Metro Weekly - 05-09-13 - Next Generation Awards

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Immigration Reform
Bordering on Bluster
As Sen. Leahy moves to include gay families in immigration bill, social
conservatives warn such recognition is a deal breaker
Leahy
by Justin Snow
T
HE STAGE IS SET FOR A
showdown over LGBT-
inclusive immigration
reform after Sen. Patrick
Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the
Judiciary Committee, led two amend-
ments May 7 that would amend the
Senates immigration-reform bill to
extend protections to binational same-
sex couples.
For immigration reform to be truly
comprehensive, it must include protec-
tions for all families, Leahy said in a
statement. We must end the discrimi-
nation that gay and lesbian families face
in our immigration law.
If adopted, Leahys rst amendment
would add protections to the Senates
844-page immigration bill that mirror
the language of the Uniting American
Families Act (UAFA), which would
recognize immigrants in relationships
with Americans of the same sex and
grant rights enjoyed by straight couples,
including eligibility for green cards, due
to the Defense of Marriage Act. Accord-
ing to Leahys ofce, his second amend-
ment would provide equal protection
to lawfully married bi-national same
sex couples that other spouses receive
under existing immigration law.
Advocates have indicated that they
expect the Judiciary Committee to con-
sider Leahys amendments the week of
May 13. The amendments come amid
reports that comprehensive immigra-
tion reform could be derailed by Senate
Republicans, including some of those
who are members of the bipartisan
gang of eight who drafted the Sen-
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ate bill, who have threatened to derail
immigration reform over inclusion of
same-sex couples. Advocates, however,
have blasted such threats.
If they end up doing that, they
should just own it and call it what it is:
homophobia, the Human Rights Cam-
paign said in a ery statement that also
chronicled the momentum for equality
in recent years. Labeling the inclusion
of bi-national couples in the immigra-
tion bill as toxic is nothing more than a
tired, insulting ruse designed to distract
attention from their own failure to rep-
resent all Americans.
In a separate statement from the
National Center for Lesbian Rights,
GLAAD, the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, United We Dream, and
the Queer Undocumented Immigrant
Project, activists questioned the sincer-
ity of some conservative supporters of
immigration reform who have warned
of doom for the legislation should same-
sex couples be included.
We do not believe that our friends
in the evangelical faith community or
conservative Republicans would allow
the entire immigration reform bill to fail
simply because it affords 28,500 same-
sex couples equal immigration rights,
the ve groups wrote in a statement
released last week. This take-it-or-
leave-it stance with regard to same-sex
bi-national couples is not helpful when
we all share the same goal of passing
comprehensive immigration reform that
provides a path to citizenship.
The Senate immigration bill unveiled
last month did not include provisions
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Now online at MetroWeekly.com
Poliglot: Obamas1-year mark as
marriage ally
MAY 9, 2013 METROWEEKLY.COM
5 METROWEEKLY.COM MAY 9, 2013
LGBTNews
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for same-sex couples, despite a erce push from advocates and
the backing of President Barack Obama. Under the Defense of
Marriage Act, foreigners in relationships with Americans of the
same-sex are denied various protections, including eligibility for
green cards, because the federal government does not recognize
such relationships. According to the Family Equality Council,
there are more than 36,000 binational same-sex couples living
in the United States today. Nearly half of them are raising chil-
dren. Without recognition of same-sex relationships in deporta-
tion proceedings, many of these families risk being torn apart.
Theres a reason this language wasnt included in the Gang
of Eights bill: Its a deal-breaker for most Republicans, Sen.
Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a member of the gang of eight, said in a
statement to The New York Times. Finding consensus on immi-
gration legislation is tough enough without opening the bill up
to social issues.
Speaking to Politico, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), another
member of the gang of eight, also said such provisions would
derail immigration reform. It will virtually guarantee that it
wont pass, Rubio said. This issue is a difcult enough issue as
it is. I respect everyones views on it. But ultimately, if that issue
is injected into this bill, the bill will fail and the coalition that
helped put it together will fall apart.
According to HRC President Chad Grifn, such statements
are exaggerated and fail to capture the nations continuing
embrace of equality for LGBT people.
This bluster is nothing more than a political maneuver
designed to divide the pro-reform coalition and at the same time
appease a small but vocal group of social conservatives that will
do anything to stop progress for lesbian and gay couples, Grif-
n added. The LGBT community will not stand for Congress
placing the blame of their own dysfunction on our shoulders.
Although Obama is a supporter of UAFA and has argued
same-sex couples should be included in immigration reform, he
has not gone so far as to call on Congress to insert protections
for same-sex couples since the Senate bill was introduced.
During a joint press conference with President Laura Chin-
chilla of Costa Rica on May 3, Obama said that while he sup-
ports an immigration bill that provides protections for bina-
tional same-sex couples, he said it was premature to speculate
whether he would sign a bill that does not include protections
for same-sex couples, indicating he would not rule out doing so.
Ive said in the past that the LGBT community should be
treated like everybody else, Obama said. Thats, to me, the
essential, core principle behind our founding documents, the
idea that were all created equal and that were equal before the
law, and its applied fairly to everybody.
Obama continued, I can also tell you that Im not going to
get everything I want in this bill. Republicans are not going
to get everything that they want in this bill. I think that this
comprehensive immigration bill has the opportunity to do
something historic that we have not done in decades. But I dont
expect that, after were nished with it, that people are going to
say, theres not a single problem that we have with our immigra-
tion system, any more than is true after any piece of legislation
that we pass. l
Delaware Governor
Signs Marriage Bill

First State becomes 11th to legalize same-sex nuptials,
effective July 1
D
ELAWARE GOV. JACK MARKELL (D) SIGNED INTO
law Tuesday a bill allowing same-sex couples to obtain
civil marriage licenses, making Delaware the 11th state
to legalize marriage equality.
Markell signed the bill at a ceremony held at Legislative Hall,
sending out a tweet reading: Signed #MarriageEquality bill
into law @LegHall bc no one should have to wait one more min.
by John Riley
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tered into a civil union after a measure
legalizing those unions went into effect
last year.
We are not seeking to redene mar-
riage, Peterson told her colleagues, argu-
ing that marriage-equality advocates were
only seeking to expand the denition to
same-sex couples. If my happiness some-
how demeans or diminishes your mar-
riage, you need to work on your marriage.
Following the signing of the bill, mul-
tiple national LGBT rights organizations
issued statements praising the passage of
the law.
