presented by

MEET THE 20 M0ST ELIGIBLE LGBT

SINGLES IN WASHINGTON DC

FEBRUARY

05

2016

VOLUME 47

ISSUE 06

AMERICAS GAY NEWS SOURCE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

OMalley, Paul drop out as

Clinton, Cruz prevail in Iowa
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
EDITORS NOTE: The Blade has two reporters in
New Hampshire covering Tuesdays primary. Visit
washingtonblade.com for regular updates.

DES MOINES, Iowa After months of campaigning,

Iowans lined up to caucus on Monday and
delivered a victory for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on
the Republican side, while splitting nearly evenly
between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders
on the Democratic side.
In the aftermath of the nations rst 2016
presidential contests, former Maryland Gov.
Martin OMalley suspended his campaign for the
Democratic nomination after a dismal showing. On
Hillary Clinton supporters caucus at Des Moines Roosevelt High School on Monday.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY CHRIS JOHNSON

Van Hollen seeks to make

positive dierence in Senate
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
EDITORS NOTE: This is the rst in a series of proles
of candidates hoping to succeed retiring U.S. Sen.
Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). Next week: Donna Edwards.

Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen (DMd.) on Monday said he can make a positive
dierence for Marylanders if they elect him to
the U.S. Senate.
Ive been focused on issues that I know

people care about, not just in the 8th

Congressional District, but in our great state,
Van Hollen told the Washington Blade during
an interview at a coee shop near Capitol Hill.
Shortly after U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (DMd.) announced her retirement from the U.S.
Senate last March, Van Hollen declared his
candidacy to ll her seat. He will face Rep.Donna
Edwards in the April 26 Democratic primary.
Chrysovalantis Kefalas, a gay Republican who
was former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlichs legal
counsel, in December declared his candidacy
for Mikulskis seat. State Del. Kathy Szeliga
CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

U.S. Rep. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.) is running to succeed the retiring
U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

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0 4 F E B RUA RY 0 5, 2016

Comings & Goings

Iraq vet lands new post; Movahedi teaching law in Spain
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
The Comings and Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us
at comingsandgoings@washblade.com.

Congratulations are in order to Allison Jaslow, who has

just been named director of Political and Intergovernmental
Aairs for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
(IAVA), the largest nonprot, nonpartisan organization
representing post-9/11 veterans and their families. Jaslow
has joined the team to support IAVAs growing D.C.-based
policy operations. Jaslow is a former Army captain who
PHOTO COURTESY OF JASLOW
served two combat deployments in Iraq.
ALLISON JASLOW
According to IAVA founder and CEO Paul Rieckho,
Allison is a proven leader with a wealth of diverse political
experience inside and outside the Beltway. Allisons
command of the political spectrum on Capitol Hill and
the campaign trail, and rst-hand knowledge of veterans
issues will be a tremendous asset to our growing, dynamic
policy team.
Jaslows new job will have her working to support the
development of IAVAs annual policy agenda and advocacy PHOTO COURTESY OF MOVAHEDI
BABAK MOVAHEDI
campaigns. She will lead IAVAs engagement with other
Veterans Service Organizations, government agencies and
advocacy organizations. Jaslow has a diversity of experience,
including stints on political campaigns across the country,
in the White House and on both sides of Capitol Hill. She
recently served as chief of sta and campaign manager for
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) and had also served
as press secretary for Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), where she was
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOP
involved in the veteran leaders eorts to protect the legacy
ANTHONY SHOP
of the post-9/11 GI Bill.
On her appointment, Jaslow said, Im proud to be one of the one percent of
Americans who can relate to those who saw combat after 9/11 and even prouder
to have the opportunity to join an incredible organization that gives our entire
generation of veterans a voice. IAVAs advocacy has made an indelible impact on
the lives of countless veterans and military families, and Im thrilled to play a part
in keeping us in the center of important public debates.
Jaslow graduated from the University of Central Missouri, where she was a
proud member of the Fighting Mules ROTC Battalion. She also serves on the
Board of Trustees at Wentworth Military Academy and College.
Congratulations also to Babak Movahedi, a former D.C. and Miami resident
now living in Barcelona, Spain. Babak is now a professor of Law and Business at
ESERP Business School in Barcelona teaching MBA students.He is also working
with Democrats Abroad to enroll as many Americans as possible in the Democratic
Party. Democrats Abroad is given state-level recognition by the Democratic
National Committee. He is a vice president of Democrats Abroad/Barcelona.
Most in the District know Movahedi from his time here as owner of MOVA on P
Street, N.W. He also had two outlets of MOVA in Miami for a number of years. The
one in South Beach was the place to be for the gay community for many years.
During his time in Miami, he was a Special Master/Magistrate for the City of Miami
Beach and served as one of three Judicial Ocers for the City of Miami Beach.
Another who should be congratulated is Anthony Shop, who is now an adjunct
lecturer in the George Washington University School of Business where he received
his MBA. Shop is a co-founder of the digital marketing agency Social Driver with his
husband Thomas. A former journalist and press secretary, Shop is the rst new
media professional to be elected to the prestigious National Press Clubs Board of
Governors. He founded the Clubs popular Get It Online digital media series, which
has hosted luminaries from CNN, NASA and the White House to discuss media
trends. His views on digital media have been featured by the BBC, CBS and USA
Today, and he has been featured as a keynote speaker at conferences across the
globe, from Singapore and London to New York and Miami.

LO CA L N E W S

D.C. Council passes LGBT cultural competency bill

The D.C. City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to give nal approval of a bill
that requires continuing education programs for licensed healthcare professionals that
include LGBT-related cultural competency training.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has said she plans to sign the legislation, the LGBT Cultural
Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2016. The measure then goes
to Capitol Hill where it must undergo a 30 legislative day review by Congress before
becoming law.
Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large), author of the bill who co-introduced it
with Council member Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), said it was needed to correct a
longstanding problem of mistreatment of and insensitivity toward LGBT patients by
heath care providers, including doctors.
Were going to see it implemented fairly quickly because the mayor and her sta are
on board, Grosso told he Blade after the Council vote. So Im excited about it.
The bill believed to be the rst of its kind in the nation amends an existing city
health care licensing law to require health care professionals, including doctors and
mental health practitioners, to receive two credits of instruction on LGBT subjects as
part of their continuing education programs.
Attorney and LGBT rights advocate Alison Gill told a public hearing on the bill in
November that a 2009 nationwide survey found that more than half of LGBT respondents
reported being refused needed care or being treated in a discriminatory, disrespectful
manner by health care providers.
There are also too many health care providers who, although they do not discriminate,
lack sucient understanding of the particular health care needs of LGBT individuals,
said Daniel Bruner, senior director of policy at Whitman-Walker Health. We look
forward to working with the Department of Health and the licensing boards to develop
training curricula that will meet the needs of D.C. health care providers, Bruner said.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Gay inmate says Va. jail wont prosecute prison rape

Gay former D.C. resident Ronnie Runion, who told the Washington Blade he had been
raped by a fellow inmate at the Rockingham County-Harrisonburg, Va., jail on Aug. 13,
said this week that a prison ocial informed him the jail has decided not to prosecute
the alleged assailant.
Runion, 28, said he was dismayed that a lieutenant with the Rockingham County
Sheris Oce, which operates the jail, told him investigators believe they have
insucient evidence to press charges against the man Runion says sexually assaulted
him in his cell.
I said what evidence do you need, Runion told the Blade in a phone interview. And
he told me about the DNA samples and that there was a lack of physical evidence.
At the time of the incident, Runion was taken to a hospital where doctors treated him,
among other things, for rectal injuries consistent with a sexual assault. Within days he
was informed that he needed to undergo a 28-day regimen of anti-viral medication to
ensure that he would not contract HIV because the suspect identied as the alleged
perpetrator was HIV positive.
Rockingham County Sheri Bryan Hutcheson, who is in charge of the jail, told the
Blade in September that the case was under investigation.
Once that investigation is complete, we will present all ndings to the Commonwealth
Attorney for a full review, he said. That is all I can say at this time.
Hutcheson didnt respond to an email from the Blade this week to determine why his
investigators dont believe they have sucient evidence to prosecute the suspect in the case.
Runion said the lieutenant who informed him that the case would not be prosecuted
also told him he could le charges himself against the suspect. But Runion said jail
ocials have yet to provide him with the forms he was told he needs to ll out to initiate
a complaint against the suspect, who has since been transferred to another jail.
They dont want this to turn into a big deal, said Runion, who added that hes
concerned that jail ocials dont want to tarnish the jails reputation over a rape case.
Rockingham County Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Christopher Bean told the
Blade in September that jail ocials had not contacted his oce about a reported rape.
He said he would take steps to prosecute the case if investigators provided him with
information sucient to press charges.
Bean did not respond to a phone call as of Tuesday seeking to determine if the
Sheris Oce consulted the Commonwealths Attorneys Oce before deciding not to
prosecute the case.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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LO CA L N E W S

New HIV cases continue to decline in D.C.

Trans people counted
separately for rst time

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

lchibbaro@washblade.com
A preliminary version of the citys
annual HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report
shows that newly reported HIV cases in
D.C. during 2014 declined for the seventh
consecutive year.
The report, which the D.C. Department
of Health released on Tuesday, shows
there were 396 new HIV cases in 2014,
a 29 percent decrease from the 553 new
cases reported in 2013.
According to the report, the 2014
gures represent a 70 percent decrease
from the 1,333 cases reported in 2007,
which marked the highest number of HIV
cases reported in the city.
Last year, I announced the bold goal to
cut in half new HIV cases in the District by
the year 2020, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser
said in a statement. Today, we continue
to make progress toward that goal and
take new approaches that will enable us
to ultimately end the epidemic in our city.
As has been the case since the start of
HIV reporting, the category of men who

D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER said the city

is taking approaches that will enable us to
ultimately end the epidemic in our city.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

have sex with men (MSM) continues as

the highest mode of HIV transmission
in the District. The report shows that in
2014 the latest year in which data are
available 155 or 49.4 percent of the new
HIV cases were from MSM.
The report shows that 41 new cases, or

13.1 percent, were attributed to heterosexual

contact; six cases, or 1.9 percent were
attributed to MSM who were also intravenous
drug users; and three cases, or 1.0 percent
was intravenous drug users.
The second largest category for mode
of transmission, the report shows, is 109
cases or 34.7 percent representing people
whose risk factor could not be identied.
Department of Health ocials have said
this gure usually goes down at the time
the nal version of the report is released
in the summer when DOH staers identify
the mode of transmission for more of the
people in the risk unknown category.
DOH ocials noted that the report
released on Tuesday for the rst time
lists transgender people separately from
the male and female categories in
which they had been lumped together in
past years. The current report shows a
total of 14 HIV cases among transgender
residents in 2014 10 transgender
women and four transgender men.
Also for the rst time the report
released this week breaks down the
number of new cases by transmission
linked to sexual contact and non-sexual
contact. Fifty-nine percent of the 2014
cases are attributed to sexual contact; 36
percent to risk not identied; 3 percent

to intravenous drug use; and 2 percent to

sexual contact and intravenous drug use.
Among the total of 232 new HIV cases
in 2014 attributed to sexual contact, 66
percent were MSM, 17 percent were
male-heterosexual contact; and 14
percent
were
female-heterosexual
contact. Three percent were listed as
transgender sexual contact.
A Department of Health statement
says the report was prepared by the
departments HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Sexually
Transmitted Disease and Tuberculosis
Administration, known as HAHSTA. It says
DOH will release its comprehensive and
complete surveillance report for 2014 in
the summer of 2016.
Whitman-Walker Executive Director
Don Blanchon said the declining number
of new HIV infections in D.C. reects
the value of community wide testing,
treatment on demand and prevention
eorts
that
include
pre-exposure
prophylaxis or PrEP, which involves
providing a daily prevention pill to
people who are HIV negative.
Simply put, it is saving peoples lives
and reducing new infections, he said.
Todays update rearms that we are
on the right path to getting to zero new
infections in a given year.

Former AIDS official pleads guilty to embezzlement

Five counts dropped
in plea bargain with
NAPWAs Oldham

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

lchibbaro@washblade.com

Frank Oldham Jr., the former executive

director of the National Association
of People with AIDS, pleaded guilty in
Montgomery County Circuit Court on
Tuesday to a charge that he embezzled
money from the organization in 2012
shortly before it declared bankruptcy.
Oldhams plea of guilty to a single
charge of EmbezzlementFraudulent
Misappropriation by a Fiduciary was
part of a plea bargain deal oered
by prosecutors in exchange for their
agreement to drop ve of the six counts
with which he was charged in a grand jury
indictment in September.
The agreement, which is described in a
plea memorandum led in court, requires
Oldham to make restitution in the amount
of $11,238.08 to a U.S. bankruptcy trustee
overseeing the NAPWA estate.
The indictment alleges that Oldham
stole between $10,000 and $100,000 from
NAPWA in November 2012. The alleged theft

took place three months before NAPWA led

for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February 2013.
At the time of the bankruptcy ling, NAPWA
announced it was going out of business 30
years after it was founded in 1983 as the
nations leading organization representing
people with AIDS.
Neither Oldham nor his attorney,
Thomas DeGonia, could be immediately
reached for comment.
Oldham served as executive director
and CEO of NAPWA from January 2006
to November 2012. According to a
memorandum led in bankruptcy court
in February 2014, he was placed on
administrative leave with pay on Nov. 8,
2012 and terminated from his employment
with NAPWA on Nov. 27, 2012.
The memorandum was written and
submitted by Tyler TerMeer, chair of
the NAPWA Board of Trustees. It says
Oldham was terminated for breach
of his employment agreement for
improper credit card expenditures
and cash withdrawals of NAPWA funds
subsequent to the date he was placed on
administrative leave.
TerMeers memo says that based on an
internal analysis of NAPWA bank account
and credit card records it appeared that
Oldham was responsible for improperly

spending or withdrawing from NAPWA

accounts approximately $62,641.95. But
the memo says accounting and expenditure
records prior to the 2012 period were
either missing or in disarray and it could
not be determined whether Oldham was
responsible for improperly withdrawing or
spending additional NAPWA funds.
TerMeers memo concludes by saying
the board asked the Montgomery County
States Attorneys Oce to investigate
matter, a development that NAPWA
insiders have said led to Oldhams
indictment.
TerMeer and all other NAPWA board
members withheld the ndings of their
internal investigation into Oldhams
alleged actions at the time and never
publicly disclosed he had been suspended
and red.Instead, the board let stand an
announcement it made in the fall of 2012
that Oldham planned to resign.
The Maryland criminal code lists the
charge of EmbezzlementFraudulent
Misappropriation by a Fiduciary as a
misdemeanor with a maximum penalty
of ve years of incarceration.
The plea agreement led in Circuit
Court on Tuesday says sentencing
guidelines for the charge are estimated
to range from probation to six months of

incarceration.
The defendant waives his right to
request probation before judgment
disposition until such time as restitution
has been paid in full, the plea
memorandum says. The defendant
understands that the State reserves its
right to oppose any request for probation
before judgment disposition, it says.
Former NAPWA Board of Trustee
member Tom Donohue became the rst
NAPWA ocial to comment on Oldhams
alleged actions and indictment on
Tuesday when he posted a statement on
his Facebook page.
Todays guilty plea reminds me of
the frustration I had when I personally
looked over documents bearing Franks
signature withdrawing funds from the
NAPWA account after he was suspended
by the board, Donohue wrote.
It made me ponder how a man that
represented and became the voice for
so many infected who had no voice
could steal from the same organization
which gave him that honor, he said.
The justice system has done its job and
now its important that all those who
were impacted by NAPWA come forward
and share the many stories of how the
organization impacted their lives.

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GOP lawmaker in Va. caught on Grindr

RICHMOND, Va. An LGBT
newspaper in Virginia on Jan.
26 published an open letter to a
Republican lawmaker who appeared
to use Grindr.
Brad Kutner, editor of GayRVA,
described
the
legislator
who
was
using
the
gay
hook-up
app as a GOP lawmaker from
SouthwesternVirginia.
GayRVA did not identify the
lawmaker by name, but the
Richmond-based publication did
publish a screen capture of the Grindr
exchange that includes a picture of
An LGBT newspaper in Richmond claims
his bare torso.
a Republican lawmaker with an anti-gay
voting record was caught cruising Grindr
The open letter notes the lawmaker
last week.
voted for a so-called conscience
clause bill that allows private
adoption and foster care agencies to reject prospective parents based on their
religious and moral beliefs. It also highlights the Republicans vote against gay
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Tracy Thorne-Beglands appointment.
As long as you continue to support discrimination against your own people,
you wont be getting laid in this town and besides, maybe someone else will
recognize you, wrote Kutner in the open letter.
The Washington Blades attempts to conrm reports of the lawmakers identity
have thus far been unsuccessful.

