Washingtonblade.com, Volume 53, Issue 03, January 21, 2022

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

J A N U A R Y 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • V O LU M E 5 3 • I S S U E 0 3 • W A S H I N GTO N B L A D E . C O M

READY TO LIVE AT NATIONAL HARBOR? The Potomac Overlook Monument Series Luxury Townhomes starting from the $700’s

VA LOANS WITH $0 DOWN AND ALL CLOSING COSTS PAID*

TOM GAFFNEY

SENIOR LOAN OFFICER NMLS ID #182206

703.307.5877 tgaffney@fhmtg.com www.GaffneyLoans.com

CURRENT INCENTIVES **

$40K in Closing Costs* *with use of preferred Lender and Title **not valid on previous contracts and must settle on or before 1/31/22.

FIRST HERITAGE MORTGAGE, LLC 3201 JERMANTOWN ROAD, SUITE 800 FAIRFAX, VA 22030 First Heritage Mortgage, LLC | Company NMLS ID #86548 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) This is an advertisement and not a guarantee of lending. Terms and conditions apply.

All approvals subject to underwriting guidelines. Prepared: 09/05/2018. *Closing costs paid when using First Heritage Mortgage and does not include pre-paids.

Pricing and terms may change, please speak with Loan Officer.

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

8463

POTOMAC OVERLOOK MONUMENT SERIES FROM THE $700’S 500 TRIGGERFISH DRIVE, NATIONAL HARBOR, MD 20745 SALES@INTEGRITYHMW.COM | (703) 223-6286

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 3

Thank you to our sponsors and partners of the Washington Blade.

FULL LOGO (Preferred)

Text Only Stack

Style Guide v.1 | February 2018

Text Only Inline

Community Partners

ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE READING THIS WILL BE A MEMBER. SUPPORT LGBTQ MEDIA TODAY! WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/MEMBERSHIP 0 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2

VOLUME 53 ISSUE 03 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 TINASHE CHINGARANDE, DUNIA ORELLANA, REPORTAR SIN MIEDO, PARKER PURIFOY, PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, ERNESTO VALLE, YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ, LYNARE ROBBINS, PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN, KATLEGO K. KOLANYANE-KESUPILE, KAELA ROEDER, TREMENDA NOTA, ALBERTO J. VALENTÍN, MAYKEL GONZÁLEZ VIVERO, ORGULLO LGBT. CO, ESTEBAN GUZMAN 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

at

202-747-2077,

All material in the Washington Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Washington Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the Washington Blade is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Washington Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the Washington Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Multiple copies are available from the Washington Blade office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per single issue.

Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@ washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Washington Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Washington Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Individual Subscriptions are $195 per year for 52 issues (only $3.75 per issue mailed to you USPS). Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial positions of the Washington Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Washington Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to knaff@washblade.com.

©2022 BROWN NAFF PITTS OMNIMEDIA, INC.

#� NATIONAL BESTSELLER Despite � tot�l medi� bl�ckout, boycotts by m�jor bookstores, no reviews in le�ding newsp�pers, censorship of s�les reporting �nd bestseller lists ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “As a trial lawyer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken on the world’s most powerful corporations and held them accountable for harming people and the environment. Those companies denied any wrongdoing—but time and again, judges and juries were persuaded that Kennedy’s position was the right one. Kennedy’s information should always be considered, and agree or disagree, we all learn from listening.”

—TONY ROBBINS, New York Times bestselling �uthor “Bobby Kennedy is one of the bravest and most uncompromisingly honest people I’ve ever met. Someday he’ll get credit for it. In the meantime, read this book.”

—TUCKER CARLSON “Throughout history, fear has been used to manipulate and control populations. In a democracy, we have the privilege and responsibility to question the things we are encouraged to fear. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provides something denied to most Americans in recent years: the opportunity to hear more than one perspective. You can accept or reject the new information in this book—but at least listen.”

1,200+ verified 5-star reviews on Amazon

Av�il�ble In H�rdcover, eBook, Audiobook

—GAVIN DE BECKER New York Times bestselling �uthor of The Gift of Fe�r SKYHORSE PUBLISHING, INC. WWW.SKYHORSEPUBLISHING.COM DISTRIBUTED TO THE TRADE BY SIMON & SCHUSTER

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

Comings & Goings

Hazen inducted into Cooperative Hall of Fame

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 Paul Hazen on his being inducted into the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame. On receiving the honor, he said, “I am very lucky to be given the opportunity to combine my work in international development with my volunteer cooperative development work in Washington DC.” Hazen is executive director, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC) and has devoted his career to elevating the cooperative voice domestically and internationally. U.S. co-ops include Ace Hardware, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Sunkist, REI and the Associated Press. Hazen helped establish federal legislation promoting rural coop development.

Prior to joining OCDC, he was CEO of Washington, D.C.-based National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International.

During his 25-year tenure with the organization, he held key positions, including chief operating officer, vice president of public policy, vice president of member services and director of consumer cooperatives.

He worked for Rep. Al Baldus (Wisc.). He was executive director of

Rural Housing Inc. in Madison, Wisc., where he developed co-ops and affordable housing projects in rural communities.

As a volunteer, Hazen formed the Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA) with 12 congregations in D.C. In 2020, CPA secured more than $18.7 million in contracts resulting in an investment of $13 million in D.C.-based small businesses owned by people of color.

Congratulations also to Ben Finzel, who was inducted into the National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame. Upon receiving the honor, he said “To be recognized by your peers is wonderful; to be honored by them is amazing. I still can’t quite believe I have done enough to be worthy of this recognition, but I know enough to be thankful and appreciative of this high honor. Thank you PRSA National Capital Chapter for including me in such inspiring company; I will be forever grateful.”

Finzel is president of RENEWPR, a D.C.-based public affairs, communications consulting firm. In 2004, he helped launch FH Out Front, the first global LGBTQ communications practice at an international firm, Fleishman Hillard, and served as its first global chair.

He started DC Family Communicators, a professional networking group for LGBTQ communications professionals. Finzel served on the Victory Campaign Board of the LGBTQ Victory Fund from 2007 to 2017.

His firm is currently celebrating its seventh year in business. To recognize that accomplishment, Finzel is launching an endowed scholarship at his alma mater, Texas Tech University. His business is certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

PAUL HAZEN

BEN FINZEL

Loudoun County removes LGBTQ book from school libraries

Superintendent overrules committee that called for retaining ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

A Loudoun County, Va., School Board committee on Jan. 13 voted to uphold a decision by Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott A. Ziegler to remove from the school system’s high school libraries a controversial LGBTQ-themed book called “Gender Queer: A Memoir.”

The book is an illustrated autobiography by non-binary author Maia Kobabe that contains descriptions and comic book style drawings of sexual acts that e uses to tell the story of eir journey and struggle in discovering eir gender identity.

Although the book has received an American Library Association award for its relevance to young adults, critics in school systems throughout the country have said its sexually explicit content is not suitable for school libraries.

The action by the School Board committee came after Ziegler asked a separate school system committee to

0 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • LO CA L NE WS

review the book to determine if its content was appropriate for school libraries. Loudoun Public Schools spokesperson Wayde Byard told the Washington Post the committee, in a split vote, recommended that the book be retained in high school libraries.

According to Byard, Ziegler overruled the committee’s recommendation and ordered that the book be removed from the libraries. Byard said that decision was then appealed to a School Board appeals committee, which voted 3-0 to uphold Ziegler’s decision.

The decision by Ziegler to remove the book from school libraries took place about two months after Fairfax County, Va., Public Schools officials decided to return “Gender Queer” and another LGBTQ-themed book called “Lawn Boy” to their high school libraries after temporarily pulling the two books in response to complaints by some parents and conservative activists.

Two committees appointed by Fairfax school officials to review the two books that consisted of educators, school officials, parents, and students concluded that, while the books contained sexually explicit content, it did not cross the line as pornography or depictions of pedophilia as some opponents claimed.

“The decision reaffirms Fairfax County Public Schools’ ongoing commitment to provide diverse reading materials that reflect our student population, allowing every child an opportunity to see themselves reflected in literary characters,” a statement released by Fairfax school officials explaining their decision to retain the two books in their libraries said.

“Both reviews concluded that the books were valuable in their potential to reach marginalized youth who may struggle to find relatable literary characters that reflect their personal journey,” the statement says.

Mother says teen boy charged with assault in girl’s bathroom at Va. school is straight

Earlier reports that Loudoun County student was gender fluid triggered backlash

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

In a little-noticed interview last November with the British online newspaper, DailyMail.com, the mother of a 15-year-old boy charged with sexually assaulting a girl last May in the girl’s bathroom at a Loudoun County, Va., high school that the two students attended said her son identifies as heterosexual.

The May 28, 2021, sexual assault first surfaced in the news media in October at the same time law enforcement authorities disclosed that the boy allegedly sexually assaulted a girl on Oct. 6 in a vacant classroom at another high school to which he was transferred.

The disclosure of the two assaults triggered a furious backlash by some parents and conservative political activists against a Virginia school policy allowing transgender and gender fluid students to use the bathroom that conforms to their gender identity.

“First of all, he is not transgender,” the boy’s mother told DailyMail.com in a Nov. 2 interview. “And I think this is all doing an extreme disservice to those students who actually identify as transgender,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.

The mother, who agreed to the interview on grounds that she was not identified to protect the identity of her son, said her son identifies as heterosexual and absolutely does not identify as female.

LGBTQ activists have said the backlash against both the Virginia state and Loudoun County transgender non-discrimination policies — which spread to school districts across the country that have similar policies — was fueled by what they have said all along was unsubstantiated claims that the boy was transgender or gender fluid.

Conservative activists who strongly oppose the school systems’ trans supportive bathroom policies have said it was those policies that enabled the 15-year-old boy, who police say was wearing a skirt at the time of the May 28 sexual assault incident, to enter the girl’s bathroom to target the girl.

Since that time, testimony in a Loudoun County Juvenile Court where the boy was being prosecuted revealed that the 14-year-old girl who brought the charges against him said she and the boy had two consenting sexual encounters in a girl’s bathroom at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Va., prior to the incident in which the boy allegedly assaulted her.

According to the Washington Post, whose reporter attended one of the juvenile court hearings, the girl testified that she agreed to meet the boy in the girl’s bathroom after he requested a third sexual encounter there, but she told him she did not want to have sex at that time.

“The girl previously testified in court that the defendant threw her to the ground in the bathroom and forced her to perform two sexual acts on him after she told him that she was not interested in sex on that occasion,” the Post reported in a story last week about the final outcome of the case.

At a Jan. 12 sentencing hearing, Loudoun County Juvenile Court Chief Judge Pamela Brooks placed the boy on the Virginia sex offender registry for life, the Post reported. After ruling in an earlier hearing in November that the evidence confirmed that the boy was responsible for sexually assaulting the two girls, Brooks sentenced the boy to a residential treatment facility rather than a juvenile detention facility and required that he remain on probation until he turns 18, the Post reported.

“He’s a 15-year-old boy that wanted to have sex in the bathroom, with somebody that was willing,” the boy’s mother told DailyMaiI.com. “And they’re twisting this just enough to make it a political hot button issue,” she said.

In her interview with the newspaper, the mother said her son wasn’t gender fluid despite the reports, which she confirms, that he wore a skirt at the time of the first of the two sexual assaults.

“He would wear a skirt one day and then the next day, he would wear jeans and a T-shirt, a Polo or hoodie,” she told the newspaper. “He was trying to find himself and that involved all kinds of styles. I believe he was doing it because it gave him attention he desperately needed and sought,” she said.

The mother acknowledged in the interview that her son was deeply troubled,

saying he had a long history of misbehavior, including sending nude photos of himself to a girl when he was in the fifth grade.

On Jan. 12, the same day as the boy’s sentencing hearing, Virginia House of Delegates member John Avoli (R-Stanton) introduced a bill calling for restricting the ability of transgender students from using bathrooms and other facilities in public schools that are consistent with their gender identity.

