The meme-ification of Kamala Harris
Young, queer voters
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D.C.’s Democratic delegates back Harris for president
The 51 delegates from D.C. to the 2024 Democratic National Convention scheduled to convene Aug. 19 in Chicago voted unanimously on July 23 to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for U.S. president, according to a statement released by the D.C. Democratic Party.
Among the D.C. delegates voting to back Harris were local gay Democratic activists Earl Fowlkes, John Fanning, Jimmie Williams, and David Meadows, who will be among a yet unknown but expected to be a sizable number of LGBTQ delegates at the Democratic National Convention from across the country.
“Vice President Harris is a proven leader who will build toward a better future, protect our freedoms and autonomy in D.C. and will fight to win,” a statement released by the D.C. Democratic Party says. “The stakes couldn’t be any higher this upcoming election and the D.C. Delegation is excited to unite for Harris at the convention in Chicago this August,” it says.
“Folks are feeling inspired under the leadership of Vice President Harris,” D.C. Democratic Party Chair and delegate Charles Wilson said in the statement. “We are
energized and ready to work together to strive toward a better democracy and making D.C. statehood a reality,”
Wilson said.
With no known opponents surfacing so far to challenge
Harris for the Democratic nomination, most political observers expect her to emerge as the Democratic nominee with overwhelming support at the Chicago convention.
Gay Va. couple dies in N.Y. plane crash
A gay couple from Virginia died on July 22 when their small plane crashed shortly after it took off from an airport on New York’s Long Island.
The Associated Press reported Christopher Kucera, 46, of Fredericksburg and Zachary Hatcher, 43, of King George, died when their single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza A36 crashed around 6:15 p.m. shortly after it took off from MacArthur Airport in Suffolk County.
The AP noted the Suffolk County Police Department in a press release said Kucera was piloting the plane. It crashed as Kucera tried to return it to the runway.
The Fredericksburg Free Press reported Hatcher was to become the new CEO of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region, a Fredericksburg-based
philanthropic organization, on Aug. 5. The newspaper said Kucera was an air and space engineer and an experienced pilot.
NBC New York reported Kucera and Hatcher were visiting friends on Long Island before the crash.
“They were dear friends and integral to our community,” said the Community Foundation in a statement.
Mike Kucera told the Fredericksburg Free Press his brother “died doing what he loved most and with the man he loved most. We are grateful for that.”
“Considering the loss of power so soon after takeoff, Chris is a hero for avoiding casualties on the ground,” added Mike Kucera.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Man convicted in murder of gay man in Fairfax gets 28 years
A Fairfax County, Va., Circuit Court judge on July 26 handed down a sentence of 28 years in prison for a 31-year-old man convicted by a jury of second-degree murder for the June 10, 2023, stabbing death of a Fairfax City man after the man propositioned him for sex.
At a sentencing hearing Judge Michael Devine sentenced Fairfax County resident Aaron Robertson to 40 years in prison but suspended 12 years, requiring Robertson to serve a total of 28 years. The judge included in the sentence a requirement that Robertson serve 10 years on probation after his release from jail.
A statement released by the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office at the time of Robertson’s conviction on May 9 said Robertson had been charged with killing Luis Barahona Reyes, 50, in an apparent act of revenge after the two men got off a bus
in Fairfax City and Barahona Reyes asked Robertson if he would like to engage in sex.
“Robertson and Mr. Barahona Reyes were unknown to each other when they got off the same bus on Draper Street in Fairfax City around 11 p.m. on the night of June 9, 2023,” the statement said. “After a brief conversation, Robertson lured Mr. Barahona Reyes to a parking lot behind 9715 Fairfax Blvd., where Robertson knocked the victim unconscious,” according to the statement.
“Roberson later returned to the scene in the early morning hours of June 10, where he proceeded to beat, stab, and eventually kill Mr. Barahona Reyes,” the statement continues. “Robertson then left and returned a third time to clean up the scene and try to dispose of the victim’s body.”
The statement adds, “Substantial forensic evidence
introduced at trial connected Robertson to the murder, including the victim’s blood on his shoes and Robertson’s own DNA under the victim’s fingernails.”
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in the statement that he was “personally dismayed that this type of crime could happen in this day and age, especially in a community like Fairfax County that prides itself on being welcoming.” Descano added, “Mr. Barahona Reyes’ death is tragic, and the fact that he may have been killed for his sexuality only further adds to the injustice.”
Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, said under Virginia law, the sentencing range for a second-degree murder conviction is between five to 40 years.
“So, this is a very strong sentence,” she added.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
The 51 delegates from D.C. to the 2024 Democratic National Convention voted unanimously to support Vice President KAMALA HARRIS (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
(YouTube screenshot via Kanal13)
Emails reveal Vance’s anti-LGBTQ pivot
Written correspondence between U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and transgender attorney Sofia Nelson, a former friend and Yale Law School classmate, sheds new light on the extent of the Trump critic-turned-running mate’s right-wing, anti-LGBTQ pivot.
In about 90 emails that the Detroit-based public defender shared with the New York Times, which were largely dated from 2014 through 2017, the Republican
vice presidential nominee emerges as a thoughtful and respectful debate partner who, in one instance, took pains to apologize for inaccurately referring to Nelson as a lesbian in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”
“I hope that you recognize that the description came from a place of ignorance, when I first started writing [the book] years ago,” he wrote. “I hope you’re not offended, but if you are, I’m sorry! Love you, JD.”
The two ultimately fell out in 2021 over Vance’s endorsement of an Arkansas bill banning gender affirming care for patients younger than 18. Then, as the author and attorney pursued his political ambitions, he firmly embraced the Republican Party’s anti-LGBTQ extremism.
In 2022, Vance came out against the Respect for Marriage Act, a law supported by 12 GOP senators that codified legal protections for married same-sex and interracial couples. Shortly after he took office the following year, when far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (RGa.) proposed a nationwide gender affirming care ban with criminal penalties for healthcare providers of up to 15 years in prison, Vance introduced the companion bill in the Senate.
The senator has also espoused anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, including in campaign appearances with Trump. On social media, he endorsed the “groomer” slur against
opponents of laws criminalizing classroom discussion of matters concerning sexual orientation and gender identity.
Along with his vocal criticism of former President Donald Trump, which was well documented before he officially joined the 2024 GOP ticket on July 15, Vance’s positions on policy matters as reflected in the exchanges with Nelson stand in stark contrast with those espoused since his campaign for and election to the Senate in 2022.
For instance, Vance voiced support for “anything that puts cops back in the mindset of service and protection instead of control and coercion,” proclaiming “I hate the police. Given the number of negative experiences I’ve had in the past few years, I can’t imagine what a Black guy goes through.”
As Trump campaigned on proposals to stem immigration from Muslim countries in 2015, Vance told Nelson “I worry most of all about how welcome Muslim citizens feel in their own country.” Americans have always been susceptible to “demagogues willing to exploit the people who believe crazy shit,” he lamented.
In another exchange about the former president, he wrote “the more white people feel like voting for Trump, the more Black people will suffer. I really believe that.”
CHRISTOPHER KANE
Biden ‘proud’ of his legacy on LGBTQ rights, he tells the Blade
President Joe Biden said he is “proud” of his legacy on LGBTQ rights in response to a question from the Washington Blade as he stopped to talk with reporters after midnight on Tuesday on his way back to the White House from the South Lawn.
“I’m very proud of my position,” he said. “I was the first guy to come out for gay marriage” in 2012 when serving as vice president under former President Barack Obama.
Biden’s remarks, during an interview with David Gregory on “Meet the Press,” hastened the administration’s embrace of same-sex marriage and led to Obama’s announcement days later of his support for marriage equality.
Also in response to the Blade question, Biden shared a story he has told since at least 2014.
When he was a teenager in the 1960s in Wilmington, Del., “My dad was dropping me off to get a license to be a lifeguard in the city,” Biden said. “When we get out
of the car, two guys leaned in and kissed each other. I’d never seen that before.”
“I looked at my dad,” the president continued, “and he said, ‘Joey, it’s simple, they love each other.’ It’s simple. That’s my position.”
Biden was returning from a trip to Texas, where he delivered remarks to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act during a visit to the L.B.J. Presidential Library in Austin, followed by an event in Houston where he paid respects to the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who died from cancer on July 19.
Taking other questions from reporters, the president said he hopes his legacy for Gen Z will be the economy and the environment.
Asked when he would campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris in her 2024 presidential bid, Biden said he had done so during his trip to Texas. On the question of whom he would support to run alongside Harris, he said “we’ll talk.”
