Washingtonblade.com, Volume 51, Issue 33, August 14, 2020

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VP pick is longtime LGBTQ ally, Page 12 Preview of Democratic convention, Page 18

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE 33 ADDRESS PO Box 53352 Washington DC 20009 PHONE 202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 NEWS REPORTER CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083 REPORTER & INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com POP CULTURE REPORTER JOHN PAUL KING PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, ERNESTO VALLE, NICOLÁS LEVY, FELIPE ALFACE, YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ, LYNARE ROBBINS, RACHAEL ESPINET, PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN, ESTEBAN GUZMÁN, ALEX COOPER, KATLEGO K. KOL-KES, VICTOR MAUNG CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION AZERCREATIVE.COM SALES & ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 ACCT. EXECUTIVE JOE HICKLING jhickling@washblade.com ext. 8094 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com For distribution, contact Lynne Brown ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC

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D.C. drops Delaware from list of ‘high-risk’ states The D.C. Department of Health on Monday removed Delaware from an updated list of “high-risk” states from which D.C. residents and visitors are required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return or arrival in the District if their travel is considered nonessential, including vacation related travel.

LGBTQ D.C. residents who own second homes or who are regular visitors to the popular Delaware resort town of Rehoboth Beach and other Delaware beach towns were among those expected to be adversely impacted by the self-quarantine requirement for Delaware.

MAYOR BOWSER established the quarantine rule last month.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order last month establishing the quarantine rule, which defines high-risk states as those in which the seven-day moving average of daily new COVID-19 cases is 10 or more per 100,000 residents of the state.

Delaware, Ohio, and Washington were among the states on the D.C. list whose COVID-19 cases fell below that threshold and were removed from the high-risk category this week, according to a DOH statement. The statement says Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Minnesota were added to the high-risk list on Monday.

Maryland and Virginia are exempt from the Bowser quarantine order. Under the order, anyone arriving in D.C. from a high-risk state that travels for non-essential activities are required to self-quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in the District.

Those arriving in D.C. from high-risk states involved in “essential” travel are required only to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days and, if they show signs or experience symptoms of COVID-19, they are required to self-quarantine and seek medical advice or testing.

It couldn’t immediately be determined whether the quarantine requirement had a significant impact on Rehoboth Beach during the 10 days it was in effect before D.C. dropped Delaware from the high-risk list.

“I don’t know officially what the result was on D.C. asking for the quarantine for others, but it kept me from going when I had originally planned,” said D.C. resident and LGBTQ rights advocate Peter Rosenstein, who has a second home in Rehoboth. “I will now be going to the beach on Sunday morning for two weeks,” said Rosenstein, who added he is glad that Mayor Bowser has taken Delaware off the high-risk state list.

“I’m sure there are other people that will now make plans that they may have held off doing and I am sure the businesses and Rehoboth are pleased that this happened,” he said.

The D.C. Department of Health statement announcing Delaware and the other states’ removal from the high-risk list also states that the updated list, which includes 29 states, will be again updated on Aug. 24. It says the next update will be posted on the website coronavirus.dc.gov.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

0 6 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA D E.COM • AUGUST 14, 2 020 • LOCA L N E W S

Norton calls on D.C. to boost prosecution of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes

D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton released a letter last week calling on Michael R. Sherwin, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia who serves as the city’s top prosecutor, to step up prosecutions of hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ community.

Norton’s office said her letter follows several public meetings Norton has held to address the issue of prosecuting hate crimes.

“This letter is the latest in my longstanding work to ensure every member of our community is safe from attack and harassment,” Norton said in D.C. Del. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON wants the city to step up prosecutions of hate an Aug. 5 statement. “We must work to crimes targeting the LGBTQ community. protect our LGBTQ community,” she said.

“The U.S. Attorney for D.C., who is not elected by D.C. residents or appointed by D.C. officials, is responsible for prosecuting almost all local crimes in D.C.,” Norton said. “I have continuously pressed the last several U.S. Attorneys for D.C. to prosecute hate crimes and will continue to do so. The office must work to ensure everybody can live in a safe environment.”

D.C. police records show that as of June 30, 2020, in the first half of 2020, there were 15 reported hate crimes targeting the victim because of their sexual orientation and 12 reported hate crimes targeting the victims because of their gender identity. It couldn’t immediately be determined from police records how many of those cases resulted in an arrest and whether the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted any of the cases.

Norton noted she has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives calling for giving D.C. the authority to prosecute all local crimes. The legislation was not expected to be approved by Congress under the current Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.

A spokesperson for the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on Norton’s letter to Sherwin.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Male staffer accuses Seat Pleasant mayor of sexual harassment

Seat Pleasant, Md. Mayor Eugene W. Grant was suspended from his duties on July 20 by the City Council of the small suburban Maryland city, which borders D.C., after a male former employee accused him of sexual harassment.

According to reports by the Washington Post and NBC Washington, the former employee, JoVon Pender, alleges that Grant arranged for him to be fired from his job after he refused Grant’s sexual advances.

An online publication called Xpose Seat Pleasant says it obtained a letter that Pender sent to the City Council alleging that Grant’s sexual advances toward Pender included groping, unwanted kissing, fondling, and receiving lewd text and Facebook messages.

Grant has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said he will “trust the process” that the City Council has set up to investigate Pender’s allegations, according to NBC Washington. NBC Washington and the Washington Post reported that Grant declined to be interviewed about the allegations.

The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately reach Grant or Pender for comment.

A statement posted on the Seat Pleasant city website says Grant voluntarily stepped down temporarily as mayor on July 19, one day before the Council voted unanimously to suspend him from his duties pending an independent investigation. The statement says Seat Pleasant Police Chief Devan Martin is acting as chief operating officer for the city during Grant’s suspension.

Pender told NBC Washington in an interview that he initially had a consensual relationship with Grant and Grant became abusive after Pender ended the relationship.

He said he feared he would lose his job if he spoke out about what he said was mistreatment by Grant, NBC Washington reported.

“I felt manipulated, abused,” he told NBC Washington. “I was going to counseling during the time,” he said.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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Rehoboth’s U-turn:

Stan Mills elected mayor Former commissioner once cited for ethics complaint after gay bar owners arrested FROM STAFF REPORTS In a disappointment for pro-business and progressive Rehoboth residents, former Commissioner Stan Mills was elected mayor on Aug. 8, defeating incumbent Paul Kuhns 876-587.

The two traded barbs prior to the election, with Kuhns asserting that Mills would take Rehoboth backwards.

“My fear is that if a couple candidates get into office, Stan Mills being one of them, things will turn back around to what they were,” Kuhns told the Blade last month. “The capital improvement plan will slip to the sidelines, economic development won’t be considered, and people will think about ways to avoid having the tourism that pays for all the services we have here in the city.”

The impact of the election on several pending construction projects in Rehoboth, including new STAN MILLS was elected mayor of hotels and a new theater, is unknown.

Rehoboth Beach, Del. Mills also faced questions from gay residents stemming from his 2010 use of a rarely enforced ordinance to target businesses, some of them gay owned, for hosting late-night drinking and dining on outdoor patios. Mills’ invocation of the ordinance led to a raid of the gay-owned Aqua Grill and the arrest of its then-owner Bill Shields. The Delaware State Public Integrity Commission issued an opinion stating that Mills may have violated a state conflict of interest law because he owns a bed and breakfast located next to the gay bar Blue Moon, which has a patio and was also targeted in the raid. It turned out that both establishments were grandfathered in and not subject to the early patio closure.

“To me that’s old news,” Mills told the Blade. “I’m sorry that happened, I’m sorry the way that was perceived. It’s lessons learned and not forgotten, but we have to move on.”

But not everyone views the incident as old news.

Longtime Rehoboth business owner Joe Maggio, in an op-ed for the Blade, warned voters, “It is time for the voters to know the whole truth about Stan Mills, how he operates and uses his official role to enhance his personal interests and impose his personal prejudices. Some of us who have been around this town for some time know about his past but many new residents and property owners might just buy into the fake and misleading portrayal of Mills’ character.”

He concluded, “Integrity and transparency are hardly character traits I would attribute to Mills.”

In the race for two commissioner seats, Patrick Gossett, who’s gay and a former commissioner, prevailed and will return to office, after winning 824 votes. Jay Lagree took the other open seat with 882 votes. Rachel Macha finished third with 582 votes. Hugh Fuller, the gay businessman and owner of the popular Purple Parrot and Iguana Grill restaurants, finished fourth with 563 votes.

There were 1,471 votes cast out of 1,731 registered voters in the resort town.

(Joshua Keller contributed to this report.)

James Hugh Twynham dies at 81

Teacher received Gonzaga Theater Hall of Fame Award in 2002 James Hugh Twynham, 81, passed away peacefully at his home July 31, according to a statement from his family to the Blade.

The son of the late Robert E. Twynham and Francis Nichols Twynham, he was a native Washingtonian later to retire in the mountains of West Virginia.

He leaves behind a husband and partner of 40 years, Ronald W. Frazier, one stepson Ronald W. Frazier II, and many nephews and nieces, whom he adored.

A graduate of Gonzaga High School and Georgetown University, he later went on to teach English at Gonzaga and was instrumental in making the drama department what it is today. He was the recipient of the Gonzaga Theater Hall of Fame Award in 2002.

Family said that anyone who knew Jim was a better person for it.

