Washingtonblade.com, Volume 51, Issue 34, August 21, 2020

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

Meet Claire Lucas and Judy Dlugacz, Democratic activists extraordinaire Power couple working to elect Biden, Page 10

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Former Catholic official charged with stealing $2.1 million in pandemic relief funds Gaughan allegedly created fake companies to apply for loans

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

A gay former assistant superintendent and contracting liaison for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $2.1 million in funds for personal use from two federal coronavirus relief programs.

A statement released last week by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia says Kenneth P. Gaughan, 41, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint unsealed on Aug. 11 on one count of bank fraud, one count of theft of government funds, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering.

The statement says Gaughan allegedly obtained the money by submitting loan applications for more than a dozen non-existent companies through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. The two programs have been used since early spring to help small businesses and their employees cope with the severe economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

It says Gaughan used the money he obtained through fraud and deception, in part, to purchase a $300,000 yacht, a $1.13 million townhouse in D.C., and a $46,000 luxury sports car.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office statement, Gaughan was also arrested on an indictment unsealed on Aug. 11 charging him with a separate embezzlement scheme related to his alleged theft of more than $472,000 in funds from the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. over a period of eight years from 2010 to 2018.

The statement says that in conjunction with Gaughan’s arrest, prosecutors obtained a warrant authorizing the seizure of the yacht, the sports car, Gaughan’s investment account, and his bank accounts. “The government is also filing a civil forfeiture complaint against a home Gaughan purchased with his fraudulently obtained proceeds and a lis pendens on that property,” the statement says. Lis pendens is a Latin term for “suit pending.”

Court records show that Gaughan was first indicted in September 2018 for allegedly embezzling $45,000 from the Archdiocese’s Catholic schools program by federal prosecutors in Maryland. But a U.S. District Court judge in Maryland dismissed the charges in December 2019, following a five-day trial before a jury reached a verdict, on grounds that the prosecution was incorrectly carried out in Maryland rather than D.C. The Archdiocese of Washington oversees Catholic churches and Catholic schools in D.C. and in Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s Counties in Maryland. The new indictment against Gaughan for allegedly embezzling money from the Archdiocese unsealed this week says that in his role as an assistant superintendent he was in charge of recruiting contractors to provide, among other things, anti-bullying and crisis intervention services for Catholic schools.

The statement released last week by the U.S. Attorney’s office in D.C. says law enforcement officials found it interesting that Gaughan would attempt to engage in a scheme to defraud the two federal government programs just a few months after his trial in Maryland in January.

“Mr. Gaughan was so emboldened by deceiving a church for eight years he then, allegedly, turned his deception to the government, stealing funds that were meant to be a lifeline for struggling businesses during an unprecedented economic downturn, and greedily using them to satisfy his own materialistic desires,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone.

“We will not tolerate exploitation of this national emergency for personal gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Michael R. Sherwin. “This office will not allow fraudsters to steal taxpayer money intended to help small businesses that are struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sherwin said.

Court records show that Gaughan pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court hearing last Tuesday. The records show that U.S. District Court Judge Tanya

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KENNETH P. GAUGHAN has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $2.1 million in funds for personal use.

(Photo via Facebook)

Chutkan agreed to a request by Gaughan’s attorney that he be released on personal recognizance while he awaits trial.

The court records also show that he was assigned by the court a Federal Public Defender attorney to represent him in the case. The website for the D.C.-based Federal Public Defender Service says its attorneys are only assigned to represent clients considered to be indigent.

The attorney assigned to represent Gaughan, Jose Alejandro German, did not respond to a call from the Washington Blade seeking comment on the case.

A 22-page Affidavit In Support of Criminal Complaint filed in court against Gaughan on Aug. 10 before it was unsealed the next day provides details of prosecutors’ allegations on how Gaughan carried out schemes to defraud both the Archdiocese of Washington and the two federal coronavirus relief programs.

Among other things, the affidavit says the name of an individual identified in the document only as “Person 1” appears on the fraudulent loan application forms that Gaughan submitted to the Small Business Administration to obtain some of the money he allegedly obtained illegally.

Although it doesn’t specifically accuse Person 1 of wrongdoing or illegal activity, the affidavit says investigators found that 11 of the PPP loans from U.S. Small Business Administration affiliated lenders that Gaughan allegedly applied for and received fraudulently had both Gaughan’s and Person 1’s name on the applications.

“Records show that those PPP loan applications were submitted using the business names of at least eight bogus emotional support animal companies, including Service Animals of America Incorporated, Service Dog of America Incorporated, Certapet Incorporated, Official Service Dogs Incorporated, Therapeutic Solutions Incorporated, Therapy Dog Incorporated, Therapy Dog International Incorporated, and ESA Registry International Incorporated,” the affidavit says.

The affidavit says that nearly all of the fake companies that Gaughan allegedly created to fraudulently obtain PPP loans, which do not have to be paid back if they are used for employee salaries and certain other business expenses, purported to involve service dogs.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request by the Blade for comment.

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Gay Young Dems of Md. leader found dead in D.C. apartment Medical Examiner says cause of death undetermined

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Joseph L. Kitchen Jr., an LGBTQ rights advocate who served as president of the Young Democrats of Maryland since 2013 and was a beloved figure among Democratic Party activists across the state and in Prince George’s County, was found dead in his D.C. apartment on Sunday, Aug. 16 of unknown causes, according to D.C. police and the Office of the D.C. Chief Medical Examiner.

A spokesperson for the Medical Examiner’s office said a determination of the cause of death was still pending as of early this week. Members of Kitchen’s family told media outlets that authorities do not believe foul play was involved.

Prince George’s County police said Kitchen, 34, was found deceased one day after friends and family members reported him missing and appealed to the public for help in finding him. P.G. police said in an announcement on Aug. 15 that Kitchen was last seen in person on Aug. 8 at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis and he last spoke to colleagues during a Zoom meeting on Aug. 11.

“In everything Joseph did, he advocated for young people,” Maryland Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince’s George’s County) told NBC 4 Washington. “He was fearless in calling out local, state, federal, and even party leadership if he felt young people weren’t given a fair hand,” Lewis said.

At the time he was reported missing, P.G. County police described his appearance and said he owned a 2014 Silver Dodge Charger with Virginia license plates.

The missing person’s announcement did not say he had a residence in D.C. Jeffrey Slavin, the gay mayor of Somerset, Md. located just outside D.C., said he was among the Maryland elected officials who got to know Kitchen and admired him for his advocacy for progressive causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement. But Slavin said he was puzzled over why Kitchen had a D.C. apartment and drove a car registered in Virginia.

“There is much about him that has always been a mystery to me,” said Slavin.

Kitchen’s LinkedIn page says he has worked since August 2011 as an administrator at the Washington Middle School for Girls in Southeast D.C. Maryland State Del. Nicole Williams (D-PG County) told the Washington Blade she too admired Kitchen’s political activism and has been good friends with him for at least a decade. Williams said she believed that Kitchen also had a residence in Maryland, which would have been a requirement for him to serve as president of the Young Democrats of Maryland.

Kitchen contacted the Washington Blade in April 2013, two months after he was first elected president of

JOSEPH L. KITCHEN JR. came out publicly in an interview with the Blade in 2013.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Young Democrats of Maryland, to disclose that he had decided to come out publicly as gay to his Democratic Party colleagues and friends. He said his public coming out was part of his own transformation as a person of faith and an ordained minister to a place of full selfacceptance.

“I had to believe and come to realize, as a person of faith, that I am made in God’s image and he has made me to be who he wants me to be, that God made me this way because this is who I am and I’m made in his image,” he told the Blade in a published interview.

He said in the interview that he moved to Maryland in 2006 from his hometown of Fresno, Calif., and settled in Prince George’s County. He said his decision to come out marked the culmination of a path that had taken him from the position of voting for California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in 2008, to an active role in 2012 in campaigning for Maryland’s same-sex marriage law.

He said he had retained his California residency during his first few years living in Maryland, which enabled him to vote for the anti-gay Proposition 8, an action he attributed to his initial inability to accept himself as a gay person.

Among other things, Kitchen told the Blade in the interview that he helped direct the Young Democrats of Maryland’s efforts to support a same-sex marriage bill when it came before the Maryland General Assembly and when it came before voters in a referendum

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in November 2012. The measure won approval by Maryland voters in what was considered a major breakthrough for LGBTQ rights.

Kitchen stated in his interview with the Blade that he did not expect his coming out to interfere with his longstanding advocacy for social justice for all people.