As America waits for rulings from
the Supreme Court on two historic mar-
riage cases, Delaware today took decisive
action and guaranteed equality for the
thousands of gay and lesbian couples of
that great state, Chad Grifn, president
of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC),
said in a statement. Thanks to principled
impatience from state leaders in Dover,
the momentum for LGBT equality con-
tinues unabated.
The Family Equality Council also
praised the senators voting to approve
marriage equality for their actions.
LGBT parents in Delaware will put
their kids to bed tonight knowing that
#NtDE is truly grt place to live, learn and
love.
The governor signed the bill less than
an hour after the state Senate passed the
marriage-equality bill, HB 75, by a 12-9
margin. Eleven Democrats and Repub-
lican Sen. Catherine Cloutier (R-Heath-
erbrooke) voted in favor, while the other
seven Republicans joined with Demo-
cratic Sens. Bruce Ennis (D-Clayton) and
Robert Venables Sr. (D-Laurel) in oppos-
ing the measure.
The new marriage-equality law is slat-
ed to go into effect July 1.
During the course of debate, oppo-
nents called upon witnesses to offer testi-
mony reiterating a series of talking points
such as those touted by the anti-gay Na-
tional Organization for Marriage (NOM)
regarding gay marriage being taught in
schools, complaints about the extent of
religious protections or exemptions and
claims that same-sex couples are not
capable of parenting, which were previ-
ously employed in Maryland, Washington
state, Rhode Island and Maine, to no avail.
While speaking in favor of the bill,
state Sen. Karen Peterson (D-Stanton)
came out as a lesbian, telling of how she
and her partner of 24 years, Vicki, en-
by John Riley
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TS THE POLL HEARD ROUND
the commonwealth.
EV Advocates, a nonprot afliate
of Equality Virginia that performs voter
outreach and education, sent an fund-
their families will soon be able to enjoy
the benets and protections that marriage
provides, Emily Hecht-McGowan, direc-
tor of public policy for the Family Equality
Council, said in a statement. Love makes a
family, but marriage strengthens it. We look
forward to the day when all our families can
celebrate winning the freedom to marry.
The national marriage-equality orga-
nization Freedom to Marry also praised
the Delaware vote, but while noting up-
coming marriage ghts in other states.
Todays historic vote makes Delaware
the eleventh state across the U.S. where
loving and committed couples can share
in the joy and protections that marriage
brings, Marc Solomon, campaign direc-
tor for Freedom to Marry, said in a state-
ment. As happy couples and their loved
ones celebrate and prepare for the rst
weddings in Delaware following the win
in Rhode Island just a few days ago this
milestone sends yet another message to
the Supreme Court that its time for mar-
riage for all Americans. Freedom to Marry
is proud of its work with Equality Dela-
ware to secure this victory, and we look
forward to surging forward and continu-
ing the momentum in Illinois and Minne-
sota later this month. l
EV Advocates Entering
Election Mode
LGBT group uses threat of Cuccinelli governorship as organizing,
fundraising tool ahead of 2013 elections
raising email to supporters soliciting do-
nations following the release of a recent
Washington Post poll showing Virginia
Attorney General and presumptive Re-
publican nominee Ken Cuccinelli leading
presumptive Democratic nominee Terry
McAuliffe by 5 points.
When you wake up on November 6,
2013 will it be a breath of fresh air with
an administration that directly reaches out
to our community, or will you be in fear
that a new governor will nd ways to fur-
ther oppress LGBT Virginians? the email
reads. EV Advocates says its goal is to raise
$50,000 to educate voters about the differ-
ences between the two candidates.
In the Post poll, Cuccinelli leads
McAuliffe 46-41 among Virginia voters.
That lead expands to 51-41 margin among
voters who say theyre certain to cast bal-
lots in November. The poll has a 4-point
margin of error.
Although Virginians have elected
Democratic governors and President
Obama twice won the state, turnout tends
to fall sharply, particularly among Demo-
cratic-leaning constituencies, in off-year
elections when Virginia holds its contests
for governor, lieutenant governor, attor-
ney general and General Assembly seats.
According to the poll, Cuccinelli receives
almost unanimous support from Repub-
lican-leaning voters, while McAuliffe has
relatively tepid support.
Because the state Senate is not up for
re-election in 2013, the chamber should
remain evenly divided between Demo-
crats and Republicans, while that the
lower chamber is likely to stay under Re-
publican control. As a result, the choice of
marketplace
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dorsements, but may endorse in the gen-
eral election.
Clay also said that, once party nomi-
nees are decided, EV Advocates plans to
partner with other progressive, pro-LG-
BT organizations to educate voters about
candidates with regard to LGBT issues,
such as an executive order prohibiting
discrimination based on sexual orienta-
tion in public employment, marriage and
adoptive rights.
In the governors race, there are two
very different perspectives on LGBT is-
sues, Clay told Metro Weekly. The gov-
ernor can really set the tone for the en-
tire commonwealth. Theres a lot at stake
here.
In the meantime, EV Advocates will
be releasing a scorecard rating members
of the General Assembly on their posi-
tions on LGBT-related legislation during
the 2013 legislative session.
In all of the races, were going to see
people with varying perspectives, Clay
said of candidates stances on LGBT is-
sues. But were noticing that, more re-
cently, people arent shying away from
speaking up for LGBT issues. I think
were going to see that take place this year
as well. l
Kevin Clay, a spokesman for EV Advo-
cates, said the organization will send out
questionnaires to candidates following
Junes Democratic primary and Repub-
lican state convention, where each party
will select its gubernatorial nominee. EV
Advocates will not make any primary en-
the commonwealths next governor and
lieutenant governor, who would be tasked
with breaking ties in an evenly divided
Senate become very important when
considering whether various pieces of
anti-gay legislation would have a chance
of becoming law.
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12 MAY 9, 2013 METROWEEKLY.COM
Real Estate Roundup
Low interest rates fuel the D.C.-area housing market and spur those LGBT
buyers looking for a new neighborhood
Fowler
By Jessica Vaughan
T
HE CAPITAL PRIDE PARADE
still winds around Dupont
Circle every June, but Real-
tor Ted Smith of Stages Pre-
mier Realtors Washington argues that
the epicenter of the LGBT community
is now Logan Circle. The housing mar-
kets at both Dupont and Logan are
mature, however, and most new home-
buyers are looking for the next hot
neighborhood.
