Washingtonblade.com, Volume 50, Issue 44, November 1, 2019

Rep. Hill finds support from left and right after resignation, PAGE 12

NOVEMBE R 01, 2019 • VOLUME 50 • I SSUE 44 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.CO M

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE 44

Congress lost one of its few openly queer members this week when Rep. Katie Hill resigned.

PAGE 12

06

Blade 50th Sponsors

17

Cannabis Culture

08

Comings & Goings

19

Viewpoint

09

Longtime Baltimore activist

22

A different kind of gay ‘Camp’

Bradley Grant dies

24

Queery: Kevin Wiggins

Amazon doesn’t keep LGBT

26

Tracy Young to spin

outreach in stock

28

Arts & Culture

Data at forefront of hearing on

29

All Stars: Federal Triangles Soccer Club

bias in credit, housing

30

Strong cast gives ‘Frankie’ luster

Rep. Katie Hill explains

31

May thy kingdom cum

abrupt resignation

32

Brass Knob’s final day

Gay icons Megan Rapinoe,

35

A guide to assisting aging

10 11 12 14

John Waters among new faces of Nike 15

Cuban gov’t targets queer journalists with cyberbullying

For distribution, contact Lynne Brown ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC

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N OV EMBE R 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.CO M • 07

D.C. AIDS Walk & Comings & Goings Run to End HIV draws Zack Ford moves to nearly 3,000 Alliance for Justice

By PETER ROSENSTEIN The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements.

Please share your successes with us at: comingsandgoings@washblade.com.

Congratulations to Zack Ford on his new position as press secretary at ZACK FORD Alliance for Justice (AFJ). According to its website, “For 40 years, AFJ has been a recognized leader in advocating for a judiciary that upholds the rights of all. AFJ has longstanding ties to Senate offices, legal organizations, and state and local advocates. Senators rely on our research and know our advocacy, making us a ‘go-to source.’” Upon accepting the position Ford said; “I think a lot of people understand that President Trump has appointed many judges, but fewer SHANE LARSON understand the impact that will have on our lives, and I’m looking forward to helping change that.”

Prior to taking this position Ford worked for more than eight years at ThinkProgress, the news source of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. While there he covered both LGBTQ issues and Trump. He also wrote the LGBTQ political newsletter Fording the River Styx. He was the founder/editor of ZackFordBlogs.com; and worked as a Graduate Assistant, Multicultural Student Services, Iowa State University.

He earned his bachelor of music, music education (piano), magna cum laude from Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., and his master’s of education, Higher Education/Student Affairs from Iowa State University. There he taught a course in Gender Justice and was a Teaching Assistant, Musical Theatre I and II. He currently serves on the Ithaca College Alumni Board of Directors. In 2014 The Advocate named him as one of its 40 under 40 voices in LGBTQ media. He is an accomplished pianist and still accompanies and directs musical theater when opportunities arise.

Congratulations also to Shane Larson on his new position as assistant to the president, Communications Workers of America, which represents 700,000 workers in private and public-sector employment. CWA members work in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, news media, broadcast and cable television, health care, public service and education, law enforcement, manufacturing and other fields. Prior to this appointment he was Director of Legislation, Politics and International Affairs for them. Before joining CWA, Larson was Government Affairs Director for the Association of Flight Attendants. He had also worked on Capitol Hill for Sen. Tom Daschle.

Larson has served a stint as board co-chair National Stonewall Democrats and is president of the Progressive Congress Action Fund. He has also served on the Board of Pride at Work, National LGBT constituency group of the AFLCIO. He earned his bachelor of science in International Politics at Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service in D.C.

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

Whitman-Walker Health’s 2019 annual Walk & 5K Run to End HIV was held Oct. 26.

Washington Blade photo by Zach Brian

Families with kids and pet dogs joined longtime LGBT and AIDS activists and scores of other D.C.-area residents on Saturday, Oct. 26, for Whitman-Walker Health’s 2019 annual Walk & 5K Run to End HIV. Whitman-Walker spokesperson Abby Fenton said more than 2,800 people turned out for the event and organizers were hopeful that it would reach its goal of raising $650,000 to continue WhitmanWalker’s operations as the city’s largest non-government provider of care for people with HIV. As it has in past years, the walk and run began and ended at Freedom Plaza in downtown D.C. at 13th and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. According to its website, WhitmanWalker says its mission is to offer “affirming community-based health and wellness services to all with a special expertise in LGBTQ and HIV care.”

Naseema Shafi, Whitman-Walker’s CEO, was among several speakers at an opening ceremony for the event at Freedom Plaza.

“At Whitman-Walker our mission includes the empowerment of all persons to live healthy, love openly, and achieve equality and inclusion,” Shafi told walkers and runners. “We do this through our work in care, advocacy, research and education,” she said. “Your support here and the broad support of our communities are the guiding North Star that inspires us each day,” Shafi told a cheering crowd.

“I’m so proud to see so many of you

here,” she said, noting that among those participating in the event were D.C. Council members Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), David Grosso (I-At-Large), and D.C. Department of Health AIDS office official Michael Kharfen.

Also participating in the walk was gay Logan Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner John Fanning, who said he has joined D.C.’s AIDS Walk each year for the past 30 years. Fanning is one of six candidates who have announced they are running for the Ward 2 D.C. Council seat in next year’s Democratic primary.

D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who was the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony, praised Whitman-Walker for organizing an annual AIDS walk for the past 33 years.

“As long as I am in Congress and as long as this virus is with us, I will be here walking with you,” Norton said. “And I commend you for keeping on walking.”

Jummy Olabanji, an anchorwoman at D.C.’s NBC 4 News who served as a cohost at the opening ceremony, noted that in 2018, Whitman-Walker served 20,790 patents and clients through more than 130,000 unique appointments during that year.

She said Whitman-Walker administered more than 19,000 HIV tests in 2018, and more than 7,000 of the tests were given free of charge. “They also served over 1,800 transgender and gender expansive individuals,” she said.

“That is why you all helped support this great nonprofit,” she continued. “And that’s why we’re all here this morning.”

08 • WA S HI NGTON BL A DE.CO M • N OV EM B ER 0 1 , 2 0 1 9 • LO CAL N EW S

Longtime Baltimore activist Bradley Grant dies

BRADLEY GRANT died last month.

Photo courtesy Baltimore OutLoud

Baltimore native and pre-Stonewall gay activist Bradley Grant died on Oct. 11 at Gilchrist Hospice in Towson, Md. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016 and was able to live independently and with much enthusiasm until 10 days before his death.

In 1968, Grant held a birthday party in his home in Dundalk with his many gay friends, some of whom were extravagant, and his next-door neighbor was not pleased. The outraged neighbor came over to his house and shot him.

Fortunately, the bullet hit his arm, wrist, and hand causing no serious damage.

When the police arrived, their focus was not the neighbor’s attempted murder; instead they arrested Grant for holding a disorderly party. In these pre gay-liberation days this response by the authorities was common – arrest the victim if that person happened to be queer.

Grant was not about to be a victim and he used this indignity as motivation for action. He contacted the Washington, D.C.-based Mattachine Society, met with someone in Washington – likely pioneering activist Frank Kameny – and less than two weeks later joined them in their annual Day of Remembrance July 4th demonstrations at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. In those days before Stonewall, few people had the courage to publicly proclaim their homosexuality by marching in a demonstration urging justice for gay people. But Grant can be seen in photos of the event picketing with the other courageous lesbians and gay men, placard in his wounded hand wrapped in bandages.

Bradley was one of Baltimore’s true characters, extremely outgoing – “larger than life” his friend Scott MacLeod said – and could easily command a room. Another friend, who occasionally took him to his medical appointments, described him entering the large waiting area at the Kaiser Medical Center in Woodlawn and announcing “All medical treatments are half price until 3 p.m.!” He brought joy and humor to so many people. As longtime friend Bill Bixler said, “Bradley was the prince of many universes.”

Bradley was well known in the Baltimore underground gay community of the 1960s and 70s, and because he had a camera, documented many of the events of this outlaw scene. His slideshow of 60s and 70s Baltimore’s secret gay life showed a thriving community of lesbians and gay men living their lives with joy despite the danger of discovery by the straight world. He photographed young gay men, lesbians, and drag queens at parties and causing mayhem at the Bickford’s restaurant on Calvert Street after the bars closed or on Halloween, at the annual Hairdressers Ball and Druid Hill Park arts festival, and many other long-gone high points in the gay social calendar.

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD

LOCA L NE WS • NOV EMBER 01, 2019 • WA SHIN GTON BL A DE . COM • 09

Roem emphasizes record ahead of Va. elections Virginia state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) is among those who are on the ballot in next week’s crucial General Assembly elections.

Roem, a former journalist, in 2017 defeated Bob Marshall, an anti-LGBTQ Republican who had represented the 13th District in the Virginia House of Delegates since 1992. Roem is the first openly trans person seated in any state legislature in the U.S. Roem on Nov. 5 will face off against Republican Kelly McGinn, who has been criticized over her anti-LGBTQ positions and statements. Roem defended her record in Richmond when she spoke with the Washington Blade on Monday.

“I ran on Medicaid expansion,” said Roem while driving through her district.

“We have now made Medicaid expansion available for 400,000 Virginians who were either uninsured or underinsured last year.”

Roem noted that up to 12,000 residents of Prince William County and 466 people who live in Manassas have enrolled in Medicaid since its expansion.

“That’s a huge deal,” she said.

Roem told the Blade she “got the job done” on raising teacher pay in Prince William County and Manassas Park by 5 percent. Roem also said she helped raise $20 million to help improve Route 28, an issue on which she campaigned in 2017.

“As a freshman member of a minority party, I passed more bills than my predecessor did in his 13 terms with a two to one majority,” said Roem.

Roem also spoke about her race.

“It’s not just that I know my constituents, but that I deliver for my constituents,” said Roem.

Republicans currently control the House of Delegates by a 51-48 vote margin and the Virginia Senate by a 2019 vote margin. State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), who is gay, told the Blade that Roem’s race is one of a few to watch as an indicator if Virginia is trending blue.

“Prince William will show if incumbents are holding well,” Ebbin said. “It is a bellwether county that turned over significantly in the last election with Democrats taking Republicanheld seats, and we want to see if those gains have solidified there.”

He also pointed to the Virginia Beach and Richmond races as possible places to pick up two Senate seats and “win the majority.”

The Human Rights Campaign in

August announced it would make a “sixfigure” investment in Virginia to help Democrats regain control of the General Assembly. Both Roem and Ebbin agree a Democratic majority is vital to passing bills that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and public employment.

“Show me a Democratic majority and I will show you housing and employment nondiscrimination as well as the Virginia version of the Equality Act,” Roem told the Blade.

Roem’s comments are in contrast to statements from representatives of Equality Virginia, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group, and the LGBTQ Victory Fund who said a leadership change in the House of Delegates may be adequate as previous Senate versions of the bills did receive bipartisan support.

“It’s my understanding if they [both bills] came up for a vote today, they would pass,” said Victory Fund Senior Political Director Sean Meloy. “But the House leadership is not letting that happen.”

However, Ebbin and Roem differed on whether a leadership change alone, while still maintaining a Republican majority, was enough to see these LGBTQ bills become law.

“The Senate version can pass the House,” Ebbin pointed out. “It’s about them being considered in committee, and that requires a Democratic majority since Republicans have shown over and over they won’t give their consideration to these measures.”

Roem pointed out her record of success garnering bipartisan support to pass other legislation important to her constituents while these bills were allowed to die in committee.

“There is no member of the Republican leadership who supports these measures.

If they did, they would have allowed them to pass,” Roem said. “They will talk a good game on equality, but at the end of the day when we had two votes on the House floor … the entire Republican caucus, the last two years on record, rejected equality.”

Democrats lead Republicans by a 36-31 percent margin in the generic ballot for the state Senate and by a 38-30 percent margin in a generic House ballot, according to the August Roanoke College poll of potential voters. A Christopher Newport University poll conducted this month found likely voters favored Democrat over Republican General Assembly candidates by a 51-37 percent margin.

PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN

Amazon doesn’t keep LGBT outreach in stock Critics say behemoth lacks marketing, philanthropy footprint in community

By SCOTT STIFFLER

A rare ad from Amazon in an LGBT-identified publication.

