Washington Blade, Volume 55, Issue 23, June 07, 2024

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Our exclusive interview with Vice President Kamala Harris,

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Mayor Bowser leads GBT Pride flag raising ceremony at city hall I’m proud that we are the gayest city in the world’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Four members of the D.C. City Council joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in the second annual GBT Pride flag raising ceremony on Monday, June 3, outside the John A. Wilson Building, which serves as the .C. city hall.

Close to 200 people, most members of the local LGBTQ community, attended the event and cheered loudly as the mayor raised the Progress Pride flag on one of two tall flag poles located on each side of the front steps of the Wilson Building.

A statement released by the mayor’s office announcing the event says the Progress Pride flag represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, ueer, intersex, and asexual communities, as well as other marginali ed gender identities and sexual orientations. oining Bowser at the ceremony and who, like the mayor, spoke at the event, were .C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson -At- arge and Council members Brianne adeau - ard , Brooke Pinto - ard , Matthew rumin - ard , and achary Parker - ard , who is the Council’s only gay member. ach expressed strong support for the GBT community and the city’s annual Pride events, including the annual Pride Parade scheduled for Saturday, June 8.

Also speaking at the event were aper Bowles, director

of the Mayor’s Office of GBT Affairs Bernie elia, an official with the Capital Pride Alliance that organi es .C.’s Pride events .C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and lliott erguson, president and C O of estination .C., which promotes .C. as a tourist destination and location for conventions and events such as the city’s GBT Pride events. erguson told the gathering, as did Bowser, that the city was gearing up to host orld Pride , the international GBT Pride event that is expected to draw more than two million people from across the .S. and countries throughout the world.

The mayor noted that at her re uest, the Council approved million in the city’s fiscal year budget to support orld Pride , which she also pointed out will coincide with the th anniversary of the first GBT Pride event held in .C. The mayor also told the gathering she was proud of the .C. government’s longstanding support for GBT rights.

The same year we achieved home rule in , some of you weren’t born, we voted ahead of the nation to update .C.’s uman ights aw to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, she said. e added gender identity and expression in . And

Four members of the D.C. City Council joined D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER LGBTQ B on June 3. W

today, the .C. uman ights Act remains one of the most comprehensive laws in the nation, she said. As if that were not enough, she pointed out that .C. became one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to legali e same-sex marriage in .

I’m proud that we are the gayest city in the world, she said.

ew chapter for upont Circle’s ireplace bar The ireplace has attracted its share of controversy over the If you ask patrons of umber ine or arry’s ounge about years. This est upont Circle area is known as a business the ireplace bar, they might respond, Is the ireplace still area during the day and entertainment area at night. In fact,, open? This might be explained partially by the fact that the at the last Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Adminisireplace did close for months during the CO I locktration license renewal, every nearby residential unit objected down, but there is more. to the li uor license. Past owners and est upont Circle served as the staff claimed that these objections center of the .C. gay world in the revolved around the Blackness of the s, around when the ireplace ireplace patrons. On their acebook opened. There were nine gay bars, page, the ireplace is promoted as including Omega, Badlands, and an international Black Gay Bar. The Friends, but now only one, Fireplace. past owners and staff uote one resThen even the Pride parade would ident objector who asked, Could begin at nd and P Streets, . . you play country music instead of Over time, the gay world moved hip hop and rap so you don’t attract east, first to th Street where .’s is those people? Other critics claim located and then to 14th Street and the objections revolve around nighttoday, maybe even th and Streets, MARK STEVEN BERTINI and DANIEL life noise, trash, and drug dealing in . .

SIMMONS are the new owners of the and around the Fireplace.

Today marks a new chapter for B .

The Fireplace has sustained its the ireplace. The original owners li uor etailer’s Class CT license by have sold the establishment to Mark compromising and entering Settlement Agreements. The Steven Bertini and his partner aniel Simmons, both real esexisting agreement re uires the use of MP eimbursable tate agents. Bertini is a longtime .C. resident and has been etail O AM- AM costly at per night on ridays involved with the ireplace since its opening as a supporter and Saturdays for extra security. They also installed double and patron. e has been active in the GBT community for pane glass windows to reduce the music noise. ABCA has decades including being a friend of ood and riends for consistently ruled that the ireplace does not have an adyears.

verse impact on the peace, order, and uiet within the neighborhood. ABCA notes that there are other li uor licensees within 1,200 feet of the Fireplace.

In the late th century, this was the site of a corner grocery store. rnie Boyd in opened a female strip bar that continued through the s until Glen Thompson transformed the site into P Street Station that included a piano bar and a small rotating train that highlighted the ceiling. In , Steve einstein, oel einstein, and others bought the bar and changed the name to The ireplace operating it for years.

Steve and oel are now years old.

It’s been good years, but we feel it is time to retire, Steve said. urthermore, it has been a struggle to recover after having to close for months due to CO I . e feel that bringing in new owners, who are younger and have more incentive to continue the business, will be a benefit both to the customers and the neighborhood.

Based on a series of interviews, patrons enjoy the dive atmosphere, the good pour, prices and the familiar, friendly bartenders. ill the new owners bring changes? They indicate they want to make improvements and upgrades that will include accepting credit cards rather than being cash only.

They would also like a sidewalk caf along nd Street, . .

(Larry Ray teaches Negotiation at The George Washington University School of Law and is former Dupont Circle and Columbia Heights ANC.) LARRY RAY

IPS announces Go undMe appeal for purchase of building IPS, the GBT supportive organi ation that described itself as a leading advocate and service provider for individuals impacted by sex work and substance use in the .C. area, has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help raise funds for a down payment to enable it to obtain financing to purchase the building it has operated in for the past eight years at St., . . aising , or more by uly will allow us to secure the financing needed to make this purchase, accord-

ing to a statement on the IPS Go undMe page, which was posted by IPS evelopment Manager Bo Belotti.

IPS xecutive irector Cyndee Clay told the ashington Blade that IPS, which stands for onoring Individual Power Strength, currently occupies the entire two-story building it rents at St., . .

Clay said IPS feels this is the time to purchase the building to ensure IPS can remain in its current location and not be forced to find a new location if the owner of the building,

0 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • LO CA L NE WS

which is listed in .C. property records as M P Street, C, decides to place it on the market for sale. She said the sale price of the building is under negotiation.

IPS has given so much to the C community please help us make our dreams of a C harm reduction home a reality, the Go undMe statement concludes.

The IPS Go undMe page can be accessed at elp IPS Secure C’s arm eduction ome gofundme.com .

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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D.C. Pride celebration to include parade, festival, fireworks, and more More than 600,000 expected to attend weekend events

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

More than 600,000 people from the D.C. metropolitan area as well as from across the nation and some from other countries were expected to turnout this week for D.C.’s annual Capital Pride parade, festival, and at least a dozen or more related events, including a fireworks display at the city’s Southwest waterfront. or a week every une, we enthusiastically welcome to Washington, D.C. over 600,000 LGBTQ+ friends and allies from around the nited States and throughout the world for the Capital Pride Celebration, including the popular and free Pride Parade, Festival, and Concert,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes most of D.C.’s Pride events.

The group announced this year’s Pride Parade would travel a different route from past years. It will begin at p.m. on Saturday, une at th and T Streets, . . and travel south along th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, where it will turn left and end at th and Pennsylvania Avenue.

As in past years, do ens of contingents from a wide range of organizations and local and federal government agencies were expected to march in the parade or ride in vehicles or floats. Among those scheduled to participate in the parade this year were .C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and members of the .C. City Council.

Capital Pride has announced that nationally acclaimed performers Billy Porter and eke Palmer, who were scheduled to perform at the Pride festival the next day, would be leading the parade as the official grand marshals.

“Organizations are encouraged to be creative and use the theme, Totally adical’ to show that you have pride as participants march along the . -mile Parade route,

.C. gearing up for

Capital Pride says in a statement.

Although the parade will no longer travel past the upont Circle area as it has in past years, the annual Capital Pride Block Party will continue as it has in recent years on th Street, . . between and Streets from p.m. on Saturday, une . The Capital Pride family gathering will also take place in the afternoon hours at nearby Stead Park.

Another change from past years is a new event at a site near where the parade ends, called a Flashback Tea ance, which will take place at th Street, . . and Constitution Avenue, from - p.m. on une , according to a Capital Pride announcement.

Also taking place on the day of the parade is the annual Pride On The Pier party from - p.m. at The harf section of the city’s Southwest waterfront. The event, which is organi ed by the ashington Blade, will include the showing of the Capital Pride Parade on a large video screen when the parade begins at p.m., a drag show at p.m., and fireworks show at p.m. It is free and open to the public, with IP accommodation available for an admission fee. isit prideonthepierdc.com for IP tickets.

The Capital Pride estival, scheduled for Sunday, une , from p.m., will be held as it has in recent past years on Pennsylvania Avenue, . ., between rd and th Streets. ree and open to the public, the festival is the largest annual event of its kind in the national capital region, with more than exhibitors setting up booths, according to Capital Pride officials. ngage with over service organi ations, social groups, businesses, amateur sports leagues, faith-based groups, educational institutions, government agen-

This year’s Pride parade has a new route.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

cies, artists, consultants, potential employers, and much more, Capital Pride says in its statement announcing this year’s Pride events. ike past years, this year’s exhibitors were expected to include a wide range of local and national LGBTQ organiations. Also, like recent past years, the festival was to include a wide range of food courts and beverage garden.

In addition, the festival will continue its tradition of offering entertainment on three stages as part of the Capital Pride Concert, which takes place from - p.m. Among those scheduled to perform from the main Capital Stage located at the east end of the festival with the .S. Capitol as a backdrop, were singers Billy Porter and eke Palmer.

Also scheduled to perform were nationally acclaimed singer songwriter Ava Max opera singer, composer and drag ueen Sapphira Cristal and the female vocalist group xpos known for their o. ance Chart hit Point Of o eturn.

A full list of the Capital Pride week events can be accessed at capitalpride.org and on Page 90.

orld Pride

Two million visitors expected for international LGBTQ celebration

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

eaders of the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride celebration, have said a leading topic of discussion at this week’s Capital Pride events will be the ongoing plans by Capital Pride Alliance and the .C. government to host orld Pride in the nation’s capital.

In a development that surprised some and thrilled the .C. GBT community and .C. city officials alike, InterPride, the global organi ation representing more than Pride organi ations in at least countries, announced in ovember that it selected .C. as the host city for orld Pride , with Capital Pride Alliance designated as the lead organizer.

The decision came after InterPride initially selected the City of aohsiung in Taiwan as the orld Pride host city, with .C. being designated as the runner-up city after coming in second place in bidding for the international event.

But following a dispute with InterPride, the Taiwanese LGBTQ organization designated to organize World Pride announced it no longer wished to host the event.

That prompted InterPride’s members to vote to select the runner-up city, .C., as the host city, according to an InterPride announcement.

Capital Pride Alliance officials have pointed out that orld Pride will come to .C. on the th anniversary of .C.’s first GBT Pride celebration.

The Capital Pride Alliance is excited for ashington, .C. to host orld Pride and share this momentous and exciting milestone with our international community, the group says in a statement posted on its website. orld Pride will feature a vibrant and innovative slate of events and cultural programs that will highlight the best that Washington, D.C. has to offer,” the statement says. rom music to film, from the ational Mall to mbassy ow, you will experience the world through ashington’s multi-faceted and multi-cultural community, it says.

According to a preliminary schedule of events posted on its website, Capital Pride Alliance says orld Pride will take place May through une , . The schedule lists DC Black Pride among its events, which it says will take place May - . The schedule shows that an official elcome Ceremony will take place May , at a location to be determined.

Other events, as posted on the Capital Pride website, include a Capital Cup orld Pride Sports estival a uman ights Conference a Music estival-Global ance

0 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • LO CA L NE WS

Capital Pride Board President ASHLEY SMITH (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Party a orld Pride Parade a estival Concert set to take place on the ational Mall a ally March from the incoln Memorial to the .S. Capitol and a Concert Closing Ceremony on the ational Mall near the .S. Capitol.

“Washington, DC has long been a creative springboard for global movements, policies, and gatherings,” the Capital Pride Alliance statement on orld Pride says.

“Through thought-provoking programming and events, World Pride attendees will be inspired and empowered to use the tools and connections they attain to bring positive change to their own communities.”

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Mayor of Salisbury, Md. cancels Pride flag display ecision ends five years of support for GBT

By JOE REBERKENNY

The City of Salisbury, Md., will not fly the Pride flag outside the city office building in downtown Salisbury. This will mark the first time in five years that a Pride flag will not fly at the city’s office for Pride month.

Randolph J. Taylor, the mayor of Salisbury, told the Blade that the choice not to raise the flag was based on being fair and transparent.

The administration’s position on the P AG kick-off is very simple, Taylor said to the Blade in an email. That is, to be neutral. Neutrality is not to be interpreted as anything else but simply that being neutral.

Taylor explained that the decision to appear more neutral was not to single out one particular group. This is an approach the City has and will take with any other event held in the City of Salisbury as we entertain more than events a year from a variety of groups and causes.

Taylor concluded his statement with good wishes for P AG, the GBT human rights organi ation that previously collaborated with the mayor on the flag raising and recently relocated within Salisbury.

I am glad P AG has a new location on Carroll St. for its kick-off, Taylor said. The City of Salisbury wishes the event good luck icole ollywood, legislative chair for P AG Salisbury, said the decision not to promote cultural events using city assets, which includes the city’s flagpoles and street lamps, could impact longstanding celebrations of cultural heritage in the city. e simply got an email saying that we’re evaluating the use of city assets for cultural events,’ and we don’t

community

feel it’s appropriate moving forward to hang flags that represent special interest groups,’ ollywood told the Blade regarding the denied re uest for flying the flag. e were disheartened and made a statement saying that the planned event, which has occurred for a number of years always on the same day in the same location, is temporarily postponed until we could find an alternative. ollywood continued, explaining that she, and other supporters of the GBT community, have plans to bring the issue to the city council’s attention. She hopes to get a more standardi ed approach to the vetting of cultural events, like the Pride flag raising, in Salisbury. e do have a re uest that we’ll be making in front of the city council, which is simply that a structure be put in place that’s uniform and e uitable, that’s used to vet applications for flag raisings and other civic and cultural events, she explained. It isn’t clear, at this time, who exactly holds authority over city assets.

