Washington Blade, Volume 57, Issue 38, September 18, 2026

Fall Arts Preview Featuring our interview with CHEF PATRICK O’CONNELL on his new memoir, PAGE 18

(Photo courtesy Patrick O’Connell)

All the season’s best in theater, TV, film, and more, PAGES 22-40

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Protesters to form human chain around Kennedy Center Drag performer Tara Hoot among event organizers By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

An organization called Hands Off the Arts has announced it is holding a pretest on Friday, Sept. 18, in which between 400 and 800 participants are expected to create a human chain around the Kennedy Center to voice their strong objection to President Donald Trump’s call for possibly demolishing the Kennedy Center. “Hands Off the Arts is organizing a rally Sept. 18 against the president’s defacing of JFK’s memorial, his removal and censorship of art, and the threat to demolish the center if he can’t remake the site in his image,” a statement released by the group says. The statement says the event will start with a rally at 6:30 p.m. on the Kennedy Center steps and culminate with a “human chain” around the building. “There will be musical performances, testimonials from current and former employees, along with other special guest speakers,” it says. A separate announcement by the group says longtime D.C. drag performer Tara Hoot, who has performed at the Kennedy Center in past years, was among the organizers of the Sept. 18 protest. The planned protest follows Trump’s decision last year to use his authority to replace the existing members of the Kennedy Center’s board of directors with new members loyal to him. Over the objection of longtime Kennedy Center

supporters, the Trump-appointed board changed the name of the center, at Trump’s request, from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy The Kennedy Center (Blade photo by Michael Key) Center for the Performing Arts. But following the threat of legal action by opponents who pointed out that the name change could not be legally made unless approved by Congress, the name change was cancelled, with Trump saying he would take steps to restore it later. The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports in a Sept. 13 news story that because of negative publicity related to Trump’s actions, the Kennedy Center was facing “fiscal collapse” and possible bankruptcy and could be forced to shut down as early as this week. According to the Post report, a 57-page document presented to the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees says the center was facing a financial and structural building crisis, with the recent collapse of part of the building’s inside ceil-

Advocate, Out parent company adds Trump supporter to board, prompting outrage Jay Katari resigns one day after news broke of his appointment By JOE REBERKENNY | jreberkenny@washblade.com

EqualPride, a prominent LGBTQ media company that owns the Advocate and Out magazines, added a Trump supporter to its board of directors, prompting backlash from editorial staff this week and a quick resignation. Jay Katari, an entrepreneur and investor who served as EqualPride’s “Strategic Advisor, Growth & Innovation,” also sat on its official leadership JAY KATARI in a team. MAGA hat seen EqualPride’s website describes his on social media. (Photo via Instagram) role as “focused on helping the company expand its reach, strengthen its commercial partnerships, and develop new sources of recurring revenue.” This change in leadership caused an outcry of concern from LGBTQ media consumers, people working at the outlets published under EqualPride, and LGBTQ advocates who seem unsure of how a Trump supporter would fare on the board of one of the most important LGBTQ media organizations in the country. But by Tuesday afternoon, Katari had resigned. “I have decided to step down from the Board of Directors of equalpride,” Katari said in a statement shared by Equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill. “My intention was simply to volunteer my time and experience to support the incredible team and the important work they do for the LGBTQ+ community.” The story was first reported by Kevin Ortega-Rojas, a freelance writer and podcaster who specializes in covering social issues. His resume includes a number of connections to the world of LGBTQ media — particularly under EqualPride — in-

cluding being a former rapid response reporter for GLAAD and host of “The Advocate Weekly,” a queer news podcast produced by The Advocate magazine. Earlier this year, EqualPride laid off staff across its existing publications, including senior editors and writers. That move, followed by the addition of a Trump supporter to its board, has created concern among LGBTQ consumers. According to his Instagram, Katari is married to a woman and still has posts showing him wearing Trump MAGA-branded merchandise. He also follows members of the Trump family, including President Donald Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, Lara Trump, and his daughter Ivanka Trump. He also follows an account with the username donaldtrump.hq titled “Donald Trump Fans.” This apparent endorsement of Trump and MAGA politics, which includes restricting the rights of transgender people as well as rolling back protections for LGBTQ people more broadly, seems to be in direct conflict with EqualPride’s mission statement. “Our mission is to provide content of inspiration, hope, community, equality and love through our platforms that reach a vast majority of the American LGBTQ+ audience every month and increasingly women and people of color,” a statement on EqualPride’s website from 2023 said. “We are a diverse community of storytellers, innovators, and influencers who believe in giving a voice to all people!” The Blade reached out to Christopher Wiggins, the politics and news editor at EqualPride, but was directed to the already publicly available joint statement made by editors of the largest publications represented by EqualPride. In the Instagram post, the editorial teams of The Advocate, Out, Them, PRIDE.com, Out Traveler and Plus all co-signed the statement, assuring readers that Katari being on the board

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ing, indicating the building was unsafe for employees and the public. Among other things, the document says the Kennedy Center may not be able to make payroll or pay for routine maintenance “within a matter of weeks,” the Post reports. Some LGBTQ advocates were among those who joined others in boycotting the Kennedy Center to express their objections to Trump’s actions, including a statement by Trump that he objected to the Kennedy Center’s practice of hosting drag performances. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington has been among the LGBTQ performing arts groups and artists that have performed at the Kennedy Center. “With the future still very much uncertain, now more than ever, the Center needs you to stand up for freedom of expression and against authoritarian overreach into arts and culture institutions,” the Hands Off the Arts group says in its announcement of the Hands Around the Kennedy Center protest. “You have the opportunity to make a difference — show up with Hands Off the Arts and show your power as part of Hands Around the Kennedy Center,” it says. A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. has not — so far — impacted any of their reporting and implying EqualPride needs to expand on what Katari’s role will be for the organization. “Our editors became aware of concerning reports this morning that Jay Katari – one of the board members of our parent company, equalpride – may have espoused beliefs that are antithetical to the mission of our brands, per a new article from journalist Kevin Ortega-Rojas. “The editorial teams only recently learned of Katari’s expanding role and had no information about his background or past political statements prior to this week. “Please know that Katari’s position has not influenced our reporting. “In an initial meeting today, we urged management to provide further clarification about Katarı and hıs role at equalpride, and are awaiting information. As queer and trans journalists, we are committed to independent reporting that serves the LGBTQ+ community – and to getting answers on this critical matter.” Nearly 200 comments were made online under a joint post made by multiple EqualPride publication accounts, including Them, The Advocate, and Out. Gisselle Palomera, a Future of Queer Media fellow for The Advocate and former local news reporter at the Los Angeles Blade, commented under the post, questioning how much leadership actually knew about Katari. “No one did any research on him prior to this moment? How did his political stance get past dozens of editors and reporters? I don’t buy it,” they said in the now most liked Instagram comment under the announcement, with 283 likes. Another Instagram user, Aaron Frank Duncanson, who goes by the username aaronfrankpdx, pointed out how the situation looks and expressed fears for the future if Katari stays on the board. “If this man stays in that position, it threatens the integrity of the reporting of all your publications,” Duncanson wrote. “As journalists, it’s your responsibility to ensure that integrity.” The Blade reached out to Katari, and to Tony Morrison of Morrison Media Group— who is working with EqualPride, according to Wiggins— but did not hear back in time for publication.

FALL

Coming up at

20 26

Fall highlights coming to the Music Center UB40

The Unstoppable Tour 2026

Las Migas

Leslie Odom, Jr.

The Christmas Tour 2026

Sun, Nov 8

Sat, Dec 5

Wed, Sept 30

Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood

The ‘From Whose Line is it Anyway?’ Tour Sun, Oct 4

Gravity & Other Myths Ten Thousand Hours

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company

Sun, Oct 18

An Evening of Alton Brown Mon, Oct 26

Afro-Cuban All Stars Thu, Oct 29

Coco Live-to-Film Concert The North American Tour

Sat & Sun, Oct 31 & Nov 1

Christmas Tour 2026

Tue, Nov 10

Wed, Dec 9

Big Head Todd and the Monsters Winter Tour 2026 Tue, Nov 17

The Tenors

Seasons of Hope Tour Sat, Dec 12

Thu, Oct 15

Chucho Valdés 85th Birthday Celebration

Dave Koz & Friends

Strathmore and Washington Performing Arts Present

Terence Blanchard + Ravi Coltrane: Miles Davis & John Coltrane Centennial

Strathmore Jazz Orchestra Christmas Daniel Jamieson, conductor Fri, Dec 18

Sat, Nov 21

Cherish the Ladies Celtic Christmas Tue, Dec 1

Voctave

It Feels Like Christmas Thu, Dec 3

Fresh AIR

Tomás Jonsson, Andrew Smith, Julius Bjornson, Ray Winder, Michael Ventura, Marie Tatti Tue, Nov 3

Alex Edelman: What Are You Going to Do Wed, Nov 4; Thu, Nov 5—sold out! L–R: Leslie Odom, Jr.; Afro-Cuban All Stars; Las Migas; The Tenors, Alton Brown; Coco

STRATHMORE.ORG | 301.581.5100 | 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda

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Gay man sues Delaware AG for not prosecuting partner in domestic violence case Also accuses Univ. of Delaware of failing to discipline Ph.D. student named as attacker By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Tymothy ‘Ty’ Moyer, a gay former resident of Wilmington, Del., earlier this year filed a lawsuit in federal court charging Delaware Attorney General Kathleen ‘Kathy’ Jennings, one of her deputies, and a state-employed victims advocate with conspiring to deny him “equal protection” under the law because he is African American by declining to prosecute his then domestic partner after the partner’s arrest on Feb. 3, 2024, for assaulting and seriously injuring him, causing a “permanent traumatic brain injury.” The lawsuit also names as defendants the University of Delaware and one of its officials for allegedly failing to sufficiently discipline Michael Uzu, Moyer’s former partner and alleged attacker, who at the time was a graduate student seeking a Ph.D. in chemistry. According to the lawsuit, following his arrest on an assault charge, the university conducted an investigation of Uzu and found he violated the university’s policy of student conduct by engaging in domestic violence, but issued a deferred suspension until December 2025, allowing him to continue his studies. Moyer has said the university acted improperly by not expelling Uzu from its Ph.D. program because of the seriousness of the assault. The lawsuit identifies Uzu, 33, as a citizen of Nigeria with a U.S. student visa. Uzu identifies himself on his LinkedIn page as a chemist who was conducting research for the Delaware-based chemical company Chemours while studying advanced chemistry at the University of Delaware. His LinkedIn page says he received his Ph.D. in 2026. Moyer, 30, who identifies himself in his lawsuit as African American and a lifelong U.S. citizen, provided the Washington Blade with a statement describing the details of his allegations against Uzu. “On the late evening of February 2 through the morning of the 3rd, in 2024, I ended the relationship and asked Michel ‘Mike’ Uzu to leave my apartment in Wilmington, Delaware,” his statement says. “I was ending the relationship after months of escalating mistreatment,” the statement says, adding that Uzu refused to leave his apartment and started a confrontation. “Uzu attacked me,” the statement continues. “He struck me repeatedly with his fists, with my own cell phone, and with a titanium lacrosse stick that he picked up from inside the apartment and used to strike me on the head. I suffered severe facial trauma, swelling, bodily bruising, and required surgical staples to close the lacerations on the top of my skull.” The statement adds, “During the assault, Uzu told me he would kill me if I told anyone. Outside the apartment building, Uzu picked up a large rock and positioned himself to strike me with it before a bystander intervened.” It says Moyer was then transported to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. Moyer’s lawsuit says Uzu was arrested by Wilmington police, indicted by a grand jury, and arraigned on felony and misdemeanor assault charges. In response to an email request from the Blade for comment, Uzu emailed a statement on Sept. 15 denying all of Moyer’s allegations, saying it was he who told Moyer he wanted to end their relationship and it was Moyer who assaulted him. “He would get drunk and use drugs and pick up fights with me and apologize when he became normal,” Uzu says in his statement. “So, I packed up my things and decided to depart from him,” he said, adding, “The night preceding the day I was moving out he attacked me while I was sleeping, kicked me in the stomach and injured me in my arms, jaw and neck while I was sleeping, that turned into a fight as I was defending myself.” He said he called the police and before the police arrived Moyer “self-inflicted injury on himself and framed it on me.” Moyer couldn’t immediately be reached for a response to Uzu’s allegations. But his friend, journalist Scott Davis, who has