CHRISTOPHER KANE
HRC event raises $300,000 for Harris campaign
The Human Rights Campaign raised more than $300,000 and enlisted more than 1,500 new volunteers to support the vice president’s 2024 presidential campaign with the organization’s Out for Kamala Harris virtual event on Thursday night.
Delivering remarks before an audience of about 20,000 listeners were a slate of LGBTQ leaders including trailblazing elected officials, celebrities and other public figures, and officials representing the Harris 2024 campaign and advocacy groups including HRC, the National LGBTQ+ Task Force Action Fund, and Advocates 4 Trans Equality.
The speakers discussed Harris’s work fighting to ex-
pand rights and freedoms throughout her career, her historic bid to take on Donald Trump and their confidence in her ability to win, the state of the race nearly 100 days out from Election Day, and the stakes in November with respect to queer and transgender communities, reproductive rights, and the preservation of America’s democratic institutions.
They also celebrated the Biden-Harris administration’s record of accomplishment over the past four years — and the legacy President Joe Biden will leave behind after bookending his five decades in elected office by announcing his decision on Sunday to exit the 2024 race in favor of clearing the path for his vice pres -
ident to earn the Democratic Party’s nomination.
“I am so grateful to President Joe Biden and the greatest decision that he made, to pass the torch to Kamala Harris to be that standard bearer that helps us think of ‘what can be, without being burdened by what has been,’ right, as our good soon-to-be president says,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. :This time, we’re not just choosing between two candidates. We are choosing between two different futures for our country, two different futures for our kids, at a moment where we’ve got to make sure, make it clear, and make it explicit.”
CHRISTOPHER KANE
U.S. Sen. JD VANCE (R-Ohio) speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Marine One lands on the South Lawn of the White House with President Joe Biden after midnight earlier this week. (Blade photo by Christopher Kane)
Paris Olympics: More queer athletes, medals, Pride — less Grindr A
roundup of the latest LGBTQ headlines from the Summer Games
By DAWN ENNIS
The first days of the Olympic Summer Games in Paris have been a mélange of powerful LGBTQ representation, queer controversy, hookup hiccups and unwelcome weather that started all wet and has turned scorching hot.
Weather Woes
The opening ceremony on the Seine was spectacular but soaked athletes, performers, and spectators to the bone. And when the rain finally moved on, it left the famed river that was supposed to serve as one leg of the men’s triathlon too polluted for competition, for now. That event is now postponed, in spite of the cleanup efforts that cost Paris $1.5 billion.
But now the athletes have gone from riders on the storm to a different kind of soaking: Sweating in the 95-degree heat on Tuesday, about 11-degrees above average for this time of year in France’s capital city.
Much has been reported about the lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village, just outside Paris. It was built with a cooling system that runs cold water through the floors, which officials said can reduce the ambient temperature by 10 to 20 degrees and achieve a target range of 73 to 79. The effort is part of the hosts’ larger plan to make Paris the greenest Olympics in modern history, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But Team USA wasn’t taking any chances: Every single room and some common areas accommodating the 592-member delegation isn’t risking the slightest discomfort. Each U.S. room and some common areas have been equipped with portable A/C units, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Cock-Blocked
Team USA may have A/C but no athlete looking for lesbian, gay, or bisexual love at these games has access to Grindr’s “explore” function, a location-based feature, just like at the 2022 Winter Olympics. And journalists like Louis Pisano let the world know on social media.
As them reported, Grindr began this crackdown on Olympics app usage after 2016, when the Daily Beast published a story about “hookup culture” in the Rio de Janeiro Games’ Olympic Village. The outlet later pulled the article after a widespread outcry. Without referencing that report, Grindr explained in a blog post that this is part of a series of enhanced privacy measures the app rolled out for the Summer Games.
“If an athlete is not out or comes from a country where being LGBTQ+ is dangerous or illegal, using Grindr can put them at risk of being outed by curious individuals who may try to identify and expose them on the app,” Grindr said in its blog post. “Our goal is to help athletes connect without worrying about unintentionally revealing their whereabouts or being recognized.”
There are nearly 70 countries represented in Paris that have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults, according to Human Rights Watch.
Gender Testing
Two apparently straight Olympic athletes from
countries that have zero representation at these games have been cleared to compete in women’s boxing. Both were disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing to meet “eligibility criteria.”
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal in the March 2023 event after failing a gender eligibility test, and the International Olympic Committee says Algeria’s Imane Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.
As the BBC reported, no further details are available as to why Lin, 28, and Khelif, 25, were disqualified from last year’s World Championships, or exactly what kind of gender tests were conducted.
“These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived — they competed in Tokyo,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. In addition, Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.
On Tuesday, Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler reported : “To be clear, these two women are not transgender, though they may be intersex.”
LGBTQ Medalists
Thus far, out gay British diver Tom Daley has won his fifth Olympics medal — his first silver — in the 10-meter platform synch competition, with diving partner Noah Williams. Out lesbian Lauren Scruggs won a silver medal in fencing for Team USA. And out lesbian Amandine Buchard of France followed up her individual silver medal in the 52kg category of Judo in Tokyo with a bronze medal in Paris. Outsports has updated its count of out athletes competing in the Summer Games to a record 193.
Pride House
A legacy that began more than a decade ago at the Vancouver Winter Games continues and has been expanded in Paris, with a Pride House on the River Seine. For the first time, the Olympics organization has raised its profile by including this refuge on its official website, and celebrating these Olympics as “The Rainbow Games,” as Alexander Martin wrote.
According to Jérémy Goupille, co-president of Fier Play, one of the Paris Pride House organizers, “nobody should hide who they are.’ France’s minister for sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, joined Goupille at the inau -
guration of the new Pride House on the banks of the Seine. She noted the role played by the opening ceremony in positive portrayals of marginalized communities like those who are LGBTQ.
“Like all of us, I was extremely proud of the opening ceremony on Friday night,’ said Oudéa-Castéra. “I think, that this City of Light, this city of love, expressed itself with respect. It expressed itself with a blend of tradition and modernity that honors our country and allowed it to show what it is capable of. And when it reconciles with itself, by embracing all dimensions of its greatness, all of its people, all of its citizens, without discrimination, it is the most beautiful country in the world”, she said.
‘The Last Supper’ Controversy
Even though the opening ceremony broadcast on NBC on its channels across America and all around the world included two men kissing and embracing and a not-at-all subtle reference to a ménage à trois, there was no outrage about those scenes.
What got the conservative Christian right-wing viewers clutching their pearls was a moment that’s come to be known online as “The anti-Christian depiction of The Last Supper.”
Except it wasn’t. Here’s how The New York Times described the scene:
“A woman wearing a silver, halo-like headdress stood at the center of a long table, with drag queens posing on either side of her. Later, at the same table, a giant cloche lifted, revealing a man, nearly naked and painted blue, on a dinner plate surrounded by fruit. He broke into a song as, behind him, the drag queens danced.”
Among the people who saw the images as a parody of da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper” were the French Catholic Bishops’ Conference, denouncing the “scenes of mockery and derision of Christianity,” and American Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota, who called it a “gross mockery.” A Mississippi-based telecommunications provider, C Spire, announced it was pulling all its advertisements from Olympics broadcasts. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana described the scene as “shocking and insulting to Christian people.”
But the opening ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said the event was not meant to “be subversive, or shock people, or mock people” at Saturday’s news conference in Paris. On Sunday, Jolly clarified further that he had not been inspired by “The Last Supper.”
“It is Dionysus who arrives at the table,” Jolly told a French TV interviewer. For those who don’t know, he explained Dionysus is the Greek god of festivities and wine, and is the father of Sequana, the goddess of the Seine River. “The idea was instead to have a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus, Olympism,” Jolly added. And educated people on social media backed him up.
But on Sunday, the religious right got what it demanded: An official apology from Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps noting that “If people have taken offense, we are really, really sorry.”
The Blade will continue to bring you coverage of the LGBTQ angle of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris as they proceed. Bonne chance!
Gay diver TOM DALEY won a Silver medal this week. (File photo courtesy Bigstock)
Harris’s online image redefined by queer fans on social media Contours of 2024 race being shaped by the internet in unusual ways
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
Earlier this month, as speculation grew over whether President Joe Biden would withdraw from the 2024 race, a video featuring a supercut of footage of Kamala Harris alongside audio and visuals from Charli XCX’s new album, Brat, went viral on social media.