Transgender woman murdered in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas A transgender Latina woman was shot to death last month
in Texas.
Monica Roberts, a trans advocate who is based in Houston, wrote on her blog
that Monica Loera was standing in front of her home in Austin on Jan. 22 when
she was shot.
Loera died at a nearby hospital.
Roberts reported the Austin Police Department arrested JonCasey William
Rowell in connection with Loeras death. Rowell has been charged with rstdegree murder and remains in the Travis County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Loera is the rst trans person reported killed in 2016.
Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Monica Loera,
said Nell Gaither, president of the Dallas-based Trans Pride Initiative, in a press
release the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs released on Jan. 30.
Gaither also expressed outrage over the oppressive and willfully disrespectful
police and media systems that continue to erase our identities and further
victimize our communities and our families.

Marriage Equality USA to close

SAN FRANCISCO Marriage Equality USA on Feb. 3 announced that it would
close down later this year.
The organization in a press release said it will conclude independent
operations in the spring after accomplishing our mission of marriage equality
in all 50 states and at the federal level. Marriage Equality USA said it will continue
to support LGBT advocacy eorts in the U.S. and around the world through its
grassroots organizing program and its website.
The work of grassroots organizations is central to our communitys progress
toward full LGBTQ equality and justice, and MEUSA has held that space in the
marriage movement for 20 years, said Marriage Equality USA Board Chair Steve
Huesing. I am proud of what we have accomplished and excited that what we
created will continue to support the work ahead.
Freedom to Marry last year announced it would close in the wake of the U.S.
Supreme Court ruling that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples across
the country. Empire State Pride Agenda, a statewide LGBT advocacy group in
New York, in December said it plans to shut down after the states governor
announced regulations banning anti-transgender discrimination.

NATIONAL NEWS

Anti-Israel protest continues

to roil LGBT advocates
Beating up on your own
people is not productive
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
The protest that forced the cancellation
of a reception at the National LGBTQ Task
Forces annual conference with two Israeli
activists last month continues to spark
heated debate among advocates.
More than 200 people opposed to
pinkwashing, which they describe as the
promotion of Israels LGBT rights record
in an attempt to deect attention away
from its policies toward the Palestinians,
protested the Jan. 23 reception at the
Creating Change Conference in Chicago.
A Wider Bridge, an organization
seeking to bolster LGBTQ connections
with Israel, organized the reception.
Sarah Kala-Meir and Tom Canning from
the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and
Tolerance were scheduled to speak, but
they left the room in which the reception
was taking place through a back door as
protesters began shouting.
Many of us who share an intersectional
analysis of power and oppression
see LGBTQ identities as inextricably
intertwined with race, gender, class,
ethnicity and nationality, wrote Wendy
Elisheva Somerson, founder of the Seattle
chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group
that supported the protest, in a blog post.
We want a movement that addresses
all of our needs without leaving the
most vulnerable queers behind. And no
surprise: We are the very same people
protesting Israels use of LGBTQ rights to
cover up and justify Israeli apartheid.
Somerson told the Washington Blade
on Tuesday that it is just not OK for an
LGBT advocacy group, such as the National
LGBTQ Task Force, to allow A Wider Bridge
and similar organizations to host a reception
at the Creating Change Conference.
Its just never going to y anymore,
said Somerson.
Dean Spade, the founder of the
Sylvia Rivera Law Project, last month
criticized the National LGBTQ Task
Force for allowing A Wider Bridge to
host a reception at the Creating Change
Conference.
The National LGBTQ Task Force
initially cancelled the reception, but it
quickly reversed the decision. A panel
with ocials from U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement was also cancelled
amid concerns from the community.
The controversy about Creating
Change has been painful, particularly the
false accusations of anti-Semitism that

those of us who do Palestinian solidarity

work consistently face, Spade told the
Blade on Tuesday. However, despite
the personal attacks and inaccurate,
biased media coverage those of us who
supported or participated in the protest
have faced, I see the protest and the
conversations it has sparked as benecial
to queer and trans movements because
it raised awareness about pinkwashing.
Gary Kinsman is a professor emeritus
at Laurentian University in Canada
who describes himself as a long-time
queer liberation, AIDS, anti-poverty
and anti-capitalist activist living on
indigenous land.
He told the Blade that the proPalestine demonstration at the Creating
Change Conference was very helpful in
pointing us towards a movement that
could recapture aspects of what the
queer/LGBT movements used to be like.
Critics of the protesters have a far
dierent view.
James Kirchick, a gay journalist, in an
essay he wrote for the Tablet Magazine
after the protest said the concept of
intersectionality compels one to adopt
agendas that have nothing to do with his
or her own.
Worse, in the name of solidarity with
other supposedly oppressed groups,
it leads to alliances with those actively
hostile to ones cause, said Kirchick.
I hope this is a wake-up call to all LGBT
people that a line needs to be drawn in
the sand: Anti-Semitism has no place in
a human rights movement, Kirchick told
the Blade.
Critics of the protesters took particular
issue with their use of the chant
Palestine will be free, from the river to
the sea, which they argue has been used
in support of the destruction of Israel.
National LGBTQ Task Force Rea Carey
last week wholeheartedly condemned
anti-Semitism at the Creating Change
Conference. Protest organizers in a
letter they released last week said the
controversial chant referred to the ability
of Palestinians to return to property
in Israel and in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip that their families lost in 1948
whenIsrael was founded.
Dana Beyer, a member of A Wider
Bridge board of directors who lives in
Maryland, criticized the protest.
Beating up on your own people is
not productive, she told the Blade
on Tuesday. Shouting down fellow
progressives is not productive. Being antiSemitic is not productive.
Carey
has
refused
repeated
interview requests from the Blade since
the protests.

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NATIONAL NEWS

I would be very strong on putting certain judges on the bench that I think maybe could
change things, said DONALD TRUMP.
PHOTO BY ANDY KATZ; COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK.COM

Trump favors justices who

would overturn marriage
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump this week said he would
strongly consider nominating U.S. Supreme Court justices who would overturn last
years ruling that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples across the country.
I would be very strong on putting certain judges on the bench that I think
maybe could change things, Trump told Chris Wallace during an interview on
Fox News Sunday.
Trump described the ruling in the Obergefell case as very surprising. The
Republican frontrunner added that individual states should have decided
whether to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples.
It should be a states rights issue, said Trump. Thats the way it should have
been ruled, not the way they did.
Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., last week endorsed the thricemarried Trump.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Log Cabin assails Clinton in new video

The Log Cabin Republicans unveiled a video on the eve of the Iowa caucuses
hammering Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her earlier opposition
to same-sex marriage.
The 46-second video focuses on three clips of Clinton expressing her opposition to
same-sex marriage, which she didnt publicly endorse until 2013.
I believe that marriage is not just a bond, but a sacred bond between a man and a
woman, says Clinton in one the clips showing her on the U.S. Senate oor.
It should be noted that clip was part of a 2004 oor speech in which Clinton was
explaining her opposition to the Republican-led Federal Marriage Amendment, which
would have made a ban on same-sex marriage part of the U.S. Constitution and
prohibited it nationwide.
Another clip shows Clinton telling MSNBCs Chris Matthews simply no when asked
if she thinks New York should legalize same-sex marriage. (When New York nally
legalized marriage equality in 2011, she praised the state at a Pride event at the State
Department even though she had yet to publicly back same-sex marriage.)
Following the Clinton clips, another clip is shown of MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow
Show in which Bernard Sanders says consistent leadership on LGBT rights is important
for a presidential candidate.
We live in a tough world and leadership counts, Sanders said. Its great that people
evolve and change their minds. I respect that. Im not being demeaning to her. But it is

important to stand up when the going is tough, and that was a particularly tough vote.
(In that same interview, Sanders defended his opposition to same-sex marriage in
2006, when he told a Vermont newspaper not right now in response to a question
aboutwhether his state should legalize gay nuptials.)
The clips in the video stand in contrast to Clintons 2013 Human Rights Campaign
video in which she declared support for same-sex marriage for the rst time.
I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples, Clinton says in the video. I support
it personally and as a matter of policy and law embedded in a broader eort to advance
equality and opportunity for LGBT Americans and all Americans.
Gregory Angelo, president of Log Cabin Republicans, said in a statement the Log
Cabin video serves as a reminder of Clintons past on LGBT rights when other groups
are keeping silent about it.
Not everyone in the United States Senate supported marriage equality in 2004, but
few took to the oor of the chamber to hammer home the point the way Hillary Clinton
did, Angelo said. Democrats and members of the LGBT community have given Hillary
Clinton a pass on past transgressions and even allowed her to rewrite the history of the
gay rights movement; Log Cabin Republicans will not. Its time for the people of Iowa
and the country to know that when it mattered, Hillary Clinton was wrong on gay
rights.
In an interview with the Blade, Angelo saidthe video was intended to inuence the
outcome of the Iowa caucuses, but said its not limited to that.
Were not just looking to inuence the Iowa caucuses, Angelo said. Were looking
to inuence the New Hampshire primary, the South Carolina primary, and I personally
think and Log Cabin Republicans thinks that voters should be aware of Hillary Clintons
past, specically on marriage equality. We felt that urgency to do so now, obviously, with
the Iowa caucuses looming, but also because other LGBT organizations have not done
due diligence regarding Hillary Clintons past, and we felt we were in a unique position
to step up in that regard.
Angelo said Clintons views on marriage at the time of the clips should be important
for voters to considerif they cast their ballot based on a candidates strength of support
for LGBT rights.
Hillary Clinton has not led on the marriage-equality issues, Angelo said. Not only
has she not led on the marriage-equality issue, but she let so many other Democrats
and even so many other Republicans get out ahead on this issue.
Angelo said as marriage was moving through the courts, Republicans like Sens.
Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Lisa Murkowksi (R-Alaska), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Susan Collins
(R-Maine) were leading on the issue while Clinton was not. When the Blade pointed
out Clinton beat all those Republicans to the punch on marriage with the exception
of Portman, Angelo insisted thats not the case because Clinton didnt clearly say
gay couples had a constitutional right to marry until weeks before the Supreme Court
arguments on marriage last year.
(It should be noted only Kirk and Collins signed a Republican friend-of-the-court
brief calling for a nationwide ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, not Portman and
Murkowski, so Clinton beat the latter two on that position as well.)
Clinton edged Sanders in Iowa by less than one percent.
CHRIS JOHNSON

Duck Dynasty star calls gay marriage evil

The patriarch of the reality show Duck Dynasty this week described marriage rights
for same-sex couples as evil and wicked.
Redening marriage and telling us that marriage is not between a man and a woman,
come on now, said Phil Robertson at a campaign rally for U.S. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in
Iowa City, Iowa, on the eve of the states caucuses. Its nonsense. It is evil. Its wicked.
Its sinful.
They want us to swallow it, you say, added Robertson. We have to run this bunch
out of Washington, D.C. We have to rid the earth of them. Get them out of there.
Robertson has previously made anti-gay comments.
He said during a 2014 sermon at his Louisiana church that homosexual oenders
will not inherit the kingdom of God. A&E, the network on which the reality show airs,
a few months earlier temporarily suspended Robertson from Duck Dynasty after he
made anti-gay comments during an interview with GQ magazine.
Cruz last week described the decision to illuminate the White House in rainbow colors
after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled for marriage as messed up.
The Texas Republican last year attended a reception that gay hoteliers Mati
Weiderpass and Ian Reisner held for him at their Manhattan apartment. Republican
frontrunner Donald Trump earlier this month described Cruz as an ultimate hypocrite
for taking donations from people who espouse gay marriage.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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1 2 F E B RUA RY 0 5, 2016

NATIONAL NEWS

Cruz, Clinton prevail in Iowa as N.H. primary nears

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

the GOP side, Sen. Rand Paul announced

Wednesday that he, too, was suspending
his campaign.
Brushres of Liberty were ignited, and
those will carry on, as will I, Paul said in
a statement.

Although he had fallen in the polls after

a poorly received debate performance
last week, Cruz was declared the winner
of the Republican Iowa caucuses late
Monday as Donald Trump and Marco
Rubio nished second and third
respectively.
Meanwhile, the contest was a virtual

Gay Iowan converts from

Romney to Sanders supporter
DES MOINES, Iowa Every four
years, Americans have the chance to
change the direction of the country
by supporting a new presidential
candidate. For C.J. Petersen, the shift
in choices couldnt be more dramatic.
The gay 25-year-old resident of
Council Bus, Iowa, worked as a
volunteer in 2012 to help Mitt Romney
win the Republican nomination
and elect him to the White House.
Now, hes turned 180 degrees and is
C.J. PETERSEN is a volunteer for the
working for Democratic presidential
Bernie Sanders campaign.
candidate Bernard Sanders.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERSEN
Obviously, Ive made a conversion
in the last several years, Petersen
said. I support Bernie Sanders because in the past several years the inuence
of money in politics has really started to become a real sticking point for me as
it does, I think, with a lot of people. I really value democracy and I think it should
be a participatory system, so Bernies message really started to speak to me
when he announced his campaign for president.
In 2012, Petersen along with other young, gay Republican caucus-goers in the
Des Moines area participated in a group interview with the Washington Blade
to explain their support for GOP candidates. At the time, Petersen said Romney
looked almost presidential, ready to be a leader.
Four years later, Petersen told the Washington Blade he registered as an
independent after the 2012 Romney loss, and is now a registered Democrat.
Although Petersen grew up as a conservative in a conservative family, he said
he learned and came to terms with the idea that its OK to put yourself rst in a
lot of ways. After writing a research paper on Sanders for a composition class,
Petersen said he fell in love with progressive politics that he embodies.
What was attractive about Sanders, Petersen said, was the candidates
inclusive message, which Petersen said never made him feel more at home
even when he was volunteering for Romney.
The larger message Sen. Sanders brings to the conversation is that were all
in this together, whether youre Republican, Democrat, independent or what
have you, Petersen said.
Petersen acknowledged Sanders record on LGBT rights is one reason he
supports the candidate, but said that issue wasnt a major factor.
I was very impressed to see that he was one of the very few members of the
House of Representatives, and Congress in general, that voted against DOMA
in 1996, Petersen said. And of course, theres that contrast with Secretary
Clinton. I think, yes, thats something I like about him, but its not necessarily
what brought me into the fold.
A typical day on the Sanders campaign, Petersen said, consists of making
phone calls, canvassing door-to-door and leading other volunteers aliated
with the campaign. On Saturday, Petersen said he was undertaking such eorts
in Atlantic, Iowa, and leading eorts from a volunteers home.
CHRIS JOHNSON

draw between Hillary Clinton and Bernard

Sanders, though the Democratic Party
declared Clinton the winner on Tuesday,
making her the rst woman to ever win
the Iowa caucuses.
Cruz, whos made support for antiLGBT discrimination a strong component
of his campaign, attributed his win at his
victory event in Iowa to grassroots eorts
and divine intervention.
Let me rst of all say, to God be the
glory, Cruz said. Tonight is a victory for
the grassroots. Tonight is a courageous
victory for conservatives across Iowa
and all across this great nation. Tonight,
the state of Iowa has spoken. Iowa has
sent notice that the Republican nominee
and the next president of the United
States will not be chosen by the media,
will not be chosen by the Washington
establishment, will not be chosen by
the lobbyists, but will be chosen by the
most incredible, powerful force where all
sovereignty resides in our nation: By we
the people, the American people.
On the Republican side, Cruz won a
plurality of 27.7 percent, followed by
Trump at 24.3 percent and Rubio at 23.1.
The next down was Ben Carson, who
came in at 9.3 percent, followed by Paul
at 4.5 percent and Jeb Bush at 2.8 percent.
The remaining Republican candidates
received less than 2percent of the vote,
such as Huckabee, who received 1.8
percent. Huckabee also announced he
was suspending his campaign.
At his event in Des Moines, Trump put
a positive spin on his second place nish
and said hes already looking to the next
contest in New Hampshire next week.
And we will go on to get the Republican
nomination, and we will go on to easily
beat Hillary Clinton or Bernie or whoever
they throw up there Iowa, Trump said.
We love you we thank you. Youre special.
We will be back many, many times. In fact,
I think I might come here and buy a farm.
I love it, OK?
Rubio, whose third place win was
considered a top nish among the
establishment Republican candidates,
declared victory at his speech after the
caucuses, saying his opponents told him
and his supporters this day would never
happen.
Tonight in Iowa, the people of this
great state sent a very clear messages:
After seven years of Barack Obama, we
are not waiting any longer to take our
country back, Rubio said.
On the Democratic side, Clinton
defeated Sanders by a narrow margin
of 49.9 percent to49.6 percent. OMalley
came in at 0.6 percent.
Clinton said at her event after the
results she welcomed the continuation
in the primary for the Democratic
nomination.
It is rare that we have the opportunity