followed the case and examined the police report and court documents, said none of Uzu’s allegations could be confirmed by police, who arrived on the scene and prepared a report. Among other things, Davis said the investigation conducted by the University of Delaware found Uzu never provided any documentation that he was injured. Davis said evidence obtained by police showed Moyer, who is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds compared to Uzu, who is over six feet tall and weighed over 200 pounds, was the one found to be suffering serious injuries, with no injuries reported for Uzu. Moyer’s earlier statement to the Blade says that In September 2024, on the day of his birthday, the lead prosecutor in the case, Deputy Attorney General Claudia Debonte, called him to inform him she was dropping the case. The lawsuit states that the reason given for dropping the case was insufficient evidence based on Uzu’s claim that he acted in self-defense. “The University’s hearing officer explicitly rejected Uzu’s self-defense claims as ‘inconsistent and unreliable’ and found that Uzu’s account contained ‘multiple irreconcilable inconsistencies’ and ‘material omissions,’” Moyer’s lawsuit states. Moyer’s lawsuit says the university’s investigative findings and the police report at the time Uzu was arrested, along with a partial video Moyer took with his phone showing Uzu attacking him with the lacrosse stick, clearly provide sufficient evidence for a full prosecution. Moyer has said the assault left him with permanent brain damage that impaired his vision, forcing him to resign from his career as a financial compliance associate with the BlackRock asset management company. In response to a request by the Blade for comment on why the Delaware Attorney General’s office, with the approval of Attorney General Jennings, declined to prosecute Uzu for assault, Matt Marshall, a spokesperson for Jennings, sent the Blade a statement. “While I can’t characterize specific evidence or statements made to police, the State’s analysis included, but was not limited to, the investigation’s finding that the Defendant had a credible claim of self-defense,” according to Marshall’s statement. “This kind of dynamic is fairly common in domestic violence cases, no less so in same-sex cases,” he said. “A case being unviable at trial does not mean a victim has not been harmed, that we don’t believe them, or even necessarily that a Defendant is innocent,” Marshall’s statement says. “It only means that criminal guilt could not be proven at trial.” Among other things, he noted that prosecutors must be able to convince a jury that a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, he said, his office did not believe they could overcome “every reasonable doubt, which would include a Defendant’s argument that they acted in self-defense.” Jennings, a Democrat, who easily won her primary race for re-election to a third four-year term on Tuesday, has a longstanding record of support on LGBTQ rights and progressive causes. She was challenged by two opponents in the Sept. 15, 2026, Delaware Democratic primary. One of the opponents, civil rights attorney Dwayne Bensing, is gay and would have become the nation’s first openly gay state attorney general had he prevailed in the race. In response to a request from the Blade for comment on Moyer’s lawsuit allegations, Bensing said in a statement that when the Attorney General’s office declines to prosecute a case where an arrest was made it should maintain the public trust by being “transparent” about its decision-making process. “As Attorney General, I will commit to reviewing how domestic partner violence cases are handled across the state to ensure

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that prosecutorial decisions are made consistently, transparently, and free from administrative oversight failures,” he said. Moyer’s lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on April Delaware Attorney General 16, 2026, calls for a jury trial and KATHY JENNINGS won her primary on Tuesday. She requests that the court issue a has faced some criticism judgment against each of the over a decision not to defendants, “jointly and sevprosecute a case of sameerally” finding that they “consex domestic violence. (Photo courtesy of Jennings’s campaign) spired to deprive Plaintiff of the equal protection of the laws in violation of 42 U.S. Code 1985 (3).” It calls for compensatory damages and punitive damages against each defendant “in an amount to be determined at trial, including damages for lost wages, medical expenses, legal fees, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.” Moyer said he is currently representing himself without an attorney. In an Aug. 28, 2026, “Report and Recommendation,” Magistrate Judge Laura D. Hatcher, who was presiding over the lawsuit case, issued a recommendation that the case be dismissed without prejudice on grounds that Moyer’s complaint “fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted” based on existing federal law. Hatcher also recommended that Moyer be “granted leave to amend his complaint within thirty (30) days of the District Court’s adoption of this Report and Recommendation.” Moyer told the Blade District Judge Gregory B. Williams accepted the recommendation and granted him permission to amend and revise his complaint. “An amended complaint addressing the Court’s guidance will be filed within the timeframe the Court has provided,” Moyer said. “The Court identified areas where the complaint needed further development, and that development is underway,” he said. Moyer’s friend, journalist and commentator Davis, said he has conducted research into domestic violence cases in Delaware and reported in articles and commentaries that Delaware is one of the states with the highest rates of domestic violence cases that are not prosecuted. “In fiscal year 2024, Delaware law enforcement made 5,064 domestic violence arrests,” Davis wrote in a November 2025 commentary entitled, “Was Ty Moyer Too Black and Gay for Delaware AG Kathy Jennings to Prosecute His Attacker?” He added, “Yet Jennings’ office prosecuted only 1,184 cases – a mere 23 percent,” Davis wrote, adding that, “More than three-quarters of domestic violence perpetrators faced no prosecution despite being arrested.” Davis told the Blade that Jennings’s decision not to prosecute Uzu has raised concerns that she based that decision on political bias. He points out that Jennings has publicly aligned herself with national immigration advocacy efforts, including joining lawsuits against the Trump administration’s immigration policies and its funding freezes against universities, including the University of Delaware. Davis said Uzu’s academic ties to the University of Delaware and the chemical company Chemours, which Davis says is “politically influential” with its headquarters in Wilmington, has led some to believe that Jennings’s refusal to prosecute Uzu was politically motivated, aimed at preserving her image as a defender of immigrants rather than pursuing justice for a domestic violence victim. Jennings’s supporters dispute those claims, saying she bases her decisions on whom to prosecute on the available evidence. As if all that were not enough, Davis said he contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in September 2025 to find out if their strict policy of investigating and deporting immigrants found to have violated U.S. laws, including engaging in violent behavior, might apply to Michael Uzu, who was charged with assault and is in the U.S. on a visa status. Davis said the DHS did not respond to his inquiry.

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9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to continue until 2090 As part of its commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, a federally operated program, released information during the past week showing it has awarded more than $18 billion to over 77,000 9/11 victims and their families since 2011. Officials with what’s now referred to as the VCF point out that it was created to provide compensation to individuals or to a court-approved personal representative of a deceased individual who were present at one of the three sites where the hijacked jetliners crashed. Among those supported under the program are thousands of rescue workers, clean-up crews, and residents living near the World Trade Center Twin Towers destruction site who became ill, many of whom later died, by being exposed to the toxic fumes created by the fire and falling debris. “Twenty-five years since that day, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has served tens of thousands of victims and their families, and we continue to receive over 750 new claims each month — a clear indication of the ongoing importance of our mission,” said Allison Turkel, VCF’s leader, who holds the title of Special Master. In a Sept. 2 briefing for the news media in advance of the 9/11 anniversary commemoration, Turkel pointed out that the VCF operation was upgraded and expanded by separate laws passed by Congress in 2011 and 2019, with the 2019 law signed by President Trump providing full funding to “pay all eligible claims and extended the filing deadline to Oct. 1, 2090.” LGBTQ advocacy organizations in New York and nationwide have reported that during the time shortly after the 9/11 attacks same-sex surviving partners of 9/11 victims learned they were ineligible for compensation

benefits because their same-sex relationships were not legally recognized. Nicole Nava, a VCF spokesperson, told the Washington Blade she would inquire into whether same-sex couple surviving partners were being supported under the VCF program in more recent years. She said under long established VCF procedures, all applicants for benefit claims regarding a deceased person, whether same-sex or opposite sex, must be appointed as a Personal Representative of the deceased person by a state court. For D.C. residents, the probate division of the D.C. Superior Court appoints a Personal Representative. “Claims for deceased victims (regardless of the cause of death) may be submitted only by the Personal Representative,” a statement on the VCF website says. “Each state has laws that define the process for appointment of the Personal Representative and the specific authority granted to that Personal Representative,” it says. The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately determine the criteria for being approved as a Personal Representative by the D.C. Superior Court and various state courts, including whether a same-sex survivor partner would be eligible for such an appointment. A spokesperson for the District of Columbia LGBTQ+ Bar Association, which includes many local attorneys who specialize in a wide range of specialized legal issues, couldn’t immediately be reached to find out if one or more of their members might be able to determine the same-sex partner eligibility for Personal Representative status. In her news media briefing, VCF Special Master Turkel said detailed information about how best to file a claim for 9/11 victim compensation is available on the VCF website.

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has awarded more than $18 billion to 77,000 9/11 victims and their families since 2011. (Photo by Anthony Correia/Bigstock)

“Twenty-five years since the events of September 11th , 2001, we know it has become increasingly challenging for claimants to find documents needed to prove their presence at an eligible location, which is one of the key requirements to be eligible for compensation,” she said. She was referring to the requirement that 9/11 surviving victims seeking a claim for support for injuries or illnesses related to the 9/11 attacks must prove they were present at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon site, or the Shanksville, Pa. site where the hijacked jetliners crashed. Those requirements are separate from the less clearly defined criteria for same-sex couple victim survivor eligibility. “Our team is committed to ensuring no claimant feels lost or overwhelmed when submitting a claim,” Turkel said at the briefing. “We have a great helpline with real live people who can answer or refer any questions that come in,” she added. “They engage in over 4,000 calls a month on average. We encourage folks to call 1-8551555 with any questions.” The VCF website, which has additional detailed information, can be accessed at www.vcf.gov. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Fashion icon Bob Mackie dies at 87 To those still reeling from the loss of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, we have another queer icon to add to the In Memoriam of 2026: Bob Mackie. A designer known for being extra, before that was even a thing, has left us with a legacy of looks and an indelible mark on fashion. The news broke on his Instagram account Monday, Sept. 14, with the message: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a fashion and costume designer, which is all he ever wanted to do. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.” According to People magazine, he passed away in Palm Springs, Calif., due to pneumonia. At 87, Mackie was the definitive designer for divas. Mackie has literally dressed them all, including Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, and even RuPaul. He’s dressed film and television icons like Raquel Welch, Lynda Carter, Goldie Hawn, and Jennifer Lopez. It’s not just female divas; he’s also done many of Elton John’s famous costumes as well as David Bowie’s. His first major mark was drawing the first design of Marilyn Monroe’s famous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress.

Next, he was an assistant to costume designer Ray Aghayan on “The Judy Garland Show.” The two would carry on a professional and romantic partnership for 50 years until Aghayan’s passing in 2011.

BOB MACKIE (Photo courtesy of Mackie’s Instagram page)

Mackie then went on to do all of the costumes for “The Carol Burnett Show,” creating an estimated 17,000 costumes for her show’s 11-year run. This gave him much critical acclaim and notoriety, making him a permanent fixture in the variety show market.