“So I want this to be out there and of course I’m going to have to deal with it for a while,” he said. “But then I want to return to the issues that I’ve made the passion of my life, which are education equality, crime and justice and economic justice for people of color.

Those are the issues that are important to me.”

Slavin said he regrets not becoming more personally supportive of Kitchen in recent months when, like many others during the stress of the coronavirus pandemic, Kitchen may have been struggling emotionally. Slavin pointed to a Twitter posting by Kitchen a week or two before Kitchen was reported missing.

“For the last few days (possibly even weeks) I have been struggling. Mostly in silence,” Kitchen wrote in his Twitter post. “Surviving with a jam-packed schedule of meetings, phone calls, and even some Facebook Live events,” he wrote. “Last week I realized, I am not okay. It first came when I became literally too ‘sick’ to get out of bed every morning for two weeks.”

Kitchen concluded his post saying, “Then last Friday I couldn’t get out of bed at all. It was my body’s way of saying, we are not okay.”

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CLAIRE LUCAS and JUDY DLUGACZ — seen here playing ping pong with their children Angie and Juan — say they are working to elect Biden to ‘move forward the fight to provide affordable healthcare for all and economic and judicial equality.’

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Power couple working to elect Biden

Meet Claire Lucas and Judy Dlugacz, Democratic activists extraordinaire

By PETER ROSENSTEIN

As Democrats staged their virtual convention this week, two prominent party activists and fundraisers continued to work behind the scenes to elect Joe Biden president.

Claire Lucas and Judy Dlugacz are a power couple widely known thanks to their work for human rights and equality. Each is a success independently, and together they have accomplished much to advance civil rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ rights.

Now their focus is on limiting Donald Trump to a single term as president.

Lucas has dedicated her career to fighting for equality at home and abroad. She was the recipient of one of the U.S. government’s highest honors, the “Distinguished Honor Award,” for her pioneering work on global LGBTQ equality when working at USAID. She is an international development expert, coalition builder, entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 20 years of experience in both the private sector and government.

“It is now more important than ever that we all come together and work hard to further the values and ideals that so many in this country cherish,” Lucas said.

Dlugacz is a lifelong advocate, activist, and entrepreneur who has built a career on the simple but powerful ideal of doing good in the world. For more than 40 years, she has used her business acumen and passion for LGBTQ equality and acceptance to build two successful companies and contribute to landmark achievements nationally and internationally in the area of LGBTQ rights.

“My goal in life may not be easy to achieve, making things better for all, but it is what has motivated all my work for more than 40 years,” Dlugacz told the Blade.

These two women were born and grew up on opposite coasts. Lucas was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Southern California. Dlugacz was born in New York and grew up on Long Island. They were both successful when they met in 2008 on an Olivia cruise, fell in love, and have now been together for nearly 12 years.

Lucas is a force in the Democratic Party and is using her contacts and abilities to help elect Biden president.

“It is critically important that the Biden/Harris ticket win so that we can continue to improve on the progress we made before Trump was elected and began taking us backwards,” Lucas said.

She has spent years as a leader in the Democratic National Committee and working for other Democratic presidential candidates. Lucas was extensively involved in the Hillary for America campaign, serving on its National Advisory Council, among other roles. She also assisted Sen. John Kerry in his bid to become president and served as 1 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • AUGUST 21, 2 0 2 0 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

his National Finance Co-Chair in 2004 and was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

Gay Democratic activist Earl Fowlkes, past president of D.C.’s Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and former chair of the DNC’s LGBT Caucus, has worked with Lucas for years.

“There are few people like Claire Lucas who can be counted on for anything you ask of them,” he said. “She has made a huge difference in the Democratic Party with her work to ensure women and the LGBTQ+ community have their voices heard.”

Lucas is currently chair of the LGBTQ Council at the Democratic National Committee; DNC Deputy National Finance Chair; and a member of the Joe Biden for President Finance Committee. Along with good friend Bruce Cohen (the Academy Award-winning producer), in just the last several months she has hosted and executive produced three large, star-studded fundraisers for Biden, raising millions of dollars for the campaign.

There is more to Lucas besides supporting Democrats around the country. She also runs her own consulting firm, where she works creating inclusive and profitable communities. She is a recognized international expert having designed and implemented U.S. government and multilateral policy and programs at both the macro and micro levels.

Her last government position was as senior adviser for Public-Private Partnerships at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She left in 2016 to volunteer fulltime for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign. At USAID, she led efforts to expand the creation and implementation of strategic public-private partnerships and facilitated the agency’s collaboration with the private sector to achieve its development and U.S. foreign policy objectives. Prior to joining USAID, Lucas held several leadership positions at the World Bank responsible for managing teams and processes that resulted in the creation of numerous, multimillion-dollar, multiple stakeholder international development projects. Prior to that she worked for a number of organizations, including the Pan American Health Organization, the Harvard Institute for International Development as well as several consulting firms. Lucas earned her bachelor’s degree from Pomona College; her master’s from Harvard University; and her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

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FDA approves human trial for treatment to cure HIV Md. genetic engineering company hopeful gene altering process will work

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

American Gene Technologies, a Rockville, Md.-based gene and cell therapy company, announced on Aug. 11 that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin its first human clinical trial for a unique cell altering treatment that it believes will enable the immune system of people who are HIV positive to permanently eliminate HIV from their body.

“AGT developed a new treatment to repair immune system damage done by HIV and allow natural responses to control the virus,” the company says in a statement announcing the approval for its clinical trial. “From its research, AGT believes a cure is attainable and is now taking the significant step of testing in humans.”

The statement says AGT is conducting its Phase 1 clinical trials at sites in the BaltimoreD.C. area. It says the Washington Health Institute in Northeast D.C., Georgetown University, and the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore will be the three sites for the trials.

According to the statement, the Phase 1 trial will investigate the safety and efficacy of a product the company calls AGT 103-T, “a genetically modified cell product made from a person’s own cells.” It says the product and treatment should work to remove HIV infected cells from the body and “decrease or eliminate the need for lifelong antiretroviral treatment.”

In an online virtual news conference held on Aug. 12, AGT Chief Executive Officer Jeff Galvin explained that the clinical trial involves a multi-step process of extracting blood from an HIV-positive person whose HIV is fully under control through anti-retroviral medication and immediately subjecting the blood to a process of Leukapheresis, which separates a type of white blood cells known as T-cells.

Galvin said the T-cell samples extracted through that process will be sent to a lab, where they will be genetically altered in a process developed by AGT. He said AGT believes the genetically altered T-cells will make them resistant to HIV infection and enable them to do what HIV has prevented human T-cells from doing during the course of the 40-year plus HIV epidemic – to neutralize the virus and prevent it from harming the human body.

Once the gene altering process is completed and an initial waiting period is used to allow the altered cells to multiply in the lab, the cells will be “reinfused” into the body of the person participating in the trial and from whom the original collection of T-cells was obtained, Galvin said.

AGT has said in earlier statements that individuals participating in the clinical trial will initially continue to take their regularly prescribed anti-retroviral medication while testing of their blood continues to determine whether the newly infused T-cells are killing or neutralizing HIV to a degree that will no longer make the anti-HIV medication necessary.

C. David Pauza, AGT’s chief science officer and the company’s lead researcher in the development of the genetically altered, HIV resistant T-cells, stated at the news conference that under FDA protocol, the process must be shown to be safe and not have significant side effects on the first person to undergo the procedure before the procedure is performed on the second person to participate in the clinical trial.

Pauza said he, Galvin and the AGT team consider the FDA’s approval of the clinical trial an important development brought about by years of research and laboratory testing.

“This is momentous news that we have FDA approval to launch Phase 1 and conduct our first human trials,” he said in a statement. “We are beyond excited to reach this milestone.

This brings us closer to our goal of transforming lives with genetic medicines,” he said.

“Based on our successful commercial-scale product manufacturing runs and features of the product observed in our labs, this therapy has a high potential to be effective,” Pauza said.

Galvin told the news conference that the current cost for the complete process of extracting cells from an HIV infected person, genetically altering the cells, and reinfusing the HIV resistant T-cells back into the person’s body is about $200,000. But he said he’s optimistic that the cost of the procedure will go down dramatically as it is used more frequently in coming years. Among other things, he said that the extraction of the T-cells and the genetic alternation process can be done through machines in an automated process that can lower costs.