STAFF REPORTS

TOREY CARTER-CONNEEN

Comings & Goings Torey Carter-Conneen new CEO at ASLA

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.

The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ+ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success.

Congratulations to Torey Carter-Conneen on his new position as CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects is the professional association for landscape architects in the United States.

Speaking for the Executive Committee of ASLA, President Wendy Miller said, “We are thrilled to have Torey join us. He brings to ASLA a wealth of experience in organizational management and strategic planning, a fresh outlook, tremendous energy, and a lifetime of committed advocacy for a more just society. Torey is, without a doubt, the creative, innovative, committed leader we need at this moment to move the Society and the profession forward.”

Upon accepting the position, Carter-Conneen said, “At this very important moment in our country and our world, it is essential that we work together to solve our biggest problems – bridging deep, tribal divisions, creating new opportunities and rebuilding a sense of community at a time of fear and isolation.

ASLA is an organization with a rich history and significant role to play leading this work, both in the design world and beyond it. I’m honored, humbled and incredibly excited to help the Society and the landscape architecture profession forge a new path forward to effectively address the growing challenges of the climate crisis, the urgent need for racial and social justice, and the stark realities and disruption of social norms caused by a global pandemic.”

Carter-Conneen’s most recent position was as chief operating officer of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for the Center for American Progress.

Before that, he served as COO and later acting president and CEO at the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and a post-Baccalaureate Certificate of Accounting from George Mason University. He earned his MBA with a concentration on global business management and emerging markets from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Carter-Conneen is a volunteer member of ASAE’s Executive Management Professional Advisory Council and sits on the board of Shepherd’s Table, a community organization in Silver Spring, Md., providing food and support to people most in need.

Torey and his husband Mike are fathers to two children, three-year old Drew and three-month old Aiden.

LOCA L N E W S • AUGUST 1 4 , 2 0 2 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • 0 9

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BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP CREATING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0218 04/20

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Harris brings diversity, LGBTQ ally to ticket Biden makes historic decision as convention nears

By CHRIS JOHNSON | cjohnson@washblade.com

after the Supreme Court determined in June anti-LGBTQ discrimination is unlawful under Joe Biden made history Tuesday by selecting Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as the first Title VII, but the memo still hasn’t been rescinded. woman of color as a vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket, and a rising political Among other Senate Democrats, Harris is among the co-sponsors of the Equality Act, star who has demonstrated a commitment to the LGBTQ community. comprehensive legislation that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban antiHarris is a relative newcomer to Washington, but her record on LGBTQ rights extends LGBTQ discrimination as a form of sex discrimination. back to her tenure as a district attorney for San Francisco and California attorney general Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said based on Harris’ as well as her work during her first term as U.S. senator. That’s made her a favorite among record, Biden made “nothing short of an exceptional choice” for his running mate.

LGBTQ people, many of whom still wear “For the People” shirts from her presidential “Throughout her groundbreaking career, Sen. Harris has been an outspoken advocate campaign. for the LGBTQ community, standing with us when many, even sometimes those within “I grew up in a community and a culture where everyone was accepted for who they her own party, did not,” Davis said. “As a presidential candidate, Harris spoke with deep were, so there wasn’t a moment where it was like, ‘OK, now let’s let this person in,’” Harris understanding of and empathy for the issues our community faces. It’s clear the Bidentold the Los Angeles Blade in 2019. “Everyone was a part of everything. It was about Harris ticket marks our nation’s most procommunity. It was about coalition building. It equality ticket in history.” was about equality, inclusion.”

U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) praised Rick Chavez Zbur, executive director Harris in an interview with the Blade on of the LGBTQ group Equality California, Tuesday. congratulated Harris in a statement for being “I’m delighted that my home state Sen. the pick, calling his home state senator “an Kamala Harris will be the next vice president exceptional choice.” of our country,” Takano said. “She comes to “Throughout her career, Sen. Harris has this opportunity well qualified, well prepared demonstrated an unwavering commitment and I definitely look forward to campaigning to civil rights and social justice for all LGBTQ+ for the Biden-Harris ticket. I think it’s a winning people,” Zbur said. “As vice president, we are ticket and it’s a ticket about the future.” confident she will continue Vice President As a 2020 presidential candidate, Biden’s tradition of using the office to Harris was among the contenders for the champion and advance full, lived LGBTQ+ Democratic nomination who unveiled a equality — and equality for the diverse comprehensive plan for LGBTQ Americans. communities to which LGBTQ+ people Among other things, Harris promised to belong.” create a White House advocate for LGBTQ The crown jewel of Harris in terms of her affairs.

LGBTQ record is her decision as California Harris, however, faced criticism when attorney general not to defend Proposition 8, she said Pete Buttigieg was “a bit naive” the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage Sen. KAMALA HARRIS (D-Calif.) was chosen by Joe Biden as the 2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate. (Photo courtesy of CNN) for bringing up the struggle of being a gay enacted at the ballot in 2008.

American when asked about diversity issues, “I declined to defend Proposition 8 even though he explicitly said “there’s no because it violates the Constitution,” Harris equating the two experiences.” LGBTQ and Black activists were split over whether Harris said in a statement in 2013. “The Supreme Court has described marriage as a fundamental was right to denounce Buttigieg. right 14 times since 1888. The time has come for this right to be afforded to every citizen.”

But Harris has faced criticism from progressives who say her career has been too After the U.S. Supreme Court restored marriage equality to California in 2013, Harris aligned with support for the police at a time when law enforcement and police brutality are officiated the wedding of Kris Perry and Sandy Stier of Berkeley, Calif., the first same-sex under heavy scrutiny. Harris fought to keep a non-violent prisoner locked up in state prison, marriage performed in California after the landmark decision. openly defying a 2011 Supreme Court decision ordering the state to reduce overcrowding, Additionally, Harris instructed clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples with according to a report in The American Independent. “no exceptions” despite complaints from officials in more conservative parts of the state.

Critics of Harris in terms of LGBTQ rights point to legal filings she signed in 2015 In 2015, Harris declined to certify a measure that obtained enough signatures to get on as California attorney general defending the state prison system in refusing to grant the state ballot to institute the death penalty for homosexual acts, which became known as transgender surgery to inmates. Among them was Michelle-Lael Norsworthy, who was the “Kill the Gays” initiative, bucking her requirements as California attorney general. formerly incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, Calif., for second-degree murder.

Before that time, as district attorney for San Francisco, Harris worked with the California “Norsworthy has been treated for gender dysphoria for over 20 years, and there is no Legislature to pass legislation barring the use of gay or transgender panic defense in court. indication that her condition has somehow worsened to the point where she must obtain As a result, California in 2014 became the first state to ban the plea. sex-reassignment surgery now rather than waiting until this case produces a final judgment Since becoming a U.S. senator in 2016, Harris has taken major steps to lead efforts on on the merits,” says one brief signed by Harris.

LGBTQ rights, including the introduction of pro-LGBTQ legislation in addition to drawing Harris was able to secure a change that led to Norsworthy being able to obtain the attention to the anti-LGBTQ policies of the Trump administration. procedure upon parole, the first in the Untied States, outlining a procedure for inmates to After the Trump administration affirmed it wouldn’t allow people to identify themselves obtain gender reassignment surgery. as LGBTQ in the 2020 U.S. Census, Harris introduced legislation that would require the But according to information the Blade obtained last year in a public records request, Census Bureau to include questions on the Census, as well as the American Community few transgender inmates were able to obtain the procedure under the new policy.

Survey, asking respondents whether they’re LGBTQ. As of 2019, only seven prisoners ever got the male-to-female procedure out of 130 who When a transgender immigrant from Honduras, Roxsana Hernandez, died from asked, and 10 out of the 51 inmates who requested female-to-male gender reassignment AIDS complications after being held in immigration detention, Harris and other senators surgery obtained it. The California prison system has updated its policy on transgender demanded answers. An autopsy concluded Hernandez wasn’t physically abused before inmates, but hasn’t yet made changes specific to gender reassignment surgery. her death.

Jillian Weiss, a New York-based transgender advocate who has been critical of Harris’ Harris and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) had called on U.S. Attorney General William Barr handling of trans inmate cases, said via email to the Blade she believes the vice presidential to revoke a 2017 Trump administration order declining to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights candidate “has moved beyond her previously limited understanding of transgender rights.”

Act in cases of anti-transgender discrimination in the workforce. That request was renewed 1 2 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA DE.COM • AUGUST 14, 2020 • N ATI ONA L NE W S

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Sims accused of threatening fellow Pa. lawmaker Gay official said to be outraged that GOP colleague introduced LGBTQ bill

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com Gay Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) is under investigation by local police for making “veiled and direct threats” against a Republican lawmaker during a heated phone conversation on Monday night, Aug. 3, according to the alleged target of the threats.

Republican state Rep. Thomas Murt, who represents a district along the border of Philadelphia and a suburban county, told the Washington Blade that Sims appears to have become irate when he learned that Murt sent a memo that same day to fellow lawmakers asking them to co-sponsor an “LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights.” Murt said he and three fellow lawmakers plan to co-introduce the bill in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after making a few last minute “tweaks” to the legislation.

“He made veiled and direct threats to me, to my staff, to my constituents,” Murt told the Blade in an interview. “You know what he did is possible criminal behavior. And it’s being investigated now by law enforcement,” Murt said.