A separate bill introduced last month by Virginia State Sen. Travis Hackworth (R-Tazewell County) calls for eliminating the requirement that Virginia school districts adopt the state Department of Education’s nondiscrimination policies for trans and non-binary students.

Two sexual assaults by the same teen in Loudoun County schools attracted widespread media attention. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Although Virginia’s newly inaugurated Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the GOP-controlled House of Delegates could move to advance the two bills, LGBTQ activists note that the state Senate remains in Democratic control and would block the two bills from being approved by the General Assembly.

Cris Candice Tuck, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Loudoun, told the Blade she expects opponents of LGBTQ nondiscrimination policies in the Loudoun County Public Schools and other school systems in Virginia to continue to use the sexual assault case of the Loudoun boy as a pretext to repeal LGBTQ and trans supportive policies.

“We firmly believe it should have absolutely no bearing as the perpetrator was not transgender, non-binary, or gender fluid, and so that doesn’t apply to this policy at all,” Tuck said. “A single conviction of an individual who is not even part of the group in question is no reason to invalidate the rights and expose to potential violence the hundreds of students who identify as transgender or non-binary,” Tuck said in an email message.

“Currently, the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts of America, and hundreds of cisgender teachers, clergy, and coaches are embroiled in legal battles nationwide involving sexual molestation, rape, and abuse of children across the country that has been ongoing for decades,” Tuck said. “Yet no one is proposing restroom restrictions for any of those groups. A double standard cannot exist for the LGBTQ+ based on fear mongering, misinformation, and discrimination.”

LO CA L NE WS • JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 7

Florida LGBTQ activist’s body found in landfill Police in Florida’s capital city confirmed that the body of Jorge Diaz-Johnston, 54, who had been reported missing was found in a Jackson County landfill last Saturday morning.

Diaz-Johnston was last seen alive Jan. 3 in Tallahassee, more than an hour from where his body was found, according to a missing person notice released by police. Detectives are investigating his death as a homicide, a police spokesperson said.

Diaz-Johnston was the brother of former Miami mayor and Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz. As an LGBTQ advocate he led the fight for marriage equality; he and his husband were plaintiffs in an historic 2014 lawsuit that led to the JORGE DIAZ-JOHNSTON

legalization of same-sex marriage in Miami-Dade County.

ABC News reported at the time that a South Florida circuit court judge sided with Diaz-Johnston and five couples suing the Miami-Dade County Clerk’s Office for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Florida dropped its ban on same-sex marriage in 2015.

His husband wrote in a poignant Facebook post: “There are just no words for the loss of my beloved husband Jorge Isaias Diaz-Johnston. I can’t stop crying as I try and write this. But he meant so much to all of you as he did to me. So I am fighting through the tears to share with you our loss of him.”

“We are heartbroken to learn of the death of Jorge. He and his husband Don were two of the brave plaintiffs who took on Florida’s anti-gay marriage ban and helped win marriage equality for all Floridians,” Equality Florida said adding, “Our deepest condolences to Don and Jorge’s extended family.”

Detectives urge anyone who may have information to call 850-891-4200 or make an anonymous tip to Big Bend Crime Stoppers at 850-574-TIPS. BRODY LEVESQUE

(Photo courtesy of Diaz Johnston)

Trans man attacked while waiting for train in Denver Denver Police are in contact with Klenke and investigating the A trans man is “doing better” after being attacked last Friday incident. night while waiting for a train near the 16th Street Mall in downtown He said he felt concussed the night of the event but did not seek Denver. medical attention until the following day.

After grabbing dinner and visiting a local gay bar with friends, Syre “I went into survival mode, which was to get home and be safe,” Klenke, 30, told the Blade he was attempting to catch a train ride he said. home when – at approximately 10:30 p.m. – an unidentified attacker Klenke was able to catch a glimpse of the perpetrator – who he punched him in the side of the head “at least three times.” According describes as male-presenting, roughly 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with an to Klenke, the assailant was also using anti-LGBTQ language. “athletic” to “heavy” build. He said he is a “small guy,” who is 5 feet, 2 “It all just happened very, very fast,” he said. inches tall and 125 pounds.

He was able to get to a safe location, where he decided to call an “I never would have expected, of all places, for this to happen Uber to get himself home. here,” he said.

When the Uber arrived, Klenke informed the driver that he was a Denver is considered to be one of the most LGBTQ-friendly trans man who had just been attacked. The driver then left his seat, SYRE KLENKE told the Blade an cities in the nation. The Human Rights Campaign gave the city opened Klenke’s door and threatened to pull him out, the 30-yearunidentified attacker punched him in the a perfect Municipal Equality Index score. In addition, according to old said. side of the head multiple times.

(Photo courtesy of Klenke) a Gallup analysis of census data, Denver boasts the ninth highest Klenke reached out to Uber that night, and he said the company percentage of LGBTQ adults in the nation. refunded the cancellation fee that night. The ride-sharing app then The Denver Police have a program, Safe Place, that assists victims reached out to him via email to investigate the incident. “I have not of crimes, specifically anti-LGBTQ crimes, to reduce anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment. been in contact with Uber since then,” he said.

“The response from the Denver queer community and Denver PD has made me feel at “What Syre reported is heartbreaking and something nobody should ever have to least somewhat better about the situation,” Klenke said. “But I think it definitely highlights, experience. Uber does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and we will take the you know, that this isn’t a problem that’s only happening in the South; this isn’t a problem appropriate action,” a spokesperson for Uber told the Blade in an email. The company that’s only happening in a specific area; it’s not even a problem that’s only happening in also indicated that it’s investigating the incident and will take appropriate action which, in the United States.” incidents like this, often means removal from the platform.

ZACHARY JARRELL After being kicked out of the Uber, Klenke returned to the train station.

S.D. Senate advances anti-trans sports bill The South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 46, legislation that would ban transgender women and girls from competing on the sports teams that match their gender identity.

S.B. 46 is one of three anti-trans bills that South Dakota has introduced in early 2022 – coming off a year that saw unprecedented legislative attacks on the trans community, especially in sports.

In a press release, Gov. Noem alluded to her anti-trans sports bill working similarly to Texas’ ban on abortions after six weeks, which attempts to circumvent the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade by allowing citizens to enforce the law with lawsuits.

“The legislation I am proposing includes the ability for a parent to hold schools accountable in court,” she said. “Parents will be able to sue to play, not to pay.”

It is still unclear if the tactic will be able to successfully evade courts striking down the law. The Supreme Court refused to block Texas’ abortion ban but did say that abortion 0 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

providers have the right to sue.

At the end of last year, Noem introduced a bill that would have codified two of her anti-trans executive orders – one focusing on K-12 schools and the other taking aim at college sports.

She wrote the orders shortly after vetoing an anti-trans sports bill from the state legislature, fearing the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA) would take the state to court over the bill. Otherwise, Noem praised the proposal, even saying she was “excited to sign” it before changing her position.

The South Dakota High School Activities Association still allows trans student-athletes to compete. In addition, the NCAA supports trans people participating in sports.

“Senate Bill 46 attempts to solve a problem that does not exist while slamming the door shut for transgender student athletes to fully participate in their school communities,” said Jett Jonelis, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager.

ZACHARY JARRELL

Locally owned and operated for over 20 years!

Get your Dog Daycare, daycare or grooming gift Boarding, card today!

Grooming, and Pet Supplies

1st Place

202-234-9247

City-dogs.com

301 H Street NE • 1832 18th Street NW

100% OPEN Try one of our signature classes - Kettlebell Essentials, Jade Fusion or Erik’s Bootcamp

• TEACHERS WORKOUT FREE IN DECEMBER •

1 ON 1 PERSONAL TRAINING • ADL ONLINE TRAINING FAMILY TRAINING • YOGA • OPEN GYM • GROUP FITNESS CLASSES

1310 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. SE • 202.629.4455 • JADEFITNESSDC.COM JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 9

FDA-funded blood donation study recruiting gay, bi men D.C.’s Whitman-Walker, L.A. LGBT Center working on study to ease restrictions

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

is groundbreaking because it’s the first time a study is being conducted that could D.C.’s Whitman-Walker Institute and the Los Angeles LGBT Center are among result in individual risk assessment for men who have sex with men to donate blood,” LGBTQ supportive organizations in eight U.S. cities working with the nation’s three the statement says. largest blood donation centers on a study to find a way to significantly ease blood The Whitman-Walker Institute, which is among the community-based organizations donation eligibility for men who have sex with men or MSM. involved in helping organize and conduct the study, is an arm of Whitman-Walker The study, which is funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, calls for Health, the LGBTQ supportive D.C. health center. recruiting a total of 2,000 gay and bisexual men in eight U.S. cities selected for Christopher Cannon, director of Research Operations for Whitman-Walker the study to test the reliability of a detailed donor history questionnaire aimed at Institute, said that since the D.C.-based part of the study was launched early last year assessing the individual risk of a gay or bisexual man transmitting HIV if they donate prior to the official announcement of the study on March 20, D.C. has surpassed the blood. original city goal of recruiting 250 participants for the study.

A statement released by the study organizers says the questionnaire, which could “We are currently at 276 as of last Friday’s report,” Cannon told the Blade in a Jan. be given to a gay or bisexual person showing up at a blood donation site, could be 13 interview. “And the current goal is now 300,” he said. “So, we’re hoping to push a replacement for the FDA’s current policy of banning men who have had sex with this over that goal line in the coming days and weeks. another man within the previous three months from donating blood.

Cannon said that like the community organizations involved in the study in other In the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the FDA put in place a cities, Whitman-Walker Institute’s role has been focused on recruiting gay and permanent ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men. In 2015, with bisexual men to participate in the study and to send them to the American Red advanced HIV testing and screening techniques readily available, the FDA lifted Cross headquarters building at 430 17th St., its permanent ban on MSM blood donations N.W. near the White House. That site, which and replaced it with a 12-month restriction for serves as a blood donation center, is also sexual activity between MSM. serving as the site where study participants The FDA further reduced the time of sexual are screened, interviewed, and presented abstinence for MSM to three months in 2020. with a detailed questionnaire.

LGBTQ rights organizations and others “We promote the study within Whitmanadvocating for a change in the current FDA Walker,” Cannon said. “We promote it to our restriction point out that at a time when the networks. We did social media promotions nation is facing a severe shortage of blood across the city.’ donations due to the COVID pandemic, the Although Whitman-Walker doesn’t have three-month donation deferral requirement the final draft of the questionnaire being for MSM is preventing a large number of presented to study participants, Cannon said blood donations from men whose risk of HIV he has seen “bits and pieces” of it. infection is low to nonexistent.

“They ask very direct questions about the Under the FDA-funded and initiated person’s sex life, sexual partners, sex acts, study, the American Red Cross, Vitalant, and numbers of partners,” Cannon said. “There OneBlood — the nation’s three largest blood are questions about condom use, PrEP use, donation centers — have been conducting drug use. How recently have you had sex? the questionnaire testing since the study was Lots of related questions,” he said. launched in March 2021.

“It’s really about trying to figure out “To gather the necessary data, the blood A new study could make it easier for gay and bi men to donate blood. effectively which are the best questions,” centers will partner with LGBTQ+ Centers in according to Cannon. “The hope is by Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Orlando, analyzing the questions and identifying maybe the best 10 to 12 questions that can New Orleans/Baton Rouge, Miami, Memphis, Los Angeles, and Atlanta,” the study be universally used…to get the best answers that identify the individuals that may organizers say in a statement on a website launched to help recruit volunteers for have the highest risk,” he said. Doing that, he points, out can help determine which the study. men who have sex with men should be eligible to safely donate blood.