FDA spokesperson Monique Richards told the Washington Blade the FDA is prohibited by law and regulation from commenting on or acknowledging the existence of an “investigational new drug” application, known as an IND, or whether a clinical trial is taking place.

“The FDA supports the safe clinical development of these products and we are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with industry and the medical and scientific communities to provide the information and guidance needed to help foster the advancement of these promising therapies,” Richards said in an email on Friday.

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AGT CEO JEFF GALVIN said genetically altered T-cells will make them resistant to HIV infection.

Judge blocks Trump admin from enforcing anti-trans rule A federal judge issued an order Monday blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a rule allowing health care providers to discriminate against transgender patients — one day before the regulation was set to go into effect.

U.S. District Judge Frederic Block, a Clinton appointee, draws heavily in his decision on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which determined anti-LGBTQ discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.

“The Court reiterates the same practical concern it raised at oral argument when the Supreme Court announces a major decision, it seems a sensible thing to pause and reflect on the decision’s impact,” Block writes. “Since HHS has been unwilling to take that path voluntarily, the Court now imposes it.”

The Department of Health & Human Services rule, made final in June, vacated an Obama-era regulation interpreting the ban on sex discrimination in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to apply to cases of anti-trans discrimination.

Block takes a swipe at the Trump administration for vacating the rule both before the Supreme Court had a chance to render a decision in the Bostock case and reusing to change course after it was handed down.

“By its own admission, HHS knew that the case was pending and would have ‘ramifications’; it must also have known that a decision would be handed down before the end of the Supreme Court’s term,” Block writes. “It then had an (admittedly brief) opportunity to re-evaluate its proposed rules after the case was decided contrary to its expectations.”

The lawsuit was filed in June by the Human Rights Campaign and the BakerHostetler law firm in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of two transgender women of color — Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker and Cecilia Gentil — with long histories of discrimination in health care.

The order stands in contrast to a decision from U.S. District Judge Reed O’Conner in 2016 barring the U.S. government from enforcing the Obama-era rule against antitransgender discrimination in health care.

Now that an order has been handed down barring HHS from enforcing the law as well to prohibit anti-transgender discrimination it wasn’t immediately clear how the department would implement Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The 2016 order, however, predates the Bostock decision, which Block indicates is the correct guide in reaching the conclusion the Trump administration’s anti-trans exclusion is, in fact, inconsistent with the law and should be reversed.

An HHS spokesperson in response to a Washington Blade inquiry on enforcement deferred to the Justice Department, which didn’t respond to a request to comment.

“We are disappointed in the court’s decision and refer you to DOJ for further comment,” the HHS spokesperson said.

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JOE BIDEN is now the official presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, following this week’s virtual convention.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

It’s official: Democrats nominate Biden

LGBTQ issues, speakers take center stage at virtual convention

By CHRIS JOHNSON | cjohnson@washblade.com

There are two things you do not want to be right now, a statue of a Confederate GeThe Democratic National Convention anointed Thursday night Joe Biden as the party’s presidential nominee, formalizing his wins in the primary with a roll call of delegates declaring votes for their home states.

Delivering the roll call was Jason Rae, secretary of the Democratic National Committee, the first openly gay person to hold that role and the fourth in the party’s history since 1944. (Dorothy Bush held the position from 1944 to 1989 and read the roll call at 12 conventions.)

LGBTQ people had representation in the nomination process. Pete Buttigieg, the gay former presidential candidate, declared the votes for Indiana, where he served as mayor of South Bend. Additionally, Judy Shepard, the mother of gay college student Matthew Shepard who was murdered in a hate crime in 1997, read the votes for Wyoming.

High-profile speakers at the convention that night included former President Jimmy Carter, former President Bill Clinton, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a group of Democrats who collectively gave the keynote address, and former second lady Jill Biden.

A former school teacher, Jill Biden gave her remarks from an empty school building in Wilmington, Del., urging the audience to elect Biden and oust President Trump from the White House so that children can safely return to classes amid the coronavirus epidemic.

“And with Joe as president, these classrooms will ring out with laughter and possibility once again,” Jill Biden said. “The burdens we carry are heavy, and we need someone with strong shoulders. I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours: bring us together and make us whole.”

Prior to the official roll call, former first lady Michelle Obama, in a video speech for the Democratic National Convention, made a personal plea Monday for voters to reject President Trump.

In her remarks drawing on her ability to connect personally with an audience, Obama urged Americans to back Joe Biden in the presidential election, drawing on the coronavirus crisis, economic hardship and call to action against racism in the United States.

“You know I hate politics,” Michelle Obama said. “But you also know that I care about

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this nation. You know how much I care about all of our children. So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.”

(The closing speeches from vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris and Biden occurred too late for this edition of the Blade. A prime time speech from Buttigieg on Thursday evening also came too late for this issue. Visit washingtonblade.com for updated coverage.)

Joe Solmonese, CEO of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, told the Blade last week that 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 ratified 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.

The platform contains language making the document the first to recognize transgender women of color, gender non-conforming people and the non-binary community.

Meghan Stabler, an Austin, Texas-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 last week, 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.”

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Meet Claire Lucas and Judy Dlugacz JUDY DLUGACZ and CLAIRE LUCAS adopted two children from Colombia.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Dlugacz is the founder and president of Olivia Travel, the premier travel company for queer women. Named a “Best Company to Work For” by the San Francisco Business Times, the pioneering company specializes in experiences, opportunities, and inclusion and provides a safe space for queer women to be themselves, out and proud as they travel the world. To date, Olivia has taken more than 300,000 women on more than 350 cruise, resort, riverboat, and adventure vacations, providing them with unique experiences and featuring dynamic entertainers, speakers and custom programming.

“Olivia has attracted a multitude of celebrities and influencers over the years, including Maya Angelou, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King, Patti LaBelle, Gloria Steinem, Bonnie Raitt, and Lily Tomlin,” Dlugacz said.

Before Olivia Travel, Dlugacz co-founded Olivia Records, a groundbreaking label. They specialized in women artists, and its success grew out of her vision for a more diverse and inclusive music scene, which at the time of its founding in 1973 was dominated by men. During her tenure leading the label, Dlugacz produced 40 albums and sold more than a million records. She oversaw the production of hundreds of concerts and events across the United States and around the world. She was the executive producer of the first HBO comedy special featuring a lesbian performer, Suzanne Westenhoefer, and was nominated for a Chloe Award. She also worked with the Nepal Youth Foundation, where she raised more than $300,000 to help young women escape indentured servitude.

Together, Lucas and Dlugacz founded the LGBT Haiti Relief Fund of the Red Cross in 2010. They have given back to the community in many ways, not the least of which is as political activists. While Dlugacz is focusing on Olivia these days because of the pandemic, together they continue to be a major force in Democratic Party politics.

They served on the LGBT Leadership Council for President Barack Obama’s historic 2012 campaign for reelection, hosting six lesbian roundtable discussions with Michelle Obama. Lucas and Dlugacz were the top LGBTQ and top overall women fundraisers for Hillary Clinton in 2016, raising more than $4 million.

“Judy and I did all we could for Hillary because we believed in her passionately,” Lucas said.

Their philanthropy extends to some of the most impactful organizations making progressive change, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Victory Fund and Victory Institute, Lambda Legal, the National Organization for Women, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Lucas is also chair of the Victory Institute.

If all this isn’t enough, in 2018 they decided to start a family. Through the organization KidSave, of which they are now supporters, they adopted two children from Colombia, Angie and Juan. In addition, Dlugacz has a daughter and a grandchild from a previous relationship.

“We are determined to do all we can to see Joe Biden elected president this year,” Lucas said. “His election will move forward the fight to provide affordable healthcare for all and economic and judicial equality. In turn that will lead to our country moving toward what we are all fighting for, ‘a more perfect union’.”

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Trump judge rules against Idaho law barring trans girls from sports A Trump-appointed federal judge has issued a ruling blocking Idaho from enforcing a recently enacted law barring transgender girl athletes from participating in school sports.

U.S. District Judge David Nye, appointed by President Trump in 2017, determined Monday in an 87-page decision the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, conceding his decision “is likely to be controversial.”

“It is the court’s role — as part of the third branch of government—to interpret the law,” Nye said. “At this juncture, that means looking at the act, as enacted by the Idaho Legislature, and determining if it may violate the Constitution. In making this determination, it is not just the constitutional rights of transgender girls and women athletes at issue but, as explained above, the constitutional rights of every girl and woman athlete in Idaho.”

The lawsuit against HB 500 was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, who is preparing to try out for the track and cross country teams at Boise State University.