Neither Sims nor a spokesperson from his legislative office in the state capital in Harrisburg responded to a call from the Blade seeking to obtain Sims’ version of the alleged threats that Murt says he made. Sims is one of the state’s first openly gay elected officials.

The Blade contacted the police department at Upper Moreland Township, which Murt said he contacted shortly after Sims allegedly threated him to report the incident. An operator answering the phone referred the Blade to the direct number of the department’s Chief of Police, Andrew Block. Block didn’t immediately return the call.

In a statement released by his office on Aug. 4 Murt said that in the recent past, he and Sims have been “gracious colleagues and friends.” According to Murt, on Aug. 3 Sims sent him a text message that was “angry, enraged and wrathful, accusing me of treating LGBTQ+ rights as a ‘joke or a football.’”

Murt said in the statement that he immediately called Sims to find out what he was upset about.

“He answered my call and he directly launched a verbal, hostile and threatening attack on me personally, using foul language, screaming at me, and stating that (in this order): ‘I will ruin you.’ ‘You are finished.’ ‘I will get you for this.’ ‘I’m not done with you.’”

As if that were not enough, Murt said, “His language was so loud and profane, my wife heard every word coming through the telephone. His language was so vitriolic I walked outside with the telephone so my family would not hear his obscene language and his repeated use of the f-word,” Murt said.

After ending the call Murt said he called the Upper Moreland Township Police Department and an officer later visited his home. “I spoke to an officer about what happened. I expressed to the officer that based on the actions and threats made by Rep. Sims, I was very concerned for the safety of me, my family and my staff,” he said.

Sims did not directly say why he was angry, Murt says in his Aug. 4 statement. “I could only suspect that it might be about a co-sponsor memo I circulated earlier that day” seeking cosponsors for his planned LGBTQ rights bill, Murt notes in his statement. “In the past, Rep. Sims and I have worked together on LGBTQ+ issues, so I was not sure why he would have been so enraged about this particular bill.”

The Capital Star, the daily newspaper in Harrisburg, and the Philadelphia Gay News, which reports on LGBTQ news in Pennsylvania, each published a story about what they described as Sims’ “belligerent” phone conversation with Murt. The two papers said Sims did not respond to their requests for comment.

But the papers quoted from a Twitter message they reported that Sims posted before he deleted the post a short time later.

“Lol in my entire life I’ve never said these things to Tom or anyone else,” the two papers quoted the post as saying. “I did make it abundantly clear to him that killing the effort to advance LGBTQ legislation in Pennsylvania with his weird campaign effort is something that I’d make sure advocates knew about. And they do.”

Sims alluded to his apparent opposition to Murt’s plan to introduce an LGBTQ rights bill in an Aug. 6 op-ed commentary he wrote for the LGBTQ news magazine The Advocate.

Entitled the “Dangers of Performative Allyship,” the op-ed warns that Republican members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly “have often attempted during election years to portray themselves as moderates rather than the conservative, anti-civil rights advocates they truly are.”

Sims argues in his op-ed that Republicans have retained control of both houses of the state’s General Assembly due to a “gerrymandered” electoral system in Pennsylvania in which there are nearly a million more registered Democrats in the state than Republicans. He said Republicans manage to retain control of the legislature by tricking voters into thinking they are far more “moderate” than they are by, among other things, introducing progressive 1 4 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA DE.COM • AUGUST 14, 2020 • N ATI ONA L NE W S

Police are investigating a report that BRIAN SIMS threatened a GOP colleague.

legislation at the end of the legislative session during election years, knowing the legislation doesn’t have a chance to pass.

Sims makes no direct mention in his op-ed of GOP representative Murt and Murt’s plan to introduce an LGBTQ rights bill. But the op-ed implies that Murt’s effort is an insincere ploy to dupe voters, including LGBTQ voters, into thinking Republicans are supportive of LGBTQ equality.

“So, I ask everyone who believes in equality, to keep a close eye on the false efforts, and the false support, we’re going to see these next few months,” Sims wrote in his op-ed. “…[T]hey are not an ally, they are an opportunist.”

Longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Mark Segal, the editor and publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, wrote his own commentary about the Sims development in an Aug. 6 op-ed that disputes Sims’ suggestion that Murt is not a true LGBTQ rights supporter.

“State Rep. Brian Sims, to put it politely, lost his temper with State Rep. Tom Murt this week,” Segal wrote. “Murt has been a strong LGBT ally for years, not just in election years,” Segal states. “This is not the first such outburst from Sims, but while he might claim that other outbursts were directed at those who do not support our rights, this time it was aimed at an ally, someone who has consistently been in our corner.”

Segal goes on to dispute what he says is Sims’ claim that Murt’s motive for introducing the LGBTQ rights legislation was to advance the cause of fellow Republicans and himself and that the effort would ultimately hurt efforts to pass LGBTQ rights legislation. Segal notes that Murt is not running for re-election this year, so introducing an LGBTQ bill couldn’t be aimed at advancing his own re-election.

“How does a pro-LGBTQ bill kill the effort to advance LGBTQ legislation?” Segal asks in his op-ed.

“With Sims’ failure to deliver LGBTQ non-discrimination legislation in his eight years in office, you’d think he’d support any positive LGBTQ movement in Harrisburg,” Segal wrote.

“Or is it because his name was not front and center this time?”

Another possible reason for Sims’ opposition to the LGBTQ rights bill Murt plans to introduce, Segal says in his op-ed, is that Sims is supporting the Democratic candidate running against one of the Republican co-sponsors of Murt’s bill in the upcoming election.

“That indeed would be playing political football with our rights,” Segal wrote. “And the one doing it is Sims. He is putting politics before LGBTQ legislation” Segal adds in his op-ed that Sims goes one step further by calling on fellow Democrats not to sign on as co-sponsors of the LGBTQ rights bill that Murt will be introducing, an action, Segal wrote, that could hurt efforts to build bipartisan allies to support LGBTQ rights legislation.

Murt, meanwhile, said Sims appears to be implying that Republicans can’t be trusted to support LGBTQ rights legislation.

“This is an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to work together on these issues,” Murt said. “And I’m sorry that he’s attempting to make a political donnybrook out of it because these are people of good will on both sides of the aisle that care about these issues.”

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Federal agents target nonbinary Portland protester ‘I am a marginalized sitting duck’

By KAELA ROEDER Denied medical attention, misgendered, jumped and aggressively handcuffed.

These are the abuses that Juniper Simonis, a genderqueer nonbinary pansexual person, suffered after federal authorities took them into custody last month during a protest in the city.

Simonis was drawing property lines with surveying chalk in front of the Edith GreenWendell Wyatt Federal Building in downtown Portland on July 10. Simonis three days earlier attended a vigil at the same location to honor Summer Taylor, a Seattle protester who was hit and killed by a car in early July.

Federal authorities violently disrupted the vigil.

In the days between the vigil and Simonis’ arrest, they traced the property lines of the federal building in chalk to help protesters avoid trespassing. Simonis also frequently shouted from a distance at agents, asking why the vigil had been disrupted.

Simonis, a 35-year-old quantitative ecologist, has been involved in the protests in Portland since they began in late May. Simonis has marched, provided medical attention and put out fires at the demonstrations — often helping to keep the peace. “(We) are there to put our bodies, and our lives, and our money and energy towards protecting those who are standing up for their rights right now,” they said.

Simonis believes federal agents targeted them because of the information they have been collecting and sharing on social media. This information included the property lines of federal buildings, photos of agents with their badge numbers, and details about federal police funding.

Simonis also said they feel they were targeted because they are “visibly queer and trans,” and visibly disabled because of their use of a service dog.

“I am a marginalized sitting duck in some respects,” they said.

While Simonis said what happened to them was traumatizing, they do not want their experience to detract from the Black Lives Matter movement. Simonis also believes they survived their detention because they are white.

“We can’t have everybody focusing on the white people getting kidnapped when Black people are still getting killed day-to-day,” they said.

Federal agents during the July 7 vigil stormed the area. Simonis suspects federal officers were targeting a specific protestor in the crowd for arrest, but to their knowledge, no arrests were made. Simonis described the vigil as peaceful and said there was no provocation for the agents to disperse it.

Amid the disruption, while federal officers were moving back towards the building’s entrance, they threw a flashbang grenade at Simonis and their service dog, Wallace. The agents who conducted the raid were unknown to Simonis, and they couldn’t determine what organization or bureau they represented.

“I was super pissed,” said Simonis. “I spent the next 36 hours trying to figure out who these guys were.”

After fruitless calls to the Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County Police Department to help identify the federal agents, Simonis decided to take matters into their own hands.

Knowing the federal agents in question often stood outside the building watching protestors, Simonis decided to research where the property lines of the building are.

They wanted the agents to explain why they had disrupted a peaceful vigil, without risking being arrested for trespassing. On July 8 and 9, Simonis marked the divide between federal and public property with chalk to ensure their safety.

“I wanted to stand on the sidewalk and fucking yell at these people, and I wanted to know where I was legally allowed to do that,” Simonis said.

For two days, Simonis documented agents moving in and out of the federal building and eventually identified the officers as members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service.

Simonis on July 9 said they saw multiple federal agents storm out of the building towards them when they were on the southeastern corner of it.

Simonis, who was aware of the arrest of other protestors throughout Portland, said they expected to be “snatched.” But, the agents retreated back into the building.

Simonis at 8:30 p.m. on July 10 returned to the federal building to touch up the chalk line and continue protesting.