The post was neither the first nor the last of its kind. Hours after Biden’s announcement on July 21 that he would step aside to back his vice president’s historic bid for the nomination, a photo was circulated on X of men wearing matching cropped tees in Brat green (hex code: #89CC04) that were emblazoned with Kamala’s name in the album’s Arial Narrow typeface.
Minutes after the photo was shared with the caption, “BRAT Kamala shirts already on Fire Island. The gays move SO FAST,” the artist herself weighed in, posting “kamala IS brat.” The vice president then followed Charli XCX on social media and a Brat-themed banner image was uploaded to Kamala HQ, the campaign’s official, newly rebranded rapid response page on X.
Over the next week, as they covered the convergence of support for Harris among Democratic Party officials, delegates, donors, and elected officials, news organizations directed their attention, too, to the groundswell of online support for her candidacy, which inevitably meant confronting questions like what exactly was meant by proclamations that Kamala is Brat.
The album, which dropped on June 7, was an instant hit among Charli XCX’s LGBTQ fans. By this point, the “young girl from Essex” had become, as Pink News wrote, “synonymous with queer pop-music lovers,” particularly since her second EP “Vroom Vroom” was released in 2016 and “critics didn’t get it, but the gays did.”
Likewise, many of the pro-Harris social media posts seen recently, including those referencing music and themes from Brat, are inscrutable, though not for the predominantly young and LGBTQ online audiences by and for whom the content was created in the first place for purposes of giving voice to the post-July 21 vibe shift in the election and the jolt of enthusiasm they feel for the vice president’s candidacy.
“One of the things that I’m loving about this election cycle so much is the meme-ification of politics — brat summer, you know, I’m learning things about the internet that I didn’t know,” Human Rights Campaign National Press Secretary Brandon Wolf said during the organization’s Out for Harris LGBTQ+ Unity Call on Friday.
After the 2.5-hour virtual event wrapped, with remarks from a slate of LGBTQ elected leaders and celebrities, Wolf joined colleagues including HRC President Kelley Robinson for a dance party set to Beyoncé’s “Freedom.”
The rousing anthem was played by Harris in her first public appearances following Biden’s exit from the race and in her campaign’s first ad, which was released Thursday morning.
“There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate,” the vice president says in the video, over footage of Donald Trump and his running mate U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. “But us, we choose something different.” A crowd chants, “Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!” and Harris proclaims “we choose freedom,” as the booming chorus to “Freedom” begins.
The use of Beyoncé’s music and this song in particular is suffused with layers of meaning, from the contrast Harris’s campaign is drawing between her and her opponents’ visions for the future of America to her position as the country’s first Black woman poised to win a major party’s nomi-
nation for president.
The decision might also signal Harris’s embrace of her LGBTQ supporters, just as her campaign did by celebrating the queer online fandom she has enjoyed in recent weeks. After all, Beyoncé’s work has often celebrated Black queer culture, love that has been reciprocated by the community throughout the singer’s career.
The source material for recent viral online content about Harris is largely comprised of clips taken from audio and video footage of the vice president’s public remarks that were originally shared in many cases by critics and political opponents for purposes of presenting her as unserious (or mocking her words, laugh, and mannerisms).
Most were excerpted from a speech last year at the swearing-in ceremony for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics, where Harris relayed an anecdote about how her mother “would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’” (Laughs.)
“You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” the vice president said.
By the end of June into early July, in the wake of the president’s poor performance against Trump in the televised CNN debate that spurred calls for him to step out of the race, clips from and references to Harris’s speech once again cropped up across social media platforms.
This time, however, they tended to signal support for the vice president, even before it became clear, starting with Biden’s endorsement, that she was favored to lead the Democratic Party ticket in 2024.
For instance, the “coconut tree” clip was used to kick off the viral supercut featuring imagery and music from Brat (the track “Von Dutch”).
In another post, shared on X by the Virginia Young Democrats LGBTQIA+ Caucus, emojis of coconuts and coconut trees were used to supplant the letters “o” and “t” to spell out “Hot To Go” a song by the queer artist Chappell Roan.
Many users shared videos with footage of the song “Coconuts” by trans singer Kim Petras (or from the lip sync
battle featuring the song during Season 8 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” with queens Jessica Wild and Ra’Jah O’Hara).
Sometimes, these were cut with footage from the vice president’s speech or used in posts urging her to feature the song in her campaign.
Coconuts aside, another through-line connecting much of the pro-Harris social media content seen over the past few weeks was their inclusion of years-old clips of the vice president dancing.
Especially popular were videos in which she was grooving on stage in the rain while holding an umbrella during a campaign rally in 2020 and showing off her moves at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Liberty and Justice celebration in 2019.
For example, both were included in a viral July 21 supercut featuring RuPaul’s “Call Me Mother.”
Eventually, the playful and enthusiastic posts from young, queer corners of the internet seemed to inspire the Democratic Party establishment and its elected leaders.
Hours after Biden’s endorsement of Harris, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) posted a photo of himself climbing a coconut tree with the caption, “Madam Vice President, we are ready to help.”
Once again, the Harris campaign leaned in, updating the bio of the Kamala HQ page on X to read: “Providing context,” another nod to her famous 2023 speech.
Looking ahead to November, it is hardly clear whether and to what extent the online enthusiasm for Harris and her campaign will be sustained.
Of course, a political candidate’s “memeability” is hardly an an exact proxy for public opinion. And online narratives can change over time, as demonstrated by the ways in which content featuring the vice president, like the footage of her “coconut tree” remarks, was co-opted by supporters who transformed them into pro-Harris memes and videos. Also worth noting is the extent to which these have celebrated attributes like the candidate’s laugh and her dance moves rather than, for instance, her record of public service over several decades in public life or her campaign’s policy agenda.
Additionally, messaging from Trump and his allies and supporters suggests their strategy of going after Harris’s personality was not blunted by the evolution of online discourse seen on social media platforms. “I call her Laughing Kamala. You ever watch her laugh?… She’s crazy. She’s nuts,” the former president said at a recent rally in Michigan.
Meanwhile, beginning with a July 23 appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota debuted a similar line of attack against Trump and his running mate U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio: “they’re weird.”
During a rally in St. Paul, he said, “The fascists depend on us going back, but we’re not afraid of weird people. We’re a little bit creeped out, but we’re not afraid.”
The remarks made headlines, amplifying calls for Harris to choose Walz as her 2024 running mate while prompting other high-profile Democrats, including other top contenders for the party’s vice presidential nomination, to follow suit.
Among them was out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who told MSNBC’s Jen Psaki on Sunday that the characterization of the Republican ticket as “weird” is not just name-calling, but rather a legitimate response to the policies they have proposed and positions they hold.
Young queer voters are helping to reshape KAMALA HARRIS’s image online.
Maduro declares victory in disputed Venezuelan election
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) on Sunday announced President Nicolás Maduro won a third term with 51.2 percent of the votes, compared to the 44.2 percent it said opposition leader Edmundo González received.
Fifty-nine percent of Venezuelans voted in the election that took place peacefully in most of the country, aside from reports of unrest in Táchira state that borders Colombia.
Authorities announced the results six hours after polling places closed, with CNE President Elvis Amoroso attributing the delay to a “terrorist” attack that affected data transmission. Maduro backed this explanation, suggesting a massive hacking of the electoral system took place.
The opposition, however, denounced irregularities and questioned the process’s transparency. Opposition leader María Corina Machado said she and her supporters have minutes that indicate González received 70 percent of the votes.
“There is a new president-elect and he is Edmundo González, and everybody knows it,” said Machado.
González entered into a political partnership with Machado, who Maduro’s government disqualified from holding public office. Machado backed González, a former diplomat.
“All regulations have been violated,” said González. “Our struggle continues.”
Maduro, for his part, called on his adversaries to abide by the results.
“This constitution must be respected,” said Maduro while speaking to supporters outside Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, after the CSE declared him the winner. “The referee must be respected and no one must try to tarnish this beautiful day.”
In this regard, Tamara Adrián, the country’s first transgender congresswoman who ran in the presidential primary earlier this year, told the Washington Blade that “according to the information we have from the minutes
that witnesses were able to obtain in approximately 40 percent of the polling stations, Edmundo González won with a percentage higher than 65 percent of the votes in all the states and in all the social sectors.”
The former congresswoman added “that is the result we had around 8 o’clock at night, when they started to issue instructions from the National Electoral Council for two things: One, to prohibit the entrance of Edmundo González’s witnesses in the vote counting room, something that continued during the whole night.”
