Washington Blade, Volume 56, Issue 24, June 13, 2025

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

WorldPride ends with an epic weekend

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VOLUME 56 ISSUE 24 ADDRESS PO Box 60664 Washington DC 20039 PHONE 202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT CHRIS KANE ckane@washblade.com extg 8083 INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com ext. 8093 LOCAL NEWS REPORTER JOE REBERKENNY jreberkenny@washblade.com ext. 9463 POP CULTURE REPORTER JOHN PAUL KING PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com ext 8084 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DANIEL ITAI, ISAAC AMEND, TINASHE CHINGARANDE, PETER ROSENSTEIN, PATRICK FOLLIARD, TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER, JOE PHILLIPS, EVAN CAPLAN, ANKUSH KUMAR, ESTEBAN RIOSECO, SAM KISIKA, ELVIS KAWEDO, JAKE STEWART, HENRY CARNELL, DAWN ENNIS CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION MEAGHAN JUBA production@azercreative.com SALES & ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com For distribution, contact Lynne Brown at 202-747-2077, ext. 8075.

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WorldPride wraps up after epic weekend of events Historic LGBTQ celebration brings music, activism to nation’s capital

By JOE REBERKENNY | jreberkenny@washblade.com After more than two years of preparation, thousands of volunteers, countless LGBTQ community members and allies, queer celebrities, and hundreds of events across the District, WorldPride in Washington has come to a close.

“It has been an extremely powerful three weeks,” Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, told the Blade on Sunday at the International March on Washington for Freedom. “This weekend has been well above expectations in relation to the energy and the crowds.”

WorldPride celebrations were set to kick off on May 31 with Shakira’s “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour,” but following reports of stage issues, the Colombian superstar canceled her D.C. show — and her Boston stop the day prior.

The festivities got into full swing on June 4 with the 2025 Human Rights Conference. Held at the J.W. Marriott, the three-day gathering brought together more than 800 attendees, including Jessica Stern, Spanish Sen. Carla Antonelli, Peruvian Congresswoman Susel Paredes, and Mariann Edgar Budde of the Washington National Cathedral.

Following the conference, Capital Pride hosted the annual Capital Pride Honors and Gala, recognizing outstanding figures in LGBTQ advocacy. Honorees included

Cathy Renna, Jerry St. Louis, Ernest Hopkins, Lamar Braithwaite, Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Kriston Pumphrey, Gia Martinez, Kraig Williams, and SMYAL. As the week went on, the tone shifted from formal to festive. Venues across the city filled with partygoers draped in glitter and rainbows, dancing and celebrating love in all forms. From the 17th Street Block Party and Full Bloom celebration to Kinetic’s dance events and the Pride on the Pier boat parade and fireworks (presented by the Washington Blade), nearly every corner of D.C. turned into a dancefloor. The Wharf was transformed into a Pride dance party on both Friday and Saturday nights for the Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier and culminated in the city’s only Pride fireworks display.

The annual Pride Parade was a standout. The nearly six-hour-long march drew hundreds of thousands to 14th Street, stretching toward the Capitol. A 1,000foot rainbow flag led the way as parade grand marshals Renée Rapp and Laverne Cox waved to cheering crowds. Confetti, beads, condoms, and joy poured from elaborate floats.

The parade fed into the WorldPride Street Festival and Concert, which for the first time spanned two days. The festival featured hundreds of booths — from queer merch and leather vendors to non-

profit fundraisers — and drew thousands of LGBTQ attendees under sunny skies.

Evenings wrapped with free concerts headlined by LGBTQ talent and allies, including Cynthia Erivo and Doechii. Other crowd favorites included Khalid , David Archuleta, and Kristine W. At the RFK Stadium grounds, the WorldPride Music Festival drew thousands for powerhouse performances by Troye Sivan, RuPaul, Kim Petras, and Renée Rapp.

Under glowing rainbow lights, fans danced and sang through the night.

Despite security concerns, no major issues were reported, though a few minor incidents occurred.

One of the biggest pre-event concerns was safety for LGBTQ attendees amid rising anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and anti-trans policies from the Trump administration.

Multiple countries issued travel warnings for trans and gender-nonconforming individuals visiting the U.S., but turnout — including trans folks and their allies — remained strong and visible throughout.

Another flashpoint was the temporary closure of Dupont Circle, a cornerstone of D.C.’s — and the nation’s — LGBTQ rights movement. The U.S. Park Service initially closed the park, citing the need to “secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement

LAVERNE COX rides in the WorldPride Parade. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

presence” — despite the MPD chief’s request to keep it open. Strong public backlash led to a reversal, and soon the park was full of rainbow-clad LGBTQ people celebrating freely.

On Saturday night following the parade, two juveniles were stabbed in Dupont Circle. However, MPD later confirmed the incident was unrelated to WorldPride celebrations.

The weekend ended with the International Rally and March on Washington for Freedom. Hundreds of LGBTQ people and allies gathered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to hear prominent activists speak on why Pride is still essential in 2025. Speakers called out rising hate and violence — and named Trump directly. As rain began to fall, the crowd only grew, marching from the Memorial to the Capitol, signs raised high, ending WorldPride as the first Pride began — as a protest.

D.C. police investigating threat of shooting at WorldPride festival Police chief says weekend was ‘success without incident’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a June 9 press conference that police investigators are looking for a man who reportedly threatened to “shoot up” the WordPride festival on Sunday, June 8, inside the fence-enclosed festival grounds.

Smith, who joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at the press conference to discuss public safety issues, said aside from the shooting threat, WorldPride events took place “without an incident’ and called WorldPride 2025 D.C. a success.

“I think last evening at the festival footprint there was an individual inside the festival who said there was an individual who was there and that they were going to shoot up the place in some terminology they used,” Smith told news media reporters.

“As you know, the event went off without incident,” she said. “We did have appropriate resources down there to address it.

We did put out a photo of the individual – white male. That’s all we have right now.

But our team is working very diligently to find out who that individual is.”

Smith added that D.C. police made 15 arrests during the WorldPride weekend with at least 23 violent crimes that occurred across the city but which she said were not related to WorldPride.

D.C. Police Chief PAMELA SMITH (Photo courtesy of MPD)

“There was a lot going on,” she said.

“But I’m so grateful we were able to have a WorldPride 2025 in this city that was very successful.”

In response to reporters’ questions, Bowser said she regretted that an incident of violence took place in Dupont Circle

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Park shortly after she persuaded the U.S. Park Service to reverse its earlier decision to close Dupont Circle Park during WorldPride weekend.

The mayor was referring to an incident early Saturday evening, June 7, in which two juveniles were stabbed inside the park following a fight, according to D.C. police.

Police said the injuries were nonfatal.

Bowser noted that she agreed with community activists and nearby residents that Dupont Circle Park, which has been associated with LGBTQ events for many years, should not be closed during WorldPride.

Park Service officials have said their reason for closing the park was that acts of vandalism and violence had occurred there during past LGBTQ Pride weekends, even though LGBTQ Pride organizers have said the vandalism and violent acts were not associated with Pride events.

“I think if I were standing here this morning and we hadn’t opened up the park you would be asking me were there any requests for not pushing hard to have a D.C. park opened that’s important to the LGBT

community during Pride,” Bowser told reporters.

“So, any time that there is harm to someone, and our responsibility, we regard it as our number one responsibility to keep the city safe and keep from harm’s way, certainly I have some regrets,” she said. “But I know I was working very hard to balance what our community was calling for with our preparations. And that was the decision I made,” she said, referring to her call to reopen Dupont Circle Park.

Bowser also noted that the National Park Service would not likely have agreed to reverse its decision to reopen Dupont Circle Park if an event had not been planned to take place there over the WorldPride weekend.

She was referring to a Saturday, June 7, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation “DISCO” party in Dupont Circle Park, which took place after the decision to reopen the park.

“Step Outside, Feel The Beat, And Shine With Pride,” a flyer announcing the event states.

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FreeState Justice to lose $300,000 in federal funding FreeState Justice on Monday said it will lose more than $300,000 in federal funding on July 1.

The organization in a press release said the funds from the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Program supported LGBTQ survivors of crime in Maryland. FreeState Justice notes this funding “makes up almost 25 percent of the legal aid organization’s overall budget, and 60 percent of its direct service budget.”

FreeState Justice began to receive funds from the program in 2018.

“FreeState Justice is the only organization providing trauma-informed, culturally relevant legal services to LGBTQ+ Marylanders,” said FreeState Justice Executive Director Phillip Westry. “This funding cut is devastating to our community and the clients we serve, and it undermines the promise of equal justice for all.”

Westry noted the funding supported “2.5 employees on our team of seven.”