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He became a frequent collaborator of Cher, having made her famous midriff-revealing Oscar gown, her “If I Could Turn Back Time” costume, and being her designer for her various television shows, including “The Sonny and Cher Show.” He even designed costumes for her Farewell Tour. The two are synonymous with him having lent his artistic sensibilities to give her a distinct look. Cher even said in 2024, “He helped me create a different me.” Mackie has left his mark on fashion with a distinct style of glamorous, over-the-top looks. He received the monikers the “Sultan of Sequins,” the “Rajah of Rhinestones,” and the “Guru of Glitter” for challenging the line between costume and fashion with lots of fringe, flash, and over-the-top eye-catching elements. He’s managed to retain a presence not just in entertainment but in the fashion industry for decades. Most recently, one of his outfits was a major plot point for the final season of “Hacks.” Mackie has received his share of awards and acknowledgments. In addition to dressing many people for the Oscars, he received three nominations, including dressing Diana Ross for “Lady Sings the Blues.” He won a Tony Award for “The Cher Show.” He won nine Emmy Awards and received 30 nominations for his prolific television work. CHRISTIAN CINTRON

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LGBTQ issues figure prominently at odd RNC midterm convention ‘Trumpapalooza’ featured public bribes, threats of eternal damnation By JOE REBERKENNY | jreberkenny@washblade.com

The Republican Party held an unusual midterm convention in Dallas last week, where President Donald Trump and other prominent GOP officials spoke in hopes of building enthusiasm and support ahead of the November elections. The two-day gathering at the American Airlines Center was the first midterm convention of its kind for the Republican Party. Unlike a traditional presidential nominating convention, there was no official party business or nominations. Instead, the event was designed to energize Republican voters and unite the party behind its candidates and broader message heading into the midterm elections. Trump, who spoke during both nights of the convention, repeatedly emphasized the importance of Republicans turning out to vote in the midterms — elections in which incumbent presidents and the parties in power have historically faced significant challenges. “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” the president implored attendees on the first day. On the second night, Trump delivered another direct appeal to Republican voters. “You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell,” he said. Trump also urged attendees at one point to “cheat like hell” to keep Republicans in control of Congress. The president also used the event to promote Republican candidates, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the GOP nominee in the state’s closely watched Senate race against outspoken LGBTQ rights supporter James Talarico.

President DONALD TRUMP at the the 2024 Republican National Convention. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

“He may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen, but he’s the greatest attorney general in America and he deserves to be your next senator,” Trump said when talking about Paxton. Among those in attendance were gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), North Carolina Senate nominee Michael Whatley, and Ohio Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Both days, there were thousands of empty seats, including almost all of the upper level, despite Trump insisting the arena was “packed” with “thousands” more waiting outside. The convention’s message frequently emphasized personal and political attacks on Democrats, often over detailed policy discussions. Speakers repeatedly targeted Democratic candidates and progressive figures, with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed among those mentioned throughout the event.

The first lady was notably absent from the event. Five RNC officials described the scope of the party’s nationwide “election integrity” effort to Axios. They said strict enforcement of voting laws and preventing noncitizens from registering and voting are top priorities, even as analysts say voter fraud is rare and there is no evidence of any systemic or significant problem. President Trump also proposed giving American adults $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, a proposal that immediately raised questions about its legality and implementation. The Republican base has also fractured over several key issues during the last 18 months, including the war in Iran, the handling of the release of the Epstein files, surging gas prices, and rising costs driven by tariffs. The convention was organized as an effort to rally Republicans around the party and motivate turnout despite those divisions and broader concerns heading into the midterms. A protester carrying a Mexican flag interrupted Vice President JD Vance’s speech on Sept. 10. “It’s about sending a message to the Democratic Party that if you send your crazies, we’re going to send you packing,” Vance said of the stakes of November’s elections. More than 100 protesters also marched through downtown Dallas during the RNC Midterm Convention, briefly blocking traffic near the American Airlines Center. At the convention both nights, an image that can only be described as a thirst trap of Democratic socialist commentator and creator Hassan Piker was shown on the jumbotron, garnering attention on social media. The social media star posted a video shortly after images of him, abs and all, appeared on the jumbotron, sitting at a desk and completely dumbfounded at the thought that “my meat pic was on the jumbotron at the republican midterm convention.” Piker has been a frequent target of conservative and Republican figures because of his criticism of the Israel-Palestine war, the war in Iran, and his broader critiques of the establishment and political institutions of both parties. Piker and El-Sayed were two of the most targeted progressive figures during the convention. Another figure from the other side of the aisle who made an appearance was Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who in recent months has adopted more conservative positions on some issues and continued to voice strong support for Israel — an issue on which there are divisions within the Democratic Party. “Yes, I’m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because well, I’m a common sense Democrat,” Fetterman said in the prerecorded video that also aired on the American Airlines Center’s jumbotron. “I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.” “We’ll work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the steel valley,” he added. Fetterman’s prerecorded appearance was a notable moment at an event otherwise dominated by Republican officials and speakers. Also at the event, accusations began to spread online about alleged Grindr outages in the area of the convention — a juxtaposition with the anti-LGBTQ positions the Republican Party officially reflects and its emphasis on “family values.” A spokesperson for Grindr told Snopes, “Grindr has not experienced recent outages. Third party sources that often make these claims rely on unreliable data such as self-reporting, while Grindr reports outages directly on its status page.” The status page showed no outages in August or September 2026. Another person, who goes by the name of Nick Pringle online, garnered over eight million views on an Instagram video in which he claims he was about to start working “undercover as a male escort” at the convention. In the video, he appears to be in a hotel bathroom and says he will post for the sake of exposing hypocritical Republican lawmakers who have used their power to champion what he described as hateful and divisively anti-LGBTQ legislation. The Blade reached out to Pringle via Instagram to ask whether he ultimately carried out what he described in the video and whether he had any evidence or additional information to share about his experience at the convention, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

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AMY SABRIN

No Words September 23 - October 18, 2026

ANNE STINE

What the Small Things Know September 23 - October 18, 2026

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EMMA CIESLIK

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

Gun reform is an LGBTQ rights issue ‘I am sick of Congress refusing to lift a finger to protect our communities’

Earlier this month, 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay allegedly shot two people in the parking lot of Venture-N, a well-known gay bar in Tucson, Ariz. Both victims — Vincent Anthony Siquerioes and Cameron Davis Capara — died at the scene. Police discovered a list of several LGBTQ businesses on Ceesay’s person, and evidence points to how Ceesay confronted Siquerios and Capara in the bar’s parking lot before killing them. According to a news release, police are investigating the incident as a hate crime. The event was reminiscent of the 2022 Club Q shooting and the Pulse nightclub shooting, where Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 more at the gay nightclub in Orlando. Survivors and the wider queer community recognized the 10th anniversary of the shooting this past June 12. As the queer community grieved another shooting targeting LGBTQ safe spaces this month, some members of the LGBTQ community are raising the call for gun reform as a key step to protect LGBTQ rights. Gun violence is a major issue for the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ people are more than twice as likely to be the victims of violent crime than straight and cisgender people, with one in five hate crimes in the United States motivated by queer phobia. This means that LGBTQ folks are more likely to be violently attacked by a stranger compared to their cisgender, straight counterparts. In school settings, 29% of transgender youth and 16% of gay and lesbian youth have been threatened or injured with a weapon, compared to 7% of cisgender youth. There is an ongoing epidemic of gun violence injuring and killing trans women of color in the United States today. One study by the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety identified that the number of trans people who were murdered in the U.S. doubled between 2017 and 2021, increasing 93% in that time period. Everytown for Gun Safety recognizes that these aren’t even the actual numbers as many trans people are misgendered or deadnamed by the police, media, or their families so their deaths are not incorporated into these numbers and tied to systemic gun violence against the wider LGBTQ community. As a community with higher rates of self harm and suicide, easy access to firearms increases the risk that a suicide attempt will end in death. This does not mean that LGBTQ people are mentally ill, a popular far right talking point. LGBTQ people are not more likely to experience suicidal ideations and die by suicide not because they are LGBTQ but because of the stigma surrounding their identities. LGBTQ young people are more than four times likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to attempt suicide, and the Trevor Project estimates that 1.8 million LGBTQ people between the ages of 13 and 24 consider suicide in the United States. As the Williams Institute shows, this makes gun violence a serious public health concern for the queer community. As Dr. David Hemenway, co-author of a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Medicine said, “differences in overall suicide rates across cities, states, and regions in the United States are best explained not by differences in mental health, suicide ideation, or even suicide attempts, but by availability of firearms.” Gun violence is also a major queer issue given that trans and gender expansive individuals are at greater risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. Compared to the 35% of straight women who experience intimate partner violence, 44% of lesbian and 61% of bisexual women report experiencing rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. This number is also higher for bisexual men (37% of whom experience intimate partner violence compared to 29% of straight men). This number is much higher for trans folks; more than half of people surveyed reported some form of intimate partner violence, according to a 2015 survey. During the second Trump administration, ongoing legal attacks on LGBTQ rights, executive orders that deny the existence and protections of trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive individuals, and virulent opposition to and disbanding and defunding of DEI initiatives, LGBTQ employee resource groups, queer history collections, exhibitions, and education, LGBTQ representation in libraries and school settings, and the firing of federal workers allegedly because they are queer — realizing a new Lavender Scare — have emboldened violent homophobes. After the Club Q shooting, Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, explained that “the rhetoric and the legislative attempts to erase transgender people sends a signal that violence toward us is tolerated.” This has become even more dire after a 2025 White House memo prioritized identifying “radically pro-transgender” groups as national security threats, in line with the Heritage Foundation’s plan to designate trans people terrorists. In response, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici shared, “the Trump administration’s endorsement and proliferation of hateful and violent rhetoric against the trans community is putting lives at risk,” particularly the push to label trans people and their allies as terrorists.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

Music Moves Inside

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

Trump’s Cabinet: Dumb, dumber, dumbest, and evil

Corrupt officials working to undo 250 years of progress Dumb, dumber, dumbest, and evil. Any of the felon’s Cabinet and close aides could fit these terms depending on the discussion. You have Commerce Secretary Lutnick saying “no American military were killed in Iran war.” Then it was reported our venal Vice President JD Vance said, “The current hostilities shouldn’t even be called a war, since ‘active combat operations’ ended months ago. Right now, there is no active shooting, Vance insisted. This despite the U.S. and Iran still currently exchanging fire, including around the Strait of Hormuz. Then the fool-in-chief, the felon in the White House, said about Vance’s comments, “U.S. strikes on Iran are now “intermittent” and a lot of people don’t call it a war. I can understand what he’s saying. I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing.” All this even though this so called “conflict” has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $37.5 billion and left 18 U.S. service members dead, hundreds injured. All this after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “the Trump administration’s objective in the conflict surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is to restore shipping conditions to what they were before the war with Iran began.” Then self-hating, gay, Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, chimed in, after two days of meetings with finance ministers from around the world, blaming Ukraine for high oil prices citing “Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure as part of the reason for the global energy shock.” These people all belong in an asylum, or jail. When not talking about the war, as he is losing it badly, the felon-in-chief talks BS at a rally in Texas. Then he talks about redesigning Washington. Lutnick, speaking at a judicial hearing on whether Trump can put his name on the National Monument honoring JFK, said, “Donald Trump is the most credible person in the world” while arguing that the Kennedy Center should bear his name because he’s vowed to raise the funds to renovate it. That, even though the funds were approved by Congress and not raised by Trump. Then Trump’s tariff war on the world, now focused on Canada, which is screwing the American people, and his believing an Executive Order can get the world to call bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Ontario, by different names. Or that he can change the name of the Department of Defense, to the Department of War, which only Congress can do. With the help of the fascist sycophants around him, he creates chaos in the world. He has torn down part of the White House, and tries to build an arch. Spent millions and caused the destruction of the reflecting pool. Some of these things will be undone, others will remain, but his name will go down in history, not on buildings, as the worst president ever. People will laugh at him as they move to remove his name from everything they can, just as New Yorkers did when he was first elected, embarrassed to be associated with him. Now for any sane person looking at, and listening to, this chaos, it is abundantly clear how embarrassing all this is for the country. It is clear he is moving the nation backwards when it comes to the equality and equity we have fought so hard to accomplish. Our country began with us killing, and taking land, from Native Americans. The founders of our nation 250 years ago only recognized white men. They left out women and Black men. We have spent the past 250 years trying to move forward from that beginning. Trying to live up to the statement in the Declaration of Independence that said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We have come a long way, but still have not been able to add women’s equality to our Constitution. But Trump, along with his fascist aides and sycophants in Congress, is trying his best to undo all we have accomplished in those 250 years. Trying either to take away the right to vote, or make it harder to do. They took away the right of women to control their own healthcare, and are making it harder for Black people and the LGBTQ community, to live their lives fully, with dignity and safety. They will accomplish all this, and more, if not enough people come out on Nov. 3 and say, NO MORE. However, if enough decent people vote, we can take back our country, and our future.

