30
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JULY
13,
2018
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
BRIAN HOTCHKISS How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? I was out to my friends at 17 and my family at 21. Besides myself, it was most difficult telling my Mom.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
the d.c. gay flag football commissioner answers 20 gay questions By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Brian Hotchkiss says D.C.’s recreational gay sports leagues are a great way to meet people and make new friends. And he should know — he’s commissioner of the D.C. Gay Flag Football League, he’s on the Huck and Run Ultimate Frisbee team, he has a Stonewall Dodgeball team (Duck Dodgers in the 21st and One-Half Century) and this summer he joined Stonewall Bocce. Hotchkiss, a teacher by day, carefully stacks his schedule so he’s never double booked for games. Huck and Run plays Mondays, soccer is Tuesday, dodgeball Wednesdays, rugby is Saturdays and football on Sundays. “If there’s ever a conflict, deciding between the two is tricky,” the 31-yearold Ithaca, N.Y., native says. He can’t pick a favorite but has been in the football league the longest — since fall, 2012. As commissioner, he oversees and supports all the league’s operations, a role he started in spring 2017. He juggles it all “with varying degrees of success, less sleep than is healthy and a very colorful, messy Google calendar.” Hotchkiss grew up playing baseball, football and soccer through high school and flag football, lacrosse and rugby in college. He likes to watch any sport in season and has been enjoying the World Cup. He roots for the Washington Nationals and the Buffalo Bills. Hotchkiss works by day as a teacher at the Washington Latin Public Charter School. He came to the city in 2012 for a teaching job at Towson University. He’s single and lives with two roommates in the Bloomingdale/Shaw area. Hotchkiss enjoys sports (of course), food, running, lifting and keeping up with pop culture in his free time.
Who’s your LGBT hero? Andrew Goldstein coming out to his Dartmouth lacrosse teammates inspired me to come out. Also, I was lucky to meet John Amaechi in college and was awed by his presence and intellect. What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? I have very fond memories at my first gay bar and club, Nellie’s and Town (RIP). I’m excited by the newly opened Pitchers. Describe your dream wedding. Small ceremony. Picturesque view. A few friends and family. Personal vows. Everyone’s invited to the rager afterwards. What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? As a teacher, I’d be remiss not to say education. Besides building better schools, criminal justice reform is close to my heart. What historical outcome would you change? Kiddingly, I’d push Scott Norwood’s game-losing field goal in Super Bowl XXV to the left. Actually, I’d tell Lincoln the reviews for “Our American Cousin” were terrible. What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? It’s not one moment, but, instead, the steady rise of gay representation in media (though there’s still a long way to go). It’s still mind-blowing to me that I got to witness “Modern Family’s” gay couple go from being subversive to mundane. On what do you insist?
Being kind.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? Reminding DCGFFLers that Beach Bowl registration is closing soon! If your life were a book, what would the title be?
Something obscurely referential that, like, two people would get and I’d have to explain to everyone else who’d be like, politely, “Oh! OK, I… get it.” If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do? Stay gay. Being so has been so positively formative and altering that I couldn’t imagine life any other way. What do you believe in beyond the physical world? Life, being, sentience might exist. But we’ve got work to do to make ours more perfect. What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Listen to and be guided by the marginalized voices of our community: People of color, people who are economically disadvantaged and trans folk. What would you walk across hot coals for? A friend. What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? That same-sex relationships ought to follow gendered, heteronormative binaries (e.g.: “Which one’s the man? Who’s the woman?”) What’s your favorite LGBT movie? Last year was great for gay film: “Call Me By Your Name” and “Beats Per Minute” were both exceptional. What’s the most overrated social custom? Carb-free diets. What trophy or prize do you most covet? Secretary of Education nomination. Or a six pack. What do you wish you’d known at 18? Worry less. Do more. He isn’t the one. Why Washington? This town’s full of incredibly intelligent, passionately dedicated, just-minded, ambition-seeking citizens who believe, truly, they can make a difference. Their energy, conviction and resolve are infectious.