Washington Blade, Volume 53, Issue 14, April 08, 2022

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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VOLUME 53 ISSUE 14 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

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SHAUN M. SPAULDING, 39, was last seen on March 15 at his residence by his roommate.

(Photo courtesy of the Arlington County Police Department)

Arlington County, Va., police are seeking help from the public in locating gay Pentagon City resident Shaun M. Spaulding, 39, who police say was last seen on the afternoon of March 15, 2022, at his residence by his roommate.

Princess Melissa, Spaulding’s cousin, reached out to the LGBTQ community in a Facebook message last week urging anyone who may have seen Spaulding to contact the police.

“He’s a part of our community and uses Grindr regularly, so I am posting here in hopes that someone may have seen him or might know something,” Melissa said in her Facebook posting. “Our family is trying to stay strong, but I am beyond worried sick. Please, if you have any info or think you may, contact the Arlington police or Fairfax County police.”

In an April 1 announcement, Arlington police deinches tall and weighing 145 pounds. The announcement says Spaulding’s last known address is 1400 South Joyce Street in Arlington, which is the River

House Apartments in Arlington’s Pentagon City neighborhood.

“Mr. Spaulding suffers from medical health conditions requiring him to take medications, which he is not taking,” the police announcement says.

It says anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Det. R. Ortiz at 703-228-7402 or at rortiz@arlingtonva.us. The announcement says information may also be provided through the Arlington Police Tip Line at 703-228-4180.

In a follow-up Facebook message Melissa stated, “This is extremely urgent, and time is of the essence. I ask all of you to please share this, even if you are not local to the area.

Again, if you think you may have a tip, I ask you to please come forward. We are not Freddie Lutz, owner of Freddie’s Beach Bar, a gay bar in the Crystal City section of Arlington near Spaulding’s residence, said Spaulding’s stepfather reached out to him to ask that he post the Arlington police missing person announcement about his stepson at Freddie’s bar. Lutz, who said he and the stepfather went to high school together, said he immediately agreed to post the police announcement at his bar. Lutz said his staff would also contact other gay bars in D.C. to ask that they, too, post the police announcement at their establishments.

A spokesperson for the Arlington police could not immediately be reached to determine if they have received any response from their missing person announcement regarding the whereabouts of Shaun Spaulding.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Jeopardy! champ visits White House Amy Schneider, the transgender “Jeopardy!” champ who holds the game show’s second-longest winning streak after 40 victories, visited the White House last Thursday in recognition of the Transgender Day of Visibility.

Schneider met with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to “discuss the importance of advancing transgender visibility and equality,” according to background information from the White House.

“The more that people like me can be seen, the harder it is to sustain the myths that are kind of driving a lot of this hate and fear,” she told reporters.

The visit by Schneider was but one way the White House recognized the Transgender Day of Visibility in the aftermath of Biden issuing an The White House issued a video from Biden directed to transgender Americans, especially transgender kids, across the country.

The White House also hosted transgender kids and their parents from around the country, alongside transgender advocates who are leading the national movement for transgender equality, to discuss the impact CHRIS JOHNSON

AMY SCHNEIDER visited the White House last week on the Transgender Day of Visibility.

Impulse, Flux DC hold event for Trans Day of Visibility Impulse DC, Flux DC and the held a ‘Coming Out Party’ for Transgender Day of Visibility at Sachi Nightclub on Thursday, March 31.

(Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Ward 5 D.C. Council candidate comes out as gay Former teacher currently serves on school board

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Ward 5 D.C. Council candidate Zachary Parker, who currently serves as an elected member of the D.C. State Board of Education, announced on March 30 in a video posted on his Twitter page that he is gay.

Parker is one of seven candidates competing for the Ward 5 Council seat in the city’s June 21 Democratic primary. The seat became open when incumbent Ward 5 Council eral and would not seek re-election for for Council seat.

Parker, a former teacher and education advocate, becomes the second openly gay candidate running this year for a seat on the D.C. Council. Earlier this year, gay former

address as a Council member. He said he also will be releasing in the next few weeks a In 2021, his colleagues on the Board of Education voted unanimously to elect him president of the board for that year.

Some Ward 5 political observers consider Parker to be the front-runner in the race in his the Ward 5 Board of Education seat in 2018. re-election for attorney general but is consid“Zachary Parker is the only candidate in this race who is prepared, who is earnest, chock full of integrity and honor, and understands the most important issues that confront the ment announcing his endorsement of Parker.

he is running in the Democratic primary for the Ward 1 Council seat held by incumbent Council member Brianne Nadeau.