“The study will enroll a total of 2,000 gay and bisexual men (250 – 300 from each A statement released by Whitman-Walker last March calls the study a “monumental area) who meet the study eligibility criteria,” the statement says. research effort” that has the potential to lift the stigma imposed on gay and bisexual Among the criteria for being eligible, the statement says, is the person must men whose ability to donate blood is currently based on their sexual orientation. be between 18 and 39 years old, have expressed an interest in donating blood, “The ADVANCE study is designed to understand if, by asking carefully crafted must have had sex with at least one other man in the three months before joining and research-informed research questions, blood collectors can screen potential the study, and must agree to an HIV test. A negative test result is also required for blood donors for their individual HIV risk factors rather than applying a ban against acceptance into the study. sexually active gay and bisexual men,” the statement says.

The study is officially named ADVANCE, which stands for Assessing Donor “The goal is to move away from overly broad questions that exclude potential Variability And New Concepts in Eligibility. donors and spread stigmatizing messages about MSM and their HIV risks,” it says.

“The ADVANCE study is a first step in providing data that will help the FDA Cannon said that as of last week, study organizers had recruited a total of 879 determine if a donor history questionnaire based on individual risk would be as study participants nationwide out of the goal of 2,000 participants needed to effective as time-based deferral, in reducing the risk of HIV in the blood supply,” the complete the study. He said issues related to the COVID pandemic created delays study organizers statement says. in the recruitment efforts, but study organizers were hopeful the study could be “If the scientific evidence supports the use of the different questions, it could mean completed by this summer. men who have sex with men who present to donate would be assessed based upon Information about participating in the study or learning more about it can be their own individual risk for HIV infection and not according to when their last sexual obtained at advancestudy.org. contact with another man occurred,” the statement continues. “The ADVANCE study

1 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

Day&NightRepair-BladeAd.qxp_Layout 1 1/3/22 5:28 PM Page 1

he TUltimate Weapon

NEW!

Against Aging Skin

Stem Cells, Growth Factors, Peptides, Vitamin C, Retinol, Hyaluronic & Glycolic Acid With all of the Age-Defying Heavy Hitters... All in One Formula...Plus a newly discovered European plant extract "Fire Thorn" for more beautiful skin.

Nutra-Lift® Day & Night Repair is a lush sophisticated cream for daily moisture & skin renewal. Doesn't clog pores and leaves skin radiant, soft and glowing. Reduces lines & wrinkles & skin discoloration.

Smooths, firms, tightens & brings back your Younger Looking Skin within days. Dermatologist recommended.

Get a FREE Herbal Nonsoap Cleanser ($22 value)with your first order.

Use Promo Code FREEHNS

Order at www.Nutra-Lift.com (Includes FREE SHIPPING within the USA) Nutra-Lift® is a registered trademark of Younger You Inc.

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 1

Murdered Honduran trans activist buried A prominent transgender activist in Honduras who was murdered last week has been buried.

Reportar sin Miedo reported activists are among those who attended Thalía Rodríguez’s funeral that took place in Tegucigalpa, the country’s capital, on Tuesday.

Rodríguez led Asociación Cozumel Trans, a Honduran trans rights group.

The U.S. Embassy in Honduras, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras and the U.N. Refugee Agency have all condemned Rodríguez’s murder. U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power in a tweet said she was “horrified” by the murders of Rodríguez and Pablo Hernández, a leader in Honduras’ indigenous Lenca community who was killed on Sunday near San Marcos de Caiquín, a municipality in the country’s Lempira department, while he was on his way to church.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

The funeral of Thalía Rodríguez in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Jan. 11, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Reportar sin Miedo)

Polish House passes bill echoing Russian ‘gay propaganda’ law A measure that would give school administrators and superintendents the power to remove books, lessons, and ban student participation in events or clubs that are LGBTQ+ affirming passed the lower house of Poland’s parliament, known as the Sejm, this past Thursday, January 13, in a 227-214 vote.

The measure, dubbed “Lex Czarnek,” or “Czarnek’s Law,” after minister of education Przemysław Czarnek, who has been vehemently opposed to the LGBTQ+ rights and the country’s equality movement, now moves on to the upper house, the Senate where it faces opposition and likely will be rejected Polish broadcast media outlet RMF 24 reported.

According to RMF24, “The Sejm adopted the amendment to the Educational Law, prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science. The project is commonly known as “lex Czarnek”. The role of school superintendents will be strengthened, and the rules governing the functioning of non-governmental organizations in schools and educational institutions will be changed.”

Opposition to LGBTQ+ rights has an ally in the Education Minister whose role would determine the outcome of implementation of the measure: “Pursuant to the amendment, the headmaster of the school or facility will be required – no later than two

months before the commencement of classes conducted by associations or organizations – to obtain detailed information about the action plan in the school, the outline of classes and materials used in the offered classes, as well as obtain a positive the opinion of the education superintendent for the activities of such an organization at school or in an institution. The curator has 30 days to issue an opinion.”

The law also contains a stipulation that “if the head of the school or educational institution fails to comply with the recommendations issued by the school superintendent, he will be able to summon him to explain why he did not do so . If the principal still does not follow the recommendations, the probation officer may apply to the governing body of the school or facility with a request to dismiss the principal during the school year, without notice.“ A member of the Sejm, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, a progressive leftist politician who in addition to protesting against abortion laws, has also been active in protests for LGBTQ+ rights, tweeted her outrage; “The voice of the curator Nowak, as if it were not stupid and dangerous to health and life, is more important for PiS deputies than the voice of students, parents and teachers.”

BRODY LEVESQUE

France, Greece to end restrictions for MSM blood donors France and Greece last week announced they would allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood without restrictions.

Têtu, a French LGBTQ magazine, noted men who have sex with men previously had to remain abstinent for four months before they could donate blood in France.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran on Tuesday announced this requirement would no longer be in place as of March 16. Têtu also noted officials will no longer ask potential blood donors about their sexual orientation.

“It’s a whole new relationship with the blood donor that we want,” said Véran.

Greece on Monday also said it would allow MSM to donate blood without restrictions.

Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris and Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga issued a decree that will become official once the Government Gazette publishes it.

Greece and France are the latest countries to lift restrictions for MSM who want to donate blood.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently allows MSM to donate blood if they have not had sex with another man for three months.

The American Red Cross this week declared a blood crisis because of the surge in COVID-19 omicron variant cases. The declaration sparked renewed calls for the U.S. to allow MSM to donate blood without restrictions.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

1 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • I NT E R NAT I O NA L NE WS

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 3

JAMES FINN

is a former Air Force intelligence analyst, long-time LGBTQ activist, an alumnus of Queer Nation and Act Up NY, and a frequent columnist for the Blade. Reach him at jamesfinnwrites@gmail.com.

Biden’s empty political theater on LGBTQ equality

President is a nice man who lacks the passion to fight Shortly before Joe Biden was inaugurated, LGBTQ Nation leaked a conference call between mainstream LGBTQ advocates and the president-elect in which he backed off repeated, forcible campaign promises to make passage of the Equality Act a top priority during his administration’s first 100 days.

I wrote an article criticizing him for reneging on his pledge.

The Los Angeles Blade picked up my piece as an op-ed, and it went viral. I got a tremendous amount of feedback, much of it negative, more of it counseling patience, but now that a year has passed, let’s take a look at how things worked out.

In the first days of his presidency, Biden did vital work with proLGBTQ executive orders — redirecting the federal bureaucracy, which had become overtly homo/transphobic under Trump, and working to fix transgender military policy — but he never pushed for the Equality Act, which would have finally offered LGBTQ people status as free people in our own nation, protected by law from discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, education, etc.

Without the Act, his executive orders won’t be worth the paper they’re written on when the next Republican president takes office.

Not only did President Biden fail to spend political capital to make the Act a top priority in his first 100 days, he never made it a priority of any kind.

Beltway insiders tell me the president did nothing behind the scenes to honor the pledge he made repeatedly to LGBTQ people in exchange for our votes. He did nothing publicly either. No national speeches. No fireside chats. No appeals to the better angels of the American people. He just stopped talking about the Equality Act, like if he never mentioned it again, we’d forget he promised to prioritize it.

The House passed the Act again this year, but it stalled in the face of Senate filibuster rules, which require 60 out of 100 votes for most legislation to pass. Progressive Democrats have been calling for ending or changing the filibuster since the day Biden took office, but not until last week did he announce support for changes, which brings us to the second half of today’s grievance.

In recent days, pressure has been intensifying on President Biden to lead on passing meaningful protections to counter strict new state laws that Republicans have been enacting to make voting more difficult, especially for Black voters.

Two federal laws proposed by Democrats, — the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — would protect voter rights by (among other things) creating national standards for mail-in voting and restoring stripped-out elements of the Voting Rights Act. Republicans know the only way they can stay in power in many states is to suppress votes, especially the votes of Black people and other people of color.

Republican senators fiercely oppose voter protection and will filibuster.

President Biden traveled to Atlanta last week to make a speech about supporting voter protection. Finally, after nearly a year in office, he indicated he might support changing the filibuster custom. The nation yawned. Black voters blinked. LGBTQ voters sighed in dismay.

A number of influential Black political activists in Georgia snubbed Biden’s speech, saying in advance they would not 1 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • V I E WP O I NT

bother attending an event they called a “waste of time.” Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams was notably absent, which she and Biden both claimed was due to a scheduling conflict, but Georgia political insiders say she was sending the president a powerful message: Get serious. Take action. Stop with meaningless political theater, especially on my turf, where I’ve been doing the kind of real work you won’t do.

Obviously, the 50/50 Dem/Rep split in the Senate is not the president’s fault. Nor is he responsible for the recalcitrance of Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. They have each refused to consider filibuster reform, and without their votes it can’t happen.

But does Biden even want filibuster change?

He has consistently served up weak tea on the issue, calling himself an “institutionalist” and an “incrementalist,” which Democratic leaders have taken to mean he either doesn’t support overhauling Senate rules, or that he won’t get tough on Democratic senators who vote against overhauls.

If Biden has tried even half-heartedly to strong-arm Manchin and Sinema, he has not done so in public. Beltway insiders say he hasn’t done anything, just like he hasn’t prioritized the Equality Act. Meanwhile, while the Democratic Party led by Joe Biden waffles and drifts, the Republicans maintain tight party discipline and look set to take the House back this year. They will continue to push agendas cementing themselves in power, putting democracy itself in grave danger, and making life for minorities increasingly unequal, painful, and difficult.

We don’t care about your institutions, Joe. We don’t value Senate customs and traditions, which mean nothing to us beyond what they can or can’t accomplish. We care about action. We demand results. You promised to deliver, and you’re failing us. Now you choose to go to Atlanta and say some pretty words? Nobody wants pretty words, Joe. You can keep them.

Look, we know your heart is in the right place, but we want your muscle to be in the right place. We want you to take charge, to LEAD, to exercise some of the awesome power of your office.

We expect you to play to win, to twist arms, to name and shame, to do whatever it takes to keep the promises you made to us when you needed our votes.

You need to get serious, Mr. President. If you don’t start kicking ass and taking names, don’t count on us to vote for you again.

I mean that. There’s a REASON you’re dropping precipitously in the polls. It’s us, man. It’s Democratic members of minorities fed up with your milquetoast, do-nothing, business-as-usual approach to crises we see as EXISTENTIAL. While Republican rankand-file are telling pollsters they believe armed violence against the government may be desirable, and while they’re demonizing Black people, immigrants, and queer people, you’re acting like everything is relatively fine.

It’s not.

We voted for a champion, but we got you instead, a very nice man who evidently lacks the gonads to fight for us. Please turn that around. Please get real. Please get tough. Please start fighting to win.

Today would be an excellent day to start keeping your promises.

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

Support the arts: See ‘Our Town’ at Shakespeare Theatre In-the-round production features diverse, stellar cast

WE WERE THERE WHEN THE OLD HOUSE GOT TOO SMALL. WE’LL BE THERE WHEN THIS ONE GETS TOO BIG.