In addition to her concerns regarding the current murky methods of approval for cultural events, ollywood also highlighted her fears for the future of the Pride crosswalk in Salisbury.

The crosswalk, which includes the classic rainbow Pride flag, the updated progressive Pride flag that comprises the colors of the classic Pride flag, transgender pride flag, and stripes of black and brown to recogni e people of color in the GBT community , as well as a transgender flag, was the first to be installed in Maryland. ollywood fears that if the city re-evaluates the crosswalks, it could be the beginning of the end of outward

Mayor RANDOLPH TAYLOR has yanked the display of Pride T M .

support for the GBT community on any public land. e think that it’s been a beacon of hope to people in the community having this rainbow, the trans, and progress Pride crosswalks, ollywood said. e really want to protect and steward their existence because we know that if they’re painted over, or erased, that it won’t be as easy to get them back.

Despite the shift in attitude from the city, some in the community have pledged to show their support in full force. The downtown business alliance in Salisbury, which works to foster growth for business in Salisbury, has encouraged its members to fly rainbow flags on private property in solidarity with P AG. e’re trying to get as many people as possible to feel that they have a voice, ollywood said. To feel that they’re included and to find other ways that we could celebrate ueer joy.

ehoboth Beach gets rainbow crosswalks The city of Rehoboth Beach has painted rainbow crosswalks in honor of the GBT community. The crosswalks on the corners of irst Street and Baltimore Avenue. and Second Street and Baltimore Avenue now have giant rainbows installed just as Pride Month kicks off.

Images of city officials painting the crosswalk on Second Street were posted to the city of ehoboth’s Instagram account last week and received positive comments. The post also announced plans to make a second Pride-painted sidewalk a block over on irst Street after they are finished.

The sidewalks, one of which lies on Steve lkins ay in

B

honor of the ehoboth GBT trailbla er, re uire three coats of paint to ensure the colors stay vibrant all summer.

The sidewalk appears to display the Progress Pride lag, which not only recogni es GBT people but also GBT people of color. The sidewalk has the six traditional Pride flag colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple representing various elements of being a part of the GBT community, and black and brown symboli e the uni ue struggles of people of color in the GBT community.

JOE REBERKENNY

Moore, ogan attend Annapolis Pride Maryland Gov. es Moore and his epublican predecessor, arry ogan, on Saturday marched in the annual Annapolis Pride parade.

Moore in a video he posted to his account noted he is the first Maryland governor to attend the parade. verybody, be you, be proud, be Maryland, said Moore. This is what makes Maryland extraordinary it’s when everyone feels a sense of belonging in their own skin. That is who we are. That’s what we believe in and that’s what we will always stand for. ogan, who is running against Prince George’s

County xecutive Angela Alsobrooks in the race to succeed retiring .S. Sen. Ben Cardin -Md. , on his account posted pictures and videos of him in the parade and greeting spectators. Alsobrooks herself did not participate a campaign spokesperson told the ashington Blade she was unable to attend , but many of her campaign volunteers and supporters marched in the parade. appy Pride, said Alsobrooks on her account.

This month, may we come together to celebrate GBT Americans, while also making sure that, as leaders, we continue the fight for e uality for all.

1 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • LO CA L NE WS

As Maryland’s next senator, I am going to fight to protect our GBT Americans every single day, she added.

Moore Press Secretary Carter lliott posted to his account a picture of ogan arriving at the parade, and noted he is here in all black at Annapolis Pride after eight years of not participating, vetoing legislation to protect GBT communities, and letting countless bills go through without his signature.

This is a community he is not proud to support all performative politics, said lliott.

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Meet Rehoboth Beach’s new city manager, Taylour Tedder Hopes to keep Clear Space in town; no plans for Poodle restrooms

By JOE REBERKENNY

After a six-month nationwide search, Rehoboth Beach has a new city manager who’s ready to have a “direct, positive impact on residents, businesses, and visitors in the city on a daily basis.”

Taylour Tedder, 35, started his term as Rehoboth’s City Manager on May 15 and sat down with the Washington Blade to discuss his goals in office, some concerns he has, and what he’s most excited about in Rehoboth.

TAYLOUR TEDDER (Photo courtesy City of Rehoboth Beach)

“I’ve been here for a couple of weeks and they have been outstanding,” Tedder said. “I’ve met a lot of welcoming people.”

Before Tedder became the city manager in Rehoboth, he was a city manager in Boulder City, Nev. There he undertook strategic planning initiatives, enhanced community engagement, and was awarded the Triple Crown Award from the Government inance Officers Association. is first few days have centered around familiari ing himself with ehoboth and figuring out what to do first.

I have spent the first couple weeks meeting with the key staff, touring the various departments and facilities,” he said. I am looking for initial ways to improve processes and procedures to ensure that we’re serving the residents and visitors of Rehoboth Beach at the highest standard possible.”

Beyond his professional goals, Tedder, who has been married to his wife since and identifies as straight, considers himself an ally to the LGBTQ community.

I definitely consider myself an ally. And I’m very, very

happy to help in any way I can.”

One of the ways he plans to support Rehoboth’s LGBTQ community is by backing CAMP Rehoboth, whose mission is to “Create A More Positive environment that is inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Southern Delaware and beyond.”

I really firmly believe that ehoboth Beach is a very inclusive community and I’m looking forward to furthering that,” he said. “I’ve been really impressed. I didn’t know much about CAMP Rehoboth before coming here and it seems like a wonderful organi ation. I’m really looking forward to meeting all those folks and getting to know their priorities and vision.”

In addition to supporting the community, Tedder identified multiple areas he wants to change in the city government to make ehoboth more efficient and citien-serving. Among those proposed changes is implementing new technologies to make business with the city easier, diversifying revenues, finishing capital improvement projects, and his biggest focus — implementing strategic planning initiatives.

The city does not have a specific strategic plan or mission or vision statements,” Tedder said when discussing his goals. “I would like to lead the city through a strategic planning process, and have actual, tangible deliverables that we as staff can carry out and accomplish so that we’re accomplishing the policy goals of the City Commission.”

One of the goals of the City Commission is to keep the Clear Space Theatre in Rehoboth amid ongoing speculation that it may move to neighboring Lewes.

“It’s a top priority to keep it in the city,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be working on that in the future.”

He also touched on improving infrastructure projects in Rehoboth.

“There are a lot of improvements being done with the wastewater facility. But you know, road maintenance and e uipment replacement will definitely be a top priority.

When asked if there were plans to bring restrooms to Poodle Beach, the historically gay section of Rehoboth’s beach near the south end of the boardwalk, he said there were not.

“I’m not aware of plans on the south end. We do have restrooms that the beach patrol facility is under complete reconstruction, Tedder said. “We do have portable restroom trailers out there but I’m not sure how close they are.”

In addition to policy goals, he also talked about his

paycheck, which has drawn attention and criticism in the past few weeks.

Some residents of Rehoboth were taken aback when they found out Tedder would be paid more than the governor of Delaware. Tedder will receive a $250,000 annual salary, $50,000 for moving expenses, and a $750,000 forgivable housing loan.

Tedder explained that his salary was determined through close evaluations of the city’s budget and his skill level. e also pointed out that there is no deficit in the city’s finances and the city is not operating at a loss.

“I really have been trying not to be distracted by the online public reaction, it’s been really important to focus on the job and utili e my skills and experience to effectively serve the community,” Tedder said. “It’s a high-cost area to live in and I really think I was just kind of the right person in the right place at the right time. What the Board of Commissioners was looking for really matched my experience and the city matched what my professional interests are. I am really, really excited.”

He continued, explaining that this sort of criticism can come up for any government official, but his experience in budgeting is what will prove he will “pay for himself.”

“I really like taking a look at all of the spending that we’re doing,” he said. “Sometimes there is software that you’re paying for that you don’t need. Sometimes there are ways to negotiate standardi ed contracts for goods and services where we can generate significant savings. I have done that in every city that I’ve worked for, and have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars and just savings on contracts.”

Tedder explained to the Blade that he got involved in city planning after graduating from college.

“I started as an assistant to a city manager,” he said. “I thought that I wanted to go to law school. I was talking with various people and I was told to take a look at the Master of Public Administration degree. I had never really understood anything about city management so I took a look at it, and I was, like, ‘Wow! This is something I’d be really interested in.’”

He is excited to begin working for the Rehoboth community because of his passion for city management.

“My general thought in city government is that we are here to serve everyone equally. I truly am going to serve the city fulfilling all the duties as the city manager and I’m looking forward to increasing the communication with residents and business owners and visitors.”

Justice Dept. probes anti-trans violence at Norfolk school: report The Justice Department has reportedly launched an investigation into violence against transgender and Latino students in Norfolk, Va. WHRO reported Melissa Corrigan earlier this year spoke with an attorney from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division about violence that her trans son experienced at Norview High School. The Hampton Roads public radio station said Corrigan contacted the .S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk more than a year ago.

Corrigan told WHRO that her son suffered harassment, physical violence because of his gender identity. She also

said he was sexually assaulted in a bathroom. e was definitely feeling targeted because of it, Corrigan told WHRO, referring to her son’s gender identity. “And more than that, he wasn’t feeling like he was getting any protection from administration.”

Corrigan said her son eventually withdrew from Norfolk Public Schools. She said a Justice Department Civil Rights Division attorney met with her and her son for two hours in March.

WHRO also reported Latino students at Norview High School said they had been assaulted because of their race.

Their families, like Corrigan, said administrations did nothing

to stop the violence.

The Biden-Harris administration has said Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination in schools based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is among the state attorneys general who have challenged new Title IX rules that expand protections for LGBTQ students.

WHRO reported Norfolk Public Schools Superintendent Sharon Byrdsong declined an interview request. The local .S. Attorney’s Office did not confirm whether an investigation is underway.

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C SI ice President arris details what’s at stake in November hen we fight for our rights, we see progress and we win’

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with the Washington Blade by phone on Monday for an exclusive interview in which she outlined the stakes of November’s election for LGBTQ communities and all Americans who are now facing “a profound, unapologetic, and intentional movement to restrict rights.”

The conversation comes at the outset of the Biden-Harris campaign’s roll-out of an aggressive organizing and paid media push for Pride month, which will feature appearances at more than 200 events in June as part of an effort to mobilize LGBTQ and “equality voters” in key battleground states.

Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents in a 2022 poll by the Human Rights Campaign said they consider LGBTQ equality a “make or break” issue, and queer Americans, who comprise a larger share of the electorate than ever before, are considered critical for the president and vice president’s reelection effort.

Harris stressed that these constituents are not monolithic.

“What is important to me,” she said, “is that I am in the community where those voters may be, in addition to every other community where I’m listening to their priorities and needs and then being responsive to that.”

America’s first woman, first Black, and first South Asian vice president, Harris, 59, has broken barriers throughout her career in public service, beginning with her election as San Francisco district attorney in 2003, and then as California attorney general in and .S. senator for California in .

Harris has also been credited with playing a major role in the establishment and expansion of rights and protections for LGBTQ communities at the local, state, and federal levels over the past two decades.

Along with the election, she addressed subjects ranging from the need to protect queer spaces to her relationships with LGBTQ staff over the years and the trajectory of the queer and civil rights movements in America.

Later this week, the Blade will publish interviews with two gay men who served as longtime advisers to Harris and shared reflections on their work with her on initiatives including climate policy and criminal justice reform.

Preventing hate violence Last June, the Biden-Harris administration established an interagency GBT Community Safety Partnership to confront the spike in hate crimes and bias-motivated violence against the community. The hite ouse introduced new CSP resources on riday. early a year later, the BI and .S. epartment of omeland Security issued a joint public service announcement about the risk of terrorism at Pride events and venues this month — and Harris told the Blade she is “very concerned” by the agencies’ warning.

This is familiar terrain for the vice president, who in September was tapped to lead the first-ever hite ouse Office of Gun Violence Prevention and who noted that she was responsible for compiling and publishing hate crimes reports and for prosecuting “hate crimes against members of the LGBTQ community” when running the country’s second largest department of justice and serving as district attorney.

Bias-motivated crime targeting queer people “is not a new phenomenon, sadly, but it is growing,” she said, “I think in large part because of the powerful voices that are fanning the flames of hate. It is outrageous.

“What it does is it creates fear in the community, not to mention the possibility of real and serious harm, including

crimes of violence,” she said.

Harris highlighted that issues of safety are among the major priorities for LGBTQ communities and equality voters, pointing to the une Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and the November 2022 Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, crimes that she said the country must never forget.

“Gun violence,” when “being used because of hate” can “destroy the lives of so many innocent people,” she said, adding, “we know that for so many in the LGBTQ community, those clubs are the only place that a lot of people can go in certain communities to just have joy and [to] feel safe having joy, and now those places have been targeted.”

In , when percent of Americans opposed the legal recognition of same-sex marriages per Gallup , then-district attorney arris officiated some of the first weddings between gay and lesbian couples in defiance of state and federal regulations.

Later, as attorney general, she refused to defend Proposition and petitioned the .S. Court of Appeals for the th Circuit to repeal the ballot measure, which had amended the state’s constitution to recognize only opposite-sex unions between one man and one woman.

Of the roughly two-do en emocrats who led major presidential campaigns in 2020, Harris boasted the earliest explicit on-record support for marriage equality — by a long shot. owever, even though virtually every elected emocrat and the majority of the American people have since come around on the issue, today the vice president is deeply troubled by the observation that for the first time, we are seeing a profound, unapologetic, and intentional movement to restrict rights.”

