Pride of the South: Dyllón Burnside - June 4, 2020

Contents

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Volume 27 Issue 5

VOCAL SUPPORT

100+ LGBTQ organizations condemn racism, racial violence, and police brutality.

By Rhuaridh Marr

PRIDE OF THE SOUTH

Pose’s Dyllón Burnside is showcasing his authentic truth and highlighting LGBTQ stories in the digital series PRIDELAND. Interview by André Hereford Photography by Taylor Miller

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FAMILIAR COURSE Lady Gaga’s new album Chromatica marks a solid return to form

By Sean Maunier

SPOTLIGHT: SYNETIC’S NEXT REVOLUTION p.5 OPERA ONLINE p.6 OUT ON THE TOWN p.9 FORUM: GEORGE FLOYD AND THE AMERICAN DREAM p.15 FORUM: WHAT PRIDE LOOKS LIKE p.17 THE FEED: UNJUST ARREST p.20 WHITE RAGE p.21 FALSE FLAG p.22 SCREENING BIAS p.23 STERN WARNING p.24 INCREDIBLE LEGACY p.25 GALLERY: NAKED TRUTH p.36 FILM: YOU DON’T NOMI p.38 SELFIE SCENE p.40 LAST WORD p.41 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 26 Years Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Dr. Ron Simmons Cover Photography Taylor Miller During the pandemic please send all mail to: Metro Weekly PO Box 11559 - Washington, D.C. 20008 • 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

© 2020 Jansi LLC.

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Spotlight

Synetic’s Next Revolution As bold as ever, Synetic Theater returns with a groundbreaking virtual production of The Decameron.

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HE DECAMERON BASICALLY IS DESIGNED FOR “We have 35 short stories, produced by 35 very talented community, it's meant for community,” says Paata artists,” says Tsikurishvili, who marvels at the virtual collabTsikurishvili. “I have to say I'm amazed how creative oration’s mix. “A few things are dance-based, a few are pupminds can really push the boundaries. There are so many differ- pet-based, a few are theater-based, a few are clown-based.” All ent styles and genres [and] such amazing works.” of it, ultimately, is very Synetic. “It’s amazing how much opporFor nearly two decades now, Synetic, the theater company tunity for Synetic’s very cinematic storytelling vocabulary there Tsikurishvili founded with his wife Irini, has helped shake up is in the digital [realm].” There’s even an interactive element, the Washington theater scene with its visually oriented, physical allowing viewers the chance to choose-your-own experience, theater-based reimaginings of classic works, particularly those whether proceeding through individual selection, with pre-crein its revolutionary Silent Shakespeare series — and earned 32 ated playlists, or serially over a 10-day period.

Helen Hayes Awards in the process.

Tsikurishvili relishes digital’s potential to reach new audiSynetic’s latest work reflects the current state of affairs, ences, and especially the opportunities to advance Synetic’s style which compelled the troupe’s team of artists to push them- of art. “Probably our next phase will be another kind of evolving selves in new ways and explore new ground just to stay active. and moving forward, making something bigger and better, so to “We jumped in the ocean and started swimming with The speak,” he says.

Decameron,” Tsikurishvili says, noting that the work is the comThe company is celebrating its 20th anniversary next year pany’s first “designed-for-digital production,” and also the first and Tsikurishivili is hopeful that live theatre will be back in full of any kind since March. swing by that time. “I don't think we even need to The Decameron seems a perfect fit, right down to argue about it: There's nothing that can replace live Click Here its core: Giovanni Boccaccio created the collection For More Info theater,” he says. of short stories in the wake of the 14th Century’s The company will “come back and celebrate Black Plague, which still stands as the worst pandemic in human and continue” on stage, but will also continue to push its “new history. The Decameron focuses on a group of young Italians approach and new opportunities,” Tsikurishvili says. “I think it sheltering-in-place and entertaining themselves by telling tales makes sense to have a kind of hybrid approach with both verof all kinds. sions, digital and live.” —Doug Rule The Decameron starts streaming Wednesday, June 10, with a few stories added daily through June 19, and runs in full until at least June 30. Tickets are pay-what-you-can over $10. Visit www.synetictheater.org.

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Spotlight

Opera Online

The In Series plans to shake up opera with the launch of an all-digital season.

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HIS SPRING, AS THE WEEKS TURNED INTO to build the company’s streaming site, “INVISION Operahouse months without any notion of when live performances Without Walls,” which will open a month later, on July 19, could safely, comfortably resume, Timothy Nelson real- during an afternoon ribbon-cutting celebration. The season will ized that the In Series had to do something drastic. They needed kick off with a series of grand opening events in mid-September, to go big and bold, beyond any sense of normal. culminating on September 19 with the premiere of a four-part “I couldn't see us spending a whole season playing the game audio production combining Purcell’s The Fairy-Queen with of, ‘Will we do this? Do we have to move this? Will we resched- Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and featuring eight ule this?’” Nelson says. “Because of our capacity — and we're local and international performers, all accompanied by the three full-time staff and two part-time — that would just take all Dutch period instrument group Ensemble ‘t Kabinet. of our efforts.”

The organization is currently bolstering its digital offerings, As horrible as the pandemic has been, it has also invited “the posting recordings from past productions, such as Butterfly, its opportunity for self-examination and reinvention,” Nelson says. radical reconstruction of the Puccini classic, and Kate Soper’s “And if there's anything that needs a lot of self-examination and Here Be Sirens, the centerpiece work from its 2020 Women’s reinvention, it's opera.” Furthermore, a small organization such Composer Festival. The In Series also presents biweekly virtual as the In Series might be ideally positioned to “use this oppor- Cocktail Concerts — live musical happy hour events broadcast tunity to do something that could help reinvent the art form in a from artists’ homes — through its Facebook page. (This Friday’s way it's needed for a long time.”

Concert, on June 5, will take a more serious, timely tone, proAnd that, in essence, is how the In Series came to the decision viding a platform for members of the In Series family to sing or to make its 2020-2021 season digital, with most productions speak their feelings about the racial injustice that the country is all-virtual affairs, available to anyone for free. Naturally, given currently battling.) the uncharted boldness of such planning coupled with the overThe In Series will not be an all-digital organization forever all uncertain future of live performances, some programs and — or even for more than one season. “The season after next is details will change or be announced later, along our 40th anniversary, so it's a big year for us, and I Click Here with the exact benefits that will be offered exclualready have most of it planned [as] a live season,” sively for season subscribers.

For More Info Nelson says. “But whatever we learn over the next The In Series will lay the groundwork for its year is definitely going to change us, and, if all goes season over the next few months, with a series of monthly well, the streaming service will be so successful that we will keep events, including “A Groundbreaking Groundbreaking” on June that and find a way to budget for five live performances a season 19, an interactive, virtual gala celebration that will raise money as well.” —Doug Rule For more on the In Series’ virtual offerings and plans in the wake of COVID-19, see www.inseries.org/in-response-1bd1.

The next virtual Cocktail Concert is set for Friday, June 5. Visit www.facebook.com/INSeriesDC/live.

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VirtVual

Out On The Town

HAIL SATAN?

The rise of the controversial Satanic Temple is the focus of Penny Lane’s documentary, one of this week’s new offerings available for streaming through the “Virtual Cinema” of the Avalon Theatre in Upper Northwest D.C. Magnolia Pictures’ Hail Satan? focuses on a media-savvy bunch of religious freedom advocates who prove that with little more than a clever idea and a mischievous sense of humor “you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways.” Opens Friday, June 5.

A live virtual Q&A with director Lane in conversation with the Satanic Temple’s Lucien Greaves takes place Wednesday, June 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 for a three-day streaming period, with roughly half of sales benefiting the nonprofit theater and independent filmmaking and distribution. Call 202-966-6000 or visit www.theavalon.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule

PRIDE 2020 CAPITAL PRIDE 2020 REIMAGINED: PRIDE NIGHT #VIRTUALDANCEPARTY

This year’s official festivities will be bookended with dancing, starting with the eclectic “Pride Night” #VirtualDanceParty presented by Scorpio Entertainment. International hoop artist Zbu Hoopism will perform live from Ghana as part of a 90-minute event also featuring powerhouse vocalist Tiffany Lyn Royster and capped off with multi-genre pop-oriented sets from DJ Tezrah and Scorpio’s founder DJ Edward Daniels, who will also serve as host. Saturday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m.

Donations are suggested, benefiting the featured artists. RSVP for Zoom link at www.scorpiodjs.com.

CAPITAL PRIDE 2020 REIMAGINED: PRIDEMOBILE RAINBOW BLAST

Among the newest and least understood elements making up this year’s reimagined celebration is this “first-ever” roving vehicle that is set to venture to all eight wards of D.C. “to document how businesses, residents, and neighborhoods show they have Pride.” It even comes with the lure of prizes for “the most prideful storefronts and residences.”

Additionally, local DJs and drag acts will be enlisted “to entertain our neighborhoods” and to help “cast a rainbow on our beloved city.” Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit www.capitalpride.org.

CAPITAL PRIDE 2020 REIMAGINED: VIRTUAL #SUNSETDANCEPARTY

The official festivities draw to a close with a more traditional yet still virtual gay dance party starring the gay cir-

cuit veteran and recent Grammy winner, DJ Tracy Young, who will work her musical magic for a virtual two-hour, Capitol-conjuring #SunsetDanceParty on Sunday, June 14, starting at 8 p.m.

Visit www.capitalpride.org.

CAPITAL PRIDE 2020 REIMAGINED: PRIDE IN THE CITY WEB SERIES

In partnership with the DC Center, Capital Pride is developing a new web series to introduce online viewers to some favorite small businesses, bars, and restaurants, cultural treasures, and local heroes that make the city tick and the community proud. The series, which will be available for streaming from the Capital Pride Alliance’s Facebook and YouTube pages, will debut with “Episode No. 1: #StillWe Entertain,” a virtual showcase of D.C.’s diverse talent pool, consisting of pre-recorded live performances by

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local and regional LGBTQ singers, dancers, drag artists, visual artists, and more.

For more details and updated information, visit www.capitalpride.org.

P.G. COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY: VIRTUAL PRIDE READINGS, OTHER EVENTS

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System presents virtual readings with two young, best-selling gay authors as part of a full slate of June as Pride Month offerings. First up is R. Eric Thomas with reflections on growing up in Baltimore and embracing his identity in Here For It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America. The senior staff writer at Elle. com who is also the host of the Moth StorySlams in D.C. and Philadelphia and an award-winning playwright (Time Is On Our Side) will discuss his debut collection of witty, humorous essays on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. A week later it will be George M. Johnson’s turn in the virtual spotlight with a discussion of All Boys Aren’t Blue. The debut memoir for young adults shares Johnson’s memories of growing up black and queer in New Jersey and Virginia. The New York-based freelance writer will discuss his new book on Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, the system with 19 branch libraries throughout the suburban Maryland county has also unveiled “LGBTQ+ Pride.” The new LGBTQ history and culture webpage (https://pgcmls.info/pride) features a well-curated collection of informative content, helpful resources, and recommended reads and streaming content — all compiled over the past year by the Library’s LGBTQ+ Working Group of staff and community members. The page also includes short, personal videos created by LGBTQidentifying members of the @PGCMLS staff for the global It Gets Better Project.

And then there are the details about the crowdsourced Virtual Community Pride Quilt project. Any member of the public can submit “a photo or video clip that describes or documents what pride means to them” for quilt consideration, with submissions accepted until June 19 at pr@pgcmls.info. The quilt will go on display on the Library’s website and social media at the end of the month.