MORTGAGE LOANS

When we finally had the chance to go to live theater again, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) opened its doors with the pre-Broadway production of “Once Upon a One More Time” with Britney Spears’ music. It was a risk Simon Godwin, STC’s artistic director, took and it succeeded. Seats filled beyond expectations with many who had never been to an STC production before.

Now it’s hoped many of those new theatergoers will come back to see the classic play “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder. It will be at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s (STC) Harman Hall, Feb. 17-March 20. Many of those new audience members could find it a memorable and deeply thought-provoking night in the theater.

The play is being directed by the talented D.C. resident Alan Paul, associate artistic director of the STC. Paul is a Helen Hayes award-winning director of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and has numerous Hayes nominations for productions, including “Comedy of Errors”; Studio Theatre 2ndStage “Silence! The Musical”; and “Man of La Mancha.”

“Our Town” is Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play and its various productions over the years imbued audiences with a wonderful shared sense of humanity, something we are in desperate need of in today’s world.

The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913. It’s told through the everyday lives of the people of the town. Through them and what some might see as their generally typical lives, we are led to understand some universal truths about life and death, love, and community.

In looking at the cast Paul chose, I realized all the ones I knew were from our own community. When I asked him about this he told me, “When I decided to direct ‘Our Town,’ the only way to do it would be to use the riches of talent who live in Washington, D.C. I saw many people out of work during the pandemic — actors and freelance artists were hit the most — so when we decided to do this play, I wanted to get the best actors I could find and found them here and knew I wanted to showcase them.” Turns out the great talent in our city is very diverse. The cast is white, Black, Latino, Asian and includes four who, along with Paul, are part of the LGBTQ community — Holly Twyford, Tom Story, Sarah C. Marshall, and Christopher Michael Richardson, all brilliantly talented and known to the community from their previous roles in various theaters around the DMV. The rest of the talented cast includes: Felicia Curry, Elliot Dash, Natascia Diaz, Josh Decker, Eric Hissom, Hudson Koonce, Jake Loewenthal, Tommy Nelson, Chinna Palmer, Maisie Ann Posner, Suzanne Richard, Kimberly Schraf, Craig Wallace, Summer Wei and Travis Xavier.

“Our Town” is introduced and narrated by the stage manager (Holly Twyford), who welcomes the audience to the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, N.H., early on a May morning in 1901. The play then follows the characters for 12 years through their everyday lives. After the stage manager’s introduction, the activities of a typical day begin. Howie Newsome (Christopher Michael Richardson), the milkman, and Joe Crowell, Jr. (Hudson Koonce), the paperboy, make their delivery rounds. Dr. Gibbs (Eric Hissom) returns from delivering a set of twins at one of the homes in town. Mrs. Gibbs (Natascia Diaz) and Mrs. Webb (Felicia Curry) make breakfast, send their children off to school, and meet in their gardens to gossip.

What should make this show particularly exciting is for the first time at the Harman a play will be done in-the-round. The stage will be extended out into the theater and the audience will be seated around it with some seats actually on the stage. Some cast members may actually be in the audience and speak from their seats helping to bring the audience into the action.

Paul also assembled a superb artistic team for this production including among others; Scenic Designer Wilson Chin, Lighting Designer Yi Zhao, Composer Michael John LaChiusa and Costume Designer Sarafina Bush.

The Shakespeare theatre will abide by all CDC and DC guidelines in place at the time to ensure the safety and health of its staff, actors, and patrons.

Supporting the arts is something we all should do; going to the theater is something all of us can enjoy. I have high hopes for a great night at the theater with “Our Town.” Tickets can be purchased online.

Let’s talk about your options. Call us at 800.399.5919 or visit sandyspringbank.com/mortgage.

Member FDIC. Sandy Spring Bank NMLS # 406382. Sandy Spring Bank and the SSB logo are registered trademarks of Sandy Spring Bank. © 2022 Sandy Spring Bank. All rights reserved.

SSB-107 Mortgage Print_4.625x5.125_WashBlade.indd 1 RY V I E WP O I NT • JA NUA

1/13/2022 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 14:02:25 5 PM

SHUKURAT ADAMOH-FANIYAN

is executive director of Reading Partners DC, a nonprofit that for more than 20 years has helped empower local students to succeed in reading and in life by engaging community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring. If you’re interested in learning more and becoming a volunteer visit readingpartners.org/volunteer-washington-dc.

Words create worlds, so what kind of world do we want to live in?

Free speech comes with incredible responsibility

It seems that each new day brings a fresh debate around speech and the weight of impact that speech holds. Back in October hundreds of Netflix employees staged a walkout protesting their company’s controversial Dave Chappelle stand-up special.

At issue were a number of jokes aimed at the transgender community. The protest happened in response to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos’ defense of the special, saying that “content doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm.” This statement could not be further from the truth. Not only do words carry impact and directly translate to real-world harm, words form our conception of the world and oftentimes what is seen as truth. The language we use and condone shapes how everything around us is perceived, which is why there is great responsibility in considering the words we use before we put them out into the world.

We think about this every day at Reading Partners, an organization that places community volunteers in Title I elementary schools to support students in mastering reading skills. Because many of our volunteers do not share racial identity or a similar lived experience of the students we partner with, it is incredibly important to us that they understand that their role is to empower students who need a little extra support rather than coming to “help” or “save” them. The white-savior narrative has historically run rampant in spaces looking to mobilize volunteers for a cause and it is our responsibility to dismantle this narrative. This dismantling starts with the language we use and the stories we share about the communities we have the great privilege to partner with. Given that structural racism and oppression have created the current conditions facing under-resourced students, it is incumbent upon us that we recognize our role within the community and understand that we are here to act as a partner with students and their families whom have already created plans to address gaps in learning.

Because of the impact words yield, it is essential to carefully consider language choice, especially if it could affect marginalized and oppressed groups. Even those who have good intent, like journalists and public figures, often use outdated language and phrases that stigmatize communities or frame them through an othering lens. Some common examples of misguided language often used include phrases like “low-income students,” and “learning loss.” Both of these phrases place responsibility on students for the situation they are in despite the fact that students do not receive income, or have intentionally chosen to miss out on learning opportunities particularly with the disruptions that COVID-19 created. This type of framing has a direct corollary on how these students might be treated by teachers, administrators, and tutors, as well as how they are viewed by leaders, politicians and other people who hold power. It is therefore important that we use terms that accurately describe the situation, which may need to include political or historical context—so instead of “low-income students” we say, “historically under-resourced communities,” while a more accurate substitute for “learning loss” is actually “unfinished learning.” While these are subtle shifts in language, it completely reframes the situation, elucidating who shares responsibility for the current state of things and who does not.

It is also of note that the positive or negative connotations inherent in the language we use are hugely important to how we see those who may have different lived experiences than our own. At Reading Partners, we know that our students are not in fact “struggling” or “suffering from a lack of” something. We highlight our students as they are: “working hard,” “enduring,” “skill builders,” etc. despite growing up in a world where they have been denied access to high-quality literacy education.

It is a fallacy that words cannot do harm. Language has served to dehumanize and subjugate people for as long as it has existed and it is often those in power who have the loudest voice. We as people, institutions, corporations, media, and otherwise must think through what we say and how it might impact others. Let’s be clear—this is not about censorship or ‘cancelling’ anyone. Language changes all of the time and it can be hard to keep up with. We are simply making the appeal that those in power, and with platforms, continue learning from and listening to those who have been harmed for centuries by systemic injustice. Free speech is a privilege, and with that privilege, there is incredible responsibility to utilize language that truly aligns with and demonstrates the user’s values.

1 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • V I E WP O I NT

BROCK THOMPSON

is a D.C.-based writer.

He contributes regularly to the Blade.

Why are gays so terrible at intergenerational friendships?

D.C. should create buddy program for elders Let me just start with a question. How many friends outside of your generation do you have? I mean honest-to-god friends. In my friend group, as large and fungible as that can be in the District and in the age of social media, it’s sort of me and a few other Gen Xers, and then just loads of Millennials. They do look to me to pass down some knowledge, but it’s mainly to do with the ins and outs of mortgages and things like that.

But is it me? Or are gays just really, really terrible at having intergenerational friends? It’s striking. I’ve recently developed a friendship with — let’s call him — Bill. He’s almost 80. Maybe it’s the historian in me, but I just love the stories. But more on that later. For now, to ask another question, just why are gays bad at having friends removed from their respective generations?

On social media this week I posted an obituary from a Houston paper dating from 1978. It was obviously from a gay man. You can tell from the coded language, “long time resident of this city despite stays on the West Coast.” And if that didn’t give it away, it ended with this rather heartbreaking language, “his parents requested that his friends not attend the memorial services!” Bill told me these sorts of obituaries — terribly vague but also cruelly pointed — were quite common in the dark days of AIDS. And this is succinctly why I think gays are so bad at having intergenerational friends, we’ve simply lost an entire generation of elders. And what was exactly lost with that generation is far more than can be enumerated in this column.

Back to Bill’s stories for a second. There is a real value in oral histories, the telling and passing down of shared experiences make our culture certainly more valuable and rich, at the very least far more interesting. And again, this is nothing new, as cultures across the globe seek to capture personal stories and first hand viewpoints of histor unfoldin . ut it s not just the story itself that’s important. It’s also the perspective and opinions.

These remain nuanced between generations. Again, that’s really not saying anything new. But these varied opinions and outlooks, if not shared and debated risk isolating gay men into rigid and unchanging views crafted in echo chambers.

Also, gays place a large premium on youth. And this, again, is nothing new, nor particularly gay. We just like what we like. But as Bill told me, he’s rather annoyed that any interest he expresses in a younger man is automaticall filed under lecherous behavior. et me ust deal with this ri ht here We all, no matter the age, display to varying degrees lecherous behavior.

Just get us a little dehydrated, a little tipsy, and throw us on the sand of oodle each and watch the unwanted irtin unfold. o. ut still we have to do better than mistaking anyone displaying interested in us as a simple sexual advance. That seems rather juvenile.

With contact between our generations low, we are in danger of passing down a culture to future queer Americans that might seem a little lopsided and even a bit, well, shallow. But what’s to be done? I’ve commented in past columns on how we’re failing older LGBTQ Americans, especially in the District. To remedy this, we should use what I call the Chicago model and what is being done at the Center on Halsted, the city’s LGBTQ community center. The Center offers numerous programs geared to the city’s LGBTQ senior population. But one that sticks out is a sort of a buddy program, pairing seniors, even those in care facilities, with younger friends. This would certainly help us here in the District better care for our LGBTQ seniors, and would also of course help with the bridging of our considerable generational divide. So perhaps we could reproduce this here in the District.

For now, I’ll continue to buddy up and enjoy my time with Bill.