From books to booze to pop-up tents to toiletries, tell Amazon what you want, and they’ll deliver almost anything — except a straight answer about their outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, as it pertains to advertising, marketing, and communication.

“Hi Scott – we don’t have anything to share at this time. Thanks!”

Peppy use of the exclamation point notwithstanding, Amazon public relations representative Mackenzie Ritter’s sole substantial reply (if one can say that of a 12word email) to this reporter’s weeks-long request for comment cut like the whirling blades of a failed drone delivery test.

“We don’t provide details regarding our marketing programs – you can find out more about how we support the LGBTQ community here,” said Mackenzie in a quote attributed directly to Amazon, which arrived a few hours after one final appeal.

Follow that link (aboutamazon. com/our-company/our-positions) and you’ll find “carefully considered and deeply held” progressive positions on everything from the federal minimum wage to immigration reform to heatinduced climate change.

It’s the LGBTQ+ rights section, however, that gives credence to the

sticking point of Troy Masters, publisher and editor of the Los Angeles Blade (the Washington Blade’s sister publication).

Amazon cites its “early and strong support of marriage equality” and ongoing commitment to “advocate for protections and equal rights for transgender people,” noting they “stand together with the LGBTQ community,” and crowing about their “perfect score” on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index for the last three years.

Standing together with our community, says Masters, must translate into direct engagement, by going beyond providing gender transition benefits to employees or advocating for legislation at the federal and state level (both of which Amazon does).

“I am unaware that they have a marketing or philanthropy footprint inside our community,” says Masters.

“They don’t seem hostile, but they are not an active flag-raiser, except perhaps via employee groups at very select events. To me, that kind of marketing is dark marketing — it’s dark because it is not at all inclusive.”

Now there’s a zinger Masters says

can be applied to “every other company like them, every company that chooses to rub elbows at our multi-million dollar fundraisers, make a relatively small donation, buy a table at an event, and get their LGBT employees drunk for a night.

It’s an offensive strategy, in my opinion, if it is not backed up with general community-wide visibility and outreach.”

“They’re missing the chance to reinforce their already pretty good reputation in the gay community,” says Pride Source Media CFO Jan Stevenson, who, along with her wife, Susan Horowitz, has been publishing Michigan’s weekly newspaper, Between the Lines, for 26 years. “The demographic of the gay community tends to be very close to Amazon’s ideal customer. We’re first adopters. We’re loyal. Even aside from the social aspect of it, I just think it makes good business sense.”

Stevenson recalls attempting to engage Amazon, which has “a huge distribution facility not far from our offices. When they were doing ‘Help Wanted,’ we approached them about ads, but they didn’t take us up on it.”

Masters has a similar tale of unsuccessful outreach at the local level.

“I attempted to get live-streaming release ads from Amazon video,” he says, “since they own nearly every billboard in Los Angeles and they are doing a great deal of LGBT-specific or themed programming as part of their multi-billion dollar content spree in Hollywood.”

Nationally, adds Masters, “Todd Evans and his team are the LGBT liaisons for our community, with such accounts.”

As noted in two previous similarly themed articles focusing on Apple and Starbucks, Evans is president and CEO of Rivendell Media, which places advertisements for the National LGBT Media Association. Together, the association’s members — including Boston’s Bay Windows and NYC’s Gay City News — reach an estimated 500,000 weekly print and online readers.

“In 2013,” Evans notes, “Amazon did the funny Kindle same-sex beach commercial.

In 2018, they did another one for Fire TV featuring two gay men,” and also what Evans calls “the lonely ad”—a single-page print ad for Amazon’s wedding registry, in the April issue of Out Magazine.

The fact that he’s able to cite three ads that acknowledge LGBT consumers, says Evans, “is what’s different about them.

They’re at least doing something, whether

it’s to provoke thought or just test the waters, to see what various responses are.”

Evans says he’s surprised Amazon didn’t do a deeper dive.

“It’s so much easier to carry it to fruition, into LGBT media, where everybody is going to be paying attention to it,” says Evans. “There are plenty of other gay publications to advertise in.”

Of the Fire TV commercial, notes Evans, “There are plenty of digital networks you could run a TV ad on today.

You could even run it on Logo, where you have a super-friendly gay audience…

More than most companies, they already target consumers based on buying habits.

So they should have an understanding of how important the LGBT consumer is.

Like Apple and Starbucks, I feel these are all good companies that just really need to be educated on how to reach large numbers of LGBTs in ‘our’ specific media.”

One company that got, and continues to get, the message is Absolut Vodka. As of last year, Absolut had spent $31 million on LGBTQ marketing, and donated over $40 million to gay and lesbian charities.

Unlike Apple, Starbucks, and Amazon — none of which responded to our outreach with detailed comment — Absolut Vice President Regan Clarke was quick to respond, noting Absolut “was the first spirits brand to publicly support the LGBTQ community, beginning in 1981.”

Clarke called that move, unheard of for its time, “a risky decision for mainstream brands, because taking a stand for equality meant risking backlash from conventional culture. Today, Absolut is proud to stand as a beacon of diversity and inclusivity alongside LGBTQ communities, and continues to push the envelope of cultural progress – while celebrating and supporting the people and actions that have made that progress possible.”

It’s a far cry from the Amazon approach, says Masters, who is confounded by the chasm between knowledge and action.

“They know we are customers,” says Masters, of Amazon. “They believe in marketing, and they even believe in targeted marketing — yet they exclude us intentionally while also appearing to embrace us. It’s been happening much too long, this equation of elite support. We need to reel it in before our own media cease to exist and our journalistic voice is replaced by rubber chicken dinners at five-star hotels.”

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Data at forefront of hearing on bias in credit, housing David makes congressional debut as HRC president

Trump’s gay ambassadorial pick grilled on Russia Gilchrist up for post in Lithuania

By CHRIS JOHNSON CJOHNSON@WASHBLADE.COM

By CHRIS JOHNSON CJOHNSON@WASHBLADE.COM As LGBT rights advocates continue to press the Equality Act to ban antiLGBT discrimination, data was at the forefront of a congressional hearing Tuesday as evidence that anti-LGBT discrimination in housing and credit continues to exist.

Among the key statistics that emerged in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee: About half of LGBT adults own their homes compared to 70 percent of the non-LGBT adult population; LGBT adults are twice as likely as non-LGBT people to report having been prevented by a landlord or owner from moving into a home; and same-sex couples experience about three to eight percent lower approval rates in acquiring a loan than different-sex couples.

Chairing the hearing was Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who touted the importance of that data in laying out the case anti-LGBT discrimination persists despite claims to the contrary.

“Today we have demonstrated with empirical evidence that this level of invidious discrimination exists, such that it is quite harmful not only to the persons who have been discriminated against, but also to the country,” Green said.

Making his debut before Congress as president of the Human Rights Campaign was Alphonso David, who made the case discrimination is a consistent threat to LGBT people, particularly those who belong to other minority communities.

“Our community faces discrimination and rejection in every area of life — at school at work and at home,” David said. “Distressingly, the weight of this discrimination falls disproportionately on the shoulders of LGBT people who are racial minorities, specifically black and brown members of our community.”

David pointed out black male couples are the type of family most likely to face discrimination when seeking rental housing and 47 percent of black transgender women have attempted suicide over the course of their lifetimes.

A key point for David was the importance of the passing the Equality Act, legislation that would define anti-LGBT discrimination as discrimination based on sex in all aspects of federal civil rights law, including housing and credit.

The House approved the legislation in May, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to take it up.

For David, the importance of the Equality Act was intersectional. After all, the measure would not just institute LGBT protections, but strengthen protections against racial discrimination by expanding the definition of public accommodations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “If I went into a Gap department store to purchase a shirt, I could be discriminated against because there is no federal protection based on race,” David said. “There are state protections, but no federal protections. The Equality Act would fix that.”

Other witnesses at the hearing included Harper Jean Tobin, director of policy for the National Center for Transgender Equality; Michael Adams, CEO of Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders; Kerith Conron, research director at the Williams Institute, University of California, Los Angeles; Hua Sun, an economics professor at Iowa State University; and Francis Creighton, CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association.

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ROBERT GILCHRIST was queried on Russia’s hostility in his confirmation hearing.

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

Russia’s belligerence — which manifested itself during the 2016 election — was a key issue Tuesday during the confirmation hearing for President Trump’s pick to become the next U.S. ambassador to Lithuania.

Robert Gilchrist — who’s gay and a former president of GLIFAA, the affinity group at the State Department for LGBT employees — was skilled in drawing on his foreign policy expertise to answer the questions before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on Russia’s aggression.

The first question came from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who asked Gilchrist whether he sees Russia as a threat and what kinds of Russian actions would be of concern to Lithuania.

Although Gilchrist didn’t use the word “threat” to describe Russia, he did recognize the country is renewing its attention to countries it once controlled as part of the Soviet Union.

“Lithuania, I think, over the past decade has seen a number of challenges from Russia as the Russian government has increased military spending, and as they’ve increased their attention toward the Baltic states,” Gilchrist said.

For Gilchrist, one of the biggest challenges Lithuania is facing is Russian disinformation — which intelligence experts confirmed was in play during the 2016 election in the United States.

“The Lithuanians have been at the forefront in terms of countering that information, including through public

private partnerships, but also working closely with us,” Gilchrist said.

Pressed by Shaheen on the efforts to counter the disinformation campaign, Gilchrist talked about U.S. engagement in training journalists and supporting the traditional media.

“I think if you look through, through some of the recent press, you’ll see how the Lithuanians really in a masterful way have gotten out ahead of an issue before it became an issue domestically,” Gilchrist said. “And so, they are indeed at the forefront in many ways I think there’s some things that we could possibly learn from them as well.”

Asked what specifically the United States could learn from Lithuania, Gilchrist emphasized the private-public partnerships throughout the Baltic region.

“I’ve seen it they have this very active public private partnership, where I think across the Baltic region are private citizens are actively looking at what’s showing up in the media and then working with the government on that,” Gilchrist said. “I think it’s something that’s interesting but also it’s been very productive in Lithuania.”

Although he was nominated by Trump in July, Gilchrist — who currently serves as director of the operations center at the State Department — is a career Foreign Service officer and not a political appointee like other ambassadors.

CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Rep. Katie Hill explains abrupt resignation Sen. Harris calls her victim of ‘cyber exploitation’

By KAREN OCAMB

Rep. KATIE HILL resigned on Sunday.

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

LOS ANGELES — Rep. Katie Hill is determined to fight against the smear campaign designed to humiliate her.

But first she’s relinquishing her personal pinnacle of success. On. Oct. 27, Hill announced her resignation from Congress to avoid becoming a distraction as the Democrats continue their work and consider the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.

After praising Hill for her “great contribution as a leader of the Freshman Class,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement: “She has acknowledged errors in judgment that made her continued service as a Member untenable. We must ensure a climate of integrity and dignity in the Congress, and in all workplaces.”

Hill, 32, a bisexual rising leader as vice chair of the House Oversight Committee, acknowledged having an “inappropriate” relationship with a female campaign staffer. “I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment,” she wrote in a letter to her constituents.

But Hill has vigorously denied a rumored relationship with a male congressional staffer, a violation of

House Ethics Rules that triggered an ethics investigation.

“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community and our country,” Hill wrote in a letter posted on Twitter.

Politico reports that she is expected to officially step down on Nov. 1.

It is unclear if Hill’s resignation will halt her request to U.S. Capitol Police to investigate the origin of the nude photos that accompanied stories in the conservative online site RedState on Oct. 18 and a British tabloid that Hill calls “revenge porn” distributed by her estranged husband, Kenny Heslep, whom she is divorcing. Revenge porn is against the law in California.

Hill’s supporters include California Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic candidate for president. The photos were “clearly meant to embarrass her,” Harris told BuzzFeed News. The “public shaming,” she said, “sends a signal to other women that’s discouraging them from running for office.”

But “let’s also speak the truth that men and women are not held to the

same standards,” Harris said. “I mean, look at who’s in the White House.”

