, Rob noticed
a disturbing sight. They were carrying
trash bags lled with their belongings. It
was eerily familiar for Rob, who was a child
of the foster care system before becoming
homeless at 18.
I carried my trash bag around my
senior year of high school. To jump 30
years later and my children arrive at my
home and still have trash bags and hear
Jonna S Wooten, Agent
Bus: 703-560-7804 a social worker tell me, Its just easier.
www.jonnawooten.com I believe were all leaders, but as leaders
we do not have the option to stand on the
sidelines and watch things that are wrong
go by, Rob says.
Rob and Reece decided to take action
and their charity, Comfort Cases was born.
1101022.1 State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL The idea was to give foster children real
The Scheer family. DADS ROB (left) and REECE SCHEER says it took time for their family unit to jell
considering what their children had been through.
luggage to put their belongings inside. The
luggage would also include a toothbrush, a
book, a blanket and a new pair of pajamas.
Comfort Cases started out with helping
children in the D.C. area but has since
expanded to distributing cases to Texas,
Detroit, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arizona,
Seattle, Tennessee and North Carolina.
So far, Comfort Cases has distributed
25,000 cases. Donations can be made at
comfortcases.org.
The Scheers good work has been
recognized nationwide and even landed
the couple as guests on The Ellen
DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres gifted
Comfort Cases a check for $10,000 and
$40,000 in Samsonite luggage. While the
couple expected a surprise, they werent
prepared to be given one of the shows
largest gifts.
I watch Ellen so I knew that something
was going to happen. Theres no doubt.
They dont ask you to come to Ellen and
you dont think something is going to
happen, Rob says.
The check was staggering for the
Scheers but the luggage made them even
more emotional.
I get choked up thinking about it. That
changed so many kids life. We take it for
granted how a case can change a child,
Rob says.
Amaya who is now 12; Makai, 10;
Greyson, 10; and Tristan, 8, are also
involved in helping with Comfort Cases.
My kids realize it is a privilege to be able
to give back. People say its a responsibility.
No, its not a responsibility. Stop patting
yourselves on the back. Its an absolute
privilege for us to be able to give back,
Rob says.
The Scheers havent just gone to
incredible lengths to help foster children
but also their own kids. Makai was born
with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Reece
began researching ways to help children
with the condition. After reading that
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
O U T & A BO U T
PHOTO COURTESY THE SCHEERS
animal therapy could cause improvement
with the frontal lobe, the couple decided
to make a big life decision and bought a
farm in Darnestown, Md., in 2011.
We never once in a thousand years
thought we would be milking a goat or
taking eggs from a chicken coup much less
canning vegetables, but we learned how to
do it, Rob, who admits he and Reece are
city boys, says. Thank God for YouTube
and Google.
Within a weekend of buying the farm,
Rob and Reece purchased chickens, ducks
and goats. Since moving to the farm,
Makais improvement has been signicant.
My son Makai has good days and bad days.
Last year for the rst time, hes been with us
almost nine years, he looked at me and my
husband and said I love you, Rob says.
While Rob and Reece are the parents,
they say their kids have also taught
them plenty. Rob says as a father hes
learned the true meaning of patience and
unconditional love. For Reece, he learned
a special lesson from raising Makai.
Because of our son, its (inspired me) to
look at the world upside down. That youll see
the world at a dierent angle, Reece says.
Both these fatherhood life lessons were
recently put to the test when Amaya was
featured in American Girl Magazine earlier
this year. The story delved into Amayas
foster care background, nally nding her
forever home with Rob and Reece and
her familys charity work. The story was
vehemently attacked by the conservative
organization One Million Moms.
Suddenly the Scheers found themselves
a more public target than they had been
inside Rosa Mexicana. Rob was forced to
leave work early after receiving calls and
emails calling him a faggot. Rob and Reece
told the children they would lock their
doors, shut the windows and ignore their
emails until the incident blew over.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
O U T & A B O UT J U N E 16 , 2 0 1 7 2 7

Pride Alley premieres

at 2017 Awesome Con
New feature is spotlight for
queer creators and fans
By KEITH LORIA

This weekend, Awesome Con returns

to the Walter E. Washington Convention
Center, promising plenty of fun,
excitement and costumes worthy of
Fantasy Fest.
At its heart, Awesome Con embraces
all aspects of geekdom and pop culture, CALL FOR
oering a wide assortment of comic books, RESERVATIONS
collectibles, toys, games, original art,
cosplay and more. Special events include
discussion panels, costume contests, trivia
contests, gaming tournaments, and tons
M-TH 11:30AM-10PM F-SAT 11:30AM-11PM
of activities for kids. SUN. BRUNCH 11AM-3PM / DINNER 3-10PM
A new feature this year is Pride Alley,
which involves a dedicated programming
322 MASS. AVE. NE 202.543.7656
track celebrating LGBT comic creators
and a special area of its Artist Alley. It CAFEBERLIN-DC.COM
will also oer three days of panels and WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