we do now to have a real contest of

ideas, to really think hard about what the
Democratic Party stands for and what we
want the future of our country to look like
if we do our part to build it, Clinton said.
In later remarks at his own event,
Sanders declared a virtual tie between
him and Clinton, but said the message
Iowa delivered was loud and clear.
I think the people of Iowa have
sent a very profound message to the
political establishment, to the economic
establishment, and, by the way, to the
media establishment, Sanders said.
That is, given the enormous crises
facing our country, it is just too late for
establishment politics, establishment
economics.
For both Democrats and Republicans,
delegates are appropriated to candidates
in accordance with the percentage of
vote they received. The result on the
Democratic side means the partys 54
delegates from that state will be split
between Sanders and Clinton. But the
portions of the 30 delegates on the
Republican side will be smaller because
of the number of candidates.
Chad Grin, president of the Human
Rights Campaign, responded on Twitter
to the results by praising Clinton, whom
his organization endorsed last month,
and criticizing the Republican candidates.
.@HillaryClintons ght is our ght.
Hope all Iowans will caucus tonight for
the pro-equality champion we need.
Chad Grin (@ChadHGrin)
February 2, 2016
.@tedcruzs vision for America is one
of division and intolerance. We need
a president who will continue to move
equality forward. Chad Grin (@
ChadHGrin) February 2, 2016
While polls had shown a tight race
between Clinton and Sanders leading
up the Iowa caucuses, the Cruz victory
was striking because polls predicted
Trump would win Iowa handily. In the
days leading up to the contest, a Morning
Consult survey found that only 13 percent
of Republican voters thought Cruz would
win Iowa, while a majority predicted
Trump would be the victor.
Gregory Angelo, president of Log Cabin
Republicans, said in a statement the
election is far from over in the aftermath
of the Iowa results.
Log Cabin Republicans will continue
to advocate for a common-sense
conservative presidential nominee while
ramping up our campaign to make Hillary
Clintons anti-gay past known, Angelo
said. Log Cabin Republicans does not
endorse in primary elections, but we
encourage all our members to step up
as our members in Iowa did today to
advocate for a stronger, more inclusive
GOP. This presidential race is uid and
far from over.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NEWS

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 1 3

Van Hollen seeks to make positive difference in U.S. Senate

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

(R-Baltimore and Harford Counties),

Anthony Seda and Richard Douglas will
face o against Kefalas for the GOP
nomination.
Van Hollen during the interview
repeatedly referred to Mikulski.
He said she is someone who
understood that Maryland is only strong
when all parts of Maryland are strong.
Van Hollen also described Mikulski as
somebody whos impatient to get things
done and is very focused on delivering
results on the ground.
Thats always been my philosophy as
well, said Van Hollen.
Van Hollen was a member of the
Maryland House of Delegates from 19911995. He served in the Maryland Senate
from 1995 until he became a member of
Congress in 2003.
Van Hollen said that advancing LGBTspecic issues was a priority of mine in
the Maryland General Assembly.
He said he was proud to lead the ght
on the oor of the state Senate in 2001 in
support of a bill that banned discrimination
based on sexual orientation in Maryland.
Van Hollen in 2012 donated more than
$20,000 to Marylanders for Marriage
Equality, a coalition of organizations that
urged voters to support the states samesex marriage law.
Maryland voters that year upheld the
statute in a referendum.
We are really pleased that Maryland
was rst that night as an East Coast state,
said Van Hollen.
Van Hollen is a co-sponsor of the Equality
Act, which would amend federal civil rights
law to ban discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity.
He acknowledged the measure has
little chance of passing in this Congress.
Van Hollen nevertheless said that he and
other supporters need to continue their
eorts in support of it.
It will only pass if we keep pressing
the case, whether its this Congress or a
future Congress, said Van Hollen.
Van Hollen who chaired the
Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee from 2006-2010 noted
Republicans control both chambers of
Congress.
He said the Democrats have a very
realistic shot of regaining control of the
U.S. Senate in the upcoming election. Van
Hollen told the Blade his party needs to
keep the pressure on in the House.
If youre not pushing hard for change,
change will never come, he said. If
you havent organized around a specic
proposal, youre starting from way
behind. So putting forward the Equality
Act, pushing for it every day will hasten
the day when that will become the law of
the land.

Van Hollen also noted education,

college aordability and this growing
and very real concern that people are
working harder than ever but their wages
are at are among the top issues forhis
constituents. He also citedcriminal justice
reform as important.
These issues really are important
across our district, said Van Hollen.
Van Hollen has endorsed former
Secretary of State Hillary Clintons
presidential campaign.
Both her experience and her record
make her most qualied to be the
president, commander-in-chief, said
Van Hollen. I dont agree with her on
everything. There are areas where on the
issues I may be closer to (U.S. Sen.) Bernie
Sanders (I-Vt.) or (former Maryland Gov.)
Martin OMalley.
I do think when you look at the whole
record that shes been a leader and would
be a good president, added Van Hollen.
Van Hollen spoke with the Blade on the
same day as the Iowa caucuses. OMalley
suspended his campaign hours after the
interview.
Hes run a positive campaign on
the issues, said Van Hollen, praising
OMalleys performance at the last
town hall with Clinton and Sanders.
Im glad we have multiple voices in the
primary process at this stage. I think that
strengthens all the candidates.
Van Hollen also discussed OMalleys
record on LGBT-specic issues as
governor, noting he signed the states
same-sex marriage and transgender
rights laws.
He was certainly part of that eort,
said Van Hollen. I dont know how to
allocate credit, so to speak. There were a
lot of people involved.
Van Hollen criticized Donald Trump,
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other
Republican presidential candidates who
have highlighted their opposition to
marriage rights for same-sex couples on the
campaign trail. He also expressed concern
that a Republican president could repeal
President Obamas executive order that
bans federal contractors from discriminating
against their LGBT employees.
They could do that with the stroke of
a pen, said Van Hollen. The stakes are
very, very high.
Van Hollen told the Blade that
Democrats would also ght tooth and
nail against any eort to roll back the
existing rights and protections that are
now in place for LGBT Americans. These
include religious freedom bills that critics
contend would allow discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender
identity.
If Republicans keep control of the
House and they maintain control of the
Senate and they were to win the White
House, which were all ghting hard

against, they could have the power, said

Van Hollen. We do have the libuster.
These are things you dont want to mess
around with.
A poll that Gonzales Research and
Marketing Strategies released on Jan.
19 showed Van Hollen was ahead of
Edwards by a 38-36 percent margin. The
survey has a 5.8 percent margin of error.
State
Sen.
Rich
Madaleno
(D-Montgomery County), state Del.
Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City)
and former state Del. Heather Mizeur
(D-Montgomery County) are among the
current and former Maryland ocials
who have endorsed Van Hollens U.S.
Senate campaign.
Madaleno told the Blade on Tuesday
during a telephone interview that Van

Hollen was a leader on civil rights

for LGBT Marylanders in the General
Assembly. The gay Montgomery County
Democrat said Van Hollens donation to
the campaign in support of the states
same-sex marriage law came at a time
when it had felt that we were dead in the
water from a fundraising perspective.
Here was this guy who was a rising
star in national politics and he was willing
to put his name on the line to pass this
referendum, said Madaleno. That
opened a lot of peoples checkbooks.
Former Marylanders for Marriage
Equality President Ezekiel Jackson also
supports Van Hollens Senate campaign.
Chris is my choice, Jackson told the
Blade on Tuesday. Chris was always very
good in responding to us.

Trans women charged

with assault at Casa Ruby
Two transgender women were charged
with simple assault and destruction of
property on Jan. 27 at the oces of the D.C.
LGBT community services center Casa Ruby
after they allegedly punched and threw
several computer monitors at a Casa Ruby
sta member.
A D.C. police arrest adavit says the sta
member told police the two women began
punching her in the face and body and tossing
computer screens at her after acknowledging
she had called police earlier that day because
of improper behavior by one of the two
alleged attackers.
Ruby Corado, the founder and director of
Casa Ruby, said the sta member is also a
trans woman and the two women arrested in
the incident were Casa Ruby clients.
Its very sad that this was an internal
thing, Corado told the Washington Blade.
Its very sad that this was
They were actually receiving housing-related
an internal thing, said RUBY
CORADO of an alleged assault
services from us.
that occurred at Casa Ruby.
Added Corado: We have a history with
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
these two girls. They have harassed other
youth clients and we issued a bar notice for
them. They got barred the night before.
Police charging documents identify one of the two women charged in the
case as Torkill Teriyaki Holcomb, 31, of Northeast D.C. The charging documents
identify the other woman by her male birth name and list her age as 27. Corado
said she goes by the name Janiyah Littman.
Court records show that both women pleaded not guilty to the charges, which
are listed as misdemeanors. They and their attorneys couldnt immediately be
reached for comment.
The court records show the two were booked at the Third District police
station on Jan. 27 and held overnight before being released by a D.C. Superior
Court judge the next day on condition that they stay away from 2822 Georgia
Ave., N.W., the address of Casa Ruby. The release conditions call for Holcomb to
enter a drug treatment program and require Littman to undergo drug testing
through the court pre-trial services oce.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Keep your promise to protect each other.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

14 FE B R U A R Y 05, 2016

BA LT I MO RE N E W S

Baltimore groups win grants

Wills & Trusts

Powers of Attorney Living Wills
Partnership & Prenuptial Agreements

(240) 778-2330 (703) 536-0220

www.PartnerPlanning.com

Serving the LGBT Community

in DC/MD/VA since 1983
Lawrence S. Jacobs/McMillan Metro, PC

Several Baltimore-area organizations were among the 23 that received grants

from Washington-based Brother, Help Thyself (BHT) during its annual Grants and
Awards Reception that took place on Jan. 30 at Baltimores Grand Central. BHT
is a community-based organization that provides nancial and other support to
non-prot organizations serving the LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS communities in the
Baltimore/D.C. metro area.
Those Baltimore-area organizations receiving grants were: PFLAG ColumbiaHoward County ($1,930); PFLAG Westminster ($2,110); New Ways Ministry, Inc.,
a Mount Rainier-based LGBT Catholic organization ($1,830); Perry Hall-based
Thankful Paws ($1,500); Baltimore-based Hope Springs, an HIV/AIDS advocacy
organization ($3,420); and AIDS Action Baltimore ($5,000). All told, $76,000 was
given out.
In addition, the George Dodson Business Award (to a business supportive of
the community) was presented to Grand Central for always being there for the
community in which it serves.
Our board looks ahead to our grant reception all year long with great
anticipation as the culmination of a year of hard work, said Jim Slattery, BHT
president in a statement. Sure, we plan events and raise money, but we truly
love nothing more than to give it all away each January.
BHT achieved a milestone this year as well. Weve been at this since 1978,
helping close to 200 non-prots support their missions and clients, said board
Vice President Andrew McCarty of Baltimore. And, this year, in 2016, we will
award our $3 millionth grant dollar. Thats right, I said $3 million!
For more information, visit brotherhelpthyself.org.

FreeState Legal/Equality Md. to visit PFLAG

Newly merged FreeState Legal/Equality Maryland is launching a series of
community listening stops across the state to gain input from key stakeholders.
Part of this eort is aimed at establishing a combined mission and vision as well
as a new name for the merged organization. One such session will occur on Feb.
9 at the general meeting of PFLAG Columbia-Howard County.
The merger between FreeState Legal and Equality Maryland was announced
a month ago.
We are excited to better serve the LGBTQ community across all of Maryland,
said Patrick A. Paschall, executive director of FreeState Legal in a statement.
By combining FreeState Legals team of attorneys providing direct legal
services with Equality Marylands longstanding history as the voice and political
arm of the LGBTQ community, we are creating a comprehensive LGBTQ civil
rights organization that will work throughout the state to end prejudice and
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246
Cradlerock Way in Columbia. All PFLAG meetings are free, condential and open
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The historic snowstorm that buried the East Coast forced a number of
cancellations and the rescheduling of events. Among them is the Celebration of
Life for Fr. Skip Koritzer.
The new date is Sunday, March 13 from 4-6 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of
Baltimore, Enoch Pratt Parish Hall, 514 N. Charles St. in Baltimore. Doors will
open at 3:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 4 p.m.
The program will include readings, music, presentations and opportunities to
share memories of Koritzer, who was a well-known gure in Baltimores LGBT
community, and will be followed by a reception. Koritzer died unexpectedly at
the age of 67.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

H E A L TH NEW S

FE B R U A R Y 05, 2016 15

New HIV platform targets gay, bi men

GENEVA, Switzerland MSMGF, a health services group for men who have
sex with men that formed in 2006, has joined with the Joint United Nations
Programs on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to launch Global Platform, a response to the
fast-track strategy UNAIDS has set to end AIDS by 2030.
Through the platform, members will provide advice to various U.N. agencies,
donors and other stakeholders on HIV program needs and priorities for gay and
bi men and other men who have sex with men.
The platform seeks to re-center the global response to HIV around unabated
and disproportionate HIV incidence and prevalence in the worldwide population,
MSMGF ocials said in a press release.
A platform kick-o meeting was held Jan. 12-13 in Geneva, Switzerland and
featured representatives from the Global Fund, the Elton John AIDS Foundation,
the World Health Organization and more.
The Platforms short-term aim is to ensure strengthened language in the 2016
Universal Declaration on HIV/AIDS about the needs of gay and bisexual men, and
other men who have sex with men, with clear, reasonably articulated indicators
that are achievable and consistently used.
The Platforms long-term aim is to increase availability of and access to high
quality sexual health services; decreased HIV and STI incidence; signicantly
expanded enactment of human right protections; and improved social inclusion,
social cohesion and social participation for gay and bisexual men and other men
who have sex with men worldwide.

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Canadian gay couples feel pressure to wed

NEW YORK Unmarried same-sex couples in Canada are feeling pressure
to tie the knot, according to a recent study published in the Canadian Review of
Sociology that examined their experiences, HealthCanal reports.
Researchers from UBCs Department of Sociology interviewed 22 people in
same-sex common-law relationships. The goal was to learn how the Civil Marriage
Act of 2005, which granted same-sex couples the right to marry, aected the way
they thought about their relationship. The ndings were presented in a recent
issue of the Canadian Review of Sociology.
It was surprising how prominent marriage became in participants lives,
said Katherine Lyon, who co-authored the study with Hlne Frohard-Dourlent.
Suddenly more people wanted to talk to them about their relationship and
getting married.
Because same-sex couples were previously unable to marry, many LGBT
people had developed relationship models outside the status quo. With the
legalization of same-sex marriage, LGBT couples face new pressures to conform
to societal norms, HealthCanal reports.
Many people reported feeling that their relationship would garner legitimacy
through marriage, especially in contexts where they still encounter prejudice. This
perception shows that marriage remains the relationship pinnacle in Canadian
society, even as cohabitation rates increase. Still, participants chose not to marry
for many reasons, including opposition to the institution, HealthCanal reports.

Moms of Mormon gays track teen suicides

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah A group of LGBT-arming mothers in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are alarmed because they say youth suicides
in the church are up since leaders condemned LDS gay couples in November,
KUTV reports.
The group is called Mama Dragons and member Wendy Williams Montgomery
began tallying the numbers after messages and calls from Mormon parents
whose children had committed suicide. The numbers were posted online by
another member, KUTV reports.
Montgomery reports that since the LDS church policy was announced, calling
gay LDS couples apostates and banning their children from baptism until they are
adults and denounce gay marriage, 34 LDS/LGBT youth between the ages of 14
and 20, have committed suicide. She said 28 of those suicides happened in Utah.
Dale Jones, an LDS public aairs ocer, said in response that, We mourn with
their families and friends when they feel life no longer oers hope.
I think its important that we realize the shame and hurt we are putting on the
gay community as members of the church, Jill Hazard Rowe, a Mama Dragon,
who lives in Utah, told KUTV. She is Mormon and has a gay son.