In November 2017, Harris introduced a bipartisan bill with Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) that would have made disseminating “revenge porn” a federal crime, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“Perpetrators of exploitation who seek to humiliate and shame their victims must be held accountable,” said Harris.

In a You Tube video posted Oct. 27, Hill explained why she resigned.

“I made this decision so my supporters, my family, my staff and our community will no longer be subjected to the pain inflected by my abusive husband and the brutality of hateful political operatives,” Hill said. “This coordinated campaign carried out by the fight wing media and the Republican opponents enabling and perpetuating my husband’s abuse by providing him a platform is disgusting and unforgivable and they will be held accountable.

“But,” she continued, “I will not allow myself to be a distraction from the constitutional crisis we’re faced with and the critical work of my colleagues. And so I have to take my personal fight outside

the Halls of Congress….I cannot let this horrible smear campaign get in the way of that work.”

Hill said she will “continue to fight for our democracy, for representation, for justice and equality and for making the world a better place.” And she will fight “to ensure that no one else has to live through what I just experienced.

“I’m hurt. I’m angry. The path that I saw so clearly for myself is no longer there.

I’ve had moments where I’ve wondered what the last three years of my life were for and if it was worth it. And I know that many of you feel the same,” Hill said in the video. “I never claimed to be perfect.

But I never thought my imperfections would be weaponized and used to try to destroy me and the community I’ve loved for my entire life. For that, I am so incredibly sorry.”

Hill said she is “so grateful for the outpouring of support” that she’s received and promised a comeback.

Reaction has been mixed to both the smear campaign and Hill’s resignation, including from someone Democrats might never consider – Donald Trump loyalist Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz.

“This is just absurd. The only person who seems to have a gripe is @ RepKatieHill’s soon-to-be ex,” Gaetz tweeted on Oct. 24 as the Ethics investigation of Hill was announced.

“I serve on Armed Services with Katie and while we frequently disagree on substance, she is always well-prepared, focused and thoughtful.”

“We are sorry to lose a good public servant in Congresswoman Katie Hill.

We thank her for putting her district first over the personal attacks that have been levied her way,” said Mark J. González, Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair, in a statement.

“The double standard that women — and LGBTQ women in particular — face in politics and the workplace is a sad stain on this nation,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. “America needs leaders like Katie. She always had our backs — we and thousands of her grateful constituents still have hers.”

The race is now on for Hill’s CA 25th District seat, including a possible run by the anti-LGBTQ Republican Hill defeated by nine points in 2018 - Steve Knight and former Trump campaign aide and Mueller squealer, George Papadopoulos.

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N OV EMBE R 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.CO M • 13

Gay icons Megan Rapinoe, John Waters among new faces of Nike Ad campaign reintroduces classic looks

By ED GUNTS

Photo courtesy Nike

Two highly regarded gay celebrities, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and filmmaker and writer John Waters, have been chosen to represent Nike in its latest promotional campaign.

Rapinoe and Waters are two of the three personalities who are featured in a marketing campaign for both Nordstrom department stores and Nike, the largest sportswear company in the world.

Called “No Cover,” the campaign highlights a collection of five classic Nike shoes that are being reintroduced with new colors and prints, along with more than a dozen new clothing and accessory pieces. Launching Oct. 31, it’s the first collection designed for Nike by Nordstrom’s vice president of creative projects, Olivia Kim. To represent the collection, Nike and Nordstrom brought in Rapinoe, cocaptain of the 2019 World Cup champion U.S. Women’s soccer team; Waters, the filmmaker behind “Pink Flamingos” and “Hairspray,” and 23-year-old supermodel Binx Walton.

“The collection, in a sense, very much matches the personalities of these people who inspire me,” Kim says on Nike’s website. “It’s amazing to have

Megan Rapinoe, John Waters and Binx Walton as faces of the campaign.”

Kim said Rapinoe was chosen for the campaign because she “is talking about some really important things.”

As for Waters, “I’ve always been inspired by John, because he’s always pushed the boundaries in his work,” she said. “He tells simple stories in a humorous, thoughtful and provocative way.”

Walton, who is biracial and was raised largely in Tennessee, is one of today’s busiest models, known for her upbeat attitude as well as her looks. Her brothers gave her the nickname Binx after the Star Wars character, Jar Jar Binks. “Binx is beautiful, and a strong influence to young people,” Kim said.

The collection will debut in Nordstrom stores in the U.S. and Canada that have Nike x Nordstrom boutiques, and on the Nordstrom.com/xnike website. Nordstrom x Nike shops are in New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Vancouver and Toronto. Sales will expand to other Nordstrom locations on Nov. 8.

No Cover is one of the first Nike campaigns since the company’s 2018 promotion that featured Colin

Kaepernick, the former pro football quarterback known for kneeling during the National Anthem to protest oppression and police brutality.

Like Kaepernick, Rapinoe and Waters are known as people who don’t hesitate to speak up for a cause or concept they believe in.

Rapinoe, a professional soccer player and activist who had worked with Nike previously, was on the U. S. women’s soccer team that won a Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics in London and has been on two World Cup-winning women’s soccer teams, in 2015 and 2019.

Born in Redding, Calif., Rapinoe is an advocate for LGBTQ organizations such as Athlete Ally, a group that works to end homophobia and transphobia in sports.

She drew attention in 2016 when she kneeled during the National Anthem at an international soccer match, later admitting that her action was a nod to Kaepernick.

This year, she and other soccer players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination, as part of an effort to get equal pay for women.

Now 34, Rapinoe lives in the Seattle area with her partner, Seattle Storm basketball star Sue Bird. Last year they became the first same-sex couple to appear on the cover of ESPN’s Body Issue. This year, Rapinoe became the first openly gay woman to be featured in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

In his books, movies and visual art, Waters 73, has always shown a spotlight on the “others” in society, those who don’t conform to “mainstream” standards. Born and still based in Baltimore, and known as the Pope of Trash and the Prince of Puke for early movies such as “Multiple Maniacs” and “Female Trouble,” he uses humor to win people over to his point of view.

Besides “Hairspray,” Waters’s more recent movies include “Polyester,” “CryBaby” and “Serial Mom,” and his books include “Shock Value,” “Role Models,” “Carsick” and “Make Trouble.” A popular guest on late night talk shows, he recently released his ninth book, “Mr. Know It All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder,” and he just returned from a speaking tour in Australia. This campaign marks the first time he has represented Nike.

In their own ways, Rapinoe and Waters each lend a sense of edginess and elan to promoting the No Cover collection, which Nike says is meant to evoke “90s New York street fashion” by drawing on the “rave and hip-hop styles” that defined New York at that time.

The collection has four T-shirts: a Striped Tee, a Swoosh Tee, an Air Max 98 Tee and a Peace Sign Tee. Other clothing items include a sports bra, tennis dress, fleece hoodie, puffer coat, beanie and fanny pack. Colors include blue, orange, red and “glitter pink.”

The main part of the collection consists of Kim’s redesigns of Nike’s Air Force 1, Air Mowabb, Air Footscape, Air Max 98 and Air Jordan IV. The side-laced Footscape, first launched in 1996, gets a pink and zebra print. Air Jordan IV stays black but is re-imagined with black pony hair. Air Force 1 comes in blue corduroy with a yellow snakeskin Swoosh. Air Max 98 features red, green and yellow accents. The rugged Air Mowabb hiking shoe gains touches of red and teal.

The name of the collection refers to the cover charge at a New York night spot, Nike explains on its website. “In Kim’s eyes, this collection is meant for everyone – men and women, the young and the old – in order to promote no judgments and no rules,” Nike says.

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Cuban gov’t targets queer journalists with cyberbullying Colombian Sen. CLAUDIA LÓPEZ on Oct. 27, became the first woman and first lesbian elected mayor of the country’s capital of Bogotá.

Photo by Patty Susecún via Wikimedia Commons

From left: YouTuber NELSON JULIO ÁLVAREZ MAIRATA and journalist EZEQUIEL FUENTES are the latest targets of cyberbullying in Cuba.

Photos courtesy of Facebook

“State security kept my telephone and hacked into all of my (social media) accounts,” said YouTuber Nelson Julio Álvarez Mairata, known as Nexy J Show in social media networks, after he was detained this Wednesday, the second time he was detained in less than three days.

Nelson was detained for the first time on Oct. 21 in Santa Clara in central Cuba while he was broadcasting live for the Paparazzi Cubano Facebook page. A short time later he was accused of “disturbing public order,” as confirmed by Tremenda Nota.

Nexy is one of the few Cuban YouTubers with a queer profile. He has most recently worked as a reporter on social media and has contributed to media outlets like ADAN Cuba and Tremenda Nota.

He was arrested for a second time this Wednesday (Oct. 23) a few hours after his release. The police confiscated his cell phone and other items he used for work. Unusual content appeared on the social media pages he manages a few hours after their confiscation.

María la del Barrio was the name the hacker assigned to the YouTuber’s profile on Facebook. They added a cover photo with a message in support of the Cuban revolution posted texts under Álvarez Mairata’s likeness to complain about the reported low salary he hade as a freelancer.

Dozens of LGBTQ activists and journalists on Facebook denounced the hacking of his account until it was suspended.

Nelson responded to María la del Barrio’s denunciation with humor. “They try to ridicule me for being gay, but they don’t understand I can handle these apparent insults well,” he told Tremenda Nota.

Yandry García, who operates a page with content that is dedicated to the community in Sagua la Grande, the city from which Álvarez Mairata comes, said another fake Facebook account published “intimate photographs of Nelson” last night. The profile was reported and is no longer available.

Another LGBTQ reporter and activist on Oct. 22 reported being harassed on social media.

“State security attacks, this time against me and is taking advantage of my breakup,” wrote Ezequiel Fuentes, a contributor to independent media outlets CubaNet, 14ymedio and CiberCuba.

Fuentes says state security is behind a post published on Facebook under the name María Lourdes González, a profile without a photo.

The post, published as a comment, threatens Fuentes and tells him he is being watched.

Cyberbullying is one of the main strategies the Cuban government uses to discredit the work of independent journalists, human rights defenders and political opponents, though it is also one of the most difficult things to monitor and verify.

The accounts that are used usually disappear quickly, sometimes with the permission of those who operate them or when those who are targeted and their colleagues denounce them.

The release of private photos, often of sexual content, is one of these hackers’ most common practices.

TREMENDA NOTA

Lesbian elected mayor of Colombian capital A Colombian senator on Sunday became the first lesbian and first woman elected mayor of her country’s capital city.

Colombian media reports indicate Sen. Claudia López, who ran on the leftist Green and Alternative Democratic Pole party ticket, won with slightly more than 35 percent of the vote. The Associated Press reported López is the first open lesbian elected mayor of a Latin American capital city.

“Thank you to all the teachers, mentors, bosses, colleagues, classmates, friends and citizens who taught, loved and supported me to reach this day in my life,” said López in a video with her supporters that she posted to her Twitter account.

López, 49, was elected to the Colombian Senate in 2014. She later became a candidate to succeed then-President Juan Manuel Santos who left office in 2018.

López’s partner is Colombian Sen. Angélica Lozano, an openly bisexual woman who in 2018 became the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the country’s Senate. López was not out when she was elected to the Colombian Senate.

Caribe Afirmativo, a Colombian LGBTQ advocacy group, tweeted a picture of the couple kissing each other after López won.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Uganda urged to drop charges against LGBTQ activists Civil society groups in Uganda have demanded their country’s government drop charges against 16 LGBTQ activists who were arrested last week.

Sexual Minorities Uganda, Chapter Four Uganda and Health GAP in a press

I N T E RNAT I O NAL NEWS • NOVEMBER 01, 2019 • WA S HI N GTONB L A DE . COM • 15

release say the activists “were initially promised ‘protection’ by police” officers on Oct. 21 after they were “threatened by a mob” in the Kyengera neighborhood of the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The press release indicates the activists “were then arrested, detained and subjected to forced anal examinations — an act of torture that is designed to humiliate and terrify under the guise of collecting ‘proof of homosexuality.’”

The groups in their press release say the activists have been “charged with carnal knowledge against the order of nature” under the Ugandan penal code and human trafficking.