“Hi everybody, it is Zach, and I aim to share some personal news, which is, I’m gay,” Parker stated in his video announcement. and who I’ve always been,” he said. “Many already know — my family, my friends, many community leaders,” he continued. “But I rec-

for the Ward 5 Council seat is former Ward

Ward 5 D.C. Council candidate ZACHARY PARKER announced last week that he is gay.

come as a surprise. So, I thought it was important for me to come share my full self, especially in light of rising violence, legislative violence and homophobia across our he said. range of issues he says he will address if elected to the Council, including public safety and education. He told the Washington Blade on Thursday that his current website

Vincent Orange, who enjoys wide name recognition. The others running include com-

“I’ll tell you that there are many community leaders who have encouraged me not identity the centerpiece of my campaign,” he said. “Instead, I wanted to lead with substance and on the issues, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.”

Parker’s positions on a wide range of issues can be accessed at .

Bowser attends opening of renovated Studio Theatre of the Open Studio steering committee held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 31 marking the opening of the Victor Shargai Theatre and other improvements at Studio Theatre.

The Open Studio capital project began in 2020 to “create more public gathering spacFollowing the $20 million renovation, new features at Studio include the Victor Shargai Theatre, named for the late theater promoter.

“The new Victor Shargai Theatre expands the type of work Studio can produce as elements of a space, but in the Shargai none of these elements exist,” explained Studio dream up for it.” tions, a new lounge as well as a dedicated rehearsal space.

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executive director of Studio Theatre.

Studio Theatre is located at 1501 14th St., N.W. For more information on upcoming shows and events, visit studiotheatre.org.

MICHAEL KEY

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D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER cuts the ribbon signifying the opening of the newly renovated Studio Theatre. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

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LGBTQ Ukrainians rally at White House A group of LGBTQ Ukrainians and their supporters held a rally in front of the White House on Sunday.

Helen Globa, co-founder of Tergo, a support group for parents and friends of LGBTQ Ukrainians, and Human Rights Campaign Global Partnerships Director Jean Freedberg are among those who spoke at the rally that QUA – LGBTQ Ukrainians in America organized.

Rally organizers called for the Biden administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for LGBTQ Ukrainians who are able to travel to the U.S. and more military support for Ukraine, among other things.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month announced Ukrainians who “have continuously resided in the United States since” March 1 are eligible for TPS. “Individuals who attempt to travel to the United States after March 1, 2022 will not be eligible for TPS,” he noted.

The rally took place less than six weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine.

help of her son, Bogdan Globa. They, along with Bogdan Globa’s husband, Harmilee Cousin, reunited in Paris two New York.

Ukrainian

authorities

on diers of killing civilians as they and photographs that have show dead bodies with their hands tied behind their back and other signs of torture.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

QUA — LGBTQ Ukrainians in America organized a rally for LGBTQ Ukrainians that took place in front of the White House on April 3, 2022. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

HRC removes Fox News from LGBT preferred employer status The Human Rights Campaign has removed Fox News from its Corporate Equality Index as an LGBT preferred employer after nearly a week of relentless attacks on transgender Americans.

“Fox News has a history of sharing misinformation and disinformation about the LGBTQ+ community. We know from our own research, which we put out earlier this week, what their disinformation and misinformation means for the LGBTQ+ community: perpetuating stigma and marginalization of transgender and non-binary people,” Aryn

received just 2 minutes of coverage on the network,” Media Matters Deputy Director of Media Intelligence Tyler Monroe noted.

“At a time when transgender people – especially transgender children – are under attack in statehouses across the country, rhetoric has real consequences,” Fields added.

Jenner’s appearances on the Fox News Network over the past two months however, have been unrelenting attacks on Trans athletes, especially University of Pennsylvania Women’s Team swimmer Lia Thomas. Jenner also appeared on the network to defend her attacks on Trans athletes.

“We must protect women’s sports. We cannot bow down to the radical left wing woke world and the radical politically charged agenda of identity politics,” Jenner tweeted. In another tweet she said; ed in common sense. All we want to do is protect women’s and girls sports! It’s that

last 72 hours had contributed to a drop in its Corporate Equality Index score, which dropped from 100 to 75. ities and contributors continue to deny the existence of transgender people, minimize the violence transgender individuals face, refer to parents of LGBTQ+ youth as perverts, said. “Each of these actions happened in the last 72 hours. Enough is enough.”

Following Disney’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation and the company’s effort to be gender inclusive, right-wing and extremist media watchdog group 350 times – alleging Disney is grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing children.

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Student organizer and activist Will Larkins decided that since LGBTQ American history is not taught in Florida’s public schools, he would take it upon himself to explain the events of the Stonewall Uprising to his 4th period U.S. history class at Winter Park High School.

Although Larkins’s lesson was only, in his tion for the history class of which he posted an excerpt on Twitter, there was a resulting torrent of hateful comments some of which took aim at the fact that Larkins gave his presentation in a rather fetching red dress.