At the nexus of these threats to the rights of LGBTQ Americans and other communities, arris said, is onald Trump and his right-wing extremist allies. ook at what he has done with the nited States Supreme Court and the justices that he chose,” she said, “including the Trump-selected justices, who ruled last year that small businesses can discriminate against LGBTQ people” in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.

“And listen, I do believe that if reelected, he would appoint more conservative judges — and you see where this is heading.”

Shortly after Trump sent three right-wing justices to the .S. Supreme Court, its conservative supermajority overturned oe v. ade , revoking constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place for nearly 50 years. ith that decision, in obbs v. ackson omen’s ealth Organi ation , the highest court in our land took a fundamental freedom from the people of America, especially the women of America,” Harris stressed. “Understand what that means in terms of how that weakens our country for everyone. America has always prided itself on the fact that our strength and the growth of our strength is based on an expansion of rights.”

She noted Clarence Thomas’s issuance of a concurring opinion in obbs in which he expressed interest in revisiting other precedent-setting cases like Obergefell v. odges , which established the right to marriage e uality nationwide. (In response, President Joe Biden and congressional emocrats led passage of the espect for Marriage Act, which codified into federal law many of the legal rights held by married same-sex and interracial couples.

Meanwhile, conservative jurists across the country, many appointed by Trump, have taken aim at other freedoms in-

2 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

Vice President KAMALA HARRIS (Washington Blade photo by Jono Madison)

cluding access to contraception, medication abortion, and in-vitro fertili ation, which has been met with pushback from the Biden-Harris administration via regulatory action and litigation.

Harris pointed out that “the hypocrisy abounds” provided that “on the one hand, you’re saying that we’re going to prevent you from ending an unwanted pregnancy” and “on the other hand, we’re going to prevent you from starting a family.”

“We know that for LGBTQ couples, IVF is one of the most critical and essential ways that they can start the family they dream to have,” the vice president said. “And the idea that access to IVF would be at stake, at risk, much less denied, means to deny loving couples,” same-sex and opposite-sex alike, “the ability to start a family.”

More broadly, she added, “let’s just think about the various civil rights movements that the community has been involved with, and where the rights of LGBTQ people have been at stake, including the successful movement that we had for the freedom of people to love who they love openly and with pride and to have that love recognized by law if they want to marry and choose to marry.”

“Freedom, the concept of freedom, has always been an undergird of the movement for LGBTQ equality and rights,” Harris said.

Staying vigilant and engaged Across the board, Harris said, “the range of [issues] we’ve already discussed are priority, right? So everything from the fear of violence and hate, what we need to do to continue to be vigilant to protect the gains we’ve already made around e uality, but also ensure that we also fight against those who are trying to erode the progress that we have achieved here, on GBT rights, specifically.

Harris noted that there are “a variety of other issues that include, for example, discrimination in housing. I’m doing a lot of work on that in affordable housing, but in speaking of discrimination in housing, we know that part of the history of the discrimination against members of LGBTQ community includes that issue.”

There is also a need to shore up protections for teachers and students, she said, “especially when we look at a state like Florida that has a ‘don’t say gay’ law, and what that means for LGBTQ teachers in one of the most populous states in the country.”

The past few years have seen a deluge of anti-LGBTQ laws proposed and passed, in many cases by conservative state legislatures across the country, arris noted. The AC is tracking so far in . isproportionately, these bills target the rights of trans and gender expansive Americans, especially youth.

The vice president pointed to Iowa’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in April. Opponents and GBT advocates argue the law’s primary aim is to provide a pretext and legal cover for discrimination against queer Iowans.

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Jill Biden warns of the dangers of a second Trump term The ashington Blade joined first lady ill Biden in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Saturday, where she spoke at the Steel City’s Pride festival from a stage in the orth Side neighborhood of Allegheny Commons Park est and warned of the dangers presented by former President Donald Trump’s bid to reclaim the White House.

“This community is under attack,” Biden said. “Rights are being stripped away. Freedoms are eroding. More and more state laws are being passed targeting this community.”

The first lady noted, e had to fend off anti-gay amendments that Republicans tried to force into the government funding bill,” which constituted “extreme measures aimed directly at this community, measures that would have limited health care and weakened protections for same-sex couples.”

“History teaches us that our rights and freedoms don’t disappear overnight,” said Biden, herself a career educator. They disappear slowly, suddenly, silently. A book ban, a court decision. A don’t say gay’ law. One group of people loses its rights and then another and then another until one morning you wake up and you no longer live in

First lady JILL BIDEN (Blade photo by Christopher Kane)

a democracy.

Along with his epublican allies, the first lady said, Trump is a bully to the GBT community, to our fam-

ilies, to our country,” and, therefore, “we cannot let him win.”

“Your president and I will not let you lose the rights that we have gained,” she said. “We’re going to give every single ounce of our being to this election.”

As Biden spoke, the crowd erupted into cheers of four more years!” as others shouted “free Palestine!”

Two supporters, eed illiams and Carol Mullen, connected with the Blade after having their photo taken with Biden before she took the stage.

“I just love what the Bidens are doing,” said Mullen, who pointed to the first lady’s advocacy when serving as] second lady for eight years” during the Obama-Biden administration, along with “all the work she’s done for veterans.”

“She’s just amazing,” Mullen said, adding, “the fact that she’s kept her job while she’s been first lady is just extraordinary.”

Mullen and Williams agreed her work as an educator-advocate in the community college space specifically is “so extremely important.”

By CHRISTOPHER KANE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Harris warns about anti-LGBTQ extremists running in down ballot races Harris also noted the prevalence of book bans, a substantial percentage of which target titles with LGBTQ characters and themes. (Last June, the White House appointed a coordinator at the .S. epartment of ducation’s Office for Civil Rights to provide training for schools on “how book bans that target specific communities and create a hostile school environment may violate federal civil rights laws.”)

The vice president emphasized, “You look at the election cycle, and yes, it’s about Trump,” but there are also “anti-LGBTQ extremists running in down-ballot [races] across the country, including orth Carolina gubernatorial candidate and current Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson (R) “who refers to GBT people as filth. The hite ouse issued a statement calling his June 2021 remarks “repugnant and offensive.”

hen we fight for our rights, we see progress and we win.

We have to be vigilant, though. We have to see what’s possible and then fight to get there, like passing the uality Act, legislation championed by the Biden-Harris administration that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in areas from housing and employment to lending and education. e’ve got to participate to get the uality Act and things like that passed,” Harris said, adding, “I’m also clear-eyed” about “what’s happening on the other side of the ledger” which means taking “seriously that these extremists are making their intentions clear, and we should take them at their word.”

Along with her experience growing up in the Bay Area, “which, proudly, was on the front lines of the gay liberation movement,” Harris said her perspective and approach have been influenced to a significant extent by GBT leaders she has worked with over the years, including her first campaign manager, Jim Rivaldo, who had previously advised Harvey Milk in the history-making 1977 election in which he became the first openly gay man to hold public office in California.

“I grew up in politics believing in the coalition,” Harris said, that no one should be made to fight alone. e all stand together in the fight for freedom and e uality and civil rights, and so let’s balance out how we think about all of this stuff. e know what we stand for, so we know what to fight for, and therefore we will win.”

Vice President KAMALA HARRIS and staff

Harris puts LGBTQ people in positions of power

(Photo by Lawrence Jackson/The White House)

Emphasizing the contrast to win in November “Joe Biden and I are very proud to be the most pro-LGBTQ administration in history,” Harris said, “and I think that on the other side of this equation in November, you’ve probably got one of the most anti-LGBTQ administrations in modern history.”

“I am an eternal optimist and I’m also a realist,” she said.

The Biden-Harris administration has appointed LGBTQ leaders throughout the federal government in record-breaking numbers, with high-profile examples including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, White House Press Secretary arine ean-Pierre, and Adm. achel evine, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ikewise, many of the top deputies serving in the office of the vice president are GBT as were a number of arris’s

2 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

closest and highest-ranking advisers from the time she was district attorney through her tenure as U.S. senator.

“Every elected position I have had involves making decisions that will impact, invariably, hundreds of thousands to over hundreds of millions of people,” she said, and “I feel very strongly that decision-making should reflect the communities we are serving.”

“I want to have input and perspective from a diverse group of people who will have a diverse set of life experiences and perspectives that will help inform a good decision on my part,” Harris said.

On May 22, the Blade was invited to attend a meeting in which the vice president addressed members of her staff in the isenhower xecutive Office Building ahead of Pride month.

“Increasingly,” Harris said, “it takes on a different meaning depending on what’s happening in the world, and while we’ve seen so much progress, we’ve also seen a decline.”

“There are a lot of people who are in pain, or afraid, who are being attacked or fear being attacked in many ways that might be physical,” or otherwise by “forces that are trying to demean and trying to separate people and create divisions,” she said.

At the same time, arris emphasi ed, we have great power, those of us who work in this place, to remind people that we stand with them. You all heard me say many times, I strongly believe no one should remain silent.” e’re all in this together, she said. And there’s so much that’s been part of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights that has been about an acknowledgment of the strength of the coalition.”

The vice president recalled how she had to fight to display the Pride flag outside her Senate office. I had to fight, well, you know the story,” she said, gesturing to some members of her staff, “and I was just like, ‘I’m doing it,’” adding, “I did it, of course.”

“I’m very proud of every one of you, OK?” Harris said.

“Thank you for being a leader in so many ways.”

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EXCLUSIVE:

Becerra, Levine to expand health equity in 2nd Biden term Speaking with the Washington Blade on Monday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Assistant Health Secretary Adm. Rachel Levine detailed plans to expand health equity initiatives under a second Biden-Harris administration.

The conversation came shortly after the agency held a Progress Pride flag-raising ceremony, where U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), delivered opening remarks alongside the top HHS officials who also spoke at the department’s second annual Pride Summit later on Monday.

Levine highlighted a slate of recent actions and goals on which to build in a second term: The issuance in April of a final rule clarifying that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited under the Affordable Care Act; a demographic data collection plan on sexual orientation and gender identity metrics; the pursuit of regulations and litigation (coordinated with the Justice Department) to combat healthcare restrictions, including those which target LGBTQ communities; and the agency’s commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

“To put an exclamation point behind some of that,” Becerra said, “on SOGI, we think it’s important to gather the data that lets us figure out where to go next, or where you have issues” in “getting access to the care that you need.”

“And we know we’re going to end up in court with a lot of the rules that we’ve enacted,” added the secretary, who previously served as attorney general of California, “but we’re ready for that — they’ll get tested, and we’re ready to defend [them].”

Becerra added that along with the initiatives outlined by Levine, HHS is looking to expand efforts in the behavioral health space to maximize opportunities to match patients with providers who have shared backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.

That way, he said, “chances are that individual in need of care is going to open up faster. So we’re going to try to move quicker towards providing, in the behavioral health setting, people with lived experiences who can speak to what this individual is hurting from, is suffering from, so we can try to help them with their behavioral health challenges.”

The secretary praised the Biden-Harris administration’s pro-equality record, noting, “the fact that we’re the first department to fly the Pride flag, I think it shows that we’re out front, and we are very intent on making sure everyone has access to the care that they need.”

HHS Assistant Health Secretary Adm. RACHEL LEVINE, U.S. Rep. MARK TAKANO (D-Calif.), and HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA (Blade photo by Christopher Kane)

“And to do that, you’re going to find yourself in court,” Becerra said. “To do that, you need to do an aggressive job of collecting data. To do that, you have to show people that you can approach them with someone who’s experienced in what they’re going through. And so all of those things have to be amped up if we’re going to make further progress in the next administration’s four years.”

Levine repeatedly credited the secretary’s leadership as well as President Joe Biden’s work advancing equity throughout his administration, including through executive orders, when discussing HHS’s efforts to expand healthcare access and improve health outcomes for diverse populations including the LGBTQ community.

“One of the highlights, I think, of the Biden-Harris administration and Secretary Becerra’s leadership is the the emphasis on building representation in Washington that looks like the people of our country,” said Levine, who became the highest-ranking transgender government official with her appointment as assistant

health secretary in 2021.

“Whether it is communities of color, whether it is the LGBTQI+ community, young people, seniors, I mean, we really want the the people who work for the people of our country to look like them and to represent them,” she said.

She also highlighted the extent to which her and Becerra’s work on this front has involved putting boots on the ground. “I’ve been to Austin. I’ve been to Dallas. I’ve been to Nashville. I’m going to Jacksonville.

We tried to get to Idaho to Boise, but we got snowed out.”

“We are everywhere,” Levine said, adding that she likes to say the secretary has been doing “everything, everywhere, all at once,” (the title of a critically acclaimed film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2023.)

In a Pride month press release shared by the agency on Monday evening, Becerra said in a statement, “HHS works every day to build an America where LGBTQI+ Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and can go to the doctor without fear of stigma or discrimination. Where the state you live in doesn’t determine whether you can access lifesaving, gender-affirming care. And where more communities embrace the diversity that has always strengthened our national character.”

“Pride reminds us that we are a strong, resilient, and powerful community that fights hate with love,” Levine said. “As we celebrate Pride Month, we should recognize how far we have come, even as we take stock of the challenges that we face. Everything we do at HHS emphasizes health equity and this pride month, we are making a focused effort to address and eliminate the health disparities within the LGBTQI+ community.”

She added, “We are focused on our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S., prevent syphilis and congenital syphilis, and promote access to care for LGBTQI+ people across America. Together, we can work to support healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy nation for all. I am a positive and optimistic person, and I believe that working together, we can create a healthier, better future for all people living in the United States.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Biden honors Pride month President Joe Biden honored Pride Month with a proclamation on Friday calling out “dangerous and hateful anti-LGBTQ+ laws” while the Biden-Harris administration also debuted new resources via the White House LGBTQ+ Community Safety Partnership.