special events.
Awesome Con is proud of all of our
fans, guests, exhibitors and artists and as
we started to build this years event, we
wanted to do more and create a bigger
platform to better celebrate and educate
D.C.s LGBTQ community, says Ben
Penrod, founder of Awesome Con. This is
important to us and who we want to be.
Joey Stern, president and co-founder
of Geeks OUT, a non-prot community
organization that has been obsessed
with making queer geek safe spaces since
2010, was a big part in bringing Pride
Alley to life. Stern was the mastermind
behind Flame Con, a two-day comic, art,
and entertainment expo showcasing
creators and celebrities from all corners
of LGBT fandom.
This is a joint venture between
Awesome Con and Geeks OUT, Stern
says. We have been going to Awesome
Con now for three years and its one of
the most accepting and open creative
conventions we attend. We developed
Last years Awesome Con drew enthusiasts of many realms of pop culture and sci-.
discussions. You might need to seek it out
and people may miss out on events they
want to see.
Pride Alley was created as a way to
better get LGBT artists and creators in
front of their fan base as well as open up a
chance to be discovered by more people.
We wanted to put ourselves on
the oor in a way that was clear and
noticeable and gives it its own breathing
space, while also being integrated with
the convention itself, Stern says. Its part
of the show, its part of the experience,
yet its called out special.
Numerous interesting and thought-
provoking panels are part of Pride Alley,
theres a special T-shirt designed for the
occasion and some of the best LGBT
artists working today.
This is unique integration that I hope
other conventions will think about, Stern
says. You as a queer person who is attending
convention at any given time, says Matthew DentalBug.com
Levine, LGBT HQs director. We provide a Cosmetic, Implants, Sleep Apnea, Sedation
safe space for everybody who is there.
The booth has a superhero background, CALL TODAY WEEKEND HOURS MULTILINGUAL
oering fun photo opportunities, and will
play host to the panel, Cosplay Rule 63, We believe we can make the
dissecting the dicult navigating of gender- dental experience better.
bent and cross-play cosplay with speakers
Jay Justice, Danny Lantern, Les Levi,Jazmine
CosplaysandMischief Matthew.
In addition, we do a LGBT passport
program, which acts as a scavenger hunt
and brochure all in one, Levine says.
It lists all the active LGBT cosplayers,
vendors and supporters at the Con, and
people go around getting their signatures DentalBug Sta 2016-2017
for a chance to win great prizes.
LGBT HQ will also sponsor its third
annual
PROOF #1 unocial cosplay ISSUE
contest at Green
DATE: 01.13.2017 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JOE HICKLING (jhickling@washb
Lantern Bar (1335 Green Court, N.W.),
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
starting at 10 p.m. on Saturday, proof.
REVISIONS
June 17.
Proof will be considered nal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
GuestREDESIGN
judges include Aaron Paul omnimedia
and Mr.llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users

a relationship with the organizers and
through that, we discussed ways to better
integrate the LGBTQ presence already
there to make it more visible.
Those who have been to Awesome Con
before understand that theres a lot going
on and its wall-to-wall people, booths
and events, so its easy for things to be
lost in the crowd.
If youre serving a niche market, like
primarily making queer art, you want to
make sure that people who dont know
about you can nd you, Stern says.
The same thing goes for panels and
can nd it, can see what youre looking for,
but at the same time are not shifted away
from the rest of the convention.
LGBT HQ will be among those
exhibiting (booth 1434) featuring its
infamous LGBT Passport with interactive
programming, Kid Riot comics courtesy
of the Demon Hotel, cosplayer/actress/
advocate Jay Justice, Mr. Green Lantern
2017 Danny Lantern, and the cosplay and
advocate sta ofLGBT HQ.
This is our second year exhibiting and
our booth is primarily a hub for whatever
interactive LGBT programing happens at the
GreenTEXT REVISIONS
Lantern 2017 Danny Lantern.
IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS
You cant ask for a better name
NO REVISIONS
an after party of a comic con than
named Green Lantern, Levine
There are no presumptions. The event
is just so much fun and very tongue-and-
cheek. It provides the campy atmosphere
that people want when they put on
costumes and go to Awesome Con.
AWESOME CON
June 16-18
Washington Convention Center
801 Mt. Vernon Pl., N.W.
awesome-con.com/pride-alley
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or any other for
competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
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1221 Mass. Ave, NW 202.628.7979 (Free Parking)
703 D Street, NW 202.628.1288
LEnfant Plaza,SW Promenade #325 202.628.2177