“I feel a major sense of relief,” Hecox said in a statement. “I love running, and part of what I enjoy about the sport is building relationships with a team. I’m a girl, and the right team for me is the girls’ team. It’s time courts recognize that and I am so glad that the court’s ruling does.”

Applying heightened scrutiny to the Idaho law, Nye draws on the Supreme Court’s recent in decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which determined anti-LGBTQ discrimination is a form of sex discrimination, as well as the 2015 ruling in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide.

“The proponents’ argument that Lindsay and other transgender women are not excluded from school sports because they can simply play on the men’s team is analogous to claiming homosexual individuals are not prevented from marrying under statutes preventing same-sex marriage because lesbians and gays could marry someone of a different sex,” Nye said.

The law, HB 500, was quietly signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little in March at the height of the coronavirus epidemic. It requires college and public school sports teams to be designed as male, female and co-ed — and any female athletic team “shall not be open to students of the male sex.”

In the event of a dispute, a student may be required to produce a physician’s statement to affirm her biological sex based on reproductive anatomy, normal endogenously produced levels of testosterone and an analysis of the student’s genetic makeup.

That would effectively ban transgender athletes from participating in sports.

Although similar measures had been percolating in state legislatures, Idaho is the first state to enact such a law.

Before the Trump-appointed judge ruled against the anti-trans law, the statute got a boost from Trump himself — who retweeted an article about the Justice Department’s intervention in the lawsuit to defend HB 500.

Prior to the enactment of House Bill 500, Idaho High School Activities Association already had in its rules a requirement that transgender girls “complete one year of hormone treatment related to the gender transition before competing on a girls team.”

According to the Idaho Statesman, IHSAA says as of March 2020 it had “received just a couple of inquiries about Idaho’s policy and has fielded occasional calls about potential transgender athletes over the past five or six years, but so far, Idaho has not had an athlete use the policy.”

Meanwhile, transgender advocacy groups — as well as lesbian athletes Billie Jean King and Megan Rapinoe — are pressuring the National Collegiate Athletics Association to move a major basketball competition from Idaho, the 2021 Men’s Basketball Championship, over enactment of the anti-trans sports law. The NCAA hasn’t made any announcements on that front and the campaign is expected to continue, an ACLU spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Idaho attorney general declined to comment on the ruling and whether or not the state will appeal.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

Be optimistic but work your ass off

Harris pick, new polls give Biden a boost We are hearing about all the impediments Republicans are trying to put in the way of people voting. At times it appears they are trying to turn the United States into a banana republic or the next Belarus. They are doing everything from closing voting locations, scrubbing the voting roles, and now the president has publicly said he is against giving the Post Office the money it needs to keep functioning at full capacity in order to stop them from delivering ballots on time. President Obama called it when he said the president is “kneecapping” the Post Office. Clearly they are doing all this because they can read the tea leaves like the rest of us, they are losing and scared.

Convention week is here. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris make a historic team and the public is responding. Biden raised $48 million in 48 hours after naming Harris as his running mate, including 150,000 new donors. This show of support is mirrored in the polls. Biden/Harris are leading according to Five Thirty Eight both nationally and in many targeted states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, and Pennsylvania. They are within half a percentage point in Georgia and Texas. With all this I am optimistic but not overly so. There are about 75 days to the election and much less in many states where early voting is available.

So everyone who wants to see Trump defeated has to be working their ass off from now until Nov. 3. Biden’s campaign is being well run by Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, who has a long history of working on campaigns. She understands this campaign is like no other anyone has ever run because of the coronavirus pandemic. As reported in the Washington Post, “the campaign manager is trying to create a new way of organizing. As she described it: “We really tried to strip it back and say two things: One, it’s engagement.

And it’s connection.” She went on to say: “We spent several months in the early part of the pandemic where we were doing heavy voter contact all across the country, but it was not political in nature,” she said. “It was about reaching people and checking in on them: How are you doing? What’s going on? What’s happening? How can we help?”

For four days, Aug. 17- 20, we are seeing something never seen before, a virtual convention. No thousands of people in a large convention hall cheering every word. No funny hats and balloon drops. Biden and Harris will make their acceptance speeches from Wilmington, Del., without crowds in the audience. Votes on the rules and platform are by email. The roll call of the states will be from more than 50 different locations. No parties or spontaneous demonstrations. If it goes smoothly it could be the end of in-person conventions. This virtual thing has its benefits. Two hours of speeches each night for the networks and cable news to carry. For some it might be harder to give a speech without audience reaction. Yet Joe Biden and Kamala Harris showed how effective speeches without an audience can be when he introduced her as his running mate. I never heard Harris give a better speech. She is a brilliant, compassionate, empathetic candidate and that came across in her speech. Her presentation made you listen and she never had to raise her voice. Biden also gave a great speech that day. He was clear, concise and right on target. I am very optimistic they will do that again when accepting their nominations.

Then it will be up to every Democrat, independent and decent Republican to work their hearts out and asses off until Nov. 3 to ensure the disgusting sexist, homophobic, racist pig currently occupying the Oval Office is thrown out. It will be up to us to give Biden and Harris the mandate she asked for when she accepted Biden’s offer to be on the ticket. My optimism includes believing Americans will overcome every obstacle the Republicans are putting in our way to keep us from voting. We will show them and the world the overwhelming majority of Americans will do what we must to save our democracy.

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KATHI WOLFE

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

Suffrage is a badass history of revolution

100 years later, a woman of color for vice president (Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part special on the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.)

It’s not often that history happens in your lifetime. But history was made recently.

On July 11, Joe Biden picked Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate. Harris, of Jamaican and Indian descent, is the first Black woman and the first Asian-American woman to be the vice-presidential nominee on a major party ticket in the United States.

This may seem old-hat to you by now, but besides Harris, Sarah Palin and Geraldine Ferraro are the only two other women to have been nominated for vice president by a major party in U.S history.

I don’t want to reduce Harris’ qualifications to a series of firsts. Before she became a senator, Harris, 55, was the San Francisco district attorney. Later, she was the attorney general of California. She would be a superbly qualified vice president, or if, necessary, a good president.

As a lesbian, I’m excited! If the Biden-Harris ticket wins, (after four years of the anti-queer Trump administration), we’ll have LGBTQ allies in the White House. Harris is a long-term supporter of LGBTQ rights going back to her tenure as San Francisco district attorney, the Blade reported.

“I grew up in a community and a culture where everyone was accepted for who they were,” Harris told the Los Angeles Blade in 2018. “It was about equality, inclusion.”

This election season, I can’t think of anyone better than Harris to call out Trump’s many falsehoods and misdeeds. Though her parents were immigrants, Harris was born in California. Yet, Trump and his team, resurrecting their racist, false “birtherism” claims about Barack Obama, already falsely claim that Harris isn’t eligible to be vice president. (I’m confident that folks are on to Trump’s racist assertions and that Harris will be able to fend off these baseless attacks.)

The election will, and should, focus on much more than Harris’ gender and race. Yet, the news of her being picked as Biden’s running mate is history making. Women are half of America’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In a country that’s been run by (mostly) white men, it’s grab-you-by-the lapels-make-you want-to-dance-historic.

As I’m white, I can’t imagine how electrifying this must feel to women and girls of color.

Words fail to say how thrilled I was to hear Harris say on Aug. 12, the day after Biden picked her to be his running mate, that she remembered the “heroic and ambitious women before me.”

Harris’ historic moment isn’t the only milestone being marked this week. On Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women in the United States the right to vote was ratified. (The amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919.) Women could vote in some Western states. But women throughout the entire country couldn’t vote until Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the 19th Amendment on Aug. 26, 2020.

It’s wonderful that the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage arrives as Harris makes history. Yet, a not-so-celebratory irony permeates this milestone. Until recently, we’ve often been told in history books that the suffrage movement (beginning at a convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y. in 1848) was led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two white, heteronormative, middle-class women. Once the 19th Amendment was ratified, the story went, every woman in the United States could vote.

For decades, I (like many folks) bought into this narrative. Only recently, did I begin to question why LGBTQ women and women of color were left out of the prevailing narrative of women’s suffrage. Or to stop and think that many Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965.

Now, queer women and women of color are being included in women suffrage narratives.

The history of the suffrage movement may make your eyes glaze over. “But it’s not a boring history of nagging spinsters,” Kate Clarke Lemay, a historian at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., has said. “It is a badass history of revolution staged by political geniuses.”

Hooray for those badasses!