“Advancing equality for the LGBTQI+ community is a top priority for my administration,” the president said, citing his signage of the Respect for Marriage Act, repeal of the anti-transgender military ban, and issuance of “historic executive orders strengthening civil rights protections for housing, employment, health care, education, and the justice system.”

Biden also noted his administration’s work combatting conversion therapy, the HIV epidemic, and “the dis-

graceful practice of banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood.”

“The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice launched a safety partnership to provide critical training and support to the community, including resources to help report hate crimes and better protect festivals, marches, community centers, businesses, and health care providers serving the community,” the president said.

His proclamation came on the heels of a new guide containing key federal resources, which a White House official said will cover a number of key areas, including physical security, online safety, and targeted violence

2 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • LO CA L NE WS

prevention.”

The official said representatives from the safety partnership, which the White House introduced last year during Pride Month, led a call on Friday with LGBTQ stakeholders to review the new materials and address questions.

Earlier this month, DHS and the FBI released a public service announcement to raise awareness about the potential targeting of LGBTQ events while the Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team released a First Responder’s Toolbox containing guidelines designed to “drive community-based relationships through collaborative and inclusive practices.”

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Anti-LGBTQ crackdowns, war loom over Pride month events Annual Jerusalem Pride parade took place on May 30

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS | mlavers@washblade.com

Activists around the world are marking Pride month against the backdrop of continued legislative attacks against LGBTQ people.

The annual Budapest Pride march will take place in the Hungarian capital on June 22.

Hungarian celebrities, artists, and human rights activists are expected to speak at the opening of the Budapest Pride Community Festival on Friday. The event, which will end on June 23, will feature documentary screenings, panel discussions, sporting events and other gatherings. (Gay U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman during a speech he gave at a Budapest Pride reception last year criticized the ongoing crackdown against LGBTQ and intersex rights that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has carried out.)

“Pride is a particularly important event in Hungary,” Budapest Pride spokesperson Johanna Majercsik told the Washington Blade in an email. “Despite being a full member of the European Union since 2004, the Hungarian government has systematically reduced the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and the government apparently doesn’t want to stop there, inciting people against our community, and making references about passing new anti-LGBTQ laws in the future (calling them child protection laws).”

More than 150,000 people participated in the annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival in the South Korean capital on June 1, even though authorities had denied permits to organizers.

Bangga di Bali or “Pride in Bali” will take place on the Indonesian island on June 15.

Safety concerns prompted organizers of ASEAN Queer Advocacy Week, which was to have taken place last July in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, to cancel it. Bangga di Bali on its Instagram page says the event seeks “to strengthen and boost individual and collective confidence, as well as increase solidarity between the gender diverse community and its allies in Bali.”

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023 signed his country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act that, among other things, contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.

The gandan Constitutional Court last month refused to nullify the Anti- omosexuality Act in its totality. A group of gandan GBT activists have appealed the ruling.

Shemerirwe Agnes, executive director of the Uganda-based Africa Queer Network, told the Blade there are no plans to hold a national Pride event because of significant security concerns” over the Anti-Homosexuality Act. “This law has created a highly hostile environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals, making public gatherings and celebrations risky,” said Agnes. “Any form of public Pride event would likely attract unwanted attention and potential violence from both the authorities and the public.”

Yaga Piuson, an activist in East Africa, said LGBTQ people who live in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and the Gorom Refugee Settlement in South Sudan plan to organize Pride events. Piuson said there will not be any Pride events outside the camps in the two countries “It’s too bad and deadly to organize it outside the camps,” said Piuson.

Lawmakers in Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and other African countries have introdued bills that are similar to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. LGBTQ Voice Tanzania nevertheless plans to hold a Pride event on June 29 in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city and commercial capital.

“Although security concerns exist, we refuse to be silenced by oppressive laws,” LGBT

Hungarian Prime Minister VIKTOR ORBÁN’s government has cracked down on LGBTQ rights — and he’s been embraced by DONALD TRUMP. The country celebrates Pride with a march on June 22. (Screen capture: YouTube/Guardian News)

Voice Tanzania’s Salumu Hatibu. “We are fully prepared for any challenges that may arise.”

Kyiv Pride will on June 16 under the moniker “let’s unite for the sake of equality and victory. It is the first time the event will take place in the krainian capital since ussia launched its war in 2022.

Upwards of 10,000 people participated in the annual Jerusalem Pride and Tolerance Parade on May 30.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, with the support of LGBTQ activists, last month cancelled the city’s annual Pride parade that would have taken place roughly seven months after Hamas launched its surprise attack against southern Israel.

Jerusalem Pride participants called for the release of the hostages who remain in the Ga a Strip. Omer Ohana, whose fianc , Maj. Sagi Golan, died while fighting amas militants in Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is among those who spoke.

“Out of the despair and pain, a central thing became clear — the cure for pain, sadness and loss — is the community,” said Nilly Maderer, CEO of Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, which organizes the Pride parade.

Namibia sodomy law ruling expected this month Amnesty International and Human Dignity Trust both note Gaza is among the jurisdictions around the world in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.

The Namibian Supreme Court on June 16 is expected to issue a ruling that could repeal the country’s sodomy law. Wendelinus Hamutenya-Jeremiah, executive prime director of Gender iversity Movement Trust noted to the Blade the country’s first Pride City Tour/Parade will take place in cities across Namibia this month.

Saint Lucia Pride is scheduled to take place from Aug. 30-Sept. 2, even though it is among the English-speaking Caribbean nations in which homosexuality remains illegal.

Generation Pride took place last weekend in Sri Lanka, a former British colony with a sodomy law of which the country’s government supports the repeal.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is among those who participated in the annual Bangkok Pride Parade on June 1. A bill that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples is expected to receive final approval in the country’s parliament later this month.

Outright International on June 1 honored Mitini Nepal, a Nepalese LGBTQ and intersex rights group, actor Billy Porter and the Adobe Foundation at their annual Celebration of Courage gala in New York. The event raised more than $900,000 for the organization.

“We’re all here because we believe in confronting formidable challenges,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Sometimes it feels daunting, but you show how much passionate support there is and how we can and how we will fight as long as we need to together.”

George Avni and Daniel Itai contributed to this article.

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Eight years ago on June 8, 2016, I wrote the Blade’s Pride op-ed warning about the candidacy of Donald Trump for president.

Specifically, I worried about the Supreme Court and about the damage Trump could do via executive order to LGBTQ rights. Unfortunately, I was right on both counts. Here’s what I wrote then: “With one Supreme Court seat vacant and three more justices aged 77 or older, it is imperative that Trump not be allowed to make selections to the high court.

The names he’s floated so far for the high court are a who’s who of anti-LGBT bigotry.”

We all know what happened next. Trump got three picks to the high court. If he’s re-elected, you can bet that Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who are already under fire, will retire, giving Trump two more picks and a majority five of nine MAGA justices.

The Blade cover that year warned that 2016 could be our last Pride celebration given Trump’s attacks on the LGBTQ community.

Just four days later on June 12, our greatest fears were realized when a gunman opened fire in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 mostly LGBTQ patrons.

The more things change. Here we are eight long years later and Trump is back not only as a presidential candidate for the third time but as a newly minted felon following his conviction on 34 counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. After all the skilled politicians who’ve taken on Trump — everyone from Hillary Clinton to Jeb Bush — who could have predicted it would be a porn star who would take him down?

Of course, he’s down but not out. And now it’s the American electorate that is on trial instead of Trump. Will we really entertain a convicted felon as our president? Or will common sense prevail as it did in 2020 and will the voters of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania send Trump into political oblivion? Time will tell.

In the meantime, equality voters — that is, all LGBTQ Americans and their supporters, families, and friends — must unite and vote to re-elect Joe Biden, no matter what’s happening in Gaza, Ukraine, or anywhere else.

The stakes are far more grave than in 2016, when a neophyte Trump threatened us with mere executive orders and hostile Supreme Court picks. Fast forward eight years, and Trump and his toadies are experienced in operating the government and will use it to our detriment in myriad ways, as outlined in the ominous “Project 2025.”

The 2025 project is an 800+ page governing agenda for the next Republican administration that was created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Among other targets, the plan calls for the replacement of secular public education with teachings based on the Bible, outlawing all pornography, and eroding protections for LGBTQ Americans, as the Blade has reported.

Contrary to what many believe, Trump isn’t seeking an authoritarian state, he and his Republican supporters want a Christian theocracy that would criminalize all abortions, overturn marriage equality, and more. A Biden campaign memo obtained exclusively by the Blade earlier this year states that, “Trump’s Project 2025 will be even worse for LGBTQ+ Americans, going beyond the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. A second Trump presidency will make it a mission to erode LGBTQ+ Americans’ rights, and undermine their existence.” For instance, the document notes, Trump would: • Remove nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans; • Overturn same-sex marriage and protections against anti-sodomy laws; • Reverse Title IX to remove protections for transgender students; • Ban and expel transgender military members; • Ban LGBTQ books; • Restrict IVF and surrogacy; • And appoint more extreme judges who will repeal LGBTQ+ rights.

A Biden campaign official warned that these laws go further than targeting the rights of LGBTQ Americans but in many cases seek “to really undermine their existence in public” — and do not constitute “one-off” issues in states like Florida, Alabama, or Tennessee, but rather a blueprint for national policy that “Trump and Project 2025 would bring to Americans.”

Make no mistake that if Trump wins back the White House, the LGBTQ community will take the brunt of his attacks, especially the trans community. This year’s Pride celebrations must serve as a stark reminder of what’s at stake in November. In 2016, my warnings about the end of Pride may have sounded like hyperbole, but in 2025, Trump’s political enemies will be in jail; his antagonists in the media will be tied up in lawsuits; and the United States as we know it will be gone. We will be a nation in steep decline headed for a Christian theocracy. Only we the voters can prevent that dark future.

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JAKE STEWART

is a D.C.-based writer and barback.

Breeders: Can straights be queer?

Our identities are not solely about our sex partners

As a barback, I’m pretty damn annoying.

I push past you with my ice buckets. I take your glass away, sometimes before you’re finished. I bump into the bartenders, tell patrons to step aside, and cut the bathroom line, all while covered in sweat, stains, and sometimes a little vomit.

In contrast, the bartenders get all the glory. They charm your socks off with pleasant conversation and — oh, would you look at that? They made you a fancy drink, too. How lovely.

While I might sound bitter, I enjoy observing how the bartenders approach customer interaction. Some rely on wit, others on speed, a few on good ole fashioned kindness and, on occasion, a master who can employ all three. Yet there’s one bartender so charming, so magnetic, so comical, he leaves patrons (and some staff) swooning in his glow.

His name is Fred. Here’s the thing about Fred: He’s a six-foot-three-and-a-half-inch hunk of a man oozing what kids today call the rizz, or charisma to us older folk, and in the wake of this rizz comes scores of adoring fans. Here’s the other thing about Fred: he’s straight.

Gay gasp — a straight bartender in a gay bar? The mere notion may cause some waves. And here, in a queer publication, just before Pride no less, I dare to ask whether straights can belong in the queer community. Time to roll out the cancellation carpet, folks.

Admittedly, that reaction is understandable, for we gays are protective of our spaces. Fighting for nightlife is a cornerstone of our history; Stonewall was pivotal for a reason, after all. But the world is different now, isn’t it? There are more queers, more queer identities, and more allies all around us. As a result, we’ve made some significant strides.

Yet the tone toward our straight allies isn’t always the most positive. We detest the straight bachelorette parties, those gay-baiting straight dudes, that shrieking straight girl piercing our ears, and the overly affectionate straight couple taking up space. For many, the straights remain our adversaries, so much so that we degrade them with terms such as the title of this piece.

Take, for example, a few months ago at the Pub. It was an early Sunday afternoon just before the postbrunch rush when a sizable group of straight-looking college dudes overtook three tables on our covered patio. As they strolled in, every queer glared them

down like a scene from a spaghetti Western. A few patrons even complained.

That was before we learned the group wasn’t there for a heist but rather their friend’s 21st birthday — the same friend who came out to them the night prior.

Out of support, they all joined him in his first legal foray into a gay bar. If you’re not already thinking it, I’ll spell it out for you: That is fucking cute.

So, why were we so hostile? Are we projecting our own trauma? Are we always like this? To help me understand, and in what can only be described as the most sound scientific study the world has ever seen, I messaged 10 D.C.-area straight friends with a simple question: Have you ever felt judged inside a gay bar?

After half replied yes, I grew more curious and asked 10 D.C. gays the same question. Of those, seven said the same.

Queers: me thinks we have a judgment problem.

Perhaps I should be surprised, but I’m not. I, too, have felt judged in gay bars. Certainly I’ve been the butt of jokes, and if it’s not me, it’s someone else. Yet according to the history we’re oh so proud of, gay bars should be safe spaces for queers. Now I’m left wondering: What does it mean to feel safe, and who qualifies as queer?

For the first question, consider my anecdote from earlier. To me, the birthday boy’s straight friends were as critical in facilitating a safe space for him as the bar they entered, for they encouraged him to be himself, which is what safety is all about. In fact, many of us have straights who support us — when we come out, when we discuss our lifestyles, when they join our gay escapades — all while defending us to others. In my own life the straights sometimes feel like a reprieve, particularly from the hard knocks the gay community can deliver, and there’s no better example than my good friend Alec.

Alec and I attended college together, and every so often he and I meet up at his house, order food, and smoke a ton of weed in his basement. We’ll catch up on life before diving into a show; right now, we’re watching the “Chucky” TV series (Yes, Chucky the scary redheaded doll, but the show is remarkably camp and queer. Turns out Don Mancini, the creator of Chucky, is gay).

During these hangouts, it often strikes me how connected Alec is to queer culture: he loves watching Bravo, his place is impeccably decorated, and

4 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • V I E WP O I NT

he’s often showing me what’s popular on gay Twitter. Last time, having just read an article about actor Darren Criss identifying as culturally gay, I asked him, “Do you ever feel confined by straight culture?”