2 8 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7
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
Reel Armations presents a screening
of Kiki at Studio Theatre (1501 14th
St., N.W.) tonight from 7-10 p.m. The
documentary follows LGBT youth of color in
New York Citys ballroom scene. A catered
reception with director Sara Jordeno and
a cast member is in the works. Rayceen
Pendarvis hosts. General admission tickets
are $12. VIP tickets are $25 and include one
complimentary cocktail, beer or wine and
candy or popcorn. For more details, visit
thedccenter.org/events/kiki.
Hampton Roads Pride hosts its sixth
annual Pride block party at Norfolk Scope
Arena (201 E Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va.)
tonight from 7 p.m.-midnight. The circus-
themed party will have games, performers
and drinks. All ages are welcome but must
be 21 to drink. Admission is $10. All proceeds
benet Hampton Roads Pride. For more
information, visit hamptonroadspride.org.
Awesome Con kicks o today for a three-
day weekend of activities at the Walter E.
Washington Convention Center (801 Mount
Vernon Pl., N.W.). The convention will have
a Pride Alley lled with LGBT vendors,
cosplayers and photo opps. There will also
be LGBT and diversity panels. Gay actor
John Barrowman will appear. Other guests
include David Tennant and Catherine Tate
from Doctor Who, and comic creator Stan
Lee. Admission for Friday is $35, Saturday
is $45 and Sunday is $35. Three-day passes
are $75. For more details, visit awesome-
con.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 17
Lure D.C. hosts Bare, a ladies pride
celebration, at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.)
tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. DJ Rosie and
DJ Keenan Orr will spin tracks. DystRucXion
Dancers will perform. Cover is $7 before
midnight and $10 after. For more
information, visit facebook.com/lurewdc.
D.C. Rawhides host Town & Country at
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30-
10:50 p.m. An intermediate and advanced
two-step lesson will be from 7-8 p.m.
Open dance is from 8-10:50 p.m. Cover is
$5. For more details, visit facebook.com/
dcrawhides.
Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St.,
S.E.) gives a free docent-led tour of
the LGBT graves today from 2-3 p.m.
Guests should wear comfortable walking
shoes and bring water. Registration is
required. For more information, visit
congressionalcemetery.org.
Baltimore Pride kicks o today with
numerous events. The High Heel Race
starts at 1:30 p.m. on Charles Street. The
Youth Zone will be in the Y Not Lot (4 W
North Ave., Baltimore) today from 3-8 p.m.
BENDELACREME, an alum of RuPauls Drag Race season six, plays the Birchmere on June 22.
Details on the event will be announced.
Pride Unleashed, Baltimore Prides
block party, will be at the Y Not Lot from
4-10 p.m. Big Freedia headlines the party
with a performance at 9 p.m. There will be
DJ sets from Life on Planets, DJ Pope, FAQ,
Malphunktion and more. Admission is free.
Baltimore Pride Festival is at Druid Hill
Park today from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. DJs will
include Deep Sugar Residents, Alex Funk,
DJ Figment, DJ Powerline and Beast. For
more details on Baltimore Pride events,
visit baltimorepride.org.
Hampton Roads Pride hosts its Pride
Festival at Town Point Park (100 Waterside
Dr., Norfolk, Va.) today from noon-7 p.m.
Martha Wash and the Village People will
perform. There will also be a silent disco,
local LGBT history and walking tour,
caricatures, Pride Boat Parade and more.
Admission is free. For more information,
visit hamptonroadpride.org.
SUNDAY, JUNE 18
Petworth Citizen (829 Upshur St., N.W.)
PHOTO COURTESY SIDE CAR MGMT.
hosts a Pride celebration happy hour
today from 4-7 p.m. A portion of drink sales
will benet SMYAL. For more information,
visit facebook.com/petworthcitizen.
The 18th Street Singers perform their
annual spring concert, The Key of Life,
at Luther Place Memorial Church (1226
Vermont Ave., N.W.) today at 2 p.m.
The performance will include the D.C.
performance of What Do You Think I Fought
for at Omaha Beach? by Melissa Dunphy.
There will also be a special arrangement
performance of Glory from the lm
Selma. Early bird tickets are $15. Senior
tickets are $10. Student tickets are free. For
more details, visit 18thstreetsingers.com.
MONDAY, JUNE 19
Queer Girl Move Night hosts a
screening of Paris is Burning at Black
Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
All are welcome. For more information, visit
facebook.com/queergrrlmovienight.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
CA LE N D A R
TUESDAY, JUNE 20
The Rent 20th anniversary tour kicks
o at National Theatre (1321 Pennsylvania
Ave., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range
from $48-103. The show runs through
Sunday, June 22. For more information and
to purchase tickets, visit thenationaldc.org.
Black Lives Matter hosts its D.C. open
house at Covenant Baptist United Church of
Christ (3845 S Capitol St., S.W.) tonight from
6-9 p.m. Attendees can discuss project
ideas with activists, advocates, artists and
other community members. Food and
childcare will be provided. Donations are
encouraged. Black Lives Matter T-shirts
will be sold for $20. For more details, visit
facebook.com/blacklivesmatterdmv.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21
The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club
meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity
Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social bridge.
No partner needed. For more information,
call 301-345-1571.
Bookmen D.C., an informal gay mens
literature group, discusses Gay Travels
in the Muslim World by Michael Luongo,
at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St.., N.W.)
tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.
For more information, visit bookmendc.
blogspot.com.
THURSDAY, JUNE 22
Heurich House Museum (1307 New
Hampshire Ave., N.W.) hosts Pride
in Preservation, an examination of
projects aimed at preserving LGBT
history, tonight from 6-8 p.m. Speakers
include Barbara Little, Patsy Fletcher,
Megan Springate, Kathryn Smith and
Vincent Slatt. There will also be a
cocktail reception. D.C. brewmaster
Christian Heurichs house will be open
for viewing during the reception. Tickets
are $30. Proceeds benet Heurich
House Museum. For more details, visit
facebook.com/heurichhouse.
RuPauls Drag Race alum
BenDeLaCreme brings her show
Inferno-A-Go-Go to the Birchmere
(3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria,
Va.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are
$29.50. For more information and to
purchase tickets, visit birchmere.com.
Camp Variety Cabaret hosts
Queerview Mirror: a Celebration
of Queer Artists Through Time, at
the Bier Baron Tavern (1523 22nd St.,
N.W.) tonight from 7:30-10:30 p.m. The
event will honor queer artists of the
past and present. Dr. Torcher hosts.
Midori Minx, Carlita Caliente, Tempete
La Coeur, Freddy Boi Jonesy and more
will perform. Tickets are $15 in advance
and $20 in cash at the door. A limited
number of pay-what-you-can tickets are
available online. Doors open at 7 p.m.
For more details, search Queerview
Mirror on Facebook.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM JUNE 16, 2017 29