“Police have stated that the presence of condoms, lubricant and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in their homes is ‘evidence’ that supports the charge of having gay sex,” reads the press release, which also notes Ugandan Health Minister Jane Aceng has criticized the use of condoms and other HIV prevention tools as evidence in court proceedings.

The arrests took place 11 days after Ugandan Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo said his government planned to reintroduce a bill that would impose the death penalty upon anyone found guilty of homosexuality. Ofwono Opondo, a spokesperson for the Ugandan government, said the so-called “Kill the Gays” measure would not be reintroduced.

The groups’ press release also notes the Oct. 21 arrests coincide with “multiple reported cases of violence” that include four murders “motivated by homophobia and transphobia” and the “brutal beating” of a lesbian woman by a doctor who is a member of the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council.

A State Department official on Tuesday told the Blade “promoting the protection and advancement of human rights — including the rights of LGBTI persons — has long been and remains the policy of the United States.”

Uganda is among the dozens of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.

“The United States firmly opposes criminalization, abuse and violence against LGBTI persons,” a State Department official told the Blade earlier this year. “We stand with Uganda’s LGBTI community and defend the dignity of all Ugandans.”

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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available in the legal marketplace, but that excessive taxation on these products – specifically those that drive marijuana’s total price above $14 per gram – induces many buyers to return to the illicit market.

N.M. guv task force issues adult-use pot recommendations

Super majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana A super-majority of Americans, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents support making marijuana use legal in the United States, according to nationwide polling data compiled by Gallup, first reported by Forbes.

Sixty-six percent of respondents endorse legalization, a total that is consistent with other recent polls and that is nearly 30 percent higher than 2012 totals — when Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize adult marijuana use. A separate nationwide poll released by the Public Religion Research Institute similarly reported that two in three Americans support legalizing and regulating adults’ marijuana use.

Commenting on the poll results, NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said: “There is no buyer’s remorse on the part of the American people. In recent years, American’s support for legalization has only grown stronger. At the end of the day, every age demographic below 65, representing the overwhelming majority of the taxpaying public, would rather their dollars be spent to regulate cannabis, not incarcerate its consumers.”

Taxing retail cannabis influences buying behaviors: study CORVALLIS, Ore. — The imposition of taxes on adult-use retail sales of cannabis products is associated with temporary changes in purchasers’ behaviors, according to data published in the journal International Tax and Public Finance.

Investigators affiliated with Oregon State University and George Mason University assessed cannabis purchasing trends in Oregon immediately prior to and following the imposition of new retail taxes.

Researchers reported that the imposition of retail taxes was associated with a stockpiling of cannabis products just prior to policy’s enactment (e.g., customers purchased larger-than-usual quantities of untaxed medical cannabis products), as well as with an increase in cross-border substitution afterward. “[I]n response to the tax-induced price increase in Oregon, it appears that proximity to the Washington recreational market caused some consumers in Oregon and in Washington to substitute Washington marijuana for Oregon marijuana,” authors concluded.

A 2018 study published in the journal Addiction concluded that most consumers are willing to pay higher prices overall for cannabis products

H E A LT H • NOVE MBER 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONB L A DE . COM • 17

SANTA FE, N.M. — A 23-member task force has issued explicit policy recommendations to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham regarding the legalization and regulation of cannabis.

The report proposes a regulatory framework governing the retail production, sale, and taxation of cannabis. Recommendations by the task-force include: Prohibiting local municipalities from completely restricting cannabis sales; Automatically expunging criminal records; Limiting overall taxes on retail cannabis sales to no more than 20 percent; Allocating tax revenues to various programs and state agencies, including the state’s medical cannabis program; and Allowing those with past convictions to participate in the licensed cannabis industry.

The report’s authors estimate that adult-use legalization will create an estimated 11,000 new jobs and yield some $620 million in sales within five years.

The task force’s chairman stated: “Together, we believe the framework we are submitting is right for New Mexico. It is clear that we have both the necessary apprehension that goes with the venture, as well as the talent to make this happen the right way.”

In a tweet, the governor said, “I look forward to working with the Legislature to get a bill to my desk next year.”

State House lawmakers passed adult-use legalization legislation this past spring, but the bill stalled in the Senate. Lawmakers ultimately enacted separate legislation decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession offenses.

Medical cannabis laws associated with reduced opioid reliance MIAMI — The enactment of medical cannabis access legislation is associated with lower rates of self-reported opioid use, according to data published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

A team of researchers affiliated with Florida International University in Miami assessed the relationship between medical cannabis legalization and self-reported opioid use and misuse.

Authors reported, “[S]urvey respondents living in states with medical cannabis legislation are much less apt to report using opioid analgesics than [are] people living in states without such laws,” even after controlling for potential confounding variables. They also determined that medicalization did not promote any increase in opioid misuse.

Investigators concluded: “[T]he present study found that in MML (medical marijuana legalization) states some displacement is occurring away from opioids toward medicinal cannabis. ... [M]edicinal cannabis may be one avenue to combat the consequences of the opioid epidemic without amplifying, beyond perhaps recreational cannabis, further illicit drug use. The association between cannabis and opioid use, however, demands further empirical scrutiny to establish causal order amidst less restrictive environments toward cannabis.”

The findings are similar to correlations identified in several prior observational studies but are inconsistent with the conclusions of a paper published earlier this year which failed to identify a long-term association between medical cannabis access and opioid-related mortality.

Cannabis Culture news in the Blade is provided in partnership with NORML. For more information, visit norml,org.

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18 • WA S H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • N OV EM B ER 0 1 , 2 0 1 9

PETER ROSENSTEIN

is a D.C.-based LGBT rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

VI E W PO I NT • NOVEMBER 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTON BL A DE . COM • 19

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

is a writer and activist. Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.

PETER ROSENSTEIN

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

is a D.C.-based LGBT rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

is a writer and activist. Reach him at rrosendall@starpower. net.

It’s a primary — calling It’s time for out your opponents Jack Evans to go is fair game It is amazing how many candidates’ supporters think criticizing their candidate should be out of bounds. Every time someone criticizes their candidate they shout foul suggesting the person doing it is using Republican talking points and they exclaim “You’re hurting Democrats.”

It’s time to grow up and recognize we are in a primary fight the winner of which will become the Democratic nominee for president. In 2020, that is a prize worth fighting for as there is a good chance the nominee will become the next president of the United States. Even beyond that despite Donald Trump squandering our country’s reputation the next president can reclaim her/his position as the leader of the free world. Politics is not an easy profession these days — maybe rougher than it’s ever been before. While the candidates appear to understand that many of their supporters apparently don’t.

While not endorsing any candidate yet, I don’t think anyone over 70 should be on the ticket. At the same time, I have been clear about my wholehearted support for whomever is the eventual nominee.

But that doesn’t mean I or anyone else shouldn’t feel free to criticize the policies, vision and statements of any of the candidates we disagree with. In today’s political world where every statement, or misstatement, is highlighted on social media and where mainstream media look for clickbait headlines we have a right to call out candidates who aren’t careful with their words and statements. It is then the responsibility of the candidate and their campaign to either justify their policies or comments or explain themselves putting out accurate versions of what they said if they feel they were misrepresented.

This is even more crucial today when Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, as well as other media, are willing to take money from candidates and post their ads even when they know they are blatant, proven lies. When the media won’t monitor

themselves it is up to the public to monitor them. But at the same time it can’t be an excuse to tell any of the candidates in the Democratic primary or their supporters not to call each other out when there are definite disagreements on policy or vision.

It is eminently fair to question Sen. Elizabeth Warren on how she will pay for Medicare-for-All or even how she thinks it can pass the Congress. It is fair to ask Sen. Bernie Sanders and Warren how they will pay for any of their programs, which they now say will be paid for with a wealth tax when it is a far reach to think even a Democratic Congress would pass such a tax. It is fair to call out Mayor Pete Buttigieg when he suggests, even in context of changing the court, he would look to appoint Supreme Court Justices like Anthony Kennedy. It is fair to call out Joe Biden for not remembering facts and refusing to apologize for some of the things he did that are part of his 50-year record of service.

We can look at primaries of the past to see the rough and tumble that occurs. This is not a new phenomenon. While in 2016 many of Sanders’s supporters cried foul every time Sanders was attacked, this year we are seeing it from supporters of most of the candidates.

Just look at the back and forth on Facebook or Twitter to see this happening. Maybe it is time to recognize no attack against one of the Democratic candidates is something the Republican Party doesn’t already know about and isn’t preparing to use with their billion dollar budget. Allowing candidates to prepare to handle these attacks when they occur in a primary will only make the eventual winner more able to fend them off during the general election.

What I would like to see happen is supporters of each of the candidates as well as the candidates themselves couple any attacks with a commitment to fully and wholeheartedly support the eventual winner.

That is how Democrats will come together at the end of a divisive primary and clearly that is important if we are to beat Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot.

Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans this year was forced to resign from the Metro Board and was fined $20,000 because of ethics violations that included using his government email to seek business for his consulting firm.

From the lede of The Washington Post story on Dec. 20, 2018: “A consulting firm owned by D.C. Council member Jack Evans received 200,000 shares of stock in a digital sign company just before Evans promoted legislation that would have benefited the company....”

What I cannot get past is this: How can the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority have higher ethical standards than the D.C. Council?

Several others with whom I have spoken, who have supported and worked with Jack in various capacities, privately agreed that he should leave office or announce he will not run again, but he is putting his own interests first.

I have known Jack since he was my Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner three decades ago, living around the corner from me. He chaired ANC 2B, then won a special election for the Ward 2 Council seat which was vacated when John Wilson became Council Chair in 1991. No one has a longer record of achievement on behalf of the District’s LGBTQ community than Jack.

From sodomy repeal to condom availability to marriage equality, he has been an ally and champion.

How do you tell an old friend that it’s time for him to go? In amassing his many legislative achievements, he consulted closely with the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance and its coalition partners. [Note: the views expressed here are my own.] He kept in touch. His staff were capable and helpful. He fought to reestablish the Office of Police Complaints. He backed creation of MPD’s LGBT Liaison Unit. He distributed information on clean needle exchange to filmgoers outside Reel Affirmations. We laughed together and mourned together.

Still, the Post reported in August that Jack “threatened the jobs of the agency’s top lawyer and board secretary in an effort to keep secret that the panel’s ethics committee

had found he committed a violation.”

Jack said he returned the stock. He complained about a rush to judgment.

Seriously? We’ve been dragged through this for 10 months. Jack won’t even recuse himself in votes on the matter. It’s hard to keep track of the multiple ethics investigations.

Jack makes it hard on his friends with his continued denial about his situation. His colleagues were publicly embarrassed when Republicans opportunistically brought up his name at a recent congressional hearing on D.C. Statehood. We can hardly be happy saying, “New Jersey is worse.” Nor should we shrug at corrupt behavior, like voters normalizing Donald Trump’s wrongdoing because they don’t expect any better of him.

The Home Rule consensus in the District is that our local problems should be resolved locally, not by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. But it is offensive to suggest that as long as Jack is not indicted, he is fine. Since when is non-criminality our standard? Even if his record were unblemished, he has held his seat long enough—just short of 30 years at the end of this term. Elective office should not be a lifetime sinecure. A younger generation deserves an opportunity to lead.

Since the scandal arose, I have continued being pleasant with Jack, even when criticizing him, partly because he remains one of only 13 members of our legislature, but also because of our mutual history. Whatever happens, I will always be happy to reminisce with him over drinks about the good fights we fought together.

So urging Jack to move on need not be motivated by personal animus. Several candidates have announced they are running for his seat in 2020, though most of us have not examined them closely yet. GLAA won’t send out its candidate questionnaire until March, and the primary election is not until June. If Jack ran again, he would likely earn a high rating on LGBTQ issues, although new times bring new challenges. The problem is that he violated the public trust.

This is about the greater good. Please, old friend, do the right thing for Ward 2 and the District and bow out.

Copyright © 2019 by Richard J. Rosendall. All rights reserved.

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MOSES BOSSENBROEK as Billy in ‘Blue Camp.’