The actions that the 17-year-old junior

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in announcing Jenner’s hire, “Caitlyn’s story is an inspiration to us all,” Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in announcing the hire. “She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illus-

benjamincohen“ sports legislation across the United States. She responded that she saw it as a question of fairness saying that she opposed biological boys who are Trans- competing in girls’ sports in school.

“It just isn’t fair,” Jenner said adding, “and we have to protect girls’ sports in our school.”

BRODY LEVESQUE

and president of the WPHS Queer Student Union took to educate his fellow students was lauded by several notable LGBTQ activists and allies including Marjory survivor and co-founder of the “March For Our Lives” movement David Hogg; Brandon J. Wolf, Press Secretary for Equality Florida; Janessa Goldbeck, the CEO of the others.

Student organizer and activist WILL LARKINS (Photo Credit: Larkins/Twitter)

BRODY LEVESQUE

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Anti-LGBTQ Hungarian PM declares victory in election Declaring himself the winner with 91 percent of the votes counted in the national parliamentary elections Sunday evening, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ading the enthusiastic crowd it was a “huge victory.”

“We won a victory so big that you can see it from the moon, and you can certainly see it from Brussels,” Orbán said referring to his ongoing battles with the European Union.

Orbán’s Fidesz party has a good chance of being re-elected.

“The whole world has seen tonight in Budapest that Christian democratic politics, conservative civic politics and patriotic politics have won. We are telling Europe that this is not the past, this is the future,” he added. his fourth consecutive term as prime minster, it is almost certain that recent tensions between him and the leadership of the European Union, especially over the question of LGBTQ civil rights, will continue to escalate.

Further adding tension has been Orbán’s longtime close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The prime minister has insisted that Hungary remain neutral in the Russian leader’s war on neighboring Ukraine, although Hungary has maintained close economic ties with Moscow, including continuing to import Russian gas and oil on favorable terms.

Orbán, although he had previously condemned the Russian invasion, has refused to participate in assisting Ukraine or allowing EU and NATO members to ship much needed supplies, including weapons, across Hungarian borders to Ukraine. with weapons — something that Hungary, alone among Ukraine’s EU neighbors, has refused to do — would make the country a military target, and that sanctioning Russian energy imports would cripple Hungary’s own economy.

“This isn’t our war, we have to stay out of it,” Orbán said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told western media representatives on Saturday that Orbán is out of touch with the rest of Europe, which has united to support sanctions against Russia and sent aid including weapons

“He is virtually the only one in Europe to openly support Mr. Putin,” Zelenskyy said.

Peter Marki-Zay, the man who challenged Orbán in national elections on April 3 on behalf of a united opposition, warned of worsening isolation under Orban’s “illiberal” model and likened him to a “traitor” putting Hungarians at risk. Marki-Zay in an interview with RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service said; “Let’s for once be on the right side of history, Critics have charged that there will be further erosion of civil rights and democratic norms, especially for Hungary’s LGBTQ community which has been under relentless attack past nearly three years.

“We have heard a lot of nonsense recently about whether there is democracy in Hungary,” Orbán’s State Secretary ian democracy in the last 12 years has not weakened, but been strengthened.”

Lawmakers in December 2020 approved proposals that would effectively ban same-sex couples from adoptwoman. That same year parliamentarians from the the Fiand intersex people in the country from legally changing their gender.

A law that bans the promotion of homosexuality and sex-reassignment surgery to minors in Hungary took effect in 2021.

“The homophobic and transphobic amendments to the law, which came into force on July 8, 2021, stigmatize LGBTQI people, deprive LGBTQI youth of information that is vital to them, and illegally restrict freedom of speech and the right to education,” said the Háttér Society, a Hungarian LGBTQ rights group.

On Aug. 6, Orban’s government issued a decree that themes.

Orban has garnered the admiration of right-wing nationalists across Europe and North America including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson who traveled to Budapest. Carlson at -

vative.”

Carlson referred to transgender athletes and critics of President Biden’s policies as he introduced his interview with Orbán. The Hungarian prime minister, for his part, defended his record.

“The Western liberals cannot accept that inside the Western civilization there’s a conservative national alternative, which is more successful at everyday life and the level of it than the liberal ones,” he added. “That’s the reanot against us. But we are an example that somebody, or a country which is based on traditional values, on national identity, based on a tradition of Christianity, could be successful or sometimes even more successful than a leftist liberal government.”

The European Commission last year announced it would take legal action against Hungary after a law that bans the promotion of homosexuality and sex-reassignment surgery to minors took effect.

“I’m treated like the black sheep of the European Union,” Orbán told Carlson.