Alec repacked his bong as answered, “absolutely.”

When I inquired further, he explained, “My thoughts on straight culture can basically be summed up as ‘it’s boring’ and gay culture is a lot more fun. I’m not super into sports. I don’t golf. I don’t date. I’m not MAGA. I watched “The Sopranos” but once was enough. There’s not a lot for me in straight culture.

I do, however, follow pop culture and entertainment news, I listen to good music, I take pride in my house and how it’s decorated, I love the “Real Housewives.”

There’s just more for me in gay culture.”

Now back to the second question: who qualifies as queer? Must we look a certain way? Dress a certain way? Some might say enjoying sex with the same sex, but what if you’re not sexual? What if someone happens to be straight but rejects the same traditional norms and values we do? And what if that straight makes us feel safer than some gays for simply being who we are?

I usually prefer nuance, but when it comes to the question of whether straights can be queer, my opinion is absolutely. Definitely not all, but certainly some.

Why? Because being queer isn’t solely about your sex partners. Rather, it’s about embracing non-normative sexual and gender lifestyles to allow queerness to flourish, and a heterosexual is just as capable of that mindset as a homosexual is of rejecting it (unfortunately those exist, but I’ll save that for another piece).

Better put: when a straight person feels like a fish out of water in the pond of their own kind, well — what’s more queer than that?

Speaking of fish out of water, the other day I asked my favorite straight bartender how his time at a gay bar has been.

“It’s been very gay,” Fred so aptly replied, “and I mean that in the best way. It’s been a blast. Really couldn’t ask for a more accepting and open team than the one at LGP. I’ve learned more about the gay community in six months here than I would’ve learned in 10,000 years outside of it. It was a front flip cannonball into the deep end in the best way.”

That warmed my heart to hear. And if there was any doubt in my mind about Fred’s true orientation, his cannonball metaphor all but erased it.

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This Pride season, will LGBTQ Jews still belong?

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4 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • V I E WP O I NT

Pride month is here a time when many members of our BGT community celebrate being part of an inclusive global movement where we can unapologetically be ourselves. But this year for many GBT ews, the joyous festivities will be overshadowed by rampant anti-Semitism and anti- ionism experienced in ueer spaces since Oct. .

In recent years, transgender and ueer people of color have fought tirelessly for a more inclusive community, demanding systemic changes to GBT institutions around e uity and inclusion, and symbolically bringing us the progress flag. Against this spirit of inclusion, it has become more difficult to be openly and unapologetically ewish in GBT circles.

This crisis is overdue for a response GBT leaders must ensure that everyone is welcome in our movement or risk threatening the progress and values we have fought for over decades.

The GBT movement has long been defined by its intersectionality and inclusivity, which has led to tremendous advancements since Stonewall. Over this period, there had been an undercurrent of anti-Israel sentiment in more progressive parts of the community that would occasionally erupt, but it was far from the pervasive anti-Semitism we are experiencing today.

The list of attacks on GBT ews over the past several months is long. A GBT nightclub in Bushwick, Brooklyn boycotted the urovision song contest when Israeli contestant den Golan advanced to the finals. Manny’s cultural center in San rancisco, which is run by Israeli and proud GBT advocate Manny uketiel, has been consistently targeted with protests and boycotts. GBT organi ations, including ACT P, IT ueers nited Against Israeli Terrorism , and ueers for iberation, have vocally aligned their advocacy with the anti-Semitic B S Movement, which calls for economic, cultural, and academic isolation of Israel. Prominent ueer studies professors have accused Israel home to a thriving GBT community of pinkwashing to improve its image. This charge is of enormous disrespect to the Israeli GBT community activists who fought government policies over decades to achieve e ual rights, both in the courts and on the streets. or the nine out of ews who identify as ionists, the fre uency and intensity of these incidents make us feel increasingly unwelcome in GBT spaces. Instead of holding both our cherished queer and Jewish identities simultaneously, we are being presented with a litmus test Are you part of our movement, or do you support the existence of a ewish state?

It is deeply upsetting that many members of the GBT community would gladly deny ews the right to self-determination. ionism is the belief that the ewish people like all people should have a state in our ancestral homeland. The existence of this state is desperately needed in a world that allowed one-third of our people to be slaughtered by the a is and their allies less than a century ago. hile the vast majority of ews care about Israel home of nearly half of the world’s ewish population our community does not have monolithic views on Palestine and the ongoing conflict, nor do we unwaveringly support the current Israeli government and all of its policies. As leaders of ewish communal organi ations, we welcome policy disagreements about the war and believe in protecting free speech. Criticism of Israeli government policy is not anti-Semitic.

But a red line is crossed when people carelessly dismiss Israel’s right to exist, or hold American ews collectively responsible for their perceived grievances with Israel. rom Supervisor arvey Milk to Congressman Barney rank to die indsor, progressive ionist, American ews have for many generations been central to our GBT liberation struggle in this country. It is painful to think that the next generation of ueer ewish leaders could be deterred from fully participating in the movement due to discrimination toward our religious and cultural identities. Our GBT community institutions must hold a big enough tent for ews, Muslims, Israelis, and Palestinians to all feel a sense of belonging and inclusion.

We implore LGBTQ leaders across the country to approach this challenge with the urgency it warrants and implement practical solutions to turn the tide. This starts with making sure that ews, regardless of their views about Israel, are safe and feel welcomed in GBT spaces.

The ebrew phrase eilu v’eilu translates to both these and those. Our intersectionality is proudly ewish and ueer. e hold both identities dearly and we refuse to choose. It is time for GBT community leaders to embrace GBT ews in our moment of need.

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ISAAC AMEND

is a writer based in the D.C. area. With two poetry books out, he writes for the Blade and the Yale Daily News.

He is a transgender man and was featured in National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” documentary. He serves on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia.

Contact him at isaac.amend35@gmail.com or on Instagram at: @literatipapi.

Elon Musk is a danger to society

X has become a warped platform that spews anti-trans hate Elon Musk is officially a danger to society. As of mid May of 2024, X.com, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has started banning accounts that use the word “cisgender” or “cis,” deriding it as a slur. For those who don’t know, “cisgender” refers to any person whose gender aligns with the genitalia they were assigned at birth. Erasing the word “cisgender” from tweets, or X.com remarks, ensures that gender nonconforming people can’t articulate the bigotry they feel in this world.

Musk has been notorious for his transphobia. It didn’t just start in mid-May of this year. In June of 2023, during Pride month, Musk liked a bunch of transphobic tweets. For instance, he promoted the Matt Walsh documentary, “What is a Woman?”, which was a film in transmisogyny.

Moreover, in July of 2022, Musk’s transgender teenage daughter sought separation from her father because he was hateful toward her and bullied her because of her gender identity. In December 2022, Musk tweeted “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,” mocking the words that transgender people need to enunciate who we are. This wasn’t the first time that Musk mocked pronouns.

Musk is becoming increasingly dangerous toward trans people, especially as X.com takes on a new dimension — turning into a warped platform that spews conspiracy views, including right-wing thoughts that trans people shouldn’t exist, and other ultraconservative opinions.

What adds heavy weight to the danger that Musk poses is the relative success of his companies and the wealth, measured in dollars, that he carries on his shoulders. SpaceX is valued at around $180 billion, and Tesla is worth 4 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4 • V I E WP O I NT

approximately $571 billion. The more wealth Musk accumulates, the more power is attached to his transphobia.

Already, he is consciously allowing employees within his companies to mock transgender people. Having a CEO who openly teases a marginalized population is a recipe for that company to tease said population as well.

As a former small business owner, I’m actually a huge fan of Musk’s work. The billionaire is brilliant beyond belief, and, after being bullied in school in South Africa, earned degrees in physics and economics from the University of Pennsylvania. At one point, he was working so hard on one of his first startups that he often slept in the office and showered at a local YMCA. In interviews, it is clear that Musk borders, if not embodies, genius. His intellectual prowess is second to none.

Additionally, the mogul has been open about his diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome and bipolar disorder. It’s impressive, to say the least, that Musk has racked up all of these accomplishments despite having these diseases of the mind and body. He has vocalized his use of ketamine therapy, for instance, in treating his bipolar, which is a ballsy move to make as CEO. Unfortunately, though, Musk just won’t stop with his transphobia. He is making X.com a non-democratic place for sponsored conspiratorial speech, and banning words is the farthest thing from freedom, which is a virtue he claims to embody.

Many scholars of Elon have noted that he lives in a distorted reality, and I have to agree with that sentiment.

Banning “cisgender” from X.com is certainly a distorted thing to do, and should be looked upon as a danger to society.

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Trump, Hunter Biden must both respect judicial system Wills & Trusts Powers of Attorney • Living Wills Partnership & Prenuptial Agreements

‘American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed’

I know it will be difficult for President Biden to hold his tongue, as his son unter is brought to trial in elaware. Contrary to the Trump case, we can have strong feelings of compassion for unter’s entire family. unter is known to have been into drugs, and I have compassion for anyone who is. Today it seems as if nearly everyone knows someone addicted to drugs of one sort or another. e know how this can destroy a person, and a family. I have had friends who died of drug overdoses, and my girlfriend’s brother yes, I did have an ama ing girlfriend before I came out died by suicide from his use of hallucinogens.

Clearly unter’s case is very different from Trump’s, who is a congenital liar. hat Trump did is so much more egregious in that it ended up likely screwing the country for years to come, when he may have won the presidency because of it. e know the world would be such a different, and better, place had illary Clinton won.

But in both cases, we have a judicial system that will decide what happens. o matter whether you are a epublican or a emocrat, you should agree with what President Biden said in a statement from the hite ouse after Trump was found guilty. e said, The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed. onald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. e went on to say, That’s how the American system of justice works, and it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible, for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like verdict. Our justice system has endured for nearly years, and it literally is a cornerstone of America. Our justice system should be respected. e should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that. It was a simple statement that seemed very important after Trump’s rants and the outbursts of his MAGA sycophants and acolytes. e surely live in interesting times.

This is not the first time a member of a president’s family has done something wrong.

There are so many instances where that has happened. This may just be the first to go to trial. But in all the ones I have seen, or heard about, except for one, the president has been cleared of using their influence to benefit themselves just as Congress has found no instance where President Biden has benefited. In the case of Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, we are not so sure. They were given official hite ouse status. e also know as reported in October China’s Trademark Office granted provisional approval for trademarks to Ivanka Trump Marks C, bringing to the total number of marks China has greenlighted this year, according to the office’s online database. The new approvals cover Ivanka-branded fashion gear including sunglasses, handbags, shoes, and jewelry, as well as beauty services and voting machines. China also granted provisional approval for two Trump trademarks to TTM Operations C, head uartered at Trump Tower on ifth Avenue in ew ork. They cover branded restaurant, bar, and hotel services, as well as clothing and shoes. e also know ared ushner got billion from the Saudis as soon as Trump left office.

A D V E R T I SI Ibelieve N G P the R O American OF people will understand the difference between the Trump ISSUE DATE: 24-03-29 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com and unter Biden cases, even though epublicans will try to tell them onald’s was politically motivated, and unter’s was not. It is my hope Trump’s guilty verdicts, REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof.

Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within hours of the will have the result of keeping Trump from becoming president again. e may not go date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is to jail for these felony convictions, but if he is not elected, he faces numerous other responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws ONS or any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of counts in federal cases in .C. and lorida. e also faces a state case in Georgia. That any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, O REVISIONS unfair competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or one is a ICO case, and if he is found guilty could face a mandatory five years in jail. If ADVERTISER SIGNATURE regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia S llc (dba the washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the racist, sexist, homophobic pig who was found liable for sexual assault, and found from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses washington blade newspaper. Thisthe includes but is not limited to placement, that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the payment and insertion schedule. foregoing representations and warranties. guilty of felonies, becomes president, the federal trials will go away because he will control the epartment of ustice. That includes the one in .C. related to an. and the one in lorida, related to his taking classified documents with him when he left the hite ouse.

SIGTHEATRE.ORG 703.820.9771 Again, I have total compassion for President Biden, and his family. But his statement on our judicial system will have to be the same no matter what the outcome of Hunter Biden’s trial.

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beat of the home with its gathering great room, gas fireplace and coffered ceilings. The kitchen’s premier appliances, butler’s and storage pantries and oversized island are eloquent. Upstairs are three-four spacious bedrooms. The third primary bedroom is oversized with a sitting area, gas fireplace and brand new opulent, spa-like bath with soaking tub, separate steam shower, double sinks and access/ option to have one or two walk-in closets and laundry. A third bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and two others could potentially share a jack and jill bath.

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Billy Porter takes center stage at Capital Pride The grand marshal and headliner warns

e’re in a fight and it can’t be ignored’

By KAELA ROEDER

Marching down Fifth Avenue in the summer of 1989 in ew ork City, Billy Porter took part in his first Pride event.

He distinctly remembers that June day — his fellow cast members of the show “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” out of Montclair State University in ew ersey invited him. Porter’s friend told him not to be late. But Porter got lost. e didn’t have GPS, Porter recalls to the Blade. I didn’t know where I was going.

He eventually found the march, which began right in front of Saks ifth Avenue, and his friends. As people slowly walked, his cast mates quickly pulled Porter into the crowd and threw a shirt over his head that read: “Silence e uals death.

As the crowd marched on, they all chanted “Act up! ight back ight AI S That chant still plays in Porter’s head all these years later. e’s fed up that there’s still a need for it.

It’s time to get in good trouble again, Porter said, referencing the late civil rights icon and congressman, John ewis. To go back and fight for the rights that we already fought for. It’s ridiculous. e did this already, so now we have to go back and fight again for the same shit.

Porter, an award-winning performer, and GBT activist, is making several appearances at Pride events nationwide. One of those stops is Capital Pride here in the istrict. e’s serving as a grand marshal in .C. alongside Keke Palmer and is set to headline the Capital Pride Concert on June 9 with Ava Max, Exposé, and Sapphira Crist l.