Photo by RCG Photography

A different kind of gay ‘Camp’ Local LGBT theater troupe opens season with tale of Vietnam-era out soldiers

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

A lot happened in 1964. The Beatles spearheaded the British invasion, and a Motown crossover group called the Supremes topped the charts. On screen, Disney’s “Mary Poppins” charmed audiences, and Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton for the first time. But beyond all the pop culture and tabloid froth, there was much more: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; and in Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Tonkin incident prompted the United States to engage more directly in the divisive Vietnam War. The Rainbow Theatre Project, a local company committed to presenting plays and musicals that reflect the experiences, interests and history of LGBT people, is opening its season with “Blue Camp,” a story about gay soldiers that takes place in 1964 at the beginning of the Vietnam War, and in keeping with the company’s mission, it gives an intriguing glimpse into queer history.

Set at a U.S. Army base where both gay soldiers and law-breaking soldiers are being held in adjoining barracks while they await dishonorable discharges, “Blue Camp” compellingly shares the soldiers’ personal stories. It also boasts a drag performance and baseball game.

Not surprisingly, tensions rise as the disparate groups nervously anticipate their fates. But similar to many buildups to battle, the threat of oncoming war creates the need for increased military personnel and the reclamation of many otherwise undesirable soldiers back into service.

Out director Christopher Janson, who first received the script from coplaywrights Tim Caggiano and Jack Calvin Hanna about two years ago, has helmed the new work through early readings, a staged reading at the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage New Play Festival in late summer and now Rainbow Theatre Project’s full production at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on the Waterfront near Arena Stage.

“This story hasn’t really been told,” Janson says. “The gay rights movement didn’t start with Stonewall. There were queer soldiers in Vietnam who were drafted to fight and the government knew they were queer but didn’t care.

And later when they didn’t need them, they took away their benefits knowing who they were from the start. It’s an important piece of queer history that’s often been overlooked.”

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Over time, “Blue Camp’s” out playwrights have changed the structure of the play and interjected the work with more racial tension. And while the play deals significantly with injustice, Janson adds, its writers employ a humorous tone, a sense of humor that’s often found among people who are marginalized.

That includes both queer soldiers and the soldiers charged with crimes.

“In a broad sense, it’s about marginalized people and the way they’re treated by institutions of power. The play holds universal appeal,” he says.

“Blue Camp” was inspired by the real-life experiences of a gay solder who served in the early 1960s. A longtime writer, Caggiano had been kicking around the idea of a play based on this friend’s military stories. Initially he envisioned the show as a sort of comedy/ cabaret/musical. But when Caggiano and Hanna joined forces, they reshaped the material into something entirely different, “a tragedy with comic overtones.” Rather than focusing on a historically military angle, the playwrights focused on telling the men’s stories. It was those difficult stories surrounding coming out, infused with relatable pathos and information, that they felt duty-bound to explore.

“There’s lots of interaction between the groups while waiting to be discharged — taunting, and all kinds of back and forth,” Hanna says. “And through the course of the play, they’re forced to work together. There’s a grudge match baseball game. All the characters — gay guys and criminals alike — are given a chance to tell their stories, what brought them to the place where they are.”

Caggiano adds, “Our culture takes people that are demonizes and dehumanized and has them do the heavy lifting for very little pay. People are serving with a sword of Damocles hanging over them, fearing that they’ll get kicked out an lose their benefits. For me, it’s about that.”

“Blue Camp” features a diverse, 10-person cast — large for any play by today’s standards.

Non-binary actor Moses Bossenbroek says, “What’s most interesting about my character Billy Wheeler is that he is openly queer from the beginning. In the second scene he’s being interrogated and he just sits there and says you know that I’m queer. I’ve never told you anything otherwise. Nothing has changed.”

Billy is based on Perry Watkins, an African-American gay man who was

CHRISTOPHER JANSON, director of ‘Blue Camp,’ says many people don’t know there were out gay soldiers pre-‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in the Vietnam era.

Photo by RCG Photography

one of the first servicemembers to successfully challenge the ban against gays in the United States military. Watkins was also a decorated soldier and drag artist who performed as “Simone” in military shows at clubs across Europe.

Bossenbroek, 20, who’s majoring in musical theater at Howard University, admires Billy’s courage, noting that to be yourself at a time when very few people are likely to admit to being anything other

N OV EMBE R 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.CO M • 23

than heterosexual takes a lot of strength.

The actor also relates to Billy’s talents and survivor skills. Like Billy, they excelled at sports but also experienced struggle and survived.

“I was adopted by parents who were a different race and I had to learn how to navigate the mid-West and the people there,” Bossenbroek says. “I had to code switch often, and learn about being black as well as queer. Anytime I’m able to play a

queer character, it’s awesome. It’s important to get those stories out. Also, Billy is so much fun. He’s such a character from his Southern twang (which the actor modeled on Blanche from TV’s “The Golden Girls”) to his sense of humor and the way he moves through life. Nothing is off topic. And I get to do some drag which I haven’t done for a while. I’ve been too busy with school.”

Rainbow Theatre Project’s artistic director H. Lee Gable liked “Blue Camp” from the start.

“It gets a lot of laughs but the serious stuff has real impact too; it’s told in a dramatic and funny way,” he says. “Also, it’s a subject I’m attracted to. I was in the military before don’t ask don’t tell, a time when you were asked point blank if you’d ever engaged in homosexual experience or are you a homosexual. It’s very wearying and you had to lie.”

Gable endured three grueling gay witch hunts in the Air Force before he engaged a lawyer and agreed to a general discharge with honor and left.

Once in the civilian world, he noticed that a lot of people had a hard time reconciling his interest in theater with his military background, frequently discounting his military experience entirely. Fortunately, that’s changed over the years, he says.

“Blue Camp” is part of a season lineup that includes two world premieres and a musical. “Blue Camp” is the fall production and in February it’s composer/ playwright Stephen Dolginoff’s musical “Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story” the off-Broadway hit about the notorious gay murderers (dramatized in the 1948 Hitchcock movie “Rope”) who tried and failed to commit the perfect crime.

In April, Gable will be co-directing “A Shonda” by Wendy Graf. The new play takes place in the South where two men — a married Hasidic Jew and a local barkeep — form an unlike love relationship at a barbecue joint off a highway outside of Memphis, Tenn. Like “Blue Camp,” says Gable, “A Shonda” tells an LGBT story that you’re not typically going to hear.

‘Blue Camp’

Through Nov. 24 Rainbow Theatre Project St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church 555 Water St., S.W. (Across from Arena Stage) $20-35 rainbowtheatreproject.org

QUEERY Kevin Wiggins Photo by Danny Sax, Brink Media

QUEERY: Kevin Wiggins

The local poet answers 20 queer questions

By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO JOEYD@WASHBLADE.COM

Kevin Wiggins started writing poetry at age 6 and credits his interest to a lot of time spent alone in his room where he also learned to sing and write music.

“I feel that poetry chose me and I’m glad it did because it’s saved me in many instances,” the Baltimore native says. “It’s been my therapy when I didn’t know I was in need or too stubborn to ask for help.”

He won the D.C. Poet Project earlier this year in a field of 50 contestants with a work called “Can I borrow your inequities?” He has now collected his poems in a book called “Port of Exit,” based on a phrase from one of his poems that focuses on toxic masculinity.

The book, released Oct. 15, is being distributed by publisher Day Eight to bookstores in Washington. It’s available

at dayeight.org for $11.

“I speak mostly on what it’s like to be a minority, marginalized by my color and sexuality and the role that religion and faith have played in my life,” Wiggins says.

He says being gay has given him determination, rage, angst, anger, hurt, love and understanding, which he brings to the stage when he gives readings.

He’ll next be at the 2020 D.C. Poet Project reading series and will be one of four featured poets in a closed mic set called “HIStory” in February.

Wiggins works by day at FedEx. He’s lived in and around Washington most of his life but came back to the region in 2017 for a relationship. Single now, Wiggins recently returned to Baltimore. He enjoys sleeping, ice cream and Netflix in his free time.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

I’ve been out to everyone for about five years now. I’d shared with a few select people prior to that but I came out publicly in 2014. I can’t say that any one person was the hardest to tell because I valued all of my relationships and didn’t want to risk losing any of them.

What’s your greatest domestic skill?

I can drape an apron around myself.

Who’s your LGBTQ hero?

I am. No one saved me until I took my power out of the world’s hands and permitted myself to live happily and authentically.

What’s your social media pet peeve?

I don’t like when people go to social media to air their grievances with friends or loved ones opposed to just having an adult conversation with the individual whom they feel has wronged them.

What LGBTQ stereotype most annoys you?

I don’t like when people believe that gay couples have to adapt to heterosexual gender norms in a homosexual relationship. There doesn’t have to be a masculine and feminine role. We’re not trying to replicate straight relationships.

What’s your proudest professional achievement?

My proudest professional achievement is being published and also completing my Play Projekt Rejekt that I plan on bringing to stage soon!

What terrifies you?

Being an orphan and having no one to love me.

What’s something trashy or vapid you love?

Gray sweatpants, if you get my drift!

What’s your favorite LGBTQ movie or show?

“Pariah.” It’s such a true depiction of how difficult coming out can be. It also shows how liberating it can be as Alike so beautifully described in her closing poem at the end of the film.

What would the end of the LGBTQ movement look like to you?

It would look human to me. Where we would no longer be identified by the acronym but as people like everyone else.

What’s the most overrated social custom?

One that I’m guilty of myself: social media.

We spend so much time on our devices sharing some of our greatest moments with the world that we don’t get to actually be present in those moments.

What was your religion, if any, as a child and what is it today?

I was raised Christian, my mother kept my head in the Bible. However as a gay man, it was hard for me to find love in some its verses so I no longer practice.

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Every moment where I let fear dictate my decisions.

What are your obsessions?

Piercings, crop tops, men, music, Trina, love, thunderstorms, Bonnie Bennett from “The Vampire Diaries,” ketchup.

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What do you wish you’d known at 18?

I wish I knew how to love myself and be confident at 18.

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Counterclockwise from left: DJ TRACY YOUNG will spin at Soundcheck next weekend Photo by Mike Ruiz; last year’s Wreath Laying Ceremony for LGBT Veterans Washington Blade photo by Michael Key, and TODRICK HALL plays D.C. Nov. 9 and Baltimore Nov. 10 Photo courtesy Live Nation

Tracy Young to spin

Honoring our vets

KINECTIC with DJ Tracy Young presented by Avalon Saturdays and D.C. Takeover is at Soundcheck (1420 K St., NW) Saturday, Nov. 9 at 10 p.m. Tickets start at $20.

This fourth installment of KINETIC features Young, a chart-topping out lesbian DJ, after an opening set by DJ X Gonzalez. Young has produced over 50 number 1 Billboard Club Chart Hits including 15 official Madonna remixes.

Young’s latest remixes of “Crave” and Madonna’s 48th number 1 dance club song “I Rise” are available now to stream or download.

For tickets and information, visit Eventbrite. com or dougiemeyerpresents.com.

The Veterans Day annual Wreath Laying Ceremony for LGBT Veterans hosted by Center Military, DCHomos, the D.C. Center and the Human Rights Campaign of Greater Washington Steering Committee is Monday, Nov. 11 from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.). The public is invited to this free event.

Local LGBT residents unite each year as Americans pause to recognize all who have given their lives in defense of freedom. This annual ceremony is held at the grave of Technical Sgt. Leonard Matlovich who in 1975 became the first gay service member to publicly reveal his sexuality and challenge the military’s LGBT-exclusion policies.

Visit the dccenter.org for more information.

Flashy special goes all night

‘Drag Race’ champ here Nov. 11

The Flashy Veterans Day Weekend celebration is Sunday, Nov. 10 at 10 p.m. at Flashy Sundays (645 Florida Ave., N.W.). Cover is $20.

The public is invited to celebrate the holiday with an extended bar until 4 a.m.

DJs TWiN and Sean Morris will mix on the main floor for nonstop dancing until 5. TWiN is known for his pulse-pounding beats while Morris, a devotee of tribal and tech house, navigates different genres for an all-inclusive dance floor experience.

More information is available at facebook.com/flashydc.

Sasha Velour’s “Smoke and Mirrors” drag, visual art and magic tour comes to the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., NW) Monday, Nov. 11. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Show starts at 8. Tickets start at $35.