Great music and good eats in a unique venue!

Tickets On Sale Now!

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Acclaimed Chef Patrick O’Connell’s memoir reveals the arc of a life well lived Overcoming obstacles to serve everyone from Jerry Falwell to Queen Elizabeth By KEVIN NAFF | knaff@washblade.com

Renowned three-Michelin-star Chef Patrick O’Connell says food and wine hold a unique ability to bring people together. Indeed, he has served everyone from rightwing zealot Jerry Falwell to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth during his decades at the beloved Inn at Little Washington in rural Virginia. O’Connell’s compelling new memoir, “Main, Middle & Gay” is out Sept. 15 from Celadon Books and offers a deeply personal account of how he transformed his love of food and affinity for the finer things into an iconic inn and restaurant that draws diners from around the world nearly 50 years after it opened in 1978. O’Connell is launching the book with an event on Sept. 18 at Lisner Auditorium featuring Chef José Andrés and former Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema. He met Andrés just after Andrés began to work in D.C. and was “on fire with ideas.” Three-Michelin-star Chef PATRICK “We sat next to each other at Charlie O’CONNELL’s new memoir is out now. (Photo courtesy of O’Connell) Trotter’s restaurant and the meal went on for hours and we had a natural rapport,” O’Connell told the Blade in a recent interview. “The chemistry will be fun and lively and unpredictable and exciting. I think we’re all different personalities and we’ll compliment each other.” O’Connell said he’s excited to hold the event at Lisner. “I studied theater at Catholic University and transferred to GWU so it’s a coming home party and Lisner has been there since I was a kid and it was always like D.C.’s Carnegie Hall. It feels like going home to my old stomping grounds.” O’Connell hopes to bring the book to life visually at the event and he has produced a short film that will be screened. The book traces the self-taught O’Connell’s remarkable journey from rural paperboy and short-order cook to proprietor of one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants and Relais & Châteaux hotels. Along the way we learn about the many challenges he faced — from distrustful and homophobic local residents in Washington, Va., to an expensive, public “divorce” from his longtime romantic and business partner, Reinhardt Lynch. “It parallels the evolution of American cuisine over 50 years,” he said. “It’s a rare perspective to be in the trenches for that long.” O’Connell writes candidly about his relationship with Lynch. The two opened the restaurant together — O’Connell running the kitchen and Lynch handling the business. But O’Connell’s accolades and growing notoriety led to jealousy that triggered a protracted falling out and dissolution of both their personal relationship and business partnership. Lynch, as recalled by O’Connell, attempted to secretly sell his 50 percent of the business but ultimately agreed to sell his stake back to O’Connell for a reported $17.5 million. “The Washington Post ran with it as a salacious celebrity divorce story and included all the financial details,” he writes. After taking full control of the Inn just as the recession of 2008 hit, O’Connell writes of the scrutiny of guests who assumed Lynch’s absence would lead to a slip in quality. “The place couldn’t be just as good as ever. It would have to be better.” What happened next proved a royal opportunity as Queen Elizabeth visited Virginia to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the state and O’Connell was asked to cater a reception. This chapter is filled with juicy details and behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the pressures of cooking for the Queen. The subsequent media attention proved lucrative for the Inn and photos of the Queen’s visit still hang in the Inn. There are references to O’Connell’s sexual orientation throughout the book and he doesn’t shy from addressing his long relationship with Lynch or the resistance the couple encountered when they settled in sleepy Washington, Va. “I didn’t realize that I was walking into a prejudiced hornet’s nest that I wasn’t fully prepared for and there was a great deal of hostility in part because they didn’t understand anything about what we were attempting to do here so everything about us and our desire to run a fine restaurant was foreign to them,” O’Connell told the Blade. “The irony of a place opening 1 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • SEPTEMBER 1 8 , 2 0 2 6

in the center of town of 150 people and at that time the word ‘gay’ wasn’t used here. It was as if they didn’t have space in their consciousness for such a thing. We were regarded as counter culture people. “The restaurant became a success almost overnight and the locals couldn’t understand what the buzz was about,” O’Connell continued. “They thought food is food and why would anyone drive 60 miles out here for food. They became resentful of the ‘outsiders’ who came. Two outsiders were opening a restaurant and drawing other outsiders out here to a place where there weren’t many jobs. There was resentment on many levels by some — not all. They thought it would go away.” But O’Connell said he never made his sexuality the focus of his work. Rather, he wanted to use food to bring people of all backgrounds together. “I never made a point or attempted to make that a central focus on my work,” he said. “I felt that I had found my spot in the universe where I belonged, I loved living here, it was a sanctuary.” O’Connell’s insistence that everyone is welcome has sometimes created tension and negative press, as when President Trump presented him with a National Humanities Medal that brought criticism from some progressives. “We see a fascinating clientele here; we don’t judge and we’re not political,” he said. “When people come they are entitled to our hospitality.” One of those people was televangelist and notorious homophobe Jerry Falwell, who made a reservation at the Inn years ago. O’Connell’s instruction to the staff was to treat Falwell like any other guest. “We have an image of someone who maybe we would think would be hostile or judgmental and they often surprise us,” O’Connell said. “We held our breath and here’s Falwell working the tables and saying this is the best meal I’ve ever had, aren’t these two guys great and we thought he’s doing PR for us and he’s supposed to be the devil.” O’Connell said he sees that dynamic play out night after night at the Inn. One of the most conservative national Republican figures, he said, is a regular and Vice President JD Vance dined at the Inn recently. Focusing on the food and hospitality for all constitutes O’Connell’s brand of activism. “Food does bring people together,” he said. “And you’re doing your part in erasing preconceived judgements.” He said he and his team did more to advance understanding and acceptance by focusing on hospitality than if “we were out marching.” As evidence, he said, there are more and more gay couples moving to the area and the town’s mayor, Joe Whited, is gay. “We’re the biggest employer in the county and largest taxpayer,” he added. “The Inn pays the town almost $1 million per year and property values are getting to be like Palm Beach. And that wasn’t a goal it was a byproduct of doing something as well as it could be done.” But the book isn’t hagiography. O’Connell revisits traumatic events, like childhood bullies who attacked him for wearing a Little Red Riding Hood costume for Halloween and a sexual assault he endured as a young teenager aboard a bus. “I don’t know why I couldn’t call out for help or try to make the man stop,” O’Connell writes of the incident. “I didn’t want to call attention to the situation and felt completely implicated. Once it began there was no stopping it.” Interestingly, O’Connell told the Blade that one of the things he learned in writing the book is how little he’s changed since childhood. “People tend to lock away a lot of childhood memories for good reason and in a book you’re reliving them and bringing them to life,” he said. “And my revelation is that I don’t think I’ve changed much since I was six and I think most people’s identity is pretty developed in their very early years and their personality is clear. What amused me most is I’m doing the same things now that I did in miniature as a five and six year old.” As for popular TV shows about the restaurant business, O’Connell says he doesn’t watch them. “It’s fake,” he said. “There are much more colorful characters and it’s much more exciting in real life. Nobody seems capable of capturing that. So maybe this [book] will have the effect of doing that and showing what it takes.” O’Connell said the books and stories he most enjoys reading are those that start in childhood and carry through until late in life. He has certainly delivered that in “Main, Middle & Gay,” a moving, fearless memoir filled with the unexpected and natural drama that revisits a uniquely American life.

COMING SOON TO

Olney Theatre Center By arrangement with CAMERON MACKINTOSH Presents a new production of BOUBIL and SCHÖNBERG's

SEPTEMBER 18 NOVEMBER 8

OCTOBER 7 NOVEMBER 1

OCTOBER 30 JANUARY 31

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A roundup of fall events not to be missed Laverne Cox, Oktoberfest, arts celebrations, and more By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

stage and share your art. Tickets Colder temperatures don’t are $13.26 and are available on mean you have to stay indoors Eventbrite. — here’s a roundup of what to do Howard University’s School this fall. of Social Work will host “IntergenLaverne Cox will discuss her erational Trauma in the BIPOC memoir, “Transcendent,” with Community and the Use of Art” Dr. Melanie Bryant on Saturday, on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at Baltimore This in-person, interactive workBook Fest. Cox will share her shop explores the role of art as a journey as a transgender woman creative and supportive tool for in Hollywood, confronting childunderstanding and addressing hood trauma, shame, gender intergenerational trauma. Particidentity, her transition, body imipants will examine the meaning age issues, her search for romanand impact of intergenerational tic love, deep-seated feelings trauma, with particular attention of unworthiness, and ultimately, to its historical roots and ongohealing. ing effects within Black and other Dacha Beer Garden will BIPOC communities. More delaunch its longest and loudest tails are available on Eventbrite. Oktoberfest yet on Friday, Sept. 9:30 Club will host “BERTHA: 18. This will be 17 consecuGrateful Drag” on Thursday, Oct. tive days of Bavarian festivities 8 at 7 p.m. The group has partacross both locations — the orignered with PLUS1 so that $1 from inal Shaw beer garden and the every ticket sold goes to SMYAL 800-person Navy Yard garden and their work supporting and — running through Sunday, Oct. empowering LGBTQ+ youth. 4. On opening night, DC Brau Tickets are available on 9:30 will tap the ceremonial first keg Club’s website. and then Manuela Horn, the sixSteve Lacy’s “Oh Yeah?” tour foot-two Austrian yodel queen, is coming to The Anthem on Sunwill trade sets with Johnny Koeday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. Tickets are nig and his four-piece band in a available on The Anthem’s weblive back-and-forth of yodeling, site. polka, and crowd games that can Rapper Cupcakke will peronly be described as Oktoberform at Howard Theatre on Sunfest ping pong. day, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. More deFay Jacobs will host “Aging tails are available on the theater’s Gracefully: 2nd Annual Farewell website. Tour” on Friday, Oct. 9 and SaturTeam DC will host “Open Play: day, Oct. 10 at CAMP Rehoboth A Celebration of LGBTQ+ AthCommunity Center. This show letes and Sports Fans” on Saturwill feature a new script with lots day, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. at Trade. of new stories, and only a couple Join Athlete Ally, Team DC and of “signature” tales. District Wrestling for a casual, Capital One Center will host in-person mixer as they celebrate its “Celebration of the Arts” startLGBTQ+ sports fans and athletes ing on Saturday, Sept. 19 at its at all levels of the game. Whethlocation in Tysons, Va. There will er you’re part of an LGBTQ+ be art, music, food trucks, local recreational league or just love vendors, and family-friendly outwatching sports, this is the place door entertainment. This curated to connect, celebrate, and share experience invites you to engage the love of the game with other with hands-on workshops, imqueer athletes, fans, business mersive art activations, and live leaders, policymakers and more. performances. More details are Reserve a spot on Eventbrite. available on Eventbrite. The DC LGBTQ+ Community Spark Social will host “open Center will host “2026 LGBT InMic Night” on Thursday, Oct. 8 tergenerational Extravaganza” on at 8 p.m. Get ready to share your Sunday, Sept. 20 at 12 p.m.This talent or just kick back and enLAVERNE COX discusses her new memoir at the Baltimore Book Fest on Sept. 19. is an event to connect, build rejoy some great performances at lationships, and have fun with Spark Social. Sign Ups are firstLGBTQ folks from other generations, and it will include lunch, an intergenerational diacome-first-serve,, but you can also message the venue on Instagram to reserve a perforlogue and breakout sessions. More details are available on Eventbrite. mance spot. Whether you’re a singer, poet, or comedian, this is your chance to get on