Whether at a Pride concert or on tour for his latest album, Black Mona isa, Porter’s goal is to foster more safe spaces. This is especially important now, during times of turmoil for ueer people, he said. The AC has been tracking more than anti- GBT bills in .

More than 30 of those have been passed into law, and more than are advancing.

Porter said he’s been in music mode, and he recently performed at the .C. Black Pride at the end of May. One of the largest and first Black gay Pride events in the country, the multi-day event includes parties, wellness events, pageants, and performances. It’s the first Porter has ever attended.

It was really lovely. I loved the community, Porter said.

I was very impressed.

At the Capital Pride Concert, he’ll perform songs off his latest album, Black Mona isa. e toured across the country in the spring and summer of for his fifth album, including a .C. stop. e just announced a tour for later this year.

It’s always been his plan to create an album like Black Mona isa, he said. is first album, an B mainstream record, came out in . But he was booted out of the industry because of his ueerness, he says. Being able to return to the mainstream music space is a “blessing,” he said.

The album, with house, disco and dance roots, is in-

5 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4

BILLY PORTER — seen here performing at Black Pride last month — takes the stage at the Capitol Pride main stage on Sunday; the concert stage offers entertainment from 1-8 p.m. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

spired by the clubs, which he labeled as “gay church,” and is where he first felt accepted and celebrated. Black Mona isa is his most personal album to date, he noted.

There’s a lot of things that are going on in the world that are very scary, Porter said. My work is always activist-driven. So I’m bringing that message in a party form.

Art and activism are linked Porter came out when he was 16 in 1985, at the height of the AI S crisis. If he could go back and give his teenage self advice, it would be to not panic, he said.

It’s going to be all right, he said. There’s still work to do for me here on this earth.

As GBT rights continue to be threatened, Porter wants more people to lean into politics and become more engaged. Being a grand marshal is one way to inspire people to do that, and he is set to hold that honor in .C., allas and San rancisco, and in Miami back in April. ith this fight, people need to take care of themselves physically and mentally, too. ou can breathe and then come back into the fight, Porter said. e’re in a fight right now. And it can’t be ignored.

For Porter, creating art, especially his most recent album, is his purpose. e’s always felt artistry was his calling and first began singing at his church when he was five

years old.

This career path is a different kind of ministry, he said. e’s not standing in a pulpit, but he’s inspiring people.

Art is how he shows up, he said.

I want you to come out different than you were when you went in, for whatever it is I’m doing, he said.

In une, Porter is being honored with the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, which recognizes a member of the theater community who has made a significant contribution of time and effort to charitable or social services organi ations. e’s specifically credited for his activism in GBT rights. e serves as an ambassador for The li abeth Taylor AI S oundation, on the board of the ntertainment Community Fund and has worked closely with Broadway Cares uity ights AI S, C and G AA .

This isn’t Porter’s first Tony in , he took the pri e for his leading role in “Kinky Boots” and as a producer on A Strange oop in . e also has a Primetime mmy for his role in the hit show Pose and a Grammy for the inky Boots cast album, making him one Oscar shy of an GOT. But he said his most meaningful work is yet to come.

I’m thinking about the legacy and what I leave behind, and it has to be about something real, Porter said. It has to be about helping people.

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THEATER

‘Portraits’ offers thoughtful storytelling told through art, music, dance Kennedy Center world premiere on June 16 features lesbian artist Joan Cox

By PATRICK FOLLIARD Right on time for Pride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. (GMCW), presents “Portraits,” a one night only, not to be missed, world premiere concert at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. ithout the camp found in some of GMC ’s terrific holiday programming, Portraits is 90 minutes of thoughtful storytelling told through visual art, music, and dance. Several years in the making, the uniquely collaborative effort covers a lively spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural identities in a nine-movement oratorio commission, combining the stunning work of nine visual artists, nine composers, and nine choreographers, sung by the Chorus and featuring 17th Street Dance.

“For Us,” one of the nine musical pieces, is anchored by “Night Hunger,” a striking oil painting by Baltimore-based lesbian artist Joan Cox. Selected through open competition, her compelling piece is a double portrait featuring the artist and her wife Mare at home reclining on a couch in their lived in home. With her canvas, Cox simultaneously achieves a sense of strength and profound yet casual intimacy.

‘Night Hunger,’ a painting by Joan Cox

“It’s a big painting (50 x 60 inches). Really big, featuring partners on a sofa perfect to hang over a sofa,” she says with a chuckle. “For ‘Portraits,’ the idea is my painting and the other exciting works will be projected onstage at the Kennedy Center with music and dance sort of like mini-musicals.”

Completed in 2012, while Cox was part of a Massachusetts College of Art and Design

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residency program in Provincetown, “Night Hunger” proved a seminal moment for the artist both personally and professionally. “I’d been closeted for a long time, and this work helped me to deal with outness and where I wanted to go as an artist,” she says. ith its figures’ recumbent poses and direct engagement with the viewer, the work harks back to the Odalisque, a genre traditionally painted by and for men. But not so here. Cox says, “You can come into this intimate space, but not too far.”

The musical element of the collaboration comes compliments of Richard Cawson, a longtime singing member and commissioned composer for Atlanta’s OurSong, an LGBTQ choral group with a rich history and a strong commitment to promoting acceptance, diversity, and social justice through music.

After hearing Cox reflect on her painting, about it not being geared toward the male gaze, Clawson had an increasingly clearer vision as to what her vibrant painting was all about. Admittedly, he is guided more by words than images. He says, “words tell me where I’m going.”

Not comfortable as a lyricist, Clawson tapped friend Caroline Peacock, an amateur lesbian poet and fellow chorister at OurSong, to provide the words. She was happy to oblige.

When neither writing nor singing, Peacock is an Episcopal priest and chaplain educator who directs the Spiritual Health program at Emory Winship Cancer Institute. She says the lesbian connection with a work isn’t its only strength. It must be celebrated for its kindness and tenderness too.

The final bit of magic sprinkled upon the collaboration is choreography. ith or s, it’s James Ellzy, a family physician at the Defense Health Agency by day, and choreographer/dancer/chorister the rest of the time, who brings it together.

“By the time it gets to me, the painter, composer, and lyricist are done. But for the choreographer, it’s just starting,” Ellzy says. “My job is to explore the back story and bring it to life. For this piece, I’m using two blankets from the original painting and bringing them out to something new.”

A lyric from “For Us” reads “not for the gaze of men” The choreographed piece includes a female couple and dance corps who are purposely not looking at the two women at times, especially when the “gaze of men” is sung.

Ellzy’s connection with GMCW began as a guest artist in 2010 and then joining in 2011. He’s a baritone in the Chorus as well as a board member, and describes the interdisciplinary “Portraits” as extremely unusual but possibly comparable to Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday at the Park with George” in which the painting comes to life.

All the “For Us’” artists are honored to have been selected to participate, and are looking forward to their respective efforts being shown/sung/heard at the Kennedy Center, especially during Pride month. It’s not an everyday occurrence, they agree.

Cox is thrilled how the collaborative team has been absorbed in the artistic details of the personal details involving her 23-year long love story. She’s thrilled by the experience, saying “the work validates my journey as artist and an LGBTQ advocate.”

And Peacock, speaking for the group, sums it up: “It’s incredibly gratifying to do things that bring us joy, and when those things have a place in our world, it’s a great gift.”

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FILM

New Cyndi Lauper doc brings overdue spotlight to queer ally et the Canary Sing’ captures a uni ue, era-defining star

By JOHN PAUL KING Every era in our cultural memory has given rise to popular artists that helped to define them, but few can be said to have made as iconic an impact as Cyndi Lauper in the early ‘80s. Splashing onto our airwaves and across our television screens (courtesy of the newly minted MTV) with a defiantly upbeat and colorful blast of society-shifting energy, her proclamation that “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” caught the world off guard with a feminist anthem disguised as a goodtime party song, and her sense of quirky punk style became an iconic influence over the “look” of an entire decade. In some ways, you could almost say Cyndi Lauper was the ‘80s.

For many people who grew up or came of age during her rise from unknown girl singer to pop music phenomenon, that might be the extent of their knowledge of her life and career. Despite the success (and Grammy) she achieved with her first few hits, the ever-roving eye of public attention moved on to the next new superstar and her later efforts, while not exactly ignored, never managed to garner as much attention.

That doesn’t mean she has been inactive, though, as her die-hard fans (and there are many) well know; this is especially true in the queer community, where she has long been recognized and celebrated as a staunch ally – which is why it seems apt that Pride month should coincide with the release of “Let the Canary Sing,” a new documentary profile of Lauper that premieres on Paramount Plus this week.

Directed by Emmy-winning documentarian Alison Ellwood, “Canary” takes its name from a comment made by the judge in a legal case that opened the door for Lauper’s stardom – no spoilers here, you’ll have to watch the movie to find out more. It undertakes the telling of a well-rounded and comprehensive life story to cast that stardom in a new light. Maintaining a comfortable sense of chronology, it begins with Lauper’s childhood, growing up in Brooklyn (and later, Queens) in a close-knit family as the middle child of three siblings with a divorced single mother, and follows the trajectory of her life – rebellious, risk-taking teen to driven, passionate artist and activist – through her love of music, her rise to fame, her struggle to evolve in an industry that rewards comfortable familiarity, her emergence as an LGBTQ advocate, and her expansion into a genre-leaping artist whose reach has extended beyond pop culture and earned her renown for her versatility. It also covers her accomplishment as the first woman to win a Tony as sole composer of the music and lyrics for a Broadway musical (“Kinky Boots,” which also nabbed her another Grammy for its Original Cast Recording). Bolstered by – but not dependent on – extensive current interview footage with Lauper herself, as well as elder sister Elen and younger brother Fred, and other important figures from her personal and professional life, it finds an arc that reveals its subject as an authentic and uncompromising visionary dedicated to “lifting up” the entire human race.

That would sound hyperbolic – and probably more

6 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4

CYNDI LAUPER’s remarkable career is revisited in ‘Let the Canary Sing.’

than a little disingenuous – if Lauper did not come across so palpably on camera. Whether it’s footage from a decades-old Letterman show or newly filmed commentary shot specifically for the film, her “true colors” come shining through (forgive us for that one, we couldn’t resist) to provide ample evidence that, even if she didn’t always know where she was going, she always knew it was going to be her own way. Indeed, much of the reason behind Lauper’s fade from the pop spotlight was the result of her refusal to repeat herself, to compromise her own path by delivering pale copies of the formula that had made her an “overnight success” after 15 years of trying. Although the documentary doesn’t insinuate this, it’s impossible for us not to suspect that homophobic backlash following her public embrace and advocacy of the queer community – something surely intertwined with her close bond to lesbian sister Elen, who is positioned in Ellwood’s film as a key pillar of both emotional and artistic support in Lauper’s life – may have had something to do with the mainstream music industry’s ambivalence toward her as she pursued her artistic impulses beyond the flashy appeal of her debut album.

“She’s So Unusual,” as a title, proved to be an ironic foreshadowing of the very reasons she was unable to “stay in her own lane” well enough to remain in the good graces of a public (or, perhaps more truthfully, of record executives) that only wanted more of the same. Lauper has never been one to conform, and it’s made her vulnerable, like so many other unrelenting female voices both before and after her, to the mainstream insistence on reinforcement of the comfort-

able over the breaking down of boundaries.

“Let the Canary Sing” captures all of this succinctly, yet with layered and sophisticated nuance, as it pays its tribute to a pop icon whose seminal work has continued to resonate after more than 40 years. Inevitably, perhaps, it sometimes feels like a “Behind the Music” episode or a “puff piece” for an artist about to launch a new project – indeed, Lauper announced a “farewell tour” of 23 cities, as well as a “companion piece” greatest hits album release, on the eve of the movie’s streaming debut – but it pushes past such irrelevant comparisons thanks to the palpable sincerity that comes across onscreen not only from her but from all the people in her orbit whose comments about her are included in the film.

Of course, it must be said that anyone who’s not a fan of Cyndi Lauper, whether by virtue of generational gaps or personal tastes, will probably not be drawn to watch a filmic love letter to her, and that’s a shame.

It (and she) has the power to make viewers into true believers in not only her talent, but in her message of acceptance, inclusion, and unconditional love. Part of that, of course, is the result of Ellwood’s skill as a filmmaker and teller of real-life stories, but the lasting impact rests on the persona of Lauper herself, who exudes a genuine air of transcendence and makes us feel instantly not only comfortable, but completely “seen” and validated, no matter who we are or which spectrum we might be on.

It’s hard to fake the kind of sincerity that makes that possible, and nothing about “Canary” suggests it has any interest in being fake, anyway.

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NIGHTLIFE

.C.’s ueer nightlife scene thriving, bucking national trends

eep Cvnt, Crush, other bars and events keep city venues bustling

By JOE REBERKENNY The GBT population is still large in .C., with some John Etienne is familiar with the drifting sounds from vodestimates putting the number at just over , . istorika-fueled conversations and the tapping of feet against the cally the gayborhood, or primary GBT neighborhood floorboards of Trade, a gay bar in .C.’s ogan Circle. On was on th Street and in the upont Circle area. That has any other Thursday night, tienne a party host, judge, and changed as numbers have increased over the years, making ueer nightlife socialite would be up on the dance floor, the whole city feel like the gayborhood. sipping a gin and ginger ale, dancing to the new Beyonce Being one of the gayest cities in the world with one song with friends. of the gayest per capita populations that is kind of baked But this is not just any Thursday. into the fabric of the nightlife economy, said Salah C apary, Tonight he is sitting directly beneath the dance floor in a director of the .C. Mayor’s Office of ightlife and Culture, salon chair, adjusting his sparkly green dress and white gowhen asked about how the GBT community has changed go boots, flipping between checking his phone and looking the landscape of the city. If you look at these certain neighat the clock, waiting for the other judges to arrive. It is just borhoods th Street and upont , their character has reafter p.m. and eep Cvnt is about to begin. ally been defined by the gayborhood’ in the area. That has eep Cvnt is a mini ball deluxe-inspired party. tienne kind of changed and now you can’t really point to one area hosts the event once a month at Trade where ueer people as being the sole gayborhood. from across the city come to walk down a runway in categoThen the CO I pandemic happened, causing the ries, show off their best outfits to an established theme, and government to pause all non-essential businesses, including vogue the house down’ making the dive bar with a dance bars. After the pandemic, the growth in the number of gay floor feel like the set of a Paris is Burning. The party’s bars accelerated. I think that’s kind of just generally after name is based on a slur, reclaimed into a symbol of feminine CO I , people are willing to take a risk on something new, and ueer empowerment.