“That is to say they never had any oversight from González in the computations,” Adrián told the Blade.
“And two, they prohibited the table chiefs from printing the minutes that the law says,” she added.
The elections took place amid widespread distrust of the CNE, whose board of directors includes figures linked to the ruling party.
The opposition questioned the electoral body’s impartiality and lack of recognized international observ-
ers. Reports indicate people in several areas of Caracas on Sunday used pots and pans to protest the CNE announcement.
LGBTQ activist Richelle Briceño told the Blade “the electoral participation in favor of change in the country was a majority and that will has been undoubtedly twisted by those who have dominated the electoral power and the armed forces of the nation.”
“They gave official results that do not adjust to reality and consequently are unverifiable,” said Briceño.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric and other regional leaders expressed skepticism about the results.
American Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed concern about the count’s validity. Cuba and Honduras, on the other hand, congratulated Maduro after the CNE declared him the winner.
“The Maduro regime must understand that the results it publishes are hard to believe,” wrote Boric on his X account. “The international community and above all the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency of the minutes and the process.”
“We are seriously concerned that the announced result does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” said Blinken.
The situation in Venezuela remains uncertain, and the next few hours could define a new chapter in the country’s tumultuous political history.
“There is no certain formula for Maduro to leave the presidency while the other powers and institutions of the country are at his service,” said Briceño. “Venezuelans did what was in our hands, which was to express ourselves massively. Now we must continue to demand audited and verified results so that the truth is imposed before the world.”
“The support of the international community is fundamental for these purposes,” added Briceño.
ESTEBAN RIOSECO
Ghanaian court upholds colonial-era sodomy law
The Ghanaian Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a law that criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations.
Media reports indicate a 7-judge panel unanimously dismissed a challenge to the colonial-era law that Prince Obiri-Korang, a professor at the University of Ghana Law School, filed.
“What most Ghanaians don’t know is that this law of ‘unnatural carnal knowledge’ doesn’t have a sexual orientation on it, even though used against gays,” said Rightify Ghana, a Ghanaian advocacy group, on X. “Whether the person is gay or straight, unnatural carnal knowledge means it is illegal to have anal sex or oral sex/blowjob/BJ.”
Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office in Geneva, on Friday issued a statement that also criticized the ruling.
“We deeply regret the decision by the Supreme Court of Ghana to uphold colonial-era provisions of the Criminal Offenses Act that effectively criminalize consensual same-sex relations,” reads the statement. “The court’s ruling on 24 July is especially concerning given reports of a recent spike in violence against LGBTQ+ people in Ghana.”
Ghana is among the African countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.
Burkina Faso’s military government earlier this month announced it plans to criminalize homosexuality in the country that borders Ghana. The Namibian government on July 20 appealed a ruling that struck down the coun-
try’s apartheid-era sodomy law.
Ghanaian lawmakers on Feb. 28 approved the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill that would, among other things, criminalize allyship. Advocacy groups in Ghana and around the world, along with the State Department and U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer have sharply criticized the measure.
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has said he will not sign the bill until the Supreme Court rules on whether it is constitutional or not.
The U.N. Human Rights Office in Friday’s statement notes “the ongoing legal challenges to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.” It also highlights U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has criticized the measure.
“We urge Ghana to uphold its obligations under international human rights law, including in the human rights treaties it has ratified, and to ensure that all people living in Ghana, without exception, are able to live free from violence, stigma, and discrimination,” reads the statement.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
TAMARA ADRIÁN, the first openly transgender woman elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly, speaks at the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s International LGBTQ Leaders Conference in D.C. in 2022. (Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
CHARLES FRANCIS
is president of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. and author of ‘Archive Activism: Memoir of a ‘Uniquely Nasty’ Journey.’
JD Vance targeted ambassador appointees with anti-LGBTQ questionnaire Leaked document reveals obsession with Pride flag
Sen. JD Vance presented a “questionnaire” last year to career State Department nominees for ambassador to intimidate them — or thwart their nominations. It was recently leaked without comment from Vance. More than a neutral questionnaire, this was a loaded invitation to rumble on the far right of the Republican Party from a senator who does not serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Washington Post headline de-gayed the story, “Leaked memo shows JD Vance’s anti-woke ideology…”. In fact, the questionnaire was focused solely on LGBTQ issues.
Professionally nurtured and funded with a $15 million donation by gay billionaire Peter Thiel, vice presidential candidate Vance is caught up in the contradiction between having a billionaire gay business and political mentor while launching a searing, anti-gay questionnaire targeting career State Department nominees for ambassadorial posts worldwide. A political contortionist, Sen. Vance became in the last year the single largest obstacle to confirming career ambassadors in the Senate.
The Vance questionnaire is a stunning, obsessive document harkening back to the Eisenhower-era investigations of suspected homosexuals, State Department diplomats (“twisted twerps in pinstripes”) and “Fellow Travelers” of the Lavender Scare. It is written in the icy language of investigators —“Please provide a discreet response to each question.” Like FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s insistence that suspected “sex deviates” be reported to him using a “green pencil,” the Vance questionnaire obsesses over really small things like “gender neutral bathrooms” intended to stigmatize and inflame. But for this questionnaire it is “The Progress” flag, over and over. Will you fly “the Progress Flag?” When would that be “appropriate?” Should “the Progress Flag” be displayed? “If confirmed, on what basis would you determine when and where raising the Progress Flag….”, Vance, the questioner, presses. What the heck is the “Progress Flag?,” I wondered as a gay man in my 70s. Oh, right, it is the banner known worldwide as the rainbow Pride flag, itself something of a cliché, with some new stripes to include transgender people and people of color.
The questioner asks nominees, “how would you explain ‘human rights for LGBTQ people?” where they are neither respected nor exist, in states where imprisonment or execution may be possible. You can feel the questioner doing an eye-roll as though “human rights for LGBTQ people” is a crazy oxymoron. I am reminded of U.S. Civil Service Commission attorney John Steele’s memorandum in the early 1960s discussing why homosexual Americans can have no such rights. “Although there are dissenting voices, our society generally regards homosexuality as a form of immoral conduct … uniquely nasty,” he wrote in a document the Mattachine Society discovered in a file labeled “Suitability” at the National Archives.
It is surprising that recipients of Vance’s questionnaire, the folks whose appointments were put on hold by Vance, did not leak the document sooner. We do have gay ambassadors who have led the way, ably representing our country and its values, even in places like authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Hungary. U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman hosted in 2023 at the embassy in Budapest a Family Pride picnic attended by several hundred guests and their families, including Ambassador Pressman, his husband and their two children.
In his remarks Ambassador Pressman said, “It has become abundantly clear that right now in Hungary — as leaders call for new laws to “protect children;” as books are wrapped in cellophane; and bookstores fined for displaying books; as rainbow benches are defaced — now is also the right time for the U.S. to celebrate you and your families by hosting what I am told is one of the largest LGBT family gatherings in Hungary’s history.” This is the great soft-power of American example, a force worldwide. During Ambassador Pressman’s confirmation hearing a rubber boat on the Danube River carried a sign that said, “Mr. Pressman, don’t colonize Hungary with your cult of death.” I understand a photo of that protest is proudly displayed behind Ambassador Pressman’s desk.
LGBTQ historians and archive activists should be grateful to whomever leaked the questionnaire. First, because it so well reveals JD Vance’s character in hot pursuit of anything LGBTQ with the small-bore criticism of displaying the Pride flag during regional Pride celebrations. Most important, in the larger context of targeting State Department nominees, we owe remembrance to the LGBTQ Americans who came before us — those “twisted twerps” who were interrogated and left with stalled careers in ruins.
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.
D.C. should legalize sex work
We shouldn’t punish those who are merely trying to survive
Washington, D.C., and other jurisdictions, should legalize sex work as soon as possible.
Sex work is an unfortunate yet constant part of society. Sex work dates back to 2400 BCE, when Sumerian records indicate that prostitution happened in temple brothels. Across the world now, there are brothels in most countries, some regulated by the government, but most others not. Sex work will always be a part of society, mostly used by men, although in some instances, like in Amsterdam, women were able to solicit sex from traditionally identified men for a while.
In the United States, certain states have already legalized sex work. Actually, only one state has done so, and is Nevada - home to Las Vegas - the party capital of the country. But even then, only six counties are allowed to have legal brothels in Nevada: Elko, Lyon, Nye, White Pine, Lander, and Storey.