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THEATER

D.C.’s fall theater season is already well underway ‘Ma Rainey,’ ‘Mama Mia,’ ‘Rocky Horror,’ and much more on tap By PATRICK FOLLIARD

Leaves have scarcely turned, but throughout the DMV, the fall theater season is well underway. In Arlington, Signature Theatre got a jump on the season with Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Merrily We Roll Along” (through Nov. 1). Told entirely in reverse chronological order, this story of three longtime friends spans the years 1957 to 1976 moving from the trio’s cynical middle-aged present back to their happy and hopeful salad days. Filled with great promise when it opened in 1981, the original production closed after just 16 official performances despite a terrific score glutted with great tunes like “Our Time,” “Good Thing Going,” and “Not a Day Goes By.” Over the years, the show was tweaked and reimagined, ultimately redeeming itself as a massive Broadway hit revival in 2023. Signature’s production, directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, features out actors Jason Gotay (Rafa from the “Gossip Girl” reboot) and Signature vet Jake Loewenthal playing, respectively, sellout composer Franklin Shepard and loyal lyricist Charley Kringas. Melanie Field plays witty and increasingly alcoholic Mary Flynn, the third prong of the complex little friend group. Sigtheatre.org

JAKE LOEWENTHAL (Charley Kringas) and JASON GOTAY (Franklin Shepherd) in Merrily We Roll Along at Signature Theatre. (Photo by Christopher Mueller)

Woolly Mammoth Company has opened with playwright Steve Yockey’s “Venus” (through Oct. 4), a tragicomedy about two women whose first date goes terribly wrong. The lesbian daters are played by Kimberly Gilbert and queer-identified actor Regina Aquino. Woolly’s new artistic director Reggie D. White directs. Woollymammoth.net At Round House Theatre in Bethesda, August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” continues its compelling exploration of racism, exploitation, and artistic integrity. Helmed by director Lili-Anne Brown, the production runs through Oct. 11. The 10-actor cast includes Yao Dogbe as Levee, a young firebrand trumpeter, and out actor Nicole Michelle Haskins as the queer titular blues legend. Roundhousetheatre.org Broadway at the National (National Theatre) is ushering in a spate of hit Broadway shows this fall. The musicals include “Dirty Dancing” (Sept. 29–Oct. 4), “Maybe Happy Ending” (Oct. 6–11), and ABBA’s “Mama Mia!” (Oct. 27– Nov. 15) featuring charming out actor Victor Wallace as successful architect and divorced father of two Sam Carmi-

chael. Broadwayatthenational.com First introduced to theatergoers by MetroStage at the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival in 2019, Sherman Yellen’s “Cousin Bella–The Whore of Minsk” is the riveting story of Bella, who as a young Jewish woman living in Czarist Russia was sold into prostitution by her stepmother. Later rescued, she immigrated to America, where she lived out the rest of her life in New York. Now with a shortened title, “Cousin Bella” is going to MetroStage at The Lyceum (Alexandria’s History Museum) as a staged reading for one night only on Sept. 22. Again, Adrienne Nelson plays Bella, but this time, she’s joined by out DMV favorite Michael Russotto as Sherman. MetroStage.org Hard to believe, but this year marks four decades since the film release of “Little Shop of Horrors.” To celebrate the anniversary, Ellen Greene (the actor who created Audrey, the show’s sweet and sexy florist, both on stage and screen) is doing a nationwide tour that includes a night at D.C.’s historic Lincoln Theatre (Friday, Sept. 25). Greene’s appearance offers fans the opportunity to experience the 1986 cult horror/comedy/musical classic alongside its iconic star. Before the screening, Greene will take part in a live Q&A and perform Audrey’s signature song – what else -- “Somewhere That’s Green.” Thelincolndc.com At Olney Theatre Center, the season opens with the regional premiere staging of “Some Like It Hot” (Sept. 18– Nov. 8) directed by Jason Loewith with choreography by Karla Puno Garcia. Adapted from the classic 1959 Billy Wilder film starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, the Tony Award-winning musical by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (the guys who gave us “Hairspray”) brings the jokes, music, more dance and adds gender identity, self-discovery, and racial representation. Like the film, the action kicks off in Prohibition-era Chicago when Joe (Jacob Tischler) and Jerry (Tavis Corderll), two straight musicians, witness a mob hit. Averse to being bumped off, they leave town as the newly hired members of an “all-girl band” fronted by the irresistible Sugar Kane (Mot Walker). Laughs and drag ensue. Olneytheatre.org Spooky Action Theater in association Solas Nua present “Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights” (Sept. 24 Oct. 18). In this re-imagining, Irish Palestinian playwright Hannah Khalil reclaims the classic “Arabian Nights” through a new feminist lens replete with compelling storytelling by its all women cast of five. Spookyaction.org The Shakespeare Theatre Company presents “Frida…A Self Portrait” (Oct. 8 – Nov. 8), a stage portrait of Mexican painter and queer icon Frida Kahlo. Written and performed by Brazilian actor Vanessa Severo, the play is set on the eve of Kahlo’s death, exploring her pain, passion, and extraordinary life through a powerful, intimate lens. Shakespearetheatre.org At 1st Stage in Tysons, the season opens with British playwright Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” (Oct. 8-25), a play sophisticated in subject and structure. Pinter uses a non-linear timeline spanning the years 1968 to 1977, moving mostly backward from the end of a seven-year affair to its beginning. The adulterous love triangle involves Emma (Katrina Clark), Robert (Shawn Sebastian Naar), and Jerry (played by excellent out actor Jaysen Wright). Alex Levy directs.

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1ststage.org In time for Halloween, Creative Caudron Stage in Falls Church presents “Monsters of the Villa Diodati” (Oct. 8 – Nov. 1), a Gothic-style musical created by local married collaborators Matt Conner (composer) and Stephen Gregory Smith (playwright/lyricist). The applauded work dramatizes the stormy Geneva summer of 1816 when poet Lord Byron challenged his guests to come up with their best scary tales. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” were among the better results. Creativecauldron.org In Rehoboth Beach, Del., Clear Space Theatre Company’s anticipated annual production of “The Rocky Horror Show” (directed by Wes Drummond and choreographed by Shondelle Graulich) is returning to the stage for the Halloween season. (Oct. 9–31). Clear Space invites theatergoers to “revel in a deliciously decadent rock ‘n’ roll party where nothing is sacred, everything is extra, and liberation is the main event.” (Late night audience participation performances every Saturday night.) Clearspacetheatre.org The first of Arena Stage’s autumn offerings is the Step Afrika! premiere of “The Fruits of Our Labor” (though Nov. 1), a powerful, celebratory production focused on resilience and the unfinished American experience expertly performed by the company’s tremendous step dancers. Later at Arena, it’s playwright Eric Bentley’s extremely time “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been” (Oct. 17– Dec. 6), directed by Tony Award-winner Anna D. Shapiro. “This docudrama drops you into the tense world of the 1940s House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings, where fame offered no protection and political pressure could end a career.” Arenastage.org For a bit of Strathmore family fun, AMP presents Disney Pixar’s “Coco Live-to-Film Concert” (matinees on Oct. 31, Nov. 1), a special event for Día de los Muertos where the full animated film Coco is screened on the big screen while its culturally rich score by Michael Giacchino is performed live by the 20-member Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México. Strathmore.org In an amusing essay about microaggressions, David Sedaris shares that whenever he and his partner Hugh browse antique stores in England, the shop owners invariably look them over and ask, “Are you dealers?” His usual retort: “No, just homosexuals.” Playwright JB Miller treads similar terrain with “The Last Victorian,” his new play that kicks off the fall season at Washington Stage Guild with a world premiere production (Nov. 19- Dec. 13) directed by Laura Giannarelli. In this dark comedy, two failed British antique dealers, same-sex partners in both business and in life, unbelievably inherit the world’s oldest person. When issues of price and provenance come to the fore, the pair turn on each other, and soon it seems the old lady might take charge. Stageguild.org And to help make the much of the above markedly more affordable, there’s Theater Week. Organized by Theatre Washington, the more than seven days of deals and entertainment is a multi-week regional celebration launching the local fall theater season that runs from Sept. 24 to Oct. 11, featuring discounted tickets priced at $25, $45, and $65 for more than 25 productions alongside a lineup of free community events. For details and participating companies go to Theatrewashington.org.

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NIGHTLIFE

Parties, dinners, concerts and more on tap for fall nightlife Blade’s 25th Best Of party among highlights By EVAN CAPLAN

The heat is on in the city this fall for gala season, culture, and nightlife, including many LGBTQ and ally artists. Select shows, parties, and events for the season are below.

September

9/25-27: All Things Go. This annual music festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion includes performers like Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many more beloved artists. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members. There are single-day and three-day tickets. 9/26: Human Rights Campaign National Dinner - This annual big-ticket fundraiser for HRC (black tie, of course) celebrates achievements and recognizes the road ahead for LGBTQ+ equality. Taking place at the Mayflower, look out for D.C. stars, like members of Congress, former first ladies, and Broadway actors. 9/18-20: Fuchsia Fest - The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to highlight LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. Hosted by Capital Pride, Fuchsia Fests’s various events take place across the city throughout the weekend. 9/24: Katie Pruitt - The Americana/indie-fold singer-songwriter is known for her soaring vocals and deeply personal storytelling. She is on tour for her latest album, released Sept. 18, “Fools for the Fleeting.” She is part of the LGBTQ community. 9/26: Gorillaz - Two decades strong, this artistic group unites visuals, storytelling, and music across diverse genres, from rock to reggae to electronic, for a show at Capital One Arena. 9/29: Charli XCX - British singer-songwriter and pop diva known for her bold expression, mixes electronic, pop, and dance, will bring thrilled audiences to her show at Capital One Arena as part of her Music, Fashion, Film Tour. Multiple dates: Smithsonian Festival - This fall, the Smithsonian Institutions is debuting a festival called Rhythms, Roots, Recipes: Community Stories of Food and Music. Across this five-part series, each session features cooking demos, discussions, and live music. All programs are free and open to the public, and take place in the demo kitchen at the National Museum of American History.

signature benefit toward the fight for full LGBTQ+ equality. 10/20: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Grammy-winning Mexican acoustic guitar duo that blends flamenco, rock, and heavy metal is coming to The Anthem. They have been playing at 9:30 Club and sister venues since 2007. 10/22: Washington Blade Best of Party - Celebrate the best of LGBTQ DC at the Blade’s epic Halloween party: Murder on the Dance Floor. Winners of the Blade’s annual Best of DC will be announced at this party at Longview Gallery. This marks the 25th anniversary of the Blade’s Best Of competition. “Real Housewives” star Ashley Darby hosts. 10/31: Into the Shadows - An immersive, indoor/outdoor Halloween party actually on the spooky day itself at Berhta. With multiple stages across multiple rooms, there are various DJs and activations.