Michael Fowler, a Realtor with
Sothebys International Realty, says
pricing is the major factor in where
people look, especially because you
can nd some community in every area
neighborhood as the LGBT community
in metro D.C. is so large.
This is good news since real estate in
the District is a sellers market now. Ste-
ven Sushner, president of District Title,
says, The whole city seems to be on re
on right now. Several agents have told
me that while its not quite as insane as
the 2004-2005 market, a competitive
buyer is no longer including an inspec-
tion contingency.
Many gay couples and singles, espe-
cially those looking for their rst homes,
are moving north or east of Logan into
neighborhoods such as Shaw/Howard,
Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park and the
H Street corridor near the Atlas Dis-
trict and Gallaudet University. Another
option is the 11th Street corridor off
Columbia Heights. Smith says that,
LGBT people have always been on the
leading edge of gentrifying neighbor-
hoods.
Many people will willingly sacri-
ce grass for a pedestrian lifestyle near
shops and restaurants. Some LGBT
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buyers may not yet be or not ever be
interested in parenthood, so theyre less
concerned with schools and are looking
for interesting properties they can ren-
ovate. Vaulted ceilings or a private bal-
cony take precedence. Fowler says one
common denominator for most LGBT
clients is space for entertaining.
The diversity of the neighborhoods
is also a draw, though not everyone is
a fan of gentrication. It can be dif-
cult for residents who can no longer
afford to live in the neighborhood, but
many make a great prot on homes they
are selling. And to help keep the city
diverse, the Districts housing commis-
sion requires some new housing devel-
opments to include affordable units.
While many LGBT folks crave edgy
neighborhoods, thats not true for all.
For couples planning on children or
those less interested in whats new and
hip, more settled neighborhoods are a
draw. In the city, Georgia Avenue/Pet-
worth is a more residential option, but
that market is also saturated. Maryland
and Virginia offer some great deals as
well as great community. Fowler rec-
ommends Takoma Park, Silver Spring
and Bethesda in Maryland, and Claren-
don and Old Town in Virginia.
Notably, buying can be a more fea-
sible option than renting.
A buyer on the fence between buy-
ing and renting should seriously con-
sider purchasing now, advises Sush-
ner. With interest rates as low as they
are today it could cost a buyer hundreds
of dollars extra per month [if they] wait
another year. There are online calcu-
lators that can walk you through your
specic situation.
Smith recommends that if you really
want a property, Be prepared to offer
full price and to have an escalation
clause. If a property is decent, there will
be multiple offers. It is also a good idea
in this market to get prequalied before
you start looking. You want to be look-
ing at housing at a range you can afford.
One nal tip from Fowler is to nd
a good Realtor. They can identify off-
market homes, point you toward areas
and neighborhoods you previously
didnt consider and, most importantly,
they can help you develop a strategy so
that you do not pay more than you have
to in this strong sellers market.
Whether youre looking to reno-
vate a row house in an up-and-coming
neighborhood or to nally get out of
the city, you can be sure youll nd great
community there too.
Jessica Vaughan is a freelance writer in
Washington and a member of CAGLCC.
CAGLCC means business. For more
information, visit caglcc.org. l
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METROWEEKLY.COM MAY 9, 2013
14
BURGUNDY CRESCENT gay-volunteer
organization helps Casey Trees Community Tree
Planting Program. burgundycrescent.org.
Stonewall Kickballs Hotmess Kickers team hosts
HOTMESS SPRING FLING to benet The DC
Center and its Youth Working Group, SMYAL
and GLOV. 8 p.m.-midnight. $10. 21 and over.
Chastelton Ballroom, 1701 16th St. NW.
brant@thedccenter.org.
MAYOR VINCENT GRAY holds inaugural Youth
LGBTQ Town Hall. Noon-2 p.m. Eastern Market,
North Hall, 225 7th St. SE. 202-727-9493,
glbt@dc.gov.
WEEKLY EVENTS
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing, 9-5 p.m., and HIV
services (by appointment). 202-291-4707 or
andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by members of
the LGBT community, holds Saturday morning
Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by kiddush
luncheon. Services in DCJCC Community Room,
1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including others
interested in Brazilian culture, meets. For
location/time, email braziliangaygroup@
yahoo.com.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at
Marie Reed Aquatic Center, 2200 Champlain St.
NW. 8-9:30 a.m. swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social
club welcomes all levels for exercise in a fun and
supportive environment, socializing afterward.
Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a walk;
or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball team meets at Turkey
Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave.
NE, 2-4 p.m. For players of all levels, gay or
straight. teamdcbasketball.org.
GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses critical
languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies,
900 U St. NW. RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@
gmail.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 12
ADVENTURING OUTDOORS GROUP and
CHRYSALIS ARTS & CULTURE GROUP
co-sponsor walking tour of Chancellorsville
Battleeld near Fredericksburg, Va. Bring
beverages, lunch, sunscreen, bug spray, $12.
Carpool 9 a.m. from King Street Metro. Craig,
202-462-0535. adventuring.org.
organization helps at DC Central Kitchen.
burgundycrescent.org.
LAMBDA SCI-FI monthly meeting and social for
GLBT sci-/fantasy/horry fans. Bring snacks or
nonalcoholic drink to share. 1:30 p.m. 1425 S St.
NW. James 202-232-3141. lambdasci.org.
FRIDAY, MAY 10
Metro Weekly celebrates the 5TH ANNUAL
NEXT GENERATION AWARDS. 6-8:30 p.m.
Beacon Bar & Grill, 1615 Rhode Island Ave. NW.
202-638-6830, MetroWeekly.com.
WEEKLY EVENTS
METROHEALTH CENTER offers free, rapid HIV
testing. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW,
Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by members of the
GLBT community, holds Friday night Shabbat
services followed by oneg social hour. 8-9:30
p.m. Services in DCJCC Community Room,
1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.
GAY DISTRICT holds facilitated discussion for
GBTQ men, 18-35, rst and third Fridays. 8:30
p.m. The DC Center, 1318 U St. NW. 202-682-
2245, gaydistrict.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health,
Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St.
NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 202-745-7000,
whitman-walker.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides a social
atmosphere for GLBT and questioning youth,
featuring dance parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. catherine.chu@smyal.org.
TRANSGENDER HEALTH EMPOWERMENT
Diva Chat support group. 6-8 p.m., 1414 North
Capitol St. NE. Snacks provided. 202-636-1646.