The performance of this season nine “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner features the music of Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone and more as she explodes into rose petals, vanishes into a poof of smoke, conjures a rainstorm and more. Past engagements included London, Australia and New Zealand as well as New York and Los Angeles.

Tickets and information available at thelincolndc.com.

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TODAY The Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance First Friday Social is tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pinzimini (801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, Va.). LGBT and allies are welcome to enjoy cash bar drinks in a relaxing atmosphere. No cover charge. For more information, visit agla.org/social.

Going Underground hosted by Dupont Underground (19 Dupont Circle, N.W.) is tonight from 7-10 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear culturally bright costumes in celebration of a “Day of the Dead” theme. Featuring music by Lucy Black Entertainment and DJ Tezra, and an after party across the street at Doyle.

Tickets start at $50 on eventbrite.com.

Desiree Dik’s Slay Them Dead! drag competition tonight from 9-11 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing (209 M St., N.E.).

Everyone is invited to sign up for tonight’s “Day of the Dead” event. Winners receive $50 and a chance to co-host and perform in a future event with Desiree Dik at Red Bear. Top performers from each event to battle for the Slay Them crown and a cash prize. More information at redbear.beer.

Qrew: Halloqween starts tonight at 10 p.m. at Songbyrd music house and Record Cafe (2477-2475 18th St., N.W.).

The event will feature costumes, dancing and music by Tezrah. Admission is free before 11 p.m. and $10 after for this 21-and-up event. Tickets and information at songbyrddc.com.

Fright Night: A Queer Pan-African Halloween Party is tonight at 10 p.m. at Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.). Tickets are $10 online at at the door. DJs include Kryptik, Muse(o)fire and Naiome. This event is celebrates queer black and brown identity as well as the spirit of Halloween with costumes and music. For information and tickets, visit eventbrite.com.

Todrick twofer next weekend The “Todrick: Haus Party” Tour from Todrick Hall and presented by Live Nation is Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.).

Tickets start at $23. He will also perform at Baltimore Soundstage Nov. 10.

Hall recently premiered his new MTV reality show “Todrick” and is also known for assisting with the choreography for Beyoncé’s “Blow” music video.

His semi-autobiographical “Over the Rainbow”features singing talents that helped earn him a spot on Forbes’ “30 under 30 in Entertainment” list. He’s also a regular on ‘Drag Race.’

For “Haus Party” Tour tickets and information, visit warnertheatredc.com.

Saturday, Nov. 2 Cornhole for a Cause is today at 11 a.m. at JR.’s Bar (1519 17th St., N.W.).

Hopefully JR.’s will have its licensing issues worked out by then. Rogue Sports and Stonewall Kickball are co-sponsors of this charity tournament to benefit SMYAL. Entry fee is $50 per team of two.

Fee includes 15 percent off at Hank’s Oyster Bar, 15 raffle tickets and more.

Proceeds support SMYAL’s services for local LGBT youth. More information at smyal.org/event/cornhole-for-cause.

“Kid Prince and Pablo,” a modern retelling of Mark Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper,” will be performed today at 1:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). Tickets are $20 for this sensoryfriendly performance that is welcoming to family members with autism or other

N OV EMBE R 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA D E.COM • 27

sensory sensitivities. Following the show, children can ask talk one-on-one with performers. Tickets and information at kennedy-center.org.

“Rise Up: LGBTQ Rights, Then and Now” presented by the Georgetown University Gender and Justice Initiative and the Newseum is today from 2:304:30 p.m. at the Knight TV Studio (555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.). It’s free to attend with a Newseum admission.

A panel of experts including Sandy James, a FreeState Justice trans rights attorney, and Connor Cory, a WhitmanWalker Health LGBTQ immigration attorney, among others will discuss LGBT history and challenges with a focus on transgender rights. Visit newseum.org for more information.

World Stages: The Manganiyar Seduction will be performed today at 2 and 8 p.m. at the Eisenhower Theater of the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). Tickets start at $19. This show brings together singers and musicians from the Rajasthani deserts to perform traditional Manganiyar music in a “Hollywood Squares”-style visual format. Tickets and information are available at kennedy-center.org.

Tula’s Halloween Cabaret and Disco is tonight at 8 p.m.at the BlackRock Center for the Arts (12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown, Md.). An evening of cabaretstyle drag performances is followed by an all-night dance in the Grand Foyer Disco.

Admission starts at $25. Disco-only tickets are $15. More information available at blackrockcenter.org.

beer mugs and more. Guests are welcome to enjoy drinks and cigars on the patio.

For more information, visit dceagle.com.

Sunday, Nov. 3

L Word Trivia is tonight from 6:309:30 p.m. at the Board Room (925 B Garfield St., Arlington, Va.). Hosted

by Katie Sosa. Admission is $15 and a portion of the proceeds benefit SMYAL. Visit eventbrite.com for tickets and information.

The New Pornographers and Lady Lamb perform tonight at 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater (1215 U St., N.W.). Audiences will experience both power-pop riffs and folksy ballads in an eclectic evening of music. Tickets are $40. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and information, visit ticketfly.com or the lincolndc.com.

Beach Blanket Drag Bingo is tonight from 8-10 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar (555 23rd St., S, Arlington, Va.). Free entry and prizes. Karaoke following Bingo.

Featuring performances by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, Ophelia Bottoms and Ashlee Jozet Adams. More information available at freddiesbeachbar.com.

Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay literature group, meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Park Libery (3310 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) to discuss Martin Duberman’s “has the Gay Movement Failed?” All welcome. Details at bookmendc.blogspot.com.

ArtRave, an art and fashion collective in D.C., kicks off its 9th annual ensemble of emerging and established designers today from 11-5 p.m. (1514-1518 P St., NW). Also includes handmade crafts, farm fresh products and more. For more information, visit artravedc.com.

Drag Brunch Sundays hosted by RedRocks H Street (1348 H St., NE) is today starting at 11 a.m. Each show is an hour long and features different performers throughout the D.C. area.

Visit redrockshstreet.com or Facebook events for more information.

Go Gay D.C. hosts “Speed Friending” today from 5-7 p.m. at the Embassy Row Hotel (2015 Massachusetts Ave., NW). At this platonic take on “speed dating,” attendees are paired up with strangers for multiple rounds of casual, friendly conversations. Attendance is free. More information and registration at eventbrite.com.

Sunday Cruise is every week at the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., NE). Drink specials include $10 and $12 bottomless

Monday, Nov. 4 2018 Beltway poetry Grand Slam Champion Jael Benjamin hosts open mic night tonight at Busboys and Poets (625 Monroe St., N.E.) at 9 p.m. $5 cover.

Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Performances by professional spoken word artists, open mic rookies, musicians and more. A different person hosts each week. Visit busboysandpoets. com for more information.

Tuesday, Nov. 5 Life, Time and People magazine photographer David Burnett delivers an artist’s talk tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G St., N.W.). An awardwinning photojournalist, Burnett has photographed every American president since Kennedy and has documented wars, revolutions and music icons.

Meet and greet follows talk. Free tickets available at asmpdc.org.

Wednesday, Nov. 6

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com

Shear Madness. Thru Nov 24. Nick Offerman. Nov 1. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

Women Dramatists. Thru Nov 18. SPAIN arts & culture at Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain. spainculture.us.

The Havel Project. Thru Nov 17. Dupont Underground. dupontunderground.org.

Theory. Thru Nov 17. Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas. mosaictheater.org.

DANCE

Arrival From Sweden, The Music of ABBA Nov 2. National Philharmonic at Strathmore. strathmore.org.

Relive the music of ABBA with ARRIVAL FROM SWEDEN as they perform the groups greatest hits Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Take a Chance, Waterloo, Fernando, Knowing Me Knowing You with the National Philharmonic.

Art on Tap Nov 1. The Art League. theartleague.org.

Local restaurants have chosen a brew/artwork coupling to serve as their muse to create the perfect complimentary appetizer. Sample the creative combinations while drinking from a take-home Art on Tap beer tasting glass, and then vote for your favorite at the end of the event!

Tula’s Halloween Cabaret & Disco Nov 2. BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org.

Come for the drag show, stay for the dance! Following last season’s sold-out, blow-out debut, the inimitable Tula is back for a spook-tacular drag evening.

In the spirit of Halloween, feel free to come dressed to kill as Tula and her cadre of gal pals make you laugh, cry, and tear down the house with their songs, style and sass.

Día de los Muertos Nov 2. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. npg.si.edu.

Celebrate the Day of the Dead with live music, Mexican folk dance, artist activities and art workshops.

Photo Courtesy of National Philharmonic

THEATRE A Chorus Line. Thru Jan 4. Escaped Alone.

Thru Nov 3. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org.

Amadeus. Nov 5-Dec 22. Folger Theatre. folger.edu.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. Thru Nov 3. Prologue Theatre at Dance Loft. prologuetheatre.org.

Edward Albee’s Occupant. Nov 7-Nov 30. Theater J at EDCJCC. theaterj.org.

Modern Warrior Live. Nov 6. Wolf Trap at The Barns. wolftrap.org.

Otello. Thru Nov 16. The Magic Flute.

Nov 2-Nov 23. WNO at Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

ROOM: 27 Minutes; You as empath.

Nov 3-Nov 10. Scena presents: Sea

by Jon Fosse. Nov 1-Nov 24. DC Arts Center. dcartscenter.org.

Anikaya. Nov 2-Nov 3. Dance Place. danceplace.org.

Fuego Flamenco XV: Entresueño.

Nov 7-Nov 10. GALA Hispanic Theatre. galatheatre.org.

MUSIC An Evening with Chris Thile. Nov 5.

Strathmore. strathmore.org.

Arturo O’Farrill. Nov 7. Nella. Nov 3.

AMP. ampbystrathmore.com.

De Sanguashington - Groovin On the Pike. Nov 1. Arlington Cultural Affairs at Columbia Pike Branch Library. arts. arlingtonva.us.

Día de los Muertos - Understanding a Beloved Mexican Tradition through Music. Nov 2. Arts on the Green at Arts Barn. gaithersburgmd.gov.

Dorado Schmitt and The Django Festival Allstars. Nov 1. The Kennedy Center Chamber Players—Fall Concert. Nov 3. WORLD STAGES—The Manganiyar Seduction. Nov 1-Nov 2.

Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

José André Trio. Nov 7. Midori, violin & Ieva Jokubaviciute, piano. Nov 2.

Library of Congress. loc.gov.

Main Street Chamber Players. Nov 3.

Potter Violins. pottersviolins.com.

Santoor and Tabla. Nov 2. Gandhi Memorial Center. gandhimemorialcenter.org.

The Quebe Sisters. Nov 7. The Barns at Wolf Trap. wolftrap.org.

Wandering Melodic Road by the Tune. Nov 6. Korean Cultural Center DC. koreaculturedc.org.

WNO Young Artist Program Recital. Nov 1. The Kreeger Museum. kreegermuseum.org.

MUSEUMS

Dumbarton Oaks.

Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion. Thru Jan 5. Asian Art from the Bliss Collection.

Thru Jun 1. doaks.org.

Library of Congress. Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote. Thru Sep 1. Comic Art: 120 Years of Panels and Pages. Thru Sep 12. loc.gov.

National Archives. Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. Thru Jan 3. archivesfoundation.org.

National Geographic.

WOMEN: A Century of Change. Thru May 1. nationalgeographic.org.

National Museum of Women in the Arts. Judy Chicago—The End. Thru Jan 20. Live Dangerously. Thru Jan 20. New York Ave Sculpture Project. Thru Sep 20. nmwa.org.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian.

Votes for Women. Thru Jan 5. In MidSentence. Thru Mar 29. One Life: Marian Anderson. Thru May 17. npg.si.edu.

GALLERIES Arlington Artist Alliance. Shelley Micali.

Nov 3-Dec 7. Pattee Hipschen. Thru Nov 29. arlingtonartistsalliance.org.

Arlington Cultural Affairs. Emma Cregan and Johab Silva. Thru Nov 2. Places in Paper. Thru Dec 8. arts. arlingtonva.us.

Arts Barn. Figuratively Speaking. Thru Nov 18. gaithersburgmd.gov.

CHAW. Migrant Quilt Project. Thru Dec 9. chaw.org.