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1 6 F E B RUA RY 0 5, 2016

VIEWPOINT

VOLUME

47

ISSUE

06

ADDRESS

A Blade reporters take on Iowa

Its like Christmas morning
for a political junkie

CHRIS JOHNSON is the White House reporter

for the Blade. Reach him at cjohnson@
washblade.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa Coveringthe Iowa

caucuses is like Christmas morning for a political reporter, except its more special because they happen in the presidential race
only once every four years.
I arrived about a half hour before the
events began at Roosevelt High School in Des
Moines, where both Democratic and Republican residents of the 43rd precinct would caucus. Knowing the highly public nature of the
voting in the Democratic caucus, I opted to
observe that over the Republican gathering.
Already supporters of Hillary Clinton
and Sen. Bernard Sanders were seated
facing each other at opposite ends of the
room. A group of about six supporters of
Martin OMalley were in a corner to themselves. From the start, they looked like they
wouldnt meet the 15 percent threshold at
the caucus site to remain viable.
As I took myposition in the corner under a
sign marked youth/observers, a local man
and caucus veteran told me the neighborhood is predominately Jewish and expects
Sanders to win the precinct.

Soon, more and more precinct residents

arrive and sit with the Sanders and Clinton
supporters who came earlier. Theyre about
equally distributed betweenboth candidates
in terms of age and gender, although with
only a handful of exceptions mostare white.
As the room grows more crowded
with supporters on both sides, the room
begins to resemble the British House of
Commons, and the caucus site is about to
become as contentious as that notorious
legislative body.
Led by supporter Carol Baty, the Sanders side gets energized,chanting Feel-theBern! Feel-the-Bern! The Clinton side seeks
to counter by chanting Hil-la-ry! Hil-la-ry!,
though not as boisterously.
Precinct chair Drew Gentsch brings the
caucus to order by saying a record number
of 459 people are in attendance. That number, he said, surpasses the estimated 300
people who attended the 43rd precincts
Democratic caucus in 2008.
Gentsch proceeded to explain the agenda, but became frustrated every time he
mentioned Sanders name because the candidates supporters would erupt in cheer. He
asks them to tone it down, saying he needs
to get through the instructions.
A supporter for each of the candidates,
Gentsch said, would be allowed three minutes to speak to explain to caucus-goers
why their candidate should win the precinct.
First up was Clinton supporter Elizabeth
Buck who emphasized her candidates experience, pledge to cure Alzhemers disease
by 2025 and ability to advance the economy
in Iowa.
We have too many people in this state
and this country who are working hard, but

E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

are not nancially self-sucient, Buck said.

Next was OMalley supporter Rick Miller,
who said Democrats are blessed to have
three great candidates, but the former
Maryland governor has the best experience
and is less polarizing among the electorate.
Baty, who had earlier led Sanders supporters in a chant, was the youngest of the
caucus-goers who spoke and looked to the
days ahead in promoting her candidate.
Hillary Clinton is ghting to preserve
what we have and Bernie Sanders is ghting
for our future, Baty said.
At this point, a Sanders supporter calls
for a point of order and asks whether there
can be more speakers. When she said she
wanted to talk about Sanders, Gentsch said
hed open up the oor to more speakers if
the caucus desires, but shes shouted down
with a resounding no.
It was time for the initial vote. Each of
the supporters counted among themselves
how many they have for their candidate. As
a result of the initial vote count, Sanders had
a marginal lead over Clinton, but it became
clear OMalley and uncommitted had to realign themselves because they didnt meet
the 15 percent viability threshold.
The caucus then became a game of Red
Rover, Red Rover, Why dont you come over?
It seemed virtually all the OMalley supporters ventured over to the Clinton side, which
inspired cheers among her supporters.
The result: 232 for Clinton, 224 for Sanders. That adds up to three short of the 459
who were in registered as attendance, but
Gentsch said thats OK and the missing attendees (who may have left when their initial candidate wasnt viable) must have been
lost in the mail.
The Clinton supporters smile and highve even before their victory is declared.
Given the narrow margin of the win, Gentsch
oers the opportunity of a recount following the close vote, but thats vetoed by both
Clinton and Sanders supporters with a show
of hands. Many of the caucus-goers at this
point have been there two hours and are
eager to leave.
As a result of the vote count, Gentsch said
Clinton wins 5 state delegates and Sanders
wins 4, making ocial the former secretary
of states narrow victory in Iowas 43rd precinct.
More ocial business for the caucus continues, such as ratifying proposed planks
for the Iowa Democratic Party platform and
naming delegates, but attendees are leaving in droves and the handful who remain
approve agenda proposals unanimously by
voice vote to expedite things.
Also exiting (with a sense of appreciation),
is the Washington Blade reporter in attendance, who got to fulll a personal dream of
seeing rsthand Iowas very public rst contest in the presidential elections.

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V I E W PO I N T

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 1 7

Hillary: An LGBT champion we can count on

Her detailed policy platform
will advance equality
By BRUCE COHEN
With the rst presidential primaries upon
us, it is of utmost importance that we examine
each candidates proposals and policy positions to determine who would be best suited
to lead our country to a brighter, better future
comeJan. 20, 2017.
As a proud LGBT activist for the last three
decades, I believe that Hillary Clinton is the
champion the LGBT community can count on.
She has consistently demonstrated leadership on LGBT issues, and she has a detailed,
implementable LGBT policy platform that will
advance equality and strengthen the LGBT
community. In short, Hillary Clinton is the candidate who has had our back, and now we are
more than ready to have hers.
After poring over candidates records and
proposals focused on LGBT issues, the Human
Rights Campaign a group that I have avidly
supported but also had sharp disagreements
withover the years came to thedecisionto
endorse Hillary Clinton. Itwas unfortunate to
see Bernie Sanders take to disparaging the
Human Rights Campaign as a response to not
receivingtheirendorsement.Iwas extremely
disheartened to hear Sanders emphatical-

ly state that HRC, among other progressive

organizations, is a part of the establishment
he is leading a revolution against. Not only
is that divisive language, particularly as it relates to the larger family of Democratic voters, it is also both frightening to contemplate
and, fortunately, untrue. To steal alinefrom
Hillary Clinton, I wish it were true that the
acceptance of the LGBT community that we
have spent our lives ghting for is now considered part of the establishment, but one
only needs to hear what any of theRepublican
candidates have to say on thesubject to know
that could not be further from the truth.
Given a second chance to walk back his
comments about HRC and other progressive organizations, the Sanders campaign
initially declined, and his spokesperson even
doubled down,saying, He said it better than
I could. Sanders nally walked back his commentstwo days later, yet he blamed the Clinton campaign for the misunderstanding. For a
candidate whosaidhis goal is to put together
a strong grassroots movement of millions and
millions of people,it is quite troubling to see
him alienating organizations whose members
include the very same progressives he is wanting to court. Or,more simply put, a candidate
who stands against the values and policies
of the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP
and Planned Parenthood is NOT a candidate

who has the best interest of LGBT Americans,

among other progressives, at heart.
As it turns out, Bernie Sanders has not been
as progressive or out front on LGBT issues as
he often leads voters to believe. Every Democratic candidate has evolved on these issues,
but Bernies campaign touts that he has by
far the most exemplary record on gay rights of
any candidateeverin American history. While
that might sound great on a bumpersticker,to
BernieSanders, LGBT values arent a primary
issue. In fact, Bernie once stated that there
are a dozen issues out there that are as important or more important than civil unions and
marriage equality, and he even went as far as
tosaythat the argument over civil unionsdiverted attention from prescription drug costs,
health care and other economic issues.
That is what is most troubling about Bernie
Sanders record on LGBT issues he refuses
to acknowledge them as anything more than
distractions from the larger issue of economic
inequality. As a self-proclaimed Democratic
Socialist, Sanders holds steadfast in his belief
that economic inequality is the root of allour
troubles, andyethe often brushes over systematic and perpetual issues facing marginalized groups of Americans, and in particular,
the LGBT community.
Im not sure about you, but Im looking for
a candidate who views equality of all, regard-

resenting 15 million workers and womens

organizations supporting and providing
needed healthcare to poor women, including NARAL and Planned Parenthood. Organizations representing the LGBT community
including HRC, LPAC and California Equality
have endorsed her and those ghting climate
change like the League of Conservation Voters have endorsed her. They all did this because they know Hillary. They know she has
spent her lifetime ghting the establishment
alongside them for the issues they care about
and will continue to do that as president.
So after New Hampshire we move South
and West, where voters tend to be more representative of the population of the United
States, states where large segments of voters
will be African Americans and Latinos. Hillary
has spent 40 years working with those voters
on the issues they care about. She isnt a new
face to them so they wont buy into the Bernie Sanders claim that every endorsement
Hillary has gotten is from the establishment
because they know that anyone who thinks
they are the establishment doesnt know
them or the issues they are facing.
They wont buy Sanders claims the hundreds of endorsements Hillary has received
from governors, past and present members
of Congress and the mothers of young men

who have suered and died from police brutality prove he is the anti-establishment candidate. These voters in South Carolina, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida know if
they want to make headway on the progressive issues they care about; making college
more aordable or free; reducing costs on
college loans; improving our nations healthcare system making it more equitable and
cost eective for everyone; reforming our
judicial system so Black Lives Matter is more
than a slogan; reforming our immigration
system to provide a real pathway to citizenship for those now here illegally, that Hillary is
the person who can do that.
These voters will put stock in what the
president has said about Hillary and that
when he became president he trusted Hillary enough to name her Secretary of State.
President Obama recently spoke about Hillary and about their 2008 primary ght saying,
She had to do everything that I had to do except, like Ginger Rogers, backwards in heels.
She had to wake up earlier than I did because
she had to get her hair done. She had to, you
know, handle all the expectations that were
placed on her (as a woman). He added,Had
things gone a little bit dierent in some states
or if the sequence of primaries and caucuses
been a little dierent, she could have easily

less of race, religion, gender identity or sexual

orientation as one of the utmost important issues of our time. A candidate who recognizes
the discrimination that still takes place in the
workplace every single day and vows to tackle
those issues head on. A candidate who has
made LGBT equality a pillar of her campaign
and has a multi-faceted platform to implement policy addressing discrimination and
build o of the historic Supreme Court rulings supporting marriage equality. And most
importantly, Im looking for a candidate who
will continuetopush for LGBT rights and not
dismiss our struggle as a less important issue,and who will stand up to Republicans who
are trying to roll back all the progress we have
made.
I can say, without a doubt, Hillary Clinton
is that candidate, and I am honored to stand
with her in her ght for the Democratic nomination. The stakes couldnt be higher in this
election, and Hillary Clinton is the champion
for equality we need in the White House.

BRUCE COHEN is an Academy Award-winning

producer in lm, television and theater best
known for producing American Beauty, Milk
and Silver Linings Playbook. He has been a
longtime advocate for LGBT rights and recently
served as president of the board of the
American Foundation for Equal Rights.

I N S I DE LGB T W A S HING TON

Dont believe Sanders lies

about her campaign

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a longtime Democratic

Party and LGBT rights activist. He is a regular
contributor to the Blade.

The 2016 Iowa caucuses are over and Hillary Clinton won. In politics a win by one vote is
still a win. Now on to New Hampshire, where
Bernie Sanders might continue the streak of
candidates from neighboring states winning.
Clinton supporters need to remember 2008
when Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses,
Hillary came in third, then overcame his insurmountable 9-point lead two days before
the primary and went on to win by 3 percent.
Nothing is a sure thing in elections.
Whether she wins or loses New Hampshire, all indications are that Hillary Clinton
will be the Democratic nominee for president. She has been endorsed by unions rep-

won. Her strengths, which are the fact that

shes extraordinarily experienced and, you
know, wicked smart and knows every policy
inside and out, means she would be capable
of governing the country on day one. Ive gotten to know Hillary really well, and she is a
good, smart, tough person who cares deeply
about this country.
They know Sanders is lying when he says
Hillary is in bed with big Pharma and healthcare companies because in 1993, well before
anyone even noticed Bernie Sanders, Hillary
was ghting for universal healthcare and
took on big pharma and the healthcare industry. They recognize her courage in 1995
when she traveled to Beijing to speak out
for womens rights and the dierence that
speech made for women around the world.
They know only a woman can totally understand how crucial it is for women to have
the right to control their own healthcare; to
ensure abortion remains safe and legal; and
to ensure women will nally win the ght for
equal pay for equal work.
They have dreams they will never give up
for a better future. But they mix those dreams
with just a dose of reality. They understand
Hillarys election will be a giant step in moving
us forward to what the preamble of our Constitution called a more perfect union.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 8 F E B RUA RY 0 5 , 2016

VIEWPOINT

Israels pinkwashing accusers hijack LGBT movement

They deny charges of antiSemitism yet only attack Israel
By PETER DARVAS
The anti-Israel activists who recently disrupted a presentation by two Israeli LGBT
community center staers at the Creating
Change conference in Chicago are attempting
to cynically use the LGBT movement to further
an agenda of hatred.
The LGBT movement aims to help create
a world where people can live freely and with
dignity, no matter their sexual orientation or
gender identication. The pinkwashing accusers who claim that Israels gay rights
record is merely a smokescreen to hide its
supposedly evil deeds turn this mission on
its head by relentlessly vilifying a country that
is at the forefront of LGBT rights, especially in
the Middle East.
LGBT people thrive in Israel, where employment discrimination based on sexual orientation
has long been banned, openly gay and lesbian
soldiers have served in the military for decades,
and transsexual Dana International represented
Israel at Eurovision in 1998 (and won).
At the same time, to be openly gay elsewhere in the Middle East means discrimination, harassment, assault, jail and death. A

recent Pew Research Center poll found that

a scant 1 percent of Palestinian respondents
believe that homosexuality is morally acceptable. The Palestinian Authority has no laws to
protect LGBT people. In Gaza, Hamas punishes homosexual behavior with up to 10 years
in prison. Gay men are lashed in Qatar and
Saudi Arabia, tortured in Egypt, buried alive in
Afghanistan, hanged in Iran.
Yet the anti-Israel, supposedly pro-LGBT
protesters have not a word of criticism to utter about the horric treatment of gay people
(or other human rights violations) by Arab and
Muslim governments. Why not?
The sad and frightening answer is that they
are actually not interested in LGBT rights or
issues. Their aim is to rst delegitimize and
then destroy the Jewish state. To this end, they
cynically work to smear every action by Israel,
including its stellar LGBT rights agenda, with
sinister motivations.
The pinkwashing protesters repeatedly
attack Israel as a racist, apartheid nation.
But the facts are otherwise. And while history
is the past, we cannot ignore it if we are to
understand how the pinkwashing accusers
distort the present.
Yes, Israel was founded by United Nations
resolution in 1948 as a refuge state for the
Jewish people in their ancient homeland, after
2,000 years of homelessness and persecution

following the destruction of their country and

consequent exile in 70 C.E.
And, yes: Israels Declaration of Independence states that the country will ensure
complete equality of social and political rights
to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion,
race or sex and that it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.
Arabs who reside in Israel (not those residing
in the West Bank, which came under Israeli control in 1967 following an unsuccessful attempt by
Israels neighbors to destroy the Jewish state) are
citizens, have the right to vote, are members of
the Israeli Parliament, and even serve on Israels
Supreme Court. For obvious reasons, Arab citizens are not required to serve in the Israeli Army.
So much for Israel being an apartheid or
racist state.
All of this is in contrast to the situation in
neighboring Arab and Muslim countries,
where Jews face legal restrictions, are often
forbidden to be citizens, and may not even be
permitted to reside: Hundreds of thousands
were expelled from these lands, where Jews
had lived since ancient times, following the establishment of Israel.
Meanwhile, some Palestinian Authority childrens educational television features poems
stating that Jews are monkeys and pigs, and
some Palestinian schools teach children that

Jews and Israelis possess inherently evil character traits.