FreeState Justice Legal Director Lauren Pruitt added upwards (Blade photo by Michael Key) of 600 people have benefitted from programs this funding supported so far this fiscal year.

“With our help, our clients report escaping violence, gaining housing, accessing documents, and reclaiming their voice,” said Pruitt. “For years, these funds have

helped us to support Marylanders who have survived crimes, including about 600 people so far this fiscal year.

Our services empower survivors to define and achieve safety, stability, and justice in the ways that matter most to them.”

“We are calling on the community to step up for Maryland’s LGBTQ+ survivors so that we can continue these essential services,” added Westry. “More than ever, we’ll need their support to continue getting our life-saving resources to those who need them most.”

FreeState Justice notes the Trump-Vance administration has cut $50 million “in grants and funding that support organizations that serve victims of crimes.” Westry on Monday in an email to supporters asked for their support to help fill the funding gap.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

WorldPride rally draws thousands to Lincoln Memorial Hundreds of LGBTQ people, supporters, and allies braved the rain on Sunday to make their voices heard at the International March on Washington for Freedom, held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The message of the event was overwhelmingly clear: the international — and local — queer community will not silently accept the hatred spewed by the current administration and right-wing leaders around the world.

The rally began with a performance of “Freedom” by the L.O.V.E. Chorus — a collective of singers from around the globe — who stood in matching pink shirts in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

The nearly four-hour event, which took place before the march, featured speakers from across the world and from all corners of the LGBTQ rights movement. Human

as you gather with friends rights activists, queer comand allies from across the munity leaders, foreign world, let us be clear. No government officials, drag one should be made to fight performers, and even the alone. We are all in this toformer vice president took gether. So please take care, the stage. enjoy yourselves, and happy “Pride is a celebration, WorldPride.” but it is also a powerful “WorldPride has always statement — about courage, The growing crowd along been a moment where hucommunity, and determinathe reflecting pool at the National Mall. man rights defenders from tion,” Kamala Harris said in (Blade photo by Joe Reberkenny) around the world gather in a pre-taped statement that solidarity, but this year, many drew cheers from the crowd. around the globe have been silenced,” said “Pride is about honoring the trailblazers Ashley Smith, Capital Pride’s Board Preswho came before, joining arms with those ident and board member of the Human leading the fight for equality today, and emRights Campaign Foundation. “That should powering the next generation to live boldly, disturb us. That should mobilize us.” freely, and with joy. It is when we celebrate “This is not just a rally. This is the beginthe progress we have made and recommit ning. We must march towards freedom,” to the work still ahead. And in this moment,

Smith told the growing crowd. “This is our time.”

The historic nature of this international gathering wasn’t lost on the more than 20 speakers, many of whom invoked the legacy of those who came before — particularly trans pioneers within the movement. Learning from past LGBTQ leaders was a central and repeated theme.

Several speakers also called out specific countries and political figures for abusing their power at the expense of LGBTQ rights.

Trump, Musk, and Putin were among the names directly mentioned.

The rally marked the beginning of the end of WorldPride in Washington, where for the past two weeks, the nation’s capital has hosted the largest LGBTQ celebration of the year.

JOE REBERKENNY

Comings & Goings

Kefalas, Czapary to open Yala Greek Ice Cream Shop in Georgetown

By PETER ROSENSTEIN

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at comingsandgoings@ washblade.com.

Congratulations to Chrys Kefalas and Salah Czapary on their new venture, the Yala Greek Ice Cream Shop, which will open in Georgetown, at 3143 N St. N.W., around July 4.

Kefalas is the CEO and founder, Czapary is the co-founder/director of experience and operations. The third co-founder is Steve Shyn, COO. From what I hear Chrys and Salah will at times both be doing the scooping to the lucky people who stop by their shop. The word “Yala” is a play on the Greek word for “milk,” and fittingly, Yala

Greek Ice Cream is made using hand-crafted techniques passed down through three generations of Greek ice cream makers.

Kefalas told the Blade, “This is not frozen yogurt, just inspired by Greek flavors or a trendy twist on gelato. This is true Greek ice cream, finally making its American debut. It is crafted with farm-fresh milk from Maryland, Greek yogurt and honey, fruit preserves from the Mediterranean, and ingredients sourced directly from Greece, Italy, and the Middle East, including premium pistachios and sustainably harvested vanilla.”

The two come from different backgrounds. Kefalas has a family in the restaurant business but is currently the head of the brand division at the National Association of Manufacturers. He is a former Justice Department attorney; worked as Attorney General Eric Holder’s speech writer; Gov.

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Bob Erlich’s counsel in Maryland; and ran for U.S. Senate in Maryland (endorsed by the Baltimore Sun). Born and raised in Baltimore, he’s a Washingtonian of nine years.

He told the Blade, “Yala Ice Cream is a tribute, a legacy, and a love letter across generations.” He spent his early years working in his grandfather’s restaurant in Baltimore, Illona’s. Kefalas hopes, “Just like Greek yogurt changed everything, Greek ice cream is going to set the new standard for ice cream.

But, for us, it isn’t just about ice cream; it’s about making my Papou, my grandfather, proud.”

Many people in D.C. know Czapary. He is the son of a Palestinian refugee, and Hungarian immigrant, and a longtime Washington, D.C. resident. Czapary served as a police officer and community engagement leader with the MPD. He then ran for D.C. Council, and although didn’t win, was en-

CHRYS KEFALAS

SALAH CZAPARY

dorsed by the Washington Post. After that race, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser realized how accomplished he is and asked him to join her administration, where he served as director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture.

Czapary told the Blade, “We’re bringing the first authentic Greek ice cream shop to the U.S., and we’re doing it with heart. We’re building a space where kindness, community, and a scoop of something extraordinary come together. Our Georgetown scoop shop is designed to be a welcoming haven where every guest feels a sense of belonging.”

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WorldPride recap: Festival, parade, fireworks, and Doechii D.C. turned out for a massive celebration tempered by new political realities

By JOE REBERKENNY | jreberkenny@washblade.com

From Spain to Saint Lucia, Berlin to Brazil, travelers from around the globe began to arrive in Washington, D.C., for the biggest celebration of the LGBTQ community of the year. After two years of planning, over the course of nine days, one unified message of the strength of love against bigots that oppose the LGBTQ community emerged as WorldPride took over the city last week.

The long road to the successful events wasn’t met with open arms, though. As Donald Trump was elected president the year prior, the political climate in the U.S. became even more polarized, with the LGBTQ community — and trans people specifically — becoming targets for far-right figures.

This made it more difficult to ensure the safety of our transgender siblings within the LGBTQ community, especially while traveling to a city led by someone who has openly claimed them as enemies. InterPride, the group that runs WorldPride celebrations across the globe, even issued travel advisories for transgender and nonbinary people.

Additionally, the U.S. Park Service fenced off Dupont Circle — one of the centers of Washington’s LGBTQ community — just days before the celebrations began. After massive pushback, they took down the fences and allowed people to use the circle as a place to celebrate.

Despite the fears, scores of LGBTQ people poured into the capital just as rainbow banners, flags, posters, and messages of love and support covered every part of the city.

The long list of celebrations was supposed to begin on May 31 with a concert from Colombian pop superstar Shakira at Nationals Park.

“Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am sad and heartbroken that I will not be able to be in Washington, D.C., with you tomorrow,” said Shakira in a statement online. “I hope that I can come back to D.C. as soon as I am able.”

The event was intended to serve as both a concert and the welcome ceremony for WorldPride Washington 2025.

Yet, less than 48 hours before she was supposed to mark the beginning of the global LGBTQ festival, she abruptly canceled, citing issues with her stage.

Despite the shaky start to the celebration, there was still music heard in the city — and not just Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” which jumped to 16 on the U.S. Spotify streaming charts. Singers from all backgrounds joined the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington to celebrate the “Freedom to Sing” in the International Choral Festival — spanning 17 days and numerous venues.

Sports also had its moment at WorldPride this year.

The Capital Cup Sports Festival, produced by Team DC, works to end discrimination against LGBTQ people participating in sports and awards scholarships to local LGBTQ student-athletes. The sports festival included 15 different sports competitions across three days — from rugby to rowing.

There was also the WorldPride Film Festival, where filmmakers worldwide were encouraged to submit LGBTQ films of all genres and lengths to be screened during the WorldPride celebrations. From classic shorts like DC Gay Pride 1978 (1978), showcasing what Pride was like in the same city 46 years ago, to world premieres like Humans of Pride (2025), there was a myriad of motion picture art that showcased the LGBTQ community.

As the fight for LGBTQ rights began to shift from the street with bricks to the halls of parliaments and presidents’ offices around the globe, the focus turned to fighting for legislatively ensured human rights. To ensure that LGBTQ and minority rights are preserved in countries where they

exist and to attempt to expand them in places without protections, the WorldPride 2025 Human Rights Conference launched.