As they were fixing the lines near the front entrance, Federal Protective Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents surrounded Simonis, threw them to the ground and handcuffed them.

“They do not say anything. They don’t say, ‘stop.’ They don’t say, ‘what are you doing?’

They don’t say ‘get off our property’ … they don’t say anything. They just streamed out 1 6 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA DE.COM • AUGUST 14, 2020 • NATI ON A L N E W S

JUNIPER SIMONIS said federal agents targeted them because of the information they have been collecting and sharing on social media.

(Photo courtesy of Simonis)

of the front of this building and snatched me,” Simonis said.

Simonis provided the Washington Blade with a video of their arrest.

Simonis said officers used mace and separated them from their service dog.

“As someone who already has PTSD, who already has almost been killed multiple times, including by someone grabbing me from behind, what I instantly get shunted into is a fight or flight response,” they said.

Simonis was detained in handcuffs in the building foyer for an hour before being taken down to the basement. There, agents told them they were under arrest for spray painting federal property.

“Even though everything I had in my hands was chalk — it was clearly chalk — they just assumed I was doing something illegal, even though I knew I wasn’t, and I had all of the documentation to show them that I wasn’t,” Simonis said.

When Simonis was taken into the federal building foyer, an officer offered medical attention, but Simonis requested a trained medical professional flush their eyes and tend to their open wounds.

Two Portland Fire and Rescue members arrived an hour later, but Simonis said they only made matters worse.

According to Simonis, the medical team did not properly flush their eyes, mouth and nose with pressure. Rather they splashed saline solution from an IV bag into the affected areas. Simonis also said the medical team did not remove their contact lenses, even though they repeatedly asked them to do so.

Simonis asked repeatedly for additional medical attention, including treatment for open cuts on their body. They were denied additional help.

Throughout the time Simonis was in federal custody, they said they were repeatedly misgendered. The agents exclusively referred to Simonis, who identifies as nonbinary and has two forms of identification legally identifying them as a woman, as “sir.”

Despite the fact Simonis’ driver’s license and passport both identify them as a woman, the medical services receipt also listed their gender as male.

Simonis was then taken to the adjacent Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse after two hours in the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, and was held in a cell without access to a lawyer, phone call, sanitizer or water.

Simonis was still separated from their service dog when they were at the courthouse, and did not have access to their medication. Simonis said agents threatened to take their dog to a shelter, telling them their dog “would not be there when you get out.”

Simonis was released on petty charges roughly six hours later. They are still awaiting a court date for failure to comply with a lawful order and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service and Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the Blade’s requests for a comment. Portland Fire Rescue and the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse have also not returned requests for comment.

Simonis has not proceeded formally with charges but plans to in the near future.

They are planning to pursue a variety of legal actions, including individual and class action lawsuits.

“I have been getting all of my legal ducks in a row … while also trying to heal and support the movement,” they said.

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AUGUST 1 4 , 2 0 2 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • 1 7

Rising LGBTQ stars, historic platform for Dem convention

With election season in high gear, Democrats are preparing an unprecedented convention next week that includes a mixture of live and virtual events, including components seeking to highlight the party’s commitment to the LGBTQ community.

The lineup leading up to Joe Biden’s speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination includes visibility for high-profile LGBTQ Democrats, including Pete Buttigieg and Danica Roem, as well as ratification of a national platform that includes the words “transgender women of color,” “non-binary,” “non-conforming” and “confirmation surgery” for the first time.

Those LGBTQ components will be integrated into the convention, which during the time of the coronavirus has been downsized to a largely virtual event, although operations will remain based in the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wis. Buttigieg, who performed well in the primaries, was given a primetime slot for a speech Tuesday night. That’s a high honor in a convention where many participants — with the exception of Biden and his newly selected running mate Kamala Harris — will be given short times to speak as opposed to time for a major address.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Del. Danica Roem (D-Prince William), is set to have a role at the Democratic convention, although the exact nature of her presence is at this time unclear, Democratic officials told the Blade.

Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement choosing Roem to have a role at the convention “was an inspired decision.”

“In 2017, Roem made history beating Virginia’s self-described ‘chief homophobe,’” David said, referring to former State Del. Bob Marshall. “Alongside [Minneapolis City Council member] Andrea Jenkins, she began a revolution for increasing LGBTQ representation in government inspiring a community hungry for a seat at the table.”

Roem won’t be the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention. That distinction belongs to Sarah McBride, a transgender advocate for the Human Rights Campaign now running for a seat in the Delaware State Senate, who addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Joe Solmonese, CEO of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, told the Blade the integration of LGBTQ rising stars in the event underscores Biden’s commitment to the community.

“Vice President Biden very clearly sees that LGBT people are part of the fabric, and they will be part of the fabric of the convention,” Solmonese said. “We’re asking lots of people to participate in all sorts of different ways.”

Also during the convention, Democrats are expected to ratify the quadrennial party platform, which includes many planks in support of LGBTQ rights, including a commitment to transgender health and support for the Equality Act, which would comprehensively ban anti-LGBTQ discrimination as a form of sex discrimination under the Civil Rights Act 1964.

Delegates are currently voting on the platform and voting closes Saturday night, a Democratic National Committee spokesperson said. Among them is language making the document the first to recognize transgender women of color, gender nonconforming people and the non-binary community.

Meghan Stabler, a Houston-based transgender advocate and member of the Democratic platform committee, introduced 26 amendments that were adopted as part of the draft platform to make the additions happen.

In an interview with the Blade, Stabler said it was important to create a progressive platform that was “as fully inclusive as possible,” which she said means recognizing different components of the LGBTQ community as well as intersectional issues, such as criminal justice reform.

“It isn’t about one particular issue,” Stabler said. “For trans people in society, we come up against everything from health care discrimination to criminal justice discrimination, and I don’t just mean by law enforcement, but also consider prosecutors, judges and even those that are in the jail system.”

Stabler, who said she expects delegates to the Democratic convention to ratify the platform, said she hopes the 2020 convention will serve as a model on which to base further progress in the 2024 platform.

“A fully functional America is one that is inclusive of everybody, right?” Stabler said.

“Whether or not you are transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, it is the values that we hold true as Democrats that all Americans should be treated fairly and equally.”

CHRIS JOHNSON 1 8 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA D E.COM • AUGUST 14, 2 020 • NATI ON A L N E W S

Virginia Del. DANICA ROEM (D-Manassas Park) and former Mayor PETE BUTTIGIEG (D-South Bend) are set to have roles at the Democratic National Convention.

(Blade photos by Michael Key)

Hoadley could be Michigan’s first gay congressman A former D.C. politico has crossed a major hurdle in his effort to become Michigan’s first openly gay member of Congress after cinching the Democratic nomination in the primary for the state’s 6th congressional district.

State Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo), who served as president for the now closed National Stonewall Democrats, won the contested primary by claiming 53.3 percent of the vote in comparison to teacher Jen Richardson, who had 47.7 percent.

The Associated Press declared Hoadley the winner the day after the primary.

According to MLive.com, election results slowed in Kalamazoo with increased absentee voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in delays in declaring the winners.

Hoadley will advance to the general election, where he’ll face Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who has a reputation as a moderate in the solidly Republican district.

Amritha Venkataraman, Michigan state director for the Human Rights Campaign, commended Hoadley in a statement and said Upton “should be running scared.”

“After decades of failed anti-equality leadership from Upton, Michigan’s 6th is ready for fresh, bold new leadership,” Venkataraman said. “While Upton claims to oppose discrimination against the LGBTQ community, he has regularly voted against legislation to protect LGBTQ people including essential non-discrimination measures like the Equality Act that would make real change.”

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Beirut explosion damages LGBTQ group’s offices A massive explosion that killed more than 200 people in Beirut on Aug. 4 nearly destroyed the offices of Lebanon’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy group.

Helem’s offices are located less than a mile from the city’s port where the explosion took place. Helem Executive Director Tarek Zeidan on Monday told the Blade during a Skype interview the blast damaged buildings up to 10 miles away.

“You can imagine how close we were,” said Zeidan.

“Nothing much inside the center remains: Doors, windows, fixtures, furniture, everything was blown out.”

Zeidan said the explosion injured several Helem staffers.

“They had to be taken to the hospital that night for their wounds to be stitched, but thankfully no one lost their life,” he said.

Helem was founded in 2001. Its offices are located in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael and Gemmayzeh neighborhoods, which Zeidan described to the Blade as “the most vibrant … most LGBT-friendly neighborhoods in the entire Arab World, much less in Lebanon and in the city.” Zeidan said a lot of bars, coffee shops, art galleries and nightclubs were located in the area.

“All of that has been destroyed,” Zeidan told the Blade. “The entire area has been brought down.”

Zeidan said most of the buildings in the area that remain standing are not structurally sound. Zeidan added “nothing inside” Helem’s offices “is salvageable.”

Zeidan and his partner live more than a mile away from the blast’s epicenter.

Zeidan told the Blade the explosion caused “one entire side of the house to sort of implode inwards with all the glass” and “the living room fixtures blew inside as well.” Zeidan said his partner was in the room “that sort of exploded, but thankfully he wasn’t hurt.”

“I was not in the house,” said Zeidan. “I just came back and saw the carnage and went down and saw the same.”

Initial reports indicate a fire that ignited more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut’s port since 2013 sparked the blast. The explosion took place against the backdrop of Lebanon’s economic and political crises that the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated.

