Voices Carry: The APO's NextGen Competition - Metro Weekly: April 16, 2020

MICHAEL URIE GOES LIVE P.5 • THE SUPPORT OF CATHOLICS P.16

VoicesCarry The finalists in APO’s third annual NextGen competition have plenty to say about music, song, and life during quarantine. Page 24 Edited by Rhuaridh Marr and Randy Shulman

April 16, 2020

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CONTENTS

CLIMATE CONTROL

On the eve of Earth Day 50, Greenpeace USA finds itself more than ever laser-focused on tackling climate change.

By John Riley

VOICES CARRY

The finalists in APO’s third annual NextGen competition have plenty to say about music, song, and life during quarantine.

Edited by Rhuaridh Marr and Randy Shulman

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Volume 26 Issue 47

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FAMILY CIRCUS

Circus of Books brilliantly recounts how a nice, straight Jewish couple erected a mecca of gay porn.

By André Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: LIVE FROM MICHAEL URIE’S LIVING ROOM p.5 SONIA’S VIRTUAL TOUR p.7 A VIETNAMESE ROMANCE p.8 SWEET SPOT p.9 THE PHANTOM OF YOUTUBE p.10 THE FEED: CALLOUS OUTBURST p.13 GRINDR STING p.14 SURPRISING SUPPORT p.15 FEATURE: CATHOLIC HERALDS p.16 GALLERY: BECOMING JANE p.39 MUSIC: LAURA MARLING p.41 MUSIC: THE STROKES p.42 SELFIE SCENE p.45 LAST WORD p.47 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 25 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 Aretha Franklin Cover Photography Courtesy of the Artists Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 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

Live from Michael Urie’s Living Room!

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OR ALL OF US IN THE THEATER, IT'S A VERY CONfusing time,” says Michael Urie. “People are scared and frustrated. We don't know when we're going to be back on stage. We don't know when the theater is going to be reopened.

We don't know when we're going to be able to congregate. It's a very communal activity, theater. The theater doesn't really work unless it's a performance that was created for the people in the room.”

So, Urie, a dynamo of an actor beloved for his work in the TV series Ugly Betty and highly regarded for his Broadway and regional appearances (locally he gave a mesmerizing, wholly original spin on the title role in Hamlet), opted to “make lemonade out of the lemons that we're all being delivered here in quarantine.” He’s teamed with Broadway.com, Rattlestick Playwright Theater, and Pride Plays to present a live, one-nightonly performance of Buyer & Cellar, the one-person tour de force by playwright Jonathan Tolins. Urie is intimately familiar with the show, having performed it more than 600 times, including in Washington, D.C., in 2014, at The Shakespeare Theater.

“The show is a totally fictional account of a completely madeup guy who gets hired to run the street of shops that actually exist in the basement of Barbara Streisand's home,” says Urie.

“So the guy's fake, the job is fake, the story is fake, but the setting is very real.” Urie plays all the characters, including Babs herself.

“It's completely delightful, it's ingenious, and it's so much fun to

do. There's nothing quite like it. As one-person shows go, it’s a game-changer.”

Urie and his husband, actor-playwright Ryan Spahn, are clearing out their living room to create a performance space for the show, which benefits the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Emergency COVID Relief Fund. “We can't do a full set,” says Urie, “but that is a play that doesn't need a lot of stuff.” He notes it’s not a reading but a full performance, with multiple cameras set up to capture the action from different angles. “I’ll be off-book. It will be a singular performance that will be live and then available, I believe, for only 24 hours after.”

Urie’s greatest challenge are the laugh breaks he would normally take during a performance in front of a live audience. “I'm used to doing it where the audience laughs and I have to hold for that laugh,” he says. “This time around I won't be getting any [audible] laughs, which is going to be really, really interesting and definitely a different experience than I've had during the play before.... I'll just have to feel it out. When I was doing it live, I would get so accustomed to holding for a laugh that I planned my breathing around it. The play is 100 minutes and I basically never stop talking, so I would breathe during laughter.

I remember when an audience laughed less than I was used to, I had trouble breathing. So this is something I'm working on as I practice the play now. I'm figuring out the best way to breathe, so that I don't have to rely on the laugh holds.” —Randy Shulman

Buyer & Cellar streams live on Sunday, April 19, at 8 p.m. ET at www.broadway.com and at www.youtube.com/broadwaycom.

It’s free to watch, but donations are highly encouraged.

All funds raised will support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Emergency COVID Relief Fund.

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LEA MORALES

Spotlight

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SONiA’s Virtual Tour

ONIA RUTSTEIN IS FEELING THE LOVE. ON roughly hour-long shows from her home music room. Produced Facebook Live, her “DiGiTAL ACTS OF KiNDNESS” on Facebook, with the help of her wife and manager, Terry appearances result in a “constant stream” of heart emo- Irons, the first few shows have attracted over 10,000 viewers jis from fans. “I get a few during a song that bubble up, but — with “the numbers just tripling each time.” The concerts are when a song’s over, I get a ton,” she says. This free, though donations through PayPal are accepted. spring, the Baltimore-based singer-songwriter, who There’s also a ton of newly designed t-shirts, stickClick Here records and performs as SONiA disappear fear, ers, and other memorabilia available for purchase, for Details was supposed to be on her annual concert trek along with music recordings and downloads. “People through Germany. Instead, homebound for what she refers to have been buying merchandise,” she says, “and that feels like a as COVID-19’s “induced Shabbat for X amount of weeks and good exchange for me, because then fans get something.” months,” the singer has entered the brave new world of livesThe virtual concerts also offer chances for the world-touring treaming. While many of the physical appearances in Germany musician’s far-flung fans to reconnect with one another — years are being rescheduled for later this year or early 2021, all the after they might have met and hung out at a past concert. Calling virtual concerts are being performed on their original dates, this “the most distracting, difficult part” of the whole experimost organized to celebrate a different album from SONiA’s ence, SONiA smiles as she explains the situation. “I can really thirty year-plus recording career. [only] read their comments when I’m talking, I can’t do it so “At each concert, I’m doing about eight songs total, with at much when I’m singing because I have to focus. It’s a good probleast three or four songs from a particular album,” she says of the lem, so I’ll take it.” —Doug Rule Highlights from upcoming DiGiTAL ACTS OF KiNDNESS concerts include a celebration of SONiA’s first solo album, 1997’s Almost Chocolate, on Friday, April 17; a toast to 2004’s No Bomb Is Smart on Thursday, April 23; an all-requests concert on Thursday, May 14; and a look at Small House No Secrets, SONiA’s new musical co-developed with playwright Jody Nusholtz, on Sunday, May 17. All are livestreamed at 2 p.m. EST and available afterwards at www.facebook.com/disappear.fear.

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Spotlight

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A Vietnamese Romance

ONG LANG MIGHT BE THE RARE SMOLDERING The script, by Le and actress Minh Ngoc Nguyuen, parallels romance that can boast more fight scenes than love scenes. the central pair’s journey as friends with the tragic romance Written and directed by Leon Le, the drama, set in the that Phung plays on the opera stage. Portraying a celebrated underbelly of 1980s Saigon, charts the unlikely friendship of hero lamenting the loss of his great beloved, Phung is urged by ass-kicking debt collector Dung (Lien Binh Phat) and serenely the opera director to infuse his performances with the powerhandsome Phung (Isaac), the reserved young star of a community opera troupe. Theirs is a chance, uplifting meeting of minds and hearts, rather than of the flesh, a story of two men leading humble lives on the margins — Phung as an artist in Communist Saigon, and Dung because he’s a gangster.

Le, who immigrated from Vietnam to California as a teenager, fills his feature directing debut with atmospheric details conjuring a quiet, beautifully desolate version of the metropolis now known as Ho Chi Minh City. In transporting shots of old Saigon at night, cinematographer Bob Nguyen captures the city and the artfully weathered locations in warm, vivid hues of greens, golds, and reds, even as the story roams among unsavory locales and characters.

Dung, an enforcer for loanshark Auntie Nga (Phuong Minh), is among the most feared debt collectors on the mean streets of Saigon. Known throughout the underworld as Dung ful conviction of lived experience. He needs to bring more of Thunderbolt, he has the lithe, athletic body of Bruce Lee, himself to the role, he’s told. Meanwhile, Dung longs to bring matched with the martial arts legend’s brutal effimore of his artistic soul to life, and maybe put down ciency when dispatching brutes with his fight moves. his fists and pick up the song lang, the principal Click Here In many other films, Dung might be the villain. But musical instrument for the cai luong (and also a for Tickets here, he turns a corner, thanks to his transformative Vietnamese phrase meaning “two men”). Stoic to the — and chaste — friendship with Phung. Living by extremely point of being nearly mute, Dung Thunderbolt doesn’t talk much different codes of conduct, the pair share a love for music, par- throughout this moody pas de deux, but he looks great with his ticularly cai luong, the traditional Vietnamese style of opera that shirt off, and he and Phung ultimately might make passionate Phung’s troupe performs. music together. —André Hereford Song Lang is not rated, and screens online starting Friday, April 24. Virtual tickets are $12, and good for 72 hours.

Visit www.reelaffirmationsfilmfestival.vhx.tv.