For three days, upwards of 800 people — most of whom have devoted their careers to creating a world where “dignity, equality, and respect” are at the foundation of governments — gathered. Speakers like Jessica Stern, Spanish Sen. Carla Antonelli, Peruvian Congresswoman Susel Paredes, and Mariann Edgar Budde of the National Cathedral of Washington were just some of the notable attendees.

The Pride celebrations really ramped up just as the Human Rights Conference started to wind down. On Friday, June 4, multiple parties began — including the sixth annual Pride on the Pier celebration (presented by the Washington Blade). This year, it was extended from one to two days in honor of WorldPride. On Friday, The Wharf in Southwest D.C. hosted a night of vendors, food, drinking, dancing, DJs, and — for the first time — a boat parade. Boats with LGBTQ people in their proudest outfits danced and waved up and down the river.

Another highly anticipated event was the WorldPride Music Festival: Global Dance Party. This mega two-day event brought together LGBTQ icons from a slew of styles like house, pop, drag, circuit, and techno. Performers — some of which included headliners Jennifer Lopez and Troye Sivan, Reneé Rapp, Kim Petras, Purple Disco Machine, RuPaul, Betty Who, Tinashe, and local talent like Ed Bailey, Fish House Funk, Dickerman, and Miscalculated — performed at the RFK Festival Grounds.

In addition to the Music Festival, there were two official WorldPride parties on Friday. “Full Bloom” brought together some of the East Coast’s most “iconic queer collectives and performers” — Flower Factory and Sweet Spot — with Capital Pride Alliance to host the dance party of the season.

Floral outfits, carnival games, and a lot of sweaty dancing as far as the eye could see were the vibe of the night.

“I am at Full Bloom having so much fun. It feels like a county fair, but for gay people, and I’m having a blast with my community,” said Henry Hicks, a journalist originally from Tennessee.

“Queerness is about so much more than being able to get married and own property, queerness is about community. It’s about justice. It’s about liberation, and I feel like the ability to convene and express ourselves and really celebrate who we are outside of the confines of structures and institutions.”

Also happening at the same time was the “Woven Together” party by Daryl Wilson Promotions, set to celebrate the Black LGBTQ community with “energy, the music, the fashion, and the men — all under one roof.” The party took place at The Park on 14th and, as advertised, was filled with energy, music, bold fashion, and men.

On Saturday the 7th, Pride started just early enough to get a quick Bloody Mary in before the big events. The WorldPride Street Festival opened at 11 a.m., and included hundreds of booths — from vendors to nonprofits — and even a space for LGBTQ families to gather and allow their children to have their own space. The festival had something for everyone.

As street festival attendees set up their booths hours before, people further northwest began to prepare for the biggest Pride parade in Washington’s history. With more than 300 contingents and 40,000 people marching in the parade alone, it’s safe to say 14th Street had never seen this many LGBTQ people and allies.

Led by a 1,000-foot rainbow flag and Grand Marshals Renée Rapp and Laverne Cox, to say it was a party would

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be an understatement. It was a cacophony of sound and rainbow sights that included people shouting messages of love in nearly every language. Tequila shots were shared in flasks on the curb while people dressed in everything — from full leather outfits complete with pup masks to pasties, jockstraps, and fishnets. The parade was a true display of queer individuality and joy.

DOECHII thrilled crowds at the end of a long WorldPride weekend. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

A special local legend got married during the parade — Freddie Lutz of the Northern Virginia gay bar Freddie’s married his partner of 28 years, Johnny Cervantes, while riding down 14th Street in a chapel float. The couple celebrated their wedding shortly after at Freddie’s, where parade and WorldPride attendees were invited to join them.

Another part of Washington’s Pride celebrations — the 17th Street Block Party — also began to ramp up as the parade made its way down 14th Street. The annual party, taking place in the city’s first “gayborhood,” was alive with drag performers, friends taking pictures and sipping drinks, and lovers wearing their queerness on their sleeves — or in many cases — sleeveless tank tops.

“We are gangbusters on 17th Street — it is amazing,” said Georgia Katinas, whose family owns and runs Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, a cornerstone of the Washington LGBTQ community since its opening 76 years ago. “It’s been hot like this since we opened at noon, packed full of the most diverse, wonderful people we’ve ever met. We are so happy.”

Randy Downs, who soft-launched his and his boyfriend Rick Bennett’s pizza place, Protest Pizza, just for the Pride celebration, shared how he felt opening a queer-run restaurant at the peak of Pride.

“It’s busy, non-stop, and incredible,” Downs said. “The energy is amazing and the block party is incredible as well.

It hasn’t hit home yet.”

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the parade began to wind down—six hours after it kicked off at 2 p.m. The energy from the march spilled directly into the street festival, blending into one big, joyful queer celebration.

Down Pennsylvania Avenue, performers delivered some of the greatest—and gayest—shows of their careers. Kristine W, CeCe Peniston, and David Archuleta lit up the stage, framed perfectly by the Capitol dome. The night wrapped with a show-stopping performance by Cynthia Erivo who, from afar, looked like she just might have been defying gravity.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

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WorldPride recap: ‘Look around the rainbow world, holding hands’ ing? D.C. for WorldPride?’” Gonzalez sang-spoke as laughter rose from the crowd. “ConWhile Erivo lit up the Capitol Stage, fireworks burst over The Wharf for the second night sider this country’s leader who wants to rid the world of us—even he’s a little queer, having of Pride on the Pier. Booms, “oooohs,” and “ahhhhhs” echoed along the river as the sky just broken up with Musk! Gay boys, lesbians, and trans. Look around the rainbow world, exploded in every color of the rainbow. Before and after the dazzling display, DJ Farrah holding hands. So much love and unity, so much power when we’re one. There’s no stopFlosscett kept the energy high with a set full of queer pop anthems, spinning under the ping all of us. Our love outshines the sun,” she sang as cheers from the crowd grew louder. open sky.

For four hours, speakers from all walks of LGBTQ life came and spoke—Tyler Heck from Later that night, the Sapphic side of the LGBTQ community came out strong for “Unravthe Christopher Street Project emphasized the importance of supporting politicians who eled: Women’s Party” at The Park at 14th. An all-female DJ lineup took over the four-stoare looking out and working on behalf of trans Americans. Kamala Harris made a vidry bar, filling each level with music as Harlem star Jerrie Johnson hosted the event for a eo telling the crowd of more LGBTQ comthan 5,000 munity to queer women, keep the femmes, trans, faith and to and non-binary keep fighting. baddies who Even multiple showed up—and RuPaul’s Drag showed out.

Race stars Kinetic Events came out—inhave become cluding Mrs. a cornerstone Kasha Davis, of the D.C. cirwho spoke cuit scene, so it with the was only fitting Blade after that the “Fabric getting off of Freedom” stage. party would “The poclose out the litical nature weekend with of this is that a bang. Hunwe’re in this dreds of mostperiod of ly scantily clad negativity m e n — d re s s e d and of hate, in harnesses, and what we jockstraps, and need to do is not much else— show up for descended into one anothBurhta for a er,” the drag night of sweat, queen said as bass, and liberaher rainbow tion. Queer stars leopard print Pabllo Vittar and dress and giAlyssa Edwards gantic pink (RuPaul’s Drag updo stood Race) headlined out against the night, alongthe marble The Blade’s sixth annual Pride on the Pier expanded to two days for WorldPride. (Blade photo by Michael Key) side a stacked of the monuroster of DJs ments around her. “And what we really need is more of our allies to continue to show up. and go-go boys who kept the massive space—three dance floors and 10,000 square feet— And I mentioned in my talk about painting your nails. I mean, any way that you can show alive until the early morning hours. up to support your family, your neighbors, your community. That’s what this is all about.

The next day at 9:30 a.m., folks started to gather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to Because we’re finding that more and more people are not siding with that hate. Yes, the get ready for the International Rally + March on Washington for Freedom. As the speakers conservatives are loud, but we can be louder.” began to arrive and check in, other event organizers started passing out signs. The rally As the group from the rally began to walk toward the Washington Monument, chants and march, which lasted more than four hours despite the rain, had an impressive turnout. supporting trans kids and keeping LGBTQ people safe could be heard from yards away.

The L.O.V.E. WorldPride Chorus started the event, performing “Freedom” in bright pink The rainbow-clad group, holding umbrellas and signs, made their way down the Mall until shirts on the memorial’s steps, followed by Dee Crank of the Navajo Nation. There, she they met up with Pennsylvania Avenue, as the final event of WorldPride took place. spoke about her experiences being a trans Indigenous woman and encouraged everyone The closing concert took place at the end of the WorldPride Street Festival once again, to listen to those who are most oppressed. “The fight for freedom starts with listening,” as MkX, Parker Matthews, 2AM Ricky, and Brooke Eden sang their hearts out to the growCrank said. ing crowd. Just as the sky began to clear up, one of the headliners of the night, Khalid, Ashley Smith, Capital Pride’s board president and a board member of the Human Rights started his set and performed his radio hits.