Along with the election to parliament, a referendum on LGBTQ issues was being held Sunday. The questions pertained to sex education programs in schools and the availability to children of information about sex reassignment.

BRODY LEVESQUE

requires that the university spaces should be liberated because knowledge creation requires creativity, and creativity does not come if you have control.”

India’s National Academy of Legal Studies and ReThe National Academy of Legal Studies and Re-

include gender in its diplomas. The university swiftly ac-

gender-neutral safe space for LGBTQ students and university also said rooms will be allotted to students who identify themselves as members of the LGBTQ community.

The university has announced the bathroom on the concerns will be addressed using the interim policy.

Vice Chancellor Faizan Mustafa told the Washington Blade that since he joined the university in 2012, he has followed the “liberty model” of administration rather than the “control.” According to Mustafa, his model of administration allowed him to let students participate

Hungarian Prime Minister VIKTOR ORBAN addressing supporters (Screenshot/BBC)

(Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research’s Twitter page)

in policymaking, which led to a gender-neutral campus.

“I feel that the knowledge creation happens in liberal spaces,” said Mustafa. “And the knowledge creation

This led to the idea of inclusivity at the university campus.

“When some students reached out to me that while the liberty model is good for everyone, we are not doing enough for the gender and transgender people.

So, I constituted a committee,” said Mustafa. “I included some students in the committee, some teachers, and then I said let’s make a new beginning. Accordingly, the policy was approved by me, and now we are inviting suggestions for the policy before we go to the statutory bodies of the university. We will not follow the gender-binary at the campus.”

ANKUSH KUMAR

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Medellín, Colombia, in September 2021.

(Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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‘Don’t Say Gay’ a suppressive ideology from a repressed generation Oppressed politicians making classrooms more dangerous

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 28 signed into law the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, legislation that has accurately been tagged the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

In the wake of continued political attacks against queer communities across the country, this new law will rescind decades of progress for sexual and social education. A generation of sexually oppressed and depressed politicians has made it their mission to create a more dangerous and less informed space for sexual This generation of leadership was raised in a time when queer public health risk. The 1980s was the height of the AIDS epidemic, more commonly marketed as the “Gay Plague.” As a result of homophobia and general ignorance, queer people were treated as contagious and as a danger to society. This rhetoric is engrained in the ideology of the far right and 40 years later, we see the promessaging and anti-sex discourse. Ads aimed at informing the public of the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases at the time almost exclusively focused on same-sex intercourse and having sex with multiple partners. These ads were followed by massive public disapproval of same-sex relationships, 33% of Americans reported that the AIDS epidemic changed their opinion of homoThis is the era in which DeSantis was raised, along with much that created some of the most damaging and threatening social standards for the LGBTQ community. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill and es across our country unless we lean into a new generation of leaders committed to diversity and inclusion at a higher rate than As of 2021, a record-high number of Americans approve of same-sex relationships, reaching about 70%. Consistent with this record approval is the rise of the queerest generation the U.S. has ever seen. About 1 in 6 members of Generation Z identify as queer, compared to 1 in 10 Millennials. These are the leadbeen brought up in the age of gay marriage, queer inclusion, and LGBTQ representation. Clearly, there is much progress to be made, but regardless 2022 is a very different world than 1985 for The “Don’t Say Gay” bill is a casting call for conservative legislators across the country to be more aggressive with their repressive political ambitions. As we approach one of the most consequential midterms in recent history, we must lean into a new, informed, and representative generation of leaders. Vote young, vote queer, vote for women, vote with the conviction that your choices have a profound impact on the quality of life for all Americans.

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

Will Smith and the Oscars — not really important Let’s refocus on what matters and try to do something about it

We are spending inordinate amounts of time focused on Will Smith and his outrageous behavior at the Oscars. I guess we do it because it’s easy and takes our minds off really important things like Ukraine, attacks on the LGBTQ community, and the violence occurring in our neighborhoods.

It is easier to focus on Smith than the problems around educating our children, homelessness, or the uptick in mental health issues in our society; maybe that is also Smith’s problem.

I am as guilty of this as anyone else. Since the incident occurred it has generated endless conversation in my morning coffee group. We all agree Smith was wrong but that hasn’t stopped the conversation. After all, aren’t we all just sitting on pins and needles wondering what the Academy will do about Smith at their board meeting on April 18?

I joke, but in fact we often escape the real issues facing the world by focusing on the easy ones. How many have had a recent conversation about the children of Ukraine who are suffering from cancer and had their medical care cut short? We have seen St. Jude’s bring some to the United States, but that is just a drop in the bucket considering the need.

How many discussions have occurred about the elderly in Ukraine who suffered through the Nazis when they were children and now, when their lives should be easy and safe, are suffering again?