C apary explained when discussing the impact of the panuring the day, the -year-old works as a igital unddemic on the gay bar community. raising irector for the ouse Majority PAC. To him, gay bars d Bailey, a well-known and co-owner of gay bars that host events are instrumental in fostering a feeling of welTrade and umber ine, located around the corner from come and belonging for those who identify as GBT . each other in ogan Circle, agrees about the economic opor me It’s the sense of community, tienne said. I portunities CO I was able to provide but says that gay bar think that being able to go to a spot where there are people success boils down to the economics of real estate. who are like me, in some shape or form being that they’re I have a very boring and not very sexy answer to why I ueer or from a marginali ed community, and can find refthink these things happen, Bailey said when explaining the uge in these spots is something that’s incredibly important. history of the prominent locations of gay bars in .C. At the And then, too, I think that these ueer spaces are just a lot end of the day, it’s all about real estate. Over time the gay more fun. community’s bars, restaurants, and nightclubs that catered istorically gay bars have acted as places for the GBT specifically to, or were owned by, gay people were in undercommunity to gather, celebrate, and mobili e for political developed neighborhoods It wasn’t available to us to be causes when the general attitude was more hostile to the in the high-priced areas. All the clubs and the bars were kind community. .C.’s uni ue ueer nightlife scene sets it apart of on the other side of town,’ whatever that meant. from other major gay hubs, like ew ork or San rancisco, Bailey said the CO I - pandemic helped create a path due to the city’s number of welcoming spaces, its business for the current sprouting of gay bars all over .C., especialappeal, and the strong presence of the federal government ly in what are the mainstream, popular areas. I think luckily in its culture, allowing for the country’s capital city to be a the pandemic, at least in .C., did open up an opportunity statistical anomaly. for a number of entrepreneurs to say ey I have an option ationwide, gay bars have been on the decline since the here.’ Some of these businesses are looking for people to s. amron’s Travel Guide, a database that has been rebuy them out or to move in, and so a bunch of people took cording the locations and ratings of ueer gay bars since advantage of that. the s, found that in the year there were approxThe GBT community has always had a presence in the imately , gay bars across the nited States. A recent city. It has been recorded that as early as the s, ashstudy published in the ational ibrary of Medicine found ington had become a space recogni ed for its ability to that the number of gay bars in the .S. has nearly been cut bring GBT people together. in half, with only ueer-identified bars in existence deI feel like every time I take two steps, I run into another spite increasing numbers of public support for the GBT gay person, tienne said about living in ogan Circle and community. the ueerness of the city. I love it. I also think about the naThis trend is occurring at the same time as a record numture of what goes on in .C. istorically, the government has ber of anti- GBT legislation is popping up in state legalways had a significant number of gay people working for islatures across the .S. According to the American Civil it. ooking back to the avender Scare and even before then iberties nion, more than anti- GBT bills have been it’s always been a spot where gay men have either come introduced so far in . These laws restrict the ability of professionally or personally. transgender Americans to get gender-affirming care, force Mark Meinke, a -year-old self-described gay historian teachers to out their students to parents, and ban irst founded The ainbow istory Project, an organi ation that Amendment-protected actions like performing in drag, works to collect, preserve and promote the history and among other issues. culture of the diverse GBT communities in metropolitan Meanwhile the number of bars that cater to the GBT ashington, .C. is research supports exactly what ticommunity in the nation’s capital has increased from six in enne described. to at least in .

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Deep Cvnt is a ‘mini ball deluxe-inspired party.’

Between the s through the s, most of the gay spaces were owned by straight people, Meinke said.

A conse uence of this, he explains, is that there was less of an outward recognition of these spaces as being GBT friendly, keeping the community a secret. Tolerance comes and tolerance goes, he said as he explained why the number of accepting spaces increased and decreased during that time.

This fluctuation of accepting bar owners began to change in the s, as places that offered a safe space for GBT people to meet, dance, drink, celebrate, and politically organi e became more fre uent and owned by more GBT people. Meinke was able to track the increase of acceptance for the GBT community by collecting advertisements from past issues of the ashington Blade originally called the Gay Blade from the s on as more gay-owned or more publicly gay-friendly establishments began to distribute the newspaper. Meinke also tracked additional gay literature in these gay bars, like that of ranklin ameny’s Mattachine Society literature and their Gay Is Good buttons. The literature ameny distributed was some of the first documented forms of GBT activism in the .S. and encouraged GBT people to mobili e.

Meinke noticed that during this time, one gay bar called oAnna’s on ighth Street in Southeast .C. became a popular designation for gay people after the owner installed a dance floor.

In , in Capitol ill with oAnna’s, a new social option had emerged for women, one with a dance floor, Meinke said. In his presentation for the ashington istorical Conference titled The Social Geography of ashington, .C.’s Gay, esbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Community, Meinke said that the gay community wanted more gay dance floors.

This inspired others in the gayborhood to create more dance spaces. ohnnie’s across the street from oAnna’s saw the future and installed a postage stamp-sized dance floor, and began getting lots of customers Same-sex dancing in the clubs was perhaps one of the greatest innovations on the social scene in the s, Meinke wrote. ot only did the expanding gay bar scene impact who was visiting the city, but the presence of the federal government and the number of universities located in the area also helped attract the gay community, Meinke explained.

As more GBT people moved to .C. to pursue careers related to the federal government, a backlash was brewing and created a time we now call the McCarthy era. This era, which extended from the early s into the s, brought in political repression of left-leaning individuals in .C. This repression and eventual prosecution of people based on the fear of communism was led by isconsin Sen. oseph McCarthy and became a major part of the epublican Party’s platform. This fear also heightened political tensions, eventually leading to epublicans accusing homosexuals of espionage. This period was known as the avender Scare.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 76

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NIGHTLIFE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72

Looking back — and ahead — at D.C.’s vibrant nightlife scene Robert Connelly, an adjunct senior professorial lecturer for American University’s Critical Race Gender and Culture Studies Department, explained that this scare was real for many LGBTQ people working in the government. “In [McCarthy’s] mind, homosexuals’ perceived duplicity and emotional instability made them susceptible to foreign espionage and blackmail, you know, which meant that the gays were giving away our secrets, Connelly said.

This fear prompted the 34th president to take more legal action against the LGBTQ people working in government. hen isenhower took office in , one of his first executive orders that he signed was xecutive Order , Connelly explained. This codified the exclusion of perverts from government employment and thousands of lives were ruined because of this in the early s. This homophobia eventually led to the firing of thousands of GBT people within the federal government during the s and s.

This systematic injustice triggered many LGBTQ people to adapt techniques other marginalized communities were using, mostly inspired by the increasingly successful Civil Rights movement, to politically mobilize and reclaim their power.

The homophile movement, one of the earliest precursors to the modern gay rights movement, had major players located in ashington to help push for gay rights. The activism ignited by LGBTQ people during this time endured for decades, addressing a multitude of issues, including anti-war protests and the fight for expanded civil rights.

Some, like Chadd owding, , a regular patron of gay bars across ashington said that ashington’s gay bar scene has been successful due to the high number of LGBTQ resi-

7 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 07, 202 4

dents and their desire to feel connected to their community.

“I think D.C. has the largest gay population per capita of any city in the country, so that draws a larger audience of ueer folks here, he said. According to the illiams Institute, D.C. still holds the highest percentage in the U.S. “I think there’s also a need for spaces for community, mostly because a lot of people in D.C. are transplants from other parts of the country.

Others, ike Bombshell Monroe, a drag ueen from the House of Mulan (a chosen family, that works to support and mentor queens in Balls and beyond) said that contrarian attitudes are baked into the nature of the city.

As Bombshell slipped on her flower-adorned flared jeans and orange tank top, getting ready to make her first appearance on the dance floor of Trade for eep Cvnt, matching the spring bling theme of the night, she explained why she felt D.C.’s gay nightlife has been able to grow.

“I feel like D.C. has always been a place of independence and where people, even if we’re not accepted, will fight to be accepted,” Bombshell said while pulling on a fuzzy white and orange bucket hat. “I’m D.C. born and raised and can attest personally. I think that it’s so crazy because it’s political, but it’s not political. I feel like once we get the pushback from other states, we’re the ones that take it and say, ell, bitch e got something for y’all. You don’t want the gay bars here, we’re gonna put another one here ’ And put another one they did. ithin the past three years, at least six new gay bars have opened up with very different styles and goals. Some bars cater to particular groups within the GBT community, like that of Thurst ounge on th

Street . ., which is a predominantly Black gay space. As ou Are Bar, at th St., S. ., seeks to make an accessible and comfortable space for all in the LGBTQ community, focusing on often overlooked female and non-binary members of the community. Others focus on creating uni ue nightlife experiences, like that of the craft cocktails in Logan Circle’s Little Gay Pub with its Instagram and Grindr famous selfie mirror, or like that of the freshly opened Crush bar, focusing on creating a dance bar for GBT people. egardless of the specific reason people visit gay bars, It is clear that they offer platforms to authentically express queer identity in a world that does not always deem this acceptable.

If we get to a point where we have to start sacrificing more physical spaces for online ones, these spaces could be easily invaded by people who may not have the best intentions,” tienne said, preparing to head up the scuffed stairs to Beyonce’s Jolene. “There is something very valuable about having a physical space with a physical location because, at the end of the day, that’s what we have fought for.”

As the lights dimmed the Trade dance floor began to hush.

A path opened up in front of the stage as the crowd of floral wearing ballroom fans stepped back, accommodating tienne’s entrance. ith the glittery green dress, knee-high gogo boots, and oversized sunglasses it is clear he is in charge of the night.

“Since this is Deep Cvnt I need everyone to raise their hand up, tienne said with a smile. And now put it below your waist. Check how deep your motherfucking cunt is.” The crowd roared with laughter and cheers. “Alright let’s get into it eep Cvnt has begun.

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Pride Month: My 2-Phased Coming Out 55 Years Ago Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and the 55th anniversary of the riots at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, that have been promoted as the founding event of the modern movement. I was not there but was not an accidental but quite deliberate gay activist out on the West Coast when that transpired.

For me, the movement was founded by the rise of gay activism amid the general civil rights and anti-war ferment in the late 1960s, led by courageous souls like my friends the late Lilli Vincenz, Frank Kameny and Larry Kramer and my close collaborator, fellow San Francisco area Gay Liberation Front activist Jim Rankin, who co-founded with me The Effeminist newspaper in the San Francisco area in 1971. We in San Francisco were bumping along in our activism and did not learn about the Stonewall riots until months afterward, and years before the famous Harvey Milk arrived on the scene.

My “coming out” in that era was to move beyond an internal and dangerous decision to dive into the already-well established gay scene in San Francisco beginning in the early spring of 1969, three months before Stonewall.

I set my stage for that by, as a graduate seminarian across the bay in Berkeley, responding to a participating as, you might say, a closeted “Doubting Thomas” for three days of well-attended events in the Tenderloin of San Francisco hosted by the Council on Religion and the Homosexual in October 1968. Activists like Larry Littlejohn and the legendary couple of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon led panels. That memorable event culminated with an invitation to a Halloween costume ball that shook me to the core and made me want to come out.

EVENTS

The second phase of my “coming out” was to step up into visible, public activism, which happened probably toward the end of 1969, but I cannot recall if there was any single incident, thought or decision which caused me to do that. My public activopenly-gay speaker at a huge anti-war march and rally in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 1970. Co-founding the Berkeley chapter of the GLF, my colleagues and I opted for a more radical approach to claiming our true identities for ourselves and for the world to see.

Who remembers the old Rendezvous bar on Sutter Street in San Francisco? I moved from where I had been working for three years while in seminary to a Union Square to be closer to the action. I often went to bed or got in as daylight began to the sound of San Francisco’s legendary cable cars passing right below my third story window, starting with the distinctive sound of the cables, themselves, being activated for the day, about a half hour beLooking back, it was quite romantic in the generic sense with the large window looking right out onto Powell, just doors down from the intersection with Geary.

There was a sink and a small refrigerator in the room, but the shower and toilet were down the hall and shared with others. There were a number of such apartment buildings like that in the area in those days, and I bounced around a number of them over the next few years, feeling I had really come up in the world when I got one with its own shower and toilet.

In those days, Polk Street was the center of the gay world, years before Castro Street.

While I don’t recall what incident might have precipitated my decision to bolt to the front of the line as a public gay activist, it happened in far less than a year of the Rendezvous and other gay bars around that area. bravery then is hard to fathom, except that it happened in the context of an imperfect community of like-minded persons and in keeping with those tumultuous times, was highly appropriate.

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A scene from 2022’s Latinx Pride. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Latinx Pride seeks to help heal the community

Much history lost to generations of colonialism

By OMARI FOOTE The Latinx History Project will host its 18th annual Latinx Pride with a series of 11 events this year.

Latinx History Project, or LHP, was founded in 2000 to collect, preserve and share atinx GBT istory. Six years later, they began hosting C atinx Pride.

Board member Dee Tum-Monge said organizers saw a need for the event that centered Latinx community members.

“LHP knows our queer history as Latinx folks has most often been lost to generations of colonialism and imperialism,” they said.