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CECILIA CHUNG is senior strategist, Transgender Law Center and PACHA member (2013-2017). RONALD JOHNSON is senior policy fellow at AIDS United and PACHA member (1996-2001). NAINA KHANNA is executive director of Positive Women’s Network and PACHA member (2010-2014). SEAN STRUB is executive director of Sero Project and founder of POZ magazine.

Want to end HIV? Actions speak louder than sound bites

Trump effort ignores networks of people living with disease Expanding access to healthcare or decimating it? Creating and improving upon nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people or destroying them? Relying on evidence or attacking science?

Which policies are those of a leader committed to ending the HIV epidemic?

Trump’s appointed co-chair of the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), Carl Schmid, a former Log Cabin Republican leader, lauds the administration’s “leadership” and suggests it has been more accessible to the HIV community than its predecessors, according to the Washington Blade article published on August 5, “Biden says he can beat HIV by 2025 — but activists are skeptical.”

Schmid seems to believe Trump’s so-called “Ending the Epidemic: A Plan for America” can succeed without policies that protect and support people living with HIV and the communities most affected by it.

As people openly living with HIV who have served on the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/ AIDS (PACHA) under past administrations (Obama and Clinton), who currently serve in policy leadership roles, and who lead grassroots HIV organizing efforts, we vehemently disagree.

The Obama administration led the creation, implementation, evaluation, and subsequent strengthening of the first-ever nationally coordinated plan to address the domestic HIV epidemic. The National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), initially released in 2010 and updated in 2015, scaled up effective, science-based prevention and care approaches while addressing the root causes that lead to racial inequities in both numbers of HIV diagnoses and health outcomes.

Obama’s NHAS was created with input from diverse stakeholders, including networks of people living with HIV. It highlighted the disproportionate burden of HIV among Black gay and bisexual men and explicitly addressed stigma and violence against people living with HIV, with federal commitments on issues like employment rights, HIV criminalization, and the intersection of violence against women and HIV. President Obama personally welcomed hundreds of people living with HIV and HIV advocates to the White House in July 2010 for the launch of the NHAS. Dr. Howard Koh, his Assistant Secretary of Health, was a regular fixture at major HIV conferences and community events.

The Obama administration understood that ending the HIV epidemic through expanded prevention, testing, healthcare, and treatment is possible only when basic human rights are upheld and barriers to access for vulnerable communities are proactively dismantled. The Affordable Care Act’s LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, in combination with a commitment to sexual and reproductive healthcare, provided a solid bedrock for the NHAS. In contrast, the Trump administration’s purported “plan to end the HIV epidemic” rests entirely on biomedical and surveillance interventions. It sought no input from any of the networks of people living with HIV, such as the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus, a national coalition representing the estimated 1.1 million Americans living with HIV. Trump has chosen to gut healthcare and housing safeguards for transgender people. He has issued executive orders that authorize discrimination on the basis of “religious beliefs,” while deliberately undermining sexual and reproductive healthcare.

The Trump administration continues to try relentlessly to repeal and undermine the ACA, which gave countless people living with HIV access to comprehensive coverage for the first time through Medicaid expansion and protection for preexisting conditions.

Trump intentionally incites fear among immigrants. In turn, many avoid accessing healthcare and other necessary services.

This administration attacks science and evidence; its policies chip away at the programs and protections that help people living with HIV stay engaged in care. It has eliminated funding for the World Health Organization. The coronavirus pandemic has shown anyone paying attention that epidemics do not end at borders.

This administration cannot reasonably expect to test and treat its way out of the HIV epidemic when its very actions undermine that goal.

Black people and non-Black people of color living with HIV have been literally fighting for our lives for decades. After years of progress, we are back in survival mode under the Trump administration. When the Washington Blade reports on HIV issues, our voices need and deserve to be heard.

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RUNE LONGORIA is a queer- and trans-inclusive sex educator in Texas.

Queer communities need COVID relief now

Lawmakers must show they give a damn For those of us in the communities hardest hit, in the industries hardest hit, in the states hardest hit by COVID-19, relief cannot come fast enough.

I live in the Rio Grande Valley, an area in South Texas that has been hit the hardest in the country by the COVID-19 virus. In the state, there is a record of more than 100,000 new cases per day, up 55% in July alone. Now, people in our region are dealing with recovering from a tropical storm.

This pandemic caused me to lose my job. I am a queer- and trans-inclusive sex educator and have spent years addressing the erasure of trans, queer and disabled folks in discussions of healthy sexuality. My education efforts are shaped by and complemented by my experience as a queer and trans sex worker. I used to teach out of a brick and mortar adult shop, but like so many small businesses during the pandemic, the shop closed.

While small businesses have been allowed to open up again under the Phase 3 plan, I still can’t return to work because of my own health. A few months ago I contracted a virus, and while I do not know if it was COVID-19, I now have to use an inhaler for the foreseeable future. To keep myself and my community safe, I have been socially distancing myself from others.

Right now, I can only do about 40% of my job. I can’t do in-person sex work, or inperson sex education. Forty percent is not enough to make ends meet.

For my colleagues who are able to go to work, they are at risk of contracting the virus every day. Many of my coworkers are queer and trans people of color. Some have pre-existing conditions or children. Some of them are college students. Even if their paychecks average $200 a week, that $200 is the difference between making rent, paying bills, grocery shopping — or not.

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, a COVID-19 stimulus package. It is a necessary and desperately needed piece of legislation: COVID-19 cases in the United States climb every single day. Over 5 million people in the U.S. have been infected and over 160,000 have died. Latinx and Black people are three times more likely to become infected than their white neighbors, and three times more likely to die of COVID-19. Trans women and gender non-conforming communities who were already facing transphobia and transmisogyny are now facing high unemployment and delays in necessary health care.

And yet, the Senate has still not passed comprehensive COVID relief. It is apparent that those in power don’t care about me and my community. They do not care about Black people, Latinx people, queer people, trans people, small business owners, or the people who rely on them.

My community is one of the poorest in the United States. We don’t have any real mental health resources, and now we are isolated. Not being able to check in on my regulars is extremely stressful. Many of my customers have lower incomes; many use substances or self medicate for their mental illness. We have high rates of heart disease and diabetes and these factors make an already dangerous epidemic particularly lethal to folks like me, and to my community.

Queer people in the work force need relief. LGBTQ people are more likely than the general public to have lost employment due to the pandemic. We need comprehensive and affordable health care, paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, personal protective equipment for all health care providers and other essential workers, protective occupational safety and health standards for front line workers, and more. It is now up to the Senate to pass COVID relief to ensure that people like me, my colleagues, and members of my community get much needed relief.

We deserve to feel safe and secure during this pandemic. We deserve leaders who give a damn.

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AUG UST 2 1 , 2 0 2 0 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 1

GLORIA SWANSON as Norma Desmond.

‘Sunset Boulevard’ of broken dreams At 70 years, everything old is meaningful again

By DAVID EHRENSTEIN “I AM big! It’s the pictures that got small.”

So goes one of many famous quotes from “Sunset Boulevard,” the 1950 Billy Wilder classic that celebrated its 70th anniversary on Aug. 10. Like many of the film’s nowiconic lines, it is spoken by Norma Desmond, the forgotten silent screen goddess (fearlessly portrayed by real-life silent starlet Gloria Swanson) who serves as the grotesque centerpiece of Wilder’s cynical show business fable; it’s a proclamation of contempt, hurled against a Hollywood that has left her behind as it moves into an era that has no room for her larger-than-life ego.

Wilder’s beloved film noir, which he co-wrote with Charles Brackett, is one of those classics that stands the test of time.

Equal parts bitter tragedy and shrewd satire, it’s a cautionary tale against the ephemeral allures of fame and fortune, as well as an indictment of an industry that exploits and then discards the very people who make it possible in the first place.

More than anything, it’s a warning against the dangers of holding on to the past in a world that moves forever forward.

With themes like that, “Sunset Boulevard” is guaranteed to have something to say for audiences in any era – but thanks to a global pandemic, it’s a film that has suddenly become particularly relevant. After all, if Norma Desmond were around in 2020, she would surely complain that the pictures had gotten even smaller.

As we try to make sense of our new COVID place in the world, splitting our time between “working from home” and binge-watching reruns on television, the images we stream have become postcard-sized or even smaller, as the computer and phone become the New Cinema. Even the medium of streaming is being shattered into ever tinier fragments by the likes of Instagram, Quibi and TikTok. Not only that, our world itself has shrunk; the nightclubs and bars, dinners and awards ceremonies, all the red-carpet events that once defined social life in Hollywood have disappeared. Our experience of The Fabulous has been reduced to fleeting sound-bites and awkward livestreams.