Yet the Chicago protesters condemn Israel.
The pinkwashing protesters deny any antiSemitic motivations. Yet they attack only the
Jewish state, while ignoring other countries actual behaviors that are similar to the supposed
crimes of which they accuse Israel.
They do not speak out against the expulsion of roughly 12 million Germans from Eastern European countries after World War II; or
on behalf of the 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and
Muslims who were displaced during the partition of India.
Nor do American protesters who tar Israel
as a colonialist enterprise, mocking and dismissing the ancient roots of the Jewish people
in the land of Israel, turn their wrath on themselves for actually being part of a nation of
settlers who committed genocide against the
Native American peoples.
Theres a word for people who target a specic group for a nonstop barrage of invective,
calumny, and hatred, and who seek to silence
those they attack: Bullies.
And bullying has no place in the LGBT community.
PETER DARVAS, a native of New York City, is
a lifelong student of history and a freelance
contributor to the Blade.

O U R BU SI N E SS MA T T E RS

D.C. bartenders, servers relieved over wage vote halt

Vast majority of tipped
employees oppose ending
tip credit wage system

MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur

and community business advocate. Follow
on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at
OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.

Last Friday, D.C. Superior Court Judge Maurice A. Ross halted a proposed minimum wage
ballot initiative that many thought would be
voted on during the November presidential
election in the District.
Local bar, restaurant and nightclub employees were among the most relieved that there
now appears little chance that will happen.
Notable is that many residents are clueless
as to why the vast majority of tipped workers
engaged in the citys largest hometown business
sector are breathing easier about their incomes.

An exception to widespread ignorance regarding what the ballot measure includes is

gay and lesbian industry veterans of, or current employees at, local hospitality establishments. Alongside others who have worked in
the business, we understand what is at stake.
Fears that voters will interfere with the attractive tip incomes and existing pay system
of their workplaces have, for the moment,
subsided. As executive director of the D.C.
Nightlife Hospitality Association (DCNHA), I
continually hear the worry expressed by bartenders, restaurant servers and other tipped
workers: Please dont let them x my job, it
isnt broken.
Lurking beneath the bright shiny object
of a misguided eort to further hike the local
minimum wage to a counterproductively toohigh job-killing and hours-reducing $15 is an
included attempt by labor unions and unionfunded groups to eliminate the tip credit wage
system. This near-universal national standard
is the longstanding economic model for tightmargin, pricing-sensitive, revenue-volatile restaurants and bars. Tipped workers love it.
Under the existing set-up, tipped employees are fully guaranteed the minimum wage in
rare instances that the $2.77 local base wage
plus gratuities fails to exceed the hourly mini-

mum during a pay period. Bartenders and

servers typically earn signicantly more than
minimum wage, set to increase to $11.50 in
July, or the proposed $15.
Its why D.C. elected officials, and legislators in
neighboring Maryland counties, voted to preserve and protect the tip credit system when each
jurisdiction elevated local minimum wage levels to
among the highest in the country two years ago.
The now-halted ballot initiative would require that tipped employees be paid the full
hourly wage in addition to tips, upending the
current system and eventually lowering wages
due to inevitably declining tips and eventual
abandonment of tipping protocols.
The question to ponder is this: Why do labor unions hope to increase wages for the
highest-paid hospitality employees by increasing base pay before tips by $12.23 an hour
an astounding 420 percent increase? Its counterintuitive, unless theres a secretive agenda.
And, of course, there is.
Labor groups, frustrated by a long history
of abject failure making inroads toward unionizing independent small business dining and
drinking venues, are playing a long game of
workplace manipulation. Unfortunately for
them, workers are wise to their scheming.
By reducing a profession rich in legacy and

reward to minimum wage pay rates by causing patrons to rst tip less and eventually not
tip at all, labor bosses hope to create dependency on unions for income levels.
The irony is that this eort to transform
tipped sta into union-wage automatons will
encourage deployment of technologies to automate service functions. Businesses will have
no other option to oset skyrocketing labor
costs alongside required steep increases in
meal and drink prices prompting reduced customer purchasing and patronage frequency.
Although Judge Ross had not released a
written order at this writing, with the scope
of his decision unknown, he ruled from the
bench on one of four legal objections. Ross
determined the D.C. Board of Elections was
not legally constituted when the initiative was
approved, due to every single member serving beyond long-expired terms.
Consequently, this ballot measure could
survive other legal objections when considered for future elections.
The hospitality professionals who both enjoy working in an occupation of opportunity
and serving your meals and libations at local
bars and restaurants hope youll protect their
livelihoods as if your own when and if you end
up voting on their wages.

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 1 9

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W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL OFFERING

ELMHURST
Circa 1871.
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(50 MILES SOUTH OF WASHINGTON BY CAR OR AMTRAK/VRE)

Celebrate the holiday all year in this Romantic Italianate manor house with its own belvedere. Youll love the beauty
of this light-filled architectural gem with 5 bedrooms and 5 baths with plenty of space to showcase art and antiques
plus an in-law suite. Theres lots of room for gardening outside on -acre site with period fencing and the biggest
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For more information, please phone 540.373.0140 from 9 am to 7 pm.

VALENTINE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

VOLUME

47

ISSUE

ROMANTIC GIFTS FOR YOUR QUEER HONEY

06

FEBRUARY

05

2016

PAGE

21

By MIKEY ROX

Choosing the perfect Valentines Day gift for that special someone is all hugs and
kisses with this guide of specially curated ideas for cute cooks, fashionistas, adventurers, artists and more.
ARTIFICER WOODWORKS
CUSTOM WINE BOXES

FIRST-KISS FLIPBOOK

LIQUOR DELIVERY FROM DRIZLY

Recently married? Relive your welldeserved day with a ipbook that

transforms 10 seconds of moving
video like your rst kiss, rst
dance or another exciting moment
into a tangible frame-by-frame
keepsake that springs into action
with the twitch of a thumb. etsy.
com/shop/makethemip

Give your honey the purrrrr-fect gift

with the Kitt Woman Mug, an 11
ounce, ceramic mug, one of several
pop culture designs (great T-shirts as
well) at huntees.com. $20.95

This handmade, 100 percent postconsumer recycled bike chain in

the shape of a heart is sure to set
your sweetums gears in motion.
Heart comes gift boxed with an
artist card. resourcerevival.com

Master craftsmen meticulously

handcraft
Articer
Wood
Works Signature Line like the
personalized wine boxes for single
and multiple bottles from the nest
timber in Missouri. Fill their custommade box with Martinelli Giuseppe
& Luisa Zinfandel or 2010 Masi
Costasera Amarone for an added
treat. articerwoodworks.com

GEDDES FARMS HOT HONEY

THE ORIGINAL LOVE BOMB

MEISTER WATCHES

SHINOLA JOURNAL

DOROTHY/BLANCHE T-SHIRT

Sweet and spicy marry in the Heat

Seeker Spicy Honey Gift Box from
Geddes Farms, which features
three 16 oz. jars of 100 percent
raw, unltered honey kicked up
a few notches by ghost, moruga
scorpion and Carolina Reaper
peppers. geddesfarms.com

Annihilate your S.O.s heart

with expressive mason jars and
mugs designed to spread love
and inspiration. Choose from
traditional or handled drinking
vessels that feature blush-worthy
phrases like Boom You Just Got
Loved, Beauty and Beast.
thelovebombcompany.com

Traditional roses have a limited

lifespan, but rose gold lasts forever.
Give the gift of time with dapper
disctinctions from the MSTR
Ambassador Collection, available
for men and women, featuring
six-hand chronograph movement,
water resistance up to 100 meters,
and three-piece adjustable bands.
Save 15 percent on your order with
code VDAY at checkout until Feb.
14. mstrwatches.com

Take your partners journal keeping

to new heights of luxuriousness
with this large journal cover with
tab ($225) and large linen journal
($19.95) from Shinola (1631 14th
St., N.W.) or at shinola.com.

Another great source for hilarious

pop culture T-shirts is Swish
Embassy. Dorothy in the Streets/
Blanche in the Sheets is $29.95 at
swishembassy.com.

KITT WOMAN MUG

BIKE CHAIN HEART

Working late on V-Day? Avoid the

doghouse at home with a boozy
delivery from Drizly, a new service
thatll bring his or her favorite beer,
wine or liquor right to the door.
Drizly is available in 18 cities across
the country, including the New
York, L.A., Boston, Chicago, and
the District. drizly.com.

MIKEY ROX is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work
has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world, including CNN.com,
The Hufngton Post, NewNowNext, Queerty, the Advocate, Instinct magazine, and
Out.com, among many others. He splits his time between homes in New York City
and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

2 2 F EB RUA RY 0 5, 2016

DINING

Pleasures for the palate

LOCAL RESTAURANTS GET CREATIVE FOR VALENTINES DAY
By KRISTEN HARTKE

Valentines Day weekend this year is

just about perfect. First, Galentines Day
just for us girls is on Saturday (Feb. 13)
and, while Valentines Day itself is actually
on Sunday, the next day is a wait for it
federal holiday, meaning we can sleep in
after enjoying V Day to its fullest.
All in all, its a perfect scenario for a true
weekend of love. That may put a bit of
pressure on making every moment count,
so heres a rundown of a few restaurants
across the area offering something special
for that special someone.
Bayou Bakery (901 Pennsylvania Ave.,
S.E., Capitol Hill; bayoubakerydc.com):
Locals on the Hill have been keeping this
information close to their chests so they
can get the best tables, but Bayou Bakery
is now offering dinner service and it,
frankly, is more than a match for the nearby
Barracks Row eateries that have been
attracting the hordes from Northwest D.C.
Built in a Civil War-era carriage house,
Bayou Bakerys dining room is both cozy
and bright, with a New Orleans-inspired
seasonal menu that most recently included
Crispy Chicken Livers with pepper jelly
and apple slaw and Crawsh Monica
served over housemade pappardelle with
a Creole cream sauce. You can end your
meal with fresh beignets or the Warm
Bread Pudding Brule, a beautiful riff
on the Commanders Palace classic. But
for Valentines Day you might consider
ordering the brioche-style B.B. King Cake
(order 48 hours in advance, to pick up

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAYOU

The B.B. King Cake from Bayou Bakery could make your Valentines Day extra sweet.

or have there), which has been given a

special heart-shaped makeover and even
comes complete with its own cherubic
plastic baby. If you want to check out
Bayou Bakery before Valentines Day rolls
around, they will, of course, be celebrating
Mardi Gras in style on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Osteria Morini (301 Water St., S.E., Navy
Yard; osteriamorini.com): Sure, you could
just go out for a nice meal on Valentines
Day like everyone else, but you could also
get a little more interactive by spending
Galentines Day at Osteria Morinis Pasta
Lovers Class on Saturday, Feb. 13. At
$85 per person, youll be greeted with
battilardo (Italian charcuterie), cheese and
a glass of Lambrusco upon arrival, then
learn some of the ner points of pasta
making in an interactive class, followed by
a three-course lunch with Sangiovese wine
pairing.
If you prefer to stay in bed for the
weekend, let pastry chef Alex Levin a true
master of confection provide the sweet

treats, which can be picked up at your

convenience (order 48 hours in advance).
Some of the offerings include Breakfast in
Bed ($15 each), which includes chocolate
danish, caramelized banana bread mufn,
blueberry cheese danish, pecan brown
butter cake bites and the Lovers Packages,
which boasts all of the aforementioned
as well as handmade Valrhona dark
chocolate-covered toffee and peanut
brittle ($30 each).
BlackSalt Fish Market (4883 MacArthur
Blvd., N.W., Palisades; blacksaltrestaurant.
com): Once youve had breakfast in bed,
why not continue the trend at dinner?
BlackSalt Fish Market is packing up a threecourse dinner for two that you can enjoy in
the comfort of your own home, aptly called
Cupids Choice.
A special menu designed by executive
chef Mike Huff includes such delicacies
to choose from like Seared Maine Diver
Scallops served with a caper parsley
pure and house-smoked bacon, Lobster

Bisque with crab and shrimp agnolotti,

and Wood Grilled Boneless Rib-eye with
roasted salsify and a trufe Cabernet jus,
followed by a trio of chocolate treats like
Chocolate Chambord Trufe Cake and
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, all for
$100 per couple. If you want to amp up
the aphrodisiacs, you can add on caviar,
whole Maine lobsters (cooked and shelled
upon request) and oysters on the half
shell. Bibs required, pajamas are optional.
Bourbon Steak (2800 Pennsylvania
Ave., N.W., Georgetown; bourbonsteakdc.
com): If you cant wait for Valentines Day,
get a head start on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the
Four Seasons Hotels agship Bourbon
Steak restaurant, with their Love Potion
No. 9 class at $45 per person. Head
bartender Torrence Swain and pastry chef
Derkje Steenblik will combine forces to
stimulate the senses through cocktails and
desserts designed to inspire passion.
The class will focus on exploring
the stimulating powers of absinthe,
benedictine and chartreuse, centuriesold liqueurs that are known for their
potency. Participants will sample such
delights as the sharp green absinthebased The Color of Envy cocktail, paired
with a French macaron lled with absinthe
ganache and gold leaf. Call 202-944-2026
or email david.fascitelli@fourseasons.com
KRISTEN HARTKE is a D.C.-based food and
beverage writer and editor; follow her kitchen
adventures on Twitter at @khartke.

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 2 3

LJ
VE

lifestyle boutique

Logan 14 saLon spa/med spa

Bethesda-Chevy Chase
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Bethesda, MD 20816
301.656.3311
Landscape
Design|Build|Maintain
7405 River Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
301.762.6301
Shop online:
americanplant.net

French cuisine in
an Art Nouveau
Bistro with a
Parisian feel.

haircuts, body waxing, laser hair removal

1314B 14th St. NW WDC 20005 202.506.6868 Logan14salonspa.com

Beltway
7405 River Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
301.469.7690

JOIN US FOR
VALENTINES DAY

Available for Private Parties

4907 Wisconsin Ave. NW WDC 20016

202.244.2044 www.lechatnoirrestaurant.com

Fairlington United Methodist ChUrCh

3900 King Street, Alexandria, VA fairlingtonumc.org

Invites You to Join Us for

Reconciling Ministry Sunday

a space to enjoy French cuisine with a great wine selection &

craft cocktails in a vintage attic dcor, a cozy atmosphere
with intimate ambiance on the vibrant H street corridor.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

SUndaY, FebRUaRY 7, 2016

9:30am & 11:00am

Celebrating Three Years as a Reconciling Congregation
Welcoming Everyone No Exceptions!

502 H street Ne I wasHINgtoN, dc 20002

202.544.5999 I www.legrenierdc.com

2 4 F E B RUA RY 0 5, 2016

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON

VISIT US AT CFA.GMU.EDU

Mummenschanz
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 AT 8 P.M.
If youve not yet seen Mummenschanz, catch them now
with us! The witty and whimsical Swiss troupe will get your
imagination going with a delightful, playful show of clever
illusions and funny narratives, all performed in complete
silence. What Mummenschanz does so extraordinarily well is
create its own comic universea place of constant wonder and
ingenuity. (Boston Herald)
$48, $41, $29 ff

Virginia Opera

Romeo and Juliet

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 AT 8 P.M.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 2 P.M.
Treat your Valentine to a romantic date with Gounods
luminous setting of the quintessential love story. A sensational
success from its premiere, its a gorgeous opera, filled with
beautiful French Romantic period music. Sung in French with
English supertitles. $98, $80, $48
Special Valentines Day Ticket Package: two tickets,
champagne and chocolates, special photo booth, and two
commemorative champagne glasses.$225, $190, $125

Mark Morris Dance Group

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 AT 8 P.M.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 AT 8 P.M.
Two D.C. area premieres! The, set to Bachs Brandenburg
Concerto No. 1 in F Major, and Whelm, set to three piano
pieces by Debussy. Also to be performed: Cargo, set to Darius
Milhauds La Cration du Monde, and Resurrection, set to
music composed by Richard Rodgers for the 1936 Broadway
musical On Your Toes. The most life-enhancingly musical
choreographer alive. (The New York Times) $48, $41, $29

ff = Family Friendly performances that are most suitable for families with younger children

TICKETS

888-945-2468 OR CFA.GMU.EDU

Located on the Fairfax campus, six miles west of Beltway

exit 54 at the intersection of Braddock Road and Rt. 123.

A dance poetry work remembering the lives of the artists lost to AIDS. This work was
deeply influenced by the anthology Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS.