“Which is why we focus on documenting and highlighting the impact our community has in D.C. and beyond.”

According to UCLA School of Law, there are more than two milA scene from 2022’s Latinx Pride. lion Latinx LGBTQ adults that live (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) in the U.S. “Events specifically for the Latinx community are important not only to make our experience visible but also to create spaces where we can grow closer with other groups and each other,” said Tum-Monge.

This year they kicked off DC Latinx Pride with a crowning ceremony for their royal court on May .

Their three-part series, “La Sanación”, is underway with part two planned for June 16.

“Sanación in Spanish means ‘healing’ which is a big part of what we want to bring to Pride,” said Tum-Monge. “Our communities go through a lot of trauma and hate, but we know there’s more to us. Our goal is to foster connection with ourselves, nature, community, and spirituality.”

In conjunction with the series there is a slate of other events; tickets can be purchased at latinxhistoryproject.org/pride.

In addition, Latinx Pride will march in the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday and participate in the festival on Sunday. To stay involved with Latinx History Project after Pride and hear more about future events visit latinxhistoryproject.org.

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EVENTS

Pride week events roundup

Your guide to LGBTQ celebrations throughout the DMV

By MICHAEL KEY vip.

The D.C. Metro area is awash in rainbow bunting as workThe Capital Pride Alliance holds its Flashback Tea ers at local venues prepare for the throng of revelers celDance at the end of the parade route Constitution Ave. ebrating Pride. The 2024 Capital Pride Parade and Festival and 6th St., N.W.) from 3-9 p.m. in partnership with KINETIC to be held over the weekend is expected to draw several Presents. The DJ lineup includes Cake Pop, Robbie Leslie hundred thousand people to the region. But the fun doesn’t and DJ Joe Gauthreaux. Vocalist Max Rae is also scheduled end with the main public gatherings; there are parties and to perform. Tickets run from $10-$15, but entry is included events scheduled throughout the week. Here is a sampling for all Parade contingents and the KINETIC Presents general of D.C.-area Pride events that you won’t want to miss. admission and VIP Weekend Passholders.

Friday, June 7 Scorpio Entertainment, Tezrah Productions and As You Are present Pride Rewind: The Official Sapphic Queer Sixth I I St., . . is holding a Pride Shabbat on Dance Party at p.m. at The S uare St., . . . The Friday with a happy hour at 6, service at 7 and dinner at 8:15. event is billed as having multiple DJs, “electrifying live perRegistration required. $36. You can get more information formances,” as well as vintage video and board games. Tickat sixthandi.org event pride-shabbat- . ets are $20-$35. The event is 18+. Tickets may be purchased Bet Mischpachah holds a Pride Shabbat and drag happy at PrideRewind.com. hour at the Edlavitch D.C. Jewish Community Center (1529 The Washington Blade and Capital Pride Alliance present 16th St., N.W.) at 8 p.m. Jessica Stern, U.S. Special Envoy U.S. a night filled with heat-filled roasts, laughter, comedy, and Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, spectacular entertainment with the inaugural Capital Pride Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQ+) Roast on Saturday from p.m. at Penn Social C persons, will be the special guest. Shabbat services will be E Street, N.W.). Roastees this year include Blair Michaels and led by Rabbi Jake Singer-Beilin.

Lena Lett. Legendary drag artist Shi-Queeta Lee is serving as Gottmik of uPaul’s rag ace performs at Crush the 2024 Roast Mistress. $15 admission at the door, $10 ad14th St., N.W.) tonight around 10 p.m. with a meet-andvance tickets. Tickets may be purchased at capitalpride.org. greet scheduled for 9 p.m. Limited (free) tickets to the meetTake time to cool off at the Capital Pride Trans Pool Parand-greet are available at crushbardc.com events. cover. ty tonight from p.m. at I A Penthouse Pool and Pretty Bitter, Bryce Bowyn and Ari Voxx perform at ounge St., . ., th floor . admission includes the Queer Music Rock and Drag Show: A Pride Kick-Off entry and light refreshments. Tickets may be purchased Party at Metrobar hode Island Ave., . . from at capitalpride.org. p.m. Drag performers Evry Pleasure, Ruth Allen Ginsberg, The Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) is holdBrooke N Hymen and Hennessy are also slated to entertain. ing LOBO (Lights Out, Barks Out)! Pride 2024 on SaturThe event is free, but tickets are available on Eventbrite. day starting at 9 p.m. No cover. 21+. Pet, handler, furry and The Capital Pride Alliance holds the giant RIOT! The kink friendly with all genders welcome.

Capital Pride Official Opening Party tonight at chostage I TIC Presents holds its Pride Under the Sea event (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) from 9 p.m.-3:30 a.m. The at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) with pop star event stars Sapphira Cristál of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and feaSlayyyter and DJs Dani Basil and Jerac. The party runs from tures dancers, s, drag and more. . urther infor10 p.m. until 4 a.m. The event is 18+. Tickets are $60 and can mation is available at capitalpride.org. be purchased on kineticpresents.com.

Saturday, June 8

The massive Capital Pride Parade is held with its new route on Saturday. The parade is slated to begin at 1844 14th St., N.W. at 3 p.m., move through Shaw, Logan Circle, downtown and the Penn Quarter neighborhoods, and end on Pennsylvania Avenue. The event is free to the public and draws tens of thousands of spectators. Grand Stand tickets as well as accessible viewing reservations are available on Capital Pride’s website. More information is available at capitalpride.org event parade.

If you want to settle in one place during the parade to grab a refreshing beverage and catch some entertainment, you might check out the Capital Pride 17th Street Pride Block Party from - p.m. today along th Street, . . between P and S streets. The Block Party includes a “family area” at Stead Park between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The Washington Blade holds its annual not-to-bemissed Pride on the Pier and Fireworks Show at The Wharf istrict S uare, S. . today from p.m.

There will be music, vendors and drag entertainment as well as a giant screen with live images from the Capital Pride Parade winding through the city. The event is free and open to the public, but VIP tickets are available for an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catering and open bar. To purchase tickets , go to prideonthepierdc.com

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Sunday, June 9

If you are still up for a good party late into the night, the Cherry Fund is hosting an after-hours event at Flash (645 lorida Ave., . . from - a.m. on Sunday. The Official Capital Pride After Hours event features Australian superstar DJ Kitty Glitter. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Red Bear Brewing Company (209 M St., N.E.) is holding a Pride Divas Drag Brunch hosted by esir e ik on Sunday at noon. Tickets are $25 and are available on Eventbrite.

Performers include Hennessy, Silver Ware Sidora, The Baphomette, Fennic B. Foxx and Johnny Alucard.

The main event, the Capital Pride Festival and Concert, draws thousands of participants to Pennsylvania Avenue on Sunday. The festival features performances, music, food, and more than 300 exhibitors. The event is free and open to the public, though VIP Concert Zone tickets are available to get a spot near the stage with a private bar, restrooms, and more. Performers include Ava Max, Billy Porter, xpos , Sapphira Christál and KeKe Palmer. The event concludes with the Sunset Dance Party from - p.m. More information is available at capitalpride.org. uPaul’s rag ace star Shea Couleé will be performing at Howard Theatre tonight at 9 p.m. Tickets are $31 and

The Washington Blade holds its annual Pride on the Pier and W J .

are available at thehowardtheatre.com.

Monday, June 10

Center aith is holding the st annual Pride Interfaith Service at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) on Monday at 7 p.m. There will be a memorial tribute to Center Faith Co-Founder Allan Armus. Music from the GenOut Youth Chorus will be featured.

Thursday, June 13 The ordic mbassies are holding a Nordics for Equality: Pride Movie Screening at the mbassy of Sweden (2900 K St., N.W.) at 7:30 p.m. There will be a reception followed by screening of short films on the rooftop of the ouse of Sweden by ordic filmmakers. The event is free, though registration is re uired for attendance https bit. ly.

I poh .

Friday, June 14

Our friendly Baltimore neighbors begin their Pride festivities with Mt. Vernon Pride at . ead St. in Baltimore from 2-7 p.m. on June 14. More information is available at baltimorepride.org.

Baltimore Pride continues with the Twilight on the Terrace: the premier gala event hosted by the Pride Center of Maryland. The event includes food, an open bar, dancing and music. The gala will be held at 10 Art Museum Dr. in Baltimore. Tickets are $150 +fees and can be purchased at baltimorepride.org.

Saturday, June 15

The Baltimore Pride Parade and Block Party are scheduled for Saturday from 12-7 p.m. along N. Charles Street in Baltimore. It is one of the largest LGBTQ Pride Parades in the region and draws thousands of revelers, marchers, and spectators. More information can be found at baltimorepride.org.

Wild Side Media is holding a Walk on the Wild Side Pride Block Party on Saturday, une from p.m. to midnight at Dock5 (1309 5th St., N.E.). The Union Market District event is set to “celebrate D.C.’s vibrant arts scene.” Tickets run from . and are available at bit.ly walkonthewildsidepride2024.

Sunday, June 16

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents its show “PORTRAITS” at the ennedy Center St., N.W.) at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $28.75 and may be purchased at kenndy-center.org.

Baltimore Pride concludes with the Pride in the Park festival event at Druid Hill Park (900 Druid Park Lake Dr., Baltimore). There will be music, entertainment, vendors, food, activities, and more.

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Pride Honors

Annual awards ceremony celebrates accomplishments of LGBTQ community (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The Capital Pride Alliance held its annual Pride Honors at the MGM National Harbor on Friday, May 31. The event was hosted by Lorenzo Hall. Awardees included Hope Giselle, Jamison Henninger, Kenya Hutton, Carol Jameson, Tula, José Alberto Uclés, Iya Dammons, Bryan Davis, William Hawkins, and Destination D.C.

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Rockville Pride

Annual LGBTQ celebration held in Maryland suburb (Washington Blade photos by Emily Hanna)

The City of Rockville’s Human Rights Commission held the eighth annual Rockville Pride at Rockville Town Square in Rockville, Md. on Sunday, June 2.

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REAL ESTATE

Totally radical home buying

e should celebrate advancement of homeownership rights

By VALERIE M. BLAKE

The phrase “totally radical” came of age in the s and was defined as cool, wonderful, or awesome. Its synonym, wicked, can be found in nearly all Ben Affleck movies and a cry of Excellent! will bring back memories of an adventure had by Bill Alex inter and Ted eanu eeves in .

Although some people are not ready for cocooning yet, homeownership is still a cornerstone of financial strength and wealth building. or GBT individuals, owning a home can provide a sense of economic security and a sanctuary where they can express their personalities freely and without fear of discrimination or harassment. hether house, condominium, or cooperative apartment, owning a place to chill allows you to build a legacy and provide for future generations. It offers the stability needed to plan for the future, whether that involves raising a family, supporting aging parents, or ensuring a spouse’s or partner’s financial security. omeowners are also more likely to invest in their communities, fostering strong, inclusive, bitchin’ neighborhoods. or many GBT people, a home is In the istrict, which prides itself on diversity. omeownership allows individuals to create personal spaces that reflect their identities and values,

contribute to the city’s rich cultural tapestry, support local businesses, and participate in community events and governance.

The journey toward homeownership for gay individuals has evolved over the years, reflecting broader societal changes and the struggle for GBT rights. The stark contrast between the ’ s and now highlights the progress made, the challenges that still exist, and future uncertainties brought forth by the space cadets in our political system.

In the s, homeownership for gay people was bogus. The decade was marked by lame, pervasive discrimination and limited legal protections. The I AI S epidemic further stigmati ed the gay community, intensifying societal prejudices. This climate of fear and hostility permeated various aspects of life, including the housing market.

Gay individuals faced overt discrimination from landlords, real estate agents, and mortgage lenders, even in the rental market. It was not uncommon for same-sex couples to be denied housing simply because of their sexual orientation. ven in the late ’ s I had clients looking for homes in Prince illiam County, a., who had to hightail it out of an open house when told to take a hike. I kid you not! inancial institutions were often unwilling

to grant mortgages to same-sex couples or openly gay individuals. hen they did, the terms were often less favorable than those offered to heterosexual couples. This made the dream of homeownership significantly harder to achieve, even though DINKs dual income, no kids tended to have more household income than so-called traditional families.

Additionally, the lack of legal recognition for same-sex relationships posed harsh challenges. ithout the ability to marry, samesex couples faced difficulties in co-owning property and ensuring that their partner had legal rights to the home. state planning was complicated, as inheritance laws did not recogni e same-sex partners, potentially leading to the loss of a home upon a partner’s death.

The landmark Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. odges, which legali ed samesex marriage nationwide, was a fantabulous moment. This ruling provided same-sex couples with the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, including the ability to jointly own property and inherit without complication.

Anti-discrimination laws have also evolved. The definition of sex under the ederal air ousing Act has been expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity, as have protected classes in Maryland and irginia. The istrict has taken that a step further our protected classes also include gender expression and personal appearance.

Organi ations like the C Center for the GBT Community and the ational Association of Gay and esbian eal state Professionals AG P offer resources and advocacy for GBT homebuyers. These organi ations provide educational workshops, networking opportunities, and support to navigate the housing market.

The advancement of homeownership rights for gay people is a testament to the righteous resilience and determination of the GBT community. As society continues to strive for e uality, it is essential to address the remaining challenges to ensure that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can achieve the goal of homeownership.

In , the only limitations on owning a home are finding one and being able to afford it. Pride weekend is a great time to go to open houses. ou’ll probably be walking right by several.

But if you’re not ready yet and just feel like getting your ’ s jams on, grab your disco balls and check out the Totally Tubular estival at The Anthem at The harf on uly .

I’ll be Desperately Seeking Susan and will, as they used to say in the ’ s, catch you on the ip op.

Valerie M. Blake is a licensed Associate Broker in DC, MD & VA with RLAH Real Estate / @properties. Call or text her at (202) 246-8602, email her at www.

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