I have heard tales of acquaintances soliciting paid sex in places like the Florida Keys, and of D.C. residents themselves finding a happy ending in massage parlors across the metropolitan area and in strip clubs as well. Long story short: people — women and men and every gender in between — will always desire sex, paid or unpaid.
Because sex will always be desired, prostitutes will always abound on American streets, be they legal or illegal. So the only rational decision is to make the lives of sex workers safer and more regulated. Other countries have followed this example: the Netherlands is home to Amsterdam, where prostitutes operate in the Red Light District, and have access to phone lines that call the police immediately if a client becomes abusive.
Sex workers in Amsterdam report higher levels of security in their work, and they can often choose which clients to work with, vetting them out of caution and ensuring that their trysts are consensual and respectful.
As the Blade is a queer outlet, the activity of prostitution in D.C. takes on a queer dimension, especially as trans women - and many trans women of color - rely on prostitution to pay their bills and get by in life. The notion that they resort to prostitution because they can’t find a regular white or blue collar job to sustain finances is a very sad one indeed, and is depressing to think about. But society is messed up, and it’s messed up in more ways than one.
The most decent thing that the D.C. government can do is to make trans sex workers not punishable under the law. Currently, trans women who sell their bodies face the threat and risk of going to jail for doing so. But they shouldn’t be locked up just because they are trying to pay their bills and avoid homelessness.
Moreover, legally regulating sex work will ensure that trans women who are prostitutes have access to contraceptives and safe passages of sex - where they can perform sexual acts in a consensual way and one that doesn’t involve them getting beaten up or even killed by a transphobic man. Plenty of monsters who solicit sex wander the streets of D.C., and these monsters need to be quashed and they are the ones who deserve to be behind bars.
The D.C. government has, indeed, considered legalizing sex work. In 2017, Council member David Grosso introduced legislation to decriminalize sex work and in 2019, also introduced the Community Safety and Health Amendment Act. This bill decriminalized consensual and paid sex between two adults while also condemning and punishing sexual assault, sex trafficking, and sexual violence against children. In 2019, a hearing took place on the matter, but the legislation hasn’t gained traction.
There are several issues that need to be hammered out in decriminalizing sex work. Sex workers have complained that police officers have assaulted them in the past, so enacting a rule that police officers must wear body cameras seems the most sensical thing to do.
But not only does sex work need to be decriminalized - it needs to be fully legalized. To the D.C. government: follow through on your 2019 legislation. Legalize sex work now, or more violence will occur.
PETER ROSENSTEIN
is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Harris, Trump would lead country down very different roads
Which path do you want to travel?
We are at a crossroads in our country. One road will let us continue on the path toward what the preamble of our Constitution promises: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
If you want to follow that road, you must vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Or you can choose the other road, the path that takes us backwards — the road away from a Republic, toward a more authoritarian government. One that takes away rights from women, and promises to do the same for the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and the African-American community. A path leading to a Christian state, one moving away from freedom of religion to where one religion is used to determine policy for everyone. A path eliminating the “separation of church and state.” While that phrase does not explicitly appear in the U.S. Constitution, the concept is rooted in the First Amendment, and has been accepted since Jefferson wrote in 1802, “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” If that is the road you want to take, you will vote for Trump.
There is no perfect candidate. Harris has been a successful and respected prosecutor, senator, and vice president. Then there is Trump, a man found liable for sexual assault and a convicted felon. He has attempted a coup, and been accused of a myriad of misdeeds in his business dealings. Harris has been endorsed for office by three former presidents, while the other, Trump, cannot even get the endorsement of his own former vice president, or most of those who served in his cabinet.
On Nov. 5, voters will decide which road they want to travel. They will listen to what each candidate says, and read the documents they, and their advisers, support. We must believe what people say the first time, not what they say after they have been criticized and attacked, and try to prevaricate and excuse their first words. Those first words usually come from the heart. In the case of Harris, it is her full-throated defense of a woman’s right to control her own body. Her strong support of legislation, and policy, to fight climate change. Her strong statements in support of Ukraine, and NATO. In the case of Trump, it is the Republican platform, and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. His saying, “I will be a dictator on “Day 1.” Believe when he says, “he is prepared to prosecute his political enemies if he is elected.” When Trump spoke to the nation after the riots in Charlottesville by neo-Nazis and white supremacists who were challenged by the decent people in the community, and said, “there are good people on both sides.” That is what was in his heart. When he takes full credit for getting rid of Roe v. Wade, he means it.
In previous years people said, ‘this most crucial election of our time.’ This time it is true. Our country has gone through difficult times before. We survived the Civil War. We did so because of Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. Today, our country will unite and democracy will survive, if we elect a Democratic president, Kamala Harris. When Trump speaks, I imagine Lincoln, Eisenhower, and maybe even Reagan, turning over in their graves. They would not recognize the Republican Party today; a party that is more a cult, a MAGA cult. It is led by a man who it seems wants to win for one reason, to keep himself out of jail. My biggest fear is not even Trump himself; he is old and clearly not very bright. But rather, it’s the people surrounding him. Those who would abandon our Constitution, and remake our country. They are who we have to fear the most, and they all come with Trump in one cabal.
So, the good people of America, you must now choose the path you want to travel, and vote accordingly. Depending on your vote, it could possibly be the last time you have this choice.
Lavender Scare, Kameny, HRC among featured topics
By SEAN KOPEREK
New D.C. walking tour highlights LGBTQ history
Want to learn more about the city’s LGBTQ history while seeing some of the sights? Beyond the Landmarks’ “Beyond the Closet: The Persecution and Liberation of the LGBTQ Community in Washington, D.C.,” tour could be just the choice.
Zach Patalingjug launched the company in June, and offers walks that highlight some of Washington’s LGBTQ history.
The LGBTQ-specifi c tour starts with him emailing each person on the route with a meet-up location and some advice for the tour itself. His business saw a lot of tourists participate in his tour in June — in part because of Pride Month, and Patalinjug is hoping to keep the momentum going.
Patalingjug, who is from California, has traveled to more than half of the country’s states and has traveled abroad numerous times to sightsee and absorb cultures. He told the Washington Blade he became inspired to create his company after reading James Kirchick’s “Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington.”
Patalingjug spent a year researching his tour. He utilized the D.C. Central Library, where its fourth fl oor is dedicated entirely to the city’s history.
“I wanted to create a company that really explores the hidden gems, the lesser known history of Washington, D.C., to get the experiences that are truly authentic, and to tell stories that you don’t hear on most sightseeing tours,” he told the Washington Blade.
The tours are between two to three hours long, depending on the group’s speed. They offi cially start at 9:30 a.m., but Patalingjug recommends participants arrive 10 minutes earlier.
Each group meets in Farragut Square, directly outside of the Farragut West Metro station. The tour begins there and proceeds to Lafayette Square, where Patalingjug discusses the White House, the Hay-Adams Hotel, the former Lambda Rising bookstore, the Human Rights Campaign, the now-closed Chicken Hut near the White House, and myriad other locations. The tour ends in Dupont Circle.
Patalingjug’s tour is more than a walk — each one is themed with topics that include “service, persecution, and liberation.
“Countless folks within the LGBTQ community have served and continue to serve the federal government,” he told the Blade.
He noted many of the people the tour highlights worked for the federal government before they lost their careers because they were outed or caught with a samesex partner during the so-called “Lavender Scare.”
Then-Secretary of State John Kerry shortly before he stepped down in 2017 formally apologized to State Department personnel who were fi red under the directive that then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued in 1953. President Joe Biden last year issued a formal proclamation on the policy’s 70th anniversary.
“For so many members of the LGBTQI+ community, hate, discrimination, and isolation throughout our country’s history have denied them the full promise of America,” Biden said. “The ‘Lavender Scare’ epitomized — and institutionalized — this injustice.”
Patalingjug’s tour highlights Frank Kameny, founder of the Mattachine Society of Washington, the city’s fi rst politically active LGBTQ rights group that organized one of the country’s fi rst gay rights protest that took place in front of the White House in 1965.
The protest highlighted the federal government’s discrimination against gays and
lesbians. Kameny in 1957 lost his job as an astronomer in the Army Map Service because he was gay.
The tour also highlights Margaret “Midge” Costanza, an adviser to former President Jimmy Carter who invited members of the National Gay Task Force, which is now known as the National LGBTQ Task Force, to the White House in 1977.
“I’m just incredibly excited to be able to tell the authentic stories of people who lived through this period of history,” said Patalingjug.
Visit Beyond the Landmarks’ website for more information.