Campaign Foundation, followed. He spoke with ferocity as he explained that now is the Doechii, the Grammy-winning performer, sang and rapped her most popular songs time to stand up for what’s right—especially for our trans siblings who are being ostracized from her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. She performed in true Doechii style, exuding by people a few thousand yards away in the White House and Capitol. confidence and love under the rainbow lights, ultimately finishing with an encore of “NisMultiple other speakers came up and spoke as the sky got darker and the rain began to san Altima.” fall, but amazingly—the crowd didn’t seem to dwindle.

“I love y’all,” she said into her alligator-green microphone, walking back into her Among the notable speakers, activist and comedian Mimi Gonzalez came out and sang swamp-inspired set. “What are y’all doing after this? Are y’all partying? I want to party! I’ll a modernized version of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. see y’all later!”

“At first I was afraid. I was petrified. Kept wondering, ‘What in the world are they think-

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Gay pharmacist’s murder sparks outrage in Chile The latest revelations about the tragic death of Francisco Albornoz, a 21-year-old gay pharmacist whose body was found on June 4 in a remote ravine in the O’Higgins region 12 days after he disappeared, has left Chile’s LGBTQ community shocked.

The crime, which was initially surrounded by uncertainty and contradictory theories, has taken a darker and more shocking turn after prosecutors charged Christian González, an Ecuadorian doctor, and José Miguel Baeza, a Chilean chef, in connection with Albornoz’s murder.

González and Baeza are in custody while authorities continue to investigate the case.

The Chilean Public Prosecutor’s Office has pointed to a premeditated “criminal plan” to murder Albornoz.

Rossana Folli, the prosecutor who is in charge of the case, says Albornoz died as a a result of traumatic encephalopathy after receiving multiple blows to the head inside an apartment in Ñuñoa, which is just outside of Santiago, the Chilean capital, early on May 24. The Prosecutor’s Office has categorically ruled out that Albornoz died of a drug overdose, as initial reports suggested.

“The fact that motivates and leads to the unfortunate death of Francisco is part of a criminal plan of the two defendants, aimed at ensuring his death and guaranteeing total impunity,” Folli told the court. “The seriousness of the facts led the judge to decree preventive detention for both defendants on the grounds that their freedom represents a danger to public safety.”

Prosecutors during a June 7 hearing that lasted almost eight hours presented conservations from the suspects’ cell phones that they say showed they planned the murder in advance.

“Here we already have one (for Albornoz.) If you bring chloroform, drugs, marijuana, etc.,” read one of the messages.

FRANCISCO ALBORNOZ (Photo courtesy of Albornoz’s Facebook page)

Security cameras captured the three men entering the apartment where the murder took place together.

Hours later, one of the suspects left with a suitcase and a shopping cart to transport Albornoz’s body, which had been wrapped in a sleeping bag. The route they

followed to dispose of the body included a stop to buy drinks, potato chips, gloves, and a rope with which they finally descended a ravine to hide it.

Although the Public Prosecutor’s Office has not yet officially classified the murder as a hate crime, LGBTQ organizations are already demanding authorities investigate this angle. Human rights groups have raised concerns over patterns of violence that affect queer people in Chile.

The Zamudio Law and other anti-discrimination laws exist. Activists, however, maintain crimes motivated by a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are not properly prosecuted.

“This is not just a homicide, it is the cruelest expression of a society that still allows the dehumanization of LGBTQ+ people,” said a statement from Fundación Iguales, one of Chile’s main LGBTQ organizations. “We demand truth, justice, and guarantees of non-repetition.”

The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movilh), meanwhile, indicated that “since the first day the family contacted us, we have been in conversations with the Prosecutor’s Office so that this fatal outcome is thoroughly investigated, including the possible existence of homophobic motivations or components.”

The investigation into Albornoz’s murder continues, and the court has imposed a 90-day deadline for authorities to complete it.

ESTEBAN RIOSECO

South African activists demand end to anti-LGBTQ violence Continued attacks of LGBTQ South Africans are raising serious concerns about the community’s safety and well-being.

President Cyril Ramaphosa in May 2024 signed the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill into law that, among other things, has legal protections for LGBTQ South Africans who suffer physical, verbal, and emotional violence. Statistics from the first and second quarters of 2025 have painted a grim picture.

MOHSIN HENDRICKS (courtesy photo)

Muhsin Hendricks, the country’s first openly gay imam, in February was shot dead in Gqeberha, in a suspected homophobic attack. Authorities in April found the body of Linten Jutzen, a gay crossdresser, in an open field between an elementary school and a tennis court in Cape Town.

A World Economic Forum survey on attitudes towards

homosexuality and gender non-conformity in South Africa that Marchant Van Der Schyf conducted earlier this year found that even though 51 percent of South Africans believe gay people should have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, 72 percent of them feel same-sex sexual activity is morally wrong. The survey also notes 44 percent of LGBTQ respondents said they experienced bullying, verbal and sexual discrimination, and physical violence in their everyday lives because of their sexual orientation.

Van Der Schyf said many attacks occur in the country’s metropolitan areas, particularly Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.

“Victims are often lured to either the perpetrator’s indicated residence or an out-of-home area under the appearance of a meet-up,” said Van Der Schyf. “The nature of the attacks range from strangulation and beatings to kidnapping and blackmail with some victims being filmed naked or held for ransom.”

The Youth Policy Committee’s Gender Working Group notes South Africa is the first country to constitutionally protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and the fifth nation in the world to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. A disparity, however, still exists between legal protections and LGBTQ people’s lived experiences.

“After more than 20 years of democracy, our communities continue to wake up to the stench of grief, mutilation, violation, and oppression,” said the Youth Policy Committee. “Like all human beings, queer individuals are members of schooling communities, church groups, and society at large, therefore, anything that affects them should affect everyone else within those communities.”

The Youth Policy Committee also said religious and cultural leaders should do more to combat anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

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“Religious institutions seem to perpetuate the hate crimes experienced by queer individuals,” said the group. “In extreme cases, religious leaders have advocated for killings and hateful crimes to be committed against those in the queer community. South Africa’s highly respected spiritual guides, sangomas, are also joining the fight against queer killings and acts of transphobia and homophobia.”

“The LGBTQIA+ community is raising their voice and they need to be supported because they add a unique color to our rainbow nation,” it added.

Steve Letsike, the government’s deputy minister for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, in marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia on May 17 noted Ramaphosa’s administration has enacted legislative framework that protects the LGBTQ community. Letsike, however, stressed the government still needs to ensure its implementation.

“We have passed these policies and we need to make sure that they are implemented fully and with urgency, so that (LGBTQ) persons can self-determine and also have autonomy without any abusive requirements,” said Letsike. “We need families, faith leaders, traditional authorities, and communities to rise together against hate.

Our constitution must remain respected.”

Siphokazi Dlamini, a social justice activist, said LGBTQ rights should be respected, as enshrined in the constitution.

“It is terrible to even imagine that they face discrimination despite the fact that this has been addressed numerous times,” said Dlamini. “How are they different from us? Is a question I frequently ask people or why should they live in fear just because we don’t like the way they are and their feelings? However, I would get no response.”

DANIEL ITAI

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RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

is a D.C.-based writer and former president of the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance.

Pride is wherever you are All of us are part of the struggle

I thought of titling this “A long way from WorldPride” to contrast the struggles of displaced LGBTQ+ people in Kenya with the recent celebrations in Washington. But that would miss the real story.

The United States is facing a concerted right-wing effort to erase and disenfranchise minorities in the name of fighting “wokeness,” a term used to disrespect the diversity of America’s population. The phrase “DEI hires” [referring to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives] is used mockingly to pretend that no person of color or other minority is ever qualified for any job.

Meanwhile, my friend Rosamel, a trans woman who runs a safe house in Nairobi, is the very embodiment of pride under pressure. The two-dozen residents of the house include several orphaned children of queer folk. After Rosamel was hospitalized for days due to an injury and tetanus, the children have taken to sleeping next to her and following her around because they are afraid of losing her.

If that is not family, there is none. Those who use the claim that God created two and only two sexes as justification for denying legal protections to gender-non-conforming people need to take off their blinders and see the greater complexity of God’s creation.

Whether right-wing culture warriors recognize it or not, God created intersex people and people whose brain chemistry tells them their gender is different from what was assigned at birth.