OUR OUTSIDE BIERGARTEN IS OPEN! *S AFETY

PROTOCOLS ARE IN PLACE *

OPEN AT 3PM WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY FOR CARRY-OUT, LIMITED INDOOR & OUTDOOR DINING. *R ESERVATIONS

REQUIRED *

DINNER: WED-SUN 3PM-10PM LUNCH: FRI 12-3P

V I E WP O I NT • JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 7

KATHI WOLFE

a writer and a poet is a re ular contributor to the lade

e as s na o ue attac a reminder to fi ht anti emitism upportin ewish communit after latest tragedy

+ Largest LGBT owned title company + Billions of dollars in transactions closed annually + 7 in house attorneys + Residential and commercial transactions + In home and in office refinance settlements + Licensed in DC, DE, MD, NJ, VA & WV

1 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • V I E WP O I NT

t was an all too familiar moment rela ed aturda afternoon ntil an alert ashed on m screen unman had ta en hosta es at a s na o ue on re ation eth srael in olle ville e as a suburb of allas e d one into the s na o ue durin abbath services t was an hours lon ordeal for the rabbi and three members of the con re ation who were held hosta e he police intervened he hosta es emer ed safel after hours he unman ali aisal ram died i e so man hearin this news was horrified saddened fri htened and shoc ed but not surprised he hosta e ta in at the e as s na o ue is part of a pattern of risin anti emitism he nti efamation ea ue has trac ed a rise in anti emitism in the nited tates in recent ears from the 2 nite the i ht rall in harlottesville a where marchers threw a i salutes to the 2 ree of ife s na o ue shootin that illed people in Pittsbur h don t want to draw a false e uivalenc omophobia biphobia and transphobia aren t the same as anti emitism ut there are parallels s heard about the terrif in attac on the e as s na o ue remembered how fri htened enra ed and sad we felt in 2 when 4 people were illed in the Pulse ni htclub massacre and how traumati ed our communit was b this attac s write much remains un nown about the hosta e attac on the olle ville s nao ue uthorities in the nited in dom and the are still investi atin the situation ram the attac er at the e as s na o ue came from lac burn n land n 2 2 the s counterintelli ence and securit a enc had investi ated ram the reported he a enc ept him on a watch list as a sub ect of interest but determined that he wasn t a threat he is investi atin the hosta e ta in at the s na o ue as terrorism the ashin ton Post reported he authorities don t now how ram was allowed to et to allas or to bu a un urin the attac ram referred to afia iddi ui an merican educated woman nown as ad al aeda and convicted of terrorism iddi ui is in a federal prison in ort orth for tr in to ill soldiers the Post reported ram s brother ulbar ram told media outlets and authorities that ram had a mental illness. hou h the attac er s motive still isn t nown it s clear that the e as s na o ue wasn t randoml tar eted e perts sa t wasn t a overnment office t wasn t another house of worship b a different faith communit oll uffna le the merican ewish ommittee s irector for ombatin ntisemitism told P s ornin dition t was tar etin ews h should the communit care about the attac on the e as s na o ue and the rise of anti emitism irst of course because of the ews in our communit hose of us who are ewish and now the double whamm of encounterin anti emitism alon with homophobia biphobia and or transphobia e run up a ainst this pre udice in ever thin from slurs to stereot pes to violence hose of us who aren t ewish don t now what anti emitism is li e thou h we ma have ewish famil members or spouses who have e perienced anti emitism ut because we re we have run into bi otr e ve been called names discriminated a ainst and wounded and illed b anti ueer violence nti emitism and anti ueer bi otr aren t identical but d wa er that man who are anti emitic are anti ueer hen the came for the ews wrote artin iemoller a hristian pastor who resisted the a is in itler s erman in a poem nd did not spea out ecause was not a ew hen the came for me nd there was no one left o spea out for me ur communit needs to loo within itself e should wor to e pun e an anti emitism in our midst. nti emitism has been a scour e for centuries ombatin it isn t eas ut let s do all we can to support the ewish communit and to fi ht anti emitism

Lighting the way: an interview with singer Janis Ian

JANIS IAN takes her musical bow in 2022 with a final North American tour.

(Photo by Lloyd Bags)

Veteran performer embarking on final tour

By GREGG SHAPIRO

By my count, queer singer/songwriter Janis Ian has had four distinct chapters in her musical career. The first began when she was in her teens with the release of her groundbreaking single “Society’s Child,” and the albums on Verve Records that followed in the late 1960s. By the mid-1970s, for the second chapter, Ian signed to Columbia Records, resulting in the biggest hit single of her career, the Grammy Award-winning classic “At Seventeen.” She remained on Columbia into the early 1980s, even collaborating with Giorgio Moroder on the song “Fly Too High.” The third chapter occurred in the early 1990s. Bette Midler recorded Ian’s song “Some People’s Lives,” the title track of Bette’s Grammy-winning 1991 album. Ian herself recorded the song for her marvelous 1993 comeback album, the aptly titled “Breaking Silence.”

Ian has not been sitting idle since that time, mind you. She’s released a few more albums, including some on her own Rude Girl Records label. She also published her memoir “Society’s Child: My Autobiography” in 2008 and won her second Grammy for the audiobook. I have had the pleasure of interviewing Janis in 1994, 2004, 2008, and in 2022, and it is always a revelatory experience. She was kind enough to answer a few questions in advance of the release of her flawless new album “The Light at the End of the Line” (Rude Girl).

BLADE: I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with the best way to say this, and I keep returning the fact that with The Light at the End of the Line, your extraordinary last solo studio album, you are going out with a bang.

JANIS IAN: [Laughs] better a bang than a whimper!

BLADE: What was involved in the decision to make this your final studio recording?

IAN: I think hitting 70 was a big part of it. Having the last 15 years to put together songs and wanting to make something that was better than anything I’d done before was involved. Mostly, the timing really worked out. I went into lockdown right around when I needed or wanted to start thinking about this. I had no plans until I looked up at my write board and realized I had 15 songs I was pleased with, and one unfinished. I started listening to what Randy Leago had done with “Resist,” and I began working with Viktor Krauss on “Better Times…” I had originally intended to do an all-solo acoustic album, but it became clear that I really wanted a blend of it to serve the songs. There wasn’t a sudden, “Gee, I’ll make an album now” decision. There was more a talking to people and seeing where Randy and Viktor’s schedules were. Seeing where John Whelan was.

Whether we could get Nuala Kennedy to do her parts from Ireland. Finding a studio where I live, which is near Bradenton, so there’s not a huge amount of studios available.

Then just winnowing down the songs and going, “Well, I think this is actually an album.”

BLADE: Among the many aspects that make The Light at the End of the Line exceptional is that for the 12 songs, you draw on the many influences spanning your five-decade career, beginning with “I’m Still Standing,” which is as personal as, say, “At Seventeen.”

IAN: I would say so. That was part of my goal for the entire album, and part of the winnowing down of songs, was to make sure that the songs I picked were as universal as possible, and also songs that would hopefully stand the test of time. I mean it’s incredible that “At Seventeen” was released in 1975. It’s 45 years later and it’s still getting lots of airplay. Lots of people still sing it. People are still affected by it, young people, not people anywhere close to my age. So, to make an album that would reach as many people as possible emotionally, and at the same time have songs that were as well-written as I’m capable of doing after almost 60 years as a songwriter; that was the challenge, really. So, I’m glad to hear you say that.

BLADE: The social consciousness of your music extends all the way back to “Society’s Child” and continues today with songs such as “Stranger” and “Resist.”

Please say a few words about the role of social commentary in your music.

IAN: I was raised in a very political family. I grew up stuffing envelopes and going to marches. My parents were both politically aware. My mom did things like attend the Civil Rights Congress. My parents were under watch by the FBI. So, it was a natural part of my life. Everyone we knew was involved, in one way or another, in politics and social issues, because I would regard feminism as much as a social issue as a political

Russia or the Ukraine?

one. Although the line between the two is pretty blurred these days as I’m sure you know. “Stranger” just came out of nowhere one night. I had an off night and I never write on the road, ever. I think I’ve written two songs in my life while I was touring.

But I was changing guitar strings and came up with that little pattern and the song just fell out in the course of the evening. I’ve been thinking about it a lot because my own grandfather had to come into America on a cousin’s passport. None of us found out his real name or the story until we were in our 20s and 30s. So I started thinking with all these people saying “illegals should be deported, even if they grew up here, even if they were born here, even if they’ve lived here 40 years, where does that leave me?

Should I be sent back to Poland or

BLADE: It truly resonates and it’s an ongoing issue. That leads me to the next question, which is about the anthemic single “Resist,” which is one of the album’s most powerful statements, with its “I will not disappear” and titular chants. Are you ever shocked that you still find yourself having to write and perform a song such as this?

IAN: I’m shocked that it hasn’t been fixed by now [laughs], and that it seems to be getting worse. I think that in some ways my generation underestimated the determination of the powers that be to stay in power. We knew about the FBI and the CIA, but it would never have occurred to us that there would still be genital mutilation. That women would still be burned on pyres. That there would be revenge rape. It’s a shock that these things still need to be addressed, but it’s not shocking that they need to be written about. I also think that music cuts through the noise in a way that very few other things can. Politics becomes just noise. Social media becomes just noise. Music has the ability to touch people’s hearts directly in a way that none of those things can. I didn’t set out with “Resist” and think, “Oh, I’m going to write a protest song about this.” But I was plenty annoyed when I wrote it.

BLADE: That definitely comes through.

IAN: It’s a fine line for me because my voice only carries so far. I can’t do what certain singers can do with their voices. I have a relatively light voice. That’s one of the great things about Randy Leago, and what he did with it. Because he managed to leave all that space for the vocal while surrounding it with…oh, I think I had asked for angry drums. So, the first thing you hear is that thud of the bass drum, which to me is like a footstep coming into the room. Lines like “I cannot be your virgin and I will not be your whore” came out of my own experience.

BLADE: It really is an incredible song. “Nina” is a breathtaking tribute to Nina Simone. It made me think about her performance in Questlove’s 2021 documentary Summer of Soul, and how she’s being reintroduced to new generations. Have you seen the doc?

IAN: I have not seen that, but I did see the Liz Garbus documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? (from 2015) because she’s singing my song in it.

BLADE: What do you think she’d think of your song about her?

IAN: [Big laugh] I would not begin to wonder what Nina would think about anything.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 20 JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 9

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Lighting the way: an interview with singer Janis Ian I wouldn’t go there for $1,000,000. Well, maybe for $1,000,000, but I would be pretty unsure of myself. Nina was monumentally easy and monumentally difficult to love. That’s what I tried to capture in the song. She was biologically ill, mentally ill, I would say, but I’m not sure what the correct phrase is these days. But there was such a big biological aspect to it and by the time that was really beginning to be understood and treated, she had already burned so many bridges and made so many people angry. I feel like I saw Nina at her best and her worst. Her best was so much better than any other performer I’ve ever watched. And her worst was pretty scary.

BLADE: As a songwriter, you have a long history of having your songs recorded by other performers. If you had to choose one song from The Light at the End of the Line to be covered by another artist, what song would it be and who would want to hear sing it?

IAN: Oh, man, that’s pretty easy! I would have P!nk record “Resist.” I think she would slay that; I think she would just kill that song.

BLADE: Not only is The Light at the End of the Line your last studio recording but the multi-city tour on which you will be embarking throughout most of 2022 is your final North American tour. What will you miss the most and the least about touring?

BLADE: As a gay man, I have always loved the story about Nina’s correspondence IAN: The thing you miss about touring when you’re not touring is the audience. I have with Langston Hughes. really good audiences. Everything from the male or female seven-year-old would-be IAN: She and (James) Baldwin (were friends), too. We had lunch at my mother’s one guitarist whose parent or grandparent thinks “You should see a really good acoustic day and she showed up with James Baldwin in tow. I don’t think she cared about that at guitarist” to the 80-year-old person who’s been following me since “Society’s Child.” It’s all because artists tend not. It doesn’t really matter, it’s like skin color. Who cares as long a really broad range. I meant it when I said (in the album art) that “this album is a love as you’re doing great work. It’s the world that surrounds us that becomes the problem. song” because when I wrote (the song) “The Light at the End of the Line” I looked at it BLADE: That is very true! Album closer (Photo by Keith Stokes) as what I was saying to my fans. One of the “Better Times Will Come” is the kind of difficult possibilities that artists face in these uplifting number we all need at this time. days of social media and easy advertising I was delighted by Diane Schuur’s scat… is making sure that you consider your IAN: Isn’t she great? Deedles! supporters. A word I prefer to fans, because “fans” has other connotations. The people BLADE: Her “Shayna maidel” shoutwho have always supported me — I go out elevates the song to a different level. back to Facebook as an example – there’s IAN: We probably talk every couple of a social media everybody said you can’t weeks or more often. We’re good buddies. make money from. And yet, one year when She’s great. we held the sale for our Pearl Foundation, 70% of the money came from Facebook BLADE: Was that song as much fun to followers. I have to believe that if you do as record as it is to listen to?