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@FOODSINMYHEART

Spotlight

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Sweet Spot

WO MONTHS AGO WE WERE PLANNING FOR THE clock. And all my senior managers are on half-pay or less. But our Cherry Blossom Festival,” says Victoria Lai. “We were hourly employees simply can't afford not to have a paycheck.” planning for big spring break crowds and the Nats’ home In addition to food orders, customers can aid the Jubilee opener.” Instead, as the COVID-19 pandemic settled in the area, cause by purchasing specially created Fundraising Packages Lai, the founder of Ice Cream Jubilee, closed all three locations. and Gifts — starting with the Pints of the Month Club, for $120, She reopened the Navy Yard and Logan Circle stores last week, which grants members four pints of new seasonal flavors per selling a select lineup of the company’s signature sweets, includ- month for three months. Other packages include future group ice ing pints of ice cream, bake-at-home cookie dough, cream-making classes led by Lai, plus an Instagramand sundae packages, for carryout and pickup only. primed “Impossible Cone” group photo session, all Click Here (The Ballston store remains closed for now.) The ranging in price from $800 to $3,000. There’s also a to Order company also launched a limited, direct home-de$300 package that serves up much-deserved treats livery service through icecreamjubilee.square.site, in addition to first responders and healthcare workers. Last weekend, the to what’s available through third-party apps like Postmates and company “delivered over a hundred ice cream scoops” to the staff UberEats. at Georgetown ICU and Nova Fairfax hospitals. Additionally, the Lai was ultimately motivated to reopen once she realized company will donate 10 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank for doing so “was the best way to keep supporting our staff.” And every $100 spent on its special packages. that support for her “staff family” goes beyond mere efforts at Of course, even the average stay-at-home office worker could retention. “I've committed to increasing by 25 percent the wage use a sweet treat from time to time. “These days of working from of any of our hourly employees who come back to help us out,” home can be really long,” Lai says. “A little ice cream can help she says. “We're definitely cutting where we can. I'm going to give you a little bit of happiness and something to look forward forego all of my compensation, and I'm working around the to at the end of the day.” —Doug Rule Ice Cream Jubilee is currently open Thursday to Sunday from Noon to 9 p.m. at its two D.C. locations at 301 Water St. SE and 1407 T St. NW. Visit www.icecreamjubilee.com.

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Spotlight

The Phantom of YouTube A

NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL, THE SHOWS MUST GO ON, WAS launched earlier this month by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment to provide “theater lovers with a West End and Broadway experience in their own homes, online for free.” While there are plans to regularly upload clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage, the current focus is on Andrew Lloyd Webber. The channel is offering several of his full-length shows, celebrating, as Webber himself puts it, “musicals going from stage to screen.” A new production is available to stream every weekend at 2 p.m. ET on Friday and staying active for 48 hours, through Sunday, after which point they’re removed.

In its first two weeks, the series offered Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Click Here Superstar. Next up is the big one: The Phantom of the for More Opera. The longest-running show in Broadway history, Webber’s musical adaptation of the century-old French novel by Gaston Leroux was captured on film in 2011 during a special three-night run at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where producer Cameron Mackintosh oversaw a lavish, fully staged production to mark the show’s 25th anniversary.

Ramin Karimloo takes on the title character, a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera house and is obsessed with the company’s rising soprano ingenue Christine Daaé, portrayed here by Sierra Boggess.

The filmed footage includes “very special guest appearances” by those in attendance, including Sir Andrew himself.

Upcoming shows in the series have not been officially announced, with Phantom only just revealed. In the official announcement posted to the channel, Webber does tease that “buried in the schedule [is] the most important one, my disaster musical By Jeeves. I’m very, very fond of it.” If we were to hazard a guess, other titles likely to get air time include Love Never Dies, Cats, and Evita.

Visit www.youtube.com/theshowsmustgoon for more information. (DR)

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theFeed

Engle

Callous Outburst

South Florida police chief suspended after claiming deputy’s death from COVID-19 was due to being gay. By John Riley

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SOUTH FLORIDA POLICE CHIEF WAS SUSpended after going on a tirade in which he criticized subordinate officers for raising concerns about the risks posed to their health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and attributed the COVID-related death of a county sheriff’s deputy to his sexual orientation.

In a letter to Davie Town Administrator Richard Lemack, the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police alleges that Davie Police Chief Dale Engle dismissed officers’ concerns during an April 7 patrol meeting.

Officers were asked to line up in formation in the parking lot, where they were subjected to criticism from Engle, who allegedly berated and “belittled” them for raising concerns about safety protocols and personal protective equipment needed to prevent them from contracting COVID-19 while on the job.

During his rant, Engle raised the death of Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Shannon Bennett, a 12-year veteran of law enforcement who died last week after being diagnosed with COVID-19, reports NBC Miami.

According to the Fraternal Order of Police, Engle told officers that Bennett had died because he was a “homosexual who attended homosexual events.” Officers say Engle

implied that Bennett’s “homosexual lifestyle” had contributed to his illness. “[Members assumed] there was an attempt by the chief to minimize the concerns they had, the dangers they were facing, by using Deputy Bennett as an example,” Mike Tucker, the chief of staff for Florida’s Fraternal Order of Police, said in the letter.

Officers say Engle later sent out a department-wide email walking back his comments. He said his comments had been “taken out of context’ and had merely been an attempt to “provide as much information as possible” about the COVID-19 safety protocols.

The State Fraternal Order of Police has since requested that a third party investigate Engle’s actions. Fellow police officers and friends of Bennett began circulating a petition addressed to Mayor Judy Paul and the Davie Town Government calling for that investigation, and for Engle to be fired if it’s found that he engaged in wrongdoing. More than 11,000 people have signed the petition thus far.

On Sunday, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said that if Engle indeed made the comments, they would be considered offensive and homophobic.

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theFeed Lemack, the town administrator, told NBC Miami that Engle has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Engle has declined media requests seeking comment on the accusations lodged against him. l

ALEX SUPRUN / UNSPLASH

a suggestion because there’s no accurate information out there that would support such a notion,” Tony said. “And it would only be something done under derogatory aspect, which would be offensive to me and this agency.”

Grindr Sting

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Georgia police criticized after arresting nine men in Grindr sex sting. By Rhuaridh Marr

OLICE IN GEORGIA HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF “cataclysmic failure” after a sex sting operation on Grindr led to the arrest of nine men. As reported by Atlanta-based LGBTQ magazine Project Q, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a three-day operation targeting men on dating apps between March 2 and March 4.

Nine men aged between 23 and 50 were arrested and charged with a mixture of misdemeanors and felonies, including pandering, possession of marijuana, and criminal attempt to distribute methamphetamine.

However, questions have been raised about the nature of the operation, particularly after the names, mugshots, and even employers of some of the men were published by a local media outlet.

The veracity of the charges has also been challenged in at least one case, according to Project Q, with one of the men refuting allegations that he offered drugs to an undercover officer in exchange for sex.

Screenshots of their Grindr conversation provided to Project Q reportedly show Sgt. W. Dereck Johnson, under the name “Charlie[looking for]420,” initiating the conversation and offering to host at a Quality Inn and Suites in Dawsonville.

When the man, who asked Project Q for anonymity, said that he had marijuana, Johnson asked, “U share?”

When the man said he would share, Johnson offered to supply papers and said, “I want to get high and fuck.” The man responded, “Nothing wrong with that.”

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Project Q said that the man “never offered to exchange the marijuana for sex, according to the Grindr chat.”

However, when seeking a warrant, Johnson told a local judge that the man “did solicit…to perform an act of prostitution in exchange for marijuana.” The man was charged with misdemeanor pandering, possession of marijuana under one ounce, and criminal attempt.

Lambda Legal’s Southern Regional Office in Atlanta called the sting operation a “cataclysmic failure,” and said the charge of pandering against the man who spoke to Project Q was without merit.

“The one thing that you should have before you label something prostitution is a very clear situation where the offer of the item or money is an indispensable part of the transaction…. That’s not here at all,” Greg Nevins, senior counsel with Lambda Legal, told Project Q. He noted the similarity with police stings conducted in public parks, and said law enforcement was “on Grindr looking for a problem,” adding, “It does strike you as wow, these are the priorities of a different era that just missed out on the last 20 years.”

“What’s going on in Dawson County is against the grain,” Nevins said. “Where does the protect and serve baseline actually come into my this? Where is any appreciation for not over incarcerating people who aren’t doing anything harmful and looking out for situations where real harm is going on? It’s a cataclysmic failure.” l

theFeed

Surprising Support Most Republicans support protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination, survey finds. By Rhuaridh Marr

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NEW SURVEY HAS FOUND THAT A SUPERMAjority of Americans favor inclusive nondiscrimination protections, while support for marriage equality is at an all-time high. However, opposition to allowing businesses to deny goods and services to gay people because of religious beliefs has decreased in recent years, particularly among groups typically opposed to religious-based discrimination.

The Public Religion Research Institute has released the results of its 2019 survey, and found that 72% of those who responded indicated support for laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

“Currently, 72% of Americans favor laws that would protect LGBT people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing, including 30% who strongly favor the policy,” PRRI stated in its release. “Only about one in five (21%) Americans oppose these protections.”

Among the findings, PRRI reports that self-identified Republicans are at odds with party leaders, with even a majority (57%) of conservative Republicans supporting protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.

Even taking ethnicity and religious affiliation into account, PRRI still found majority support for nondiscrimination protections. As PRRI noted in its release: “White evangelical Protestant Republicans (54%) are one of the least likely groups to favor nondiscrimination protections but favor still reaches a majority among this group.”

The survey also shows that support has remained remarkably consistent since PRRI began asking about nondiscrimination protections in 2011, when 71% were in favor.

Support peaked at 73% in 2013 and reached its lowest level of support (69%) in 2018.

“Support for LGBT rights continues to be strong and expansive in all 50 states. Issues that in the recent past demarcated major political and religious fault lines now find broad agreement,” PRRI CEO and Founder Robert P. Jones said in a press release.

However, Jones noted that the survey also found “some erosion in opposition to allowing business owners to refuse to serve gay and lesbian people based on their religious beliefs.”

A majority of Americans (56%) continue to oppose allowing businesses to refuse goods or services to gay and lesbian people if they believe it would violate their religious beliefs.

However, that represents a drop compared with 2016, when 61% opposed such religious-based refusals. PRRI noted drops in support among groups typically strongly opposed to religious-based discrimination, including an 8% drop among liberal Democrats and a 12% drop among liberal Republicans.

“Over the last three years, there has been a modest decline in opposition to religiously based refusals to serve gay and lesbian people,” PRRI noted, adding that as well as an overall dip in opposition to religious-based refusals between 2017 and 2019, “Americans have also become less likely to say they are strongly opposed to religiously based

service refusals (33% in 2016 vs. 25% in 2019).”

Denial of service to LGBTQ people for religious reasons gained national prominence after Indiana introduced its Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015. Supported by then-Gov. Mike Pence, the resulting backlash forced lawmakers to “fix” the legislation to clarify that it couldn’t be used to discriminate.

Since then, s0-called “religious freedom” laws have continued to proliferate in legislatures across the country, typically supported by Republican lawmakers. The Trump administration has also sought to allow religious-based discrimination, including supporting healthcare workers having the right to refuse care to LGBTQ people.