All told, the Library is offering at least 15 virtual events through its month-long “Pride at PGCMLS” series, promising a “celebration for all ages.” The programming ranges from a “Crafternoon: Show Your Pride - Make a Collage Flag” activity for families (June 5 at 3 p.m.), to a 10

Pride-focused Career Chat for teens and young professionals (June 17 at 4 p.m.), to an LGBTQ+ Zines Workshop for teens/ adults (June 19 at 4 p.m.). Visit www. pgcmls.info/virtual-events. #SFPRIDE: 50 YEARS OF PRIDE: AN ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

Nearly 100 photographs will mark the 50th Anniversary of San Francisco Pride. Over half of the works set for the exhibition, curated by Lenore Chinn and Pamela Peniston, are already available online. Presented by the GLBT Historical Society and the San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries, the exhibition features works from the Historical Society’s archives alongside photographs from other institutions and over 20 independent queer artists, all serving to pay tribute to how the city’s LGBTQ community came into its own in the best and the worst of times. Visit www.glbthistory. org/50-years-of-pride.

STORY DISTRICT OUT/SPOKEN

Ten years and 75 stories later, D.C.’s premier storytelling organization readies another round of stories touching on the LGBTQ experience for this annual showcase. A co-partnership with the Capital Pride Alliance and a handful of other LGBTQ organizations, the 2020 edition is a virtual affair, to be livestreamed on YouTube. The 10th anniversary of Out/ Spoken is also celebrated by featuring six of the more popular storytellers and stories from years past in addition to a few first-timers as coached by this year’s co-directors Darryl Smith and Story District’s artistic director Amy Saidman.

Tuesday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can. Visit www.storydistrict.org.

THE FUTURE IS QUEER: ONLINE PRIDE PARADE & AFTER-PARTY

Any other year, Sarah Massey would be leading the charge, riding with her fellow Dykes on Bikes at the front of the Capital Pride Parade. Although unable to carry out that tradition this year, the former communications director of the National LGBTQ Task Force was determined to create a virtual alternative, even aiming for the same time as the annual parade.

Ultimately, though, the parade has nothing on what’s to come in the “online nightclub” that Massey has developed, channeling the feelings of community, camaraderie, and support engendered by the parade but where participants are invited to go further, to “express them-

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selves as who they want to be in the ways that they want to.” In other words, expect a clothing-optional, nudity-allowed environment building on the weekly “Queer Naked Dance Party” Massey started in the wake of COVID-19. Festivities kick off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, with an eclectic mix of music modeled after a multi-floor, multi-genre venue, including sets by Myra Sinnott’s DJ BEATrix, Les the DJ (aka The Pinstriped Rebel), DJ BK, and DJ Jesse “Bunce Force Trauma.”

There will also be a “Capturing Fire Queer Poetry Slam Showcase” and the promise of something called a "hookup cruise.” And then comes the After-Party running from 10 p.m. until midnight, which is a pride-enhanced, late-night version of Queer Naked Dance Party (www. facebook.com/queerdancer). Everything transpires on the online platform, Joie De Vivre, that Massey built specifically for “the body-positive and sex-positive queer community.” “I knew that other platforms record or spy, or they say that nudity and nakedness is not allowed,” Massey explained in a podcast, adding that her events are open to all but limited to those who sign a user agreement including a no-record clause that she intends to strictly enforce. For more information and to purchase tickets, when they become available, visit www.joie.dance.

FILM ALAMO ON DEMAND

Launched shortly after COVID-19 forced the closure of its cinemas, including two in Northern Virginia, the national arthouse film chain’s Alamo-At-Home series was such a success, the company has decided to expand its eccentric virtual streaming offerings — with a focus on “challenging, provocative, and occasionally batsh*t insane films.” And the Alamo’s new video-on-demand platform features plenty of films that fit that outlandish bill, including Butt Boy, Tyler Cornack’s comedy/thriller about a detective who is out to prove his wild theory about a mentor of his, one he suspects “uses his butt to make people disappear,” and Porno, Keola Racela’s 2019 scary tale about a group of repressed teenagers in a small conservative town “visited by a sex demon that gives them a taste of the dark side.” Visit www.ondemand.drafthouse.com.

CINEMA ARTS THEATRE’S VIRTUAL CINEMA

The arthouse movieplex in Fairfax features streams of And Then We Danced,

PLAY AT HOME

The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Baltimore Center Stage are founding members of a small coalition of regional U.S. theaters also including the Kennedy Center and formed in the wake of COVID-19 as an attempt to inspire and engage both professional artists as well as theater amateurs and novices — connected through the act of storytelling and performance. The “Play At Home” initiative features a growing series of plays - 100 and counting — all under 10 minutes in length, created “specifically for this moment of unprecedented isolation, to inspire joy and connection for all.” Available as free downloads, the plays were written with the intimate setting of a private home in mind. The commissioned playwrights were also encouraged to think outside the box and allow for the inclusion of “elements that could not be reproduced for the stage.” The lineup includes Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi (The Diaz Family Talent Show), Aleshea Harris (If, Can, Mayhap), and Mike Lew (Performance Review), all specifically commissioned by Woolly Mammoth, Noah Diaz (House), Miranda Rose Hall (What Happened in the Kitchen), and Keenan Scott II (Strike) from Baltimore Center Stage, and Timothy Allen McDonald & Rob Rokicki (The Greatest 10 Minute Musical Ever Written!), a musical and reality TV show mashup from Jose Casas (Holyyyyyyy Hottttttt Cheetosssssss!!!!!!!) and Paige Hernandez (7th Street Echo), among those commissioned by the Kennedy Center with a focus on young audiences. People are encouraged to record and share their performance of the #PlayatHomePlays. Visit www.playathome.org.

Levan Akin’s well-crafted tale of two male company members in the National Georgian Dance Ensemble who become competitors, then partners, then lovers, with Levan Gelbakhiani starring as the quiet yet intense Merab; Sorry We Missed You, Ken Loach’s wrenching, intimate family drama from last year focused on the British working class and exposing the dark side of the “gig economy”; and Kantemir Balagov’s Beanpole, which focuses on the intense bond that forms between two women, both anti-aircraft gunners during World War II, who struggle to readjust to a haunted world and life in Leningrad after the war. In Russian with English subtitles. Visit www.cinemaartstheatre.com.

JXJ VIRTUAL CINEMA

The Edlavitch DCJCC has teamed up with independent film distributors for select screening runs of new releases and restorations of classics, with 50 percent of all proceeds going toward its new (but currently shuttered) cinema space Cafritz Hall. Highlights include Fourteen, about two adult women who have been close friends since middle school; Agnieszka Holland’s thriller Mr. Jones, focused on a young Welsh jour-

nalist working to uncover the truth about Hitler’s rise to power and Stalin’s Soviet propaganda machine pushing their “utopia” to the Western world; and Outdoors, about a couple intent on fleeing the city for a fresh start in the countryside who can’t move quickly enough to save their relationship. Tickets are $10 to $12 for multi-day screenings per film, with passes also available. Visit www.jxjdc.org/ virtualcinema.

the next week, BrightFocus Foundation, a nonprofit funding scientific research and promoting public awareness to end diseases of mind and sight, offers a free, virtual stream of the documentary that includes an introduction from the film’s producer James Keach and interviews with key scientists discussing their current research. Available to June 10. Visit www.brightfocus.org/movie.

LINDA RONDSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE

Among the weekly and recurring offerings in its Virtual Screening Room, Maryland’s AFI Silver Theatre has been celebrating the best animated shorts from around the world as released over the past four years.

There’s always a lot of overlap between the films presented in each annual feature-length collection, curated by veteran animation producer Ron Diamond, and that year’s subsequent Oscar-nominated bunch. All in all, a New York Times critic raves that the films are “wonderfully original...dazzling...provocative.” As seen in the 17th through 20th editions, the films are also an eclectic and culturally diverse mix that nonetheless serves as a reminder of the universality of the human experience and shared ideals. A 48-hour rental of each program is $8.99, including

At the peak of her success, Linda Ronstadt, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, turned away from pop music to explore a variety of other genres, from American standards to operetta to traditional Mexican canciones. Sadly, her singing voice has been silenced due to Parkinson’s disease. Last year, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the award-winning gay documentarians behind The Times of Harvey Milk and HOWL, debuted this musical biography telling Ronstadt’s story through her own words and music, as well as commentary by professional colleagues including Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackson Browne. Now, over

THE ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS AT AFI

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OUTLOUD: RAISING VOICES

When COVID-19 forced the cancellation of Austin’s South By Southwest in March, it took with it what had been planned as the first-ever Pride showcase at the influential festival. That subsequently inspired live event company JJ|LA to go big in a way that will benefit a lot more people. The expanded #WeAreOutLoud program is a month-long, multi-event series on Facebook featuring an emerging crop of LGBTQ-identified musical acts and benefiting the nation’s key pride organizations, at a time when they could no doubt use a boost. Betty Who, Madame Gandhi, The Aces, and Wrabel headlined the first livestreamed episodes, which were emceed in alternating fashion by Candis Cayne and Jake Borelli, and benefited pride presenters in L.A., Houston, and Phoenix. Capital Pride is an upcoming beneficiary in a show featuring headliner Allie X (pictured). The series continues Tuesdays and Wednesdays through June 24, with all episodes starting at 8 p.m.

Visit www.facebook.com/OfficiallyOUTLOUD.

$1 off using promo code AFISASOS. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, with additional support to independent filmmaking and distribution. Visit www.afi. com/Silver.

STAGE ACT’S OUT & ABOUT ONLINE FESTIVAL

Instead of its annual showcase of live, in-person LGBTQ theater during DC Black Pride, the African-American Collective Theater has moved everything online due to COVID-19. On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the organization unveiled its “latest work-in-progress, our new Internet home and archive.” New short plays are being added to the website now 12

through Sunday, June 7, as part of a celebratory, all-virtual festival. A reimagined and expanded version of ACT’s annual Black Pride showcase, Out & About offers staged readings featuring actors breathing life into a sampling of the many plays written by Alan Sharpe, the artistic director who founded the company 28 years ago, many of them playfully, provocatively titled. Offerings include I’ll Show You Mine...If You Show Me Yours,” reenacted

by Edwin Brown III and Darrell Johnson; Over Sex Ed, featuring Dolly Turner, Wilma Lynn Horton, and Abbey AsareBediako; The Tea... with August Bullock and Maggy Denise Lewis; and The OTHER One, featuring Davon Harris and Jordan Brown. Visit https://a-act.org.

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HOMEBOUND

An original web series launched by Round House Theatre that explores life under Stay-at-Home orders in the Nation’s Capital, the series stars Craig Wallace and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh and is progressing in a 10-episode “chain story” style, with each episode — one available for free every Monday — building off what came before but written by a different area playwright. This week sees the premiere of Episode 6, Tim J. Lord’s “Sometimes It Snows in April,” which finds Wallace and Ebrahimzadeh reflecting honestly on the trials their characters as well as our country have been living through — written and set only three short weeks ago, when the killing

of Ahmaud Arbery was still front-page news in America. In a statement included with the episode’s release, Round House directors Ryan Rilette and Ed Zareski said, “In the midst of the worst health crisis of our lifetimes, when people of color — many of whom serve as essential workers — are being disproportionately hurt by both the pandemic and its economic fallout, it is unconscionable that our fellow Americans are not just overlooked, but murdered in broad daylight by white people in positions of power.” The first five episodes in the series are also available for streaming. Still to come, episodes from Audrey Cefaly, Dani Stoller, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, and Caleen Sinnette Jennings. Through June 29. Visit www.

RoundHouseTheatre.org/Homebound.

Spooky Action sets out to explore the online possibilities with its New Works in Action program, presenting free live streamed readings of four new plays, all one-time-only offerings on the company’s YouTube channel — that is, they will not be recorded for posterity and archived, so you snooze, you lose. Audiences are invited to stay afterwards for talkbacks with the actors, director, and playwright.

The series continues with Jack Novack’s Transferal, about a woman who loses her partner in a plane crash and the parents who are trying to reconnect and move on, on Sunday, Jun 7; and Laura Shamas’ Circular, exploring what actually happened in combat between a soldier and her commanding officer, revealed gradually as part of the healing process, and portrayed by actors Lisa Hodsoll and Jonathan Holmes in a reading directed

by Katherine Chase Bryer, on June 14. All performances at 3 p.m. Call 202-248-0301 or visit www.spookyaction.org.