I’ve done; if you don’t accept advertising on IAN: It began out of the Better Times your page, if you don’t bother people, if you project that I started when lockdown began just present yourself and have a good time, -- bettertimeswillcome.com. That involved, they stay with you. I have more than half a in the end, 187 artists all doing their own million followers to attest to that. There are versions of the song. We’ve got 13 versions a lot of potential pitfalls that I try to avoid still to put up! Everything from Japanese because I really respect the people who sign language interpretation to a Dutch support my work. That’s an absurd cliché, version to a Mandarin Chinese version Gregg, but it’s true. I respect those people. I to banjo or guitar or flatfooting. When it have a lot of gratitude toward those people. came time to record it, I wanted to close the album with it, but do something completely BLADE: Do you have a feeling that they know that? different from what I’d done already. My version that everybody worked off for the project IAN: Absolutely! When I was staying after every show and signing, which I did for was just me singing the song immediately after I finished it into my phone, no guitar, no 30 years, I would hear that. That was very direct. The Light at the End of the Line also nothing. You can go to bettertimeswillcome.com and watch all those videos, see all those becomes a way for me to say, “You stuck with me when I was not a great writer. You stuck versions, listen to them, download them. It was a great way to promote other artists who with me when I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I grew up in this fishbowl. Here’s had projects coming out and suddenly couldn’t tour or make book appearances, all of our payoff. I am now a really good writer and singer, and here’s a love song for you. that through my Facebook page. The Facebook people were wonderfully generous. I didn’t want to repeat that or reuse it, so it became question of how I do this so that it’s BLADE: The last couple of years have been brutal, to say the least, and we lost totally different from anything on the album and it maintains that spirit of inclusivity. I many great friends and artists, including Nanci Griffith and John Prine. Would you reached out to Viktor and we literally both sat down with our phone books and went, mind saying a few words about Nanci and John?

“OK, this person would be great. That person would be great. Are they available?” Vince IAN: Nanci was a very under-recognized songwriter, like Dolly Parton. And a great Gill wasn’t available because he’s out with the Eagles. We told Vince we had a two-month interpreter. She called me one day and said, “Janis, I need a Janis Ian folk song.” [Laughs] window and he literally turned it in three days before we went to mix. With Deedles “I don’t know what that means” and she said, “Just let it roll around.” I called my friend (Schuur), she’d been in lockdown for a while. There was no nearby studio. It was working Jon Vezner and I said, “Nanci Griffith wants a Janis Ian folk song and I have this idea for with her manager to find a studio and then coordinating it with her so that she felt safe, something that’ll begin ‘This old town should have burned down in 1929’,” and he said, and she could do it in her own time, in her own way. For all the musicians, it became a “Fantastic! I’ll be over tomorrow morning.” That’s how Nanci operated. She left you to question of me saying, “This is a step-out moment. Treated it like you’re in the (Tommy) do what you do. John’s death really took me aback. It hit me very hard. It’s not that we Dorsey bands in the old days and he suddenly points to you and says “You take your were that close, but I had known John since we’re both in our early 20s. We had seen solo. No preparation, no leading up to it, no ramping up. You just start max.” I was really each other at the Cambridge Folk Festival a little short while before, or it felt like a short pleased with it. John Cowan singing a verse to start off with. That’s not something I’ve ever while before. “Better Times Will Come” literally grew out of that. I was in our house, in been able to do, and I’ve always wanted John to sing one of my songs. The harmonies the garage doing laundry, thinking about John. “Better times will come” started running are great. People like Andrea Zonn, who’s normally out with James Taylor, because of through my head. I wrote it, basically, because John died. I’m not sure what I would have COVID they were available. It worked for the piece. Viktor and Jared (Anderson), the written without that. Somebody once said to me, “You will never be able to write a threeyoung engineer he found, worked at assembling. We spent a lot of time on it. It felt like chord song.” Gregg, this is literally the only three-chord song I have written in my life. we just needed something to give us all a bit of hope, and yet to recognize COVID, which I have to think that on some level, without getting weird about it, John was out there is why the ending is what it is. Because we keep thinking we’re good and then we’re not encouraging it. He was the king of simplicity. John was simple and direct in a way that and we think we’re good and then we’re not. Trying to speak to that, as well. very few of us ever get to be. (He’s) sorely missed.

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

CALENDAR |

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Friday, January 21

Friday Tea Time and social hour for Older LGBTQ+ adults will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Feel free to bring your beverage of choice. For the Zoom link or more information, contact Justin (justin@thedccenter.org).

Montgomery County Recreation will host “REC Safe Zone” at 6 p.m. at Good Hope Community Center. This event is safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to gather. Middle and high schoolers are welcome to attend. For more information, visit Eventbrite.

Saturday, January 22 Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 11 a.m. at The DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black lesbian. You do not need to be a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter or the Beta Phi Omega Sorority in order to join. For more information, email supportdesk@ thedccenter.org.

Volunteer with Food and Friends will be at 9 a.m. at Food and Friends Inc. Food and Friends prepares and delivers meals and groceries to people living with HIV, cancer, and other life challenging illnesses. Food and friends is located at 219 Riggs Rd., N.E. If you need a ride from the Fort Totten Metro, call the Food and Friends shuttle at 202-669-6437.

Sunday, January 23 Sugar & Spice Drag Brunch will be at 11 a.m. at The Hall CP. This event will be hosted by drag queen CAKE. Tickets cost between $25 and $200 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

AfroCode DC will be at 3 p.m. at Decades DC. This event is an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes and a crossover of genres such as hip hop, afrobeats and soca. Tickets are $60 and available on Eventbrite.

Monday, January 24 Center Aging Coffee Drop-In will be at 10 a.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and online on Zoom.

LGBT Older Adults — and friends — are invited to enjoy friendly conversations and to discuss any issues you might be dealing with. For more information, visit the Center Aging’s Facebook or Twitter.

Not Another Drag Show will be at 8 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This free event will be hosted by Logan Stone and will feature a rotating cast of local performers. More details are available on Eventbrite.

OUT & ABOUT

Baltimore to host non-discrimination training for employees The City of Baltimore - DHR Learning & Development Registration Site will host an online course titled “Discrimination & Harassment: Compliance Essentials” on Thursday, Jan. 20, which will be made available at midnight.

This course is for City of Baltimore employees only.

This course will give an overview of the types of behaviors and actions that can constitute harassment or discrimination based on race, and will help build awareness of the legal protections afforded LGBTQ+ employees. Additionally, guests will learn about the benefits of diversity and inclusion for the organization and how employees can promote inclusion.

For more information about this course, visit Eventbrite.

International Women Club set for Jan. 24 International Women United Organizer will host “Multicultural International Women Club” on Monday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at National Harbor.

The goal of this event is to bring together women from different countries and cultures for friendship, support and community. Guests will get to share interesting facts about their country, talk about their culture, values, styles, and differences with others while learning from others and making friends from all over the globe. Those who speak English as a second language are welcome to attend.

This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Tuesday, January 25 Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This support group is for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cisgender, this is your group. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Wednesday, January 26 Job Club will be at 6 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and online on Zoom. The Job Club is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

LGBTQ Counseling Group will be at 4 p.m. at Serenity Treatment Center. This is a safe space for LGBTQ/queer folks that are struggling with addiction and co-occurring disorders. For more information, visit Eventbrite.

Thursday, January 27 The DC Center’s Food Pantry Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be more fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org or call 202-682-2245.

Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. at The DC Center for the LGBT Community. This month’s discussion will be on “The Whipping Girl” by Julia Serano. If you would like to join via Zoom or have questions email supportdesk@ thedccenter.org.

This month’s Queer Book Club discussion will be on ‘The Whipping Girl’ by Julia Serano.

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 1

In ‘Trans Am,’ a trans person telling a trans story Lisa Stephen Friday shines in Keegan one-woman show

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

In the fall of 2020, Lisa Stephen Friday’s one-woman show “Trans Am” premiered virtually at Keegan Theatre. “Honestly, streaming a dozen shows isn’t something I want to do again. I was thrilled to do it but performing a live musical with no audience was daunting. Like performing to a black hole. Exhausting.”

But now the trans woman performer is back at Keegan with a live world premiere of the same piece. “Trans Am” is 90 minutes of uninterrupted autobiographical stories and the music of Friday’s cult-favorite NYC glam rock band Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday.

Her transition hasn’t been easy and that’s reflected in the work, but so is a happy default setting – Friday likes to laugh and make people laugh.

The meat of the story is the intensity of time spent in the band, but also her youth in Georgia, other aspects of New York, and her move to D.C. “For me as a trans woman that story involves a very laborious journey to self-actualization. We live in a world that doesn’t allow space for trans people. So, it’s a lot,” she says.

Work as a project manager for Barbizon, a leading provider of entertainment lighting systems, brought Friday to the DMV, specifically Dupont (Trump’s election prompted a move from Alexandria to the gayborhood). She’s currently dating a chef: “He’s great at what he does and he’s thrilled to see the show,” she says.

LISA STEPHEN FRIDAY

(Photo by Mike Kozemchak)

TRANS AM Jan. 29-Feb. 26 | Keegan Theatre

incredibly cathartic. There are fun memories with downtown queens, but also the time I went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist totally read me about getting hormones. That was jarring. It was definitely time for me to acknowledge the enormity of what it means to be trans in this country.

BLADE: Would you describe your professional experience as unique?

FRIDAY: Before transitioning, I went through the world as your typical 25-year-old cishetero male. Oblivious. I was a theater actor in New York, chasing roles like Chris in “Miss Saigon” or Marius in “Les Miz.” These were my life goals. I look back and think how trite.

Coming out and transitioning meant I was no longer cast. The last time I went on an audition for musical theater was in 2003 for “Taboo” to play Boy George’s friend Marilyn. The part went to a soap star. Instead, I found the downtown queer rock and roll scene. That’s where I needed to be.

It took me a while to find clarity about who I was. A lot of what I talk about in the show is about finding that East Village crowd who said “honey, you’re a woman.” Surrounding yourself with community is the way to reach that.

BLADE: What’s your history with “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

FRIDAY: In the late ‘90s I asked to audition to replace Hedwig. In New York, they knew me as Steve Friday, a good rock and roll singer. I remember thinking I can’t do this shit. No one knows that I sit around my house wearing women’s clothes.

I cancelled those auditions because I was living in fear. For a while, I really regretted that. Then 20 some years later, I had an opportunity to do it at Keegan. But the pandemic stopped that.

The truth is I no longer feel that I need or want to play Hedwig. There is trauma in that story attached to medical transition. I’m a trans woman who has gone through all confirmation surgeries. I feel really uncomfortable standing on stage singing about an angry inch.

I know Hedwig’s creators wrote that show from a loving place but it was written in 1998 and it’s very dated. That said, it opened the door to a queer space in theater that didn’t exist before.

Now with “Trans Am,” Keegan can do something different. A trans person telling a trans story, which is a step forward from “Hedwig.”

BLADE: With productions shutting down due to the Omicron surge, do you feel any trepidation about getting through the run?

1742 Church St. N.W. | $55-$65 | Keegantheatre.com FRIDAY: That fear is always there.

For me it would be really disappointing. My life has been in the theater – performing or production. I’m hyper aware of everything the Keegan and all theaters are risking financially.

BLADE: Was it tough writing a deeply personal show like Trans Am? So, I’m excited and grateful, but kind of walking on eggshells.

LISA STEPHEN FRIDAY: I wrote my story over five weekends. It was

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

clear space theatre company

20 Baltimore Ave. (Beach Block) RB, DE 19971

Tickets on Sale Now! dB e r o s

y

n

Spo

JAN 21--FEB 6 Clear Space is requiring patrons to show their COVID-19 vaccination card or physical proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the performance and a government-issued ID in order to enter the theatre. Masks are required for everyone while insidethe building.