DC Arts Center. Nano Sculptures.

Thru Nov 17. Ellyn Weiss. Thru Dec 1. dcartscenter.org.

Hill Center. Pottery on the Hill Show. Nov 2-Nov 3. hillcenterdc.org.

Korean Cultural Center DC. Resonance.

Nov 1-Nov 29. koreaculturedc.org.

Pozez JCC. Judy Wengrovitz. Thru Dec 2. jccnv.org.

Strathmore. Laurie Breen. Thru Nov 3. strathmore.org.

The Art League. October Open Exhibit.

Thru Nov 3. theartleague.org.

Waverly Street Gallery.

Earthly Elements Earth. Thru Nov 2. Recent Work by Grace E. Peterson. Nov 3-Dec 7. waverlystreetgallery.com.

Zenith Gallery. enDANGERd. Thru Nov 16. 6@35 - Fabricating Culture. Thru Jan 4. zenithgallery.com.

AU Museum at the Katzen. Moves Like Walter. Topographies of Life. Thru Dec 15. american.edu.

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SCOTT TERIBURY (left) and ZACH STRAUSS. Photos courtesy John Jack Photography

All Stars: Federal Triangles Soccer Club

Spotlight series concludes with two athletes who find meaning, community in soccer

By KEVIN MAJOROS This week we wrap up the Washington Blade All Star series with two Federal Triangles Soccer Club players who are thriving as both players and leaders for their club.

The Feds host the Summer of Freedom League every summer and three tournaments throughout the year.

In addition, their athletes travel to out-oftown tournaments and play in a variety of straight leagues in the area.

When Scott Teribury joined the club in 2013, he was touted as one of the best rookies to come along in years. Teribury grew up on military bases mostly in northern Virginia and competed in wrestling and soccer. He also ran cross country and track for his high school. During his collegiate years at Christopher Newport University, he played intramural soccer.

After five years of playing in leagues and tournaments for the Feds, Teribury became captain of the Triangles’ Rainbow Unicorns in fall, 2018. The Unicorns play 11v11 full-field soccer in the D.C. Premier League and are a team of gay Feds players competing in a straight league.

“As captain, I am responsible for

N OV EMBE R 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.CO M • 29

organizing, scheduling, equipment, recruiting and making sure people show up,” Teribury says. “It’s important to foster the right atmosphere because this is not a recreational team, it is a competitive team.”

The Rainbow Unicorns are also one of the Feds travel teams and many of the players, including Teribury, serve as captains in the Feds’ Summer of Freedom League.

Teribury plays soccer four nights per week in a mix of different types of leagues ranging from the Premier League to coed to competitive pick-up.

“I have always enjoyed playing soccer, especially the team aspect of it,” Teribury says. “I want to continue playing until my body says I can’t play anymore.”

Along with representing the club at annual tournaments, Teribury has played with the Feds at the Gay Games in Cleveland and Paris. Somewhere in his spare time he has also played Stonewall Dodgeball, D.C. Gay Flag Football and Stonewall Kickball, but the LGBT soccer community is where he feels most at home.

“It really is about a sense of community. I grew up playing soccer with straight people and it is great to be in a space where you can be yourself and play the sport you love,” Teribury says.

“This is how I met all of my best friends.”

Zach Strauss grew up in Topeka, Kan., and started playing soccer at age 3 with his parents serving as coaches to him and his two brothers. His childhood and high school years were filled with Olympic Development Program camps, state qualification programs and high level travel teams.

“My parents viewed it as a safer sport than say football,” Strauss says. “Plus I was always promised a free grape soda after every game. I grew to love the sport honestly though.”

While playing high school soccer, he was recruited to a local men’s Hispanic league.

“It was culturally different and an invaluable lesson to see a different way

of playing and approaching the sport,” Strauss says. “These were adults who found playing soccer the highlight of their week. It was the most significant thing I have ever been involved in.”

Strauss played club soccer through his years at the University of Kansas and in 2006, he signed on as a free agent with an Atlanta team to compete in the Chicago Gay Games.

“It was transformative not to have to edit my behavior and I realized my heteronormativity was bullshit,” Strauss says. “There was a whole world out there and I had to do something about it. I was tired of feeling alone.”

He made a list of cities with LGBT soccer teams and landed in D.C. in 2007 to join the Federal Triangles. With no job lined up, he spent all of his savings to travel with the Feds to Argentina for the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association world championships.

His employment path in D.C. led to the straight nonprofit District Sports where he is director of operations for about 7,500 adult soccer participants.

“We attempt to bring a level of consideration in our operations that is more community based,” Strauss says.

“We run our programs so others like youth soccer and pick-up soccer still have a space to play.”

His skills from District Sports have led to an organizational role with the Feds’ Summer of Freedom League where he creates schedules, recruits referees and obtains permits.

Strauss says his soccer career as a player is waning, but he is still playing and occasionally fills in with the Division 1 team. He represented the Feds at the Paris Gay Games last year and points to the 2016 IGLFA World Championships in Portland as a career highlight.

“I scored the game-winning goal for the Federal Triangles in the championship match at Providence Park.

To play on a professional pitch in a gay soccer game was so meaningful to me.

It was validating,” Strauss says. “The Federal Triangles have been a big part of my development as a person.”

Strauss says his human thesis would read: a gay man working in sports but not working completely in gay sports.

“I try to think how we can do better in my sport and not be dominated by straight white athletes. We are looking to include all kinds of people including those who want to participate who have not had access,” Strauss says. “I feel like as a gay man playing sports, I am more willing to listen.”

From top: CYNTHIA ERRIVO gives a stirring performance in ‘Harriet.’ Photo by Glen Wilson; courtesy Focus Features and ISABELLE HUPPERT and MARISA TOMEI in ‘Frankie.’ Photo by Guy Ferrandis; courtesy Sony Pictures

Classics.

Strong cast gives ‘Frankie’ luster ‘Harriet’ is flawed but compelling Tubman biopic

By BRIAN T. CARNEY

Awards season just got a little more interesting with two of the excellent movies opening in Washington this week.

Nominated for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, “Frankie” is helmed by queer filmmaker Ira Sachs (“Love Is Strange” and “Little Men”) and features a sublime performance by Isabelle Huppert, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for her stunning work in the thriller “Elle.”

Huppert stars as Françoise Clemens, known as “Frankie” to her friends and

family, a famous French actress who is dying of cancer. Since she does not expect to be alive by Christmas, she has gathered everyone together for a summer holiday at the historic beach resort of Sintra in Portugal.

Her extended family includes her first husband Michel Gagne (Paul Greggory) who came out after their divorce. Their petulant bisexual son Paul (Jérémie Renier) is about to leave Paris to start a new job in Manhattan.

Frankie lives in London with her second husband Jimmy (Brendan Gleeson). His daughter Sylvia (Vinette Robinson) is unhappily married to Ian (Ariyon Bakare); their daughter Maya (Sennia Nanua) feels torn between the two.

The party is rounded out by Ilene (Marisa Tomei), who has worked with Frankie on several films and is her best friend. She’s dating Gary (Greg Kinnear), a cameraman who’s on a break from the latest “Star Wars” movie which is being shot in Spain. There’s also Tiago Mirante (Carloto Cotta) who travels to Sintra every year to serve as a tour guide, despite the jealousies of his suspicious wife.

Working with co-screenwriter Mauricio Zacharias, Sachs weaves a series of casual encounters into a complex tapestry of emotions and relationships. Given the reason for the gathering, the overall mood is melancholic and somewhat Chekhovian (in the best possible way) as the characters discuss memories and regrets, dreams and plans and the timeless wonders of nature, love and art. The dialogue is always believable and naturalistic, even as certain phrases and objects begin to achieve rich symbolic values.

There are also some delightful moments of comedy to lighten the proceedings.

Anchored by a luminescent performance by Huppert, the ensemble cast is splendid. Huppert’s work is a marvel of restraint. With a deliciously dry wit and just a few moments of vanity and drama (she is a famous actress after all), Frankie is approaching death with a minimum of sentiment and self-pity. With her pale, translucent skin and an amazing economy of movement, Huppert offers a powerful portrait of a woman whose body is failing her and who is slowly withdrawing from the world, whether she wants to or not.

Tomei is heart-breaking as Frankie’s best friend, a brave woman whose world suddenly turns upside down in the course of a day. Newcomer Nanua turns in a delicate and nuanced performance as Frankie’s granddaughter, easily holding the screen with more experienced actors.

Gleeson and Greggory are also wonderful and the scene where they discuss Michel’s coming out is a highlight of the film.

Sachs’ color-saturated collaboration with cinematographer Rui Poças is stunning. They capture the many lovely vistas of Sintra with a vibrant flair and alternate between intimate close-ups and long shots with an startling

depth of field to explore the intricacies of the compelling family drama. The long silent final sequence, the only time the entire principal cast is seen onscreen together, is a masterstroke by a major queer artist.

“Frankie” includes dialogue in French and Portuguese, but the subtitles are easy to read.

“Harriet” will undoubtedly be a significant contender at the major award shows this season. Directed by Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”) from a script by Lemmons and Gregory Allan Howard (“Ali”), the stirring cinematic epic is amazingly the full full-length feature to depict the life of the iconic AfricanAmerican freedom fighter Harriet Tubman.

The film opens on the Brodess farm in Dorchester County, Md., in 1849, a sharp reminder that that the state of Maryland was south of the infamous Mason-Dixon line. Minty (later known as Harriet Tubman) learns that she is about to be sold to new owners in the South. Alone, but guided by visions, she makes the grueling trip across the Pennsylvania border into freedom.

In Philadelphia, entrepreneur Marie Buchanan (a powerful performance

by Janelle Monáe) helps Harriet find a job, but Harriet decides to make the dangerous trip back to Maryland to free her husband. Working with William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.) of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, Harriet becomes a full-fledged conductor for the Underground Railroad, a member of the Union Army and a leader in the abolitionist movement.

Overall, the script is a sharp combination of action thriller and inspirational history lesson. It’s especially effective at showing the destructive impact of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, scenes that have an unsettling resonance with current events, and in depicting Gideon Brodess (Joe Alwyn) and his mother Eliza (Jennifer Nettles). Lemmons and Allen carefully avoid the standard tropes of melodrama and sentimentality in depicting the slave owners. Instead, they are shown as desperate capitalists for whom Harriet and her family are primarily figures in a ledger.

The acing is generally outstanding.

Cynthia Erivo, who won the Tony Award for “The Color Purple” and was seen in “Widows” last year, is riveting as Harriet; her transformation from frightened runaway slave to fearless warrior is mesmerizing.

While “Harriet” has some significant flaws (the movie loses momentum toward the end and despite Erivo’s expressive performance the film never really captures Tubman’s inner life), it is a must-see for LGBT activists and freedom fighters of all kinds. With lush cinematography by John Toll and a vibrant score by Terence Blanchard, this is an experience to be savored with friends in a movie theater.

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May thy kingdom cum

By THOM MURPHY

BROOKE CANDY’s new album ‘Sexorcism’ is shallow, sexy and wild.

Image courtesy NUXXE

Pop music has lost its soul. That is, if this week’s dispatch to be believed.

Two new album releases are evidence of the state of affairs. Kanye West released his anticipated gospel album, “Jesus Is King.” Up-and-coming rapper and singer Brooke Candy is out with her debut album, “Sexorcism,” after a 2014 EP and series of singles and collaborations.

Kanye, whose innumerable controversies over the past several years need not be mentioned, has made a fulllength gospel album, which has fallen short of the expectations of the many attentive critics. For my part, I mention only that the supposedly spiritual music often resorts to triviality in its lyrics. Look no further than “Closed on Sunday,” which reads more as ad copy than genuinely profound. But his decision to rebuff the mainstream in favor of gospel points rightly to the emptiness just under the excessively sexualized, materialistic shell of pop music today.

For this, Brooke Candy has a different answer entirely. Push pop music to its limit: Shallower, sexier, wilder.