Zeidan on July 22 was in Helem’s offices when he spoke with the Blade in a Zoom call about the impact the crises and the pandemic has had on Lebanon’s LGBTQ community.

“You’re not exaggerating when you say things are really bad,” said Zeidan.

Zeidan noted to the Blade that Helem at the beginning of the pandemic launched food and clothing drives.

Zeidan during the Zoom call also said Helem was working to create what he described as a “community kitchen” to provide people in need with hot, nutritional meals twice a week. Zeidan also said Helem worked with the American University of Beirut to create a clinic within its medical center that would provide free diagnostic services to LGBTQ people.

Helem is among the organizations that participated in last October’s anti-government protests that forced then-Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign. Prime Minister

Gay El Salvador politician makes history

ERICK IVÁN ORTIZ (Photo courtesy of Iván Ortiz)

A massive explosion that destroyed large swaths of Beirut on Aug. 4, seriously damaged the offices of Helem, a Lebanese LGBTQ advocacy group. (Photo courtesy of Tarek Zeidan/Helem)

Hassan Diab and his Cabinet on Monday resigned amid growing outrage over the blast.

Zeidan is among those who police tear gassed on Sunday during anti-government protests in Beirut.

Zeidan’s voice was hoarse when he spoke with the Blade on Monday.

“Yesterday it wasn’t outrage,” he said. “It was rage.

It was rage against everybody: Not just the people responsible, not just the people that ran the port, not just the political sponsors. It was rage against subsequent governments, of subsequent bad governance and corruption and murder and theft and the deliberate impoverishment of the Lebanese people and the fattening of the pockets of the political elite and ruling class.”

Zeidan told the Blade the Lebanese people have launched their own relief efforts without assistance from their country’s government. Zeidan said Helem volunteers and staff “immediately joined” them.

“Many of our volunteers are out on the streets cleaning up debris or assisting the makeshift community kitchens,” he said. “We’ve dedicated funds to support people who are seeking shelter from the community, particularly because so many places are unlivable, even if they are structurally sound.”

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — A groundbreaking El Salvador National Assembly candidate hopes to make history as the first openly gay man elected to the country’s legislative body.

Erick Iván Ortiz is among the candidates that members of Nuestro Tiempo, a new political party, have chosen to run in the National Assembly elections that are scheduled to take place on Feb. 28, 2021.

Ortiz, 29, has an economics degree from the Higher School of Economics and Business in El Salvador.

He also studied human rights at Luis Amigó Catholic University in Medellín, Colombia, and participated in a social leadership development course at George Mason University.

Ortiz told the Blade his social activism began a decade ago with a specific focus of defending democracy, promoting institutions and transparency and young people’s participation in politics, among other issues. “[My work] began in a very difficult context for El Salvador because it was a moment in which we were facing an attack on democracy due to the attempt to tie up the Constitutional Court,” said Ortiz. “We joined forces with different sectors of the population to make ourselves clear, and at that young age I saw myself as an agent of change.”

Following the 2014 presidential campaign in which LGBTQ issues were used in a negative way, Ortiz, along with other people who were uncomfortable with what happened, decided to organize themselves. They formed Colectivo Normal in 2015.

Colectivo Normal has since used cultural and political advocacy to advance their cause, using the arts as a strategy to spark new conversations in order to change the narratives around the LGBTQ community.

After a process of deconstruction and constant learning within the collective, members met with different LGBTQ organizations in a round table in which the Salvadoran LGBTI Federation was created.

“I have been able to train alongside El Salvador’s best trans activists like Karla Avelar, Karla Guevara, Ambar Alfaro, Paty Hernández, among other people, and better myself,” Ortiz told the Blade.

ERNESTO VALLE

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

Trump’s executive order scam ‘The hydroxychloroquine of economic policy’

President Trump has just perpetrated one of the bigger scams of his presidency, trying to make people think the executive orders he signed actually mean something.

He is using one order delaying payroll taxes in his ongoing effort to undermine Social Security and Medicare. In addition, most people don’t realize they will be billed for the whole amount sometime in the future. Delaying payment of these taxes for those who are employed will do nothing for the unemployed who are the ones really in need of help.

Respected economist Paul Krugman tweeted, “I don’t know if anyone else has said this, but payroll tax cuts are the hydroxychloroquine of economic policy. They won’t do anything to solve the employment crisis, but will have dangerous side effects. Yet Trump remains obsessed with them as a cure.”

To Trump and his administration sycophants like Mark Meadows and Steve Mnuchin this is all a great political game that they think will help him win votes. Instead of meeting with Democrats to hammer out a negotiated package, Trump is off playing golf and signing these generally useless executive orders, which will be trashed as soon as a congressional package is agreed to.

The scam is evident if you look at the orders more closely. As reported, “He is ordering a payroll tax deferral, not a cut, meaning the taxes won’t be collected for a while but they will still be due at a later date. On housing, he instructs key officials to ‘consider’ whether there should be a ban on evictions. He also insists that state governments pick up the tab for some of the unemployment aid.” It is all one big PR stunt.

The administration had one of the bigger Trump a-holes, Peter Navarro, go on “Meet the Press” and say the president is looking for Democrats to negotiate a package and they need to agree to a middle ground. Well, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer have already agreed to negotiate a middle ground. In May, the House passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act—a $3.4 trillion stimulus package that the president and the Senate refused to even respond to.

Now it’s August, nearly three months later, and “Moscow Mitch” announced a $1 trillion bill he cobbled together for which he can’t even get enough Republican support to get passed in the Senate. So he and Trump are negotiating from a bill that everyone knows in the end will need Democrats’ support if it has any chance to get passed in the Senate.

Pelosi and Schumer have come back and said they would meet McConnell and the president in the middle and have come back to the table with a $2 trillion bill. But the president and his representatives won’t budge. Trump won’t even sit down to negotiate as he is busy playing golf in New Jersey.

One of the main sticking points appears to be that Democrats understand the need to provide money to states and cities to help balance their budgets. Those are the budgets that pay for basic services including police, fire, sanitation, teachers, social workers, judges, nurses and other healthcare workers. Democrats understand because of Trump’s bungling of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting need to close down the economy for so long that states and localities will lose billions in tax revenue. They, unlike the federal government, cannot pass deficit budgets as their budgets by law must be balanced. So the money to help pay for these services can only come from the federal government. The Federal Reserve has agreed with Democrats now is not the time to worry about the federal deficit if we are to see our economy recover once the pandemic has eased.

After Democrats announced their $3 trillion package in May, Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell spoke and “crystallized the choice before legislators: more, expensive fiscal support or prolonged economic damage.” He added, “Additional fiscal support could be costly but worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery.”

The question is will the American electorate fall for Trump’s scam? I think after some thought the answer will be a resounding NO!

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V I E W POI N T • AUGUST 1 4 , 2 0 2 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • 2 1

KATHI WOLFE a writer and a poet, is a regular contributor to the Blade.

If your spirits need a boost, watch ‘Frasier’ One of the most sophisticated, witty, and queer shows ever

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Pandemic life comes with cravings. I wake up wishing that my couch was a replica of the sofa in Coco Chanel’s Parisian apartment. At 5 p.m., I want to sip Champagne with Oscar Wilde. Around midnight, I crave tossed salad and scrambled eggs.

You might wonder how I could fulfill these desires. No worries! I don’t need to time travel to meet up with Oscar, buy Chanel’s sofa or rush to scramble the eggs and toss the salad. I just go to Hulu, Amazon Prime or CBS All Access and watch “Frasier.”

“Frasier,” the Emmy-winning sitcom that ran on NBC from 1993 to 2004, serenades us with its theme song, “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs.” (There are reports that a “Frasier” reboot may be in the works.) Its lead character, psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, has a replica of Chanel’s couch in his Seattle apartment. Wilde’s ghost wittily cavorts through most episodes. Plus, there’s an adorable dog! (Cue Eddie, the Jack Russell terrier who got more fan mail than the show’s human stars.)

Debuting three years before the original incarnation of “Will & Grace,” (which ran on NBC from 1996 to 2006), “Frasier,” was one of the most sophisticated, witty, and queer series on TV in its era. The show received a GLAAD Award for its season two episode “The Matchmaker.” As its popularity on streaming platforms, with younger generations and as the subject of several podcasts attests, “Frasier” has, generally, aged well.

It’s not surprising that I, along with many other aficionados, are turning to “Frasier” for comfort in the time of COVID-19. There’s a limit to how much news we can take in as the virus wreaks havoc on our health, economy, and social lives. Especially if we’re queer. After doing all we can to help ourselves, our families, friends, colleagues and communities, we need to recharge.

During quarantine, other TV shows, especially, “The Golden Girls,” have made its legions of fans, including me, laugh and feel safe. (What virus could withstand Dorothy’s stern admonitions or resist Blanche’s seductiveness?) Yet, “Frasier” is a near-perfect fit for this moment.

In case you haven’t run into it on Netflix, “Frasier” was a spin-off of the NBC sitcom “Cheers.” On “Frasier,” the pompous, but lovable, witty, opera-aficionado, twicedivorced psychiatrist Frasier Crane has moved to Seattle.

There, his father Martin, a retired cop who was wounded while on duty, lives with him.

Daphne, Martin’s physical therapist, completes the household. His brother Niles, also a psychiatrist, is, for a time, married to Maris, a spectral caricature who’s never seen on the show. (Maris is one of the things on “Frasier” that hasn’t aged well.) Frasier is a radio shrink and Roz is his producer and friend.