PRRI’s findings show that while overall opposition to such denials has dropped, a majority of Democrats and Independents continue to oppose denying service or goods to gay and lesbian people for religious reasons. But only 39% of Republicans oppose religious-based refusals, with 55% supporting the right of businesses to refuse service based on religious beliefs.

Among other subgroups, Black Americans are most likely (63%) to oppose refusal of service, while Native Americans are the only racial group where less than half (47%) oppose religious-based refusals. Women are more likely than men (61% to 51%) to oppose refusal of service, as are younger Americans — those 18-29 — compared with seniors aged 65 and older (62% to 52%).

Elsewhere in PRRI’s survey, almost five years since the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide in 2015, 62% of Americans support the right of gay and lesbian people to legally marry. That represents an almost ten-point increase over 2015, when just 53% supported marriage equality.

PRRI also found that the intensity of support has grown, while strong opposition to same-sex marriage has fallen.

“In 2007, Americans were substantially more likely to strongly oppose same-sex marriage (24%) rather than strongly favor (13%),” PRRI said in its release. “Today, the opposite is true: about one in four (26%) strongly favor same-sex marriage, while only 13% are strongly opposed.”

However, while a majority of Democrats (70%) and Independents (66%) support same-sex marriage, less than half (47%) of Republicans do — though support among Republicans has increased 16 points since 2011, when only 31% supported same-sex marriage.

PRRI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, and its survey data is based on more than 40,000 interviews conducted between March 26 and December 29 last year.

The organization’s American Values Atlas also found that 5% of Americans self-identify as LGBT — 2% as gay or lesbian, 3% as bisexual, and 1% as transgender.

“Americans who identify as LGBT mirror the American population on many demographics,” PRRI said in its release.

“However, those who identify as LGBT are more likely to be women, younger, Democrats or independents, religiously unaffiliated, and lower income than the general population.” l APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Catholic Heralds “Catholics for Trump” touts an anti-LGBTQ political agenda.

But that’s not what most Catholics believe.

By John Riley

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THINK THE REASON THAT RANK-AND-FILE Catholics are supportive of LGBTQ issues is that Catholics embrace the values of family and justice,” says Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, an LGBTQ Catholic organization.

“It’s hard to imagine a Catholic family anywhere in the United States that is not personally affected by the concerns of LGBTQI individuals,” she continues. “What family doesn’t have a lesbian, gay, transgender member in it? By and large, Catholics rally around our families. We understand that love is expansive, love is inclusive, and that everyone incarnates God in some way.”

That support has been borne out over the past decade in a number of polls showing that American Catholics are among the leading religious communities expressing support for LGBTQ issues. According to two recent surveys from the Public Religion Research Institute, Catholics express support for transgender rights, nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, and even same-sex marriage at rates higher than the national average.

Yet despite poll after poll over the past decade showing that rank-and-file Catholics are much more progressive on social issues, the voices from within the Catholic community that are elevated on the national stage tend to be those more hostile to the LGBTQ community.

Such is the case with the recently launched “Catholics for Trump” group, a coalition of conservative Catholics who are supporting President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

Announced earlier this month, the group touts the president’s stances on various social issues that they hope will galvanize more conservative Catholics to the polls in November. It also attempts to cast Joe Biden, a pro-choice Catholic, and more secular elements within the Democratic Party as extremists who are waging a war against religious people.

During its launch, which was live-streamed online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, members of the group doubled down on their opposition to abortion, their calls for the appointment of conservative judges to the federal judiciary, and support for policies that grant special religious exemptions to people who oppose contraception, same-sex marriage, or homosexuality.

Members of the group’s board include several figures with a history of hostility toward the LGBTQ community, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who opposed marriage equality and has repeatedly spoken out against transgender rights; former Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas), who called marriage equality a “legal fiction”; and Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, who has worked with Vice President Mike Pence to push for anti-LGBTQ religious exemptions.

Others involved with the organization include Sean Fieler, the chair of the American Principles Project, who has claimed that same-sex relationships are unstable and said that being transgender “can never be normalized”; and Austin Ruse, the president of The Center for Family and Human Rights, who said that “sexual orientation and gender identity is code for odious sexual behavior and gender lunacy.”

Following the group’s launch, various LGBTQ groups criticized the coalition for being out-of-step with most American Catholics, particularly younger generations who are more accepting of LGBTQ rights.

“Trump has a position on LGBTQ issues that I think is out of line with the majority of Catholics in the pews,” says Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the pro-LGBTQ Catholic organization New Ways Ministry. “Survey after survey for the

past 10 years shows that U.S. Catholics are overwhelmingly supportive of LGBTQ equality.”

DeBernardo notes that Trump sold himself as a pro-LGBTQ candidate when running for the presidency in 2016, but once he got to office, he began adopting positions and pushing various policies that negatively impacted LGBTQ people.

In addition, DeBernardo believes Catholics who voted for the president four years ago may be reluctant to back him again.

This may be particularly true for Catholics who embrace a more compassionate approach to immigration as consistent with the Catholic Church’s stance on welcoming the stranger and its views on the dignity of every human being.

DeBernardo believes it is that same teaching on human dignity that has led most rank-and-file Catholics to be supportive of LGBTQ rights.

“Catholics in pews see LGBTQ issues as human rights issues, while the bishops and church hierarchy see those issues as being about sexuality,” says DeBernardo. “Catholic teaching is strong about the dignity of every human person, whether we agree or

“Trump has a position on LGBTQ issues that is out of line with the majority of Catholics in the pews.

Survey after survey for the past 10 years shows that U.S. CATHOLICS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTIVE OF LGBTQ EQUALITY.” —Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

disagree with who they are or any facet of their personality.

Catholics have absorbed that teaching and they see that discrimination against LGBTQ people as wrong. For example, there are some Catholics who may not back marriage equality, and may not believe it’s moral, but see it as necessary because people’s rights need to be respected.

“The other reason for the disparity between Catholics in pews and the hierarchy has been that, since the 1960s, Catholics have been questioning the Church’s views on sexual ethics,” he says, referring to its teachings on birth control — which statistics show are not followed by up to 96% of U.S. Catholics in their personal lives. “That, coupled with the clergy sex abuse crisis, has led to bishops losing a great deal of credibility when making any pronouncement about sexuality.”

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Bishops — which serves as the official mouthpiece of the church in the United States — has over the messaging around Catholic doctrine.

As a result, the media is more likely to elevate and promote more conservative views on issues like LGBTQ rights than those of individual Catholics whose personal views don’t align with those espoused by the bishops. At the same time, there is a tradition within the Catholic faith of questioning one’s own religious beliefs in the hope of reaching a deeper understanding of faith.

“Catholics are also, by and large, a very educated group,” Duddy-Burke says, referring to the religious instruction that Catholics receive not only in church, but in Catholic primary and secondary schools and Catholic-affiliated institutions of higher learning. “Through our intellectual training, we are able to separate out what’s essential to our faith: sacramentality, service to the poor, all of those kinds of things, from teachings that the church proclaims that are not essential articles of faith.”

Daniel Barutta, president of Dignity’s Washington chapter, notes that for many Catholics, especially those who are LGBTQ, their faith is deeply rooted in their cultural identity.

“I’m Italian-Catholic,” he says. “A lot of people say ‘how can you be gay and Catholic at the same time. That’s an oxymoron.’

I say, there’s no way I can’t be Catholic and gay at the same time. I grew up Catholic. All our family feasts and celebrations are centered around the church liturgical year. It’s part of our culture. You can’t separate that. On the other hand, it’s hard to support an institution that calls you intrinsically immoral and dysfunctional.”

Barutta has seen attitudinal shifts on social issues, particularly among younger Catholics.

“In terms of LGBTQ issues, as more Catholics have realized

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APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

there are people in their families who are gay, and as more young people are proud of who they are, I think support for the LGBTQ community is becoming more commonplace and accepted.”

Duddy-Burke says that the message espoused by “Catholics for Trump,” particularly as it relates to religious-based exemptions, is potentially harmful to the LGBTQ community and runs counter to the values of charity and love that are supposed to be central to Catholicism.

“Their attempt to impose a very narrow standard of understanding of morality and religious belief on a diverse country is really, really dangerous, and in opposition to the ideals of our faith,” she says. “It’s wrong for them to advocate withholding treatment from transgender individuals at 1 in 6 hospital beds across the United States, or terminating LGBTQ employees for getting married, or pushing to ban LGBTQI people — or people of faiths that are ‘not acceptable’ — from being adoptive or foster parents, which impinges on the safety and future of vulnerable children in our country. When you think about the impact that this fight for religious-based exemptions has on people’s lives, it’s very sobering and very frightening, and in some instances downright cruel.”

But most Catholics, says Duddy-Burke, do not embrace those hard-line views, suggesting that they will not necessarily fall in lockstep behind Trump’s re-election bid. In fact, she would bet against the president winning the Catholic vote this time around.

“A commitment to social justice is crucial to the Catholic faith. Our faith places an importance on removing the structural oppression that people at the margins of society face. Catholics really understand what it means that society is structured unequally, and are really concerned about that. And they bring that concern with them into the political arena.” l

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Climate Control On the eve of Earth Day 50, Greenpeace USA finds itself more than ever laser-focused on tackling climate change.

GREENPEACE

By John Riley

A

LL THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT WANTS IS to take care of our planet and to make sure we have a livable planet for future generations,” says Crystal Mojica, a senior communications specialist at Greenpeace USA. “We just want to make sure that our kids and people who are currently inhabiting this planet can take care of it so that subsequently people can live in it in the future and that we fight to maintain it.”

Mojica’s rhetoric strikes the right chord with most people, yet critics often cast Greenpeace’s headline-grabbing stunts — intended to call attention to specific issues — as dangerous or “extreme.” Among the demonstrations undertaken by the organization include activists who rappelled from a bridge in 20

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Portland, Ore., in 2015 to block a Shell Oil icebreaker that was being used to drill for oil in Arctic waters.

That same year, Greenpeace led a successful campaign against Procter & Gamble over its relationships with companies that were harvesting palm oil in an unsustainable manner — a process that was leading to mass deforestation in Indonesia and disrupting the natural habitats of the animals there. In that protest, a demonstrator in a tiger suit suspended themselves on a high wire in between two banners that were unfurled along the front of buildings at the company’s corporate headquarters in Cincinnati.