Then there’s the politics in our own country and what the mid-term elections could mean for our democracy. I am amazed every time I read a poll on President Biden and see people blame him for the cost of gas more than they do Putin and the war. There’s a disconnect given how our economy is doing with unemployment at an all-time low at and people are blaming it all on Joe Biden. They easily forget much of it can be blamed on the pandemic and how Trump handled that, but that is too long ago to remember. In our 24-hour news cycles everything is about today with little memory of what happened over 24 hours ago — except for Will Smith.

When things like the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection go on for months, they tend to lose any impact on people’s thinking. Those who do think about it wonder if Donald Trump will ever be held to account for any of the illegal things he has done. Republicans have Fox News, which brainwashes so much of the population and left-leaning Democrats have MSNBC. I have given up watching all cable news, which has become entertainment. I have gone back to getting my news from ABC World News with David Muir, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, and the PBS NewsHour. Then I read the Washington Post and New York Times to round out my news gathering. I feel comfortable I am getting a mostly honest report of what is happening in the world each day. us. We watch the war in Ukraine on TV, iPad, or cell phone. The United States is more engas. Our gas prices, while high, are nowhere near what Europeans are paying. When President Biden talks about protecting every inch of NATO soil, he is really talking about European soil, knowing another world war will likely be fought ‘over there’ and not here in the United States.

Knowing this, Americans can still be comfortable talking about Will Smith and Chris Rock over our coffee in the morning. When I write this we are wondering if there will be an incident at Sunday’s Grammy Awards that will move us away from Smith and the Oscars. By the time you read this we will know if Kanye jumped back on stage, like he did when he interrupted Taylor Swift, or if someone else created a scene and took over the headlines. There is a saying in the public relations community: “It doesn’t matter what they write about you as long as they spell your name right.”

Maybe soon we can all refocus on what is really important and try to do something about it; the world would be better for it.

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D.C.’s the gayest city of them all I guess you can call this another part of my forever series on how much I loathe Republicans. And now, with Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis having signed the wicked But it looks like everyone, everywhere has more to say on the matter. It’s also got me thinking. Florida. Nice enough, sure. I love Key West. I’ve had fun in Fort Lauderdale.

I’ve even been to Gay Days at Disney, but that was a while ago. And sure I’ll go back to vacation, barring any further anti-gay laws I suppose. But could I ever move to a red There was a graph circulating on social media this week from the Williams Institute, a UCLA public policy think tank specializing in sexuality and gender. The graph showed social acceptance of LGB people (note this graph did not include the T) by state, including D.C. Bringing up the bottom, well below the national average, were your bastions of rightwing thought and deserts of dentistry West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.

You could probably guess the top tier, too — Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts. But sitting far ahead of even those was our little D.C. We were, like, way ahead. We’re the gayest (column for another time), we sit alone in many ways. And if you plucked out New York City, San Francisco, and even New Orleans or Houston, the race for the top spot in the So, in short, why live anywhere else? If not D.C. or New York, why would you bother with a state like Florida? Granted, politics aren’t forever, and they do have some low taxes. But lord, right now, they just don’t even want to talk about you, there in Florida and other similarly hot places. Even Texas and their closet-case of a Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is promising similar legislation in the Lone Star State. So, could you ever really live there? And if you ask me these rightwing fever dreams don’t show signs of On this topic, Eric Adams, the newish, bold and brash mayor of New York openly

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digital billboard ads in Florida markets encouraging folks move and “come to the city where you can say whatever you want,” that in direct reference to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. He added at a news conference that this “political showmanship of attempting to demonize a particular group or community is unacceptable.” He went on to say that, “we are going to loudly show our support and say to those who are living in Florida: ‘We ADVERTISER SIGNATURE want you here in New York.’”

By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement,long payment and insertion a political football. Some of us, maybe even including me, thought We’ve been schedule. that after marriage equality and enough cousins coming to gay weddings, this would have subsided somewhat. And in some way it has. new version of threatening. Remember, that graph I described above did not include up this column, in comfortable Adams Morgan, where I’m a mere 1,000 feet from three gay bars, I wonder if I have it too good. But I also wonder, if you’re tired of being kicked

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READY TO SELL OR BUY A HOME IN THE DC, MD, OR VA

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What can buyers do to combat rising interest rates?

By VALERIE M. BLAKE During the past quarter, we have seen most favored interest rates rise from 3.5% to 4.5%. While these rates are still historically among the lowest in decades, that fact may not make you feel any better about the possibility of paying more for This week’s rate is the highest we have seen in two-andrates as the Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) attempts to control

People who are seeking a conventional loan of $647,200 or less with a 20% down payment will likely receive the best score of more than 740. with a $150,000 down payment, the difference between the principal and interest payment at 3.5% and 4.5% is $346 a consideration.