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 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

LIVE
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
30 JU N E 16, 2017 O U T & A BO U T

A-WA
W/ MARGOT MACDONALD
THURSDAY JUNE 15

MARSHALL By MARIAH COOPER

CRENSHAW
Y LOS STRAITJACKETS
W/ SARAH BORGES &
A FEAST OF SNAKES D.C. Shorts oer
FRIDAY JUNE 16 Laughs June 23-24

SAT, JUNE 17 D.C. Shorts presents Laughs,

MELODIME a combination of live comedy acts
W/ WYLDER AND SUNBATHERS accompanied by funny short lms, at GALA
Hispanic Theater (333 14th St., N.W.) June
SUN, JUNE 18
23-24 with shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
RONNIE BAKER BROOKS Comics performing include Mike
W/ PATTY REESE Finazzo, Michele Sometimes, Jared Stern,
MON, JUNE 19 Katherine Jessup, Nate Johnson and
LIVE: SIRIUS XMS BUDDY & JIM RADIO SHOW PHOTO COURTESY NKOTB Natalie McGill. The short lms will be from
BUDDY MILLER,
FEATURING D.C. Shorts lm festival. The Laughs Bar
will be open for the evening. The 7:30 and
JIM LAUDERDALE, New Kids play Verizon Center next weekend 9:30 p.m. showcases will feature dierent
AND PATTY GRIFFIN comics and lms. General admission is
W/ SPECIAL GUESTS SCOTT MILLER AND New Kids on the Block bring their Total Package Tour to Verizon Center (601 $20. Tickets for both showcases are $30.
DC MAGICIAN OF THE YEAR ERIC HENNING F St., N.W.) on Sunday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. For more details, visit laughs.dcshorts.com.
TUES, JUNE 20
The group will be joined by Paula Abdul who will perform a set of seven of her
number one singles. This will be Abduls rst tour in 25 years. Boyz II Men will
MAJOR & THE MONBACKS also open the show to perform their greatest hits. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
W/ AZTEC SUN
Tickets range from $28-183. For more details, visit ticketmaster.com.
WED, JUNE 21
THE BAND OF HEATHENS
W/ REED FOEHL
THURS, JUNE 22

BOKANT
FRI, JUNE 23
FLOW TRIBE
SAT, JUNE 24
START MAKING SENSE PHOTO COURTESY RPP
W/ N.E.W. ATHENS
THURS, JUNE 29
AN EVENING WITH LOVE CANON Organist Ramirez to
SUN, JULY 2 play at First Baptist
BJ BARHAM OF AMERICAN AQUARIUM
W/ CHARLEY CROCKETT Organ virtuoso Raul Prieto Ramirez will
THURS, JULY 6 give a free recital on Sunday, June 18 at 4
PUMPSTATION ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS p.m. at First Baptist Church of Washington
JESSE ROYAL W/ RAS SLICK PHOTO COURTESY LA TI DO
(1328 16th St., N.W.).
Ramirez, an internationally known
FRI, JULY 7 touring artist, will perform on the
SWEAR & SHAKE W/ CAROLINE ROSE La Ti Do celebrates trans artists churchs 118-rank Austin organ, one of
the largest and most highly regarded
SAT, JULY 8 La Ti Do hosts its annual celebration of transgender artists at Bistro Bistro pipe organs in the District. It was installed
AN EVENING WITH SUPERFLY
DISCO: (1727 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Monday, June 26 from 8-10 p.m. in 2013. Several world-class organists,
A RETRO 70S DANCE PARTY Lady Dane Figeroa Edidi curated and co-produced the event. She will also host including Diane Bish and Ken Cowan,
the celebration. Guest performers include Marco Monroe, Venus DiKhadijah have performed at First Baptist.
Selenite, GoddessX, Samy El-Noury and more. Tickets are $10 in advanced and The Blade called Ramirez a colossally
$15 at the door. Portions of the proceeds will benet advocate, Monica Stevens. talented organist who plays fearlessly
For more information, visit facebook.com/latidodc. and brazenly in a 2015 review.
A reception featuring the artist will
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
follow the recital.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM JUNE 16, 2017 31