Greenpeace has also held “die-ins” to protest the danger of nuclear weapons, held marches and demonstrations to attempt

Ramsden

to block the Dakota Access Pipeline from being built — leading to several arrests — and protested companies that engage in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which critics say has led to contaminated water in areas where it’s practiced.

“Our mission is to bear witness to environmental destruction in a nonviolent and peaceful manner,” says Mojica. “We want to strike the debate amongst people and be very confrontational and be out there in the public letting people know that we can not sit idly by while injustice is taking place.”

Mojica acknowledges that the organization’s tactics can be misconstrued, but says the current environmental situation favors bold action “to put those conversations at the forefront and in the public eye” in order to pressure major corporations

and the government to take action or curb unsustainable practices.

But the primary reason Mojica is undeterred by criticism is a rapidly-approaching deadline: by 2030, if countries around the world do not drastically curb their use of fossil fuels and the carbon emissions that result from it, the damage to the planet due the effects of climate change will be irreversible.

“According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, we have 10 years to get our act together, basically,” she says. “I trust the science and I trust that these scientists are researching and documenting this in an objective manner that is truly looking out for the wellbeing and the welfare of humanity. We’ve already seen a higher frequency of hurricanes.

We've seen poor air quality and poor water quality. And we've seen how people of color, and that includes LGBTQ-identifying people, are going to be disproportionately affected.”

It’s why Greenpeace is urging those who care about the environment to support Earth Day, an annual event designed to celebrate and push for environmental protection. Greenpeace is hosting three days of Earth Day events, from April 22 to 24, in a new digital format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Earth Day Live,” in partnership with the Climate Strike Coalition, will feature live webinars and virtual organizing centered around climate justice, as well as serve as a call-to-action for every level of society to work to reverse climate change.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and Lisa Ramsden, a senior action campaigner at Greenpeace USA, says that while there is still much to do, the environmental movement has enjoyed a number of significant victories since the first Earth Day celebration in 1970.

“We’ve banned toxic pesticides such as DDT,” she says.

“We’ve gotten Congress to pass the Clean Water Act. We’ve created the Endangered Species Act. We have banned commercial whaling worldwide. And so much more.”

Ramsden laments that, in some circles, Earth Day has begun to be viewed as a partisan affair, with conservatives and Republicans being most skeptical of climate science.

“A healthy environment is essential for everyone to live on this Earth. Not just liberal folks or radical folks, but for the conservative folks, too,” she says. “Any claim that the environmental movement is too radical or violent or anything like that, I feel like, more often than not, these claims are coming from people who are backed by the pollution industry, like the big oil companies who see the environmental movement as a threat to their bottom line.”

While Greenpeace’s activism can be controversial, Ramsden says that some people deliberately try to conflate its protests with more violent actions done by other groups, such as ramming whaling ships. But she insists that the organization only espouses peaceful protests, and always has.

From Ramsden’s perspective, there are all too many pressing environmental issues to deal with, which means there’s little time to waste — or to apologize because some people or corporations might be offended by Greenpeace’s tactics.

“We do sometimes take things to the next level, but we feel like we have to kind of be a bit more radical in these times because there are so many threats with the environment, and it would be irresponsible not to act,” she says. “Climate change is obviously the biggest threat, in my opinion. It affects everything from the air that we breathe to the oceans to the Arctic and Antarctic. But our oceans are also in a very bad state right now.

They’re being overfished, they’re warming because of climate change, coral reefs are leeching, and all of the throwaway plastic APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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GREENPEACE

that we are producing is eventually winding up in the oceans as well. Our world’s forests are seemingly constantly on fire these days, so that’s also quite a big problem, which is also most likely exacerbated by climate change.”

Both Ramsden and Mojica say that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the degree to which humans typically contribute to climate change and pollution when they’re not socially distancing or staying home.

“We’re definitely seeing a drop in carbon emissions considering the stay-at-home orders that we have in place globally,” says Mojica. “That's because people are not taking planes or not driving as often, and so we have seen a drop. But unfortunately that, on its own, is not going to combat the climate crisis.”

“We can’t just look at the COVID-19 crisis and think that we’re giving our planet a moment to breathe, and that we can just go back to business as normal,” adds Ramsden. “I think we really need systemic change to actually tackle the climate emergency. We need to invest in a ‘just transition’ away from fossil fuel dependency. We have to change our agricultural practices.

We have to radically redesign our cities.”

To accomplish those aims, politicians should embrace the Green New Deal, which Ramsden calls an “ambitious but also realistic goal.”

“What’s great about the Green New Deal is that it doesn’t leave workers behind. It calls for a just transition, so that means that everyone who is working in a polluting sector, like a coal mine or an oil refinery, can be retrained so they can get jobs in the clean energy sector. It’s also great because it could create lots of jobs working in renewable energies, and that's going

to become increasingly more important as we continue to have unemployment skyrocket from the COVID crisis.”

When the first Democratic primary candidates began their campaigns last year, Greenpeace launched a climate scorecard to evaluate them, with employees and volunteers heading to the candidates’ rallies in Iowa to gauge their commitments to the climate crisis. Unfortunately for climate activists, two of the top scorers, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who received an “A” and an “A-,” respectively, have since dropped out of the race. By comparison, the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Ramsden Biden, only earned a “B.” “It’s definitely disappointing that we don't have a front runner who is committing to really tackling this kind of crisis,” says Ramsden, “but I am optimistic that we could pressure Biden into taking a firmer stance on the climate crisis, depending on who he chooses as his running mate.”

Ramsden believes many people take the environment — and everything it provides for humans — for granted. “When we have clean air and clean water, we don’t think about the environment so much. It’s only when we've got a problem with any of that that we really think about the environment and what it provides for us,” she says, referring to situations like the Flint Water Crisis. “I think with climate change, there are a lot of people in this country who just still aren’t listening to scientists, so that’s a problem in and of itself, but for a lot of people it doesn't feel like an urgent issue. It still feels like a faraway problem that’s maybe going to affect us in 50 or 100 years down the line, but most people aren’t yet feeling its impacts in their everyday lives.”

Mojica puts her faith in the scientific evidence that climate change is both real and affected by humans. “I think across both parties, we need to understand that according to the IPCC report, if we don’t do something to mitigate our climate crisis, we have ten years and then, after that, we have no time to go back. This is an issue that affects all of us, despite political affiliations or persuasions, and we all need to stand together now. It’s about the need to prioritize people over profit at the end of the day, because it’s people who will be affected by this [problem] every single day if we choose inaction.”

The political side of the equation has largely become mired in partisan gridlock, but there are individual actions that people

“The plastics industry has been taking advantage of the COVID crisis [by] saying it was unsanitary for people to bring reusable bags into grocery stores. THEY’VE GOTTEN MANY STATES AND CITIES WHO HAVE BANNED PLASTIC BAGS TO REVERSE THEIR BANS.” — Lisa Ramsden 22

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GREENPEACE

“The climate crisis...is an issue that affects all of us, despite political affiliations or persuasions, and we all need to stand together now.

IT’S ABOUT THE NEED TO PRIORITIZE PEOPLE OVER PROFIT.” — Crystal Mojica

Mojica

can take to reduce their environmental footprint, starting with walking, biking, or taking the Metro instead of driving if you live in a heavily urban area. People can try to patronize stores that sell locally grown foods, and bring reusable bags with them when shopping to avoid unnecessary amounts of plastic.

Even more important: people need to apply pressure to politicians in Washington and corporations with bad environmental practices to take actions to benefit the environment.

“We’re at the point where we need everyone to take it up to the next level and really step up,” says Ramsden. “Things that we like to encourage people to do at Greenpeace are writing and calling corporations and demanding that they phase out throwaway plastics from the product lines and replace them with ‘reuse-and-refill’ options, because the plastic crisis is just continuing to get worse.”

She urges Americans to write and contact their elected representatives on a regular basis to commit to supporting efforts that will tackle the climate crisis.

“I would also like to stress that I hope people are paying attention to the relief bills that are coming out in the midst of this COVID crisis. The oil industry is getting a huge bailout right now, because the companies aren’t making as much money as they used to,” she says. “A week ago Trump had seven top oil executives come to the White House and meet with him and it’s just upsetting to see that our president is almost caring more about these huge corporations who are polluting than the people.”

Ramsden also warns that Americans need to be on high alert during the ongoing pandemic, as there will be attempts by some corporations or industries to capitalize on the crisis.

“Even right now, the plastics industry has been taking advantage of the COVID crisis and began saying when it started that it was unsanitary for people to be bringing reusable bags into grocery stores, so that people would have to use plastic bags instead,” she says. “We started tracking all of these claims, and all of them were backed by the plastics industry. As a result, they’ve gotten many states and cities who have banned plastic bags to reverse their bans.”

When it comes to the diversity within the environmental movement, both Mojica and Ramsden see people of color and LGBTQ people playing essential roles within the movement.

“I think across all justice movements there’s a little bit of an overlap because we’re all fighting the same power relations at hand,” says Mojica. “We’re all trying to fight for dignity and security and equality for all, so I definitely see an overlap between movements.

“I also see myself well-represented as a woman, as a person of color, as an LGBTQ-identifying person. And that gives me a lot of support and security that I need to be able to get up in the morning and do the work that we do at Greenpeace. It takes radical love and a lot of strength to be able to confront the powers that be every single day.”

“I definitely think there is a strong correlation between the LGBTQ movement and the environmental movement,” Ramsden adds. “In my experience I feel like people in the environmental movement are passionate about many issues, not just the environment. We care about LGBTQ rights and immigrant rights and reproductive justice and prison reform, because I feel like all of our fights are definitely connected.”

While she acknowledges that white people and heterosexuals were overrepresented in the earliest days of the U.S. environmental movement, she is seeing much more diversity among rank-and-file activists.

“Once a year Greenpeace hosts an action camp where we bring 100 activists from all across the country to train and learn skills about direct action and peaceful protest techniques.