Frasier has more girlfriends than you can count and Niles, early on, falls head over heels in love with Daphne. Yet, the two brothers are each other’s most frequent opera and wine-tasting companion. They’re together so much that a woman planning a dinner party is overheard bemoaning that “if you invite one you have to invite the other one.”

The main characters aren’t queer on “Frasier.” Yet, the show has a queer vibe. This is, I’d wager, partly because “Frasier” co-creator David Lee and “Frasier” executive producer and writer Joe Keenan are gay.

If you’re missing theater because of the pandemic, “Frasier” will help fill the void.

Often, “Frasier” episodes are like French farces. Among the best and queerest are “The Matchmaker,” “The Ski Lodge,” “Out with Dad” and “The Doctor is Out.” In “The Matchmaker,” Frasier invites Tom, the station manager, to dinner (thinking he’d be a great catch for Daphne). Tom has no clue that Frasier’s straight, while Frasier has no idea Tom’s gay. The humor isn’t homophobic. The laughs come from the farcical misunderstanding.

If your spirits need a lift, check out “Frasier.” It’s Oscar Wilde meets Halloween.

The Blade Foundation was founded in 2010 to promote the accurate reporting of issues related to the LGBTQ community around the world.

Our mission: To support, train and encourage diversity in the next generation of LGBTQ journalists by investing in students and enterprise journalism projects focused on LGBTQ and other underrepresented communities.

In furtherance of that mission, the Blade Foundation in 2020 is offering a $3,000 scholarship to a student who has received their acceptance to a fouryear accredited university journalism program and will begin that program in the fall of 2020 or a student who is already enrolled in such a program.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE You may submit the following via email or postal mail: • • • •

A letter explaining why you should receive this scholarship and why LGBTQ issues are important to you; Proof of acceptance or current attendance in an accredited journalism program; A letter of support from either a professor if you are currently in a program or from a teacher or mentor if you are about to enter a program; A one-page resume and three published clips or links to published material.

Send application by email to knaff@washblade.com (no phone calls) or mail to: Blade Foundation Attn: Kevin Naff, Executive Director 1712 14th St., NW Washington, D.C. 20009 Deadline for applications is

Sept. 15, 2020

and the recipient of the award will be announced by Oct. 1, 2020.

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To purchase tickets or for more information about Drive ’N Drag, visit vossevents.com/drive-n-drag.

Queens of ‘Drive ’N Drag’ roaring into town Much needed entertainment during these crazy times

By JOHN PAUL KING “The opening weekend was honestly so exciting,” she gushes. “As practically the Even in a pandemic, any drag fan will tell you that you can’t keep a good queen first drag concert of its kind, there were certainly a few bumps in the road and some down. kinks we worked out over the weekend, however, just as we have always done as queer If any proof of that statement were needed (it’s not), you can surely find it at Westfield artists and event producers, we quickly adapted to the learning curve.

Annapolis next weekend. That’s where a gallery of gorgeous fan favorites from “RuPaul’s “Drag artists are always some of the first to adapt to any circumstance or hardship, Drag Race” will converge for a three-day, socially distant extravaganza, aptly titled “Drive and we have proved our place as essential entertainment over the past few months ‘N Drag!” and described in press materials as “a brand-new experience for drag fans.” by constantly working to bring a smile to people’s faces against any and all odds. It’s It’s the latest installment of the outdoor summer concert series, following an special today that we now are presented with this opportunity to entertain in a format opening weekend at New Jersey’s Westfield Garden State Plaza that featured five soldother than digitally and we absolutely can still feel the love the fans are telepathically out shows as well as shows in Los Angeles. The concept is as much retro as it is timely in sending us on stage.” the here and now of the Summer of COVID; essentially, it’s a drive-in, only instead of a Though she says it’s a bit “surreal” performing under such unusual conditions, movie, it’s a live theatrical experience. Complete with concert-style stage and lighting, Aquaria thinks they succeed in creating “a memorable experience for fans,” and gives Jumbotron screens, and sound being pumped from the stage both outside and via shared kudos to the whole team responsible for “Drive ‘N Drag.” “It takes a group of FM transmitters, it allows attendees to enjoy the show from the safety of their vehicle real professionals not only to put together an event this unique and safe,” she tells us, – either inside or on top of it – at multiple performances happening all weekend long. “but to do it flawlessly in all the same costumes, wigs, pads, makeup, etc. as we regularly And as if all that weren’t enough of a lure, there’s food and drink involved, too. do... and then doing it in muggy 90+ degree weather?!?!? Both the fans and the queens The tour comes from Voss Events, famous for its “Drag Brunch” events as well as are true champions.”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race Live” at Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel and the “Werq the World” tour Fellow queen Plastique told the Blade to tell fans to expect “one amazing show.” (postponed due to coronavirus until 2021), and is conceived to bring the people an “Be ready to be entertained,” she tells us, quickly adding, “and to remain socially essential need (drag, of course) during an unprecedented time. distant and wear the mask!”

“Our ‘Werq the World’ Tour typically plays inside large theaters and arenas,” says “Be inspired by the gorgeous Valentina and keep it on.” producer Brandon Voss, “but we’ve moved the show outside to continue providing Multiple shows will run all weekend long, starting at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday, much needed entertainment during these crazy times. A pandemic won’t keep our Aug. 21 and continuing Saturday, Aug. 22 (at 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m.) and Sunday, Aug. queens from ruling the stage. The drag show must go on!”

23 (at 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m.). Tickets are $69 per car for two people; some VIP spots Voss tells the Blade that he had no problem getting queens to commit to going on are also available for $139 per spot, but check availability online as some times have the road in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. “I ran the idea by a lot of them before already sold out). Whichever option you choose, additional passengers are $25 each. fully bringing it to fruition,” he says. “Once I reviewed all safety precautions, everyone Voss assures fans they can expect a great time. was ready to get out of the house and perform.”

“I think there are lots of fun surprises in store for everyone attending – and what will Among the queens he enlisted to star in “Drag ‘N Drive” are “RuPaul’s Drag Race” be best about it is getting out of the house to enjoy a show!” winners Jaida Essence Hall, Yvie Oddly and Aquaria. They are joined by fan favorites To purchase tickets or for more information, you can head to the Voss Events website Asia O’Hara, Acid Betty, Gigi Goode, Monet X’ Change, Kameron Michaels, Naomi (https://vossevents.com/drive-n-drag/) any time – but hurry, because Smalls, Plastique, Vanessa Vanjie and Violet Chachki. these performances are likely to sell out fast.

Aquaria tells us she’s thrilled to be a part of it.

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CALENDAR

By KAELA ROEDER

Comedian LESLIE JORDAN performs at a virtual event on Aug. 15.

TODAY

#BusboysOnLive, an online open mic and poetry slam, will be live on Instagram tonight at 8 p.m. at @busboysandpoets. The event is also every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Admission is free. Details at busboysandpoets.com/events.

Saturday, August 15

The Gay Men’s Chorus hosts a virtual event tonight at 7 p.m. featuring Leslie Jordan.

There will be performances by the chorus, special guests and a silent auction, which is live until noon tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. Visit gmcw.org to learn more.

Sunday, August 16

The National Museum of Women in the Arts has reopened from 12-5 p.m. on Sundays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Timed-entry tickets must be reserved in advance, and prices range from $8 to $10. Details at nmwa.org/reopening.

Monday, August 17

Summer Restaurant Week, presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, begins today and runs until Aug. 30. This year, the event has expanded to include a to-go program with a variety of family-style offerings as well as alcoholic beverage options available over the two weeks. Details at ramw.org/restaurantweek.

Tuesday, August 18

The DC Center will host its monthly Bi roundtable discussion at 7 p.m. The roundtable is an opportunity for people to gather to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as bi individuals in a private setting. Details at thedccenter.org.

Wednesday, August 19

Profs and Pints Online will host “The Fire of Frederick Douglass” tonight, a presentation on the history of the American social reformer with Rick Bell, professor of history at the University of Maryland at 7 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $12. Learn more by visiting profsandpints.com/online-talks

Thursday, August 20

The DC Area Transmasculine Society is hosting a Transmasc and Nonbinary Game Night at 7 p.m. on Jackbox.tv, a multi-player video game tool. The event is primarily for transmasculine and nonbinary folks, but friends, spouses and allies of any gender are also welcome. Admission is free. Details at dcats.org/

OUT&ABOUT

D.C. Council candidate forums

Join the Washington Blade and Team Rayceen for broadcasts of the DC Council, At-Large, 2020 Candidate Forums on Sept. 15, 22, and 29. Rayceen Pendarvis and Krylios will moderate three forums with candidates and nominees running in the 2020 general election for the two At-Large seats on the Council of the District of Columbia.

Forum will stream live at 7 p.m. on the Facebook pages of the Washington Blade and Team Rayceen Productions. For information about voter registration, receiving mail-in ballots, and more, DC residents should visit www.vote4dc.com.

Library of Congress National Book Festival

The 20th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held virtually Sept. 25-27 with the theme of celebrating American ingenuity. The full lineup has been announced, including more than 100 authors, poets and illustrators.

On-demand videos and live author chats and discussions will be offered. Details at loc.gov.

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AUGUST 1 4 , 2 0 2 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • 2 7

Washington Blade photos by Michael Key

You know what Dupont needed?