October

10/3: GLOW BLock Party - GLOW is back! After throwing a giant party this spring with 10,000-plus dancing fans dancing against the Capitol dome at sunset, GLOW returns with an even more epic lineup: legendary Grammy-winning DJ and producer Diplo leading a seven-hour party with vendors, activations, and a number of other huge acts like Westend, Anabel Englund, Monty Kiddo, and D.C.’s own Ratalina. 10/3: Home Rule Music Festival - Now in its fifth year, this is a free, all-day community-driven event of local music, food trucks, and vendors at the Parks at Walter Reed. The D.C.-focused event features bands playing go-go, soul, hip-hop, jazz, and more, plus a record fair and live art. 10/3: PRIDEtoberfest - Gay-owned Wunder Garten presents PRIDEtoberfest, marrying the festive spirit of Oktoberfest and the joy of the LGBTQIA+ community for an all-day celebration of Pride, community, live music, DJs, overflowing steins of beer, and entertainment. Food will be available from Little Miner Taco and CaliBurger, plus plenty of friendly men in lederhosen. 10/3: Power to the People Festival - The inaugural Power to the People Festival will take place at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. The festival, curated by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist and acclaimed activist Tom Morello, is a celebration of peace, justice, solidarity, music, and community action. 10/10: Jessie Ware - British singer and songwriter fully embraced by the LGBTQ community brings her impassioned mix of pop, disco, and electronic genres to Capital One Arena supporting her latest album Superbloom, 10/19: Chefs for Equality - This annual dinner fundraiser for HRC remains in its remixed, diffused form this year. Under the theme of United Plates of America, there will be six different activations: four multi-course collab dinners (at CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Marcus DC, Moon Rabbit, and Centrolina); Drag Brunch for Dinner at Perry’s; and a lavish cocktail party at cocktail lounge Silver Lyan. In any form, Chefs for Equality is a

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The Blade’s 25th annual Best Of LGBTQ DC party arrives Oct. 22 with ASHLEY DARBY as emcee.

November

11/11: Whitman-Walker Gala - This annual fundraiser at the Ritz-Carlton is themed “A Celebration of Impact & Innovation.” It aims to showcase the impact of Whitman-Walker’s healthcare, research, and policy programs, and will include presentation of the Groundbreaker Award for Community Philanthropy. 11/20: Ilana Glazer - Comedian, actor, advocate, and creator best known for co-creating and co-starring in the acclaimed series Broad City brings her act to Lincoln Theater. Her first show is already sold out, but a second show has been added.

THIS FALL AT SIGNATURE

NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 1 PRIDE NIGHT: SEPTEMBER 18

Sondheim’s masterful musical about friendship, ambition and the compromises that shape a life.

OCTOBER 20 – DECEMBER 20 PRIDE NIGHTS: NOVEMBER 13 & 20

In 1996, a closeted high school teacher agrees to mentor a student in a moving new musical about embracing who you are.

DECEMBER 8 – FEBRUARY 21 PRIDE NIGHT: JANUARY 15

The gorgeous musical adaptation of the beloved novel.

EDUCATION STUDIOS PREVIEW

Get a taste of Signature’s education programming with a day of free classes. Register at SigTheatre.org Programming takes place at Signature’s Education Studios at 2784 S Arlington Mill Dr, Arlington, VA 22206

SEPTEMBER 19, 10AM – 2PM

SIGTHEATRE.ORG

703.820.9771 4200 CAMPBELL AVENUE ARLINGTON, VA 22206

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MUSIC

Queer mega stars coming to D.C. this fall Indigo Girls, Charli XCX, Doja Cat headed our way By ALEXIS McLEAN

and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. As D.C. enters the fall season, LGBTQ performers and allies will take the stage. Grateful Drag, featuring PLUS 1, will take place at the 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) This fall’s lineup is massive and diverse, from rock to electronic dance music. in D.C. on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. Ryan Beatty, a gay musical artist, will bring his show, “Arms Over Armor North Lauren Sanderson is a lesbian and queer performer with viral tracks that inAmerican Tour ‘26” to the Lincoln Theater (1215 U St. N.W.) in D.C. on Sep. 26, clude “GAY 4 ME” (with G Flip). She will bring her “COME SAY SUM TOUR” to the at 6:30 p.m. Tickets go for $43.15 per attendee. Visit https://www.thelincolndc. Alantis (2047 9th St., N.W.) in D.C. on Oct. 15. com/#block-3 for more information. Steve Lacy, a bisexual artist, will bring his “Oh yeah?” tour to the Anthem on All Things Go Music Festival: A major lineup of allies, including Mitski, Ethal Oct. 18. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cain, Rebecca Black, Unand show starts at 7 p.m. derscores, and many more. Washington Concert OpThe festival, known for being era’s ARMIDA, staring Daniel LGBTQ-friendly, will take place Laucerica, Andrew Wilkowske, at Merriweather Post Pavilion and Jonathan Pierce Rhodes, (10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., will take place at the Lisner AuColumbia, Md.) from Sept. 26ditorium (730 21st St., N.W.) in 28. Visit allthingsgofestival. D.C. on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. com for tickets and details. Yebba, a bisexual and queer Bisexual singer Charli XCX artist, is a singer and songwill bring her “Music, Fashion, writer within the genre of conFilm Tour” to Capital One Area temporary music who has per(601 F St, N.W.) in D.C. on Sep. formed alongside Ed Sheeran, 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go from Drake, and A$AP Rocky. Yebba $102 - $500. capitalonearena. will perform on Oct. 31 at the com for more info. Anthem. Doors open at 6:30 Bisexual artist Phoebe p.m. and the show starts at Bridgers will bring her “The 8:30 p.m. Lost Tour 2026” to Capital One Brutalismus 3000 is a longArena on Sep. 29 at 7:30 p.m. time LGBTQ ally. They will Tickets go from $157-$500. bring their “Harmony US Tour Power To the People Fes2026” show to Echo Stage tival, another fantastic festival on Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. Tickets will take place at Merriweathrange from $48-$66. er Post Pavilion (10475 Little The Washington NationPatuxent Pkwy., Columbia, al Opera Orchestra will feaMd.). It will feature LGBTQ artAMY RAY and EMILY SALIERS perform at the Anthem on Oct. 4. (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith) ture Andrea Gibson, a queer, ists and allies, such as Bruce nonbinary, and genderqueer Springsteen and Brittney poet/spoken-word artist, who will perform “Andrea Gibson’s Love Letter from the Howard. The festival is on Oct. 3 and doors open at 12 p.m. Afterlife” on Nov. 17 at the Anthem. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts Anabel Englund, calls herself a “heterosexual ally” on Instagram. She will perat 7:30 p.m. form at the Diplo’s Glow Block Party at Echo Stage (2135 Queens Chapel Road, Doja Cat, a bisexual artist who previously worked with Laurel Charleston, a trans N.E.) in D.C., Oct. 3. Doors Open at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $106-$154. women makeup artist, will bring her “Ma Vie World Tour” to Capital One Arena on Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are the two lesbian singers who make up the Indigo Nov. 21. The show is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets range from $69-$316. Girls, one of the most recognizable folk duos who have sold more than 2 million Victoria Monét: A bisexual R&B singer and a three-time Grammy winner, will albums with two singles: “Closer to Fine” and “Kid Fears” alone. Both will be perbring her Frequency of Love Tour to the Anthem on Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. forming at the Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.) in D.C. on Oct. 4. Doors open at 5 p.m.

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®, TM & © 2026 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 29 – Oct 4

Oct 6 – 11

Nov 24 – Dec 6

Oct 27 – Nov 15

Dec 8 – 13

Nov 17 – 22

Dec 16 – Feb 7

Tickets on sale now S E PT E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 2 6 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 1

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTED BY PSALMAYENE 24

SEPT 22 – NOV 1, 2026

Tickets at folger.edu/mfm

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY | 201 EAST CAPITOL ST. SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20003

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ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE MCQUADE

“Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall”

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FILM

All the queer things to watch this fall Andrew Scott, a new ‘Traitors,’ and plenty of horror By JOHN PAUL KING

The fall season is barely upon us, and already the “must-see” queer movies and shows are leaping out of the gate. The next two months offer a hearty lineup of big screen and streaming options, with something for every taste. Whether you’re a fan of prestige drama, campy horror, “reality” TV, or just a fan of culturally relevant entertainment in general, you’ll definitely find some titles to pick from in our annual rundown below; and if you don’t want to choose, don’t worry: We won’t judge you if you watch them all. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Netflix, 9/17) Ryan Murphy starts the countdown to Halloween a little early with a new installment of his always-disturbing (but oh-so-entertaining) anthology series about notorious real-life murderers, and this time he takes us back to one of the most notorious of all. Ella Beatty plays the legendary 19th-century woman who (allegedly) “took an axe” and whacked her mother and father to death with it. Lesbian rumors have long been part of the subtext around the case, so expect a focus there — but given that it’s the series’ first time centered on a woman, and that show creator Ian Brennan includes side-trips into the stories of famous female serial killers from both before and after Lizzie’s day. Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Barden, Billie Lourd, and Sarah Paulson also star. The Traitors: New Blood (NBC/Peacock, 9/17) The popular reality competition show, in which actor (and queer icon) Alan Cumming presides over a cutthroat game of intrigue and elimination in a Scottish castle, makes its return – but this time, in a new iteration that features non-celebrity contestants, Otherwise, it promises to offer more of the same delicious deception and Machiavellian manipulation that fans have come to love. Black Church Bay (Theaters, 9/25) “Heartstopper” star Joe Locke is set to make a splash on the big screen opposite Tom Cullen in this brooding mystery thriller as a gay student whose disappearance stirs up long-buried secrets in a small Welsh coastal village. First-time writer/director Rhys Marc Jones says it “explores the lengths some people will go to in order to hide their true self,” so be ready for a dark tale of secrets and lies. American Horror Story: 13 (FX/Hulu, 9/25) Ryan Murphy is ready, as usual, to hit the fall season with a “one-two” punch, and the second punch is the 13th season of his venerable, campy, and extremely queer horror anthology, which brings back beloved alumni from seasons past (yes, even Jessica Lange) in the roles they originally played. Since a good number of those characters were dead the last we knew of them, seeing how the show manages to bring them all back is itself enough reason to make this landmark installment – which also features Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and even the Pope of Trash, John Waters himself – required viewing for a whole legion of queer pop culturistas with a taste for the macabre. East of Eden (Netflix, 10/1) Fans of the late bisexual heartthrob James Dean clearly remember the 1955 film version of John Steinbeck’s classic novel, but that movie only told the second half of the story. This new limited series adaptation (from Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of Elia Kazan, director of the original film) takes advantage of a seven-episode running time to take on the entire novel from the beginning. The saga of a broken family in the Salinas Valley, it sprawls over the first two decades of the 20th century to document the struggles of a wealthy landowner whose wife abandons him to become a brothel madam after giving birth to his twin sons; following the boys as they grow up and apart, it mirrors the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, exploring the dynamics of a family haunted by

the shadow of an “original sin” – and whether or not they are doomed to be defined by it. No directly queer content here, perhaps, but the direct family tie to a cinema classic (plus the presence of queer fan favorite Florence Pugh as Cathy, the story’s fabulously monstrous mother) gives it an appeal that feels like must-see TV, anyway. Tip Toe (STARZ, 10/2) This taut UK miniseries from “Queer As Folk” creator Russell T. Davies has already been a critically lauded sensation in its home country, making its U.S. premiere an event worth putting on your calendar. Alan Cumming stars as a gay bar owner who is forced to face the shifting cultural tide when online homophobia begins to turn his once-friendly neighbor (David Morrissey) into a deadly enemy. A grim psychological thriller for an increasingly unsettling time, it’s bound to strike a chord with queer viewers who remember an era when “the closet” was the safest place to be – and with those who fear its return. Street Fighter (Theaters, 10/6) It might seem as if a movie based on a 1980s video game would have limited appeal for anyone who isn’t a Gen-X “gaymer” who remembers when it cost 25 cents a pop to be one – but this reboot of the film franchise that sprung from it in 1994 is also the screen debut of gay country-western heartthrob Orville Peck, who appropriately takes on the role of Vega, a fighter who always wears his mask. It also stars Noah Centineo, David Dastmalchian, and Jason Momoa, among others. Carrie (Prime Video, 10/7) Horror fans may have mixed feelings about this new eight-part miniseries based on Stephen King’s much-adored seminal novel, given that the popular 1976 film adaption has endured as the definitive version – something that proved a factor when filmmaker Kimberly Pierce’s 2013 remake failed to win over fans. Even so, this retelling (featuring Summer H. Howell as the troubled teen title character and Samantha Soyen as her overbearing and increasingly unhinged mom) comes from horror maestro Mike Flanagan (“Oculus,” “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Midnight Mass,” “Dr. Sleep”), who has already proven himself as a director of King’s work and comes to the project with a considerable fan base of his own. Either way, given its release less than a month before Halloween, we know all you horror fans – queer and otherwise – will be binge-watching it honor of the holiday. It Gets Worse (UK Channel 4, 10/14) American audiences might have to wait a few months – unless they have access to Britain’s “public access” network Channel 4 – but we’re putting it on our list anyway, mostly because of the presence of premier gay thespian Andrew Scott, whose role as a therapist has already sparked frenzy over a line in the trailer about his patient being “just a hole for daddy.” Consider all of us intrigued, to say the least. Sense and Sensibility (Theaters, 10/16) The material itself may not be particularly queer, but this new screen adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel – like anything related to Jane Austen – has queer appeal, anyway. That’s especially true when it comes from lesbian filmmaker Georgia Oakley (“Blue Jean”), who will surely highlight all the reasons why Austen (or any other source for this kind of lush period costume romance) has queer appeal, no matter what. Stars include Daisy Edgar-Jones, Catriona Balfe, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw. Klara and the Sun (Theaters, 10/23) Adapted from the 2021 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, this dystopian fantasy from New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi (“What We Do in the Shadows,” “JoJo Rabbit”) may not be directly queer-centric, but its story of an “artificial friend” (Jenna Ortega of “Wednesday” fame) who strives to save the sickly child for whom she