The phrase “biological males” is routinely used by people on the right in a way that reduces biology to genitalia. Perhaps even more egregiously, many in the news media uncritically accept the right-wing vocabulary.

Thus our struggle continues. We still have work to do to build and honor what many good people of faith call the Beloved Community.

I attended the WorldPride Human Rights Conference in Washington featuring delegates from across the globe. Being surrounded by so many smart, dedicated activists was invigorating despite my suffering from stress and lack of sleep.

The final session at the conference was a conversation with the Congressional Equality Caucus. One of the panelists, Rep. Becca Balint (D) of Vermont, said, regarding right-wing threats to roll back LGBTQ+ progress, that she is a glass-half-full kind of person.

She is right. We could easily sink into despair, given the aggressive attacks on our community. But we must not let the haters rob us of our joy nor deflect us from our purpose.

Before the panel began, I spoke with moderator Eugene Daniels of MSNBC, an openly gay journalist who is president of the White House Correspondents Association. I thanked him for his fearlessness and excellence.

A friend told me that he didn’t care to emulate Eugene’s fashion-forward style nor his use nail polish. But my point in praising Eugene is not that all of us should try to be him.

We are a diverse people. It is rather his poise and self-confidence that deserve emulation.

Eugene’s mother told him when he was younger, “You belong in whatever room you find yourself.” Yes. The threats to LGBTQ+ people around the globe are real and daunting. But we have one another, and the examples set by those who came before us. We also have the wisdom of those children in Nairobi, who needed no one to tell them who loves and cares for them.

I raised money to pay for repairs to the safe house, and for the walking sticks Rosamel required after her injury. The need among these displaced people is always greater than the capacity of the handful of donors. More non-governmental organizations are needed to help those forced to flee their homes and countries because of unscrupulous politicians and clergy who scapegoat them for problems they had no part in causing.

Eugene Daniels was motivated to come out after the Pulse Nightclub murders in 2016.

He didn’t want to die with no one knowing his true self.

By contrast, Utah state legislator Trevor Lee (R) backs HB 77, a measure to ban Pride flags in schools and local government buildings, with an amendment allowing Nazi and Confederate flags for “educational purposes.”

We must join forces to beat back the evil nonsense currently proliferating.

To find role models, we have only to look around us and around the world. Rosamel and Eugene did not wait for permission to step up and lead.

To quote a wise ancient man whose teaching is routinely ignored by the hatemongers on the so-called Christian right: “Go thou and do likewise.”

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is a D.C.-based museum worker and public historian.

Faith leaders celebrate WorldPride at interfaith service ‘God is Gay’

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Earlier this month, 250 people from faith communities across the D.C. area gathered at All Souls Church Unitarian Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 42nd Pride Interfaith Service titled “Woven with Faith and Power.” More than 200 people joined the livestreamed service.

From the pulpit hung a Pride progress flag and behind it, a collection of rainbow tulle fabric matching the scarves that I and others waved up and down the aisle as a Maypole celebration for the pagan community. All Souls choir members were dressed in colors that created a rainbow when they sang in formation, and clergy of all religions were decked out in rainbow stoles and vestments.

Attendees were welcomed by the Umoja Dono and Waimbaji drummers, followed by a procession of faith leaders as the choir sang “Step by Step, the Longest March.” It was one of the largest gatherings of faith leaders I had ever seen, from Druid clergy and Hedge priests to rabbis and imams to Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The church was packed with singers, drummers, the DC Peace Team, and members of the public that had come to sing and celebrate interfaith solidarity during WorldPride. The location and history of the event was especially significant. It was on the All Souls chancel that the right for marriage equality was enshrined in Washington, D.C., back in 2009. But the history of the Pride Interfaith Service is much older, dating back to a day-long prayer vigil held in conjunction with the display of the AIDS quilt during DC Pride in 1985.

The vigil was organized by the Washington Area Gay and Lesbian Interfaith Alliance (WAGLIA). In the mid-2010s, WAGLIA changed its name to the Celebration of the Spirit Coalition and later, Center Faith, which strives to promote religious pluralism and interfaith collaboration by hosting events like the annual Pride Interfaith Service that gathers together its partner organizations from a variety of faith traditions, including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Unitarian Universalist, Mennonite, Brethren, Centers for Spiritual Living, Radical Faeries, Pagan, Wiccan, and Earth Religions.

As Rev. Darryl! LD Moch, Pastor at United Church of Christ (UCC) of Fredericksburg and Jonah Richardson from Adas Israel Congregation welcomed people to “continue this work of gathering, uniting in faith, and standing together as we work to weave a better world,” the latter acknowledged this rich history of queer interfaith activism in DC. I was fortunate to stand in for this rich history and speak truth to power in remembering that queer interfaith work, just like the queer community itself, has a long and sacred history. This is my third year serving as the historian for the Pride Interfaith Service.

At the time during the HIV/AIDS crisis, and today with the rise of Christian nationalism, Rev. Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey of the United Church of Christ said that recognizing this history has never been more important. Our communities are under attack.

Many loved ones have been lost to HIV/AIDS, to queerphobic violence, and to old age, including Allan Armus who organized that first prayer vigil with representatives of nine different faiths back in 1985: Joe Pomper, Daniel FL Hays, Christian Yoder, Joe Sophos, Rev. Elder Robert Vanzant ThD, Bishop Yao Kwabena Rainey Cheeks, Charles Redden Butler Neto III, and Imam Daaiyee Abdullah. And so the service called out to and welcomed in these ancestors “who fought and won many of the rights we are afforded with us today,” Rev Dr. Wallace R. Henry III of Inner Light Ministry UCC said during the ancestor libation.

Their wisdom is invaluable but so too, Tahil Sharma, faith director at the National LGBTQ+ Task Force, said, is reaching out to and involving young people in this work. Sharma urged that the question “Where are the young people? should be carved into the first steps of every sacred space that has asked me that question.” Sharma urged faith leaders present not to gatekeep leadership or decision-making but to invite in young people to carry on the legacy of interfaith advocacy, and for young people to know the history of faith within queer communities.

Later in the service, Ebony C. Peace, a Unitarian Universalist Lay Community Minister, specifically called this out--the importance of recognizing the legacies of harm that people and institutions of faith have caused LGBTQ+ people and the wider community, through physical and spiritual violence such as conversion therapy, purity culture, and colonial erasure. The freedom to religion, Peace said, is just as important as the right to freedom from religion, especially as far-right Christianity continues to be weaponized against LGBTQ+ peoples’ rights.

Atheists, agnostics, and the “nones” — the people who identify with no form of religion — Peace said, are valid and important contributors to interfaith work, recognizing that faith is not for everyone and spirituality, especially for queer people hurt by organized religion, is often a malleable and non-organizational conduit to sacred affirmation.

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MAX MICALLEF

is an activist and writer based in Upstate New York.

Why queer firearm ownership is a matter of survival The right to self-defense is not just constitutional, it is life-saving

In an era marked by escalating political hostility, targeted legislative rollbacks, and surging hate-fueled violence, LGBTQ+ individuals face an urgent and sobering imperative: self-defense. Across the United States, queer lives are increasingly endangered not just by interpersonal bigotry, but by systems that fail, or outright refuse to protect them. In this climate, the act of owning a firearm is not a political stunt. It is, for many queer people, an existential necessity.

Although gun ownership is often stereotyped as a conservative domain, a growing number of queer and trans individuals are reclaiming the right to bear arms; not to dominate, but to defend. The mainstream debate too often casts the federal Second Amendment and state gun rights as synonymous with reactionary politics. But for marginalized communities, especially those historically abandoned by police, the right to self-defense is not just constitutional, it is life-saving.

The numbers reinforce this stark reality. Data from the Williams Institute at UCLA reveals that queer people are more than five times more likely to experience violent victimization than their non-queer peers. Transgender individuals are at even greater risk, facing a staggering victimization rate of 93.7 per 1,000 people, compared to 21.1 per 1,000 among non-queer individuals. Black LGBTQ+ people in particular face some of the highest rates of hate-motivated violence, revealing the dangerous convergence of racism, queerphobia, and transphobia in American society.

The 2016 massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where 49 predominantly Latinx/ Latino queer people were murdered remains one of the most horrific reminders of how queer spaces are often the targets of deadly hate. Yet the violence has not abated. According to Them. magazine, 75% of transgender homicides in 2020 involved firearms used against them, with Black trans women disproportionately affected. Despite these facts, federal protections remain weak, and police responses are often indifferent, hostile, or retraumatizing.