THEATER J’S ONLINE YIDDISH THEATER LAB READINGS

Online readings of two new plays will close out the third year of programming for Theater J’s signature Yiddish Theater Lab. Miriam, a commission from playwright Alix Sobler (Sheltered) that has been freely adapted from Peretz Hirschbein’s Miryam, will be livestreamed first, on Sunday, June 7, at 5 p.m., followed by Paula Prilutski’s One Of Those, adapted and translated

by Allen Lewis Rickman, on June 18, at 5:30 p.m. Free, but registration for tickets required; the streams will continue on-demand for three days after

JULIAN VANKIM

SPOOKY ACTION THEATER’S NEW WORKS IN ACTION: ONLINE READINGS

STRATHMORE’S LIVE FROM THE LIVING ROOM

Every Wednesday, Strathmore offers livestreams primarily featuring solo performances of its multi-genre Artists in Residence, both those from the current 2020 class as well as a select few alumni of the esteemed A.I.R. program. Each concert presents bite-sized performances — roughly 20 minutes in length — captured live from the living rooms of local musicians and streamed via Facebook Live starting at 7:30 p.m. The lineup continues with the local gay multifaceted singer-songwriter Chris Urquiaga (pictured) on June 10, the soulful D.C. queerpop singer-songwriter Be Steadwell on June 17, and innovative string player and international recording artist Chelsey Green on June 24. In addition, recordings of past concerts in the series remain available on the Facebook page @StrathmoreArts, including Christian Douglas, a budding pop artist and theater artist who most recently performed in the ensembles of Arena Stage’s Newsies and Signature Theatre’s Gun & Powder; Mark G. Meadows, another well-known local theater pianist and vocalist; Niccolo Seligmann, a gay artist merging the sounds of obscure folk instruments with early classical music; Christylez Bacon, the celebrated Grammy-nominated progressive hip-hop artist and multi-instrumentalist; and the Bumper Jackson Duo, Jess Eliot Myhre and Chris Ousley’s American roots project merging country and jazz. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org. the reading. Call 202-777-3210 or visit www.theaterj.org.

MUSIC KENNEDY CENTER COUCH CONCERTS

The Kennedy Center presents a free Millennium Stage concert every night at 6 p.m. under normal circumstanc-

es — that is, when the large campus is open to the public. Until it can reopen post-pandemic, the organization is offering Couch Concerts livestreamed direct from artists’ homes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 p.m. Even better, all past Millennium Stage and #KCCouchConcerts remain online for streaming anytime — a treasure trove that

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includes recent livestreams including the double bill of Kennedy Center Hip-Hop Advisory Council member Kokayi and up-and-coming local five-piece band Oh He Dead, and the Washington Women in Jazz Festival Showcase with Amy K Bormet, Christie Dasheill, and Nicole Saphos; plus recent Millennium Stage Encore shows from the 2013 concert by ’90s hit-making hip-hop group Arrested Development to the 2019 “Wind Me Up Chuck!” special tribute to the late godfather of go-go and featuring his namesake outfit The Chuck Brown Band, or from the 2018 concert by the four-part-harmony-focused Australian indie-folk band All Our Exes Live in Texas, to the 2019 concert featuring Mexican starlet and past Best New Artist Latin Grammy Awardee Gaby Moreno. Visit www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/ couch-concerts.

LUKE JAMES SHAFFER IN SUNSET SESSIONS AT THE PARK SERIES

The Alexandria-based folk-pop singer-songwriter Luke James Shaffer is the next to get the virtual spotlight in a biweekly, five-event summer series being broadcast from the Great Lawn at the Parks at Walter Reed — in lieu of a live performance from the grassy knoll.

Shaffer is expected to play selections from a forthcoming new album at his @ TheParksDC concert, which will be livestreamed via Instagram on Sunday, June 7, at 5 p.m., and then featured on YouTube later. Visit https://theparksdc.com/ events/sunset-sessions-at-the-parks/.

THE NORTH COUNTRY

Until it can once again host live events under the dome in its acoustically rich former synagogue space, Sixth and I has launched a Living Room Sessions series, co-presented by DCist, featuring select artists in free livestream performances from their homes. Next up in the series is Andrew Grossman, the bandleader, guitarist, and lead vocalist for D.C.’s The North Country, said to blend polyphonic psychedelia, classic American songwritership, and soulful indie-rock compositions. Friday, June 5, streaming from Sixth and I’s Facebook page starting at 4 p.m. Free, although both RSVPs and donations, which will be shared evenly among the venue and the featured artists, are appreciated. Call 202-408-3100 or visit www.sixthandi.org.

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FOOD & DINING CLYDE’S, KNEAD HOSPITALITY: FOOD IT FORWARD INITIATIVE

The public is encouraged to “buy a meal for those in need” from participating restaurants in the Clyde’s Restaurant Group and Knead Hospitality chains — including Clyde’s, The Hamilton, Old Ebbitt Grill, Succotash, and Mi Vida.

The two local restaurant groups are also working to keep some of their restaurant workers employed through this initiative, a partnership also including the nonprofits Martha’s Table and MedStar Health, which will work to distribute the prepared meals to those directly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. A donation of $13 feeds an individual for one night while $54 covers a family of four, with $91 covering an individual’s meals for a week and $378 feeding four for a week. Visit www. fooditforwarddc.com.

ART & EXHIBITS BECOMING JANE

To honor Jane Goodall’s 86th birthday, the National Geographic Society gave new, virtual life to a recent exhibition, developed in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, whose run at the museum was cut short due to COVID-19.

Refashioned into a Virtual Tour, enhanced with 360-degree videos capturing the layout of the physical exhibition, Becoming Jane online allows viewers to explore at their own pace and immerse themselves in whatever details they desire. The multimedia-rich Becoming Jane tells the story of the intrepid explorer and renowned scientist through multi-screen experiences and iconic images, plus video captures of the original exhibition’s advanced projections and augmented-reality features — the latter including footage of a hologram-like projection of Goodall regaling viewers with her memories of Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, which is then shown and explored through a virtual expedition. Gombe is where Goodall launched her groundbreaking career 60 years ago, ultimately helping pioneer the genre of nature documentary as the subject of National Geographic’s very first television program. The exhibition highlights the key breakthroughs and scientific achievements of Goodall’s career working with chimpanzees while also showcasing her more recent work in conservation. Visit www.nationalgeographic.org/ events/exhibition/becoming-jane.

JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

LESLIE-LOHMAN MUSEUM OF ART: DIGITAL, COMMUNITY CONTENT

Just last year, the New York Times referred to the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art as “the only museum in the world dedicated to artwork that speaks to the LGBTQ experience.” If you’ve never been to the gallery in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, now is as good a time as any to visit — but only online, of course. While the physical location, like every other arts organization, remains closed due to COVID-19, organizers have been working to enhance the museum’s digital offerings, with its Instagram page in particular updated regularly to include virtual tours, collection highlights, and artist profiles.

Meanwhile, the museum has stocked its Vimeo page with recordings of lectures and panel discussions from past events.

You can also browse the museum’s vast collection by selecting Random Images in the fully searchable Online Collections Database available through its website.

Visit www.leslielohman.org.

THE DEADLY VIRUS: THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC OF 1918

For a deep dive into a deadly virus from a century ago that has echoes in today’s COVID-19 pandemic, the National Archives offers this online exhibit telling the story of the spread of the 1918 influenza pandemic through assembled documents and artifacts including letters, telegrams, and photos — many featuring face mask-wearing officials and public citizens. That epidemic directly affected one-fifth of the world’s population and is responsible for an estimated 50 million deaths, killing “more people than any other illness in recorded history.” Visit www.archives.gov.

THE STORY OF TELL ME A STORY

Virginia’s Del Ray Artisans kicked off March with the exhibition Tell Me a Story, which was nearly double the size of a typical show at the gallery, featuring 189 works of narrative art from 95 artists.

After COVID-19 forced it to close just a few weeks later, organizers created a Flickr album to continue showcasing the art, and continues that with The Story of Tell Me a Story, an online exhibition in which visual art and literary works offer viewers an imaginative journey. The works are on display online and available for purchase until June 10. Visit www. delrayartisans.org/tell-me-a-story.l

Forum

George Floyd and The American Dream

It is time we finally made true amends for American sins if there is to be a future for the American Dream.

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By Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr.

, LIKE SO MANY BLACK AMERICANS AND PEOPLE OF study, to buy a home, to go to school, to travel their nation, to live goodwill, have had to stop and reflect this past week on the their sacred lives. These are not the sins of African Americans, death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement offi- but these actions do define America’s history of whites against cers in Minneapolis. George Floyd’s horrific death was captured people of African descent. These are the scraps of history out on film — searing the painful images into the collective memory of which people of African descent must build their American of the nation, a scar on the consciousness of the country and its Dream. tortured racial history.

It must finally be said, the burden, the tremendous burden, of Once again, police officers have circumvented the law, ending racism in America sits completely with White Americans assuming the role of judge, jury, and executioner. Once again, and White Americans alone. White America needs to finally the nation cries out for justice after four hundred years of racist acknowledge their total responsibility for the generating and atrocities scarring yet again the soul preserving to this day of a system of and spirit of our nation. Once again, racial dehumanization and discrim“Many believe people take to the streets, venting ination that continues to impact and centuries of fear, pain, anguish and often define the lives and struggles African Americans frustrations. Once again, a small of African Americans. And let us should share in the minority of people hand themselves have the courage to acknowledge over to violence and chaos believthat this moral burden will have a moral burden of ridding ing this the only way to make the real financial cost to Whites and the nation nation listen and respond. their privilege. White Americans Of course, no one is saying that must commit to the redistribution of its bigoted spirit. violence is the answer. Violence will of public and private resources; it not dismantle violence. Violence is time that this nation invested will not finally bring an end to the in the health, social, and economde facto apartheid that has long ic lives of African Americans. We existed in the United States. Years must finally address the profound of political disenfranchisement, political and economic disparities economic abuse and exploitation, that racism has forced upon the social isolation and cultural marAfrican American community. In ginalization will not be healed or this cause, African Americans must transformed by violence. Violence be the guides and leaders defining is not the answer. It never was and the political and economic investis not the answer today. ments that must be made in their Nor is violence an equalizer. communities.

If the entire economy between Maine and California were For more than 400 years, White Americans have benedestroyed tomorrow, the total damage would not come close fited from the hard work and invaluable sacrifice of African to equaling the emotional, physical, psychological, cultural, and Americans. Whites have benefited from the privileges that racspiritual damage and loss suffered by people of African descent ism has created for White communities. If America is to have a since the first enslaved people arrived in Jamestown, Virginia future worthy of its noblest aspirations, it must finally confront in 1619. the sins of its past — sins that form the very foundation of so The sad fact is that many people sincerely believe that many of the inequities and social ills of our present national life.

America is not racist, while others believe that African Americans It is time we finally made true amends for American sins if there should share in the moral burden and political responsibility of is to be a future for the American Dream. ridding the nation of its systemic racism and bigoted spirit.

To White Americans I suggest two excellent readings on racSimply put, this is yet another form of moral depravity. African ism: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk Americans did not take away anyone’s nation, culture, language About Racism by Robin DiAngelo and How To Be An Antiracist or spiritual practices. African Americans did not enslave peo- by Ibram X. Kendi. ple. African Americans have not lynched their neighbors nor restricted people from exercising their basic American rights. Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr. is the President and CEO of the Center for African Americans have not denied anyone the right to work, to Black Equity.

THIS IS YET ANOTHER FORM OF MORAL DEPRAVITY.”

JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Forum What Pride Looks Like The public demonstrations are more in line with Pride’s roots than the parades that have been canceled due to COVID-19.

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By David J. Johns

HERE ARE PROTESTS IN CITIES THROUGHOUT the country — many more than those being covered by mainstream media. Many of them are peacefully focused on the goal of ending the violence that police, and other state-sanctioned actors, have brought on Black people. Too many of these protests are being met with more violence. The figurative fires lit by protesters in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Breonna Taylor’s murder, Tony McDade’s murder, and David McAtee’s murder, were not the first. The country that so many Black people have built — for free — has been on fire for decades. These new fires are a reflection of contemporary pain, frustration, and a lack of patience with failing to reconcile the contradictions of a country founded on the principles of liberty and equity for all those not deemed 3/5ths of a person when convenient. These public demonstrations are more in line with Pride’s roots than the parades that have been canceled due to COVID-19.