SATURDAY, MAY 11
CHRYSALIS arts & culture group participates in
Open House for European Union embassies. Free.
Meet 9:30 a.m. atop Dupont Circle Metro north
escalators. Craig, 202-462-0535, craighowell1@
verizon.net.
ADVENTURING outdoors group hikes 7 easy
miles in Prince William Forest Park near
Quantico, Va. Bring beverages, lunch, bug spray,
sunscreen, about $8. Carpool at 9:30 a.m. from
Huntington Metro, lower Kiss & Ride lot. Devon,
202-368-3379. adventuring.org.
ADVENTURING hosts Spring Potluck Social
at private Falls Church home. 7 p.m. Email
hludmer@hotmail.com for details.
adventuring.org.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
presents WE HAVE FAITH, portrait exhibit of 24
LGBT interfaith clergy, through May 13. 2-7 p.m.
weekdays, 1-5 p.m. weekends. 4444 Arlington
Blvd. 703-892-2565, uucava.org.
THURSDAY, MAY 9
organization helps at Food & Friends.
burgundycrescent.org.
POINT FOUNDATION holds Cornerstone
Reception to hear from scholars and alumni. 6:30-
8:30 p.m. Room & Board, 1840 14th St. NW. $75,
students $25. pointfoundation.org/dc2013.
WEEKLY EVENTS
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian
square-dancing group features mainstream
through advanced square dancing at the
National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle
NW, 7-9:30 p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,
dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia
social group meets for happy hour at Sheraton in
Reston, 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, second-oor
bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health. The
Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St.
NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson Center,
2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 202-
745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
IDENTITY offers free and condential HIV
testing in Gaithersburg, 414 East Diamond Ave.,
and in Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave.,
Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointments
other hours, call Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or
Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE for young
LBTQ women, 13-21, interested in leadership
development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth Center,
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@
smyal.org
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous
Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW.
The group is independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
Metro Weeklys Community Calendar highlights important events in the
gay community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.
Event information should be sent by e-mail to calendar@metroweek-
ly.com; by fax to 202-638-6831; or by mail to Metro Weekly, Attn:
Community Calendar, 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 209, Washington, D.C.
20005. Deadline for inclusion is noon on the Friday before publication.
Announcement submissions that are not date-specic may run for two
weeks, with the option for listing organizations to resubmit if appropriate.
Questions about the calendar can be directed to the Metro Weekly ofce
at 202-638-6830.
LGBTCommunityCalendar
WEEKLY EVENTS
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS MEMORIAL
EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30
a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave. NW.
202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.
DIGNITY WASHINGTON offers Roman Catholic
Mass for the LGBT community. 6 p.m., St.
Margarets Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. All
welcome. Sign interpreted. dignitynova.org.
FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON meets for
worship, 10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW, Quaker
House Living Room (next to Meeting House on
Decatur Place), 2nd oor. Special welcome to
lesbians and gays. Handicapped accessible from
Phelps Place gate. Hearing assistance.
quakersdc.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites
all to Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is
available at both services. Welcoming LGBT people
for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE. reformationdc.
org
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF
WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL
interpreted) and 11 a.m. Childrens Sunday School at
11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373,
mccdc.com.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH, a Christ-centered,
interracial, welcoming-and-afrming church, offers
service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330,
riverside-dc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ARLINGTON, an
LGBTQ welcoming-and-afrming congregation,
offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow UU
Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIAL
CHURCH, a welcoming and inclusive church. GLBT
Interweave social/service group meets monthly.
Services at 11 a.m., Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th
St. NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, MAY 13
WEEKLY EVENTS
The DC Center hosts COFFEE DROP-IN FOR THE
SENIOR LGBT COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 1318 U
St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at Quaker House,
2111 Florida Ave. NW. getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5 p.m., by
appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger.
Youth Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or
testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay mens evening
afnity group. 3636 Georgia Ave. NW.
202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS Water Polo Team
practices 7-9 p.m. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300
Van Buren St. NW. Newcomers with at least basic
swimming ability always welcome. Tom, 703-299-
0504, secretary@wetskins.org, wetskins.org.
Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS SUPPORT
GROUP for newly diagnosed individuals, meets
7 p.m. Registration required. 202-939-7671,
hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.
TUESDAY, MAY 14

ADVENTURING OUTDOORS group bikes 13 miles
on paths and residential streets of Falls Church
to original D.C. West Boundary Stone. Dinner
follows. Bring helmet, beverage, $2. Meet 6:25 p.m.,
Clarendon Metro, elevator entrance. Scott, 571-289-
4369. adventuring.org.
Organizers of DC QUEER THEATRE FESTIVAL
hold an informational happy hour. 5-8 p.m. $10
donation. Mova Lounge, 2204 14th St. NW.
202-682-2245.
WEEKLY EVENTS
A COMPANY OF STRANGERS, a theater chorus,
meets 7:30-9:30 p.m. A GLBTA and SATB looking
for actors, singers, crew. Open Hearth Foundation,
1502 Massachusetts Ave. SE. Charles, 240-764-
5748. ecumenicon.org.
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing, 9-5 p.m., and HIV
services (by appointment). 202-291-4707,
andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinner in Dupont/
Logan Circle area, 6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com,
afwashington.net.
THE GAY MENS HEALTH COLLABORATIVE
offers free HIV/STI screening every 2nd and 4th
Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday LGBT
Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King
St. 703-321-2511, james.leslie@inova.org.
Whitman-Walker Healths GAY MENS HEALTH
AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m.,
1701 14th St. NW. Patients are seen on walk-in basis.
No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and
chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing available
for fee. whitman-walker.org.
THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THE DC CENTER
hosts Packing Party, where volunteers assemble
safe-sex kits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m., Green
Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW. thedccenter.org.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21
meets at SMYAL, 410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy
Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a support group for black
gay men 40 and older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. 202-446-1100.
15
LGBTCommunityCalendar
marketplace
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
THE TOM DAVOREN BRIDGE CLUB meets for
Social Bridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 721 8th St.
SE. Partner needed. lambdabridge.com.
BOOKMEN DC, an informal mens gay-literature
group, discusses Seminal: The Anthology of Canadas
Gay Male Poets edited by John Barton and Billeh
Nickerson. 7:30 p.m. 2101 E St. NW. All welcome.
bookmendc.blogspot.com.