Veteran dance critic George Jackson writes,

...Forget-me-nots are small but persistent flowers.
Daniel Phoenix Singh planted a field of them in
his new Mortal Tongues, Immortal Stories

Photo by Stephen Baranovics

SHOOTING STARTS THIS WEEKEND IN D.C. FOR GENDER-FLUID MOCKUMENTARY

By MARIAH COOPER
mcooper@washblade.com

ARTS

AND

ENTERTAINMENT

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

VOLUME

47

ISSUE

06

FEBRUARY

05

2016

PAGE

25

The cast of Venus. Jen Meller is fourth from left. John Di Lascio is seventh from left.
PHOTO BY ANNA NORTHRUP

The trials and tribulations of genderuid people in D.C.s local music scene
is more than just a coee conversation
topic for American University lm grad
candidate Jen Meller.
Meller, creative director of local
music label Blight Records, decided to
transform her experiences with gender
roles in the music industry into a ctional
documentation of the plights this
community faces for her thesis project.
I needed to make a thesis and I really
wasnt feeling too passionate about
anything specic and a lot of my friends
were saying, Oh my god, youre sitting on
this great documentary, Meller says.
Meller says ction has been her
preferred method of lmmaking and the
documentary became the mockumentary
Venus. The 30-minute lm will be loosely
based on Blight Records and most of the
cast members are gender uid in the lm
and in real life. The real-life gender-uid
people in the lm, Mellers friends from
Blight Records, were a large part of the
lm coming together.
I started to notice that, Wow theres
a story behind this group, Meller says.
Whether its ctionalized or not, theres
an energy.
The lms Indiegogo page describes the
lm as, a fascinating look at the DIY (Do
It Yourself) underground music scene,
transgender issues and the dynamics
inherent in all of humanity. It follows 10
members from the record label Venus
as they prepare for the performance
of one of the labels bands returning
from a month-long tour. In the midst of

the preparations, the group deals with

gender identity and gender equality.
Filming begins this month with band
performance scenes scheduled at DIY-music
venue Bathtub Republic on Friday, Feb. 5 at
7 p.m. and at Songbyrd Music House and
Record Cafe (2477 18th St., N.W.) on Sunday,
Feb. 7 at noon. The crew is recruiting extras
for both scenes and welcomes anyone
interested in lming to show up.
Meller hopes to have the lm completed
by June and plans to submit it to various
local lm festivals.
Local D.C. bands under Blight Records
will be creating music as ctional bands
in the lm. Brer, Johnny Fantastic,
CrushnPain and Stronger Sex will create
music that may not have t in their
actual bands, but gives them room to
experiment creatively for the lm.
Meller hopes the lm will open the
general publics eyes to the issues of
gender in the music scene they may not
have thought about before.
You dont typically have things that
reference gender uidity or sex-positive
feminism. Its not usually smacking the
mainstream public over the head. Im
making an experimental lm that I hope
will reach a wider audience and force them
to sit through and see things, Meller says.
John Di Lascio, also known as Johnny
Fantastic, is helping put together the
music in the lm and also stars as
Jesse, a musician coming to terms with
transgender identity.
Hes attracted to the rising tide of trans
culture and gender-uid culture, but theres
a kind of discontent between the real

experience of being a female and how Jessie

romanticizes it in his mind, Di Lascio says.
Di Lascio identies as gender uid
himself and has performed at Black Cats
Church Night. Entrenched in both the D.C.
music scene and queer scene, he notices
queer music can be hard to nd.
I think that queer representation is
usually something you kind of have to be
a little more in the loop to come across or
accidentally walk into the right place at the
right time and happen upon some hyper
queer group of some sort, Di Lascio says.
Di Lascio thinks theres a clear divide
between the mainstream D.C. music
scene and queer representation.
Theres a rift that exists between
straight mainstream cis-gendered-dened
groups and then there is the queer
groups that seem on their own, Di Lascio
says. Theres somewhat of a disconnect
between the straight music community
and the queer music community.
Di Lascio says the timing is ideal.
The gender-uid movement and genderuid culture has come much further to
the forefront in very recent times in an
exponential way. We wanted to at least tell
a little bit of that story and recognize the
existence of that story, Di Lascio says.
Mellers biggest inspiration for Venus
was the 1995 lm Kids, directed by Larry
Clarke and written by Harmony Korine.
Kids follows a group of skateboarding
teenagers in New York City in their everyday
lives. Clarke spent time in Washington
Square Park, the skateboarding capital
of New York City, and got to know the
skateboarders who would eventually

become actors in the lm. Meller replaced

Washington Square Park with Columbia
Heights, but hoped to follow a style similar
to Kids down to the camera work and
multiple-themed storyline.
Kids was a lm about the skateboarder
community that wasnt really documented
prior to this, but it was really about HIV/
AIDS. Venus is really about gender roles
and gender identity but on the surface it
looks like its just about the music scene
and DIY, Meller says.
Di Lascio says an overall documentary
on gender uidity wouldnt have been as
eective as Mellers approach, focusing
on individuals.
Its important to focus on how gender
uidity manifests itself in their personal lives
and how (it) helps society and helps open
mindedness and tolerance exist, he says.
The crowdfunding campaign ended in
January with a hopeful goal of $15,000.
The lm has raised less than $2,000
from the campaign, but Meller says
eorts to raise money from businesses
and to get sponsorships have been well
underway to pay for equipment rentals,
location rentals, wardrobe, props, postproduction, food and much more.
Di Lascio says he hopes Venus opens
a dialogue for people to examine the
issues of gender uidity and patriarchy.
I want people to see those for what
they are, recognize that these conicts
exist and be more openly sympathetic to
these issues and be motivated to criticize
the patriarchy, and be criticized by their
actions that are patriarchal, so that we
can change, Di Lascio says.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

2 6 F EB RUA RY 0 5, 2016

Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R D A N I E ME Y E R

DANIE MEYER

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEYER

By JOEY DiGULIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
The theme for this weekends Scarlets Bake Sale is Show Us Your True
Colors.
This years event, slated for the Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) on Sunday,
Feb. 7 from 1-7 p.m., will nd between 60-80 items being auctioned o,
including cakes, other baked goods, gift baskets, fetish items and more. Local
leather titleholders will emcee. This years funds go to PetsDC and a new
scholarship program being started for college juniors and seniors by Scarlets
Foundation, the agency that puts on the annual bake sale, a tradition for 45
years. Full details are available on the events Facebook page.
Danie Meyer got involved with the event in 2008 through the local leather/
BDSM group Black Rose.
I had a lot of fun getting to know the local community while helping others,
so I kept coming back, says the self-described military brat, who spent time
all over the U.S., Germany and Panama growing up.
She and her spouse, whom she declines to name, have been a Scarlets
team for several years. Her spouse Meyer identies as queer likes to
bake, but prefers to stay home while Meyer takes the goodies to the sale.
Somehow most years I come home with more than we donated, she says.
This is not helping our waistlines, but co-workers love it.
Meyer has been in the D.C. area since 2002 and lives in Falls Church. She
enjoys ballroom dance, leather, travel and Disney in her free time.

How long have you been out and who was

the hardest person to tell?
I am not sure I had a big coming out
moment. I gured out I was into BDSM
before I gured out what queer was. Id just
always been kinky right from my earliest
memories. I gured I was bi right after college
but it did not feel right as my interests were
not binary. I guess I found the term queer
six or seven years ago and I nally found
something that t. The hardest person to
tell was actually my sister, but she has been
wonderfully supportive.
Whos your LGBTQ hero?
A friend from the North Carolina leather
scene. When I learned they had HIV, I was
heartbroken, thinking that they were dying.
In response, they gave me the best bit of
advice: Danie girl, we are all dying from the
moment we are born. I could get hit by a bus
tomorrow and HIV would have had nothing
to do with my death. What matters is what
we do with our time here on earth before we
die. That has always really stuck with me and
inspired me.
Whats Washingtons best nightspot, past
or present?
I am not much for bars or clubs but I do
spend a good bit of time having fun at the
Crucible when its open.
Describe your dream wedding.
Already had it, an intimate gathering of
friends and family for an evening of ne food
and dancing.
What non-LGBTQ issue are you most
passionate about?
Disability rights
What historical outcome would you
change?
Im not sure changing history is the best
idea no playing with the space time
continuum unless you are Marty McFly.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
The Berlin Wall falling.
On what do you insist?
The best from myself. Its all I can control.

202.747.2077

What was your last Facebook post or

Tweet?

Talking up Scarlets Bake Sale.

If your life were a book, what would the
title be?
The Unexpected great Adventure
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you do?
Wonder why. I am totally happy with who
I am. I guess if someone wanted to change
their own thats ne, but I would not want
that choice imposed by an outside party.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
Im very spiritual and like to think there is
something beyond this world but I dont buy
into the idea of a hell per se.
Whats your advice for LGBTQmovement
leaders?
Stop trying to t folks into neat madefor-TV boxes. Doesnt life do that enough
already?
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
Those closest to me and my hound.
What LGBTQ stereotype annoys you
most?
That we are all alike.
Whats your favorite LGBTQ movie?
Philadelphia is so powerful, I cry every
time I see it.
Whats the most overrated social custom?
Asking how someone is when we dont
care or they dont care to hear about us,
other than ne or good.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
This one confounds me. Honestly just
having someone say at the end of my life,
That was a life well lived.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
Nothing I thought or was taught to be
important when I was 18 actually was. After
college no one gives a damn what you did
before. You can reinvent yourself and try new
things. Go for it.
Why Washington?
Why not? So much cultural diversity and
energy.

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 2 7

LIVE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

28 FEB R U A R Y 05, 2016

O U T & A BO U T

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

DR. JOHN

& THE NITE

TRIPPERS
W/ PATTY REESE

THURSDAY FEB

DOCTOR DREAD PRESENTS:

A CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF

BOB MARLEY
FEATURING ISRAEL VIBRATION
WITH ZEDICUS AND DAI WATSON

SATURDAY FEB

TUES, FEB 9

CELEBRATE FAT TUESDAY WITH

NATHAN AND THE ZYDECO

CHA-CHAS W/ SQUEEZE BAYOU
THURS, FEB 11

BROTHER JOSCEPHUS &

THE LOVE REVOLUTION AND
GEDEON LUKE & THE PEOPLE
FRI, FEB 12

AN EVENING WITH

CHATHAM COUNTY LINE

SAT, FEB 13

FLOW TRIBE

W/ THE TRONGONE BAND

PHOTO COURTESY PMK-BNC ENTERTAINMENT

Celeb-skewering Grin returns

THEHAMILTONDC.COM
Comedian Kathy Grin appears at EagleBank Arena (4400 University Dr.,
Fairfax, Va.) on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m.
The show is presented by George Mason Universitys oce of student involvement.
Grin has hosted Fashion Police and been a guest judge on RuPauls Drag Race.
The comedian has also been a strong supporter of LGBT rights.
Tickets are $55 and $45. For more details, visit eaglebankarena.com.

By MARIAH COOPER

PHOTO COURTESY OLNEY THEATER

Carmen gets Afro-Cuban

makeover

PHOTO BY DEREK GOODWIN; COURTESY THE TASC GROUP

VALENTINES DAY
AVAILABLE ON SAT. 2/13
& SUN. 2/14 AFTER 5PM
$39

M-Th 11:30aM-10pM F-saT 11:30aM-11pM

suN. bruNch 11aM-3pM / diNNer 3-10pM

322 Mass. ave. Ne 202.543.7656

cafeberlindc.com

Activist/author here for book signing

LGBT activist and author Jasmin Singer has a book signing and reading for her
memoir Always Too Much and Never Enough at Compassion Over Killing (6930
Carroll Ave., Takoma Park, Md.) on Friday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m.
The memoir delves into Singers relationship with food from a child until an
adult. It also touches on animal rights, her body and her sexuality. Singer runs
Our Hen House, a non-prot animal rights organization, with her wife.
For more details, visit jasminsinger.com.

Tectonic Theater Project presents

Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical
at Olney Theatre Center (2001 Olney
Sandy Spring Rd., Olney, Md.) from Feb.
10-March 6.
Carmen is set in Cuba in 1958 and has
rebel Carmen caught in a love triangle
between Jos,a Batista loyalist and
Camilo, a Cuban boxer. The musical is
based on the opera by Georges Bizet and
written and directed by Moiss Kaufman
from The Laramie Project. Ticket prices
range from $18-60.
For a complete list of showings and to
purchase tickets, visit olneytheatre.org.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

T HE ATE R

FE B R U A R Y 05, 2016 29

A sharply moving synthesis of man and

nature, east and west, death and rebirth
The Guardian

PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN, COURTESY FORDS THEATRE

Dance Theatre of Taiwan

From left are TOM STORY as Tom, MADELEINE POTTER as Amanda and JENNA SOKOLOWSKI as
Laura in The Glass Menagerie.

Lin Hwai-min, Artistic Director

By PATRICK FOLLIARD
Legendary gay playwright Tennessee
Williams was 33 when he burst on
the national scene with The Glass
Menagerie, his lyrical memory play set in
Depression era St. Louis.
Its the coming-of-age story of Tom
Wingeld, a budding young writer who
longs for adventure but instead punches
a timeclock at a shoe warehouse to pay
the rent on the cramped apartment he
shares with his domineering mother
Amanda, a faded southern belle who
wants the best for her children, and
his painfully shy sister, Laura. When it
becomes clear that Laura is incapable of
making a living, Amanda sets her sights
on nding a gentleman caller, pulling a
reluctant Tom into her schemes.
For local actor Tom Story, whos gay
is playing Tom in The Glass Menagerie
at Fords Theatre, aspects of Williams
semi-autobiographical play resonate,
particularly the pull of family.
My mom is not Amanda, but she is from
the South and was always very involved in
our lives, he says. Theres a point where
you have to break away. I understand the
frustration of trying to be something for
other people that you cannot be, and not
always family, necessarily.
Story grew up in Woodbridge, Va.
Ive loved the play since high school, he
says. From the start, I related to the way
Tom thinks. His wit and irony drew me in.
As an undergrad at Duke University,
Storys love for Williams grew. Later at
Juilliard School in New York, Michael Kahn
(Shakespeare Theatre Company artistic
director and then-Juilliard instructor)
assigned Story a Williams one act titled I
Cant Imagine Tomorrow, about human
dependence, fear and loss.
It was the rst time onstage that I felt
like I revealed something true, Story
says. It was a big turning point for me in
terms of my acting and further connected
me with Williams writing.
And almost 10 years ago, Story played
Tom in a production at the esteemed
Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge,

Mass. When he heard Fords was

mounting a production, Story was eager
to reprise the role.
I thought it would be interesting to
approach the part from a dierent time
in my life. Luckily they let me do it. Its a
memory play told from Toms point of view
some years after hes left his mother and
sister. I wanted to make it clear that I wasnt
trying to pretend Im 21. This is a man who
is 40-ish going back into his past.
Like much of Williams work, The Glass
Menagerie is infused with humor. Both
Tom and Amanda (here played by British
actor Madeleine Potter) are wonderfully
witty. From the start of rehearsals, Story
says Potter was vocal about how similar
the mother and son are. They both have
big dreams and ideas and theyre going
in dierent directions. They share a
rye southern humor, something Story
recognizes from his own family.
Included in the cast are Jenna
Sokolowski as Laura and James Keegan
as the Gentleman Caller.
There are dierent ways to successfully
play Tom, Story says.
But I believe Williams wrote a clear
character. Tom is gay. And whether Tom
knows can express that using language
available in the 30s, Im not sure. But he
denitely knows that hes dierent and I
think hes on to the fact that hes a gay man.
There are clues in the script. Yes, he does
go to the movies all the time, but there are
a lot of things that happen at the movies.
The productions assistant director, out
actor/director Rick Hammerly, describes
Story as a learned and instinctual actor.
I love this play with its awed
characters, Hammerly says. All are looking
for something just out of reach, something
they cant quite get their hands on. Its
delicate and fragile yet strong and forceful.
Story captures this duality. His character
is supporting his family and dealing with
sexuality. He has to leave them to survive.

Rice

Huang Pei-hua and Tsai Ming-yuan in Rice, photo by Liu Chen-hsiang.