The Stonewall Resistance, like the uprisings before it at Cooper Do-nuts in Los Angeles and Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco, was a direct response to police brutality that especially targeted transgender and gender-nonconforming Black and Latinx people. Police, emboldened by laws that criminalized homosexuality and forms of self-expression like women wearing pants, raided establishments frequented by some members of the LGBTQ+ community and assaulted and arrested them. After years of mistreatment, people at the Stonewall Inn rose up and demonstrated against the police, who only escalated the violence.

Like the protests today, Pride began with a group of people whose very existence was criminalized by the state standing in opposition to systemic oppression and inequality. To equate the first brick thrown by Marsha P. Johnson at the Stonewall Riots to the rubber bullets shot by police at protests today would be a disgrace to history. Just the same, uprisings across the country cannot be equated to the violence committed by police officers, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who cause terror, inflict violence upon, and

sometimes kill Black and Latinx and poor people with impunity.

I’ve entered Pride month with a mix of rage and sorrow as Black people continue to risk their lives as essential workers and remain among the communities most impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, in addition to being forced to publicly process the violence against Black and Latinx bodies at the hands of police officers and white supremacists. Black LGBTQ and same gender loving people don’t need a parade right now, we need action and lasting policy change.

Let us remember the origins of Pride as we work through the pain of growing to become a more perfect union. When the media prioritizes insured property over the lives of Black people; when there’s more concern for the “rule of law” than for cops shooting and tear-gassing peaceful protestors; when we hear sirens that remind us of the global pandemic let us remember that the struggle for radically inclusive social justice is what Pride looks like. Pride is and always will be a riot.

Pride parades may have been canceled, but Pride is alive and well. It is in churches taking care of wounded protestors, it is in the homes of those who offer sanctuary from police violence to their neighbors, it is in the fires being lit, and the bricks being thrown, to tear down the walls that prevent all of us from being free, from existing without fear of discrimination, abuse, or harm.

In the spirit of Pride, let’s allow current fires to fuel a greater movement for radically inclusive social justice. Let's keep this same energy and use it to divest from police departments and invest it into the education, healthcare, and support that help our children, communities, and country grow. We don’t need corporate sponsorships, there are no registration fees, and we don’t need cops. This is what Pride looks like.

“Let us remember that the struggle for radically inclusive social justice is what Pride looks like.

PRIDE IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE A RIOT.”

David J. Johns is the Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition, which works to end racism and homophobia so that all Black people can get free. He is an educator, researcher, federal policy expert, and advocate.

JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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GEOFF LIVINGSTON

theFeed

George Floyd Protest in Washington, D.C. on May 30

Vocal Support

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100+ LGBTQ organizations condemn racism, racial violence, and police brutality. By Rhuaridh Marr

COALITION OF LGBTQ AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGAnizations has condemned racism, racial violence and police brutality and affirmed that #BlackLivesMatter. In the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis last week, more than 100 organizations have signed onto an open letter urging the importance of speaking out “when hate, violence, and systemic racism claim — too often with impunity — Black Lives.”

“The racial violence that has filled our television, computer and phone screens this spring is a stark reminder of how far we still must go to ensure that the promise of America is not dependent on the color of one’s skin,” Alphonso David, President of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement alongside the letter.

“When we see injustice, we must speak out as strongly as we can. Otherwise, we are complicit in oppression,” David continued. “And we have seen a lot of injustice lately. From George Floyd, to Ahmaud Arbery, to Breonna Taylor, to Christian Cooper, to Nina Pop. The LGBTQ community is familiar with fighting against systems of power that are set up to serve the privileged few. And we are united to fight the systems that target

our Black and brown siblings, today and always.”

In addition to the Human Rights Campaign, the letter was co-signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Campaign for Southern Equality, Equality Virginia, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, GLAAD, National Black Justice Coalition, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, National LGBTQ Task Force, PFLAG National, the Trevor Project, and dozens of others. “‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.’ Those words, written over 30 years ago by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, remind us that indifference can never bridge the divide of hate,” the letter reads. “And, today, they should serve as a call to action to all of us, and to the Movement for LGBTQ equality.

“This spring has been a stark and stinging reminder that racism, and its strategic objective, white supremacy, is as defining a characteristic of the American experience as those ideals upon which we claim to hold our democracy — justice, equality, liberty.”

The letter calls out the “haunting pleas of George Floyd for the most basic of human needs — simply, breath — as a JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed rights without the freedom to enjoy them?”

“Many of our organizations have made progress in adopting intersectionality as a core value and have committed to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive,” the letter states. “But this moment requires that we go further — that we make explicit commitments to embrace anti-racism and end white supremacy, not as necessary corollaries to our mission, but as integral to the objective of full equality for LGBTQ people.”

The organizations note that they “recognize we cannot remain neutral, nor will awareness substitute for action. The LGBTQ community knows about the work of resisting police brutality and violence.”

“We celebrate June as Pride Month, because it commemorates, in part, our resisting police harassment and brutality at Stonewall in New York City, and earlier in California, when such violence was common and expected,” the letter states.

“We remember it as a breakthrough moment when we refused to accept humiliation and fear as the price of living fully, freely, and authentically.

“We understand what it means to rise up and push back against a culture that tells us we are less than, that our lives don’t matter. Today, we join together again to say #BlackLivesMatter and commit ourselves to the action those words require.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOYKIN

Minneapolis police officer kneeled with cruel indifference on his neck.”

It also notes the deaths of Breonna Taylor, who was shot eight times by plainclothes police officers in Louisville while she slept in her bed, and Ahmaud Arbrey, shot to death by two white men while jogging in Brunswick, Ga. The letter also highlights “the weaponizing of race by a white woman who pantomimed fear in calling the police on Christian Cooper, a Black gay man bird-watching in Central Park.”

“We have heard and read about the killings of transgender people — Black transgender women in particular — with such regularity, it is no exaggeration to describe it as a epidemic of violence,” the letter continues. “This year alone, we have lost at least 12 members of our community: Dustin Parker, Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, Yampi Méndez Arocho, Monika Diamond, Lexi, Johanna Metzger, Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, Layla Pelaez Sánchez, Penélope Díaz Ramírez, Nina Pop, Helle Jae O’Regan, and Tony McDade.

“All of these incidents are stark reminders of why we must speak out when hate, violence, and systemic racism claim — too often with impunity — Black Lives.”

The letter notes that LGBTQ people have earned “significant victories” in expanding their rights, “[but] what good are civil

Unjust Arrest

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Keith Boykin says police have “too much power” after arrest while documenting protest. By Rhuaridh Marr

EITH BOYKIN HAS SPOKEN OUT ABOUT BEING arrested and detained in New York City while documenting a protest, saying that police have “too much power” and “make matters worse.” The gay journalist and broadcaster, who is a CNN and CNBC contributor, was taking photos and videos at a recent protest over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

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Boykin

JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

In a series of tweets, Boykin said that he identified himself as a member of the press to NYPD officers, who then “walked by me and then turned around and arrested me.”

“The police locked me in tight zip ties that bruised my wrists.

They held me in a van for an hour. Then a hot police bus for an hour,” he tweeted. “Then they took me to 1 Police Plaza and held me in a jail cell with about 35 others with no social distancing and many of the others unmasked.”

theFeed of them. I was simply photographing what was taking place and documenting what was happening.”

He again described his arrest and detainment, and said that when he was eventually released, he was given a court summons accusing him of “walking on the highway” and “disorderly conduct – blocking vehicular traffic.”

“They could have just said, ‘you need to move off the highway or you’re going to be arrested.’ They didn’t bother to do that,” he continued. “They just arrested me. The police have too much power.”

Boykin added: “So often the police actually don’t de-escalate, but they make matters worse, and that’s what people are protesting about. That’s why they’re so upset about George Floyd right now. It saddens me. This has been a horrible week for everybody in America.”

@DAZZLESTORM

Boykin said he was photographed, but no one read his Miranda rights and he wasn’t charged with “any serious crime.”

“After 6 hours in police custody, they finally let me out of jail with a summons to appear in court,” he wrote. “The police have way too much power.”

Boykin repeated that sentiment in an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, saying he was in front of the march with his camera.

“I was in front of the protesters with my camera so I could video and take photos,” Boykin said. “And the police came. I said, ‘I’m with the press.’ They walked by me, but then they turned around and they arrested me anyway. I asked, ‘why am I being arrested?’ and they said, ‘well, you’re blocking the highway.'”

Boykin said that he wasn’t, because “the police and the protesters were blocking the highway and I was in between the two

White Rage

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White mob attacks protesters in Philadelphia while yelling about “faggot energy.” By Rhuaridh Marr

GROUP OF WHITE MEN IN PHILADELPHIA attacked people protesting the death of George Floyd and told them to “take that fucking faggot energy and go somewhere else.” The men were members of a much larger group — PBS affiliate WHYY said it was roughly one hundred people — that roamed Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood on Monday, June 1 carrying baseball bats and other weapons.

In a video posted to Twitter, which has been viewed more than 660,000 times, a few of the men approach a group of people carrying a Black Lives Matter sign.

In the video, the men claim that they are protecting police officers because they “can’t defend themselves.”

One man says, “Anyone who wants to throw shit at a cop, or pick on a cop, pick one of us the fuck out and we’ll go around the corner and fight you, one on one.”

“Take that fucking faggot energy,” he shouts, pausing as another man grabs at the Black Lives Matter sign from the protesters, tearing it.

He continues: “Take that fucking faggot energy and go somewhere else.”

Protesters in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood were tear-gassed by police on Monday after they blocked traffic on the I-676 expressway. Police claimed that the protesters threw bottles and rocks at officers, and dozens were arrested and detained after the crowd disbursed, WHYY reports.

Meanwhile, the white men in Fishtown were reportedly unimpeded by police, despite carrying bats, golf clubs, and billy clubs, and with one man even videoed holding an axe.

Videos show the men being escorted by police while walking through Fishtown, with ABC6 reporter Christie Ileto noting that they were out “an hour and a half past curfew,” which was 6 p.m.

Minnesota Democratic Congressional candidate Johnny Akzam shared Ileto’s footage and said there was “quite the double standard going on in Fishtown.”

“It seems white vigilantes can walk around armed with baseball bats and who knows what else while protesters are reviled JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed posted from a hospital bed saying he was okay.

Protests against racism and police brutality have been taking place in cities nationwide after the death of George Floyd last week, a black man who was killed after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

More than 4,400 people have been arrested at protests as of June 2, after police engaged in brutal tactics to clear out crowds, including firing tear gas and shooting rubber bullets.

Police also deliberately targeted journalists reporting on the protests, even after they identified themselves as members of the press, with at least one photojournalist in Minneapolis losing her eye after police shot her with a rubber bullet, and CNN reporter Omar Jimenez, who is black, arrested live on air.

MUNROE BERGDORF / INSTAGRAM

and treated like criminals,” Akzam said. “What’s different about that crowd? You see it?”

According to WHYY producer Jon Ehrens, the white men were overheard using the “n-word,” with one man reportedly saying, “I’m ready to fuck shit up. You know, I’ve been looking for a fight for the past 6 months.”

Ehrens tweeted that another man told a police officer that he was “not here to make your job harder. I want to protect you.” A third man wearing a Donald Trump hat allegedly raised his fist and greeted his friend by saying, “White man!”

Ehrens later said that he was attacked while filming the men, saying they “beat the shit out of me.”

“I got called out for recording them and they beat the shit out of me and pushed my girlfriend,” Ehrens tweeted. He later

False Flag

Bergdorf

Munroe Bergdorf slams L’Oréal for Black Lives Matter support: ‘You threw me to the wolves for speaking about racism.’ By Rhuaridh Marr

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UNROE BERGDORF HAS CRITICIZED COSMETICS company L’Oréal for expressing support for Black Lives Matter, after the company previously fired her for speaking out about racism and white supremacy.