For those who are part of industry itself, the impact of these changes has been swift and profound.

Even before COVID, the landscape of celebrity was already transforming. New avenues to fame had sprung from the virtual world of social media, driven by a generation of influencers who, like Norma with her fake fan-mail, could even “buy” followers to convince themselves of their own popularity by increasing the number of “likes” and “shares” they rack up.

Complicating things further, the sheer amount of content now available, coupled with the high cost of producing it, meant that an actor’s famous name was no longer enough to ensure that a new film would be a hit, no matter how much social media buzz they might have behind them; the Franchise Picture was now the only safe bet for studios – and in a world where a single well-timed tweet could shift the tide of popular opinion in an afternoon, even that was no guarantee.

Now, months into the pandemic, even the brightest stars face an uncertain future. Everyone who was famous in January suddenly finds themselves canceled, irrelevant, dimmed and unsure of their path back to celebrity.

The star machine of late-night television has become a pale imitation of itself, turning former supernova-caliber appearances into mediocre Skype calls and halfhearted attempts at staging a “feels-live” show. The exceptional has given way to the perfunctory, and it’s hard to escape the feeling that everyone involved would rather be doing something else.

At the end of “Sunset Boulevard, Norma delivers her most famous line. “Alright, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,” she purrs, as she prepares to slink down the stairs toward the camera for a comeback that’s never going to happen.

As COVID continues to rage with no end in sight, how many real-life stars fear that they are facing the same fate?

After all, there were few “Mr. DeMilles” left in the world even before the pandemic, and now they are virtually a thing of the past.

In any case, productions have come to a halt, and if it was hard to get that close-up before, it’s next to impossible now.

As for Sunset Boulevard itself (the place, not the movie or the Andew Lloyd Webber neo-opera based upon it), it has been decimated, like most urban haunts, by the epidemic, a place where a once-teeming urban existence has been replaced by miles-long swaths of badly boarded-up storefronts, graffitied with wheatpaste dreams of normalcy and an equality that has always been out of reach in LA. 2 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • AUGUST 21, 2 0 2 0

It would be easy enough during this state of affairs to succumb to gloomy nostalgia for a world gone by, or to echo the hard-edged tone of “Sunset Boulevard” and devalue the things we have lost by decreeing that they were never worth that much to begin with.

We are, essentially, in survival mode now, locked down for the duration – and happily so, if we have adequate food supplies, a well-functioning computer, a TV and streaming services to help us pass the time.

It’s a time to be thankful for important things we still have, not to bemoan the absence of trivial things we don’t.

In the middle of an ongoing traumatic event, it’s often difficult to remember that things won’t always be as they are. The day will come when the viral danger has passed, and though there will undoubtedly be some permanent changes to the way we live, it’s reasonably certain that we will, at last, return to some version of our “normal” world.

When that day arrives, a resurgent entertainment machine will surely come back, too, eager to once more clamor for our attention (and our money) as it offers up its seemingly eternal parade of stars.

After what we are going through now, will we still be interested? Will we even be able to care?

The answer to that question is hard to see, for now, but even within the cruel universe of “Sunset Boulevard” there is room for a glimmer of hope, and yet another of its famous lines may point the way to our path forward.

Midway through the film, Joe Gillis, Norma’s reluctant gigolo (William Holden), says to her, “There’s nothing tragic about being 50 – not unless you’re trying to be 25.” In context, it’s a gentle admonition over an obsession with youth and beauty, but it can easily be seen in a broader sense.

For better or worse, we have been changed, and we can no more go back to who we were than Norma can convince Paramount to let her star in a movie about Salome.

But it doesn’t have to be a tragedy.

Instead, it can be a choice. We can retreat into the shadows to play parlor games with the other “waxworks” and mourn for our former glories, or we can pick up the pieces of our broken dreams and rebuild them into something bigger, better, and kinder.

If Hollywood wants to come with us into that new world, it will have to do the same.

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(John Paul King contributed to this article.)

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CALENDAR

By KAELA ROEDER

TODAY

The DC Area Transmasculine Society is hosting a Trans Art Sale now until Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m., an art showcase for trans artists to bring visibility to their work and to help raise money for trans-led organizations. Participating artists have agreed to sell their work to buyers who pledge the highest donation to the DC Area Transmasculine Society. Details at dcats.knack.com/transartsale.

Saturday, August 22

Join the DC Center and volunteer with Food and Friends today, an organization that prepares and delivers meals and groceries to people living with HIV, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses every fourth Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to noon. Duties include peeling, dicing, portioning, sorting, bagging and labeling. Details at thedccenter.org/events.

Sunday, August 23

Summer Restaurant Week, presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, is live 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 options available over the two weeks. Details at ramw.org/restaurantweek

Monday, August 24

The Smithsonian National Zoo has reopened. Visit the zoo today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with crowd restrictions and time entry passes. Details at nationalzoo.si.edu/visit

Tuesday, August 25

The Smithsonian Associates Streaming series will present the Retelling Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey tonight at 6:45 p.m. Classical archeologist Frederick Winter will analyze the Iliad and Odyssey and examine the Greeks’ experiences of war from the perspective of the latest scholarship and archaeological findings.

Wednesday, August 26

Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives and the DC Commission for Women will virtually celebrate the 6th Annual Women’s Equality Day Celebration tonight at 6 p.m.This event celebrates the day women were granted the right to vote on August 26, 1920, when the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was certified as law. Attendees are asked to wear something yellow or white to show support. Admission is free. Details at communityaffairs.dc.gov/events

Thursday, August 27

Become skilled in Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness, an online training by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, DHS, SMYAL and CasaRuby today from 10 a.m. - noon. This workshop is for Washington-area youth service professionals to gain knowledge about LGBTQ DC laws, LGBTQ homeless youth legislation and more. Login credentials will be sent to participants 48 hours prior to training. Details at the respective Eventbrite page.

2 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • AUGUST 21, 2 0 2 0

The Smithsonian National Zoo has reopened following coronavirus closures.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

OUT&ABOUT

By KAELA ROEDER

D.C. Council candidate forums Join the Washington Blade and Team Rayceen for broadcasts of the D.C. 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. 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, D.C. residents should visit www.vote4dc.com.

Sew Queer D.C. Sew Queer will host How to Measure Yourself, an online workshop for beginners on how to measure yourself for sewing projects on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15. Learn more by visiting their Facebook page.

Drag-Livery service Drag-Livery, a drag delivery service by Red Bear Brewing, is on Saturday, Sept.12 and 26. Patrons can order craft beer, cocktails and food to their door, along with a drag performance. Buyers are encouraged to schedule the delivery a week in advance.

Order and learn more at www.redbear.beer/store.

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AUG UST 2 1 , 2 0 2 0 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 5

Learning to parent your parent

FROM THE VAULTS: Best Actress edition

Keeping you entertained during quarantine

By BRIAN T. CARNEY

‘Like Crazy’ explores life with ill mother

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Like a grand dame’s voluminous skirts, the house needed to be taken in.

And that was OK because, oh, she was beautiful and you knew that a little nip-and-tuck in the form of new floors and fresh walls would make her look and feel better. Taking on this project could be fun, too, so you bought her and started the alterations – and then, as in the new book “Like Crazy” by Dan Mathews, you took in your Mom. The old Victorian house needed a lot of work – paint, updated carpet, sanded wood floors, new plumbing, and the garden was in a shambles – but it would all be worth it.

For the first time since he’d escaped his life in California, Mathews was finally stepping up to the plate with ‘Like Crazy: Life with home ownership and the care of his My Mother and Her elderly mother.

Everybody thought Mathews’ “life Invisible Friends’ would be derailed” if Perry moved

By Dan Mathews in. She was feisty, unabashed, c.2020, Atria loud, almost deaf, and mentally ill. $27/245 pages Mathews adored her, but while she was en route from California to Virginia, he rather feared the future and what it might bring. He knew Perry needed help. She’d needed it her whole life.

She was never eager to discuss her past, her childhood abandonment, fosterhomes, or abuse but howcouldthosethings not affecther? Sometimes, as Mathews remembers, she was witty and joyfully impulsive, but she couldn’t raise her sons with anything except a hand-to-mouth existence and constant household moves.And yet,when Mathews came out as a teen, Perry was solidly in his corner and she mothered his gay friends whose mothers wouldn’t.