THE CAPITAL PRIDE ALLIANCE

THANKS OUR SPONSORS
NATIONAL PRESENTING SPONSOR PRESIDENTIAL SPONSORS

VISONARY VICE PRESIDENTIAL SPONSORS COMMUNITY SPIRIT SPONSOR

RAINBOW SPONSORS

LOVE WINS PLATINIUM SPONSORS

TRUE COLORS GOLD SPONSORS

OUT AND PROUD SILVER SPONSORS

BE TRUE...BE YOU BRONZE SPONSORS

UNAPOLOGETICALLY PROUD!
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 2 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T

Actor says Hedwigs punk score is o-putting to some

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
was born in 1995 just months before Rent
opened on Broadway in the spring of 1996.
Its meaningful for me to be part of this
particular tour. To play this character and
be part of this story and show at this time in
this country is incredible. Im happy that this
is my job. The fact that the show and I are
the same age is not lost on me. This story
and the characters still resonate strongly.
Angel is a drag queen and talented
drummer who makes her money performing
on the street. She and her partner Tom
Collins are both dealing with having HIV
and very little resources. Angels spotlight
era when people were dying from AIDS-
related complications at a terrifying rate.
I had to ll the gap with research
and dive in, he says. I had to watch
documentaries about covering pop culture
and AIDS to gure out it. It wasnt dicult to
modernize Angel. But it was important for
me to get across thats shes not a frivolous
party person. She emanates a lot of love
and light. She wasnt a frivolous person.
Ive never known a person like Angel in
my own life. To portray her I had to discover
her on my own. Now I work to bring her to
the stage and show her to people.
DAVID MERINO as Angel in Rent. The actor was deeply inspired by the lm version in his teen
Coming out was dicult for Moreno. years.
His family didnt understand his sexuality PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL THEATRE

moment is the high energy number Today
For You Tomorrow For Me which she sings
costumed in a saucy Santa suit.
The tour is Merinos third time playing
Angel. Originally he assayed the role with
a group of high school friends who formed
their own company in his native Los
Angeles. More recently he played Angel in
college production at New York University
where he was noticed by Broadway casting
agents. Hes interrupted his studies to go
on the road with the tour.
Merino took time to understand an
or his love for theater. In his teen years,
he spent hours secretly watching the
screen version of Rent again and again.
Within the last several years his family
has grown proud and supportive, he says.
And for that Moreno is very grateful.
Not everyone is comfortable with the
material Rent or Hedwig. For Monero,
touring with Rent through red states
during campaign season was poignant.
He felt an obligation to bring the musicals
stories to those who valued them and
those who had never heard them before.
And its not just subject matter,
Morton says. Hedwigs score is very
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
punk rock. Its not everyones cup of tea. Through July 2
One audience member who left midway The Kennedy Center
famously commented, I thought this was Tickets start at $59
202-467-4600
a show about Harry Potters owl. Kennedy-center.org
Both Morton and Moreno leave their
RENT
respective tours after Washington. June 20-25
Moreno plans to nish up his degree at National Theatre
New York University. And Morton says 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Tickets start at $48
hes eager to get back to singing Whitney 800-514-3849
Houston songs in the shower again. Thenationaldc.com
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
FI L M
SCARLETT JOHANSSON, center, in Rough Night, a raunchy comedy thats fun at times, but has
some pacing and tone issues.
Rough Rough Night
Gay characters, casting
cant save movie from
Broad City team
By BRIAN T. CARNEY
On one hand, Rough Night seems
like the standard summer shenanigans
movie, a mash-up of Bridesmaids and
My Weekend with Bernie. Theres an
out-of-control bachelorette party, some
loud sex, a dead stripper, an unconscious
stripper, crude jokes and lots of drugs
and alcohol.
On the other hand, theres an
admirable display of sexual diversity in
both the cast and the script. Two of the
ve members of the bachelorette party
are a former lesbian couple. Theres the
wacky swinging bisexual couple (Demi
Moore and Ty Burrell) next door; theyre
a little creepy, but they serve the purpose
of true love. The groom-to-be helps two
gay men to hook up. Two of the cast
members (Kate McKinnon and Colton
Haynes) are openly gay, but play straight
characters.
For Hollywood, thats noteworthy
progress.
Written by Lucia Aniello and Paul W.
Downs and directed by Aniello, Rough
Night is about the wild bachelorette
party for Jess (Scarlet Johansson) set up
by her rather desperate college friend
Alice (Jillian Bell). The party also includes
Frankie (Ilana Glazer) and Blair (Zo
Kravitz), who were lovers when they
were all in college 10 years ago, and
Pippa (Kate McKinnon), Jess friend from
Australia. They all meet up in Miami at an
immaculate beach house owned by one
of Jess donors (shes running for state
senate).
Hijinks ensue when two strippers show
up (ones not really a stripper). One is
Colton Haynes; the other is not. One ends
up unconscious. The other ends up dead
J U N E 16, 2017 33
PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES
and the bridal party decides to dump his
body instead of calling the police.
Meanwhile, the bachelor party is a
much more subdued aair where Peter
(Paul W. Downs) and his groomsmen
enjoy a wine tasting led by a droll Daniel
Raymont. Their civilized aair is disrupted
when a dropped call from Jess leads Peter
to think the wedding is o. He decides
to go astronaut and heads to Miami
with boxes of adult diapers and Red Bull
(Google Lisa Nowak for more details).
More hijinks ensue, but everything
ends up happily at a foam party.
The story is not very believable, which
becomes distracting. The accidental
murder of the stripper gets written o
too quickly and rather lightly. The drug
use is wildly exaggerated and doesnt
really t into the plot. Pippas character
is awkwardly wedged into the story and
McKinnons accent veers all over the
place.
But more importantly, the movies
nearly not as funny as it should be. There
are a lot of great gags, but the pacing is
slack. Some of the acting is great (Glazer Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image
and Kravitz are wonderful together and
Opening June 16, 2017
Downs is a riot), but most of the cast
members seem to be acting in dierent
movies. The overall tone is uneven,
The biggest Hollywood star of her time, Marlene Dietrich brought
an uneasy blend of raunch and sticky androgyny to the silver screen. Dietrich earned international fame
sentimentality. The parts dont really t while challenging limited notions of femininity through her lifestyle
together well. and fashion.
Despite all of this, fans of the popular
show Broad City (once a webcast, now Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image was organized in cooperation with Deutsche
part of the Comedy Central line-up) are KinemathekMarlene Dietrich Collection Berlin. This exhibition has been made possible
through the generous support of Tom L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia with additional support
likely to be big fans ofRough Night.After from the American Portrait Gala Endowment.
all, Glazer is the creator and star of the
show. Downs is a writer and series
Smithsonian
regular, Aniello has written and directed
several episodes. But, unfortunately,
their television success hasnt created
movie magic yet. Hopefully, their next 8th and F St. NW Washington, DC 20001 npg.si.edu
movie will be stronger and funnier.
For moviegoers who arent fans of
Broad City, Rough Night may be a Marlene Dietrich in Morocco by Eugene Robert Richee, 1930. Deutsche KinemathekMarlene Dietrich Collection Berlin
rough night.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 4 J UNE 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 A D V I CE