WEEKLY EVENTS
AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets
about 7:45 p.m., covered-patio area of Cosi, 1647
20th St. NW. All welcome. Jamie, 703-892-8567.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health. D.C.:
Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-6 p.m. At the Max Robinson Center, 2301
MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 202-745-7000,
whitman-walker.org.
PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social club for mature gay
men, hosts weekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian Kitchen, 1637
17th St. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316; or Bill,
703-671-2454.
SATURDAY, MAY 18
Celebrate CAPITAL TRANSPRIDE. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle.
capitalpride.org/transpride. l
FOR MORE CALENDAR LISTINGS
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WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM
marketplace
19 PURCHASE YOUR PHOTO AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE/
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Youth Pride
Saturday, April 27
Dupont Circle
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
CHRISTOPHER CUNETTO
20 SEE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
MAY 9, 2013
VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 2
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LGBTOpinion
IT WAS JUST
over five-and-a-
half years ago that
I first brought
the idea of the
Next Generation
Awards to Metro
Weekly. Because I
happen to be run-
ning a business, I
fully admit that there were some busi-
ness considerations behind the idea.
But for me the goal of the Next Gen-
eration Awards has always been about
something more than a marketing and
PR strategy its about repaying debts
to an LGBT community that has made
not just the magazine a reality, but my
own life as a gay man.
I arrived in Washington in 1989
armed with a freshly printed jour-
nalism degree and an early onset of
career crisis. The traditional journal-
ism career track in those days still ran
through small-town newspapers before
making ones way to the larger, pres-
tige newspapers like The Washington
Post. Young, recently out and already
familiar with the joys of a big gay city
like D.C., I was never going to send
myself back home to start my career in
Paducah, Ky. And there was the small
detail that the more I worked as a low-
level reporter on Capitol Hill the more
I realized that the last thing I wanted to
be was a reporter.
While D.C. was and is a big gay city,
at that time it was still ridiculously clos-
eted and uptight. I no longer t on the
career path that Id been traveling since
before high school. AIDS stopped being
a vague fear for a young gay man and
became my day-to-day reality as I start-
ed to see my friends get infected, to see
my friends die. I got angry at a culture
that told me not to be angry, a culture
that equated gays with fear and disease.
I got angry enough that I became an
activist. And by becoming an activist, I
nally found a space in the world that I
could comfortably occupy, even if I never
stopped being angry. That space, that
acceptance, came from the support and
mentorship of so many others in our com-
munity who, for some reason or another,
saw something valuable in me. There
were older activists, traditional assimila-
tionists, militant queers, both the famous
and the infamous they all taught me and
caught me and kept me involved.
Ive been lucky in many ways. Not
everyone gets that kind of support;
some because they never stumble into
the right connections as I did, some
because there are only so many outlets
for recognition and mentoring to go
around.
Thats why we have the Next Gen-
eration Awards. I wanted Metro Weekly
to create more outlets so we can honor
and encourage both the achievements
and the potential of young LGBT people
in Washington. I wanted to create more
opportunities for those serendipitous
connections that inspire and motivate
young LGBT people to stay involved
in making our world a better place for
all of us.
Now, as we celebrate our fth anni-
versary of the Next Generation Awards
and the growth of our distinguished
group of Next Generation alumni to a
full 20 Im proud to say that weve
created something thats made a dif-
ference. I consider it only a start, but
a pretty spectacular start that will lead
to even bigger things in the future. Ive
been honored to befriend the amazing
people who have won the awards. Ive
been fortunate to work with the many
brilliant and talented people who have
served as our selection panelists over
these past ve years.
And Ive been lucky enough to see
throughout the entire process of com-
munity nominations and selection panel
discussions just how deep our commu-
nitys talent pool is. It reminds me that
as much as I hope the Next Generation
Awards will spur and develop new lead-
ers in our community, they can only be
one part of a greater whole.
The most important thing is the
help, support and inspiration each of us
offers every day. The future is in all of
our hands. l
Creating Space
The Next Generation Awards honor and encourage young
LGBT leaders, but we all have a role to play
by Sean Bugg
23
LGBTOpinion
JASON COLLINS IS
not the rst active
professional athlete
to come out. Tennis
star Martina Navra-
tilova came out in
1981. Her coura-
geous act, however,
was no threat to
male heterosexual dominance. Few peo-
ple even know that baseball player Glenn
Burke came out in the late 1970s, because
sports writers at the time responded with
a wall of silence.
Most recently, top WNBA draft pick
Brittney Griner came out on April 17. The
girls are way ahead of the boys here.
None of this diminishes the import of
what happened when Collins came out
in Sports Illustrated on April 29. It was
a game changer. As Martina said, it will
save lives.
Collins is a class act, a thoughtful, gal-
lant man who could not be better suited
to this moment had we auditioned a
thousand people. He is condent, strong
and masculine a walking refutation of
anti-gay stereotypes. He already proved
he has the grit and talent and discipline
to last 12 years in the NBA. His new role
requires verbal skills and poise that he
amply demonstrates in every interview.
Just by entering the arena, he challenges
his colleagues and countrymen.
Collins quickly received congratulato-
ry calls from President Obama, President
Clinton and Oprah Winfrey. NBA Com-
missioner David Stern praised him, as did
a host of players. Even Tim Hardaway,
who worked to redeem himself after his
homophobic response to John Amaechis
coming out in 2007, paid tribute.
There were naysayers. Chris Brous-
sards accusation on ESPN that Collins
was in open rebellion to God set off
complaints about a sports analyst stray-
ing far outside his lane. Media critic
Howard Kurtz, after falsely claiming
that Collins had not disclosed his past
engagement to a woman, was rebuked
and dropped by the Daily Beast. Bryan
Fischer of American Family Association,
apparently unfamiliar with professional
fortable in his own skin. His sense of
community is shown by his choice of
jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew
Shepard. His breaking the anti-gay bar-
rier in major league sports establishes
kinship with those who came before him,
and those who will follow. His grace
under pressure can show others a way
out of despair.
Collinss faith strikes a chord in the
African-American community, like that
of straight ministers whose leadership
was crucial to recent marriage-equality
victories. He stands at the contentious
intersection of race, sexual orientation
and religion. He was driven not by hun-
ger for the limelight but by faithfulness to
his nature and his conscience. He could
not answer the call of leadership from the
sidelines or the shadows.
On April 28, Collins was a respected
journeyman backup center. On April 29,
he found stardom in the hard and brave
act of becoming a hero and role model
for sexual minority youth. Lighting a
path for others few stars shine brighter
than that.
Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and
activist. He can be reached at
rrosendall@starpower.net. l
locker rooms, painted a lurid picture of
Collins eyeballing his naked teammates.
(In the unlikely event Fischer nds him-
self trapped in the shower with a rapa-
cious athlete, my advice is to close his
eyes and think of England.)
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, of all people,
called Collinss coming out sad because
a persons sexuality is a private matter.
This stems from the old double standard
of associating straight relationships with
love and care while reducing gay rela-
tionships to sex.
Collins did not write about sex. This
was about his right to pursue his own hap-
piness, to become whole and free. Having
fought his way to self-acceptance, he has
lent his strength to uncounted youth whose
dreams would otherwise be hemmed in by
intolerance and social pressure.
His easy humor with twin brother
Jarron in the Oprah interview, and with
Shaquille ONeal and Charles Barkley
on TNT, reveals Collins as a man com-
A Star is Born
He may not be the rst, but Jason Collins is a pioneer
just the same
by Richard J. Rosendall
L
IFE GETS BETTER.
Thats a comforting truism for
those of us on the older side of
the LGBT community, whove
watched as our country has gone
from banning openly gay military service and implement-
ing no promo homo laws undermining HIV-prevention
efforts to the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell and the
domino effect for marriage equality through the nation.
But none of that means the work is done. We still have
ugly reminders of hate in attacks against LGBT people.
Many LGBT and questioning youth still struggle with their
identities and families. HIV still stalks some of our most
underserved and ignored communities.
Were lucky that our next generation of LGBT leaders
is up to the challenge.
Thats why all of us at Metro Weekly are excited to
celebrate our fth anniversary of the Next Generation
Awards, honoring the achievements and potential of LGBT
leaders under the age of 30. You will read about AJ King,
Joseph Lewis, Je-Shawna Wholley and Michael Komo
in the coming pages. You will meet the selection panel of
Washington-area LGBT leaders who chose them from a
pool of impressive, talented and committed nominees.
Life gets better for LGBT people because we work
hard to make it so. As this fth year of the Next Genera-
tion Awards proves, our young leaders are more than up
to the task. l
I
T HIT ALEXANDER AJ KING WHEN HE WAS ONLY
in high school.
I was getting calls back to back to back from my
friends saying, AJ, I just found out Im positive, he says.
The calls came from fellow gay, African-American boys in their
teens. I was like, Wow, theres clearly a disparity going on in
this community.
That disparity helped push King to choose a career focused
on HIV prevention and care, particularly among gay and bisexu-
al African-Americans, as well as queer youth empowerment and
social justice.
Im denitely an advocate for youth, says King, 24. I want
to make them feel like they have a support system an ally and
an adult they can look up to.
King, who got his start working as an HIV-prevention coordi-
nator with Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Lead-
ers (SMYAL), now works at the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry
(NOVAM) where he leads retreats known as RISE, for rewriting
inner scripts every day for gay, bi and questioning men of color
to address issues of self-esteem and internationalized homophobia.
Kings full-time work at NOVAM is actually just one of three
jobs, plus school.
I know a lot of people joke, because Im always doing a mil-
lion things within the community, that Im a workaholic.
King, who talks as rapidly as he obviously works, serves as a
part-time research assistant at the George Washington Universi-
tys School of Public Health testing the efcacy of pre-exposure
treatment to prevent the spread of HIV. Hes also a consultant
on initiatives for gay youth of color at Childrens National Medi-
cal Center.
Its this tireless devotion to his community that made King an
obvious choice for a 2013 Next Generation Award.
Its denitely an honor for me to be a successor of such
greats like [2012 Next Generation Awardee] Chris Barnhill and
[2009 Next Generation Awardee] Brian Watson, King says
about the award. I just hope that I get to do more positive things
within this community, and that I get to that next level.
Growing up in Herndon, Va., King wanted to be an actor
specically, an actor in scary movies, such as Friday the 13th
and Nightmare on Elm Street. Its a key reason he was attracted
during high school to the nonprot City at Peace DC, which uses
performing arts as a vehicle for community building and social
justice. There King helped develop theatrical shows based on
real-life struggles.
Thats what really opened my eyes to social justice and
working in the eld, he says. I got to take my passion for the-
ater and do it for social good.
King was raised with three older sisters by his aunt and
paternal uncle, whom he refers to as his mom and dad. He came
out to his mom when he was only 16. I was tired of always hid-
ing and sneaking around, saying I was going to the mall but I was
really hanging out with the person I was dating at the time, he
says. King says his mother is now supportive, though his being
gay is rarely discussed at home. While King has had a couple
serious relationships, including one that lasted over two years
when he was still a teenager, Ive never gotten to a point where
Ive brought someone home.
Thats still an internal struggle for me, but I think Im pretty
much at that point where Im comfortable with it, he continues,
adding with a laugh, Now I just got to nd a man.
Prior to his work in youth empowerment, King was an assis-
tant manager at Lambda Rising, where he worked until the
storied LGBT bookstore closed, in 2009. That denitely helped
me in the work that Im doing now, he says, because gay looks
a million different ways. Before Lambda Rising I thought gay
looked just this one way.
Acknowledging and respecting the diversity in queer iden-
tity is critical to Kings work with NOVAM in trying to reach
youth struggling with sexuality and self-esteem. Its easy to
get in people who are out and comfortable with their sexuality
and dont mind talking about it, he explains. But I think that
theres an element missing thats really ignored many times, of
those people who are still in that process of trying to gure out
whats going on with their sexuality. Figuring out ways to reach
such questioning youth is what King calls a work in progress,
though hes nding success through the Internet and mobile
apps such as Grindr and Jackd.
King, whos taking classes toward a degree in sociology at the
University of the District of Columbia, is still unsure of his long-
term career path. With each job I do, with each class I take, Im
getting closer and closer to really identifying what I want to do,
King says. But its denitely going to involve helping people
within the community.
Clearly his work has only just begun. l
Alexander AJ King
BY DOUG RULE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIAN VANKIM
the2013NextGenerationawards
M
ICHAEL KOMO CAME TO ACTIVISM EARLY IN
life. More than half of his 24 years have been spent
advocating for LGBT equality and he describes that
activism as the most rewarding aspect of his life.
Originally from Erie, Pa., Komo was about 10 years old when
a television show changed his life.