It was a double-sided coin: he loved his mom but once, he’d fled from her. Now, with COPD, possible dementia, general bad health at issue, and obviously at the end of her life, how could Mathews not take her in?

They’d get along. It would be OK. Maybe even fun.

Until the day, he says, that “Our funhouse... turned into a madhouse.”

So, here’s the thing: you know exactly what’s going to happen at the end of “Like Crazy.” You don’t even have to peek or cheat – you’ll know. But you’ll laugh and cry anyhow because it’s that kind of book.

Still, there aren’t any sappy violins in author Dan Mathews’ story.

Nope, though readers may occasionally see the tiniest justifiable pity-party because the backdrop of this book is about parenting a parent, which everybody knows is hard. So go ahead and forgive, since there’s more celebration than death-watch here anyhow, and each small sweetness will make you wish you’d known Perry, too.

But don’t be lulled too far by those warm-fuzzies; there’s an electric current that lies just beneath this story, one that awakens slowly, quietly, and grows, popping sometimes like those bang-snappers that little boys love to throw.

When it finally explodes, watch it roar.

In the meantime, let yourself be thoroughly charmed. Laugh at “Like Crazy” and don’t be surprised if there’s a tear or two. Love your Mama, and enjoy the story. Take it in.

2 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • AUGUST 21, 2 0 2 0

RENÉE ZELLWEGER won the 2019 Oscar for her performance in ‘Judy.’

This week’s curated collection of movies to keep you entertained during quarantine focuses on the leading ladies—a group of outstanding performers who were nominated for Academy Awards for their work in recent LGBTQ-themed movies.

At the top of the list is Renée Zellweger who won the 2019 Oscar for her glittering performance as Judy Garland in the biopic “Judy.” The movie focuses on the last year of Judy’s life, including her sold-out concerts at Talk of the Town in London and her marriage to the unscrupulous Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock).

The film had some serious problems.

Rupert Goold’s direction is weak; and Wittrock’s performance is flat; and, the script by Tom Edge (based on the stage play by Peter Quilter) is clichéridden and includes too many heavy-handed flashbacks to the filming of “The Wizard of Oz.” Luckily, the rest of the cast is great. Zellweger is fierce as the fading star; she effortlessly captures Garland’s mercurial moods and her incredible performing style. Jessie Buckley is fantastic as her long-suffering British assistant Rosalyn Wilder and Rufus Sewell is fascinating as Judy’s third husband Sid Luft. Andy Nyman and Daniel Cerqueira are also delightful in the small but crucial roles of a gay couple who invite Judy back to their flat for dinner.

Cate Blanchett was nominated for a 2015 Oscar for her dazzling performance in “Carol.” Directed by queer auteur Todd Haynes and based on the novel by lesbian author Patricia Highsmith, the movie celebrates the romance between Carol Aird, a suburban housewife in the throes of a messy divorce, and Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), a young artist.

The sumptuous film features a sparkling screenplay by Phyllis Nagy, a lush score, stunning design and cinematography, great performances and most notably, a happy ending for the lesbian lovers. “Carol” was nominated for six Oscars, but surprisingly didn’t win any.

Glenn Close won an Obie Award for playing Albert Nobbs in 1982 and spent almost two decades trying to get a film version of the story produced. In 2011, “Albert Nobbs” finally made it to the big screen, and Close, who also co-wrote the screenplay, was nominated for her lead performance in the intriguing period drama.

Albert Nobbs was born a woman but has lived as a man for over 30 years. He befriends Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) and is shocked to learn not only that Page is also a woman living as a man, but that Page has a wife.

Both Close and McTeer were nominated for Academy Awards; the film also won a nod for Best Makeup Design.

In 2019, Lady Gaga was nominated for two Oscars for “A Star is Born,” one for Best Actress and one for Best Song for “Shallow.” She won for song and lost for actress.

Gaga plays Ally Maine, the latest incarnation of the rising star who falls in love with an alcoholic performer.

Bradley Cooper was her co-star; he also directed and co-wrote the screenplay.

There are some serious weaknesses in Cooper’s fledgling outing as writer and director, but these weaknesses are covered over by the galvanic chemistry between Cooper and Gaga. Gaga’s performance is spell-binding; it is fascinating to watch her write songs and create a captivating stage persona. There are also great supporting performances from Andrew Dice Clay and Sam Elliott and fun cameos by D.J. “Shangela” Pierce and a bevy of drag queens. Unfortunately, Anthony Ramos gets lost in the shuffle as Ally’s gay BFF. Finally, Dame Judi Dench was nominated for a 2013 Oscar for “Philomena,” a moving fact-based dramedy rooted in the horrific scandal of the Magdalen Sisters in Ireland. As a young unwed mother, Philomena Lee, like so many others, was sent to a convent and forced to work in the laundry. Her son was eventually sold to an American couple for $1,000.

The movie opens fifty years later when Philomena meets the cynical journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) who is working on a story about the scandal. Together, the unlikely duo travel to the convent where Philomena was imprisoned and eventually to Washington DC where her son’s adoptive parents lived. Philomena and Martin do discover her son’s identity, and there’s an interesting gay twist in the revelation.

Hammerly isn’t ready to give up on theater

But longtime actor/director is concerned about future

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

Rick Hammerly recently posted a quote from the movie “Groundhog Day”: “What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” — a question wholly unrelated to the pre-pandemic life led by the Helen Hayes Award-winning actor/director who was poised to tackle a busy year of exciting projects when COVID-19 hit town in March.

As jobs fell away, Hammerly’s first concern was finances. (“Holy shit! What do I do about money?

Most of us theater folks aren’t swimming in cash.”) followed by a feeling of rudderlessness. But as he budgeted a grant and unemployment checks, he began to look at things differently. Here was a rare opportunity to step away from round-the-clock work and spend more time with his husband Dar Gazder. If there were to be any sort of silver lining to dreadful circumstances, this was it.

In addition to three decades spent acting and directing, Hammerly is also producing artistic director of Factory 449, a small, critically acclaimed company in residence at Anacostia Arts Center that he hopes to bring back at some point, but he’s also entertaining different prospects.

Via phone from their home in D.C.’s Brookland neighborhood, the couple (who married in January 2019) shared thoughts on what’s changed, and what a new normal might mean for them.

WASHINGTON BLADE: Rick, please don’t tell me you’ve given up on theater.

HAMMERLY: No, I haven’t given up. I’m just realistic and keenly aware that, given the current theatrical landscape and lack of adequate compensation once a gig is finally secured, one simply cannot sustain themselves financially. After 30 years, this reality, brought starkly to light by the pandemic, has given me real pause to think.

BLADE: Are some DMV artists rethinking careers?

HAMMERLY: Absolutely. And that includes me.

BLADE: I frequently ran into you and Dar at plays, back when there was theater. Do you miss going?

DAR GAZDER: I really do. I’ve always loved theater. It was so wonderful and somewhat of an education to see as many shows as we did.

BLADE: So, what are you doing instead?

HAMMERLY: We walk a lot. Dar has always been a big walker. Not me, but after putting on some quarantine weight, I’ve joined him. Early on, we took an 11-mile walk around the thendeserted Mall. Since then we’ve explored places like the Anacostia River Trail, and Brookside Gardens in Maryland, and looked at architecture in out of the way parts of Georgetown. Things I’ve never done before, and I’m from here.

GAZDER: That’s the good part. But quarantine has been frustrating too. Looking for work has been difficult, and my parents live on the other side of the world in Bombay, India, and while I’m glad they’re someplace where lockdown has been taken seriously, that’s also difficult. I’m not sure when we’ll see each other again.

HAMMERLY: We were hoping to visit them in India soon. Sadly, that’s been put on hold.

BLADE: Rick, what are your thoughts on virtual theater?

HAMMERLY: Theater involves having an audience there with you. Virtual things are a no man’s land – not theater or film. So, reconciling two very different mediums is a struggle. Fully engaging can be problematic.

But I have some ideas on how to make it better. [He’d like to direct a one-character play featuring his great friend, talented local actor Felicia Curry, in which he’ll manipulate the form to make it more engaging.]

BLADE: Any thoughts on when audiences will gather again?

HAMMERLY: It hinges on when people are ready to go back. If theaters opened next month, I wouldn’t go. I think it will take a vaccine or some kind of proven treatment to fully restore confidence.

BLADE: Will theater be different when it does finally reopen?