In response, a growing network of queer and trans people have turned to community-based defense organizations that reject both right-wing extremism and state neglect. The Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), founded in 2018, promotes the idea that working-class and marginalized people deserve the tools and training to protect themselves. It is explicitly anti-fascist, anti-racist, and inclusive. As of mid-2019, roughly one-third of the SRA’s 2,000 members identified as queer, with specifically 8% identifying as transgender. Since the 2024 election cycle and the resurgence of far-right organizing, that number has more than tripled. The John Brown Gun Club (JBGC), another leftist formation, provides armed community defense at Pride marches, drag events, and anti-racist demonstrations, filling a critical gap left by state institutions that often fail to protect queer bodies.

These organizations don’t glorify violence. They promote harm reduction. They offer firearm safety classes, de-escalation training, and mutual aid, not paramilitary cosplay. Their existence serves a purpose more essential than politics: ensuring that no one is left defenseless against fascist aggression or hate-driven attacks. When institutions fail, the community must provide its own shield.

The rise in queer firearm ownership reflects a broader cultural shift. One that rejects the monopolization of armed protection by conservatives, law enforcement, and the military. It is a reclaiming of autonomy, of bodily sovereignty, of the right to survive. It says plainly: queer and trans lives are not expendable. They are not negotiable. They are worth defending.

In a world where systemic violence targets us at every intersection, queer and trans firearm ownership is not a fringe movement, it is a moral response to lived danger.

This is not about glorifying guns. It is about refusing to die quietly. It is about the fundamental human right to safety, dignity, and resistance. As Malcolm X said, “Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a human, you take it.”

So, too, must queer and trans people, especially those left behind by both government and mainstream queer institutions, and assert that their lives will not be bargained for, but protected. The people must not beg for safety. They must be ready to defend it.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

If you are sick, or old, maybe don’t run for Congress We need to let younger candidates run for office

I am sure I will be called heartless after people read this column. But I have come to believe that if you are sick, or old, maybe you should not run for Congress. We now have three open Democratic seats in the House of Representatives. They are open because two members over 70, who had been diagnosed with cancer before the election, decided they had to run anyway. They won, but have since passed away early in their term. The other death was a congressperson who decided it was appropriate to run for his first term at the age of 70.

I understand what being older means, and also what a cancer diagnosis is. I am fortunate and have survived three different cancers. It is also true, anyone, at any age, can die. Just listen to Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) who told her constituents they will die anyway so why worry about her voting to cut their Medicaid. But seriously, these three men should definitely have considered not running. They should have allowed a younger man, or woman, to run for what are considered safe Democratic seats.

Just recently, Speaker Johnson got his ‘beautiful bill,’ actually a really disgusting bill, the one the felon in the White House is asking Congress to pass, through the House by only one vote. Just think if we had three more votes against it.

Again, each of those seats is considered pretty safe for Democrats. In recent years we have seen Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) hold onto her seat for much too long, and then there is the Republican congresswoman who was still in the House but missing votes, who they found was living in an assisted senior living center. Her son admitted she had issues with dementia. I have to mention here, it’s not only members of Congress, but those in statehouses, and even presidents, who need to know when it is time to move on.

Running while ill is not a new phenomenon. I first saw this back in 1972, when Congressman William Fitz Ryan (D-N.Y.) had his district combined with that of Congresswoman Bella S. Abzug (D-N.Y.), based on the 1970 census. Bella decided to challenge him in the primary, and he decided to run even though he had cancer, hiding how serious it was. He won the primary against her, and then died before the general election. Bella became the Democratic candidate and won the election.

There were those at the time who accused her of killing him by running against him.

An outrageous accusation, the facts being he should never have run. So again, this is not something new. But I believe if Democrats want to attract more young people into politics, we need to think about this. In 2018, I wrote about term limits and retirement at 80 for the Congress and the Supreme Court. I still believe that. I am not mentioning names here, as I believe it is really a very personal thing for those who run for office. How they see their life after serving, if they are running for reelection, or what they think they can accomplish at an older age if they get elected for the first time.

Some may have read the column I wrote recently chastising David Hogg for how he is handling his PAC. I don’t disagree with his vision of supporting young people to run for state legislatures, and the Congress. I am all for that. My problem with David is how he is doing it.

We live in a difficult world, and the felon in the White House, his MAGA cult, and his sycophants in Congress, are only making things more difficult for everyone.

My generation of Democrats has done many good things, and we have moved the country forward in many ways. Until Trump, we were moving forward on equality, and climate change, among so many other issues. We recognize we have a global economy, and that is good. But it is clear we have left many things undone, and faced a backlash, which brought us Trump and his MAGA cult.

So, today we need the younger generation, who are inheriting this world, to step up and take a role in running it. We need to be willing to step aside when it’s time.

We can act as advisers and supporters for the younger generation. We can help them raise funds, and work to get them elected. We should always be available if they ask for help, but it is time we got out of their way when it comes to running for elective office.

Pride and Progress: Supporting LGBTQ+ Communities in Quitting LGBTQ+ communities have long been targets of predatory tobacco marketing which can fuel chronic stress and contributes to disproportionately high rates of tobacco use.

Now, community-led, research-backed initiatives are helping LGBTQ+ youth and young adults break free from nicotine addiction.

Through on-the-ground initiatives, strategic partnerships, and field-leading quitting resources, Truth Initiative is supporting LGBTQ+ communities in living nicotine-free.

As the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting for all, Truth Initiative is pairing grassroots engagement with cutting-edge cessation solutions through its Pride + Progress coalition. Aimed at helping communities achieve freedom from nicotine addiction, Pride + Progress is part of a larger initiative called the Culture + Cessation Collective, which also encompasses support for Black and Latino communities.

LGBTQ+ youth and young adult tobacco use is significantly higher than that of their cisgender and heterosexual peers — a disparity that fuels higher rates of disease and premature death. Lesbian, gay and bisexual

adults smoke cigarettes at rates significantly higher than straight adults and were nearly twice as likely to use e-cigarettes. Transgender and gender nonconforming adults are also about 2X to 3X more likely to report tobacco use compared to cisgender adults.

Years of targeted marketing by the tobacco industry dating back to the 90s, when tactics included advertising in the gay press and hosting LGBTQ+ events, is one reason for these disproportionate rates of tobacco use.

One tobacco company even launched “Project SCUM,” a campaign aimed at gay men and unhoused individuals. Today, tobacco companies are leveraging social media to advertise their products, with LGBTQ+ individuals reporting more tobacco-related content in their feeds than their straight peers.

But it’s not just marketing. According to a recent Truth Initiative study published in the American Journal of Public Health, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults who live in states with more LGBTQ+ protections and fewer discriminatory laws report lower use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ individuals report poor mental health where harmful legislation exists, and research shows that stress related to homophobia and transphobia increases e-cigarette use among LGBTQ+ youth. Past studies have linked poor mental health to higher tobacco use and higher levels of discrimination to higher prevalence of concurrent use of different tobacco products. This research underscores the need for new ways to better support the mental and physical well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Need for Collective Action Today, more than ever, finding ways to lower rates of tobacco use in the LGBTQ+ community is a public health mandate the U.S. can’t afford to ignore.

By collaborating with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, mental health professionals, and cessation experts, Pride + Progress ensures

that quitting is an affirming, stigma-free journey. Recognizing the impact that unique stressors, discrimination, and targeted marketing have had on nicotine use in LGBTQ+ communities, the coalition is fostering an inclusive space for healing and resilience.

Community support is essential, but so is access to effective tools. EX Program is a free and comprehensive digital program that supports anyone looking to quit smoking, vaping, nicotine pouches or any other type of tobacco – no matter where they are in their quit journey. Developed by Truth Initiative with Mayo Clinic, EX Program is backed by multiple clinical trials and can increase the odds of quitting by up to 40%. EX Program includes the most established online quit community, customized quit plans, interactive guides and tools, and advice and tips delivered via text message. Anyone can enroll by texting LIVEPROUD to 88709.

At WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., Truth Initiative is highlighting EX Program as part of its ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ health. By meeting people where they are and providing evidence-based resources, the organization is helping people achieve freedom from nicotine addiction.

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A husband’s story: Michael Carroll reflects on life with Edmund White Iconic author died last week; ‘no sunnier human in the world’

By WILL FRESHWATER

— but no sex; sex with others. I think.”

Unlike most gay men of my generation, I’ve only been to Fire Island twice. Even so, That freedom, though, was always anchored in deep devotion and care — and a muthe memory of my first visit has never left me. The scenery was lovely, and the boys were tual understanding that went far beyond art, philosophy, or sex. “He believed in freesublime — but what stood out wasn’t the beach or the parties. It was a quiet afternoon dom and desire,” Michael said, “and the two’s relationship.” spent sipping gin and tonics in a mid-century modern cottage tucked away from the When I asked what all the essays and articles hadn’t yet captured, Michael paused. sand and sun.