And each year our camp looks more queer and more black and more brown, and it’s quite an awesome shift that’s happening. Everyone who comes to these camps works on a bunch of different issues, but we all kind of agree that having a healthy environment is essential for working towards justice and equity for everybody.”

Ramsden, who also identifies as LGBTQ, has always felt welcomed within the movement.

“I feel super lucky to work at a place like Greenpeace and to be involved in this movement, because I have always been able to be myself,” she says. “It’s always felt like a really welcoming movement and a good space to be in.” l Greenpeace USA’s three-day-long “Earth Day Live” virtual event runs from Wednesday, April 22 to Friday, April 24. For more information, visit www.earthdaylive2020.org.

APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Voices Carry The finalists in APO’s third annual NextGen competition have plenty to say about music, song, and life during quarantine.

Edited by Rhuaridh Marr and Randy Shulman

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Luke Frazier was frustrated.

GLORIANNA PICINI

“I would hear college kids audition,” says the Founder and Music Director of the American Pops Orchestra, “and I would say, ‘You know what? You'd sound really great singing this Paul Simon song,’ or ‘You'd sound really great covering this Joni Mitchell song.’ And they had no idea who I was talking about. All I would hear was music written in the last ten years.

“There are many, many college kids who don't know who Aretha Franklin is, who can not name a single Dolly Parton song other than ‘9 to 5,’ who don't know anything of Barbra Streisand other than ‘Don't Rain on My Parade.’ And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Of course, a lot of the guys know Frank Sinatra, but they don't know Nat King Cole or Dean Martin. A lot of them don't even know James Taylor! Which is a total crime.”

So the maestro, in his unflappable, inimitable way, did something to remedy the situation: he created NextGen: Finding the Voices of Tomorrow. Designed for university undergraduates majoring in music and voice, the competition in its first two years unearthed a treasure trove of wondrous vocal talents.

“I wanted to start a competition that would give these kids the chance to learn different music,” says Frazier. “I also wanted to teach them how to sing with an orchestra, because that's unheard of. In the classical world, musicians get a chance to sing or play with an orchestra all the time. It's very, very common. But in popular music, it's extremely rare. They come out of college and they really don't know how to interact with an orchestra. They don't know how prepared they need to be. It's learning great repertoire, and it's learning how to perform with an orchestra. That’s why I did it.”

Everything was on track for a huge third year, with more schools than ever participating, among them American University, The Catholic University of America, Frostburg State University, George Mason University, Howard University, James

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Madison University, Liberty University, Marshall University, University of Mary Washington, Ohio University, Shepherd University, Temple University, West Virginia University, and the College of William and Mary.

And then, COVID-19.

The maestro, again in his unflappable, inimitable way, decided a virus — let alone a pandemic with social distancing quarantines in effect — wasn’t going to put NextGen on pause. So he pressed play. He shrewdly rejiggered the live, single-evening concert into a three-day, virtual affair, boasting 30 semi-finalists on Friday, April 24, all vying for a coveted top ten spot in Saturday’s finals.

“In the semifinals, you get to hear all the students sing 32 bars,” says Frazier. “The only rule is they have to sing music written before 1970. But it can be anything they choose. Each of the kids have made a video of themselves singing. The judges and the audience will vote. We'll tabulate them that night, and the top 10 from that will be featured the next night. The finalists will get to sing a longer piece — a minute and a half version of another song written before 1970. Then we'll vote again. On Sunday night, I'll announce the winners live.”

Under normal circumstances, a jazz quartet composed of APO musicians would accompany the students, but in this case, Frazier tapped Alex Tang, the pianist for the orchestra, to provide accompaniment.

“We wanted to give them a great quality accompaniment to use rather than have to go online and find something that may or may not work,” says Frazier. “Every single student gets their accompaniments for both songs right at the beginning, and they go ahead and record both songs. All we have to do the next day is pull the videos of the finalists once we tabulate the scores.”

Two winners will be crowned — one male, one female — with each receiving a cash prize of $500 and the opportunity to appear in a future APO concert (two second-place winners will receive $250 apiece). “With a lot of competitions, you win cash and go on your merry way,” says Frazier. “But with us, you win a cash prize, and then you get asked to sing with the orchestra.”

Everything about the NextGen competition is free. There are no entry fees for the university or the contestants. Frazier is perplexed that more universities don’t take advantage of the offer to participate. “We've been surprised at some of the colleges, even right in our neck of the woods, who have not responded to our outreach. I know academic schedules are busy and everything, but I would say candidly that I've been surprised because there's absolutely no cost. I thought, ‘It's a disservice to the students as much as anything,’ but c'est la vie.”

This year’s NextGen is free to watch, but pre-registration is required. (Click here to register now.) A donation of $25 for adults and $15 for students is suggested, but it’s not mandatory.

Still, all funds raise help to support the APO, acclaimed for its own artistic community outreach. “We have a box where you can put in any amount,” says Frazier, who declines to take a salary for his work running the orchestra. “You can give us a dollar if you want — and every dollar that goes in is going right back out to our artists.”

Each audience member gets a vote alongside four guest judges: Broadway star Mauricio Martínez (On Your Feet!); Jeffrey Finn, Vice President of Theater Producing and Programming at the Kennedy Center; Nova Payton, one of D.C.’s most cherished theatrical singers; and Charles McKay, Managing Director of the storied New York Festival of Song.

For this feature, Metro Weekly queried the contestants, who range in age from 18 to 24. All responded with intelligent, impas26

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Barclough

sioned replies about what music means to them and its greater purpose in our society. These are young people for whom singing is nothing less than a calling. Meanwhile, all have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in ways that are clearly dispiriting, but also reveal the sheer resilience and hopefulness of youth.

“The kitchen counter has become a ballet barre and the shower has become a recital hall,” says Kodiak Thompson, a 20-yearold music theater major at Temple University. “Everyone is afraid, but our household of ‘Temple Musical Theater Majors’ is making the most of it and doing our part to promote health and safety for ourselves — and for others.”

Many of the students watched helplessly as graduation ceremonies vanished, summer plans dissipated, and social interactions were reduced to online Zoom sessions. Some are separated by circumstance from loved ones. Yet nearly all put a positive spin on the country’s current quarantined circumstances by trumpeting hope for a better, more empathetic future. It’s a reminder that even in the toughest times, voices carry, and the gift of song — primal, healing, transporting — is a remedy unlike any other.

JESSICA BARCLOUGH

21, Straight Junior, George Mason University Major: Theater Listening to: Jack Garratt, The 1975, Lizzo “It is impossible to meet somebody that does not like music.

While we all have different tastes in styles, the art of the song brings people together. People from all different walks of life can come together and bond over a band, artist, or genre of music. It gives us power in our day to day lives. Being able to tell a story is my favorite part about being an artist. Singing brings light into the world as well as my life.”

Bentley

Bloch

RASHONDA BENTLEY

22, Straight Senior, Liberty University Major: Commercial Music Listening to: The Clark Sisters, Whitney Houston, Tamela Mann “My ultimate goal is to be an International Gospel recording artist who also is a featured vocalist on Broadway competitions and maybe some Broadway shows. I just want to impact the Kingdom of God and impact the world with not just my singing voice, but with the words I have to say verbally, and through my actions.”

“This coronavirus has impacted my life tremendously in more good ways than bad. I was supposed to be graduating May 9th from Liberty and doing an internship at a church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Even though everything was cancelled, I changed my perspective and remembered some words from Dr. Vernon Whaley, ‘The longer the line of preparation, the greater the opportunity.’ I believe there is a greater opportunity waiting for me with my name on it. So, this setback is just a setup for my comeback.”

OLIVIA BLOCH

18, Ally Freshman, American University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: David Bowie, Shaina Taub, Joni Mitchell “I have been singing for as long as I can remember! Both of my parents worked in the music industry before I was born — my dad as a musician in various grunge bands and my mom as a publicist. For me, singing is a way to express emotions that simply speaking words cannot do justice to. It is a way to tell stories, and transport you to a realm beyond the everyday. It brings both joy and a sense of groundedness into my life. The power of song can be healing. In hard times, listening to music can make one feel less alone. It can also be celebratory, entertaining, and spread

Borchers

joy. Music forms a soundtrack to our lives. The world would be much less colorful without it.”

SYDNEY BORCHERS

19, Straight Sophomore, Liberty University Major: BFA Musical Theater Listening to: Harry Styles, Johnnyswim, The Band Camino “I can honestly say that I am my most confident self when I am singing my heart out. Music has continued to show me the beauty and order of God's creation. Music is so powerful because it APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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has the ability to bring people from all different kinds of backgrounds, races, religious affiliations and more together, for it is something that we all can enjoy and find solace in.”

allow them to have an experience. My goal, as a singer and as an artist in general, would be to impact people in this way.”

“The coronavirus has caused a lot of big changes in my life. I have had to switch to online school and video auditions, and I have had to go home to quarantine with my family. It is a time of a lot of change and uncertainty, but I am trying not to lose hope or live in fear. Every day brings something new.”

JESSICA ELKINS

22, Lesbian Senior, University of Mary Washington Major: Theater Listening to: Maggie Rogers, Rex Orange County, Orville Peck “Singing is one of the ultimate forms of expression. It brings the

ability to emote the way words cannot. Music tells a story, and having the instrument be your own body is a uniquely special feeling. I think the power of song brings forth an outlet for people to feel. At concerts, people gather together. Theaters, music halls, wherever it may be there is a sense of community unlike any other. Song lets you know you aren't alone.”

CAMILLE CAPERS

21, Straight Senior, Howard University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Lizzo “I first got interested in singing by watching the musicals I loved growing up. As a kid, I was really into all the Disney movies, and then when I got older I was really into shows like Glee. I then got really into Broadway musicals, which sparked my love for singing even more. Music has the power to make people stop and have an escape from whatever they are going through in life. It has the power to transport people to another time and place and

EMILY FLACK

23, Ally Senior, William & Mary Major: Theater and Music Listening to: Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Joni Mitchell

Elkins

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“My mother is a violinist, so I've always been surrounded by music in my house and in my life. Singing brings joy and light into my life. What I've been taught, and what I believe fully, is that singing begins where regular speech can no longer convey the emotions you're feeling in that moment. There's something so beautiful about being able to use your voice to release something you've been holding onto, express happiness and sadness, or even just bring a little bit of peace into someone else's world for a few moments. It has also given me the courage to use my

voice. I am an introvert living in a very extroverted entertainment world. Whenever I feel nervous or out of place, I can always return to my singing and let singing speak for me.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a serious curveball my way. I am a senior, and was planning on living out the rest of my senior spring at college before graduating and going to the beach with friends. I like to try and find any sort of silver lining I can.