If you haven’t heard of Brooke Candy, you likely haven’t been to see Charli XCX or Lizzo on tour recently — Candy has been a frequent opener for both in the past several years. Her 2014 EP “Opulence” which featured a collaboration with Diplo, has made its way into dance clubs and she has found some commercial success on the Billboard Dance Club and Top Hip-Hop Album charts. But for Brooke Candy, who identifies as pansexual, “Sexorcism” is her first big statement as a pop artist, and it is, if anything, a test of the power of shock value.

Of course, female pop singers have a long history of playing using shock to gain publicity for their music: Early Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are prime examples, following in the footsteps of Madonna. Gaga’s fashion sense (who can forget the infamous meat dress and her iconic platforms) as well as her outspoken positions on LGBT political

issues such as marriage equality, brought her millions of both admirers and detractors. But everyone knew who she was.

But for Brooke Candy, shock is not simply a corollary to her artist production; it’s the essence of her music. With singles “FMU” and “Drip,” Brooke Candy offers a steady stream of monotonous, sex-obsessed club music: “I could be your medicine/I could be your gun metal, fuck toy, cherry medal/I could be your dirty little/murder weapon, sex doll, cyanide, sour Skittle.” This is the model for most of the album, with songs consisting of description of some part of the sexual act, often in a way that makes Nicki Minaj’s music seem fit for church choir. And Brooke Candy is certainly indebted to Minaj for the delivery of her best lyrics, though they mostly lack the pervasive clever humor associated with latter’s best work.

Lead single “XXXTC,” featuring Charli XCX and Maliibu Miitch, is a slower dance number, the sort of grinding club music driven by a lethargic bass bump. It’s a wellproduced earworm, bound to find its way into clubs. And fans of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will be pleased that the song “Rim” features season seven and season 10 winners Violet Chachki and Aquaria. The beat of the song feels more akin to something from RuPaul’s 2015 album “Born Naked.”

There are a few notable exceptions to the largely static musical style. The track “Cum” with Iggy Azalea offers something of a ‘90s synth-pop catwalk feel. It’s a refreshing and needed change of pace.

And “Freak Like Me” feels like it belongs to another album altogether, mostly a run-of-the-mill pop track that takes a more personal tone: “I got a suit of armor, come and take your best shot/I been the weirdest for a minute, made me tough as nails.”

In its monotonous excess — which is simply the amplification of the dominant tendencies of pop songs today — this album points a finger at music merely pretending to have soul. Maybe Brooke Candy is in on the joke.

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Women of Color: The Power of Protest November 14 | 6–7:30 p.m. | McEvoy Auditorium Join the National Portrait Gallery in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of African Art for a series of lectures and discussions that address activism and social justice through the lens of women of color.

These events are funded by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story. Free—Register at npg.eventbrite.com.

8th and F St. NW • Washington, DC 20001 • npg.si.edu #myNPG • @Smithsoniannpg Ida B. Wells-Barnett (detail) by Sallie E. Garrity, albumen silver print, c. 1893. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Brass Knob’s final day Long-time Adams Morgan antique shop readies farewell

By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO JOEYD@WASHBLADE.COM

Brass Knob owner KIRK PALMATIER and DONETTA GEORGE, a long-time employee, at the shop this week.

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

+ Largest LGBT owned title company + Billions of dollars in transactions closed annually + 6 in house attorneys + Residential andSALES commercial transactions ISSUE DATE: 190920 REPRESENTATIVE: + In home and in office refinance settlements + Licensed in DC, DE, MD, NJ, VA & WV

ONS O REVISIONS S

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties.

One casualty of the retail apocalypse that hasn’t received quite as much ink is the long, slow death of the antique shop, which has suffered because of both online shopping and the fact that industry vets say Millennials just aren’t as interested in elaborate decor as much as previous generations.

The Brass Knob (2311 18th St., N.W.), a long-time Blade advertiser and Adams Morgan staple, closes its doors today at 6 p.m. after 38 years in business.

But owner Donetta George isn’t sad.

“It’s something I’ve been considering for a very long time,” George, who’s straight, says. “I was just kind of waiting for the universe to let me know when was the right time. … It’s a good change.”

George and a small staff of three or four variously ran the 1,500-sq.-ft. space home fixtures and A D V E R T I Sthat I N stocked G P R Ovintage OF other antiques. It was located next door its first five years. A second warehouse location existed variously in Adams Morgan and Shaw but closed about eight years ago. The business had stability because George owns the building.

ADVERTISER SIGNATURE By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligationsshe with the points out there are Although washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement, payment and insertion schedule. exceptions — she even occasionally has had high school students as customers in recent years — overall, she says Millennials seem “more interested in experience and not into buying and accumulating many things.” George also

says the business never fully recovered from the 2008 recession.

Gay men were a heavy contingent among her clientele from the beginning, George says, although that waned a bit in recent years. She said it rebounded a bit when Pitchers, a gay bar, opened last year.

Kirk Palmatier, a Brass Knob employee for 30 years, says the years-long trend of gays buying and refurbishing houses in Dupont and Logan circles for years helped the business.

“If you bought an old Victorian row house, there was a trend of putting things back that had been removed in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” Palmatier, who’s gay, says. “It was part of the coming-back-to-the-city thing and as more gay people came, they sort of went hand in hand. Now gay people can live in Burke or wherever and not be quite as fearful.”

George recalls “six or eight” antique shops in Adams Morgan when she opened. Hers is now the last. Miss Pixie’s on 14th and GoodWood on U Street are two of the few that remain in the vicinity.

Inventory remaining after today will be divided among other antique dealers George knows. Palmatier will stay on for several weeks helping her wind things down. Both plan to stay in the region but have no post-Brass Knob plans.

“I’ve always just kind of let my life happen as it happens,” George says.

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GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON 2019–2020 SEASON

RUBBERBANDance GROUP Vic’s Mix Friday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m.

THE FOUR SEASONS Zurich Chamber Orchestra featuring Daniel Hope, violin Sunday Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / Max Richter: Recomposed

N OV EMBE R 01, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.CO M • 33

Aquila Theatre GEORGE ORWELL’S 1984 Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m.

CHANTICLEER A Chanticleer Christmas Saturday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.

Located on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University, six miles west of Beltway exit 54 at the intersection of Braddock Road and Rt. 123.

GET TICKETS 703-993-2787 OR CFA.GMU.EDU

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, DC PRESENTS

FIRST SUNDAY

VIRTUOSO ORGANISTS CONCERT SERIES

Sunday, November 3 @ 2pm Marvin Mills Active with the District of Columbia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists since 1984, Marvin Mills has served as dean, board member, Foundation trustee, Regional Convention secretary, and chairman for regional and chapter competitions, exemplifying his commitment to the mission of the Guild and his belief in the expressive power of the organ as an instrument for use in worship and concert. He has also participated in the Guild’s Pipe Organ Encounters for Youth and Adults since 1995, helping all ages to experience various aspects of pipe organ study. Mr. Mills has performed for numerous chapters of The American Guild of Organists, been a featured artist in national and regional conventions, and appeared at its 2010 Convention in Washington, DC.

Join us for world-class music featuring the 6,000-pipe Austin organ!

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A guide to assisting aging parents sell their home From listing to staging and beyond, tips for sellers

open houses and require you to come into their office to sign paperwork and review feedback?

6. What’s the typical selling timeline and process for selling?

Also, make sure you communicate the best way to reach you or your parents for showings and updates — phone, text, email, maybe in person?

By KHALIL ALEXANDER EL-GHOUL

Step 1: Understand Your Parents’ Needs Have an earnest talk. Understand what they hope to achieve and why they want to sell their home. Understand their timing and have an honest discussion about any fears they may have. Clarify how much or little they want you to be involved in the process. Discuss if they want to live in the home while it’s on the market or somewhere else. Determine if they want to make minor investments to improve the value of their home. You’ll also want to know their financial position.

Do they have outstanding debt on the house? If so, how much and to whom do they owe. It’s good to be on the same page out of the gates.

Step 3: Keep, Sell, Donate, Discard We often find that aging parents living in a home for a long time tend to have accumulated many belongings. The act of going through their possessions is often one of the hardest and most overwhelming parts about selling and moving. This is a time to be especially sensitive to their emotions. If your parents have a significant accumulation, it may be worthwhile to start this process early and delicately handle the process in stages. Here’s our advice on handling this stage.

1. Keep the items they need for their next home; have a very special memory; or something they want to pass on to a family member for friend. On a side note, my dad did something very interesting a few years back. He had each of his children (there are five of us) pick one special piece of furniture, art, quilt, etc. in his home that we loved or had a special memory to us. That gave him comfort that as he downsizes in the future, he’ll know that what he passes along will be cherished and unique to each person.

2. Sell items that are valuable but no longer have a use to your parents or another family member. If you are going through an entire house consider hiring a local estate sale company to help with the process. There are also great websites such as Everything But The House www.ebth.com that have been gaining traction in the market and will come to the home and create an online marketplace to auction items.

3. Donate less valuable items that are in good functional condition. Nationwide charities that pick up furniture directly from homes include: Salvation Army, Goodwill, Amvets, Vietnam Veterans, Arc Donation, and Habitat for Humanity.

Step 2: Plan & Interview Agents Decide who will interview agents.

You, them, or both? An agent will give you a good sense of the current market and trends but here are some important questions to ask: 1. How many homes have you sold in the last year? What was your average close price to the original list price? What’s your “average days on the market”?

2. What’s your commission? What do you recommend for the buyer agent’s commission?

3. How do you help sellers prepare for the market? Do you have a professional stager?

4. Do you have a good network of vendors - including handymen, painters, cleaners, organizers, stagers and whomever else you may need to prepare the home for sale?

5. Will you (or your team) meet vendors, open doors for showings and

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4. Discard any old, broken or outdated items. Often times you can schedule a free bulk pick up with you local trash company or you can hire a firm that specializes in “junk” removal.

Step 4: Staging Often homes that have been lived in for a long time are the best maintained and make incredible homes to buy.

However, many buyers have a hard time looking past outdated finishes that are fairly inexpensive to fix, leaving aging sellers with a reduced sales price. We suggest engaging a professional stager, especially in this kind of situation to really maximize the home’s value.

The stager will spend about 90-minutes to two hours walking through the home and pointing out updates that have a high return on investment. Stagers understand that sellers are not interested in making a significant investment in a home but changing things like wall colors, a couple of light fixtures, and rearranging belongs can really go a long way. The stager will also provide recommendations on what to keep, what to store, what to donate/sell and how to clean and organize – if that hasn’t already been done.

Step 5: On the Market Frequently, aging parents opt not to be in the home while it’s on the market.

They will permanently or temporarily move out. This is the most ideal scenario for many aging sellers as it lessens the burden of having their home always ready for showings.

However, this isn’t an option for everyone. While the best advice is to always be ready for showings, there is an opportunity to limit showings to a certain schedule and to ask for advance notice before showings. Also, open houses can be scheduled a week or more in advance or eliminated altogether. There are things that you and your agent can do to limit the burden of work for your loved ones.

While your parents may find it tempting to want to be home for showings or open houses, encourage them to allow their agent do their work and enjoy time away

from the home. This will give buyers a better experience and remove any possible awkward interactions.

Step 6: Reviewing Offers & Inspections Reading and understanding offers can feel somewhat complicated. It is perfectly reasonable to ask your agent to review offers with you over the phone or in person. Establish what feels comfortable for all parties involved. Once an offer is accepted, it’s good to remind parents that there maybe an inspection(s) which will require access to their home at an agreed upon time. Inspections can last anywhere from one to four hours depending on the size of their home and the inspection. This is another time you’ll want to encourage them to leave.

Step 7: Closing Work with your parents to determine if they want to attend closing or if they prefer to have someone else sign the final paperwork. They do have the opportunity to set up Power of Attorney to someone trusted that can act on their behalf. This is fairly common and relatively easy to set up if predetermined in advance. You’ll want to make sure your agent and the closing company has this information well in advance.

For anyone, it’s hard to let go of a place you’ve called home – especially one that you have loved for years and holds so many cherished memories. Knowing the steps and having a dedicated real estate team on your side can help lessen the stress and make the experience less of a burden and perhaps a little joy.

If you have any additional questions about the selling process, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Khalil Alexander El-Ghoul is Principal Broker of Glass House Real Estate. Reach him at 571-235-4821 or khalil@glasshousere.com.

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