No food or beverages allowed inside the theatre.

This program is supported, in part, by a grant

www.ClearSpaceTheatre.org Or call

302.227.2270

from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com. Clear Space Theatre Company, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 3

SAG Award slate points to a not-very-queer Oscar night ‘Power of the Dog’ snubbed in Best Cast category

By JOHN PAUL KING

It’s mid-January, and pandemic or not, Hollywood’s “awards season” has kicked off in earnest.

The announcement last week of nominations for the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards means that it’s now time for armchair pundits, bookmakers, and film journalists to start compiling their predictions for the Oscars, which everyone knows are the main event when it comes to Hollywood awards.

This should be a good-natured exercise in fun, driven by a love for the movies and a genuine appreciation of the artistry of the people who make them – but at a time when the film industry is under deep scrutiny for diversity and inclusion, things can get complicated.

Since they are decided by members of a union that also makes up a substantial portion of the Academy’s voting body, the SAG Awards are considered a reliable bellwether for the Oscars race, though with fewer categories than the Academy, not to mention the complex interplay of personal loyalties and working relationships that undoubtedly influence their choices, they still leave room for a lot of speculation. Still, their record for aligning with the Academy’s eventual choices makes it worth factoring them in as we attempt to assess the chances for our favorite contenders to earn Oscar gold.

For Blade readers, of course, the key question is likely to be about which of the year’s LGBTQ movies are going to snag wins. Unfortunately, the answer to that question might be pretty bleak.

Of the 22 titles nominated within the SAG Awards’ six film categories, only one – “The Power of the Dog” – could be said to have any significant queer content. Others, like “West Side Story”, “tick, tick… BOOM!”, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”, “Being the Ricardos”, or “House of Gucci”, have either LGBTQ-relevant elements in their narratives or obvious LGBTQ appeal in their subject matter, and some have both. But there is no “Moonlight” or “Call Me By Your Name” on which to hang the hope of a definitively queer winner in any category.

In the Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture race – which is essentially the SAG Awards’ equivalent of Best Picture – the biggest surprise is the omission of “Power of the Dog.” Filmmaker Jane Campion’s dark and subtle western about the toxic relationship between a domineering older rancher and his effeminate new nephew has been a fixture in the top categories at awards ceremonies so far, but despite earning nods in other categories, it was shut out of the competition for this one. That leaves little in the way of LGBTQ inclusion among the five nominees (“Belfast”, “CODA”, “Don’t Look Up”, “House of Gucci”, “King Richard”), but it doesn’t keep “Power” from being a front-runner at the Oscars, where the Best Picture category can include up to 10 contenders. Even if all five of the SAG choices make it into the Academy’s race, Campion’s movie is almost certainly going to be there, too. The same can probably be said of “West Side Story”, another presumptive front-runner, but given its track record of wins so far, “Power” still stands as our favorite to take the honor on Oscar night.

For Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, the lineup includes several films of LGBTQ interest. “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” which earned a nod for star Jessica Chastain, is a biopic that takes time to address its real-life protagonist’s surprising legacy as a queer ally; “Being the Ricardos,” though it contains no directly LGBTQ material, has the obvious appeal of focusing on Lucille Ball, a show biz icon beloved for decades by

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

Can LADY GAGA turn a SAG nomination into Oscar gold?

the gay community, who is portrayed with delicacy and respect by nominee Nicole Kidman; Jennifer Hudson’s star turn as Aretha Franklin – another legendary diva with queer appeal – snagged her a nomination for “Respect”; and finally, Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” grabbed another nod here for Lady Gaga, the only out member of the LGBTQ community in the running. It would be great to see Mother Monster take home this prize, but she’s got stiff competition; based on honors given out so far, she stands as a frontrunner, but with Hudson and Kidman in the mix, not to mention awards darling Olivia Colman (nominated for “The Lost Daughter”), it feels like anybody’s race. Win or lose at the SAGs, Gaga still has a strong chance of being included in Oscar’s Best Actress category – as does out actress Kristin Stewart, whose performance as Lady Diana in “Spencer” puts her solidly on the Oscar shortlist, despite being snubbed here.

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture might also be wide open. A few weeks ago, Benedict Cumberbatch would likely be the clear favorite to win for his towering performance as the closeted rancher in “Power of the Dog”, but after fellow nominee Will Smith’s win at the Golden Globes for “King Richard” his chances seem less sure. It’s a category that includes two Black actors – Smith and Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”) – and on a slate that is otherwise dominated by white nominees it’s one of the few opportunities for the SAGs to diversify its winners’ circle. It’s also worth mentioning that Andrew Garfield, nominated for “tick, tick… BOOM!”, won the Globes prize for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, which combined with widespread acclaim for his performance makes him a strong contender to pull off an upset from either of the two frontrunners – a scenario likely to be repeated at the Academy Awards. In any case, Washington and Javier Bardem (nominated for playing Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos”) are probably the dark horses here.

In the supporting categories, things look even less promising for LGBTQ inclusion.

Nominated for “West Side Story” is Ariana DeBose, who is the clear favorite to win as Female Actor, though Kirsten Dunst’s quietly devastating performance in “Power of the Dog” has been accumulating considerable buzz, too. Both will likely be included at the Oscars as well. On the Male Actor side, the most clearly queer-friendly choice is Kodi Smit-McPhee, also for “Power of the Dog”; it’s a wild card category, skewed by the presence of big names (Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper, nominated for “The Tender Bar” and “Licorice Pizza”, respectively) who might gain votes on the basis of star status alone, but Smit-McPhee has made a consistently strong showing throughout the awards race so far – and frankly, deserves to win just for his ability to hold his own opposite the charismatic Cumberbatch. He’s our favorite in the category not just here, but also on Oscar night.

The SAG Awards, of course, also present awards for television. Those don’t have much bearing on the Oscars, but it’s worth mentioning that the nominees there include LGBTQ-relevant favorites like “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Succession”, “Hacks”, “The White Lotus”, and “Halston.” We’ll take a closer look at those when the Screen Actors Guild makes their presentation, which will air live on TNT and TBS, on Sunday, Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, it’s time to start working on those Oscar predictions. Ready, set… GO!

‘Fiona and Jane’ an enticing look at lifelong friendship Two women bicker, fall distant – then meet again

By KATHI WOLFE

“Fiona and Jane,” a new short story collection by Jean Chen Ho is an enticing New Year’s present. The captivating volume features secrets, family conflict, queerness, astute cultural observations, and above all, friendship.

We long to fall in love. So we lose our hearts to our lovers and go to pieces when our relationships break up.

Yet, especially, if we’re women and/or queer, we want a best friend as much, maybe more, than we do a lover.

Fiona and Jane, Asian Americans, grew up in Los Angeles.

They’ve been best friends since they met in LA in second grade. Jane’s family emigrated to Los Angeles from Taiwan.

Fiona, with her mother, came to LA from Taiwan when she was a young child.

In “Fiona and Jane,” Ho’s debut collection, the two friends over 30 years grow from second-graders to 30-somethings.

Ho’s linked stories draw us into Fiona and Jane’s friendship as they become, at different times, incredibly close, then distant (both geographically and emotionally) from each other.

Ho, 41, has more writing chops than you can imagine. She is a doctoral candidate in creative writing and literature at the University of Southern California where she is a Dornsife Fellow in fiction. Ho has an MFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her writing has been published in The Georgia Review, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, McSweeney’s, and other publications.

Ho was born in Taiwan, grew up in Southern California and lives in Los Angeles. But, “none of the things that

happen to Fiona and Jane are autobiographical,” she said on the podcast “All of It with Alison Stewart,” “I didn’t mine my particular life experiences and put them in the book out of respect to my oldest and dearest friends.”

Fiona is hetero, smart and attractive. As a teen, she earns enough money to buy a secondhand car (named Shamu, Ho writes, “after the Sea World killer whale because of the corroding white patches all over the black paint.”).

While Fiona’s mother isn’t religious, Jane’s Mom is devoutly Christian. Jane is bisexual. When she and Fiona are teens, they kiss “to practice” – what kissing’s like. Though she doesn’t tell her Mom, Jane, when a teenager, has a romantic relationship with her female piano teacher.

When she’s young, Jane often does what Fiona does.

Because Jane’s tall, she’s often thought of as “Fiona’s bodyguard.” As she grows older, Jane begins to rely more on herself.

Fiona is eager to leave LA. She goes to college, then moves to New York City with her first boyfriend. She enters law school, then drops out.

Jane stays in Los Angeles. She opts to take a gap year between high school and college. The gap year morphs into a couple of years. Jane has relationships with women as well as with Julian, a vet who has PTSD. Though Fiona and Jane are quite different from one another, they keep circling back to each other. Despite their differences, they have one thing in common: they both have lost their fathers.

In one of the collection’s most moving stories, “The Night Market,” Jane speaks of her visit before she graduated high school to Taiwan where she has come to see her Dad. Her Dad has gone from LA to Taiwan for a temporary job. Jane learns that he’s going to stay in Taiwan because he’s fallen in love with a man there. Her Dad asks her to keep this a secret. But, in her pain at his revelation,

By Jean Chen Ho she outs him. Jane blames c. 2022, Viking herself for his suicide. $26 | 275 pages Fiona discovers as a child that she’s never known her father. Her mother raises her on her own.

Over the years, Fiona and Jane bicker, fall distant – then meet again. As teens, they help each other get fake IDs so they can drink. As adults, they help each other through moving apartments, love affairs and mourning.

“Sixteen years since my father died, and I was still alive,” Jane thinks, “I got up, every morning. I lived, day by day. I had my best friend, Fiona Lin.” Check out “Fiona and Jane.” Then, text your best friend.

‘Fiona and Jane’

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

Surprise rides of 2022 Fun, frugal, and full of frills

By JOE PHILLIPS

Each January, I list my top vehicle picks of the year. But with so many contenders this year, the focus this time is on surprise rides: Three solid choices that are unexpectedly fun, frugal and full of frills.

NISSAN FRONTIER $29,000 Mpg: 18 city/24 highway 0 to 60 mph: 7.3 seconds

Sure, Tesla, Rivian and other newcomers may be garnering lots of press these days.

But other automakers also have been upping their game. Cue the Nissan Frontier pickup, completely redesigned with bold, bad-boy styling. This includes a pugnacious grill, menacing headlights and sleek LED taillights. Inside, new laminated side windows reduce wind and road noise. Refined, soft-touch surfaces are a pleasant surprise, as are various clever storage spaces. And then there are the zero-gravity seats, built to alleviate driver fatigue. Despite the space-age description, these NASA-inspired seats have a traditional design but are built with 14 different pressure points to reduce stress on tired muscles. They may not be as fancy as massaging seats in luxury vehicles, but they feel just as effective. Other cabin niceties include large easy-to-read gauges and an optional 9-inch touchscreen, along with wireless charging, Wi-Fi and 10-speaker Fender stereo.

One minor annoyance: the steering column tilts but has no telescopic function. While there may be a few less-expensive pickups on dealer lots, none come with as many features. As for performance, the 310-horsepower V6 is the best in its class, and overall handling is more akin to a well-mannered SUV than a workhorse hauler. For off-road enthusiasts, a Pro-4X model comes with heavy-duty Bilstein shocks, electronic locking rear differential for better grip and beefy all-terrain tires.