I get to spend every day with my family and my four dogs, I can finish reading the books in my room that have been half-finished for years, and I can find the beauty in the situations I took for granted before, like getting to pass a friend on the way to class or going to study in the library together. Once this pandemic ends, I feel that everyone will have a stronger appreciation for the small and beautiful things in life.”

“I absolutely love to be out exploring and photographing things

around me that I find interesting. The coronavirus pandemic has taken away the luxury of being able to leave my house at the drop of a hat. It has created a fear of leaving the comforts of my home and I just feel trapped. The virus has changed the way I live my day to day life by having to think about how to stay healthy even more than before.”

ANDREA GORMLEY SHANNON TIERNEY FLACK

20, Ally Sophomore, James Madison University Major: Studio Art-Photography BFA Listening to: Heart, Freddy Hall, Phil Collins “In high school I was bullied by people I thought would support me and make me feel comfortable at school — members of the theater department. I felt as though my voice and my safe place at school had been ripped away from me. I stopped performing, I stopped singing, and I stopped standing up for myself. Within the past two years I have slowly found myself and I can confidently say singing helped me do that. Music has always been an escape and a means of sharing my feelings. Once I came to terms with what happened in high school, I allowed myself to not be afraid to put myself out there and sing for people again. When I started singing again, my confidence and my sense of self slowly started to reemerge. Music is the way we communicate when speaking won't do. Music is also a way to bring people of all types together. The power of song impacts us all by creating a space for us to share what we have to say when all other forms of communication won't suffice.”

21, Straight Sophomore, Frostburg State University Major: Vocal Performance Listening to: Ben Platt, the Puppini Sisters, Chet Baker “Music can impact others through emotion. I know for myself, that when I'm sitting in an audience and listening to someone sing, I can feel the emotion they're trying to convey to the audience. I can feel a specific emotion as well when performing.

Music, in many ways, really touches the soul and makes you feel things familiar or sometimes entirely new.”

BRODY GRANT

20, Straight Junior, Shenandoah Conservatory Major: Musical Theater Listening to: The Doobie Brothers, Justin Bieber, Ella Fitzgerald “Singing is a medicine, honestly. Sometimes if I'm in a funk or it's been a crazy week, I forget to sing for myself. But when I sit down to write a song, or even just figure out chords on the guitar and sing along, I always feel a little bit better. Not only that, but the community that singing has brought me is one that is full APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Grant

Gravina

of loving and creative people. I would not trade this family of friends and mentors for the world. Just like every good art form, songs give people a snapshot of their life. Someone can listen to 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and say, ‘Wow, I feel this way right now. I feel down and out. Someone knows how I'm feeling.

Someone else knows what this is like.’ And that is the beautiful thing about music: it's neverending empathy.”

to new perspectives. Music gives people the permission to feel emotion. Whether it be excitement or sorrow, music has the power of bringing immense amounts of joy, while also smoothly hiding the lesson of a problem under a melodic line. It's a language we turn to when our own language cannot fully express the emotions at hand. It's a universal line of communication that requires no language, reminding people at the end of the day of how similar we all actually are, and I think that's beautiful.”

AL GRAVINA

20, Gay Junior, James Madison University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Frank Sinatra, Haley Reinhart, Lana Del Rey “Song can move people more than almost anything. There's something about the combinations of melodies, harmonies, vocals, orchestrations and lyrics that can speak directly to the soul, and I think that's really beautiful. Coming from a town which never supported me because I was proudly openly gay and not having many gay role models, I'd love to be a model for those who grew up like me — just show them that it's okay to be themselves, and they can make it through the rough patches.”

COLLIN HABER

20, Gay Junior, Temple University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Norah Jones, Ben Platt, Sam Smith “Singing brings joy, comfort, and new perspectives. For my seventeenth birthday, my parents installed a karaoke system in our house, which is now used at every family occasion. I now have endless memories of belting out Whitney Houston with my family, which also go along with the memories of singing in car rides with friends, and while folding towels at work. It serves as my entertainment, escape to nostalgic memories, and door 30

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DALLAN HALKIAS

21, Non-Binary Junior, West Virginia University Major: Voice Listening to: Cyrille Aimee, King Princess, Norah Jones “Singing is the reason for my existence. It has saved my life, and

given me a place to heal all of the brokenness that comes from a world full of hate and sorrow. Singing brings me joy, and thrills me with each note. The power of song can be different for every person. I have seen an elderly deaf man tap his foot along to the beat of my flute playing, with a huge grin on his face. I have seen my mom cry in the audience while I sang in a language she doesn't even speak. Music has this unspeakable power to bring people together and help people to feel emotions and pure love, without the need to even understand the language.”

ISABEL HARTZELL

19, Straight Sophomore, Temple University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Kristen Chenoweth, Julia Michaels, Frank Ocean “Singing is my greatest joy other than the company of those I love. Singing is my passion in life and I see it as one of the most powerful vessels of expression and connection. My ultimate goal as a singer is to keep performing with others and for others for as

Haber

Halkias

Hartzell

much of my life as possible. I crave the special connection with others that making music, especially singing, creates.”

Joseph

ALEXA JOSEPH

21 Junior, Temple University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Janis Joplin “Singing has always been such a gift in my life that has allowed me to express myself. It has shaped everything about who I am and what I want to put out into the world. I know it has the

power to heal and inspire, because that is what it has done for me. Music reaches out and affects people, it brings them together and allows us to have a moment where we can share our experiences and stories in a universal language. It has the power to uplift people when they are at their lowest lows, and gives people the chance to celebrate when they are at their highest. It is a conversation between artist and listener that makes people feel seen and heard.”

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within six feet of each other has been taken away for this short time, and it has made life difficult in ways I didn't think I ever would have to encounter. Other things that I took for granted were things like simply hugging people, going to coffee shops, going shopping, attending concerts, and these things have hurt more than I ever thought they would. I know that once this is over most of us will probably have a different outlook on life. I know I will.”

DRAKE LEACH

20, Straight Sophomore, George Mason University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Jimmy Durante, Fun., Sammy Rae

KATELYN KARPINSKI

20, Bisexual Sophomore, West Virginia University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michealson, Blondie “Singing brings so much joy into my life. The rush and feelings that it brings me is something that I truly can't explain. It must be what true happiness feels like. I think the power of song and an entertaining performance is unlike any other. As a musical theater major I've found that what I do is one of the only things that can bring people to tears and then have them laughing their heads off a minute later.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has taught me not to take things for granted. Just the simple idea of gathering with a few friends

“Singing is the most freeing form of expression for me — escapism through, simply enough, making pretty noise. Or sometimes it's awful noise. But it's a noise that you get to take ownership of. That is empowering to me, the ability to call something my own. It took me the longest time to discover the power in singing without perfection and how delightful that truly can be. I hope at the very least music brings unity. It's easy to feel disconnected, particularly in a time where that physically actually is the case.

Despite that, songs have the ability to supersede traditional interactions and find a place in the nostalgia of someone, or the deeper recesses of their emotions. It can move, it can reiterate, it can bring about new ideals. All this through rhythmic lyricism and orchestration, often all at the same time. It's something we can all relate to in at least one way.”

“The pandemic has actually brought light to hidden joys in my life. I've gotten to dive into learning the piano, a pastime I've been meaning to focus on but never made time for. I've received more free online dance classes than should be reasonably taken, and recognized how much I miss my family and how wonderful it is to be surrounded by their presence and constant support.

There's so much to miss and regret right now that it's been very illuminating to see how many aspects of my life were wonderful, and what strides I need to take to be more grateful for them.”

ELIZABETH LUDLAM

21 Junior, The Catholic University of America Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Ben Platt, Billy Joel, Taylor Swift “From the moment I have been able to speak, I have been singing. Singing to me is life. It is a channel through which I can communicate emotions and experiences. It lifts me up when I am down. It is my way of connecting with people. I dream of being a professional performing artist and eventually open my own theater for artists with developmental disabilities.”

Leach

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“March and April were going to be huge months for me. I was supposed to be playing Ronette in CUA Centerstage's production of Little Shop of Horrors. My choir was going to tour the DMV area. I was so excited to perform at Arena Stage for the NextGen competition. My friend and I were going to move into an apartment together. Now, all of my plans have changed. All the hard work I spent preparing for my performances were mostly for nothing. I am at home in Charleston, S.C., living with six other

Ludlam

Mautner

people and trying to pursue a performance degree online. I have lost all three of my jobs. The end of my Junior year came far too soon. There are many friends that I never got to say goodbye to. Most of my belongings are locked in my room in D.C. and I have no idea when I will be able to collect them. Despite all this uncertainty, I am grateful for the health and safety of my family.

I am happy that I am able to spend so much quality time with them. I am grateful for the technology that allows me to continue my education despite this pandemic. Finally, I am grateful that this situation has taught me not to take anything for granted.”

SAMANTHA MAUTNER

22, Ally Senior, Temple University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Lady Gaga, Sia, Paramore “Singing is kind of like a friend that is always there for me, something I can do when things are difficult (like right now). Music is an entirely universal language. Especially nowadays, so many of us (including myself) have short attention spans, and it is hard to focus on one thing at a time with distractions like social media and the constant question of ‘What's next?’ But when a song comes on that you are drawn to, whether it's on the radio or someone singing on TV or on a stage, it is mesmerizing. Parties feel empty without happy music and sad scenes in movies feel empty without sad music.”

LUCAS MEINERDING

18, Straight Freshman, Liberty University Major: Commercial Music: Recording, Engineering, & Producing, Listening to: The 1975, The Band Camino, Jon Bellion “It's hard for me to describe how much the art of singing means to me. Just the act of simply humming along or directly singing

Meinerding

every single word of a song brings me so much joy. I've been writing my own songs for a few years now, and the feeling of singing original words and melodies has brought a whole new wonder to the world of music for me, and I am ever-grateful for that. The power of song transcends so many boundaries: political, sexual, religious, racial, or any other point of view. That's why countries put music to their national anthem, because no matter how much people disagree, if everyone knows the same song, there is potential for a connection. Songs like ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon or ‘Livin' on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi are tunes that everyone can sing and everyone can relate to.”