Connections extend beyond

name for Menagerie actor

D.C. PREMIERE

February 12 & 13 | Opera House

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG (202) 467-4600
Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE

Through Feb. 21
Fords Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$17-64
800-982-2787
Fords.org

International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible

through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 0 F EB RUA RY 0 5, 2016

A RT S & CU LT U RE

HOT HITS & HIDDEN JEWELS

From CultureCapital.com
YOUR LINK TO THE ARTS IN METRO DC

Guards at The Taj

Thru Feb 28. Woolly Mammoth.
202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net.

Guards at the Tajfrom playwright Rajiv Joseph and director John Vreeke, the
team that brought us Gruesome Playground Injuriesis a tragicomic fable as
hilarious as it is horrifying. Beauty has a price.

Mummenschanz
Feb 5. GMU Center for the Arts.
888-945-2468. cfa.gmu.edu.

These unique artists perform in complete silence on a blackened stage with

common household objects and simple forms to create ingenious illusions and
amusing narratives that provide light-hearted insights on life.

Brooklyn Rider & Gabriel Kahane

Feb 6. Washington Performing Arts at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.
202-785-9727. washingtonperformingarts.org.
The fourvirtuoso chamber musicians of Brooklyn Rider return this season with
fellow Brooklynite and composer/pianist/singer/songwriter Gabriel Kahane,
whose music has been described as all-around dazzling (The Los Angeles Times).

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic

Feb 6. Howard Theatre.
202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic revolutionized R&B during the

70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding inuences from several late60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. The Parliament/
Funkadelicmachine captured over 40 R&B hit singles.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY

Get Out More!

THEATRE
OLIVRio: A Brazilian Twist. Thru
Feb 21. Shear Madness. Ongoing. The
Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. kennedycenter.org.
A Midsummer Nights Dream. Thru Mar 6.
Folger Theatre. 202-544-7077. folger.edu.
Georgie: My Adventures with George
Rose. Thru Feb 7. Road Show. Feb 9-Mar
13. Signature Theatre. 703-820-9771.
signature-theatre.org.
Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical.
Feb 10-Mar 6. Olney Theatre. 301-9243400. olneytheatre.org.
Between Riverside and Crazy. Thru
Feb 28. Constellations. Feb 10-Mar
7. Studio Theatre. 202-332-3300.
studiotheatre.org.
The Sisters Rosensweig. Thru Feb 21.
Theater J. 202-518-9400. theaterj.org.
Seorita y Madame: The Secret
War of Elizabeth Arden and
Helena Rubinstein (En Espaol con
sobrettulos en Ingls). Thru Feb 28.
GALA Hispanic Theatre. 202-234-7174.
galatheatre.org.
Picasso at the Lapine Agile. Thru Feb
13. Keegan Theatre. 202-265-3767.
keegantheatre.com.
The Glass Menagerie. Thru Feb 21.
Fords Theatre. 202-347-4833. fords.org.
Bizets Carmen in Havana. Feb 5-Feb 7. In
Series. Atlas. 202-399-7993. inseries.org.
The Critic & The Real Inspector Hound.
Thru Feb 14. Shakespeare Theatre
Company. Lansburgh Theatre. 202-5471122. shakespearetheatre.org.
St. Nicholas. Thru Feb 21. Washington
Stage Guild. 240-582-0050. stageguild.org.
I Shall Not Hate. Thru Feb 14. Mosaic
Theater Compay. Atlas. 202-399-7993.
mosaictheater.org.
A Midsummer Nights Dream. Thru Feb
14. WSC Avant Bard. Gunston. 703-4184808. wscavantbard.org.

DANCE
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Thru Feb 7. The Kennedy Center. 202467-4600. kennedy-center.org.
Urban Artistry Inc. Feb 6-Feb 7. Dance
Place. 202-269-1600. danceplace.org.

MUSIC
Bumper Jacksons. Feb 10. Dnes
Vrjon, piano. Feb 11. Strathmore. 301581-5100. strathmore.org.
Cantus. Feb 7. National Gallery of Art.
202-737-4215. nga.gov.
Mardi Gras Ball. Feb 9. Arlington
Cultural Aairs. Clarendon Ballroom.
703-228-1850. arlingtonarts.org.
The VI-Kings. Feb 6. AMP. 301-581-5100.
ampbystrathmore.com.
Mack Avenue SuperBand featuring
Gary Burton and Christian McBride.
Feb 5. Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.
Feb 8. The Kennedy Center. 800-4441324. kennedy-center.org.

Love: Andrey Makarevich and

ACappella Express. Feb 11. GW Lisner
Auditorium. 202-994-6800. lisner.gwu.edu.
Pedja Muzijevic, piano. Feb 6.
Marina Piccinini (ute) & Andreas
Haeiger (piano). Feb 11. WPA at
The Kennedy Center. 202-785-9727.
washingtonperformingarts.org.
Butch Trucks & The Freight Train
Band. Feb 5. Harlem Gospel Choir.
Feb 7. Gregory Porter. Feb 10-Feb
11. Howard Theatre. 202-803-2899.
thehowardtheatre.com.
Mozarts Haner Symphony. Feb 6-Feb
7. National Philharmonic. Strathmore.
301-581-5100. nationalphilharmonic.org.
Emerson String Quartet. Feb 6. TSA.
Museum of Natural History. 202-6333030. smithsonianassociates.org.

MUSEUMS
National Gallery of Art. The Serial
Impulse at Gemini G.E.L. Thru Feb 7.
Power and Pathos. Thru Mar 20. 202737-4215. nga.gov.
Museum of Women in the Arts. Free
Community Day. Feb 7. Pathmakers.
Thru Feb 28. 202-783-5000. nmwa.org.
National Geographic. Pristine Seas: The
Oceans Last Wild Places. Thru Mar 27.
Photo Ark. Thru Apr 11. 202-857-7000.
nglive.org.
Smithsonian Anacostia Museum.
Twelve Years That Shook And Shaped
Washington: 1963-1975. Thru Oct 23.
202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu.
National Portrait Gallery. Eye Pop:
The Celebrity Gaze. Thru Jul 10. 202-6338300. npg.si.edu.

GALLERIES
Strathmore. Art in Motion. Thru Feb 21.
Line by Line. Thru Feb 21. 301-581-5100.
strathmore.org.
BlackRock. Handmade: Explorations in
Fiber Art. Thru Feb 27. 301-528-2260.
blackrockcenter.org.
Fisher Art Gallery. Storytelling/Global
Narratives. Thru Mar 13. 703-534-5726.
schlesingercenter.com.
JCCNV. Sands of Time. Thru Feb 8. Local
Color and More. Feb 9-Apr 4. 703-3230880. jccnv.org.
District Architecture Center.
#iseeDC2015 Exhibition. Thru Feb 20.
202-347-9403. aiadac.com.
Gallery Neptune & Brown. Masha
Trebukova and Oleg Kudryashov. Thru Feb
21. 202-986-1200. neptuneneart.com.
Torpedo Factory Art Center. Trending:
Contemporary Art Now! Thru Feb 28.
703-838-4565. torpedofactory.org.
VisArts at Rockville. Ben Piwowar. Thru
Feb 14. Thanasi Papapostolou. Thru Feb
14. 301-315-8200. visartsatrockville.org.
Washington Project for the Arts
(WPA). Other Worlds, Other Stories. Thru
Feb 20. 202-234-7103. wpadc.org.
Zenith Sculpture Space. Full Circle. Thru
Apr 30. zenithgallery.com.

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 3 1

Our salute to
Country Music
with guests

The DC Cowboys!

An extraordinary evening
of a cappella singing

February 12 8pm
February 13 5pm (ASL) & 8pm
Atlas Performing Arts Center

Tickets:
202-399-7993
or visit GMCW.org

Speak with our preplanning adviSor,

Jamie arthurS at (202) 966-6400 or email
Jamie.arthurS@dignitymemorial.com

5130 Wisconsin Ave. NW DC (202) 966-6400 www.JosephGawlers.com

March 12 at 8pm
March 19 at 3pm (ASL) & 8pm
March 20 at 3pm (ASL)
Lincoln Theatre
1215 U Street NW

Tickets:
1-877-435-9849
or visit GMCW.org

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 2 F EB RUA RY 0 5, 2016

CA LE N D A R

E-mail calendar items to calendars@washblade.

com two weeks prior to your event. Space is limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic events
or those with LGBT participants. Recurring
events must be re-submitted each time.

TODAY
Coen Brothers lm Hail, Caesar,
starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett
Johansson, screens at Atlantic Plumbing
Cinema (805 V St., N.W.) starting today.
The lm follows a day in the life of a studio
xer. For more details and a complete
list of showings, visit landmarktheatres.
com.
Gay artist Gordon Binder showcases
his work Cityscapes: Paintings and
Drawings at Studio Gallery (2108 R St.,
N.W.) with a reception from 6-8 p.m. His
work displays urban scenes including
New York City cabs. The show runs
through Feb. 27 and includes receptions
on Feb. 13 and 26. For more information,
visit studiogallerydc.com.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct.,
N.W.) hosts Otter Crossing, a gay dance
party, tonight at 10 p.m. DJ Shea Van
Horn and DJ Bil Todd will spin. Cover is
$5 after 10 p.m. For more details, visit
greenlanterndc.com.
Gay District meets at the D.C. Center
(1318 U St., N.W.) tonight from 8:30-9:30
p.m. The facilitated group discussion
covers building understanding of gay
culture and personal identity and
awareness of community events for
LGBT men between the ages of 18 and
35 in the D.C. area. For more details, visit
thedccenter.org or gaydistrict.org.
A LGB support group meets today
from 10-11:30 a.m. at 16220 S. Frederick
Rd., Gaithersburg, Md., for individuals
in Montgomery County. The group
will discuss coming out of marriage,
homophobia, parenting issues, nding
intimate relationships, LGB resources
in the suburbs and more. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 6
The
Arlington
Players
present
Deathtrap, the longest running
comedy-thriller on Broadway, at the
Thomas Jeerson Community Theatre
(125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington, Va.). The
show runs through Feb. 7 and Feb. 12-13.
Tickets are $21.50 for adults and $16.50
for juniors 18 and under and seniors 60
and over. For more information, visit
thearlingtonplayers.org.
Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) hosts
Butch Queen, a gay dance party, at 10
p.m. tonight. DJ Kris Sutton and DJ Sam
Blodgett spin tracks. Admission is free.
For more details, visit tradebardc.com.
Da Luft Lounge (1242 H St., N.E.)
hosts Woman King, an LGBT party,
tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. There will
be drink specials all night. Cover is
$10 all night. DJ Honey and DJ Fannie
Mae will play music for the night. For

PHOTO COURTESY THE ARLINGTON PLAYERS

Deathtrap opens this weekend at the Thomas Jeerson Community Theatre in Arlington. It runs through next weekend.

more information, visit facebook.com/

djjaisyncerefanpage.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Town
and Country tonight at 6:30 p.m. The
main lesson will be beginner two-step.
There is open dance from 8-10:50 p.m.
Cover is $5 at the door. For more details,
visit towndc.com.

and conversation with other community

members. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave.,
N.W.) holds a support group for gay black
men to discuss topics that aect them,
share perspectives and have meaningful
conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.

SUNDAY, FEB. 7

TUESDAY, FEB. 9

The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd.,

N.E.) hosts HIV Smart Campaign today
from 1-5 p.m. Participants are asked
to wear a dark blue shirt to have their
pictures taken. The photos will be
posted on hivsmart.org and participants
are encouraged to post the photos on
their social media. Mr. D.C. Eagle 2016
will host the event. There will also be
free HIV testing provided by Whitman
Walker Health. For more information,
visit hivsmart.org.
Nellies Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.)
hosts a drag brunch today with shows
at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. For more
information, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Perrys (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts
its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today
from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95
for an all-you-can-eat buet. For more
details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.

Black, Gifted and Whole hosts round

two of drag bingo at Nelliess Sports Bar
(900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30-9 p.m.
For every House Bourbon Cocktail and
Nellies beer sold, Nellies will donate $1
to the HBCU Scholarship program. For
more details, visit blackgiftedwhole.org.
Shawns Tavern (520 Florida Ave., N.W.)
hosts its annual Mardi Gras party tonight
at 7 p.m. There will be live music by Mike
Flahertys Dixieland Direct Jazz Band.
There will also be Hurricane drink specials
and half-prized burgers and pizzas. For
more information, visit facebook.com/
shawstavern.

MONDAY, FEB. 8
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.)
hosts coee drop-in hours this morning
from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT
community. Older LGBT adults can
come and enjoy complimentary coee

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10
Big Gay Book Group meets at 1155
F St., N.W. Suite 200 tonight at 7 p.m. to
discuss Something Cloudy, Something
Clear and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by
Tennessee Williams. For more details,
visit biggaybookgroup.com or email
biggaybookgroup@hotmail.com.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets
tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center
(721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No
reservations required and new comers

welcome. If you need a partner, call 703407-6540.

THURSDAY, FEB. 11
Little Miss Whiskeys Golden Dollar (1104
H St., N.W.) hosts Whiskey and Chocolate
Pairing for My Valentine, a whiskey and
chocolate-tasting event, tonight at 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $7 each. Local chocolatier
Jason Andelman from Artisan Confections
picked the chocolates and will be selling
his selections. Nick Crutcheld chose the
whiskey for tasting. For more details, visit
littlemisswhiskeys.com.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer
organization, volunteers for Food and
Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) today from
6-8 p.m. Volunteers will chop vegetables
and pack groceries. To volunteer, email
jonathan@burgundycrescent.org.
For
more details, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Spooky Action Theatre (1810 16th St.,
N.W.) presents Collaborators, a comedy
about an imaginary relationship between
Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov and
Joseph Stalin, starting tonight at 8 p.m. and
runnning through March 6. For tonights
performance, tickets are pay what you
can at the door. Guests can also purchase
adult tickets for $25, senior tickets for $20
and student and actor tickets for $15. For
more details, visit spookyaction.org.
The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.)
hosts Hot Jock Night from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
tonight. Admission is free. There are drink
specials for men wearing jocks from 10-11
p.m. There will also be prizes for winners
of the jock contest. For more information,
visit dceagle.com.

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 3 3

Brand New 2016, Brick front, Truly open floor plan, 4 Bedrooms, 3 Full Baths and 1 half Bath. Superior finishes,
marble, stainless steel, ceramic, porcelain and hardwood. Primo Metro location. $799,990. MLS DC9560186

Mary Keegan Magner

Call 301-785-1601 Office: 301-718-0010

Meet Mike

Sing & Sip

Mike Brown has nearly 30 years of experience in sales,

Mon. February 8, 2014

6:30-10 PM Cabaret Style
Sing-A-Long
Presented By
Theatre Washington
Featuring Cocktails &
Dinner In the Main Dining
Room - No Cover Fee

marketing and business negotiations, and he has been a

licensed real estate professional since 1986. Previously, he
was a residential lender for more than eight years with
nationally ranked top-five firm.
Mike offers his sellers and buyers an exceptional cross-

Valentines Day
Weekend Sparkling
Celebration

Champagne Dinner Celebration

PROOF #1

ISSUE DATE: 02.05.16

Champagne

industry knowledge and experience so they can make

intelligent and well-informed decisions. His greatest passion
and achievement is providing tangible results for his clients.
A local resident for almost 40 years, Mike currently lives in

A D V E RT I S I N G

P R O O F

Washington, DC. He was born and grew up overseas with

SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com)

his parents, who were C.I.A. officers. If I wasnt a real estate

Saturday, February 13th &
agent, Id be a secret agent, he likes to say. Mike earned his
Sunday
February
14th
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof.
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bachelors degree from George Mason University.

A Four
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Unlimited Champagne
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payment and insertion schedule.
Mike@MikeBrownMoves.com
| 202.340.3340
17th & Rhode Island Ave. NW

202-872-1126
BBGWDC.com

Saturday and Sunday

Valentines Weekend
Champagne Brunch
11 AM to 3 PM

MikeBrownMoves.com

1803 14th St, NW | Washington, DC 20009 202.903.2200

3 4 F E B RUA RY 0 5, 2016

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

MODEL
GRAND
OPENING

AT PARKSIDE

FEBRUARY

SATURDAY
NOON - 5 PM

Tour our exquisite, newly-decorated

Parker and Logan townhome models.

THIS COULD BE YOUR CHANCE TO OWN

A NEW HOME IN WASHINGTON, D.C.!
Is your household at least 2-6 people? Does your
combined income meet Parkside ADU Program
Requirements? Then you might qualify to purchase a
townhome priced below market rate* in cooperation
with the D.C. Department of Housing and Community
Development!Plus, there are no resale restrictions
after the first year of homeownership!