Forgotten generation?
Gay Boomer feels scorned
by marginalized Millennials
MICHAEL RADKOWSKY, Psy.D. is a
licensed psychologist who works with gay
individuals and couples in D.C. All identifying
information has been changed for reasons
of condentiality. Have a question? Send it to
him via michaelradkowsky.com
MICHAEL,
Im a gay man in my late 60s. And I am heartsick
over the message Ive hearing lately, louder and
louder it seems to me, that cis-gendered, middle-
aged white guys like me are establishment, part
of the elite, not radical enough to be worthy of
full citizenship in our community.
I feel like I am being marginalized and
rejected by a generation for whose well-being
and freedoms I was ghting long before they
were born.
I lost most of my friends too. Yes, I protested
plenty, including the FDA takeover to get some
action on drug treatment. And I volunteered
as a buddy for PWAs for a long time.
Thats why it hurts now to hear that I am not
Life was very dicult for gay people when an authentic part of my own community, the
I came to D.C. in the early 70s coming from community that Ive worked to help over my
a small town where I learned very well as a whole adult life.
teenager how it feels to be ostracized, hated I dont need gratitude but the judgment and
and bullied. contempt are hard to take.
I worked for the federal government and
was terried of being found out, as there was MICHAEL REPLIES:
a ban on gays and lesbians working for the I wish you had been at the Gay Mens
government the rst few years I was here. I Chorus concert that I attended a few weeks
remember being afraid to call any of my gay back. The audience gave a loud, sustained
friends from work for fear Id be caught. ovation to those attendees who had been at
Still, I fought to help make things better the 1979 March in which you participated.
for our community, volunteering at the gay So, yes many in the LGBT community are
hotline to help people who were closeted grateful to you and your generation for all the
and needed someone to talk to, marching in dicult, sometimes dangerous work you did
the Pride parades even though I was scared to help make our country so much freer for
someone from the oce would see me. But LGBT folks and are profoundly moved by your
all of us knew it was important that people did bravery and sacrices.
see us, no matter the consequences. That said, none of us can get everyone
You cant know what it was like to be gay back to see the world in the way that we do. As
then unless you lived it. I do feel proud that we time goes by, newer generations will always
helped to create the freedoms that we enjoy see history through their own varied lenses
today. The National March on Washington back and judgments. And communities LGBT
in 1979 was an empowering event. included often have a tendency to splinter.
I lost my lover to AIDS in the 1980s back Alas, venom can come with the splintering.
when the federal government didnt give a Sure, there are people out there who are
damn about a bunch of fags dying. I still tear going to put you down, minimize or ignore
up about all of that, writing this 30 years later. all youve done and say youre just not good
enough to meet their standards. But you
dont have to listen to or agree with them. As
Eleanor Roosevelt said, No one can make you
feel inferior without your consent.
Your job is to hold onto your own
knowledge of all that you have accomplished
so far and to keep believing that your life
has been worthwhile. If someone else has a
dierent view, that doesnt make them right
and you wrong.
Please consider that you already know
how to do this, because you grew up in a
homophobic world and still managed to
keep believing in your own worth. You have a
lifetime of experience discarding the judgment
of others when you know that their judgment
is not accurate.
Id like to make a suggestion: Start speaking
in public about your life. A lot of LGBT
people would be fascinated to hear from an
eyewitness participant to our struggle over
the past decades and I sense it would do you
some good to share your story and experience
our communitys gratitude in person.
I would also like to suggest that if you
have not already done so, you record an
oral history with the Rainbow History Project,
an organization dedicated to collecting and
preserving LGBT history in metropolitan
Washington. Future generations will want to
hear stories like yours.
Take care of yourself, and keep your
head high.