Often, there is a rate premium paid for the purchase of a condominium or cooperative apartment, for being self-employed, for less than stellar credit, and for lower down payments or larger loans.

So, what can you do to minimize the effects of an increase in interest rates?

start paying off debt or closing credit cards without your loan

Despite rising interest rates, now may still be the optimal time to buy before the rates go higher.

it is concerned.

Shop around for your mortgage and consider alternative

safest bet, may not be as desirable if you will not be keeping the home for 30 years. toward people with low to moderate incomes or who have as little as 3% for a down payment. The funds for these programs may have been secured when rates were lower, with savings passed along to the consumer.

This should be the time to look for sellers who have assumable FHA mortgages obtained when rates were lower. In addition to lower rates, the cost of assuming such a mortgage will be less than originating a new one, so you might save by active-duty military or veterans, or by others under certain circumstances.

Have the lender you choose provide you with an estimate of what your mortgage payment may be at different rates. that gives you a comfortable monthly payment, lock it in so your rate will not go up if or when the Fed makes another

quite common for sellers to pay points to help a buyer afford his loan. While I do not anticipate this happening here anyFind an infusion of cash to lower your loan amount. The a gift of funds. In 2022, each parent can give a gift of $16,000 mation.

If you have a 401k retirement plan with your employer or a federal government Thrift Savings Plan, you can borrow from it without incurring penalties and pay yourself back with ining size and location of your prospective home, since any increase in rates will affect everything from entry-level conrates in small increments through 2023, this may still be the optimum time to buy.

One point is equal to one percent of the loan amount, but you can “buy down” the rate in increments of as little as 1/8 of a percent. When interest rates were higher than 10%, it was

Valerie M. Blake

is a licensed Associate Broker in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia with RLAH Real Estate. Call or text her at 202-246-8602, email her via DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.

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Tips for buyers and sellers in spring market Price it right, spruce it up, and do your research

By JEFF HAMMERBERG All across the country, spring has sprung — and the real estate market is no exception. For the last couple of years, the housing market has been booming. That trend is generally expected to continue into spring of 2022, although as mortgage rates rise, buyers facing higher borrowing costs may be more inclined to step back from the market, or otherwise tighten their budgets. This may eventually lead to a more moderate market, although time will ultimately tell.

If you’re considering selling your home, in this market, you

a great market, however, there are prime times to sell – and spring is certainly one of those times. On the other side of the coin, there are still good deals to be had for buyers who are willing to search and who have the right agent assisting them with the process.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, a couple of tips to help you take advantage of the current market and the spring homebuying surge include:

Give your home a spring spruce-up:

Any time you’re listing your home, even in a seller’s market, you’ll want to highlight the best parts of your home and do what you can within a reasonable budget to enhance its curb appeal. A spring spruce up doesn’t have to be compliupdating appliances, and brightening your landscape with eye of a potential buyer – or increase your offer amount well above what you invested. Staging a home can also be helpful in showcasing its best features, and consulting with a staging

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specialist can often be quite helpful in this regard.

Price it right:

In a competitive market, sellers certainly have an edge – but you’ll still want to carefully think through the best asking price in your particular market with an agent who knows and understands that market well. Pricing your home to sell quickBuyers in the market this spring may still feel as if they’re at a bit of a disadvantage – but don’t worry. There are things you home of your dreams, including:

Do your research:

In a highly competitive market, thorough research is important. Know what you want and be prepared to seek it out and bid competitively. Know what features you want in a home, as well as the value of the homes in the neighborhoods that you’re interested in, and what other similar homes have recently sold for. Thinking through all of the details will help you to put your best foot forward and make the most appealing offer you can.

Obtain pre-approval if possible:

When you’re bidding in a competitive market, it’s smart to do all you can to give yourself an edge over other buyers. ter. This is an effective way to boost your credibility as a buyer, offer is strong. If you’re up against a buyer without such a letter and your bids are competitive, this may just give you the

edge that you need.

Finally, whether you’re a buyer or a seller, there is one essential tip you won’t want to overlook as you try to make the right real estate agent. Regardless of your real estate goals, connecting with a talented and experienced agent who’s a Wherever you are in the real estate process – whether a seller looking to take advantage of the excellent market conplace to call home during your spring search, at www.Gayour purpose – which is connecting LGBTQ buyers and sellers in communities across the country with LGBTQ-friendly agents who know and love those communities and are ready to help. If you’re ready to get started, we’re here for you. Visit us on our website at any time to connect and get started. We look forward to helping you soon.

Jeff Hammerberg

is founding CEO of Hammerberg & Associates, Inc. Reach him at 303-378-5526 or jeffhammerberg@gmail.com.