The transgender activist and model was dropped as the face of a cosmetics campaign after she spoke out against white supremacy, and said L’Oréal’s support for Black Lives Matter was “NOT okay” as a result.

L’Oréal’s post was in response to widespread activism and protests following the shocking death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed last week after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes and ignored his cries for help.

Bergdorf was announced as the face of L’Oréal Paris UK’s True Match makeup campaign in 2017, making her the first transgender model to front a campaign for the company.

But she was fired a few days after the announcement following outcry over a Facebook post in which she criticized white people for not recognizing their privilege and role in perpetuat22

JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

ing racial violence.

“Honestly I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more,” Bergdorf wrote in the since-deleted post. “Yes ALL white people.”

She added: “Most of ya’ll don’t even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour. Your entire existence is drenched in racism.”

In a statement announcing Bergdorf had been fired, L’Oréal Paris UK said her comments were “at odds” with its values, which the company said support “diversity and tolerance towards all people irrespective of their race, background, gender and religion.”

As such, Bergdorf had a few choice words for L’Oréal when it joined other brands in expressing support for Black Lives Matter and Black people on social media.

In a post on Instagram, the company said that it “stands in solidarity with the Black community, and against injustice of any kind. We are making a commitment to the [NAACP] to support

theFeed be without black women, trans resilience and the gays…” she wrote. “Thank you.”

Bergdorf wasn’t alone in pointing out the problem with L’Oréal’s post. Many criticized the company in the comments under the post, arguing that L’Oréal owed Bergdorf an apology.

Last year, Bergdorf spoke about the abuse she receives online as a trans woman of color, after a landmark study found that race and politics were the two biggest drivers of online transphobia in the United Kingdom and United States.

“As a trans woman of color, being subjected to these comments is extremely difficult to navigate,” she said. “You have to be dead inside to not let it bother you and it’s made even harder when you experience it all the time and the people perpetrating it don’t seem to be sanctioned for their behavior.”

Bergdorf continued: “I was interested to see the relationship between transphobia and racism and do feel that racist people see transphobia as a tool to legitimize their racism. I’ve had transphobic comments on photos of me mixed in with nazi speech a number of times.

“Transphobia is seen as a valid opinion,” she added. “We never look at racism, sexism or homophobia and say it’s an opinion, so why is transphobia such a ‘free for all?’”

MATEJ KASTELIC

progress in the fight for justice.”

Bergdorf took to Twitter to express her anger, saying the company had thrown her “to the wolves” in 2017.

“Excuse my language but I am SO angry. FUCK YOU @ lorealparis,” she wrote. “You dropped me from a campaign in 2017 and threw me to the wolves for speaking out about racism and white supremacy. With no duty of care, without a second thought.”

Bergdorf continued: “I had to fend for myself being torn apart by the world’s press because YOU didn’t want to talk about racism. You do NOT get to do this. This is NOT okay, not even in the slightest.”

“I said yesterday that it would only be a matter of time before RACIST AF brands saw a window of PR Opportunity,” she continued. “Fuck you. Fuck your ‘solidarity’. Where was my support when I spoke out? I’m disgusted and writing this in floods of tears.”

Bergdorf later posted an update thanking those who had supported her, and saying it had “been difficult and brought up a lot of trauma from having to deal with @lorealparis’s racism the first time around.”

“I’m so thankful for my communities, what would the world

Screening Bias Congressional leaders call for end to gay blood ban with behavior-based donor screenings. By John Riley

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GROUP OF CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS HAS INTROduced a resolution calling for the need to develop individual, behavioral and science-based risk screenings for people wishing to donate blood or blood products like plasma.

The resolution calls for individual risk assessments for donors, rather than relying on categorical bans or deferral periods imposed on certain groups, such as the three-month deferral period currently imposed on gay and bisexual men, regardless of whether they are in a committed monogamous relationship.

That three-month deferral period was lowered from a 12-month period back in April after U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and health experts began worrying about a potential shortfall of blood due to a decrease in people donating as they attempted to socially distance themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resolution notes the “double standard” that applies to sexually active gay and bisexual men that does not apply to their heterosexual counterparts, and calls the current three-month deferral period “overly stringent given the scientific evidence, advanced testing methods, and the safety and quality control measures in place within the different FDA-qualified blood donating centers.”

The resolution also cites a Williams Institute study estimating that eliminating the categorical deferral period could result in as many as 4.2 million newly eligible male donors, of which 360,600 would likely donate, generating 615,300 additional pints of blood. “[I]t is the sense of the House of Representatives that policies governing blood and blood product donation in the United States should — 1) be grounded in science; 2) minimize deferral periods; 3) be based on individual risk factors; 4) not unfairly single JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed in a statement. “It is imperative we establish guidelines based on the most current science and that our policies are evidence based. No one should be turned away purely because of their sexual orientation.”

LGBTQ groups expressed their support for the resolution, urging the Food & Drug Administration to adopt such guidelines for donors going forward.

“Federal policy for donating blood should be based on science, not based on fear and bias,” HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement. “As the global pandemic wears on, we must continue to push the federal government to change this policy, which is not only discriminatory but undermines efforts to support and protect our communities.”

“Lambda Legal is pleased to see members of Congress pushing the FDA to further modify blood donation criteria to eliminate discrimination against gay and bisexual men,” Scott Schoettes, legal counsel and the HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal, said in a statement. “A shorter deferral period applied to all people engaged in certain risk behaviors, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, will create a truly nondiscriminatory policy. Lambda Legal looks forward to the adoption of an individualized risk assessment for every potential blood donor, thereby ensuring a safe and abundant blood supply.”

KEVIN RANK

out any group of individuals; 5) and allow donation by all those who can safely do so.”

The members of Congress behind the resolution include Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), and Katherine Clark (D-Mass.).

“Our nation faces a severe blood shortage, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever we need to remove any impediment that needlessly prevents Americans from donating blood to help save lives,” Schiff said in a statement. “There is a large contingent of healthy people that are able and willing to donate blood and plasma, but antiquated regulations prevent them from doing so.

“This resolution calls for a repeal of discriminatory guidelines against members of the LGBTQ community, and encourages them to be replaced with science-based criteria for individual-risk assessment. It’s long past time these changes were made, especially during the current global crisis.”

“As we saw after the Pulse Nightclub shooting, crises cause us to consider the national blood supply, as everyday Americans step up to help in any way they can. Yet, the reality is that our blood banks too often struggle to meet the need,” Quigley said

Idaho State Capitol

Stern Warning

Federal judge says Idaho cannot ban transgender people from amending their birth certificates. By John Riley

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FEDERAL JUDGE WARNED THE STATE OF IDAHO that the permanent injunction she previously issued two years ago to block the state from preventing transgender people from correcting the gender markers on their birth certificates to match their gender identity continues to remain in effect.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale noted in her opinion that her 2018 ruling overturning the state’s categorical ban on amending birth certificates remains in effect, despite a new law, slated to go into effect on July 1, that prohibits any gender-mark24

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er changes to birth certificates for any reason other than clerical error, and only for up to a period after the certificate has been issued. “[T]he plain language and objective of the Order and Judgment entered in this case permanently enjoin [the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare] from infringing on the constitutional rights of transgender individuals by automatically rejecting applications to change the sex listed on their birth certificates to match their gender identity,” Dale wrote.

Dale declined to weigh in on the constitutionality of HB 509,

theFeed or whether implementing the law would violate the permanent injunction, saying only that “serious and formidable questions” exist with respect to those issues.

However, she outright rejected arguments made in court last month by Idaho Deputy Attorney General Steven Olsen, who had claimed that the injunction would not apply to the new prohibition on amending birth certificates when HB 509 takes effect, and that the new prohibition is not a “categorical ban.”

“The Injunction is not constrained to any particular policy, rule, or statute as Defendants argue. The plain terms and clear objective of the Injunction permanently prohibit IDHW from implementing or enforcing any policy, rule, or the like that automatically rejects applications from transgender people to change the sex listed on their birth certificates,” Dale wrote.

“HB 509 does not absolve IDHW from accepting, considering, and processing applications from individuals, transgender or otherwise, seeking to change the sex listed on their birth certificate to match their gender identity,” Dale added. “To conclude otherwise invites ‘experimentation with disobedience of the law.'”

Idaho officials had previously warned lawmakers and Gov. Brad Little, who signed HB 509 into law, that it might not pass constitutional muster, and that their fight to block transgender people from amending their birth certificates might ultimately be unsuccessful.

Assistant Chief Deputy Brian Kane said, at the time the law passed, that attempting to defend the law could cost taxpayers more than $1 million.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office told Boise State Public Radio that the office is currently reviewing the ruling, but declined to say whether it would appeal.

“The court has confirmed that its injunction continues to apply, in full force and effect, and it has now expressly cautioned that HB 509 does not whatsoever absolve state officials from their obligation to comply with the federal injunction,” Lambda Legal Counsel Peter Renn said in a statement. “Like obeying speed limits and paying your taxes, Idaho state officials are not exempt from the duty to follow a court order.”

“It is remarkable that we were even back in court on this issue, as a direct result of efforts by the Idaho legislature and Governor Little to turn back the clock on equality,” Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Kara Inglehart said in a statement. “To force this law through, even as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more inexcusable.

“We will continue to protect against efforts to roll back the rights of transgender people born in Idaho,” she added.

“Accurate identity documents are not only necessary to navigate everyday life, they are also critical to protecting transgender people from harassment and even violence, which is why 47 states have rejected the archaic policy that some seek to restore.”

Incredible Legacy Dr. Ron Simmons, former head of Us Helping Us, dies at age 70. By John Riley

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R. RON SIMMONS, THE EDUCATOR, WRITER, AND advocate who served as the executive director of Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc., passed away on Thursday night at George Washington University Hospital from complications related to an ongoing battle with prostate cancer.

He was 70.

A longtime advocate for people living with HIV, Simmons, a member of the LGBTQ community, dedicated the bulk of his life’s work to UHU, the health and wellness organization serving black LGBTQ people located in D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood.

He was the organization’s executive director for 24 years, from 1992 to 2016, overseeing its expansion into various support groups that emphasized mental health as much as physical condition.

Simmons, who tested positive for HIV in 1990, refused to take AZT, concerned about the drug’s toxic effects. It was his desire to seek out holistic treatments that first drew him to one of Us Helping Us’ support groups around his birthday, on March 2 of that year. Simmons believed that by adopting the group’s approach to holistic health, he was able to prolong his life. In 2003, he began taking antiretrovirals, which had proven more effective than earlier medications in treating HIV. “The groups were at Rainey Cheeks’ house, and would go for three months. Each week we received something different about holistic health,” Simmons told Metro Weekly in 2016. “Body, mind and spirit. Body, about eternal cleansing, about nutrition, vitamins, minerals, herbs, the importance of water. The mind, stress management, mind/body dialog, how to meditate, how to visualize.”

Under Simmons’ leadership, Us Helping Us became the first black gay AIDS organization in the United States to purchase and renovate a building for use as a service facility and as its headquarters. The organization received the National HIV/AIDS Diversity Award from Kaiser Permanente and the Leadership Award from the then-National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

In 1998, Simmons developed an innovative outreach program for heterosexual-identifying men who have sex with men, known as the Down Low Help Line. That same year, he began writing radio commercials targeting black gay men with the intent of providing education about available HIV prevention and resources. He is credited with strengthening Us Helping Us’ financial position and seeking out grant money to expand the organization’s programming.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1950, the second of four children of a garment worker and a factory worker, Simmons grew up in public housing in the Brownsville neighborhood, eventually becoming one of several children “bussed” to the suburbs as part of integration efforts. Upon graduating from high school in 1968, he enrolled in the State University of New York at Albany, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Afro-American studies.