(Michael K. Lavers and Lou Chibbaro, Jr., contributed to this story.)
ZACH PATALINGJUG leads his ‘Beyond the Closet: The Persecution and Liberation of the LGBTQ Community in Washington, D.C.,’ tour on July 13. (Blade photo by Sean Koperek)
Frank Kameny Way in Dupont Circle is part of Zach Patalingjug’s Beyond the Closet: The Persecution and Liberation of the LGBTQ Community in Washington, D.C., tour (Washington Blade photo by Sean Koperek)
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Friday, August 02
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email adam@thedccenter.org.
GoGayDC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at The Commentary. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, August
03
GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
“LGBTQ People of Color Support Group” will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ people of color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. For more details, visit thedccenter. org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, August 04
GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Dinner” at 6:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. Guests are encouraged to come enjoy an evening of Italian-style dining and conversation with other LGBTQ folk. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
AfroCode DC will be at 4 p.m. at Decades DC. This event will be an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes and a crossover of genres and a fusion of cultures. Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Monday, August 05
Center Aging: Monday Coffee & Conversation will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of their choice. For more details, email justin@thedccenter. org.
By TINASHE CHINGARANDE
Tuesday, August 06
Pride on the Patio Events will host “LGBTQ Social Mixer” at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring their most authentic self to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy. Admission is free and more details are on Eventbrite.
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email andyarias09@gmail.com.
Wednesday, August 07
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit www.thedccenter.org/ careers.
Center Aging: Women’s Social & Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for you to share what you want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, August 08
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org or call 202682-2245.
Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
OUT & ABOUT
It’s pageant time for Nice Jewish Boys
NJB+ DC will host “NJB+ Pageant” on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3 p.m. at Sixth & I.
Guests are encouraged to come enjoy the showcase of talent, style, and Jewish queerness as contestants compete for the honor of winning the annual NJB+ Pageant. Net proceeds benefit the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center, a local organization that educates, empowers, and uplifts LGBTQ communities through health and wellness, culture, peer support, and advocacy and community-building initiatives.
Tickets start at $18 and can be purchased on NJB+’s website.
JOEY FINK is the reigning Nice Jewish Boy. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Wednesday, Sep 18 & Oct 2
Admission Tour
Lower School: 9 - 10:15a
Middle & Upper School: 11a - 12:15p
Saturday, Oct 19
Fall Admission Program
Lower School: 9 - 10:15a
Middle & Upper School: 11a - 12:15p
Following the program, stay for our annual Fall Festival, 1-4p! Fun for the whole family!
At Barrie School, every student feels a great sense of belonging. Join us for an upcoming admission event to see for yourself!
Ask about our Millennium Scholarship & Fall Expeditions for Grades 6-12
‘The Colored Museum’ remains a scathing, provocative work Studio production an immersive revival of 1986 play
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
Snap, snap. Sitting in a New York gay bar named the Bottomless Pit, Miss Roj snaps their fingers as they read the local scene and the club’s clientele.
Snap, or “The Gospel According to Miss Roj,” is just one of about a dozen sketches hop-scotching through the Black American experience in Charles C. Wolfe’s “The Colored Museum,” now playing at Studio Theatre.
Miss Roj, searingly played by Matthew Elijah Webb, talks about what it means to be queer and Black. Dressed to impress in spangly top, striped pants, and white vinyl boots inspired by Annette Funicello circa “Beach Blanket Bingo,” Roj hopes to dance their demons out rather than drink them out. That’s the plan anyway.
Before winning awards for direction (including Tonys for “Angels in America” and “Elaine Stritch at Liberty”) Wolfe, who is gay and Black, wrote “The Colored Museum.” The scathing, subversive work premiered in 1986, and though slightly dated around the edges, it remains funny, hard-hitting, and provocative today.
At the top of the show, we’re greeted by Miss Pat (Ayanna Bria Bakari), a bouncy, pink-uniformed flight attendant who welcomes us aboard Celebrity Slave ship. She reminds us to buckle our shackles and warns that there’ll be no drumming, a caution that’s quickly and wonderfully disregarded by musician Jabari Exum who drums throughout the 90-minute play with music.
The immersive revival is directed by Psalmayene 24, a Studio Theatre stalwart. Collaborating on the production is Natsu Onoda Power. She’s designed the set and setting for the play turning the Victor Shargai Theatre into a sort of museum of Black history. The space is fitted with roughly hewn benches and humble cushions; its walls are covered with art.
Power’s serviceable set makes a terrific backdrop for
projections of famous Black Americans including Oscar-winning actor Hattie McDaniel best known for playing Mammy in “Gone with the Wind” and current vice president and perhaps soon to be commander-in-chief Kamala Harris.
Somewhere I read that hair is power. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. But there’s a clever scene where a woman wearing a wig cap (Kelli Blackwell) is bookended by talking wig heads who advise her on what’s the most successful hair to wear to an important meeting. One of the heads sports a natural Afro look while the other is giving long straight hair that affords a well-timed hair flip gesture. It’s a humorous yet meaningful dive into Black beauty culture.
The hair scene transitions to a fascinatingly drawn satirical homage to Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” with Blackwell changing into grey-wigged Mama. William Oliver Watkins is marvelous as the hardworking young man of the house whose mother repeatedly insists that he wipe his feet before entering. It’s a Black writer’s sly take on a lot of 20th century theater made with Black audiences in mind.
Another sketch focuses on Lala (Iris Beaumier), a southern Black woman who had to cross the pond to find the appreciation and respect her huge song and dance talent deserved — shades of Josephine Baker and Eartha Kitt.
The versatile ensemble cast is talented and fetching, more than adept at both singing and acting. They play multiple roles convincingly, benefiting in part from the labors of designer Moyenda Kulemeka whose costumes help bring to life characters ranging from raggedly dressed slaves arriving in Savannah, Ga., to smartly attired style mavens on the glossy pages of Ebony magazine.
At the end of the play, Miss Pat and the players return
to the stage to see us travelers off with an upbeat adieu. Whatever baggage we take or leave behind is up to us.
‘The Colored Museum’ Through Aug. 18
Studio Theatre | 1501 14th St., N.W. $50-$119 | Studiotheatre.org
IRIS BEAUMIER and MATTHEW ELIJAH WEBB (Photo by Teresa Castracane)
As You Are reopens with weekend of events
Re-launch follows temporary closing, GoFundMe support
By EVAN CAPLAN
As You Are, D.C.’s only LGBTQ location in Barracks Row, announced that it has completed necessary repairs and received sufficient funding to reopen on Aug. 1 at 12 p.m. The two-level community space, café, and bar temporarily closed on April 8, citing debt and structural issues in the building.
Co-owners Rach (“Coach”) Pike and Jo McDaniel said that they “are thankful for the community’s support and for the opportunity for As You Are (also referred to as AYA) to continue to be a welcoming, inclusive space for the community to gather.” The duo announced the AYA reopening on Instagram with @queertalkdc, during which Pike and McDaniel stated, “we’re back, baby! We miss the hell out of y’all.”
Pike and McDaniel first opened the bar in March 2022, but AYA’s path has been littered with roadblocks even prior to this setback.
Pike and McDaniel overcame concerns from the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B, which expressed concerns regarding noise, crowds, and trash. McDaniel and Pike, with the backing of the LGBTQ community, were forced to defend and change their model, allaying concerns over a series of ANC meetings through the fall and winter of 2021, before finally receiving ABRA approval to open. The two installed extra soundproofing and earlier closing times, and were then able to open. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten Buttigieg, who live in the area, were in attendance during AYA’s first night of service, and became regular customers.
This most recent shutdown came on the heels of a GoFundMe that the owners set up in February, seeking financial support to prevent it from closing. Their fans responded: the $150,000 goal was reached in a week. The GoFundMe stated that, “We have faced some particularly tall and costly hurdles that have set us back significantly
since the beginning. As we are tapping every resource we can imagine with creativity and open minds we need urgent assistance.” After receiving the necessary funding, the owners posted that “With your support we were able to survive a very scary time and now we are on a mission to determine how to become sustainable in the best way for this community.” They also said that the queer community showed support on social media, attended popups at Serenata and Last Call in Union Market, and virtually tipped staff while they were out of work.
McDaniel and Pike have expressed that AYA is more than a bar, but a gathering space. They show professional sports games, boast a café, host local social sports leagues, and have tea parties, among other inclusive events.
The fundraising mission eventually raised just under $175,000 and helped complete structural work, including new support posts.