PARKSIDE ADU PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Household
2
3
4
5
6

Income Range
$69,900 - $104,830
$78,700 - $117,930
$87,400 - $131,040
$96,100 - $144,140
$104,900 - $157,250

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3-STORY GARAGE TOWNHOMES FROM THE MID $300s

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Community Features
Just 4 Metro stops from the Capitol building & close to varied cultural districts
Close to both the Orange and Silver Metro lines, I-295, I-395 & I-495
Open: Monday, 2 pm - 6 pm, Tuesday - Sunday, 10 am - 6 pm.
Brokers Warmly Welcomed. Visit khov4rewards.com to learn more about our REALTOR Rewards Program.

3615 GRANT PLACE, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20019

Call for More Information

(301) 683-6455

See Home Designs & More

khov.com/ParksideTownhomes
/khov.MD

/khov_MD

*Homes sold to households with two or more people who meet income requirements listed in Parkside ADU Program Requirementsset forth by the DHCD -dhcd.dc.gov. No resale restrictions after the first year of homeownership.
Purchasers must see Sales Consultant for additional program details. Permission has been granted to use the Department of Housing and Community Development Agency name and/or logo. Contact Agency for more information
at (202) 442-7221. Prices, terms, features, incentives and savings subject to change without notice. James Williams, Broker. Senate Realty, 909 U St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. (202) 742-7290. Licensed by the District of Columbia
#SP98359144.Permission has been granted to use the Senate Realty name and logo on marketing materials by James Williams, President, 909 U St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. (202) 742-7290. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of
U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color,
religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

WA SH I N GTO NB LADE.C OM

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 3 5

REALESTATE

Selecting the right lender

The best candidate is not
universal to all buyers
By SAMMY DWECK
Selecting the right home is an important part of the real estate buying process.
Selecting the right lender is imperative to
getting into that right home more so
now than ever.
In the wake of the nancial crisis that
was spurred largely by loose lending
practices, Congress passed several laws
to protect consumers. In classic government fashion, these went into eect after
the crisis was over and primarily [over]
reacted to the wrong issues. Now homebuyers and sellers as well as their agents,
title attorneys and lenders are contending with an even more entwined system
than ever before.Fear not you can still
buy a home, but it may take a little bit longer for your loan to close than it used to.
One of the greatest diculties in selecting the right lender is that the right
candidate is not universal to all buyers.
For the buyer of a single-family home, the
most important considerations are the
loans interest rate and APR given your
credit prole. But, wait! Some banks are
known for being slower to close loans or
to throw wrenches into the deal and
the experienced listing agent who sees
your pre-approval letter with your oer
probably has a very good idea of which
banks those are. The seller may not be inclined to work with a buyer whose lender
is not of repute, particularly in competi-

tive situations. I have seen seller clients

take a slightly lower oer from someone
with what they perceived to be more secure nancing.When selecting a lender, I
strongly recommend a tangible local institution instead of an online broker.
The condo or coop buyer has many
other facets to consider, like whether
this particular lender can get a project
approval for this specic condo or coop.
The buildings owner to investor ratio,
reserves, insurance and dozens of other
stats factor in here. Whether the institution is going to hold the loan (i.e. portfolio it) or sell it on the secondary market
may weigh in on the availability of nancing based on the conditions in a building.
You deal mostly with your loan ocer,
and it is the bank that actually loans the
money, but there are many otherparties
involved the processors, the underwriters and possibly most importantly
the appraisers. Where a bank gets its appraisers is of paramount importance. It is
generally best that appraisers live in the
local area. Larger institutions that have
less control over who is in their appraiser pool and web-based institutions will
sometimes send appraisers from north
of Baltimore down to D.C. to determine
the value of a property.
With limited local knowledge for context, its much easier for these appraisers
from afar to miss the value of the property you are trying to buy.
We often quip that when it comes
to mortgages, buyers must follow the
Golden Rule, which is that he who has
the gold makes the rules. In many ways,

Sid Binks, PhD, ABPP-CN

Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Individual & Couples Therapy

for the LGBTQ Community
20 years experience!
3000 Connecticut Ave. NW 202.255.5187 SidBinks@aol.com

LGBTC.com/html/sid_binks.html

You deal mostly with your loan ocer, but there are many otherparties involved when buying
a home.

you are very much at the mercy of your

lender in the buying process. Even so, you
can stack the deck in your favor by asking
the right questions. Frequently the best
source of a lender is a referral from your
experienced real estate agent who understands what type of property youre likely
to make an oer on and has contacts at a
slew of nancial institutions.
Lenders are always courting our business so weve heard about all dierent
types of products and programs that

may work for you. And as always, you

must work with someone whom you like
and feel you can trust. Youre going to
be working very closely with this person
while youre in escrow, so pick someone
who can get the job done.
SAMMY DWECK is a top-producing agent at
Evers & Co.s downtown oce and is licensed
in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. He also sells
property with Douglas Elliman Real Estate in
South Florida. Reach him at sammy@sammydweck.com or call him at 202-716-0400.

SIMPLE
AFFORDABLE
PROVEN RESULTS
CALL TODAY TOPLACE YOUR AD

202.747.2077

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Top 1% Nationwide
NVAR Life Member Top Producder

703-593-3204

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in#1 condition (2 ISSUE
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DATE:
fenced lot (9,263 sqft.). Enjoy 4 bedrooms, 3 baths,
REVISIONS
open
concept island kitchen/dining combo, master with
REDESIGN
TEXT REVISIONS
bath
ensuite, 2 fireplaces, refinished hardwoods, a
IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS
NO REVISIONS
super-bowl
party ready rec room with wet bar, walkup stairs to the attic, a screened porch and garage too!

A D V E RT I S I N G

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof.
Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date
of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia
llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible
for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through
the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third
parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent,
trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair competition,
defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right
of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and
to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages,
claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts
omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties.

No jobs too big,

no jobs too small!

4701 Old Dominion Drive Arlington, VA 22207

703-593-3204 WWW.daVeLOYd.net
PROOF

SALES REPRESENTATIVE: SIRIWAT PATHARAPANUPATH (spath@washblade.com)

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users
can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or
any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any
copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred
by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations
and warranties.

ADVERTISER SIGNATURE

By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement,
payment and insertion schedule.

Shirley MacLaine
on Household Chores:
The best way to get
husbands to do something
is to suggest that perhaps
they are too old to do it.

VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI

Dupont Circle Office 202.243.7700 (o) 202.246.8602 (c)

Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com www.DCHomeQuest.com

ADVERTISER SIGNATURE

P R O O F

OpeN SuNdAy 1-4pM

daVe LLOYd & assOCiates

ADVERTISING

NS
GN
EVISIONS
/LOGO REVISIONS
SIONS

$785,000

Just Listed! 1002 n. quintana street

Tell em I saw you in the Blade!

ISSUE DATE: 02.05.16

ThIS ONe checkS

ALL The bOxeS!

By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement,
payment and insertion schedule.

DEADLINES

SUMMER IN REHOBOTH?
GET YOUR SHARE LINED UP!
SHARE ADS ARE FREE.
Place your housing to share
ad online at washingtonblade.com
and the ad prints free in the paper and online.*

All Classified Ads

- Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received
By Mondays at 5PM
So They Can Be Included
in That Weeks Edition of
Washington Blade and
washingtonblade.com

*25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.

WA SH I NGTO N B LA DE.C OM

MASSAGE / CERTIFIED
ROSSLYN. Certified
massage therapist
available 12-8 Sun-Tues.
Call or text Garyat 301704-1158 or visit http://
www.mymassagebygary.
com/.DC appointments
available Wed, Fri, Sat.
Please call/text for
details. Thank you.
BEST MASSAGE by male
certified therapist.
Soothing Swedish; deeptissue; stress & pain
release. Safe Atmosphere
in Annandale, VA, almost
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Hotels welcome. Call
Marval (703) 568-6348.
START FRESH UPGRADE YOURSELF
before upgrading your phone! My
deep tissue massage will help you
feel like a new person! Stretching,
Swedish & Sports massage. Athletes,
swimmers, cyclists & runners.
Dupont. Marcio (202) 271-9440. www.
MarciosMassage.com.

LEGAL NOTICE
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PROBATE DIVISION
2015 ADM 1154
Leonard P. Hirsch, Name of Decedent
Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A.
7000 Carroll Ave, #200
Takoma Park MD 20912
Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
Nancy E. Gray, whose address is 1990 S. Bundy Dr., Suite 390, Los Angeles,
CA 90025 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leonard
P. Hirsch who died on June 12, 2015 with 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 (or
to the probate of decedents Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.,
Building A, 515 5th Street, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20001, on or before
07/29/2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned
with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy
to the undersigned, on or before 07/29/2016, 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: 1/29/2016, Nancy E. Gray.
Anne Meister, Register of Wills, Clerk of the Probate Division.

EMPLOYMENT
NMAC CAPACITY
BUILDING for
Community-based
Organizations project.

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS ONLINE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

COUNSELING
BODY & SOUL
GET YOUR MIND IN SHAPE
& your body will follow. Stop smoking?
Weight loss? Addictions? Fears &
phobias. Changing your behavior can
be difficult. Hypnosis changes your
behavior at a subconscious level. Call
American Wellness Institute for a free
consultation 202-544-5688.

LGBTQ AFFIRMING THERAPY at

Dupont Circle Individuals, couples,
families, adolescents. Over 15
years serving the community. Mike
Giordano, LICSW. 202/460-6384
mike.giordano.msw@gmail.com.
www.WhatIHearYouSaying.com.
COUNSELING FOR GAY MEN.
Individual/couple counseling w/
volunteer peer counselor. Gay Mens
Counseling Community since 1973.
202-580-8861. gaymenscounseling.
org. No fees, donation requested.

Since 1987, NMAC has

advanced its mission
through a variety of
public policy education
programs; national
conferences; treatment,
research programs and
trainings; electronic
and printed resource
materials. NMAC
represents a coalition of
3,000 community-based
organizations & AIDS
service organizations
delivering HIV/AIDS
services in communities
of color nationwide.
NMACs advocacy
efforts are funded
through private funders
and donors only.
MULTIPLE POSITIONS:
Policy Manager Program Coordinator
- Program Associate Conference and Meeting
Services Associate.
Please see our website
for each Position
Requirements,
Experience,
Supervision, Interface,
Accountability.
Visit:NMAC.org/about/
work-at-nmac.

F E BRU A RY 0 5 , 2 0 1 6 3 7

LOCKER ROOM ATTENDANTS

NEEDED! The Crew Club, a gay mens
naturist gym & sauna, is now hiring
Locker Room Attendants. We all
scrub toilets & do heavy cleaning. You
must be physically able to handle the
work & have a great attitude doing
it. No drunks/druggies need apply.
Please call Richard at (202) 319-1333.
from 9-5pm, to schedule an interview.

LEGAL SERVICES
ADOPTION & ASSISTED
REPRODUCTIVE Law Attorney Jennifer
Fairfax represents clients in DC, MD
& VA. interested in adoption or ART
matters.301-221-9651,JFairfax@
jenniferfairfax.com.
FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM
Representing the GLBT community
for over 30 years. Family adoptions,
estate planning, immigration,
employment. (301) 891-2200.Silber,
Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A. www.
SP-Law. com.

LIMOUSINES / DRIVERS
KASPERS LIVERY SERVICE
BMW 740LI Luxury Sedan Service;
Hourly, Point to Point & Special
Airport Transfer Rates! Gay & Veteran
Owned! http://www.KasperLivery.
com Phone 202-554-2471 or 800455-2471.

PHOTOGRAPHY
STEVE OTOOLE
PHOTOGRAPHY Fine
Art Photographer for
portraits, weddings
& dating photos for
the internet. Call
(703) 532-3031. www.
steveotoolephotography.
com.

TRAVEL
#BURGUNDY & #PROVENCE
NORTHBOUND June 17-27 / 2016. 11
Day river cruise from Cote d Azur to
Paris. Email:Jess@FriendsTravel.com.
Visit: www.bit.ly/1T2lad1.

WEDDING OFFICIANTS
LICENSED WEDDING OFFICIANT
in D.C., specializing in Jewish faith
traditions (not exclusive). Includes
assistance with crafting vows and
planning ceremony. www.vowsdc.
com.

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS ONLINE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

SHARE ADS
ARE FREE

Place your
housing to share
ad online at
washingtonblade.com
and the ad prints free in
the paper and online.*
*25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.

CLEANING
TOO NEAT GUYS INC.
Residential & Commercial cleaning
in DC & Northern VA. Over 20 years
experience, gay owned, licensed,
bonded & insured. Email: tooneat@
comcast.net, (703) 622-5983.
FERNANDOS CLEANING:
Residential & Commercial Cleaning,
Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates,
Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out.
(202) 234-7050, 202-486-6183.
MAID TO CLEAN Gay owned,
awesome, trustworthy & reliable!
Serving the DC/VA area. Mention
this ad for $50 off. Maidtoclean.com.
(703) 299-0101.

MOVERS
OUR GUYS AROUND TOWN
MOVERS. Professional Moving &
Storage. Let Our Guys Do The
Heavy Lifting. Mention the Blade
for 10% off of our regular rates.
Call today 202.734.3080. www.
ourguysatmovers.com.
CONTINENTAL MOVERS
Local and Long distance Moving
Services. $80 x hour x two men
plus driving time. Big & small jobs
also. 202 438 1489 / 301 340 0602.
cmora53607@msn.com. www.
continentalmovers.net.

PAINTERS
FINESSE INTERIOR/
EXTERIOR PAINTING.
Chalkboard & Dry Erase
paint. Wood Staining.
Plaster Repairs. Pressure
Cleaning. Free Estimates.
Elmer 240-462-3760.

TREE SERVICE
BRANCHES - FULL SERVICE
Tree Expert Company. Certified
Arborists, pruning, insect &
disease diagnosis, treatment &
removal. 301-589-6181. www.
BranchesTreeExperts.com. Angies
List Award Winner 09, 10, 11, 12.

DEADLINES

SUMMER IN REHOBOTH?
GET YOUR SHARE LINED UP!
SHARE ADS ARE FREE.
Place your housing to share
ad online at washingtonblade.com
and the ad prints free in the paper and online.*

All Classified Ads

- Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received
By Mondays at 5PM
So They Can Be Included
in That Weeks Edition of
Washington Blade and
washingtonblade.com

*25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.

3 8 F E B RUA RY 0 5, 2016

REHOBOTH SHARE
SUMMER HALF SHARE WantedRehoboth. Single GWM, 50, seeks
house/condo with other friendly,
active men. Please respond to my
ad online - washingtonblade.com/
classifieds.

SHARE / DC
CAPITOL HILL semi-furnished
rooms for rent in well appointed
townhome. 2 1/2 blocks from Eastern
Market Metro. Finished single BR for
$945+utilities. Available immediately.
Call 202-544-5688.

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

RENT / DC
BIG ENGLISH BSMT 1 BR.
Just east of Lincoln Park/
Capitol Hill. Rent inc.
utilities is $1,669. No
pets. Call Joel Martin 202274-1882 or jn1martin@
aol.com.

RENT DC/OPEN HOUSE

FREE TO LISTEN
AND REPLY TO ADS
Free Code:
W Blade

TAKOMA - 6810 9th St NW

SW DC WATERFRONT GWM
ISO same to share luxurious home
Private Bath en Suite with guest
room. Cable, WiFi, Utilities, Maid,
Parking, W/D, DW Included. Beautiful
Garden & Outdoor areas to enjoy.
Call Bruce (202) 488-4888.

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

DC Realtor
Long & Foster

Buying or selling a home

is stressful enough.
Why not work with a
Realtor committed to a
professional, enjoyable
& attitude-free process?
For our initial meeting,
we could begin with a
phone call, a face to face
meeting, or you could
meet me during one of
my open houses. Should
you elect to go with
another agent, I wish
you the best of luck! N.
Bryan Lipps | Long &
Foster nbryanlipps@
longandfoster.com 202716-5848 (c) DC Lic. #
SP98376616

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DEADLINES

All Classified Ads

- Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received
By Mondays at 5PM
So They Can Be Included
in That Weeks Edition of
Washington Blade and
washingtonblade.com

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