I know this sounds cheesy, but when Will & Grace pre-
miered in 1998, that was the rst time I had ever seen an openly
gay character on TV or in a movie and I said, Thats me, Komo
remembers.
Komo was not, however, at a point to come out in the con-
servative town of his childhood. Instead, he came out as an ally
in middle school and helped establish a Day of Silence to draw
attention to anti-LGBT bullying.
I was still targeted and harassed, he shares. My last name
doesnt really help Komo the homo.
The annual Day of Silence continues to be held at Komos
middle school, and the commitment to equality Komo made at
age 11 followed him through high school and college. Helping to
establish a Gay-Straight Alliance at his high school to work with
faculty and students, Komo became the rst person to come out
in a class of 560 students.
I told my family I couldnt keep living a life that wasnt me,
he says. And now 50 people out of my class have come out since
I graduated.
The middle child with two sisters and divorced parents,
Komos family supported his coming out, although it was a
harder experience with his father, who died in February.
I think it was toughest for him. It was challenging, but I
think he eventually came around, Komo says, adding that his
father questioned if his sons involvement in theater may have
inuenced his sexual orientation. No, Dad, you have it back-
wards. Im in theater because Im gay, Komo told him.
Komo came to D.C. in 2007, attracted by all the nations
capital has to offer in politics and advocacy. As a freshman at the
George Washington University, Komo immediately got to work
making the university more inclusive.
As a freshman at G.W. I wanted to meet with the adminis-
tration and tell them all my goals, Komo says. I met with the
administration the dean of students, the provost, everyone
sitting at the discussion table. I guess they thought it was kind
of odd. Oh, whos this freshman? Who does he think he is?
So, Im explaining why the LGBT community needs a non-
discrimination policy so we can be compliant with the D.C.
Human Rights Act, because its the right thing to do. At the
end of it one of the administrators looks at me and says, What
about these BLT people?
I didnt know if he was talking about gay people or a mys-
terious race of sandwich people. Im still trying to gure it out.
That just blew my mind that that would happen in 2007 at G.W.
in D.C. That really reminded me of Erie, because the only BLTs
in Erie were sandwiches; we didnt have visible BLT people.
Komo says it was that kind of apathy that made G.W. LGBT
friendly, but not necessarily LGBT positive.
So I really set specic goals every year, like establishing an
LGBT resource center. I thought that would open up the discus-
sion for students, staff and faculty to all work together toward
LGBT equality, he says.
While earning his undergraduate degree in political science
and a masters degree in legislative affairs, Komo also played an
integral role in G.W. adopting a nondiscrimination policy, gen-
der-neutral housing and the establishment of an LGBT studies
minor. In the meantime, he served as president of Allied in Pride
at G.W. and interned for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign,
the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
During an internship with the ofce of Sen. Bob Casey
(D-Pa.), Komo witnessed rsthand the passage of the rst piece
of federal LGBT legislation, the Matthew Shepard and James
Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. To be in the Senate for
the rst federal piece of LGBT legislation was really amazing. It
was one of the best moments of my life, Komo says, describing
the bills passage as a watershed moment that opened the door
for passage of the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, and what he
believes should be the movements No. 1 priority the Employ-
ment Non-Discrimination Act.
Komo will enter his second year of law school at G.W. this fall
and plans to spend this summer interning with Lambda Legal in
Los Angeles. After receiving his third and nal, he promises
degree in 2015, he envisions a career advocating for LGBT
people, women, people of color and other historically under-
represented groups.
My end goal in life is to be the rst openly gay Senate major-
ity leader, Komo says, adding that should the Senates rst out
member, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), beat him to it, that would
be a good problem to have in life. l
Michael Komo
BY JUSTIN SNOW
T
HROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, 26-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH
Lewis has struggled with embracing the different fac-
ets of his identity as a gay man, a deaf person and an
adopted son. Hes also refused to allow lifes obstacles
to deter him from achieving his goals.
Born in South Korea to a single mother who placed him for
adoption, as a small boy Lewis joined an Iowa family with 14 oth-
er children, including two other brothers who are deaf.
I feel like Ive had a very positive upbringing with my fam-
ily, even though I am a minority and my hometown is less than 5
percent Asian, he says. I was denitely the odd one out.
After learning sign language and literacy skills, Lewis attend-
ed public school with his own interpreter, but later joined his
brothers at the Iowa School for the Deaf to connect with other
deaf people nearly ve hours from home. Even there, however,
tting in was difcult.
I was brought up with Signed Exact English (SEE), Lewis
explains. Its not really recognized by the deaf community. At
the Iowa School for the Deaf, it was very much an ASL (American
Sign Language) community. People looked at me and said, You
cant sign.
Despite that rough start, Lewis mastered ASL and excelled in
academics and extracurricular activities. He did particularly well
in speech competitions, placing rst at local, state and regional
levels.
That foundation paved the way to D.C. and Gallaudet Univer-
sity, where he earned a degree in government. That work also
landed Lewis a 2009 spot as an intern for his states Sen. Tom
Harkin, allowing him access to congressional hearings for the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention
Act and the conrmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice So-
nia Sotomayor. He topped that placement with an internship at
the White House.
Walking the halls of power, however, left Lewis feeling a need
to be more engaged in community. So, after graduation, he served
as a volunteer for Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program, then
with AmeriCorps directly as a computer literacy instructor for
low-income deaf/hard-of-hearing District residents.
Now a correspondence specialist at the U.S. Department of
Labor for the Ofce of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
(OFCCP), Lewis is involved with overseeing whether federal
contractors are compliant with equal-opportunity hiring guide-
lines for veterans, the disabled and minority populations. But
he still nds time to volunteer at the White House helping sort
through correspondence, and with The DC Centers HIV Work-
ing Group packing safer-sex kits.
From South Korea to Iowa to D.C., Lewiss identity has ex-
panded, and he says hes comfortable with all of it: gay, deaf,
Asian, a Pentecostal Christian and a Democrat. He grants, how-
ever, that hes the black sheep of his conservative Republican
family, and that his parents are still not fully comfortable with his
sexuality, though hes been out for several years.
They have their own vision of what success means for their
children, he reasons. When it doesnt match up, its a shock.
Lewis learned that just before a recent trip home his parents
questioned one of his brothers to nd out if he was still gay.