“Maybe that his writing was tightly knotted, but that his true personality was vulnerable, Despite Fire Island’s reputation for hedonism, our meeting was more accident than and that he had the defense mechanisms of cheer and optimism to conceal that vulnerescapade. Michael Carroll — a Facebook friend I’d chatted with but never met — menability. But it was in his eyes.” tioned that he and his husband, Ed, would be there that weekend, too. We agreed to meet for a drink. On a whim, I checked his profile and froze. Ed was author Edmund White.

I packed a signed copy of Carroll’s “Little Reef” and a dog-eared hardback of “A Boy’s Own Story,” its spine nearly broken from rereads. I was excited to meet both men and talk about writing, even briefly.

Last week, I woke to the news that Ed had passed away. Ironically, my first thought was of Michael.

The, tributes to Edmund White are everywhere — rightly celebrating his towering legacy as a novelist, essayist, and cultural icon. I’ve read all of his books, and I could never do justice to the scope of a career that defined and chronicled queer life for more than half a century. I’ll leave that to better-prepared journalists.

But in those many memorials, I’ve noticed something missing. When Michael Carroll is mentioned, it’s usually just a passing reference: “White’s partner of thirty years, twenty-five years his junior.” And yet, in the brief time I spent with this couple on Fire Island, it was clear to me that Michael was more than a footnote — he was Ed’s anchor, editor, companion, and champion. He was the one who knew his husband best.

They met in 1995 after Michael wrote Ed a fan letter to tell him he was coming MICHAEL CARROLL spoke to the Blade after the death his husband EDMUND WHITE last week. (Photo courtesy Carroll) to Paris. “He’d lost the great love of his life a year before,” Michael told me. “In The moment that captured who Ed was to him came at the end. “When he was dying, one way, I filled a space. Understand, I worshiped this man and still do.” his second-to-last sentence (garbled then repeated) was, ‘Don’t forget to pay Merci,’ the When I asked whether there was a version of Ed only he knew, Michael answered cleaning lady coming the next day. We had had a rough day, and I was popping off like without hesitation: “No sunnier human in the world, obvious to us and to people who’ve a coach or dad about getting angry at his weakness and pushing through it. He took it only just or never met him. No dark side. Psychology had helped erase that, I think, or almost like a pack mule.” buffed it smooth.”

Edmund White’s work shaped generations — it gave us language for desire, shame, Despite the age difference and divergent career arcs, their relationship was intellecwit, and liberation. But what lingers just as powerfully is the extraordinary life Ed lived tually and emotionally symbiotic. “He made me want to be elegant and brainy; I didn’t with a man who saw him not only as a literary giant but as a real person: sunny, complex, quite reach that, so it led me to a slightly pastel minimalism,” Michael said. “He made vulnerable, generous. me question my received ideas. He set me free to have sex with whoever I wanted. He In the end, Ed’s final words to his husband weren’t about his books or his legacy. They vouchsafed my moods when they didn’t wobble off axis. Ultimately, I encouraged him were about care, decency, and love. “You’re good,” he told Michael—a benediction, a to write more minimalistically, keep up the emotional complexity, and sleep with anyfarewell, maybe even a thank-you. one he wanted to — partly because I wanted to do that too.”

And now, as the world celebrates the prolific writer and cultural icon Edmund White, Fully open, it was a committed relationship that defied conventional categories. Ed it feels just as important to remember the man and the person who knew him best. Not once described it as “probably like an 18th-century marriage in France.” Michael elabojust the story but the characters who stayed to see it through to the end. rated: “It means marriage with strong emotion — or at least a tolerance for one another

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B:9.5 in T:9.5 in S:9.5 in

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CALENDAR |

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Friday, June 13

Thursday, June 19

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. 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.

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.

GoGayDC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. 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.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano.

This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide.

These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, June 14 GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month 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.

Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut.

Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

OUT & ABOUT Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Monday, June 16 “Center Aging Monday Coffee Klatch” 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 choice.

For more details, email adam@thedccenter.org.

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary.

Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis.

For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook.

Tuesday, June 17 Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.

Wednesday, June 18 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.

“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons.

The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website.

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The Indigo Girls are back in the area next week.

(Photo courtesy Vanguard Records)

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.

The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.

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FILM

Wes Anderson’s elaborate ‘Scheme’ Director ditches the quirk for an esoteric experience

By JOHN PAUL KING

There was a time, early in his career, that young filmmaker Wes Anderson’s work was labeled “quirky.”

To describe his blend of dry humor, deadpan whimsy, and unresolved yearning, along with his flights of theatrical fancy and obsessive attention to detail, it seemed apt at the time. His first films were part of a wave when “quirky” was almost a genre unto itself, constituting a handy-but-undefinable marketing label that inevitably became a dismissive synonym for “played out.”

That, of course, is why every new Wes Anderson film can be expected to elicit criticism simply for being a Wes Anderson film, and the latest entry to his cinematic canon is, predictably, no exception.

“The Phoenician Scheme” – released nationwide on June 6 – is perhaps Anderson’s most “Anderson-y” movie yet. Set in a nebulously dated (but vaguely mid-20th century) world, it’s the tall-tale-ish saga of Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro), a ruthlessly amoral arms dealer and business tycoon with a history of surviving assassination attempts. The latest – a bomb-facilitated plane crash – has forced him to recognize that his luck will eventually run out, and he decides to turn over his financial empire (on a trial basis, at least) to his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), currently a novice nun on the verge of taking her vows, in hopes of mending their relationship before it’s too late. She conditionally agrees, despite the rumors that he murdered her mother, and is drawn into an elaborate geopolitical con game in which he tries to manipulate a loose cadre of “world-building” financiers (Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, and Jeffrey Wright) into funding a massive infrastructure project across the former Phoenician empire.

Joined by his new administrative assistant and tutor, Mr. Bjorn (Michael Cera), Korda and Liesl travel the world to meet with his would-be investors, dodging assassination attempts along the way. His plot is disrupted, however, by the clandestine interference of a secret inter-

national coalition of nations led by an American agent code-named “Excalibur” (Rupert Friend), who seeks to prevent the shift of geopolitical power his project would create. Eventually, he’s forced to target a final “mark” for the money he needs to pull it off – his own half-brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), with whom he has had a lifelong and very messy rivalry – or lose his fortune, his oligarchic empire, and his slowly improving relationship with his daughter, all at once.

It’s clear from that synopsis that Anderson’s scope has widened far beyond the intimate stories of his earliest works – “Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and others, which mostly dealt with relationships and dynamics among family (or chosen family) – to encompass significantly larger themes. So, too, has his own singular flavor of filmmaking become more fully realized; his exploration of theatrical techniques within a cinematic setting has grown from the inclusion of a few comical set-pieces to a full-blown translation of the real world into a kind of living, efficiently-modular Bauhaus diorama, where the artifice is emphasized rather than suggested, and realism can only be found through the director’s unconventionally-adjusted focus.

His work is no longer “quirky” – instead, it has grown with him to become something more pithy, an extension of the surreal and absurdist art movement that exploded in the tense days before World War II (an era which bears a far-too-uncomfortable resemblance to our own) and expresses the kind of politically-aware philosophical ideas that helped to build the world we are living in now. It is no longer possible to enjoy a Wes Anderson movie on the basis of its surface value alone; it is necessary to read deeper in the cinematic language that he has honed since the start of his career, informed by a deep knowledge of art, history, and intellectual exploration to which he pays open and unapologetic homage on the screen. Like all auteurs, he makes films that are

The cast of ‘The Phoenician Scheme.’ (Image courtesy Focus Features)

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shaped by his personal thought and vision, that follow a meticulous logic he has created himself, and that are less interested in providing entertainment than they are in providing insight into the wildly conflicted, often nonsensical, and almost always deplorable human behavior.

By typical standards, the performances in “Phoenician Scheme” – like those in most of Anderson’s films – feel stylized, distant, even emotionally cold. But within his meticulously stoic milieu, they are infused with a subtle depth that comes as much from the carefully maintained blankness of their delivery as it does from the lines themselves. Both del Toro and Threapleton manage to forge a deeply affecting bond while maintaining the detachment that is part of the director’s established style, and Cera – whose character reveals himself to be more than he appears as part of the story’s progression – begs the question of why he hasn’t become a “Wes Anderson regular” long before this. As always, part of the fun comes from the appearances of so many familiar faces, actors who have become part of an ever-expanding collection of regular players - including most-frequent collaborator Bill Murray, who joins fellow Anderson troupers Willem Dafoe and F. Murray Abraham as part of the “Biblical Troupe” that enact the frequent “near-death” episodes experienced by del Toro’s Korda throughout, and Scarlett Johansson, who shows up as a second cousin that Korda courts for a marriage of financial convenience – and the obvious commitment they bring to the project beside the rest of the cast.