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Make the jump and buy a second home at the beach With remote work, why not log on from a resort town?

Full disclosure: I am a native Delawarian and as such I have an immense love for all things coastal Delaware.

From the beaches to the small quaint towns – to the insanely low property taxes and of course let us not forget the tax-free shopping.

The time is now! As we are rounding another COVID turn, so many of us have begun a new normal of working from home and for most of us where that home is located

By JUSTIN NOBLE

or other nearby vacation spots as just that — for vacation. explore a more permanent idea of living where we would normally vacation.

Looking short term, there is the ability to use the home for personal enjoyment. If you are currently working from home for the foreseeable future, you can now make those fun Rehoboth trips a year-round experience. If you are on the fence about your role being permanently remote based, I am here to tell you of a few “get out of jail free” cards that you can play.

Everywhere you turn the real estate market is going insane and the rental market, especially vacation rentals, is also bursting at the seams. The ability to rent a second home in a desirable area such as Delaware or the Maryland beaches will always be there. Think to yourself how many times you personally or someone you know has mentioned spending a week or just a short weekend in

34

Rehoboth or Bethany Beach to get away from the city.

Rentals in secondary markets are always in demand and are in demand year round. These markets have changed to turn your mostly “fun” second home into an income In order to make this dream of second home owning a reality you’ll need a few items in place to do so:

Delaware, in particular, is a great secondary market to purchase in due to its extremely low property taxes that make the overhead far less than nearby Ocean City, Md., for example. If we look at the numbers and compare a $450,000 two-bedroom, two-bath, 800-square-foot condo here in D.C. to a condo with the same stats in Rehoboth Beach, in property taxes alone you will pay around $225/month in D.C. whereas in Delaware you will pay in taxes.

The time is now to make your second home a reality.

Why not make a change in your life that will reduce the level of stress you feel and help mellow out your otherwise stressful career and life in general? You’ll thank me later.

Justin Noble

is a licensed Realtor in D.C., Maryland, and Delaware and splits his time between D.C. and Bethany Beach, Del. Reach him at 202-503-4243, 302-897-7499, or justin.noble@sothebysrealty.com.

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CALENDAR |

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Friday, April 08

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).

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area and a great way to make new friends and meet other queer women in a fun and friendly

OUT & ABOUT Toby’s Dinner Theatre to stage ‘Rocky’ musical Performances of “Rocky” will be staged at Toby’s

Saturday, April 09

The musical — based on the Academy Award-winning Best Picture — tells the story of Rocky Balboa and

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 1 p.m. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for peoTrans/Queer Brunch will be at 10 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar. This event is for those who want to have brunch in a

“Rocky” features iconic moments from the motion picture including the famous theme “Gotta Fly Now” Tickets are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.

Sunday, April 10 “MIC CHECK with Gray West: Stand-Up Comedy & Drag Show” will be at 7 p.m. at DC Comedy Loft and Bier Baron Tavern. This event is a stand-up comedy and drag show featuring the best LGBTQ+ comics and drag queens in D.C. “Day in the District” will be at 8 p.m. at 12 Stories. There will be drinks and music from DJ Stylzz and DJ Mo Money.

Equality Virginia to host Commonwealth Dinner Dinner will be on Saturday, Aug. 13 at the Greater This signature event is Virginia’s largest black-tie gala for the LGBTQ community and its supporters.

In past years, over 1,000 guests including Virginia’s

Monday, April 11 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 “Not Another Drag Show” will be at 8 p.m. at DuPont Italian Kitchen. This event will be hosted by Logan Stone and will

encers have attended from every region to celebrate each other’s successes.

The dinner will be hosted in-person, however, guests who wish to attend virtually can do so by

Tuesday, April 12 Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom and in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This peer-facilitated discussion group is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing Trans Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is intended to provide emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join in community and learn from

Wednesday, April 13 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 tion, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants.”

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will be hosting a watch party for “All The

Thursday, April 14 The DC Center’s Food Pantry Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be 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.

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Toby’s Dinner Theatre is staging ‘Rocky.’

(Photo courtesy Toby’s)

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Meet director of Ford’s Theatre’s ‘Grace’

Musical explores history of African-American culinary tradition Robert Barry Fleming is a big believer in collaboration. “One of my strengths as a director/ choreographer is to have everyone work together rather than as silos,” he says. “Seeing the piece blossom into something bigger than what any of us could have done alone is a real joy.”

And for Fleming, helming the world premiere production of “Grace” at Ford’s Theatre has proved no different. Created by Nolan Williams, Jr., and co-librettist Nikkole Salter, the musical explores the history of African-American culinary tradition and the challenges faced by Blackowned businesses as experienced through the personal lens of Philadelphia’s Minton family.