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
A UT O S
Top down please!
Latest convertibles
well-made, sporty
and fun to drive
By JOE PHILLIPS
Not everyone looks good in a Speedo, but
its easy to look great in a convertible. Thats
the case with the three ragtops below, which
also stir up plenty of wanderlust and envy.
FIAT 124 SPIDER
$25,000
Mpg: 26 city/35 highway
0-to-60 mph: 6.8 seconds
Chris or Liam Hemsworth? Sometimes its
hard to choose between hotties. Thats also
true for Mazdas MX-5 Miata, celebrating
its silver anniversary this year, and Fiats
all-new Spider. Both are built on the same
platform, with many of the same parts.
Cargo room? Identical. Pricing? Ditto. Even
the interior cabins look alike, except for the
infotainment systems and steering wheels.
Sure, the Spider is ve inches longer, but its
still itsy-bitsy like a Miata.
The main dierences between the two
are looks and handling. While the Miatas
recent redo is stunning, this sportster has
been toddling around for a quarter century.
The Fiat has a fresher face, even though it
trades heavily on its retro roots, especially
the long hood and squared-o trunk, which
harken back to the original Spider of the
1960s and 1970s. Another plus: the Spider
is a tad quieter, thanks to an acoustic
windshield and more sound insulation.
And cornering is tighter, too, with the Fiats
extra 100 pounds helping it hold the road.
In the end, though, opting for a Spider over
a Miata is really about selecting a ride thats
brand new versus one thats tried and true.
VW BEETLE
$26,000
Mpg: 24 city/33 highway
0-to-60 mph: 7.3 seconds
As if choosing between the Fiat Spider
and Mazda MX-5 Miata wasnt hard
enough, theres the VW Beetle. First
J U N E 16, 2017 35
FIAT 124 SPIDER
introduced some 80 years ago, this iconic
ride remains fresh. Thats because VW
keeps reinventing it, such as with this
years limited-edition #PinkBeetle with
Fresh Fuchsia metallic paint and a pink-
trimmed interior.
But pink or not, this softtop is a fun
and surprisingly sporty ride. It hugs
corners and handles potholes better than
expected. And the bolstered seats feel
like they were built for a luxury sports car.
Three trim levels, but opt for the diesel
or turbo models for more spunk. Most
impressive is the long list of standard
features, including power folding top,
17-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, keyless
entry, heated seats, heated side mirrors
and heated windshield washer nozzles.
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
$44,000
Mpg: 21 city/29 highway
0-to-60 mph: 7.6 seconds
When the cutting-edge Evoque
crossover debuted a few years ago,
Range Rover proved it could go wild over
mild. Now theres a convertible version,
with the same Transformer-like styling
and hoity-toity interior. This includes
a tasteful, speckled-dot pattern on the
brushed-aluminum trim and some top-
notch stitching on the seats, dash and
center console. A head-up display on the
windshield is a nice touch, helping keep
your eyes on the road. And the nished
headliner and tasteful interior mood
lighting jazz things up.
Other plusses: Heated seats that
warm up quickly, and a fat, heated
steering wheel that feels good in your
hands. And be sure to turn o the pitch-
perfect, 10-speaker Meridien stereo
before parking, or you just may sit back
and listen to tunes all night long. Sadly,
there are some rattles, and the doors
sound tinny when being shut. Also, those
thick backseat headrests and the nifty
low-slung roof so eye-catching on the
outside reduce rear visibility. But the
Evoque was never meant to be a truly
practical car; its mission is to turn heads.
And this droptop does that perfectly.
3 6 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
M U SI C
KATY PERRYS new album Witness lacks both catchy hooks and innovative production.
Katys fumble
Popsters rst album
in four years feels
phoned in, uninspired
By CHRIS GERARD
In the eight years since her breakthrough
smash I Kissed a Girl, powerhouse pop diva
Katy Perry has scored a remarkable nine no.
1 singles and 14 Top 10 hits over the span of
four albums.
Her latest, Witness, will be hard-pressed
to add to her tally of chart-topping singles if
the performance of its rst three releases can
be used as a gauge. Lead single Chained to
The Rhythm, featuring a guest spot by Bob
Marleys grandson Skip, reached no. 4, but the
two subsequent releases, Bon Appetit and
Swish Swish, have failed each to make the
Top 40, her rst two major singles to miss that
mark since I Kissed a Girl made Perry a star.
If it seems Top 40 radio has been slow
to embrace Perrys latest eort, its not
hard to understand why: there are very few
strong melodic hooks. Musically, with its
sparse electronic beats and swirls of synth,
Witness sounds like every other pop album
thats been released in the last ve years with
nothing fresh or exciting to be found. That
wouldnt matter so much if the album was