But no Anderson film is really about the acting, though it’s an integral part of what makes them work – as this one does, magnificently, from the intricately choreographed opening credit sequence to the explosive climax atop an elaborate mechanical model of Korda’s dream project (a nod to Jean Renoir’s classic “The Rules of the Game,” which also examines the follies of the economic elite on the cusp of its own downfall). In the end, it’s Anderson himself who is the star, orchestrating his thoroughly-catalogued vision like a clockwork puzzle until it pays off on a note of surprisingly un-bittersweet hope which reminds us that the importance of family and personal bonds is, in fact, still at the core of his ethos.

That said, and a mostly favorable critical response aside, there are numerous critics and self-identified fans who have been less than charmed by Anderson’s latest opus, finding it a redundant exercise in a style that has grown stale and offers little substance in exchange.

Frankly, it’s impossible not to wonder if they have seen the same movie we have.

“The Phoenician Scheme,” like all of its creator’s work, is ultimately an esoteric experience, a film steeped in language and concepts that may only be accessible to those familiar with them – which, far from being a means of shutting out the “unenlightened,” aims instead to entice and encourage them to explore and expand their knowledge, and with it, their perspective. It might be frustrating, but the payoff is worth it.

In this case, the shrewdly astute political and economical realities he illuminates behind the “Hollywood” intrigue and artifice touch so profoundly on the current state of our world that, despite its lack of directly queer subject matter, we’re giving it our deepest recommendation.

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BOOKS

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books History, pop culture, and more

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

You’ve done your share of marching.

You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.

You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.

Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.

You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not.

It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law.

Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.

Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern

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Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99).

It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.

If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-toten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.

Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quickto-read biographies of people you should know about.

Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.

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ADVICE

Stop haranguing your husband about how you think he should behave Make your point and then move on from the argument

By MICHAEL RADKOWSKY

Michael, My husband is great, but he’s a pushover. It happens at work a lot. For example: His colleague, who came back from maternity leave about four months ago, is always leaving early. And Jeremy is always staying late to finish the jobs that they should be doing together.

But the most galling to me is that he doesn’t speak up for himself in his family. His parents (in my opinion) overtly favor his brother (who is straight) and his brother’s family.

I could give a lot of examples. The latest: They’re treating the brother and the family to a cruise.

We’ve been together for 15 years, married for 12, and never get any such treatment.

Jeremy says his brother is strapped for cash (four kids, one income) and the family needs a break, whereas Jeremy doesn’t need his parents to pay for his (or our) vacation.

I don’t really want to go on a cruise but it’s the principle of the thing.

Again, this is just one example. I feel bad for Jeremy being walked on, over and over, and I want him to start standing up for himself. Despite my repeated entreaties, he won’t.

When I push him on this, he tells me I’m not seeing the whole picture, or he sees it differently, or it’s not a big deal, or he’s fine with things as they are.

I can’t see how he could be fine with being taken advantage of, or not being appreciated. I think he’d have a much better life if he actually set some boundaries with people.

How do I persuade Jeremy to listen to me and be more assertive?

Michael replies: Do you see the irony in complaining that you can’t get your husband to listen to you about being more assertive and setting a boundary?

You’ve made your point to Jeremy, repeatedly, and Jeremy is telling you to back off. In other words, he’s assertively setting a boundary with you.

You can’t get someone else to behave in the way you want, even when you’re certain

that your way is best. Jeremy gets to decide how he wants to conduct himself.

Here’s a pattern I have noticed over and over again through my years of working with couples: When you try to do something for someone that is their own job to do, both you and the person you are trying to “help” wind up being resentful. You get annoyed that the other person won’t listen to your wonderful advice, and the other person gets annoyed because they don’t want someone else telling them what to do or how to live their life.

In this case, you’re trying to get Jeremy to stand up for himself more than he does, and he’s not interested in changing how he operates.

A great rule for relationships: You can advocate for what you want, but you have to let go of the result. (And advocate sparingly, or you risk being a nag).

You are continuing to argue the same point to Jeremy, and Jeremy isn’t interested in listening to you. As you asked for my advice, here it is: Cut it out before he gets into the resentment stage, if he’s not already there, as you apparently are.

Also, please consider that your repeatedly criticizing Jeremy’s parents where Jeremy sees no problem could damage not only your relationship with Jeremy, but also his and your relationship with his family.

We get to marry the person we marry. We don’t get to insist that they upgrade to a better (at least in our opinion) version. Trying to do so is not just disrespectful and a waste of time, it poisons the relationship.

So find a way to live with Jeremy as he is, or — if you find his acquiescent nature unbearable — leave. But don’t spend the rest of your marriage, or even another day, haranguing him about how you think he should behave.

(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.)

Make your point and move on but don’t insist your significant other sees everything your way.

3 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 13, 202 5

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WorldPride Parade Thousands march for LGBTQ rights (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The 2025 WorldPride Parade was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 7. Laverne Cox and Renée Rapp were the grand marshals.

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WorldPride

Street Festival and Closing Concert

Doechii, Khalid among performers

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

WorldPride 2025 concluded with the WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert held along Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. on Sunday, June 8. Performers on the main stage included Doechii, Khalid, Courtney Act, Parker Matthews, 2AM Ricky, Suzie Toot, MkX and Brooke Eden.

3 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 13, 202 5

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Capital Pride Honors

Annual awards ceremony held at National Building Museum (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key) The 2025 Capital Pride Honors awards ceremony and gala reception was held at the National Building Museum on Thursday, June 5.

Pride on the Pier

Blade hosts boat parade, fireworks show (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The Washington Blade hosted Pride on the Pier on June 6-7 at The Wharf DC. The WorldPride Boat Parade was held on Friday and a fireworks show was held on Saturday. The fireworks show was presented by the Leonard-Litz LGBTQ Foundation.

4 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 13, 202 5

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REAL ESTATE

With the rise of interest rates in recent years, buyers must understand the many factors that go into the final number.

(Photo credit: Bigstock/HomeStead Digital)

No Rose, your interest rate has nothing to do with how many likes you got on Hinge Many factors help determine rates these days

By JOSEPH HUDSON

Picture it, you’re sitting in the lunchroom at work, and your coworker just bought a house. Another coworker bought one a few months ago and you hear that she got a totally different interest rate than the other one did, even though they both bought houses not that far from each other. Homebuyers everywhere have been wondering what interest rates they are going to get, lately. It’s easy to read an article online or see an ad on social media stating specific numbers, but there may be more than meets the eye going into a particular buyer’s interest rate.

What are the factors that can affect the interest rate a buyer eventually “locks in”?

• Property details – certain properties may be in neighborhoods with higher rates of foreclosure, or there may be specific census tracts that allow a buyer to participate in the “Fannie Mae Home Ready” and “Freddie Mac Home Possible” programs, which carry more flexible requirements such as various income limits and lower interest rates, to help people begin homeownership.

• Type of loan / loan amount– a conventional, conforming loan or a jumbo loan can have differing interest rates, as well as FHA loans.

• Credit score – most people are aware that this affects what interest rate is quoted, just like on a credit card. Some lenders will work with you on ways to improve a credit score if the goal is to buy six, nine, or 12 months from now.

• Lock period – do you want to lock in the rate for 30 days? 45? Market volatility can cause the rates to change so it will cost more money to hold onto a particular interest rate.

4 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 13, 202 5 • B US I NE S S

• Loan to value ratio – one can still buy a home with less than 20% down, but the rate that is quoted may be higher.

• Occupancy type – is this the primary residence or an investment property?

• Points bought or credits taken – A buyer can pay the lender a fee to buy down the interest rate, or the seller can sometimes offer a credit. This has become more popular in recent years.

• Market conditions – keep an eye on the news – as we are all aware, change is the only constant!

Lender Tina del Casale with Atlantic Union Bank says, “With jumbo fixed rates in the low 6’s, and first-time buyer down payment assistance loans such as DC Open Doors, rates are in the mid 7’s. With the added factors of your income, the address you are purchasing and your credit score factoring into the equation, interest rates are different from buyer to buyer these days. So, skip the online tools and make a few calls because that’s the only way to get an accurate quote these days!”

It might feel like an overwhelming amount of information to take on, but remember, there are people that help others take these big steps every day. A trusted lender and Realtor can guide their clients from start to finish when it comes to purchasing a home. And for that, you’ll be saying, “thank you for being a friend!”

JOSEPH HUDSON

is a referral agent with Metro Referrals.

Reach him at 703-587-0597 or joemike76@gmail.com.

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PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE AT: WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/CLASSIFIEDS! If you need assistance, please email the text & image for your ad to: classifieds@washblade.com or call 202-747-2077 x 8092 & leave a message. We will be happy to assist you!

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