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ANDREW SCOTT stars in ‘Elsinore.’ (Image courtesy of Focus Features)

has been purchased will surely resonate with queer audiences, evoking themes of otherness, societal disconnection, and simple empathy that transcends the imposed boundaries of what it means to be a conscious being in a world to which you can never truly belong. Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, and Natasha Lyonne also star. Club Kid (Theaters, 11/6) A new big-screen offering from gay actor/creator/personality Jordan Firstman (“Rotting in the Sun,” “The English Teacher”), who makes his feature directing debut with this comedy-drama about a washed-up party promoter whose career woes suddenly take a back seat when he is charged with the care of a 10-year-old son (Reggie Absolom) he never knew he had. This one premiered in the “Un Certain Regard” session at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received a glowing response, and has won praise for its candid and non-judgmental depiction of underground queer nightlife and the people who find community there. Also starring Cara Delevingne, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Colleen Camp, Vicki Pepperdine, Nigil Whyte, Eldar Isgandarov, Saturn Risin9, Miss Benny, Alaska Riley, and Diego Calva. Yellowjackets, Season 4 (Showtime, 11/22) The fourth (and final) season of this acclaimed Ashley Lyle/Bart Nickerson-created series (the second-most-streamed in Showtime’s history) is on its way into your living rooms, bringing to a close its tangled saga of a group of teen girls forced to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash, and their struggle to repair their damaged lives as adults 25 years later. It’s been a tale full of mysteries, secrets, shocks, and twists, so if you’re a fan, you’re probably eager to get some answers at last awaiting the answers – but don’t be surprised if this devilish show throws a few more curves your way before it finally delivers them! Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher. Sammi Hanratty, and Warren Kole all return, with Hillary Swank, Elijah Wood, June Squibb, and Molly Ringwald along for the ride in recurring roles. Elsinore (Theaters, 11/20) Andrew Scott reappears on our list as the star of what seems to be the most-anticipated movie of the season, a biographical drama about the last days of gay British actor Ian Charleson (“Chariots of Fire”), as he prepares for the lead role in a National Theatre production of “Hamlet” while secretly dying of AIDS. Scott’s performance as Charleson has been showered with raves, and so has that of Olivia Colman as the doctor who helps him get through the ordeal of rehearsing theater’s most demanding role while suffering from the symptoms of his disease. Director Simon Stone collaborated closely with both Scott and screenwriter Stephen Beresford in developing what was for them a deeply personal project, which explores the challenges of being queer but closeted in the public eye while emphasizing the ability of art and self-expression to empower us “against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” even unto the very end. Yes, it sounds like a downer, but the reports from those who saw its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this month assure us otherwise. The ensemble supporting cast includes Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Juliet Stevenson, Joe Locke, Peter Mullan, Georgie Glen, and David Dawson as pioneering queer filmmaker Derek Jarman, a friend of Charleson’s who was also lost to AIDS.

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Photo: Erik Kvalsvik

Hours: Tues – Sun 10am – 5pm HillwoodMuseum.org 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

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Rooting for DC Urban Garden Center on Capitol Hill

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BOOKS

Historiography with heart

Pioneering author John D’Emilio continues to enlighten us in new book ‘Making Gay History’ By CHARLES FRANCIS

“Dear Dr. Kameny,” wrote the earnest graduate history student almost 50 years ago. “As you know, the academic community only rarely deemed the lives of gay men and women to be worthy of serious scholarly study. To my knowledge, no American history faculty at a major university has yet sponsored a dissertation that deals with gays historically.” That student was a young man from the Bronx who would change all that. His name is John D’Emilio. “I must be able to uncover ‘manuscript’ sources, that is unpublished and unique historical materials,” he explained to D.C. gay civil rights pioneer Dr. Franklin E. Kameny who lived in a house stacked to the ceiling with “unique historical materials.” In reality, these were piles of correspondence with government officials and politicians, legal filings, mimeograph copies, gay newspapers, press releases, Mattachine Society brochures and picket signs. Frank Kameny, a self-described “pack rat,” invited D’Emilio into his private world of papers and memorabilia to begin uncovering an erased and forgotten pre-Stonewall history. This was one of many such research forays into “basements, garages and overcrowded living rooms” across America conducted by John D’Emilio. He was a young man on fire to complete a Ph.D. dissertation at the frontier of a distant galaxy — writing a scholarly gay and lesbian history backed by original research where there had been none, only a void. Reading D’Emilio’s memoir “Making Gay History” (2026, Duke University Press) one has the sense of watching an emerging galaxy spinning around a galactic core of New York scholars and their mentors, young activists, and community historians throbbing with the New York City energy celebrated

by Walt Whitman a century before in his epic poem “Mannahatta”. Spinning out of the ‘60s anti-Vietnam War activism; Marxist historical analysis, the Stonewall riots and gay liberation, we can see it coalescing around this one history student’s search for a dissertation topic and himself piecing together a new history that “no one had yet written about … a pioneering work in this newly emerging field.” D’Emilio pitches his idea for a dissertation that “spanned the length of U.S. history, moving from the religious teachings that shaped law and social attitudes … to how the federal government dealt with the increasing visibility of a homosexual world in the twentieth century.” With the blessings of Columbia’s Department of History, he completed his dissertation leading to the publication of his groundbreaking history: “Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States” (1983). When he received his first copy of the bound book in the mail, he “cradled the book in my arm holding it close to my chest….It was as if I had fathered a child.” More so, D’Emilio fathered a new history. Historiography is the story of how history gets written, conducting original research, uncovering the data and creating the narrative(s) — often a snoozing read of academic process. But not this historiography. “Making Gay History” is a historiography with heart. “Nothing was going to stop me from giving everything I had to this effort at making change in society and myself,” he declares while connecting with others who share his “boundless excitement for the collection of documents.” There were many others in this spiral with D’Emilio who are mentioned and play important roles. In the spiral were Jonathan Ned Katz (“Gay

American History”, 1976); Allan Berube (“Coming Our Under Fire” 1990), Martin Duberman (“Hidden from History”, 1989); Daughters of Bilitis activists Del Martin and Barbara Gittings; Civil War histori‘Making Gay History, Memoir of an Eric Foner and author/ a Scholar-Activist’ activist Larry Kramer. No By John D’Emilio libertarians among them. Dukeupress.edu/making-gay-history Well, maybe the divine Bette Midler who was well known for performing uptown at the Continental Baths who makes an appearance at a Washington Square rally. He craved his parents’ approval. Among the most riveting scenes in the memoir are a series of family dinners in the Bronx with his old-school parents who go into near shock when he tells them he is gay. How to evade this any longer, especially now that his dissertation is going to be on homosexuality? It is a moving and hilarious sequence. After he says it out loud, “I am gay”: “No. No. No!” his father gasps. “This can’t be true. It can’t be.” D’Emilio thinks, “Oh my God, he’s going to die. I’ve killed my father.” CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM (Charles Francis is president of The Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. and author of “Archive Activism: Memoir of a ‘Uniquely Nasty’ Journey” (University of North Texas, 2023)

Season 2026–27

Upcoming Performances Mason Artist-in-Residence

Music From The Sole I Didn’t Come to Stay

VOCES8 Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sep. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

The Grammy Award-nominated a cappella sensation

Vibrant tap dance and live music that’s a “jolt of good energy” (The New York Times)

Compagnie HERVÉ KOUBI

ARTS by George!

Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

Sol Invictus

Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. “They change how you see the amazing!” (The New York Times)

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8:30 p.m. A wickedly entertaining performance you wont want to miss!

Jeff Goldblum

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ORDER TODAY ShakespeareTheatre.org | 202.547.1122 Brian Cox for The Score. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

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BOOKS

Curl up with a good book this fall

New releases include mysteries, biographies, religion, and more By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

The fall books season offers lots of options so curl up and get ready to read. FICTION For the mystery fan who likes a sprinkle of thriller, look for “The Longest Death” by Kevin Jagernauth (Soho Crime, December). Richard Cobson hates his small town, he’s bored and desperate to get away. Stealing from his employer is the only thing that makes life bearable. That all changes when Marlon Montgomery comes to town and the two fall in love because if one guy can steal so easily, what can two do? If you like graphic novels, try the “Tripping Over You” trilogy by Suzana Harcum and Owena White. Milo and Liam are finally able to be open about their relationship, no more hiding their love. They’re living together now, but can it last? “Tripping Over You Book 3” (First Second Books) is in stores in early November. Also try “Diana: The Punk Singer Who Ripped Through Time” by Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts, October). It’s about a young woman who’s trying desperately to escape her past, until a mysterious murder sidetracks her plans. So you say you’re a romantic at heart? Then look for “Unspeakable Things: A Novel” by Elizabeth Hand (Little, Brown & Company, October). It’s a story set in the 1920s, when two young women arrive in the English Countryside to a dark and ancient manor. But, of course, nothing in a

Gothic novel is easy, right? And you’ll love this tale. NONFICTION So this upcoming year is going to be one of exploration, right? Then look for “Free Love: Adventures in Marriage and Polyamory” by Michelle Tea (HarperOne, November). It’s a well-researched, personal, and interesting look at the lives of polyamorous couples and what it’s like to live what used to be called an “alternative” lifestyle. If “fall” says “biography” to you, then look for “Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man” by Murray Hill (Gallery Books, October). For decades, Hill has been making audiences laugh with his signature humor, but getting laughs hides his past all too well. He grew up in an abusive family and learning to hone his talents took some ingenuity. If you’re not a Hill fan yet, you will be, once you read this book. For the reader who’s searching for a spiritual place, “Reading the Bible Through Queer Eyes: Good News for LGBTQ+ People from Genesis to Revelation” by podcasters Brian G. Murphy and Shannon T.L. Kearns (HarperOne, December) might help. Here, the authors look deeply at Scripture to find the queerness that’s there, proving to readers that the Word is not always what it seems. Young readers may want to check out “Bitter Pill: Randy Shilts and the Dawn of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic” by Clement Xavier, illustrated by Heloise Cochois, fore-

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word by Michael Lee (Abrams ComicArts, November). It’s a highly researched true story of activist Shilts, but also of Harvey Milk, and the earliest days of the AIDS crisis, when gay men needed a loud voice to advocate for them. And finally, if you want a fun book for your kids or a child you love, look for “Good Night, Break a Leg: Life with Broadway Dads” by Bret Shuford, illustrated by Elena Hager (Penguin Workshop). What do parents do when they go to work? A little boy learns that his dads have very special jobs by day – and by night! It’s a cute book for kids, but a special tale for lovers of Broadway. Be aware that publication dates change, titles change, books can be canceled, and your librarian or favorite bookseller can help you find what you need. Season’s readings!