A Nordic restaurant Business rebounding at Mikko amid COVID restrictions

By BROCK THOMPSON whole host of embassies. While I was sitting with Mikko, he was fielding text messages from the Austrian ambassador.

Asked about the prospect of further opening up of city businesses, ‘knock on the voood’, Mikko said in a charming accent.

Given the Black Lives Matter movement, Mikko is aware of his privilege as a gay white male from a northern European country, you know, the kind of immigrant President Trump openly prefers versus those from “shithole countries” as Trump called them. Nevertheless he does have a perspective, gesturing toward the work going on at the now shuttered Cobalt, to the dry cleaners on the corner, “none of this would be possible without immigrants.” An important reminder to be sure.

Stopping by on a recent Saturday, every table was full, despite being a rather muggy D.C. July morning. When it comes to fitting in, Mikko was proud to be on 17th Street, and proud to show off his new outdoor dining tables, again with the Nordic colors and depictions of classic Finnish cartoon characters. He also had nothing but praise for his ANC commissioner Randy Downs. It was with his help that Mikko was able to secure more outdoor seating by converting the parking area out front, something he very much wants to retain post-pandemic. I think everyone would like that.

I’ve always preferred Dupont’s 17th Street to the more bustling 14th Street; 17th Street, that stretch of the old gayborhood between R and P street, is tree-lined, quaint, and just calmer. And the businesses, bars, and restaurants that occupy that stretch, like Annie’s or Floriana’s, just seem more authentic than their corporate counterparts a few blocks away. Mikko was happy to bring a little gay back to Dupont. He called his restaurant and 17th Street, “a perfect match for each other.” And why not — they’re both authentic, and charming. And just, well, hygge.

(Editor’s note: This is the second in an occasional series on how local small businesses are coping in the time of COVID.) There’s a Danish word “hygge,” pronounced hue-guh, it’s sort of a concept meant to describe the feeling you get whether alone or with friends, at home or out, that the moment is cozy, charming, or just special.

And you can’t really miss Mikko, the Nordic restaurant on the corner of 17th and R streets in the old gayborhood, a special place to many D.C. gays. Former chef to the Finnish embassy, a position he held for more than a decade, Mikko Kosonen opened Mikko almost two years ago. I sat down recently to chat with Mikko about all things Black Lives Matter, COVID, gay, and Nordic.

Just passing by, you’re immediately drawn to the color scheme. Reds, blues, whites, some yellow — all the colors of Nordic flags are there. I’m not a restaurant critic to be sure, but the food was fresh and fantastic, served by an upbeat and energetic staff. Mikko treated me to a salmon and poached egg sandwich followed by pancakes with a raspberry sauce. Each bite held little pieces of some Nordic heaven. The inside shop is full of Nordic products, from sodas to mustards to mints and candies. I bought a bag of children’s candy known as ‘Dracula Pillers’ or Dracula Pills.

Like any restaurant in the area, COVID hit his interests hard. In less than a week, he saw eight months of catering events cancelled. To make it work, he pivoted toward togo meals and grocery items. “I never thought I’d be 50 years old and selling eggs. But here we are.” A government pandemic relief loan helped. He cut hours, but Mikko took pride in telling me that no one on his staff was laid off.

Slowly but steadily, catering requests are coming back.

That’s the bread and butter of the business, if you will.

Given his unique taste-of-home cooking, you can imagine Mikko is quite popular with the World Bank, the IMF, and a MIKKO KOSONEN opened Mikko almost two years ago and has been getting creative while coping with COVID restrictions.

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Great Great for for cuddling... cuddling...

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‘A Star is Bored’ a delicious work of fiction Carrie Fisher’s assistant pens irresistible novel

By KATHI WOLFE

“If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true,” the late actress, writer, screenwriter and gay icon Carrie Fisher wrote in “Wishful Drinking,” her memoir, which she performed in a one-woman show.

I miss Fisher! She was loved by her legions of fans for her indelible portrayal of Princess Leia in the “Stars Wars” franchise and other performances — from Marie in “When Harry Met Sally,” to her cameo in a “Sex and the City” episode. Fisher, the daughter of Eddie Fisher and queer icon Debbie Reynolds, had bi-polar disorder and struggled with substance abuse. In “Postcards from the Edge” and other novels and memoirs, she wrote with wry humor about alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness and life as Hollywood royalty.

Byron Lane, author of “A Star Is Bored,” was Fisher’s personal assistant for several years. This irreverent, yet poignant debut novel is the fictional story of 29-yearold Charlie Besson’s life as the personal assistant to the queer icon, actress and writer Kathi Kannon. Kannon,

By Byron Lane aged 59, renowned for starring as Princess Talara in Henry Holt and Co. the blockbuster film “Nova Quest,” is bi-polar and $26.99/352 pages struggles with alcohol abuse and drug addiction. As with the case with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Gracie Gold (Miss Gracie) lives next door to Kathi.

From the get-go, Lane says the book isn’t an account of his experience as Fisher’s personal assistant. He isn’t Charlie and Kathi isn’t Fisher.

You’ll know you’re in for a fun ride when you read Lane’s disclaimer. “This is a work of fiction...” Lane, the partner of novelist Steven Rowley, writes, “Any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental, including, names, places, weapons and sexual acts.”

“A Star Is Bored” is a coming-of-age novel. Charlie, who’s gay, grew up in Louisiana. When he’s 12, his loving mother dies. She didn’t mind that Charlie didn’t play sports as the other boys did. Knowing that he worshiped Princess Talara, she gave him a Princess Talara action figure.

His father was another story. He’s abusive and homophobic. As a child, Charlie loved Oreos (but only for their filling). One day, after he realized that Charlie had thrown the chocolate part of the cookies into the trash, his Dad made him eat the cookie remnants out of the garbage.

His father was no fan of the Princess Talara action figure! “He thought female action figures were the reason I ‘ran like a girl,’” Lane writes.

Even when he’s grown up and Kathi is interviewing him for the assistant job, Lane writes, Charlie says his father’s “masculine voice is still screaming at me, in my head...even while here, auditioning for a new role in Hollywood’s royal court.”

It’s no wonder that on his way to his job interview with Kathi, Charlie, who’s been working the graveyard shift for a local news station, says his life “feels like rot.”

It’s not surprising that his therapist says Charlie engages in “passive suicidal behavior” or that Charlie’s love life sucks. Hope enters his world when he becomes assistant to Kathy, who Charlie says is the “heroine of film, television, maybe my life.”

Working for his idol, though life-changing, is far from easy. Kathi lives in a mansion that “looks like a carnival,” Lane writes, “like an acid trip...like heaven.”

Kathi is friends with Meg Ryan and other celebs. She gives Charlie not only a gorgeous sweater and other swag but the inimitable nicknames “cockring” and “stepson.” She has, Lane writes, a moose head who “once saw Jack Nicholson nude.”

Yet, Kathi is demanding – wanting Charlie to answer ASAP, 24/7 questions like, “Where’s that website with those things I hate in that store I love?”

Kathi’s demands and sallies are often laugh-out-loud funny. But, there’s sadness in her story for us and for Charlie. She struggled with drug addiction and often resists taking her bi-polar meds.

Despite these challenges, Charlie learns how to change his life as he works for Kathi. You’ll root for him as he looks for sex and romance – while knowing that the bond forged between Charlie and Kathi is its own love story.

If you want to forget the pandemic, check out “A Star Is Bored.” It’s a scene-stealing read.

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EMMA STONE and STEVE CARRELL in ‘Battle of the Sexes.’

FROM THE VAULTS: Journeys to the LGBTQ past From ‘70s sports to aristocratic Britain

By BRIAN T. CARNEY The coronavirus may have forced a lot of people to change their vacation plans this summer, but movies can always whisk you away to fascinating historical landscapes. Here’s a curated collection of recommendations from the Blade archives that offer some journeys to the LGBT past.

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” unfolds in New York City in the early 1990s. When literary biographer Lee Israel can’t get a contract for her new book, she turns to a life of crime. With the help of her gay best friend Jack Hock, she becomes a successful forger, until the FBI figures out what’s going on. Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are sensational as Lee and Jack and there are great supporting performances by Dolly Wells as Lee’s love interest and Jane Curtin as her exasperated agent.

Many readers of the Blade lived through the horrific early days of the AIDS pandemic, but for a younger generation of queer activists those times are just pages in a history book (pages that offer powerful lessons for navigating the latest pandemic). Two excellent recent movies do an amazing job at capturing the raw emotions of those turbulent times.

In “1985,” Yen Tan tells the story of a closeted HIV-positive gay man who returns to Texas to spend Christmas with his conservative family during the early days of the AIDS crisis. The black and white cinematography is stunning and the richly nuanced performances are heartbreaking.

“BPM” turns to the fight against AIDS in Paris. In the midst of demonstrations, ACT UP PARIS meetings and medical treatments, Nathan and Sean fall in love. The movie features outstanding performances from a great ensemble cast and strong direction by veteran activist and filmmaker Robin Campillo. Winner of the Queer Palm and the Grand Prix at Cannes, this excellent movie is proudly queer, deeply erotic and passionately engaging. (In French with English subtitles.)

Emma Stone earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her great performances in two very different films.

In “Battle of the Sexes,” Stone is sports legend Billie Jean King. The excellent movie recreates King’s sensational tennis match against outspoken male chauvinist Bibby Riggs (Steve Carell) and tracks her relationship with her first girlfriend Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough). The championship cast includes out actors Alan Cummings and Natalie Morales and LGBT ally Sarah Silverman.