During his time at the university, he was first exposed to political activism, both in terms of the gay liberation movement and the anti-war movement at the height of the Vietnam War, even participating in the successful student strike of 1970. He was involved with the campus newspaper and the Gay Student Alliance, eventually becoming the first black editor-in-chief of the school’s yearbook, and — in a controversial move that earned JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed him condemnation from politicians in the New York State Senate — included sections dedicated to the anti-war and gay liberation movements in the yearbook’s 1972 edition.

In his professional career, Simmons served as a writer and photographer for the board of education for Newark, N.J., as well as a freelance music reviewer. He eventually went back to school and received two Master’s degrees, one in African history and the other in educational communications.

Simmons later moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a doctorate from Howard University, which he completed in 1987.

During that time, he taught at the Howard University School of Communications and volunteered as a photographer for Black Light magazine, the first black gay magazine in the nation. After being informed in 1992 that his contract would not be renewed, Simmons was consoled by Us Helping Us founder, Kwabena Rainey Cheeks.

“I really got to know Ron in 1991, when he came to one of our support groups. When the group finished, I told Ron, ‘Listen, I’m about to open a church,'” recalls Cheeks, founder of Inner Light Ministries. “Would you take over Us Helping Us? And Ron said to me, ‘You don’t have enough money. Do you know I’m a professor at Howard University?’ And I said, ‘But you’re on break right now.'”

Despite Simmons’ initial refusal, Cheeks told him he’d “pray on it,” and after Simmons’ contract wasn’t renewed, Cheeks said, “Now you’ve got time to run Us Helping Us.” “Back then, we were on a true shoestring budget,” says Cheeks. “Almost everything was done through volunteers. Ron and I laughed about how we did our first grants. We thought we were ‘big time’ when we had $8,000 in the bank. But Ron took it from where it was to basically where it is today. And I am grateful for him willing to say yes. He’d joke with me over the years, ‘Don’t pray for anything else.'”

Cheeks adds that “Ron understood leadership, but he also had a passion for helping black gay men get their feet on the ground. That was part of the mission of Us Helping Us, to empower you, so that you could make good decisions about your own life. Ron was a true activist, who was already involved with the gay movement before that, so he took all those skills [honed as an activist] into Us Helping Us and developed some really unique programs. I give him a lot of credit for helping the young men find their way.

“When he told me he was going to retire from Us Helping Us, I told him, ‘Well, you’ve made your mark, that’s for sure.'”

A. Cornelius Baker, the former executive director of the Whitman-Walker, recalled being at loggerheads with Simmons over their respective organizations’ approach to the HIV epidemic, but their feisty relationship eventually evolved into a close friendship.

“Certainly his commitment, his real love for the community, are things I’ll remember most,” says Baker. “It really mattered to him that black men and gay people approach one another with a great deal of respect and care. We could have different opinions, but that shouldn’t play out in public in ways that allow people to feed on us. I really loved that about Ron. We disagreed on many things. He was stubborn, he was strong, he was set in a number of his viewpoints, and of course, he had a great intellect in general. But it was always with a great deal of curiosity, and care, and love, that he approached the conversation. And I will really miss that — I already do.”

Baker said that Simmons’ health and his ongoing battle with prostate cancer began in 2015, which was part of what prompted 26

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Simmons to eventually retire, even though he remained active and engaged in health and HIV prevention initiatives through 2019. Eventually, his health had declined to the point he needed to be put into an assisted living facility. Simmons was in and out of George Washington University over the course of the past two months, with his doctors attempting a new treatment that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Just prior to his death, Simmons lost his beloved older sister to a blood clot after she took a fall. He is survived by his niece, who was in charge of coordinating his care over the final months of his life.

Cheeks expects that there may be two memorial services celebrating Simmons’ life, one on-site at Us Helping Us, which would likely only be able to hold 50 people at most (and may even have to be held virtually due to COVID-19), and another — likely taking the form of a cookout or some other outdoor event — that could accommodate a larger gathering. No specific plans for a memorial service or remembrance have been confirmed as of yet.

“I think, from what I know of Ron, is he would enjoy the fellowship of people within an African-American tradition” despite having been raised Sunni Muslim, Baker says. “And certainly a service that’s led by Bishop Cheeks, and in that tradition, it would be very much appropriate for Ron, as well as the community he served so well.”

DeMarc Hickson, Simmons’ successor and the current executive director of Us Helping Us, recalled meeting Simmons through Dr. Mark Colon, the CEO of the Mississippi-based My Brother’s Keeper, where Hickson previously served as chief operating officer.

Hickson and Simmons also worked closely on a grant application for a research study to look at risk factors for HIV infection among black gay men in various U.S. cities — an application that was ultimately rejected.

“He was very direct. He didn’t put up with the status quo. I remember him in different meetings where he’d say, ‘That’s just bullshit,'” recalls Hickson, who said Simmons never lost the revolutionary spirit that characterized much of his early activism.

“Dr. Simmons was a pioneer in the field, a big voice, and someone who challenged others to challenge themselves, to think broader and more innovatively, and he is certainly going to be missed. He touched thousands of people, and served as an inspiration for many.”

Simmons’ passing was mourned by LGBTQ and HIV advocates across the nation, who hailed his impact on black gay men and those living with HIV throughout the years.

“Ron’s focus on young Black gay men was revolutionary. And there is no doubt that his HIV work prevented the spread of the virus and saved the lives of thousands in one of the hardest-hit communities of the HIV epidemic,” Jesse Milan Jr., the president and CEO of AIDS United, said in a statement that hailed Simmons as a “stalwart general in the fight to end” the AIDS epidemic.

“I always looked up to Ron as example of what Black gay men could achieve,” Milan added. “He was truly a living legend and an inspiration for me and all who knew him.”

“Dr. Ron Simmons was a leader who showed so many in our movement that the fight for full equality does not begin or end with one aspect of our lives, but requires us to support each other fully and holistically,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in a statement. “[He] made combating the HIV epidemic his life’s calling, and he was tireless in his efforts

to demand justice and equity for Black and Brown communities who tragically continue to be the most impacted by HIV — especially Black gay and bi+ men, and Black transgender women.

We join Dr. Simmons’ loved ones in mourning, while we celebrate his invaluable legacy that will no doubt inspire and guide generations of activists and advocates to come.”

“Dr. Simmons was a visionary who believed in training for leadership,” added J. Maurice McCantsPearsall, HRC’s director of HIV and health equity. “He was single-handedly responsible for providing many of the nation’s leading HIV advocates with their first job. His leadership not only changed the lives of countless Black gay and bisexual men, but his vision transformed the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., by expanding access to vital HIV prevention and care services.”

One of those who worked closely with Simmons was Paul Kawata, executive director of NMAC, an advocacy organization focusing on the impact of HIV/AIDS on minority communities.

In a statement calling his death a “great loss,” Kawata praised Simmons as a “tremendous leader and central voice for Black Gay Men in D.C. and nationally.”

“He drove me crazy. He was smart, he was intelligent. He was, in so many ways, a giant in the black gay community, and I have to be honest with you, this week has been just awful,” Kawata told Metro Weekly of his interactions with Simmons over the years.

“Between him and Larry [Kramer] and George [Floyd]” — a black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police on Monday, sparking widespread protests throughout the nation — “it’s been a shitshow.”

Kawata says “it’s always interesting to me how certain people love conferences, and certain people don’t love conferences.

And Ron Simmons loved the U.S. Conference on AIDS. He came every single year, and he was always such a pivotal piece of it, and an important presence. When he was there, it meant the meeting was important. So I always felt lucky that he would always be there, and that he could not only attend but teach, and

TODD FRANSON

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Simmons

help the next generation. He would take young gay men of color, and help them understand the impact of race, the impact of poverty, from an Afro-centric perspective, which I thought was extraordinary.”

A veteran of the early days of AIDS activism, Kawata says much of Simmons’ actions were informed by his own struggle with the disease and his survival, even while other advocates who were close to him died.

“He would often talk about his surviving, and what that meant to him and his community,” Kawata said. “He would always hold my feet to the fire, and say, ‘Paul, you’ve got to talk about black gay men, particularly young gay black men.’ And I greatly appreciated that, because you need strong voices advocating for their community, or nothing’s going to get done.... Our movement is lesser because he’s gone.”

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PRIDE of the

south Pose’s Dyllón Burnside is showcasing his authentic truth and highlighting LGBTQ stories in the digital series PRIDELAND. Interview by André Hereford Photography by Taylor Miller

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YLLÓN BURNSIDE SOUNDS DISMAYED BUT NOT discouraged discussing the nation’s turbulent spring.

“There is a lot happening in our world, in our country, in our life right now,” says the actor, singer, and activist, best known for his endearing performance as voguer Ricky, formerly of the House of Evangelista, on the Emmy-winning queer ballroom drama Pose.

“I feel a bit overwhelmed, quite honestly,” he says during a phone call from Atlanta on the second day that protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd gripped cities from coast to coast.

“It's been a rough couple of weeks.”

But, Burnside adds, in searching for “things to be grateful for and trying to find joy in the simplest things,” he has seen signs of hope. “I feel like people are actually having honest conversations about race in this country, in a way that I feel like most of the conversations before this moment have been so shrouded with denial and have invalidated the experience of so many black and brown folks. So, it's a shame that we have to see this kind of senseless murder time and time again. It's a shame that it takes murder, and that it takes blatant acts of white supremacy for the experience of black folks to be validated, but I am encouraged by the conversations that are happening nonetheless.”

Since premiering in 2018, Pose has helped shape a related cultural conversation, aimed at validating the experiences of queer and trans black and brown folks. The ’80s/’90s-set show, created

by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, revels in the 28

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creativity and glamour of vogue balls, while also holding up a mirror to reflect the horror of violence towards trans women, and eloquently address the AIDS crisis.

In season two, Burnside’s character tested positive for HIV, and later, to the surprise of viewers and even cast-members, entered into a romance with the series’ acerbic elder statesman of the ballroom scene, Pray Tell, also HIV-positive and played

by Emmy and Tony-winner Billy Porter. Burnside says he “was really grateful for Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Janet Mock, Steven Canals, and the writers room for giving me the opportunity to tell that story.”

As host of the new, LGBTQ-themed PBS special and digital series PRIDELAND, the Pensacola, Florida native helps real people share their stories of living LGBTQ in the South. Directed by veteran lesbian filmmaker Katherine Linton (Follow My Voice: With the Music of Hedwig), the series follows Burnside throughout the Deep South, from the Florida panhandle to Mississippi to Texas, shining a light on the courage it takes to reside in regions where intolerance often is codified in law, if not ingrained in the culture.

Linton — who previously made her mark on PBS as a host of the long-running LGBTQ newsmagazine In the Life — recalls that she and the PRIDELAND producers considered a list of potential hosts but soon recognized the qualities Burnside could bring to the series. “It had less to do with his celebrity on Pose than it did his incredible knowledge of, curiosity for, and passion for the LGBTQ experience,” she says. And then one day, over lunch before shooting began, they learned just how well their host’s own life story might have prepared him to serve as on-screen guide to PRIDELAND. Born and raised in Pensacola, Burnside formed the R&B boy band 3D as a teen, before taking his talents from the world of pop music to the Christian ministry. He dedicated himself to the mission of spreading the gospel through his work as a megachurch music minister — until coming out as gay jeopardized his position in the church. Stung by rejection, he left the South

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and headed to New York City, where he continued to pursue his dreams of performing, ultimately landing a role in the Broadway musical Holler If Ya Hear Me, and then, of course, on Pose.

“Because he comes from a place of being Southern,” says Linton, “he brings his life experience to the interviews and genuinely connects with people.” That connection fosters some fascinating storytelling on the show, with profiles, among others, of trans activist Carmarion D. Anderson, statewide director for HRC’s office in Alabama, and with devoutly religious mom Mary Jane Kennedy in Mississippi, who describes her difficult path towards learning to accept her gay sons.

In her moving interview with Burnside, Mary Jane speaks what might be PRIDELAND’s prevailing theme, insisting that, “No one should live in the closet.” Certainly, Burnside’s continued success is testament to the power of respecting your roots, while still living your life openly and authentically.