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SMYAL Fall Brunch

LGBTQ youth services organization holds 29th annual event (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The 29th annual SMYAL Fall Brunch was held at the Marriott Marquis on Sunday, Sept. 13.

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A FRESH TAKE ON THE WIZARD OF OZ

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EVENT #1

What is School For? 2.0 A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SERIES What is School For? 2.0 is a yearlong series of free public conversations that bring together thought leaders, educators, parents, and community members to explore what children need now, and what education should be for the future. Join us for honest, hopeful, and thought-provoking conversations about childhood, learning, and the future. Whether you’re a parent, educator, student, or simply someone who cares about the next generation, you’re invited. At Barrie School, we are committed to staying curious, thinking ahead, and preparing young people not just for what’s next, but for whatever comes next.

Different perspectives. Deeper conversations. A more hopeful future.

WHEN AI CAN DO THE HOMEWORK, WHAT IS SCHOOL FOR? What do our children need to learn in the age of AI?

GUEST SPEAKER

Michael Nachbar

Executive Director, Global Online Academy WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026 12:00 - 1:00pm ET VIRTUAL EVENT Free and open to the public PARENTS, EDUCATORS, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS Across the DMV and beyond

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BARRIE.ORG

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS For more than three decades now, I have owned and edited a weekly newspaper inside the Washington, D.C. Beltway, the Falls Church News-Press, and for more than 1,800 consecutive weeks, it has appeared without interruption — through recessions, through the collapse of the advertising model that once sustained papers like mine, through every prediction of the local press’s demise. People often ask how I have managed to keep it going all this time. I usually tell them that one of these days I am going to have to get a real job. But the truth, if I am honest about it, is simpler than that: I have never really stopped doing the same thing I started doing at six years old, when I published my first newspaper, The Benton Star, on a hectograph my mother helped me acquire, selling copies door to door in my own neighborhood while I supplied every word of the content myself.

thinking in public, week after week, for longer than most people believed a small independent paper could survive. This book grows out of that experience, and it asks a simple question, one I have spent three decades answering in practice before I ever tried to answer it in prose: how does journalism actually exert influence? The prevailing assumption, at least among those who have never run a small paper themselves, is that influence comes from scale — from audience size, technological reach, institutional power. But the experience of a small, independent paper operating over decades suggests something different, something the media conglomerates have never quite understood: influence depends on continuity, on the sustained act of showing up in the same place long enough for meaning to emerge and, over time, to matter.

Either I was born with printer’s ink in my veins, or I have simply never grown up — I have never been entirely sure which, and at this point in my life I am not sure it matters. $7.95 $4.99 on A i m m ediate mazon or What I published as a boy was small, of course, ly on K indle. but the structure was already there, fully formed in its way: observe what is happening, make sense of it, and share it with whoever would read it. That instinct never left me. I edited my high school and junior college newspapers, and later, as I became involved in the gay liberation movement of the late 1960s, I co-founded the Effeminist newspaper and wrote the first editorial for Gay Sunshine. In those settings, journalism was never simply a way of reporting events; it was a way of turning experience into language, of making what had been hidden visible, and therefore open to challenge. In 1991, I founded the Falls Church NewsPress. At first, it filled a gap, nothing more — there was no consistent local coverage of the decisions shaping the city, and someone needed to provide it. But what began as a practical response to that absence became, over time, something more than that: a way of

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AUTOS

EV ecstacy: BMW iX3, Rivian R2 Two eclectic electrics arrive on the scene By JOE PHILLIPS

Despite a U.S. political climate that has made electric vehicles about as welcome as a vegan at a Texas barbecue, automakers haven’t gotten the memo. The 2027 BMW iX3 and Rivian R2—in showrooms soon—prove the point. But think of them as distant cousins: one arrives impeccably dressed; the other probably has a kayak strapped to the roof.

BMW iX3

$62,000 | Range: Up to 434 miles 0 to 60 mph: 4.7 seconds | Cargo space: 30.4 cu. ft. PROS: Huge driving range. Distinctive styling. Cutting-edge interior. CONS: Quirky digital controls. Only one U.S. trim level. Pricey options. WHAT’S NEW: This is BMW’s first production model on its state-of-the-art Neue Klasse platform, radically changing the technology, cabin and electric drivetrain. The iX3 arrives on our shores in one trim level, the iX3 50 xDrive. Load it up with options and you can sail well past $80,000. Depending on configuration, this luxe EV delivers an astonishing range before recharging. And a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system produces 463 horsepower, which allows you to tootle around as fast as a Porsche 718 sportster. The new “Panoramic iDrive” spreads information across the base of the windshield, supplemented by a central

display and steering-wheel controls. An available 3D head-up display adds even more info. It’s futuristic, busy and unmistakably BMW—like someone decided the dashboard needed its own coming-out party. Then there’s the “Heart of Joy” computer, which coordinates the motors, braking and steering for sharper responses and smoother control. The name may sound like something from a self-help retreat, but the innovation makes the iX3 seriously entertaining to drive. You also can charge the iX3 from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 21 minutes. Nice. This isn’t merely an electric X3 with the gasoline bits removed. It’s a tech reset for BMW. Compared with the R2, the iX3 is more polished, more luxurious…but, alas, considerably pricier.

RIVIAN R2

$45,000 | Range: Up to 345 miles 0 to 60 mph: 5.9 seconds | Cargo space: 28.7 cu. ft. PROS: Affordable luxury. Rugged looks. Clever storage. CONS: No smartphone integration. No glass-roof shade. Touchy touchscreen. WHAT’S NEW: Everything—the R2 is Rivian’s all-new, smaller electric SUV, and it brings the brand’s adventure-first attitude to a price point far below the larger R1S. If the BMW iX3 is wearing a beautifully tailored jacket, the Rivian R2 has its sleeves rolled up.

Let’s craft your future, together At Wealth Enhancement, we believe great financial advice starts with great relationships. We take the time to understand what matters most to you, your goals, and your vision for the future, then develop comprehensive strategies to help you build, preserve, and transfer wealth. As life evolves, your plan evolves with it, and we’re there to help guide you every step of the way.

BMW iX3

With edgy styling, this is no anonymous crossover wearing an EV costume. Chunky details. Upright proportions. Distinctive lighting all give off an outdoorsy vibe without turning the R2 into a rolling REI catalog. There are four configurations, with pricing from $45,000 to $58,000. That’s a big difference from the BMW—and potentially the R2’s biggest weapon. The stats aren’t shabby, either. Driving range is from 275 to 345 miles. The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup produces between 350 horsepower and a frankly bonkers 656 horsepower. And the high-performance model lets you zip from 0-to-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. Drag-racing credentials? Absolutely! Inside, there is lots of clever packaging, with flexible seating and generous storage. This EV is designed to carry actual stuff, not merely impress your neighbors. Yes, there are quirks. Rivian skips Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while everyday controls—some of which are less than intuitive—live on the touchscreen. And the panoramic glass roof lacks a conventional shade. Huh? For some owners, those will be minor annoyances. For others, they’ll become daily reminders that Rivian marches to its own beat. Perhaps that’s not a bad thing, though. The R2 feels less buttoned-up, more mischievous. It’s the automotive equivalent of Billy Porter ignoring the dress code and somehow looking better than everyone who followed it.

“A NOVEL THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SET DOWN.ˮ — AMAZON REVIEW

Raised to be straight, a Southern man flees his own truth—straight into the arms of a gay lover.

Schedule a conversation with Lynne, and let’s build your financial future, together.

Lynne Celia

MBA, CFP®, Financial Advisor

703-584-2700

lcelia@wealthenhancement.com Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor and affiliate of Wealth Enhancement Group®. AM 2026-13651 8/2026

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REAL ESTATE

Moving presents a chance to ‘clean house’ Leave some of the old you behind By JOSEPH HUDSON

One of the biggest headaches of the new home process is the actual moving part. By the time someone is buying a home, most people are beyond the “I just need a pickup truck, a pizza and a case of beer for my friends.” If that is still someone’s preferred way to move, that’s great. However, many people find they need a much more robust plan. It can also trigger a lot of feelings about items one owns, what to do with them, do they have too much, should I keep this memento that I never use? Etc. Moving is a chance for a person to “clean house” literally, figuratively, spiritually and energetically. A person can figure out which items they want to keep, and which need to go. As someone who recently moved across the country, I can speak to this experience. It’s also time for what people call “the fresh start effect.” This phenomenon, according to psychologists, can happen in little moments (like the start of a new work week) and bigger moments (such as moving from one home to the next). The fresh start effect offers these benefits often mentioned by psychologists: • Mental Accounting: Dates act as chapter breaks, letting you put past failures into a previous period. • Psychological Distance: You separate your flawed past self from your aspirational future self (“That was the old me”). • Optimism Boost: New beginnings clear mental clutter and increase your sense of agency and control. Does this mean that “the new you” will be the perfect version you envisioned? Probably not. We are humans. But it might mean you get a chance to “leave some of the old you behind” within the walls you used to live in, and now have a chance to have a new layout, a new décor, a new color pattern, new wallpaper, donate old furniture and books or magazines, throw out clothes you no longer use or fit in, and enjoy the opportunity to literally use the, “Does this spark joy?” method that was made so popular by Marie Kondo in her Netflix series. So, for all its hassle and headache, moving is a chance to shake off the “old you” and try on the new you, to incorporate the items you would like to keep and use more of, and shed the

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Moving is a good opportunity to shed the old and make way for the new. (Photo via Bigstock/bilha golan)

items, habits, and ways of thinking that you feel no longer serve you. I can speak to the experiences that several of my clients had when they moved from a previous residence to a newer one. It usually coincided with a change in relationship status, a change in employment, a change in family size, but sometimes it just seemed to correlate to a new attitude and perspective that the client was really hoping for. I have literally had clients come to me after the fact, in tears, that they were so happy they made the decision to move out of a situation that no longer served them, and move into one that felt like a much better fit. Change can be annoying and overwhelming at times, but usually most people come out the other side, not wanting to return to the way they were before. Joseph Hudson is a referral agent with RLAH. Reach him at 703-587-0597 or joemike76@gmail.com.

Experience the innovation and tradition of contemporary Native art in

Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe. Join a free family-friendly tour, followed by a conversation on ancient canoes unearthed from a Wisconsin lake. Saturday, September 26: Celebrating Water’s Edge 1 PM | Look, Learn, Create: Water’s Edge for Families 2 PM | Ancient Canoes of Wisconsin: Ancestry and Archaeology (Panel Discussion)

Extend your visit with Indigenous-inspired foods of the Americas at Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe.

AmericanIndian.si.edu @SmithsonianNMAI

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Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs Rochelle Duell - Clarissa Duell, whose addresses are 500 Carmody Hills Drive, \ Capitol Heights MD 20743 - 5415 Ingleboro Ct. Capitol Heights, MD 20743 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Edward Duell, Jr, who died on June 4, 2026 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, DC. 20001, on or before March 11, 2027. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or to the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before March 11, 2027, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2026 ADM 000795 Edward Duell, Jr., Name of Decedent

Date of first publication: September 11, 2026 Name of Newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Blade /s/ Rochelle Duell - /s/ Clarissa Duell /s/ Nicole Stevens, Register of Wills.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2026 ADM 000904 Gwenever A.Quigley, Name of Decedent

Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs Darvai Williams, whose address is 654 Hobart Place Northwest, Washington, DC 20001 was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Gwenever A. Quigley who died on March 21, 2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, DC. 20001, on or before March 18, 2027. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or to the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before March 18, 2027, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: September 18, 2026 Name of Newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Blade /s/ Darvai Williams /s/ Nicole Stevens, Register of Wills.

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