In “The Favourite,” Stone is Abigail Hill, an impoverished aristocrat who is battling her cousin Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) for the affections of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Director Yorgos Lanthimos and screenwriters Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis offer an irreverent but very timely take on English history. The contrast between the serious rivalry among the female lovers and the silly homoerotic rituals of the male courtiers is fascinating.

Pro tip: pay attention to the bunnies. They play a surprisingly important role in the unfolding story.

Finally, for fans of period drama, the movie of “Downton Abbey” is a delightful diversion. With almost the entire cast intact, the movie picks up where the series ended. The Earl of Grantham is informed that King George V will visit the estate during an upcoming royal tour. The event is, of course, a great success for both the aristocratic family upstairs and the domestic staff downstairs, but as the movie ends Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) realize that the days of the grand manor house are coming to an end, for better or for worse.

The movie is notable for the sparkling dialogue from creator Julian Fellowes, the splendid costumes and scenery and Maggie Smith’s brilliant deadpan performance as the Dowager Countess. Like the series, the movie also features Robert James-Collier as the gay butler Thomas Barrow, but this time his story has a more hopeful ending.

Bonus recommendation: “The Chaperone.” During the hiatus between the television series and the movie, writer Julian Fellowes, director Michael Engler and star Elizabeth McGovern worked together on a beautiful movie about Norma Carlisle, an unfulfilled Kansas housewife who serves as a chaperone to a young Louise Brooks on her first trip to New York. Norma’s adventures help her redefine the idea of family and create a radical solution to her domestic problems.

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A scene from Laketown Beach near Saugatuck, Mich (Photo courtesy Bill Malcolm)

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TRAVEL

Saugatuck-Douglas is open and better than ever

Artsy Midwest resort area has something for everyone

By BILL MALCOLM

The Midwest’s gay resort area, SaugatuckDouglas, Mich., is open and better than ever.

The sandy beaches, two gay resorts, sand dunes, and blueberries beckon the LGBTQ traveler. The Southwest Michigan area is easily accessible by car from many cities and flying into Grand Rapids is another option.

Safety is a priority in the area and COVID-19 protection plans are in place and include: employees wearing masks at bars, restaurants, and stores; restaurants have spaced out tables and are operating at reduced capacity; the number of campsites has been reduced at CampIt; reduced capacity and spread out bar area at the Dunes Resort; masks are required to enter grocery stores; and more. Check state websites for the latest travel restrictions before booking any trips.

The area features two great LGBTQ resorts.

The Dunes Resort features many lodging options (motel, cabins, and more), a pool with bar (never a cover or admission fee), a great indoor bar, two dance floors, and more. It is the Midwest’s largest gay resort.

Weekly events include piano bar Monday, karaoke on Thursdays, go-go boys from Perfect 10 Men Fridays, and a T-dance (with barbeque) Sunday afternoons. The Dunes Divas also appear with shows on the Tea Deck weekend nights. There is something special going on every weekend including: Aug. 13-16 White Party Weekend Aug. 20-23 Furball Weekend Aug. 27-30 End of Summer Blues Book your stay or get more information at dunesresort.com. They also handle bookings for the Northern Lights condominiums across the street.

Value-oriented travelers will especially like the camping and other options like small cabins and a bunkhouse over at Camp It Resort, Saugatuck’s outdoor resort in Fennville just south of Saugatuck. They have a great pool scene, too. Upcoming events include: Aug. 14-16 Wild West weekend Aug. 21-23 Mardi Gras (complete with parade)—this is always a sell out Aug. 28-30 Wine and dine weekend D.C. DJ Steve Henderson spins the tunes by the pool. The resort has been going strong since 1982. I love that you can camp for just $20 a night on the weekends. It’s a friendly crowd and they even have a food truck (opening soon) for those that don’t like to cook.

Book your stay and get more information at campitresort.com or call 269-543-4435.

Make your first stop beautiful Oval Beach on Lake Michigan. One of the best shorelines around. However, they do charge $10 until 8 p.m. so save money and just go for the sunset.

Other beaches (which are free) include the Laketown Beach and West Side County Park.

My favorite is the Wau-Ke-Na Preserve, which features great hiking and a wonderful (and free beach) less affected by this year’s high Lake Michigan water levels.

Take a hike to the beach at Saugatuck Dunes State Park. You walk though a beech/maple forest to the dunes and then down to the beach, although the high water levels leave little beach left right now. The non-resident fee is $9. The huge forest covered dunes are amazing.

Explore the arts community in downtown Saugatuck with its shops and restaurants.

Uncommon Ground is the LGBTQ oriented coffee shop. It is a very walkable small town.

Rent a bike at Big Lake Outfitters and ride on the new Blue Star bike and hike trail.

Pick or just buy the local grown blueberries at Blue Star farms. The peaches grown in the area are also very good. Go wine tasting at the Fenn Valley Vineyards.

There is so much to do in this beautiful area on the shores of Lake Michigan.

The What Not in Fennville is open at 50 percent capacity. The salmon, perch, and taco salad are all excellent plus it is very LGBTQ friendly. You will find the restaurant just south of Douglas on Blue Star Highway.

Enjoy fresh made juices, sandwiches, and salads with local ingredients at The Farmhouse Deli (100 Blue Star Highway). Try the carrot or beet juice blends.

Have a slice of pizza or homemade sandwich at Lakeshore Convenience, 655 Blue Star Highway.

Grab a coffee drink at Uncommon Coffee in Saugatuck. It’s the LGBTQ friendly hang out in town with micro roasted coffee beans to take home.

You will not run out of things to do in the Saugatuck area. However, hurry, the season ends just after Labor Day. For more information, visit Saugatuck.com, dunesresort.com, or campit.com.

Bill Malcolm is America’s only syndicated LGBTQ value travel columnist.

He is based in Indianapolis.

10 202.262.7762 michael.moore@compass.com

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Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 1232 31st Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 |202.448.9002

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Know your limits when it comes to DIY Four questions to ask before tackling a project yourself

By SHERRI ANNE GREEN DIY—Do it yourself—is all the rage. With the constant reminders from Instagram and HGTV, many people get caught up in self-redecorating and repairing. People are painting rooms, changing doorknobs, trying to hang wallpaper, adding flagstone paths and much more. Some home projects are fun and simple. With so much time at home these days, it’s easy to see why so many are taking on DIY projects.

DIY improvements can be challenging and give you a great sense of accomplishment.

DIY can help you change up your home’s style. DIY can sometimes save you some money.

DIY decorating is one thing. DIY repairs, however, are another. In the past, I am sure your trusty DIY partner—YouTube—has been right there by your side as you installed a new backsplash or taped off molding before painting a room. However, there is a chance YouTube, combined with your inadequate skill level, has no business trying to repair some home issues. While the same tenets of enjoyment and accomplishment that you get from design projects can apply to repairs, many times trying to repair something yourself can cause bigger issues and cost you more money immediately or in the future.

So how do you know when a project is just too much for you to tackle on your own?

Here are four questions to ask yourself before you take on a DIY repair.

Is it safe? Stop and think about the project at hand. Is it safe for you to tackle? Have you worked on something similar in the past? Is the repair easy to get to or do you need a ladder? When thinking about safety, electrical repairs immediately come to mind. The job may look as simple as connecting two wires, but doing the job incorrectly can be a true safety hazard either immediately or down the road.

Will a botched job affect your neighbors? What if you can’t stop the water as you attempt to repair your toilet or sink? While it may look like the water would stay contained to your unit, water moves in mysterious ways. It can seep down between floors or even under walls and across to your neighbor. Flooding your condo, your

neighbor’s, or your common hallway is an uncomfortable position to be in. And if you damage community property, or your neighbor’s unit, your DIY repair has just gotten really, really expensive.

Do I have time to do this twice? Sure, from your YouTube research the project looks like it will take no time at all. But, what if you mess up or can’t complete the project? Do you have time to call in a professional to correct your mess up? Let’s say you only have one bathroom and midway through the project you realize you can’t repair your toilet before the end of the day and need to call in an expert to help. If you are calling after hours, it’s a long wait until the morning or an expensive emergency after-hours charge.

Are you ready to pay for the repair twice? If you go the DIY route, you might feel like you are saving. You may think you can find less expensive parts and save on labor charges. But, if you have to follow up your attempt by calling in a professional, you will likely have to pay for parts twice in addition to the cost of the professional’s labor.

Home improvements and repairs are a normal element of home ownership.

Maintaining your home is important for you while you own and live in the house. Repairs and upgrades will also pay off when you go to sell. Add to that, deferred maintenance can be very costly. But before you tackle that project, stop and analyze the best route to take. DIY can be enjoyable and gratifying, but sometimes we just need to know our limits and when it’s time to call in a professional. If you want to see an example of a DIY pipe repair gone wrong, check out my YouTube channel for last week’s episode of my Thursday Thoughts series entitled DIY: Know Your Limits.

Sherri Anne Green

is an award-winning Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage having earned the prestigious International President’s Circle Award designating her among the top 5% internationally. Reach her at 202-798-1288, sherri.green@cbmove.com, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherriAnneGreen/, and on Instagram: SherriAnneGreen.

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ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY legal services. Jennifer represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters. 240-863- 2441, JFairfax@jenniferfairfax.com.

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