Pike said, “We’re so thrilled to feel the warmth of community again in our Capitol Hill location, and we want to thank everyone who has supported us over the past few months. From checking in, staying connected on social media, donating to our team, and attending our popup events across the city, we have really felt the love.” McDaniel added, “We have been honored to build an inclusive, vibrant space with everyone who has walked through our doors.” The two also note that they’re hoping to renegotiate their lease to place them on more sure financial footing.
To celebrate the reopening, As You Are is hosting a festive weekend featuring diverse events, including dance parties, karaoke, brunch, and other activations. The bar’s reopening comes alongside other local LGBTQ hospitality movements: recently closed AdMo restaurant Duplex Diner will be replaced by a new restaurant called Her Diner, run by (former) Duplex manager Kelly Laczo. No opening date has yet been set.
Reopening AYA Weekend Events Schedule
Thursday, August 1
12 p.m.: AYA officially reopens
7 p.m.: Karaoke upstairs
Friday, August 2
12 p.m.: AYA opens for the day
10 p.m.-2 a.m.: Mother dance party - Rihanna, Chappell Roan, Beyoncé, & more
Saturday, August 3:
12 p.m.: AYA opens for the day
10 p.m.-2 p.m.: Fishnets and Feelings - emo night dance party
Sunday, August 4:
12 p.m.: AYA opens for the day
7 p.m.: Karaoke upstairs
AYA co-owners Rachel Pike and Jo McDaniel said that they ‘are thankful for the community’s support.’
(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
‘Four’ divas make ‘Fabulous’ fun
Ignore the hackneyed Hollywood conventions and enjoy the cast
By JOHN PAUL KING
Thanks to increasing lifespans and a tendency for older Americans to maintain an active lifestyle, a new Hollywood genre has become a staple over the last few decades – the “senior buddy movie,” in which an ensemble of older stars assembles for a wacky comedy, typically involving a group vacation.
“The Fabulous Four,” now in theaters, might just be the definitive example. It brings together a quartet of mature leading ladies guaranteed to bring the over50 female crowd out for a “girls’ night” at the movies – and since that quartet features not only bona fide “gay diva” Bette Midler alongside Susan Sarandon, but Broadway veteran Sheryl Lee Ralph and queer fan-favorite Megan Mullally, it’s likely to bring out a lot of the over-50 LGBTQ crowd, too.
This high-octane ensemble portrays four friends who lived together in the New York City of their youth: Marilyn (Midler) the perennial “life of the party” who “married well” and now flaunts her unstoppable zest for life on TikTok; Lou (Sarandon), her more studious college roommate who has gone on to a career as a cardiac surgeon; Alice (Mullally), a singer whose career enables her gleefully hedonistic lifestyle; and Kitty (Ralph), who has turned a green thumb into a successful business selling legal cannabis. When the recently widowed Marilyn – now transplanted to Key West – announces her whirlwind engagement to a new man, she naturally invites the old gang to be her bridesmaids. It’s the ideal scenario for a reunion, but there’s an obstacle: former bestie Lou wants nothing to do with her, thanks to a breach of trust years before, and she can only be persuaded to join the trip if Alice and Kitty conspire to bring her under false pretenses. It’s hardly a spoiler to say they succeed, but getting her to Key West is only half the challenge. In order to make Marilyn’s wedding the joyous occasion she hopes, a suitcase full of old resentments, convenient excuses, deliberate blind spots, and hidden regrets has to be unpacked first. And that means a lot of uncomfortable (and hilarious) confrontations that just seem to escalate as the big day draws closer.
from a deliberate embrace of old-fashioned Hollywood “hokey-ness” but which also feels like an intelligent disregard for the need to make audiences suspend their disbelief. There’s also an unmistakably progressive worldview built right into its core, most obvious in the fact that it shows us four aspirational women, who have made successful lives for themselves on their own terms, but reflected as well by multiple other threads throughout the movie – including a subplot involving Kitty’s strained relationship with her conservative Christian daughter – and a generally liberated attitude toward things like sex, drugs, and breaking a few rules now and then. Most of all, perhaps, it reveals its liberal heart in the way it stresses kindness, embracing the personal growth embodied in forgiveness between friends while still honoring the validity of the feelings that makes the forgiveness necessary in the first place. In a time when public opinion is perhaps shaped more by outrage and “cancel culture” than it is by empathy and understanding, that’s a soothing message to receive.
Of course, like any of these types of movies, how much one appreciates “Fabulous Four” is largely going to depend on how much one appreciates its stars – though in this case, it’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t. Midler, whose screen work has included a lot of outlandish comedies such as this one, is at the top of her form here, balancing her gifts for comedic panache and emotional sincerity to make an endearing character out of one that might, in other hands, come off as self-absorbed and unlikeable; likewise Sarandon, suitably cast in the more serious role, makes sure that Lou never becomes overly dour, even in the moments when it might seem appropriate, and while it might seem a bit of a stretch to see how these two women could have become such deep friends, these two actresses never let us doubt it for a second.
That all might sound a little heavy on paper, but in practice it comes off lighter than air. That’s largely due to a heavy reliance on the charms of its four stars, who form a surprising mix of talents that melds into a far better flavor than might be expected. Their chemistry as an ensemble puts us at ease that things are going to work out fine before the conflict has even been fully revealed, which makes it easier to forgive the formulaic recipe their star vehicle is built on. “Fabulous Four” is a movie that hinges on tropes, contrivances, unlikely coincidences, and right-on-schedule resolutions. It unapologetically discards any pretense at believability early on, assembling a seemingly mismatched collection of “types” and throwing them into an adventure that seems almost deliberately predictable – despite relying on a series of surprise twists to fuel its fluffy-ish narrative. Yet somehow, with the infectious talents of its four stars to drive it, this assemblage of prosaic plot devices manages to become something too delightful to criticize. Indeed, it almost seems to delight in its own implausibility, even to the point of including more than one self-referential “winking” moment to let us know it’s in on the joke.
That as much as anything is a sign of the refreshingly feminine sensibility that infuses the film from the ground up. With an all-female team of primary creators – director Jocelyn Moore and screenwriters Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly – behind the scenes, there’s a nonchalance about its silliness, part of which may come
Even so, it’s arguably the other two members of the movie’s central ensemble that steal the show. Ralph, a longtime showbiz dynamo whose double-Emmy-winning role on “Abbot Elementary” has given her a late-career boost and introduced her talents to a much wider audience, shines as the affable, no-nonsense Kitty – a character meant for actress Sissy Spacek, who dropped out before production began due to a schedule conflict – and brings a welcome dose of Black energy (not to mention diversity) to the movie’s vibe. It’s probably Mullally, however, who elicits the most laughs, deploying all her beloved “Will and Grace” schtick to turn Alice into a reborn version of Karen Walker who uses her powers for good. How could that not be irresistible?
It’s also worth mentioning warmly wrapped supporting turns by silver-haired hunks Bruce Greenwood and Viggo Mortensen, whose presence as potential romantic interests feels irrelevant but nevertheless welcome.
Yet even with this stellar cast and all its positive energy, “Fabulous Four” is ultimately the kind of movie that will be appreciated mostly by the people it’s aimed at, and even then its markedly sunny liberalism might be off-putting to a considerable portion of the target audience. That means whether or not we are able to see past its hackneyed Hollywood conventions and appreciate its clear message not to take things too seriously, you might not be a fan.
But let’s face it, if you love seeing divas do their thing on the big screen - and we’re betting you do – it’s definitely worth an afternoon matinee to find out.
SUSAN SARANDON, BETTE MIDLER, SHERYL LEE RALPH, and MEGAN MULLALLY in ‘The Fabulous Four.’ (Image courtesy Bleecker Street)
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At 39 and single, it’s time to take stock of your life and make different decisions.
I hate my vapid
gay life of bar hopping and partying
My married straight friends seem so much happier
By MICHAEL RADKOWSKY
Dear Michael,
I’m a 39 year-old gay man. Over the past decade I’ve been watching my straight friends from college date, marry, have kids, and buy houses. Their lives seem really fulfilling.
In the meantime, like all my gay friends, I’ve been hooking up and drinking too much and partying on weekends.
I realize that I hate my gay life. I think it’s vapid. I never thought I would say this but I actually wish I were straight because I think my life would be better and easier.
I don’t think this is internalized homophobia and I don’t think I’m idealizing my straight friends’ lives. I look around me and compare their lives to my life and my gay friends’ lives and it’s obvious that their lives are more meaningful. I realize I’m profoundly depressed.