jammed with earworms like prior Perry hits
Firework, Hot n Cold, Teenage Dream,
Roar and Dark Horse, but unfortunately
there is nothing here that holds a candle
to any of those pop classics. Theres little
to distinguish one track from another on
Witness, and while there are certainly tracks
with hit potential (Roulette and the title-
song in particular), overall its hard to envision
this album performing on the same level as
her prior megahits.
Witness is not without its high points, but
they are few and far between. It opens strong
with a title song that probably should have
been a single by now; its more substantial
and melodic than most anything else on the
album. Bigger Than Me is another winner,
oddly tucked away near the end of the album
despite being one of the more immediate
and engaging tracks.
Unfortunately the proceedings quickly
lapse into formula. Hey Hey Hey, with its
heavily autotuned vocals and cloying chorus,
is a simplistic throwaway that baingly
THE KENNEDY CENTER
J U N E 16, 2017 37 DISTRICT OF
COMEDY
FESTIVAL
Presenting
Sponsor
PHOTO COURTESY CAPITOL RECORDS
required ve writers to create. Roulette,
with its jittery rhythm and a spidery keyboard
ri, is one of the stronger moments, but even
here its hard to shake the feeling that this
is Katy Perry-by-numbers. Weve heard it all
before and better.
Swish Swish, with a guest slot by the
ubiquitous Nicki Minaj, is a novelty diss-
track that ends up more silly than badass.
Presumably were not supposed to snort
and giggle at the half-whispered faux-Britney
catch-phrase, Swish, swish, bish. More
successful is Chained to the Rhythm, the
vaguely Latin-avored lead single, although
it also pales when compared to Perrys key
singles of the past. The spark just isnt there,
and like much of the album it ends up too
repetitive. Bon Appetit is a curious choice as
second single and does little to break up the
soulless monotony.
Perry has a powerful voice but one would
be hard-pressed to prove it with Witness
because nearly everything she sings is
slathered with autotune that, along with the
rather stale synthetic beats, gives everything
an articial, detached vibe. Any genuine heart
and feeling that may have otherwise helped
salvage some of the tracks has been sapped
away and wiped clean. Forgettable tracks like
Pendulum, Tsunami and Deja Vu serve
only to ll slots on an album thats too long
to begin with. Even the ballads are lackluster
and meandering.
At 15 tracks and nearly an hour long,
Witness is a slog to get through. The
sameness in sound and vibe is numbing.
Whatever Katy Perry was trying to accomplish
with her rst album in four years, she has
unfortunately missed the mark. There June 17August 13 | Theater Lab
arent enough big pop melodies to make it Who better to comment on the state of our nation than the comedians
a great summertime album, and one of the who mock it best? The Second City returns for another summer of
key ingredients in her best work sheer
exuberance and fun is largely missing here.
uproarious irreverence in The Second Citys Almost Accurate Guide to
Katy Perry seems to be in that stage America: Divided We Stand. You may think you know America, but if
that many young artists go through, trying the last year has taught us anything, its that there are many different
to transition from fun-loving bouncy teen- Americas to get to know. Alas, there is still one thing the blue states
friendly pop star to edgier and more serious and red states sharethe need for a good laugh! Age 16+
artistry, but she doesnt go far enough or
bold enough to make it work. Witness is a
step back for Perry, but other singers have
recovered from such missteps and thrived,
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
and Perry certainly has the talent to do so. KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600
Time will tell if Witness is an aberration or the Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.
start of a long-term downward trend in both For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
sales and entertainment value.
3 8 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

P H OTO S B Y M I CH AEL KEY & D ANIEL TR U ITT JUNE 16, 2017 39

The annual Capital Pride parade was held on Saturday, June 10.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

4 0 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 17 P H O T O S BY MI CH A E L KE Y

The national Equality March for Unity and Pride moved past the White House and onto the National Mall on Sunday, June 11.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

P H OTO S B Y M I CH AEL KEY & DANIEL TRU ITT JUNE 16, 2017 41

The Capital Pride Alliance held the annual Capital Pride festival and concert along Pennsylvania Avenue on Sunday, June 11. The Pointer Sisters and Miley Cyrus were headliners in the concert.
4 2 J UN E 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

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