METRO WEEKLY: This interview will come out during what would

have been Pride week in D.C. I know exactly what I would have been doing for Pride, and I won't be doing that now. What would you have been up to, and what are you planning to do instead?

BURNSIDE: Well, honestly, Pride month for the past two years has been sort of synonymous with Pose for me. Our season usually premieres in June, and so this coming month probably would have been all about a lot of press and promo around season three, and it would have been premiering so I would have been celebrating that with friends and family. And I also would have still been working. I think we were slated to originally be wrapping up at the end of June.

It's always been hard for me to make hard and fast plans during Pride month for the past few years because it's so work-intensive. But I definitely would have been spending time with friends and family. My mom is always excited to come to New York for the premiere of the new season and we get dressed up and have a good time, so that would have been a part of the way we would have. And the Pose season premiere is usually like a sort of Pride celebration in a way.

MW: I can imagine.

BURNSIDE: The black and brown queer folks, queer folks of all races and colors come out and we all celebrate together and it's a great time. That definitely would have been a part of Pride and that's something that I was really looking forward to, and I know my mom was looking forward to. I think the thing in this moment right now that I'm keenly aware of is just the ways in which I miss my friends, and not being able to see them during this time is really hard for me.

MW: Where are you?

BURNSIDE: I'm currently in Georgia, just outside of Atlanta at my mom's place. I've been living in New York for the past eight years, and when the pandemic started I came to Georgia to be

here with my mom, to get out of the city and have more space and all that stuff.

MW: In terms of production, how far had you gotten into season three of Pose?

BURNSIDE: We hadn't gotten very far and there's very little that I can say about what is going on or what was going on. But what I will say is we have a wonderful season three planned for you all and I'm looking forward to getting back to finishing it.

MW: With season two, were you as taken aback as some of the fans were by Ricky and Pray Tell getting together?

BURNSIDE: Ooh, child, I was shocked! I did not see that coming. I think there were some hints starting back to episode four in season two that I can think of off the top of my head, but I was really shocked and I was really excited at the opportunity to unpack the layers of that and the complexity of that relationship. It was exciting to get to work with Billy on exploring that relationship dynamic and getting to speak to HIV and one of the ways in which two HIV-positive people can navigate their status together.

MW: I also think it’s really cool to see a relationship of two positive characters, especially two black male positive characters, on a huge TV show. Was it at all awkward as actors moving your on-screen relationship from some sort of a mentor/mentee place to a romantic and sexual thing.

BURNSIDE: Well, at the end of the day, we're actors. We aren't really having sex. Billy and I are both professionals and so that was never really a concern about whether or not the sex scene in particular was going to be a moment where I would feel unsafe or where he would feel unsafe.

But to your point, about us having a mentor/mentee relationship, I have been very vocal about the ways in which I look up to Billy Porter, just as an actor who’s come up through Broadway and musical theater and studied him. I was actually just listening to a Billy Porter song from back in the day before I got on this call. When we first started this journey together, one of the first things I told him was how much I looked up to him and how impactful it was to get to work on the show with him. He was in the audience on the opening night of my Broadway debut, and how important that was to me and all those things. So yes, I literally called him “Father” for the entire first season of Pose.

And he jokingly said to me after we read the episode where the courtship between Ricky and Pray Tell began, “You're going to have to stop calling me Father. You're going to have to start calling me Daddy.” That sort of broke the ice, and we talked about what it meant for there to be this intergenerational relationship, and how special it was for us to get to do that together.

That being said, neither one of us had done a sex scene before, and so there was just natural nerves and awkwardness attached to that. But I'm grateful to have done it with a man that I respect and love and admire. He's still Father. But we got to share a really special moment in history together as colleagues

“IT'S A SHAME THAT IT TAKES MURDER, AND THAT IT TAKES BLATANT ACTS OF WHITE SUPREMACY FOR THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK FOLKS TO BE VALIDATED, but I am encouraged by the conversations that are happening.”

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“POSE MARKS A SHIFT FOR BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS TO SEE THEMSELVES REPRESENTED IN THE MEDIA. It's a signal to the industry that you can hire black and brown queer people to play on a primetime television cable show and have it be successful.” as well, and I really am grateful for that.

MW: I'm curious, because I've seen a situation like that, where two good friends, platonic friends for 20 years, all of a sudden got married, and it just blew people’s minds. Have you ever been a part of anything like that or experienced it in any way?

BURNSIDE: What, like being friends with somebody and then it turns romantic?

MW: Or even witnessing it, because I think it can be strange even to witness it.

BURNSIDE: I haven't experienced it, personally. I know couples who were friends before and then a romance was born out of that friendship. But I think for me, anybody that I've ever dated, I knew I was going to date them. It has happened the opposite way for me in the past, which is maybe myself and another person go into something with romantic interest or romantic intentions and then we discover, “Oh, actually, we're just meant to be friends.” That happens more often than not for me.

MW: That begs the question, are you a believer in love at first sight?

BURNSIDE: You know, I am a bit of a hopeless romantic, and so I don't know that I would say that I believe in love at first sight but I have had experiences where I can have a conversation with someone one time and then just know that this person is going to be my partner. I definitely have experienced that feeling before.

So yeah, maybe I guess I would say that I believe in love at first sight, but I think it's more so less about the sight part of it, the actual visual part of it, and more about talking to someone and connecting with them. I can know right away, “Oh, this has the potential to be something really special.”

MW: Now to PRIDELAND. I talked to your director Katherine Linton, and she had nothing but really kind and warm things to say about you. She basically was saying that you naturally made a good host, a good listener. How did you approach sharing so much of your story on the show, as well as being a host?

BURNSIDE: With trepidation, honestly. As an actor, I have been trained to tell other people's stories and so there's a certain amount of comfort in that, in getting up and learning how to be vulnerable in front of people, but people not really knowing the origins of that vulnerability. And what I mean is that when you see actors and whatever emotions that you think they're experiencing through the story that they're telling, you don't know what part of their personal life they may be pulling from. And so you get to experience things that maybe they've been through in their lives without knowing what those things are. You just know the story that they're telling with the character that they're portraying. So your personal life is removed from the audience in a certain way and there's a level of comfort to that and having to sort of be vulnerable in the way that PRIDELAND asked me to be vulnerable was new for me, and it required me to open up old wounds in a very vulnerable way that was very uncomfortable and I was terrified.

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Katherine and I and Jon Reynaga — who is an executive producer on the project with Tiny Horse, the production company — we had lots of conversations about what that would look like.

When Jon approached me about this project initially, we talked about going into the South and exploring other people's lives.

And then in one of our first meetings, just me hearing about some of the people that they were pitching that they thought might be good for me to meet, and me saying, “Oh yeah, this person sounds like a good idea, I like this idea, I like this....” In that, I saw these connections to my life and things that I had been through and that's when they came back to me and said, “Hey, we really think it might be interesting if we approach this as a homecoming for you and what it means for you to go home having had all of these experiences that are so similar to these folks that you're going to be talking to, and how do we weave that into the narrative of the doc.” I'm like, okay. That's not necessarily what I thought I was signing up for. I thought I was going to talk to people about their experiences.

I thought about it, I prayed about it, and I thought this is a really great opportunity to maybe encourage folks through some of my lived experiences and the lived experiences of the folks that I'm going to talk to. And we were able to find a good balance of what felt appropriate to share and how we could share it in a way that was both respectful to the people that we interviewed, and respectful to the people and organizations in my life prior to now who are not necessarily a part of the doc but who had a big part in my life. It was really challenging, but also rewarding, and it was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life to go back to the South, specifically to go back to Pensacola, Florida, my hometown, and sort of retrace my steps and revisit the parts of my life that I had buried away.

MW: I think a really great story in the show is Mary Jane. I had preconceived notions about Mississippi, based on how I felt about the place the only time I'd been there. But I really empathized with her and appreciated the stories she shared. I thought it was interesting that she keeps her hate mail and read some of it to you.

BURNSIDE: Yes! Mary Jane is a gem, a true gem, and she and anyone that I met in Mississippi really changed my perception about what Mississippi is, and what I thought Mississippi is versus the people I met there. So, shout out to Mississippi, first of all, and the wonderful, beautiful people that I've met there.

Every state has its challenges but I met some really wonderful people, including Ms. Mary Jane Kennedy and I also couldn't believe that woman was keeping her hate mail. When she pulled it out and said I kept some of that. I said, “You did what? You kept it?” It really baffled me the things that people said to her — some of the things that she showed me in that envelope. But I think maybe for her it's important to be reminded of that and she seemed to be fortified by and in that. I really applaud her on her strength and her courage for the way that she has been so

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outspoken and in a community that has not been pleased with vulnerable about what I'm feeling and what I'm going through her speaking out. and relationships and the people that I'm dating or that I want MW: I imagine that the Pose cast gets a lot of love. But how do you to date. I don't feel the pressure to conform to anybody's ideas handle whatever hate comes your way? about who I need to be and what my music needs to sound like.

BURNSIDE: Honestly, I haven't received a lot of hate. The only I'm so excited about it. That will be coming very, very soon so sort of troll that ever shows up, that I ever get even on social please be on the lookout for my EP. media is my biological father who I don't really have a relation- MW: Will do. Does being around not just the actual production, ship to. He’s started trolling me in recent years on the internet, but the energy of what Pose represents — the different families, because apparently he doesn't agree with my "lifestyle." But I different genders, people being themselves — has being part of that don't really know the man anyway. energy helped you feel more liberated?

MW: Wow. I’m sorry to hear that he's so public about that point BURNSIDE: Absolutely. Absolutely. Pose has not only enriched of view. my career and helped take me to the next place professionally, BURNSIDE: It's really disturbing and unfortunate, but people have but it's enriched my life. The people that I have gotten to meet to deal with their own biases and their demons in whatever way and work with, the stories that I have gotten to discover. They that they feel they need to deal with it. And so I understand that. have all emboldened me and enriched my understanding of Aside from that, my journey with Pose has been overall really where I come from, my history. It has encouraged me to conpositive. Then, PRIDELAND comes about and that's when I tinue to be an outspoken advocate. Prior to working on Pose I started getting hate responses. We had a conservative religious held a certain amount of fear about being transparent about my radical group that denounced the show and my involvement identity and certain pieces of my identity, particularly related with PBS, and that's the first time that I've experienced that. to sexuality, because as an actor you just don't know prior to a I thought that if I was ever going to receive some backlash it show like Pose. would be during this time, because PBS is sort of so rooted in And I think this is not just the case for me as an actor who is the fabric of American conservative family values. They do a a part of this groundbreaking show, but I think for the industry lot of great work that is not political and that is not affiliated as a whole. Pose marks a shift for black and brown folks to see with any liberal or conservative agenda, but that's just honest themselves represented in the media in a really authentic way facts. “This is our country. This is history. These and in a show that's massively successful. So it's are the facts.” And so I think a lot of the public a signal to not only the actors, but to the industry Click Here broadcasting station as a public property that you can hire black and brown queer people for the Trailer for that comes into homes as family content. I sort of to play on a primetime television cable show and “Prideland” assume that this may be the moment where I have it be successful. So we can actually create receive some [hate] and it's okay. I'm okay with work for these people. It's opening up a space for that. I am strong enough to withstand it, and I think that's why folks to have more work, which is ultimately the reason why one I've been put in this position. would be afraid of being outspoken because you don't want to I also stand firm on the fact that I'm illuminating truth. This cut yourself off from more work. Pose definitely has encouraged is my ministry. I am telling the stories of people whose stories me and given me the confidence that I need to go out into the need to be told, introducing Americans to their neighbors that world and be more outspoken for queer and trans and black and they don't know. Whatever backlash I may receive from that is brown issues unapologetically. just a part of the gig. I'm here for it.