“The production has been a living, breathing thing,” he says. “Everyone involved gave their most to the actualization of this project. And ultimately, I’m deeply in love with the story. It’s Now based in his native Kentucky, Fleming, 58, is artistic director of Actors Theatre of Louisville, but he’s no stranger to the D.C. scene. Past professional experiences include an exciting, formative stretch as director of programming at Arena Stage where he worked with esteemed playwrights Katori Hall and Karen Zacarías, helped bring alive “Dear Evan Hansen,” and learned about leadership from mentors including Arena’s artistic director Molly Smith.

Fleming recently shared some insights into what makes him tick artistically.

WASHINGTON BLADE: Were traditional African-American foods a big part of your upbringing?

ROBERT BARRY FLEMING: Yes and no. When we visited my mother’s family in D.C., we had macaroni and cheese, homemade pumpkin pie and coconut cake, all the food traditions that are resonant in “Grace.” But my mother didn’t cook the same as her mother. It was more like “here’s a Swanson TV dinner because I’m a PhD at the University of Kentucky and I need to be at a board meeting.”

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By PATRICK FOLLIARD

BLADE: Can you share about your queer identity?

FLEMING: Sometimes it’s hard to separate early trauma from queer identity. For me, before healing and wellness happened, some early be queer. That’s why I’m so grateful to the arts, just the magical “as if” with therapeutic intervention, created the ability to have a radical perspective about the world and my place in it that needed imagination to get closer to the truth.

Being introduced the arts early is powerful.

My mom was an arts lover and she had us at the Chinese opera, dance concerts, and puppet shows when we were young children. Those experiences informed how I understood the world.

ROBERT BARRY FLEMING

It’s a nontraditional narrative. I know what it like to enjoy great ham as well the mixed vegetables in a frozen dinner.

BLADE: Is that unusual?

FLEMING: Black culture has been framed as one monolithic thing. In “Grace” there’s great diversity of exand part of the beauty of what it means for them to come together.

It’s easy to talk about the polarization of the left and right or white and Black people. But what’s not often discussed is that dominant culture mores inform every system and relationship and that includes our own families of origin. These mores are sometimes embedded in historically marginalized communities in such deep and insidious ways that we’re often not aware.

And for queer people, heteronormativity can make us suspicious of other gay people.

BLADE: When did you really get into theater?

FLEMING: I come from a dance background intertwined with my period of life when I was a lege but I’d been choreographing gymnastic old at Kentucky State University where I played Travis in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun. Living in that space at just six, I was getting it viscerally. That kind of experience allows you know in your core how to make a text come to life.

BLADE: Would you say the arts rescue you in some way?

FLEMING: Without question. When I think about the potentially self-destructive behaviors that were part of my internal oppression, I think how very lucky I was not have ended up a casualty. Through the arts and therapy, I’m privileged to have a different understanding of who I am in the world and to help others tell their stories.

Now I’m able to say, “Hey, if I survived that and ended up something of a light or facilitator who’s willing to be whatever time I have left.”

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ture and the ‘old fashioned trend’ of monogamy,” in which

lorette party, and steamrolling his way through a tangled

necessitates them to enact. It’s infectious, and it almost al

counselor moonlighting as a stripper, and a demon from

As to that, the show sets its sights not just on “modern

feels like going for a ride.

It seems like a lot to pack into a story that, in total, runs

sion with self. It aims for a similar tone, perhaps, as “The

that works well with a script that throws them out like a ence to keep up.

sources of entertainment for those with a short attention span. Furthermore, since the characters on the screen

4 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 08, 202 2

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Haters should read this new book

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Sometimes, it just makes you feel gruff.

Seriously, the Internet should be the G.O.A.T. invention. It should go when you want to be yourself. It should be a place to tell your stoWho Hate Me” by Dylan Marron, we gotta deal with the trolls. speak volumes.

As a gay man and a writer-performer, he expected a certain amount employee of Seriously.TV, the emailed hate, death threats, and homophobia just got to be too much.

Before his job at Seriously.TV, he’d acted, reported, waited tables, do about it?” is what he asked himself every time he was faced with

ger subjects. He’d learn more about people – and in the process, he’d learn more about himself.

The lesson was underscored a few Sundays ago: someMe” helps show that we can talk civilly about issues without insults.

But will haters – the people who presumably need this book – be willing to read it? proached his interviewees, many people who hid behind proach shows hope.

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LGBTQ Ukrainian refugee fundraiser Event at Number Nine raised $50,000 for ORAM (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The Matthew Siegal Goodworx Foundation Inc. hosted a fundraising event for LGBTQ refugees from Ukraine on Saturday, April 2 at Number Nine. Local drag legend Banaka was the emcee and there were performances by KC B Yoncé and Carlos Cello.

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