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Morchower

KAYLEE MICHAEL

20, Straight Freshman, Ohio University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Queen, Billy Joel, Andrew Lloyd Webber

audience and trusting yourself to complete this daunting task before you. The most that I have gained from singing is confidence and love for myself. If I can sing a sustained high C, I can literally do anything.”

“There are very few things in life that I could do everyday and singing is one of them. I never get tired of expressing myself through a song and just letting go of everything else that might be going on in my life. Song is great at bringing forward emotions that we either have suppressed or have forgotten about.”

“Unfortunately, the final quarter of my senior year of college

“The coronavirus pandemic has affected my life in the same way it has affected any freshman in college right now. I've just started school in this new environment and I just began making strong connections with the people in my program. It's hard to be away from new friends, and now we aren't allowed to be near old friends. It has given me some time to learn things about myself and what I need to stay motivated and put my best self forward in a situation I may not be prepared for or expecting. My family and I have had to cancel a few fun things we were going to do and it's upsetting, but we are very fortunate to be in the place that we are right now and to be healthy.”

ERICA MORCHOWER

22, Lesbian Senior, Shenandoah Conservatory Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Sammy Rae, Grimes, The 1975 “I view singing as a way to escape from the world for a few minutes, because when I'm singing I'm not thinking about politics (unless the lyrics are politically-driven). It brings a mix of different emotions into my life, depending on the day, but there is nothing like the feeling of singing your heart out in front of an 34

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has come to a close. There are a lot of milestones that go hand in hand with the end of school that I will no longer get to celebrate.

It's extremely sad for me and my friends, as we were on Spring Break when we got the news that we would not be returning.

I don't know when I will get to go back to Winchester and say goodbye to the place I've lived and grown in for the past four years, which hurts a lot. I'm trying to keep my head up, though, because we will eventually get through this.”

JANELLE ODOM

21, Ally Junior, Howard University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Tori Kelly, Leslie Odom, Cynthia Erivo “My mom says I was born out of the womb singing, but I think my love for it really developed when I was five years old when I was given a solo in a Christmas musical. The song was ‘Happy Birthday, Jesus,’ and ever since then, I knew where my heart would lie for the rest of my life. Singing is the way I express myself and the only way the deepest emotions of my heart are able to pour out and release much of the tension I often hold. It brings peace and a sense of self-love in my life.”

“The pandemic has really been an eye-opening and refreshing

time which is ironic because of the state of the world. Personally, I think it is our job as artists to continue to create and use this time wisely to write, produce, and dive deeper into our craft. I

Odom

Swartout

to almost stop and I am completely and utterly free to be myself in that space. There is nothing in the world quite like the moment that you can share your voice with the world. It is such a special gift that everyone has been given, and I feel so lucky that I am able to experience that every day of my life. There is such a joy that I find when and I sing and time stops for just a little moment. Music has the power to change the world. I think that music can build bridges that physical bridges sometimes cannot. And in this time, where we are so uncertain, music can bring peace, joy, happiness, and beauty to people who need it.”

“The coronavirus has caused me to become much more selfaware about our need for empathy, compassion, and understanding in the world. The coronavirus has brought my life to a standstill and I think it has caused me to realize how important the smiles and kind words I give are to other people, especially in this time where we are self-quarantining without human to human interaction all the time. It has really brought people closer to me because I now remember to cherish life more often.”

MAX SWARTOUT Smith

feel it is my full responsibility as an artist to continue to be a light in the world that is suffering right now.”

20, Gay Sophomore, Ohio University Major: Music Education (Choral Emphasis) Listening to: Dixie Chicks, Brandi Carlile, Miranda Lambert “I identify as a singer and musician — it's a part of who I am. I

ETHAN SMITH

20, Gay Sophomore, Catholic University Musical Theater Listening to: Carole King, JoJo, Cher “There is this moment every time that I sing where time seems

will always make music because it brings me life, joy, comfort, and expression. Music is medicine. Music is expression. Music is communication. Music is history. The power of song is inconceivable. It is so diverse in its meaning and use around the world and among cultures. It is, frankly, a very interesting thing.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has impacted my life, like many,

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classes are online, which is weird as a music major. I'm worried about the world, country, and my life. I want things to go back to normal.”

KODIAK THOMPSON

Junior, Temple University 21, Gay Major: Musical Theater Listening to: YEBBA, Lizzo, Emily King “When I listen to ’50s and ’60s music, I am teleported to a world that celebrates simplicity and authenticity. Though this time period was anything but simple, its songs capture a certain

“With a lot of competitions, you win cash and go on your merry way.

But with us, you win a cash prize, and then you get asked to sing with the orchestra.” — Luke Frazier

love and gratitude for the simple joys in life, in addition to a cry for progress. Perhaps because I grew up with it, to me this music represents freedom from worry and pain. It provides a new perspective in overcoming struggles, whether by honoring the human condition or providing a beautiful escape. It is my hope that my singing can honor the artists who came before me and continue to entertain, comfort, and inspire more creative hearts.”

BEKAH UMANSKY-ZORNOSA

20, Bisexual Sophomore, American University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: The Beatles, Rex Orange County, The Beach Boys “I have seen the power of song with my grandmother (I call her Wita). For some strange reason, Alzheimer's only kindness is that it leaves the memory of music intact. Although little remains of the Wita I knew — even her drawings are reduced to black crayon scratches in a coloring book that once held rainbows — she can still sing a Spanish love song or dance to a Colombian cumbia. Music is our only language, and my only desire is to perform, to make the impossible leap between memory and experience and meet Wita in the only common ground we now share. I meet her in the space between the notes and cling to these rare moments, which won't last for her and may one day escape from me.”

SAVANA VAUGHN

20, Straight Senior, Liberty University Major: B.M. in Commercial Music: Artist Development Listening to: Cody Fry, Jordy Searcy, JP Saxe “I sing to express how I feel when I can't quite put my feelings into words. When I sing, it feels like the whole world stops and everything is working in perfect harmony for just a moment. All my problems, worries, and doubts drift away for minutes at a time while I pour my heart out into the song. Singing brings me joy, comfort, and sometimes, healing. Worship is a huge part of my life, and I use my voice to worship God every time I open my mouth. He is the one who has gifted me with a voice and I live to worship Him.” KATHLEEN WEST

21, Ally Senior, George Mason University Major: Musical Theater Listening to: Joni Mitchell, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Jack Johnson

GLORIANNA PICINI

“To me, singing is an escape, an expression, and a love. Like any art, it provides an outlet for the artist and an escape for the audience, from whatever it is that's going on in our lives and our minds. The power of a song can impact us in whatever way we let it. That's what I love so much about music, and about art, is that it means something different to every person. I love that I get to connect with music on the level that I love, and I love even that I get to share that with others.”

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Thompson

Umansky-Zornosa

Vaughn

West

“As a gal who regularly struggles with mental illness, this pan-

The American Pops Orchestra’s third annual NextGen vocal competition is Friday, April 24 (semi-finals), Saturday, April 25 (finals), and Sunday, April 26 (winners announced). The event starts at 8 p.m. EST on each evening. Register to receive a private live-stream link here. There is no charge, but the APO is asking for a suggested donation of $15 to $25 to help support its artists and musicians through these uncertain times.

demic has been a big challenge. That's another reason why I'm so grateful for the art and the community of artists in my life. We as a community have grown stronger than ever, constantly in support of each other, and continuing to create even in these scary and uncertain times. Art is going to be what gets us through this.

I know it's done wonders for me.” l

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VANNE GOODALL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

MICHAEL NICHOLS, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

HUGO VAN LAWICK, JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE

Gallery

J

Becoming Jane

ANE GOODALL TURNED 86 ON FRIDAY, APRIL 3, AND viewers with her memories of Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, the National Geographic Society celebrated by giving new which is then shown and explored through a virtual expedition. life to a recent exhibition, developed in partnership with Gombe is where Goodall launched her groundbreaking the Jane Goodall Institute, whose run at the museum was cut career 60 years ago, ultimately helping pioneer the genre of short due to the coronavirus pandemic. The exhibit, Becoming nature documentary as the subject of National Geographic’s Jane, has been refashioned into a Virtual Tour, enhanced very first television program. The exhibition highlights the with 360-degree videos capturing the layout of the key breakthroughs and scientific achievements of physical exhibition, allowing viewers to explore at Goodall’s career while also showcasing her more Visit the their own pace and immerse themselves in whatevrecent work in conservation. It ends with Goodall’s Exhibit Here er details they desire. The portrait of Goodall that “five reasons for hope,” as inspiring now as ever: emerges is of an intrepid explorer and renowned scientist who “The passion of young people, the human brain, the resilience has done so much to help humankind better understand our of nature, the power of social media, and the indomitable closest living relatives, chimpanzees. human spirit.”

Now, as before, the multimedia-rich Becoming Jane tells Additionally, on Wednesday, April 22, the National Goodall’s story through multi-screen experiences and iconic Geographic Channel will commemorate the 50th anniversary of images, plus video captures of the original exhibition’s advanced Earth Day with Jane Goodall: The Hope. The new documentary projections and augmented-reality features — the latter includ- premieres simultaneously at 9 p.m. on Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo ing footage of a hologram-like projection of Goodall regaling MUNDO, Disney+, and Hulu. (Doug Rule) APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Movies

Watch the Trailer

Family Circus

Circus of Books brilliantly recounts how a nice, straight Jewish couple erected a mecca of gay porn. By André Hereford

K

AREN AND BARRY MASON RAISED THEIR THREE KIDS IN 1970S L.A. always making a strict point of never discussing the family business at home.

Consequently, little Rachel, Micah, and Josh had no idea their seemingly straitlaced mom and dad owned and operated Circus of Books, West Hollywood’s most famous gay porn shop. Now the whole family is talking in Rachel Mason’s sharply edited, funny, heartfelt documentary Circus of Books (HHHHH), executive produced

by Ryan Murphy and debuting April 22 on Netflix.