Looking to the future, I know I’ve got an expiration date when it will be absurd for me to be standing around in my underpants at a bar. And then I will be irrelevant.
I don’t want to be going to sex parties and have people look through me — or only have sex with me because they have a grandpa fetish.
And the prospect of spending my future at a never-ending string of dinner parties with conversations about art or theater seems dismal. I know that’s a cliché but I’ve known enough older gay men to know there’s a lot of truth to it.
I envy my straight friends’ marriages. They all seem devoted to their spouses.
I would love to have a true life companion. I can’t fathom what my gay friends’ marriages are really about, because they’re all always going out separately from their husbands and screwing other people. I don’t discuss this with anyone because I’m afraid they’ll judge me or say I am pathetic and hate myself. I don’t really hate myself but I am hopeless about having a meaningful life as a gay man.
Any thoughts about getting to a better place?
Michael replies:
I could tell you that your best hope of a better life is to make your peace with being a gay man; that doing so does not have to mean living a life you find vapid and meaningless. That there is no one way to be gay; that you and you alone get to choose how you construct your life. And that the accomplishments you believe give your straight friends’ lives meaning are also possible for you to achieve.
But I think you probably know all this. So the real question is, why are you continuing to live this life you despise, year after year?
Some questions to consider:
• What are you afraid might happen if you don’t keep following the crowd?
• What endeavors, activities, and causes do you imagine would give your life some
greater meaning?
• What stops you from pursuing any of them or making them part of your life? I wonder what life experiences you may have had that contribute to your being so stuck. For example: Were you discouraged from thinking for yourself or from being self-directed as a kid? Were you expected to do as you were told? Were you ever bullied or ostracized, which might make it important for you to feel part of a group even you don’t really fit?
A related question: While you say that you want a close relationship, you don’t describe efforts to find one. Thinking back over your 39 years, can you identify any reasons why intimacy would be scary or uncomfortable for you? There are a number of reasons why gay men often have difficulty establishing relationships that include both sex and emotional connection. And you may have your own reasons for avoiding closeness that are unrelated to being gay. (Discomfort with intimacy is not limited to gay people.)
One more thing to consider: Although you say this isn’t internalized homophobia, is it possible you’ve absorbed negative beliefs over the course of your life that lead you to see being gay in a negative light?
I’m asking all these questions simply to encourage you to develop some hypotheses about why you’ve been continuing to live as you’ve been living. Having some understanding of what’s holding you back, or what you’re afraid of, might make it easier to quiet your anxiety, get off autopilot, and start moving in directions you would like to go. Regarding your being profoundly depressed: I could suggest that you work with a therapist on getting past what is keeping you from creating a better life. In addition, regular exercise (if you aren’t doing this already) would likely help your mood; and curbing your alcohol consumption would likely help you to better manage your life and your mood. (Perhaps your therapist or physician would recommend an antidepressant to help you along.)
Again, I am certain you already know all this. I don’t think suggestions are what you really need. As long as you keep your focus on all the things you hate about your life and all the sadness that you are convinced lies in your future, your life will likely remain as is. For you to have a shot at a better life, you’re going to have to do something new (hard and scary as that might be). This might include any or all of my suggestions, or it might be something entirely different that you conceive. The essential ingredients: Recognize that you actually have a choice as to how you want to live your life; and make the choice to take action on your behalf.
(Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with couples and individuals in D.C. He can be found online at michaelradkowsky.com. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to michael@michaelradkowsky.com.)
SMYAL for Summer Event for LGBTQ youth
services
organization held at Franklin Hall
The LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL held its annual SMYAL for Summer event at Franklin Hall on Thursday, July 25.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Hot tips for keeping cool Fans, strategic landscaping, maintenance help keep temps down
As summer temperatures soar, homeowners face the challenge of keeping their homes cool and comfortable without breaking the bank on energy bills. With a combination of smart strategies, simple home improvements, and thoughtful adjustments, it’s possible to create a cool oasis even during the hottest months. Here are some practical tips to help homeowners stay cool this summer.
Air conditioning is a primary tool for battling summer heat, but it can be expensive to run continuously. To optimize its use, start by setting the thermostat to the highest comfortable temperature.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F when you are home and higher when you are away. Programmable thermostats can automatically adjust the temperature, ensuring energy efficiency and comfort. Some even allow you to set the temperature from your phone.
Regular maintenance of your air conditioning unit is crucial. Replace or clean filters monthly to ensure efficient airflow and reduce strain on the system. Consider scheduling an annual professional check-up to keep the unit running smoothly.
By VALERIE M. BLAKE
Ceiling fans, box fans, and oscillating fans can complement your air conditioning system by circulating cool air throughout your home. Ceiling fans should rotate counterclockwise in the summer, creating a wind-chill effect that makes you feel cooler. This allows you to set the thermostat a few degrees higher without sacrificing comfort.
Place box fans in windows to draw in cooler evening air or use them to create a cross-breeze by positioning them opposite an open window. Oscillating fans can be used in living spaces to keep air moving and reduce the perception of heat.
Taking advantage of cooler outdoor air during the early morning and late evening can help lower indoor temperatures. Open windows and doors to create a cross-ventilation effect, allowing cool air to flow through your home and push out warm air. Use window fans or attic fans to enhance this process.
During the hottest part of the day, close windows, doors, and curtains to keep the heat out. Insulated or blackout curtains are particularly effective at blocking out sunlight and reducing indoor temperatures. Even though they are no longer popular, there’s a reason many homes have awnings over the windows
Good insulation isn’t just for keeping warm in winter; it also helps keep your home cool in summer. Ensure your attic, walls, and floors are properly insulated to prevent cool air from escaping and hot air from entering. Sealing gaps and cracks around windows and doors with weatherstripping or caulk can also make a significant difference.
Installing reflective window film or solar screens can reduce heat gain from sunlight, making your home cooler and more energy efficient. For a longer-term investment, consider upgrading your windows. By doing so, you may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $600.
Appliances and lighting generate heat, adding to the indoor temperature. To minimize this, avoid using heat-generating appliances during the hottest parts of the day. Cook with a microwave, toaster oven, or outdoor grill instead of using the stove or oven. When possible, use energy-efficient
LED bulbs, which produce less heat than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Electronics also generate heat, so turn off computers, televisions, and other devices when not in use. Consider unplugging chargers and small appliances to reduce heat output and save on energy costs.
Strategic landscaping can provide natural cooling benefits for your home. Planting trees, shrubs, and vines around your house can create shade and reduce the amount of heat that reaches your home. Deciduous trees, which lose their leaves in winter, provide shade in the summer while allowing sunlight to warm your home in the winter.
Using ground cover plants instead of pavement or bare soil can also help cool the area around your home. A well-maintained lawn or garden can reduce the temperature and improve the overall comfort of your outdoor space.
Finally, staying cool isn’t just about your home; it’s also about your personal comfort. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, as dehydration can make you feel hotter. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing made of natural fibers like cotton, which allow your skin to breathe and help regulate your body temperature.
Taking cool showers or using damp washcloths can provide immediate relief from the heat. Additionally, consider using a spray bottle filled with water to mist your skin throughout the day.
By implementing these strategies, homeowners can create a cooler, more comfortable living environment while keeping energy costs under control. With a bit of planning and some simple adjustments, it’s possible to beat the heat and enjoy the summer season to its fullest.
VALERIE M. BLAKE
is a licensed Associate Broker in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia with RLAH Real Estate / @properties. Call or text her at 202-246-8602, email her via DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.
It’s hot in the city. Here are some tips for keeping cool this summer.
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PROBATE DIVISION 2024 FEP 47
Date of Death: December 6, 2022
Inge J. Caldwell aka Inge Johanne Caldwell Notice of Appointment of Foreign Personal Representative and Notice to Creditors
Steven E. Caldwell whose address is 16016 Bonniebank Ter, Darnestown, Md, 20874 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Inge J. Caldwell aka Inge Johanne Caldwell, deceased by the Register of Wills Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, on May 22, 2023.
Service of process may be made upon John Dahill, 530 N St, SW #S705, Washington, DC 20024 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.
The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 3601 Wisconsin Ave, NW #710, Washington DC 20016.
The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, Building A, 515 5th Street, NW, #3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20001 within the 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.
Date of first publication 08/02/2024, /s/Nicole Stevens, Register of Wills, /s/Steven E. Caldwell, 301-801-6302 True Test Copy
Name of newspaper &/or periodical: Washington Blade & Daily Washington Law Reporter.
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