NISSAN FRONTIER

JEEP WAGONEER $60,000 16 city/22 highway 0 to 60 mph: 7.3 seconds

While oversized rides don’t really fit my urban identity, the all-new Jeep Wagoneer had me almost pining for a Brady Bunch lifestyle in the burbs. Out of production since 1991, this resurrected land yacht made me feel safe and secure on the road. It also tapped into my love of a beloved cruiser: the Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon that I drove across country in my 20s. (Alas, those tawdry travel tales are another story.) But while such behemoths may be described as big and boxy, the Wagoneer is definitely chic, echoing many of the more sculpted elements of a ritzy Range Rover. Powered by a gutsy V8 Hemi engine, this super-sized SUV quickly hustles down the road. A mild-hybrid system not only helps conserve fuel but also adds some extra oomph. Front-wheel drive comes standard, though many buyers will prefer one of the four-wheel-drive options for even better drivability. Air suspension lets you raise and lower the Wagoneer, which has up to 10 inches of ground clearance and can trek through two feet of water. Along with offering more standard features than most competitors, there’s also more secondand third-row legroom. The rich interior, with contrast piping and stitching on the seats, includes a wraparound dashboard with up to three large screens. Two more screens are available for rear-seat passengers, who can stream thousands of programs via the Wi-Fi. Notable amenities include automated parking, rear-seat monitoring camera and premium 19-speaker McIntosh stereo. Fully loaded, a Wagoneer can reach $75,000. That’s still less than the primo Grand Wagoneer ($89,000), which can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a wickedly fast 5.7 seconds. That glam model, with goodies such as a refrigerated front console and a hidden touchpad safe to store valuables, can easily top $100,000.

MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER $28,000 Mpg: 24 city/31 highway 0 to 60 mph: 8.6 seconds

Of the three vehicles reviewed here, the updated Mitsubishi Outlander was the biggest surprise. After all, the automaker isn’t the most popular or reliable brand on the block. But like a washed-up diva making a stunning comeback, the Outlander is now taking its star turn in the highly competitive crossover market. The overall styling is dazzling, with sheet metal that has been stretched and pulled into an edgy origami design.

Built on the same platform as the Nissan Rogue, this new Outlander is taller, wider and longer than that popular compact. It also offers a third seat, even if legroom here is min2 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2

JEEP WAGONEER

MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

iscule. And despite what is a capable but rather tepid engine, the Outlander handling is crisp and spirited. Driver visibility is especially good, and I found the cabin to be pleasantly quiet. But most notable are all the amenities, including head-up display, wireless smartphone integration, 10-speaker Bose stereo, panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, heated steering wheel, heated seats (both front and back), a full slate of the latest safety gear and much more. Another plus: the 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. All in all, it’s nice to see Mitsubishi start to regain its footing—with the Outlander center stage.

POWER isn’t always what it appears to be.

“POP-SAVVY musical” — Seattle Times

HIGH-FLYING MUSICAL ROLLER COASTER

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN BASED ON THE DREAMWORKS MOTION PICTURE

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY CRAIG LUCAS

BOOK BY TERRENCE MCNALLY MUSIC BY MARC SHAIMAN LYRICS BY SCOTT WITTMAN AND MARC SHAIMAN DIRECTED BY MOLLY SMITH CHOREOGRAPHED BY PARKER ESSE MUSIC DIRECTION BY LAURA BERGQUIST

NOW PLAYING

BEGINS MARCH 4

Photo of Luis Vega, Andrea Abello and Jeffrey Omura for Change Agent by Tony Powell.

Illustration by Owen Smith.

WORLD-PREMIERE POWER PLAY

CHANGE AGENT

ORDER TODAY! ARENASTAGE.ORG | 202-488-3300 JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 7

With more all-cash offers these days, there are still ways to stay competitive if you need a mortgage.

JUSTIN NOBLE

is a Realtor with Sotheby’s international Realty licensed in D.C., Maryland, and Delaware for your DMV and Delaware Beach needs. Specializing in first-time homebuyers, development and new construction as well as estate sales, Justin is a well-versed agent, highly regarded, and provides white glove service at every price point. Reach him at 202-503-4243, Justin.Noble@SothebysRealty.com or BurnsandNoble.com.

Is cash always king?

How to stay competitive in the face of all-cash offers

By JUSTIN NOBLE

One of the frequently asked questions I get as a real estate agent serving the DC Metro area and Delaware beaches is: How can I be competitive in a market that is seeing an increase in all-cash offers?

I get it, the real estate market is super competitive, but it’s not just because of the low inventory, it’s also because of the cash offers sellers are seeing.

Money is money right? Why would a seller be inclined to take a lower all-cash offer versus a higher offer with a mortgage. Let’s break it down a bit.

An all-cash offer usually comes with very limited contingencies in addition to the more important piece, which is the timing. A cash sale can close in less than a week whereas a sale with a conventional mortgage can usually only be expedited to a 21-day close. Don’t lose hope! There are still a few ways you can have a competitive edge over cash offers with a few steps your agent can advise you through:

OFFER CASH - THEN ACQUIRE FINANCING:

If the stars align and you are purchasing a home that the sellers currently reside in, you can expect that they will need some time to gather their items and move — they also have to gather their great great grandmother’s wedding dress and Uncle Fester’s golf clubs that they just HAVE to keep. This will allow you time to go the conventional mortgage route. Please note that this is a very detailed alteration and it is recommended fully that you speak with your real estate agent prior to doing this to ensure that you are fully educated with the pros and cons of this method and what is at risk. The biggest item to highlight is that a mortgage comes with the infamous appraisal. The appeal of an all-cash offer is that there is no appraisal.

With a mortgage an appraisal is required. If the appraisal comes in low, you will need to be ready to come to the table with the difference in appraised value - in cash. For example: Appraised value is $100,000 and you are under contract for $200,000 – that is a delta of $100,000, which you will need to come up with in cash in order to continue with the transaction, separate from any other monies you have already placed down.

OFFER $$$ OVER LOW APPRAISAL:

Following up on the appraisal aspect here – you can write a contract with financing in place from the onset and provide an addendum that you will pay 2 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 2 • B US I NE S S

the difference in low appraisal (referencing the example above) or you can offer an alternative that would be to pay up to XX over a low appraisal. In this example of paying a dollar amount over a low appraisal, you write into the contract that you are going to offer $50,000 over the appraisal if it is a low appraisal. So if the contract price is $150,000 and you offer to pay $25,000 over a low appraisal value and the property is valued with appraisal at $125k then you would have to pay a total of $150k for the home and that $25k difference would, again, need to be in cash. This allows a bit of leverage with lower cash amounts on hand - but again similar to the example of acquiring financing above, the sellers must allow for the timing of a mortgage application process to occur.

GIFTS FROM FAMILY:

What is family for if it isn’t for providing you large sums of cash!? In all seriousness - this is a fully accepted method of cash funds. You will want to speak to a financial planner/tax individual to fully understand tax implications for both parties (giftor and giftee) to fully understand what this means, but there is always the ability to be gifted funds from parents, aunts, uncles etc., to ensure that you are liquid and can purchase the property of your dreams.

OFFER “RENT BACK” TO SELLERS:

Following the guise that the sellers must find a property to purchase or perhaps they are moving across the country and need a month or two in order to get their affairs in order. This allows you to provide a “rent back” to the sellers and basically become their landlord. In this scenario you would typically charge them rent, which would be equal to your carrying costs for your home expenses. For the purposes of being competitive in this market, you can offer a “rent FREE rent back” where you afford them the ability to sell the home to you and they still reside in the home for an established time post closing at no cost to them. This sounds silly — why would you let someone stay in your new home rent free for two months when that means that you are paying for your mortgage and other expenses in addition to rent for an apartment or maybe shacking up with mom and dad again?

It’s important to remember that in order to get a property in this market there is the need to think creatively if you don’t have all the cash in the world — you can still be VERY competitive.

LEFT PAGE

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 9

MASSAGE

Courthouse, Va QUIET, PRIVATE RETREAT for a discerning few. Sun, Tues,Wed. Contact Gary, 301-704-1158 www.mymassagebygary.com

EMPLOYMENT

SEEKING LIVE-IN SALARIED DRIVER/CHAUFFEUR

for older gay couple in NW, DC. Call Joel Martin at 202-498-1065 or email: jn1martin@aol.com

PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/ CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT WHOLISTIC SERVICES INC. is looking for dedicated individuals to work as Direct Support Professionals assisting intellectually disabled adults with behavioral & health complexities in our residential location in the District of Columbia & Maryland. Job Requirements Ability to lift up to 75 lbs. Completion of required trainings prior to hire, Completion of Trained Medication Certifications (TME) and/or CMT (Certified Medication Technician) within 6 months of hire, Cleared DOH background Check prior to hire, Valid Driver’s License, Valid CPR & FIrst Aid, Negative COVID-19 test results prior to start of work (taken within 3 days prior to date of hire). COVID-19 vaccination within 45 days of hire.

Contact the Human Resources Department @ 202-832-8787 for information.

COUNSELING

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

COUNSELING FOR LGBTQ People Individual/couple counseling with a volunteer peer counselor. GMCC, serving our community since 1973.

202-580-8661. gaymenscounseling.org.

No fees, donation requested.

LEGAL SERVICES 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.

LIMOUSINES

& YOUR AD PRINTS in the PAPER & ONLINE.*

USE BLADE ADVERTISERS! and tell them,

“I saw your ad in The Blade!”

CLEANING

FERNANDO’S CLEANING:

Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out 202-234-7050 / 202-486-6183

HANDYMAN BRITISH REMODELING HANDYMAN

Local licensed company with over 25 years of experience. Specializing in bathrooms, kitchens & all interior/exterior repairs. Drywall, paint, electrical & wallpaper.

Trevor 703-303-8699

MOVING PROFESSIONAL MOVING & STORAGE

Let Our Movers Do The Heavy Lifting.

Mention the Blade for 5% OFF of our regular rates.

Call today 202.734.3080. www.aroundtownmovers.com

RENT / DC 1070 Thomas Jefferson St 201

URBAN CHIC APARTMENT

1 Bed 1 Bath Must See. Sits on a quite street in Georgetown with Security Entrances, Gate & Glass Door Building entry. Wood floors, new stainless steel appliances, floor to ceiling built-ins with electric fireplace & a washer dryer in the unit.

Quartz countertops on built-ins, kitchen & bathroom as well. Bike rack is available in the courtyard.

Must see to appreciate. Immediate Rental $ 3,500.00. No Pets, 1-2 year lease term. Water & Trash are included in the rent. Tenant pays their Electric & Insurance. This unit is 1 block to the Potomac River, near Safeway & Traders Joes. 4 blocks to Rock Creek Parkway. Close to the metro stops of Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom. Near GW Hospital & dozens of restaurants. Bike / Walk to everything. Please call Linnea to make an appointment

703-847-3861

SHARE & PERSONAL ADS ARE FREE!

PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/CLASSIFIEDS AND THE AD PRINTS FREE IN THE PAPER AND ONLINE.* *25 words or less print free. Each additional word $1.00.

3 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JANUARY 21, 2 0 2 1 • C L A S S I F I E D S

KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE Since 1987. Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator. 2016 Luxury BMW 750Li Sedan. Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com.

Phone 202-554-2471.

RENT / DC CAPITOL HILL 1 BR

@ 1122 F St NE fully renovated with galley kitchen, wood floors. Call Joel Martin at 202-498-1065 or email: jn1martin@aol.com

SHARE / DC

Fully Furnished Sunny Room

on 2nd floor w/ Queen bed & full BA Great location, single family house. Rent $1200/month w/ a security deposit of $1000. Rent includes all utilities, internet and use of the back yard. Street parking available. Email or call 202-427-2490.

DOMINANT, HORNY, GUY, 6’ 3”, 200 lbs, 9” ISO All American, horny, submissive, well hung, white jock! Calls only after 9 pm.

240-656-0140.

BODYWORK THE MAGIC TOUCH:

Swedish, Massage or Deep Tissue.

Appts 202-486-6183, Low Rates, 24/7, In-Calls.

YOUR BIZ HERE! EMAIL NOW TO PLACE YOUR AD classifieds@washblade.com

JA NUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 1