A frank account of the store’s fabulous life as the Boystown hot spot for gay erotica fans, the film also serves as a winning portrait of the unconventional married owners, who met in the sixties at a party for Jewish singles and just happened into the porn industry. Good cop/bad cop duo Barry and Karen reveal themselves as natural storytellers with an endearing comic rhythm honed over decades of marriage. The film gracefully weaves the strange but true family history into an insightful appraisal of the role XXXrated media has played in queer culture, health, and progress over the past fifty years.

The deep dive should touch upon personal history for viewers who might vividly recall — or can neither confirm nor deny recalling — the store’s legendary location at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Jolla Avenue. Firsthand testimony from former customers and employees, including Drag Race’s unerringly droll Alaska, paint a mostly rosy picture of a sex-positive oasis where generations of gays who came seeking Honcho and Mandate, and any of thousands of adult video titles, also found their peers.

That’s not all they found. The store stocked some serious queer literature and activist publications alongside its toys, lubes, and dildos. Footage of the gayborhood when it was still known locally as Boystown accompanies fond “I lost my virginity” stories

about the infamous cruising strip Vaseline Alley that ran the length of the block directly behind the shop.

The movie misses an opportunity by forgoing substantial mention of LGBTQ bookstores and porn shops in other towns, similarly serving as beacons of community. But, impressively, in its tight 86-minute running-time, Circus of Books does cover the store building’s little-known, pre-Stonewall gay civil rights history, as well as the devastating AIDS era, in a sequence commemorating employees and friends lost to the disease. Most dramatically, the movie documents the store’s present-day petering out in the age of Pornhub and Grindr.

Theirs is “an aging, ailing business,” says Karen, leading the camera on a sweetly matter-of-fact tour past shelves of old DVDs with titles like Don’t Drop the Soap and Stryker Force. That’s Stryker as in Jeff Stryker, the ultimate gay adult movie star, who brings a latter-day Burt Reynolds energy to his engaging appearances here, reminiscing about the good old days when the Masons dipped their toes into producing and distributing their own gay porn titles. He praises Karen and Barry as a rarity in the adult film industry — “good, honest, trustworthy people,” elements of character that shine through plainly in this loving look at a landmark. l

Circus of Books releases Wednesday, April 22 for streaming globally on Netflix. Visit www.netflix.com.

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JUSTIN TYLER CLOSE

Music

Kind Words for Unkind Times Released several months early, Laura Marling's latest release is her most intimate and powerful yet.By Sean Maunier

F

OR ARTISTS WHO MAKE THEIR NAMES ON THE BACK OF A NICHE trend, it can be hard to claim staying power while remaining true to what made them a success in the first place. Laura Marling is a rare exception, having long outlasted the sudden wave of folk revival her first album emerged into twelve years ago.

In its exploration of womanhood and femininity, Song For Our Daughter (HHHHH) picks up where Semper Femina, her last solo album, left off. This time, however, she gets more personal, pairing her reflections with a spare, intimate sound. Marling presents the album as a meditation on what it means to be a woman in our society, in our present time, and, according to her statement, kept coming back to the question, “How would I guide my daughter, arm her and prepare her for life and all of its nuance?”

To clear things up, the daughter she describes here is completely fictional. Rather than a real daughter, Marling has nodded towards Maya Angelou’s Letter to My Daughter as an inspiration for the title. Twelve years on from her first album, she has done a lot of growing and maturing, as most people would, and as with most journeys, the process was rarely straightforward or obvious. Having now found herself at the point where she has accumulated enough wisdom to think of passing it on, she has set out to make someone else’s path through the world a little easier. So while her daughter is entirely hypothetical, she is very much a presence on this album.

Sparse instrumentation is nothing new to Marling, but here she strips everything down to the barest basics. For most of the album her voice is framed only by acoustic guitar and light percussion, occasionally accented by strings and piano, allowing her lyrics to really hit home. Song For Our Daughter moves through many moods, from

the breezy, detached “Strange Girl,” to the maudlin “Only the Strong,” to dreamy and pining tracks like “Hope We Meet Again.”

This restraint suits the tone of the album perfectly. As soothing and sentimental as the album is, it is far from saccharine. Softspoken as she is, Marling’s lyrics are often sharp and unambiguous. On the beautiful opening track, “Alexandra,” she pointedly sings, “I had to try, a fuck to give/Why should I die so you can live?” Apparently intended as a coda to Leonard Cohen’s “Alexandra Leaving,” the track leaves off with the question, “What did Alexandra know?” Left unsaid is what exactly she hopes to glean from the answer, but the implication is clear, attesting to her prowess as a storyteller.

When she does offer advice, as she does frequently, it often seems to come from a deeply world-weary place. The title track is especially poignant, going back and forth between addressing a listener who finds herself at some unspecified transition point and wondering out loud whether the advice will do her any good in the end. “You’ll ask yourself, ‘Did I want this at all?” The thought is a heavy one, but it’s surprisingly reassuring. Laura Marling’s honesty and the warm feeling of intimacy she is able to create with her songwriting make for one of the most comforting albums of the year so far. l

Song For Our Daughter is available on most streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, and for sale on www.amazon.com.

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JASON MCDONALD

Music

Tepid Return The Strokes attempt to correct course after a rocky few years. By Sean Maunier

R

ETURNING AFTER A SEVEN-YEAR HIATUS IS USUALLY CAUSE FOR CELebration. As uneven as The Strokes’ recent history may be, their earlier work was some of the defining sounds of the mid-2000s and even the most disillusioned fans probably felt some cautious excitement when they announced their latest album, The New Abnormal (HHHHH).

Whether or not a listener finds the album disappointing or not probably depends on the expectations they bring into it. It’s definitely not the band at its best, but in announcing the album, they made the claim that it would pull them out of the malaise they have found themselves in over the past few years. On that promise they deliver, and that alone will probably be a relief to fans who might have been dreading another Comedown Machine.

The album has a certain sleepiness to it, and it’s often difficult to tell whether or not this was intentional. Many of the songs, regardless of runtime, end up feeling like they have overstayed their welcome two-thirds of the way in. The paradoxical exception to this is the album’s longest track, the gorgeously atmospheric six-minute-long “Eternal Summer.”

The New Abnormal has a few new ideas that mostly cohere around a single consistent sound that leaves the album feeling somewhat directionless. For better or worse, the signature sound they made their name on is mostly only present in the background, hiding behind warm, muted instrumentals. Most of the songs are at least serviceable, but mostly they are too much like one another to be all that memorable.

As interesting as the sound is at times, one of the main problems with The New Abnormal is that it meanders from one idea to the next without much apparent intention or drive. It is full of good ideas, and a few elements that work amazingly well in

isolation, but they feel as though they were assembled haphazardly. The plucky guitar on the album opener “The Adults Are Talking” is fun, but midway through the track begins to plod along. Julian Casablancas’ falsetto, perhaps stronger than it has ever been, is made use of only sporadically.

When the album does come together, it does so beautifully. To their credit, they close out The New Abnormal on a high note with “Ode to the Mets.” An unusual track, it stands out not just for its synthy elements but for the way it highlights Casablancas’ vocals, which throughout the album are as strong as ever and are certainly another positive development.

Refreshingly, or frustratingly depending on your perspective, it offers a glimpse into what the rest of the album might have been with a tighter focus.

It would be easier to applaud The Strokes for making a somewhat bold attempt to reinvent themselves and once again find their way, if Casablancas had not already admitted that most of his real passion and interest is reserved for his side project, The Voidz. If The New Abnormal sounds directionless and lacking in passion, it is not for want of talent and potential. The Strokes have already proved they have plenty of that. More likely it was just a case of the wrong timing. l

The New Abnormal is available on most streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, and for sale on www.amazon.com.

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LastWord.

People say the queerest things

“This act is absolutely revolting and inhumane and proves yet again he is unfit to lead.”

—HRC President ALPHONSO DAVID, responding to news that Donald Trump is delaying stimulus checks intended to aid those impacted by coronavirus in order to have his name put on them. “This economic hurricane has disproportionately impacted marginalized groups, including LGBTQ people, who more often find themselves in industries that have completely shut down or dramatically scaled back staff and pay,” David said, noting that “Trump is delaying this much needed, vital resource for his own personal vanity.”

“Virginia now stands as a beacon of fairness, inclusivity and diversity.

Virginia is now fully open for business.”

—Lambda Legal CEO KEVIN JENNINGS, after Virginia became the first Southern state to enact protections against discrimination for LGBTQ people. “As a proud native son of the South...I know the commonwealth is sending a powerful message of inclusion and possibility throughout the region,” Jennings said. “As importantly, as a former teacher, I know that message will be especially meaningful and life-affirming for young people.”

“I want to know how you’re going to stop my loved ones from dying.

I don’t need a campaign video, Mr. President. ” —DON LEMON, speaking on CNN after Donald Trump used his coronavirus briefing on Monday to play a campaign video touting a heavily edited narrative of his response to the pandemic. Lemon recently lost a friend to the virus, gay philanthropist Robby Browne.

“How are you going to keep friends and loved ones from dying?” Lemon said. “It is crystal clear from what happened today what the president’s top priority is, defending himself rather than focusing on the health and well-being of the American people.”

“I don’t want to see trans and queer folks slip through the cracks while everyone else is receiving so much help and attention. ” —Pose star INDYA MOORE, speaking to Vogue about a COVID-19 relief fund they established that has donated more than $20,000 to the black trans and queer community. “A lot of people don’t understand why I am prioritizing trans folk specifically,” Moore said, “but as a trans person, I know that we’re the last to be checked on if we’re even lucky to be checked on at all, during a pandemic, a crisis, a war.”

“They told me: ‘We know where you got HIV. You’re gay.’

I told them that it’s not true. But they kept beating me. ” —A gay man who fled Turkmenistan and sought asylum in Europe, speaking to Radio Free Europe after police arrested him for being HIV-positive and forced him to confess to being gay. The man, who contracted HIV while attending university in Russia, said police found him after he sought medical treatment in Turkmenistan. Homosexuality is illegal in Turkmenistan, and rather than go to prison the man left and made his way to Russia, and then applied for asylum in Europe.

APRIL 16, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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