MW: And the final question: How was your voguing before you MW: That's a good attitude. One thing I did not know until I saw it were cast on Pose? on the digital series was that you were in a boyband, 3D. BURNSIDE: Whew. My voguing before the show was at a negaBURNSIDE: Oh, yeah. tive 10. I had no experience with vogue at all. I know when I had MW: I just found “Wearing My Love” on YouTube today. to send in my audition tape for Pose and they asked me to dance BURNSIDE: Oh, my god. that the show would involve voguing. I was looking up some of MW: It's not bad. Do you still make music, either solo or with a that stuff and I reached out to some of my friends who knew a group? little bit about voguing. I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know if BURNSIDE: I do. 3D was the beginning of my professional career I'm right for this show. as an artist and I learned a lot with that journey. I left the music MW: How would you rate it now? industry as a teenager because I felt like the music industry is BURNSIDE: Now, I think I would say that I give myself a four. [My just really hard to navigate as an adult, but even more so as a character] Ricky gets all the 10s in Pose, but if Dyllón actually had teenager who's trying to self-actualize and really coming into an to go out into the world and vogue at these balls, he would not be understanding of who they are. getting 10s. Jamal Milan, one of our choreographers and dance We get all these messages from the world about who we're coaches on Pose, he encourages me a lot. He's an icon in the ballsupposed to be and that's especially true in the music industry room world and he seems to think that I would get 10s, but I'm and I needed to figure out who I wanted to be without that out- just like, I don't actually have the confidence to walk the balls in side influence. I knew I wanted to be an actor and so I focused the vogue category. But when I get a chance to practice and work my energy on acting after I worked with the church. The church through the choreography — I can get my 10. And Ricky gets his was sort of my time after leaving 3D and a part of me finding 10s on the show. So I'm grateful for that rehearsal time. myself and then I moved to New York to study theater.

But, over the past six years, I have slowly started to dip my PRIDELAND one-hour special premieres Friday, June 12, at 9 foot back in the ocean of the music industry. And within the last p.m. ET on PBS. Visit www.pbs.org. two years, I started working on an EP as a solo artist and I'm so, so excited about it. This is the first time where I have gone Stream the short-form PRIDELAND digital series on www.youinto the studio and allowed myself to be completely honest and tube.com/PBSvoices.

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Gallery

Lania d'Agostino

The Naked Truth Show T

OUTED AS A NEW ONLINE PLATFORM FOR QUEER ART and artists, the Naked Truth Show was originally conceived as a traditional exhibit celebrating the nude in figurative art from five diverse, Baltimore-area LGBTQ artists with Otis Street Arts Project.

The platform launches with the original Pride-inspired June 2020 exhibit of works by Lania d'Agostino, Douglas Johnson, Jasjyot Singh Hans, Kieran Solley, and frequent Metro Weekly contributor Scott G. Brooks.

Meanwhile, the artists will be interviewed as part of a new podcast series focused on queer artists, in this case intended to help dispel myths and misconceptions about the practice and use of nude models. The podcasts are hosted by Peter Pup Orpheus, a classical composer, Click Here to live model, arts advocate, and Mr. Visit the Exhibit 2017, and his Maryland Leather interviews with Brooks and Hans are already available, with future episodes featuring D’Agostino, Johnson, and Solley to come. —Doug Rule

Jasjyot Singh Hans

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Visit www.thenakedtruthshow.com.

Scott G. Brooks

Douglas Johnson

Kieran Solley

Jasjyot Singh Hans

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Movies

and the influential blockbusters Robocop and Total Recall. The documentary also traces Verhoeven’s conveniently evolving public stance on what Showgirls is, or isn’t. (Those who are deeply intrigued can check out his book Showgirls: Portrait of Snarky and thorough, You Don’t Nomi makes a great case for relishing a Film.)

There is a cottage industry of Showgirlsalmost every tacky second of Showgirls. By André Hereford inspired merch and material covered here, including April Kidwell’s Off-Broadway F YOU’RE GOING TO DOCUMENT A FILM DISASTER, YOU’D BEST BRING show Showgirls! The Musical! The movie clips. On that front, Jeffrey McHale’s documentary You Don’t Nomi (HHHHH) spends more time with Kidwell than neccomes generously prepared to deconstruct the flop, the filth, the legend that is essary, unless the idea is to imply she Showgirls. The scandalous 1995 film, spawned from the fevered ids of creators Paul resembles an indie theater Nomi Malone.

Verhoeven and Joe Eszterhas — director and writer of Oscar-nominated hit Basic With clearer intent, You Don’t Nomi employs the connective device of scenes Instinct — might be one of the most compellingly trashy movies ever made.

Taking its title from Showgirls vixen Nomi Malone, who stomps and shoves her from other Verhoeven films, featuring way to Vegas stardom, You Don’t Nomi traces the notorious ’90s bomb through its characters watching TV, reading books or pre-release buildup and ignominious box office run, critical pounding, and ultimate rise newspapers, but always with the imagery from the ashes as an enduring cult classic. Die-hard fans of Showgirls’ singularly lurid, replaced by Showgirls. It’s an effective overacted, homoerotic retooling of All About Eve deliver interviews extolling its many visual suggestion that Verhoeven’s oeuvre virtues as a masterpiece of bad cinema. McHale, for the most part, keeps the experts constitutes a world unto itself, ruled by off-screen, allowing scenes and details from Showgirls to illustrate their engaging dis- his kinks, eye for violence, and playful but brutal sense of humor. cussion of a flick that some unequivocally view as glossy, misogynistic junk.

Elizabeth Berkley barely emerged But not every cineaste dismisses Showgirls as rigorously as late, great film critic Gene Siskel, shown with partner Roger Ebert, tearing the movie to shreds on their TV show. from that world, but pops up in footage introducing Showgirls Film writer Adam Nayman, author of It Doesn’t Suck: Showgirls, Click Here at a 2015 screening at argues that it’s simply a masterpiece. He might get somebody to believe that — but it won’t be former San Francisco Examiner critic to Watch the Trailer the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

While Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, who brands the movie “an insipid kind of failure.” Everyone here really goes out of their way to properly express their feelings Verhoeven seriously wants us to consider that critics and audiences merely misunfor what Showgirls is, or isn’t.

Unfortunately, that does not include any of the major talent behind the film. derstood his expressionistic tour de force, Verhoeven, Eszterhas, and star Elizabeth Berkley — whose film career never quite Berkley has completed her savvy lean into recovered from the bashing she received for her jackhammer-subtle performance the film’s infamy, transforming from the as Nomi — don’t contribute fresh interviews. McHale accesses Verhoeven’s voice player hit hardest by its failure to the one via clips from the director’s films, including the gay erotic thriller The Fourth Man laughing last at Nomi’s “Versayce.”

Get to Nomi

I

You Don’t Nomi is available via VOD and streaming, beginning Tuesday, June 9.

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NORBERTSCHOERNER

Music

As with any Gaga album, the art, videos, and backstory are inseparable from the album, and as is so often the case, there is unfortunately a marked disconnect between aesthetic and music. It is hard to imagine that it is a coincidence Lady Gaga’s new album Chromatica that the strongest moments of the album marks a solid return to form. By Sean Maunier come when Gaga buys in fully to the futurism promised by the badass cyborg punk T SHOULD BE MORE THAN CLEAR TO ALL OF US BY NOW THAT WRITING queen getup she dons for the cover art, off Lady Gaga is a losing bet. A handful of reinventions into her career, it’s clear peaking with “911,” an infectious eurothat these were not so much reinventions as an unexpectedly eclectic artist getting disco number that reflects on the ways bored, trying on several different hats, and flexing her versatility in the process. But mental illness can warp and filter one’s even after dabbling in jazz and show tunes and flirting with country, Gaga is still a pop perceptions of the world. Elsewhere on the album it is mostly forgotten in favor star at heart.

Chromatica (HHHHH) marks a return to that eclectic, conceptual-yet-accessible of standard EDM-inflected dancepop, but pop that she originally built her brand on, less of an Artpop and even less of a Joanne. only once does it truly fall flat, on the closInstead, this is the thoughtfully image-conscious Lady Gaga of The Fame Monster, a ing track, “Babylon.”

While Chromatica is certainly a mixed slippery pop star who wants to poke and needle and explore the world, more than capable of packaging that art school quirkiness in a knockout single. This is where bag musically, it is held up in its less stelChromatica is most similar to her debut, in that it promises much and often delivers, lar moments by Lady Gaga’s singular star leaning heavily on a few knockout tracks such as “Alice, “911,” and of course “Rain on power, as well as her refreshing honesty Me,” her collaboration with Ariana Grande that has the two singers share the spotlight, and frankness. Empowering lyrics abound, and her vulnerability in baring her jourtrading lyrics on a soaring and triumphant anthem to perseverance.

The hype that “Rain on Me” has received in the couple weeks since its release has ney in healing from deep-seated traumas through music been well-deserved, and it will likely hold up as the album’s most memWatch the Video for makes her easy to orable standout. It also speaks to Gaga’s ability to leverage the talent like and connect with. of her collaborators, another of the great strengths of the album. Apart “Rain on Me” Although this album from Grande, Korean group BLACKPINK lends depth to the sickly sweet “Sour Candy,” the most danceable track on an album full of them. “Sine From was clearly made for the clubs, Lady Gaga Above” shines as one of the more memorable tracks, featuring Elton John much more has at least given us some things to think prominently than we might have expected, making for a track that is a bizarre yet oddly about while we dance alone in front of our bedroom mirrors. enjoyable experience to listen to the first time through.

Familiar Course

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Chromatica is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.

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SelfieScene

Be Scene! Take a selfie, and make it fun if you like, and TEXT to 202-527-9624.

Be sure to include your name and city. YOU could appear in next week’s Selfie Scene!

Michelle, Mandy and their dog Langston (Trenton, NJ)

Charles (Alexandria, VA)

Alexander (Baltimore, MD) Sampson (Los Angeles, CA)

Veyron (Washington, DC)

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JUNE 4, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

LastWord.

People say the queerest things

“Donald Trump has sullied our Constitution and he is seeking to completely destroy our democracy.”

—ALPHONSO DAVID, president of the Human Rights Campaign, speaking to The Advocate about the Trump administration ordering

the tear-gassing of peaceful protesters outside the White House for the sake of a photo-op. “We cannot stand aside, we cannot accept what he is trying to do,” David said. “We have to fight back.”

“If you’ve never been in that situation it appears like you’re going to be killed.”

—TIM LEMUEL, owner of LGBTQ bar Ruby Deluxe in Raleigh, N.C., speaking to the Raleigh News & Observer after police fired “less-lethal” weapons at him outside the bar, following an anonymous tip that Lemuel was providing water and supplies to protesters. “I was in the Army for eight years, so the bangs didn’t bother me, but my staff were scared out of their minds,” Lemuel said.

“Policing is a slippery slope and we won’t be puppets to cancel culture.

This was not debatable though. It was vile.”

—Online adult entertainment platform JUSTFORFANS, in a tweet announcing that it had deactivated the account of gay porn star Billy Santoro after he called for the shooting of Black protesters. “Lol. America! Lol you let your blacks loot as a way of protest,” Santoro wrote. “Wake the fuck up. Shoot first.” JustForFans had previously announced that it would be adding Black Lives Matter to its charitable giving program.

“We must send a clear message that hatred and bigotry have no place in America or on the world stage. ” —Former Vice President JOE BIDEN, in a statement recognizing June as the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride Month.

“Pride has come to be recognized as a global movement of love, self-expression, and community — resilient in the face of oppression and fear and hopeful for a better future,” Biden said. “This month, let us recommit to those principles of Pride and remain steadfast in the fight for justice and equality.”

“My colleague [Rep. Knowles] just yelled from the Floor while I was speaking to the House to call me a ‘little girl!’”

—Pennsylvania State Rep. BRIAN SIMS (D), in a tweet after Republican Rep. Jerry Knowles yelled at him during a speech on the statehouse floor. Sims was addressing GOP leaders allegedly hiding a positive COVID-19 diagnosis from Democratic members.

Sims added: “The irony of a guy from a Party scared to death of women, who himself spent years ensuring pedophile priests couldn’t be prosecuted, thinking that’s a slur is thick.”

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