HAMMERLY: I think so. Twenty-person casts will be replaced with two-handers. Rather than doing seven shows in a season, there will do three or four, and they’ll be extended to make more money because distanced audiences will be a third of their usual size. So, the pool of work will diminish considerably. And we don’t know for how long.

BLADE: That’s not entirely encouraging.

HAMMERLY: Look, if I were in my twenties, I’d be more willing to stick it out. But I’ll be 56 this month – I need to be practical about it.

BLADE: Thanks guys. And happy birthday, Rick.

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2 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • AUGUST 21, 2 0 2 0

Vehicles to ride out a pandemic Take a road trip in comfort and style

By JOE PHILLIPS

Almost everyone I know is going stir crazy from pandemic-induced cabin fever. But even small—and safe—getaways can help restore some semblance of sanity. At least they have for me. I’ve taken a few jaunts in test vehicles this year. The three rides below were comfortable and powered by fairly fuel-efficient engines, which meant I could breeze past congested rest areas instead of stressing out about stopping for gas.

JEEP RENEGADE

$24,000 Mpg: 22 city/30 highway 0 to 60 mph: 9 seconds

LINCOLN AVIATOR $52,000 Mpg: 18 city/26 highway 0 to 60 mph: 5.4 seconds

FORD EXPEDITION $53,000 Mpg: 17 city/24 highway 0 to 60 mph: 6.7 seconds

More a weekend knockabout than a long-trek hauler, the Jeep Renegade is an adultsized Tonka toy. There’s plenty of personality here, starting with the Wrangler-like grille and headlights. Whimsical styling includes square taillamps with an “X” on the reflectors, a paintball splotch to highlight the redline on the tachometer, all-weather floor mats with the profile of a vintage Jeep, and text encircling the ignition switch that reads: “To New Adventures!” The rugged cabin includes lots of hard plastic surfaces, which are easy to wipe clean in this age of coronavirus. Legroom and headroom are decent, though cargo space is limited. And while the suspension is somewhat stiff and the engine less than zesty, Jeeps are all about being tough—and playful. Of the four main trim levels, the Trailhawk is built for off-road thrills: underbody skid plates, raised suspension, hill-descent control, and 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. There’s even a full-size spare (a rarity these days). While a power sunroof is available, the removable My Sky roof panels were a way to expose the heavens even more. During my time exploring the Maryland and Virginia countryside for a few days, the Renegade was a fun way to escape reality.

The Lincoln Aviator, first launched in 2003 and rebadged as the MKX a few years later, has flown under the radar of most car buyers. I was expecting a similar meh experience with the all-new Aviator for 2020. But then this Cinderella crossover landed in my driveway, and I was hooked: dazzling design, exciting features and competitive price. That’s not to say there aren’t a few quibbles, such as the clunky push-button gearshift (groan, a shifter in the center console is so much easier to use). But overall, this full-size ride performs gracefully and is outfitted with a mighty 400-hp V6 engine. There’s also a clever adaptive-suspension system, which uses a dozen sensors to scan the road then instantly make adjustments so the Aviator can glide smoothly over potholes. With so many luxury features, it’s hard to keep track of them all: soft-close doors, heated windshield wipers, 28-speaker stereo, 30way power/massaging seats and more. Thanks to the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-1-inch infotainment screen, you might assume the dashboard was designed with the cockpit of a private jet in mind. Other elegant crossovers, such as the Audi Q7 or BMW X7, offer sportier handling and European cachet. But those Teutonic rides have become rather ubiquitous and usually cost more. After all these years, this is one Aviator that finally stands out.

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COVID-19 was just starting to hit the country early this year when I needed to travel to the Midwest for a funeral. Instead of taking a risky 90-minute flight, I opted for the ninehour drive. The Ford Expedition was my test vehicle that week, and it turned out to be the perfect ride to lift my spirits. Completely redesigned a few years ago, this ginormous hauler handles like it’s floating on air. Power running boards automatically deploy when climbing in and out of the vehicle. And the restrained styling, slimmed-down aluminum body and stunning suspension are all reminiscent of Ford’s previous stable mate: Range Rover. While the Expedition doesn’t have the same level of refinement inside, it certainly has plenty of room. Fold down the second- and third-row seats, and cargo space seems to stretch for miles. For even more capacity, an extended Max body style is nine inches longer. Depending on trim level, there are massaging seats, power-adjustable pedals, motion-activated liftgate and captain’s chairs instead of a bench seat in the second row.

An optional rear-seat entertainment system features dual displays, DVD player, live-TV streaming and gaming capability. Perhaps most practical were the 15 cupholders, which were perfect for bottles of water—and hand sanitizer.

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COVID real estate — the new normal

Buyers, sellers, and agents have figured out how to function safely

By MARIN HAGEN & SYLVIA BERGSTROM Despite the circumstances of this year, the D.C. Metro area real estate market has felt like it is our busiest in recent memory.

It seems that we are now in what we expected our spring market to be (delayed due to the virus shutdown), and July’s numbers prove this to be true. Typically, July is slower than June, but this year, sales increased 17% month over month, 20% in D.C. alone. July area home sales were at a 10-year best for the month. Median home prices in the area were up 13% compared to July 2019, and days on market (8) were at the lowest July level in 10 years, also the second shortest number of days on market overall in 10 years.

This market is great for both buyers and sellers, although for different reasons.

It is a great time to sell, with chronic low inventory and many people figuring out some new “must-haves” for their extended time at home. We’ve found that many sellers with second homes went to those homes early on in the shutdown, and have decided to stay there, rather than return to the city (whether that’s D.C., New York, or elsewhere).

While moving during a pandemic didn’t seem possible at first, everyone has figured out how to safely manage the process. The current market is proving to also be a great time to buy, with historically low mortgage interest rates. Buyers are flocking to homes with more outdoor space, larger office areas, and to locations with proximity to outdoor access, including local parks.

Sylvia Bergstrom & Marin Hagen Sylvia Bergstrom has been a top-producing agent since launching her real estate career and Marin Hagen joined her mother’s successful practice in 2007. Their business is nearly 100% repeat and referral, a testament to their high ethical standards, strong negotiating skills, energy, and discretion. Sylvia and Marin consistently rank among Coldwell Banker’s top three Mid-Atlantic teams out of more than 2,000 agents.

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Buyers, sellers, and agents have all figured out how to safely function (masks, gloves, sanitizers, and distancing are all mandatory) in our “new normal.” We continue to show property, hold open houses, and work diligently for our clients, it just looks different than it used to. Virtual showings, while initially employed more for health safety, are continuing to be used as a convenient tool for out-of-town buyers. These Facetime or Zoom showings allow buyers to preview property and get a sense of the area before taking time out of their busy schedules to go see it.

With title companies and lenders now allowing many virtual options, the teamwork that goes into a smooth real estate transaction is stronger than ever. As we continue to work and move forward, we also understand and acknowledge that safety is the first and foremost priority for everyone.

The entire Hagen-Bergstrom team wears masks throughout the day, and we provide gloves, sanitizer, and keep our distance while meeting our clients in person. This allows us to ensure safety while still maintaining that personal relationship that is crucial to a successful real estate transaction. We strive to make sure all our clients, and anyone else with whom we interact, feel safe in this new environment. Luckily, we have experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, and other leading medical specialists, to guide us through this global pandemic.

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FUND MANAGER (CATALIO Capital Management, LP, Baltimore, MD): Establish the firm’s venture capital strategy; Engage in long-term strategic investment planning; Source deals, manage existing investments, raise new capital; Perform due diligence on prospective investments; Lead outreach to existing and prospective investors; Oversee global business development including brand development and marketing for funds; Build industry relationships; Establish partnerships with biomedical scientist-entrepreneurs; supervise 5 analysts; extensive national and international travel. Requires: Bachelor’s degree in Economics/ Finance or closely related field. 54 months of related experience. Contact: R. Jacob Vogelstein, 500 E. Pratt St., Ste. 1200, Baltimore, MD 21202.

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Progressive non-profit seeks highly skilled Communications Director. The applicant is preferably based in Washington, DC, but the position is largely remote and the location is flexible. Please visit www.

DSWork.org/jobs to apply.

WHOLISTIC SERVICES, INC. Seeking Full Time Direct Support Professionals to assist intellectually disabled adults with behavioral health complexities in group homes & day services throughout D.C. Requirements: Valid Driver’s License, able to lift 50-75 lbs., complete training program, become Med Certified within 6 months of hire, pass security background check.

(Associates degree preferred) For more information please contact Human Resources @ 301-392-2500.

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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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