My brother actually stood up for me and said, Yeah, hes suc-
cessful, hes got a great job, hes enjoying his life, so why would
you criticize him and his sexuality? Lewis recounts. It was just
taboo. But, eventually, I do want to get married, I do want to have
children. So my parents are going to have to accept it. Or dont
accept me.
As Lewis and his parents continue that journey, there is plen-
ty to keep Lewis a self-described political geek occupied
in D.C. He has about 700 Twitter followers joining him on the
political journey, where he tweets as @AsianGlowJoe.
If theres something thats bothering me, I will let people
know my opinion, he says. To my surprise, Ive actually been
re-tweeted. Its funny, actually, because Karl Rove is following
my tweets. I was trying to gure out why, since hes a Republican,
but its interesting.
Lewis also makes no secret of wanting a more hands-on expe-
rience: public ofce.
Im up for any challenge, he says of a future run for ofce.
I think my life experience shows Im used to challenges, I like
challenges. I feel its all about tailoring my vision and making
sure I present ideas that make a better place, that provide a bet-
ter opportunity for everybody.
Aside from his own political ambitions, Lewis says he would
love to work for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, should
she run in 2016. He says he would give his life to work on that
campaign, and believes Clinton could be competitive in his home
state in the general election.
For now, though, Lewis is focused on smaller goals. First, hed
like to earn at least a 155 on his LSATs. Second, hed like to gain
Chelsea Clinton as a Twitter follower.
We have such similar personalities, he says. Just from ev-
erything Ive read about her, were very much alike. l
Joseph Lewis
BY JOHN RILEY
T
HANKS, IN PART, TO HIGH SCHOOL YEARS IN
the Junior ROTC in Forrestville, Md. where she rose
to the leadership rank of regiment commander Je-
Shawna Wholley was sitting pretty with a full ROTC
scholarship to Texas A & M University. Something, however,
wasnt quite right.
This was before the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, Whol-
ley, 24, explains. I was the only black female there in my corps,
one of two black people in my corps. And I was closeted.
Having come out at 16, the conventional wisdom that college
is the rst place a young person gets her rst real taste of free-
dom was turned upside down. Not only did college put Wholley
back in the closet, she was nding it difcult to celebrate nearly
any portion of her identity.
I went from being in a very afrming place with people who
looked like me, where I could be who I was, to being in this very
dark-shadow place, she shares. I was not happy.
As stable as her ROTC scholarship may have been, Whol-
ley made a choice. At this particular crossroad, she let go of
security and took a chance on herself, enrolling in Spelman Col-
lege, among the nations premier historically black colleges, in
Atlanta.
In that short interim between Texas A & M and Spel-
man, however, Wholley faced another challenge back home in
Maryland. As she walked her new puppy near her apartment, a
stranger approached her. She ed to her apartment, but he broke
in as she called 911. Though the assailant, armed with scissors,
attacked her, she managed to escape as the police arrived.
They found him, arrested him. I was convinced to enter into
a plea. He served maybe two years for breaking and entering,
but not for sexual assault. I was told that because he didnt rape
me, they couldnt press those charges. Its really crazy to hear,
when you feel like you were violated in a real way, that because I
fought back and this didnt happen to me, that justice isnt mine.
What was hers, however, was her sense of being a survivor. How
that may have inuenced her time at Spelman would be very hard
to say, but Wholley denitely became a force on campus. Stepping
in to reinvigorate the campus LGBT organization, Afrekete, part
of Wholleys healing may have been to rekindle those leadership
abilities forged in high school as regiment commander.
It was an informal group of people who just wanted to be
around other queer people and needed a safe space to do that,
she says of Afrekete when she joined the group. So, I took
Afrekete and my biggest goal was to mobilize. I knew that we
needed everything we were experiencing in this room, all of this
energy that we had, we needed to make ourselves visible and
force the campus to acknowledge us. And it was difcult. Some
people were like, Thats not what I signed up for. Toni Cade
[Bambara] said this: Make the revolution irresistible. She did
that in her writing. I had to nd a way to do that with organiz-
ing.
And so she did, with Afrekete joining the ranks of sanctioned
student groups, holding a pride week, and presenting a drag
fashion show that directly if playfully challenged afliated
Morehouse Colleges appropriate-attire policy that forbade
men from wearing anything that could be considered womens
clothing. In 2011, the national Campus Pride organization recog-
nized Wholleys efforts with its Voice & Action National Leader-
ship Award.
Now in D.C. and still keeping tabs on Afrekete Wholley is
continuing her campus crusade in her position with the National
Black Justice Coalition as programs and outreach associate.
The path I had into NBJC volunteering, understanding
what its about, and then making my own space in it I can cre-
ate that path for other people, she says of NBJCs Emerging
Leaders Initiative. Im all about making policy, politics, civic
engagement and NBJC accessible and relatable to youth, mak-
ing sure my peer groups see themselves in the organization, see
themselves in the movement, and then feel empowered enough
to mobilize in their own way.
Mobilizing in her own way, Wholley is also interested in
working with fellow survivors of sexual assault, as well as some-
day getting married and having kids. In the meantime, shes got
a movement to support as well as making sure she doesnt burn
herself out in the process.
I am a young person trying to gure out what she wants to
be when she grows up, dedicated to saving her own life and the
lives around her, she says with a charming wisdom, noting that
the Next Generation Award is an unexpected surprise. Its a
shock, actually. You dont realize whos watching when youre in
the midst of moving and just doing what feels right, essentially
just doing my job. I cant say its going to make me work harder,
but its nice to know youre being seen. Its humbling and its
surprising. I didnt even know anyone was paying attention. l
Je-Shawna Wholley
BY WILL OBRYAN
the2013NextGenerationawardsSelectionPanel
The Next Generation Awardees are chosen from a pool of community nominations by a panel of Washington-area LGBT leaders
from the worlds of arts, activism, business and politics. The 2013 Next Generation Selection Panel members are:
PAUL M. SMITH
Partner
Jenner & Block
ELLEN KAHN
Director
Family Project
Human Rights Campaign
KIM ROSENBERG
Founder and President
Mixology
THOMAS SANCHEZ
Co-Founder and
Chief Technology Ofcer
Social Driver
STERLING WASHINGTON
Director
D.C. Mayors Ofce of GLBT Affairs
EBON F. BELL
Founder and Managing Editor
Tagg Magazine
CURTIS TATE
National Correspondent
McClatchy Newspapers
THOMAS SANCHEZ
Co-Founder and
Chief Technology Ofcer
Social Driver
MAY 9 - 16, 2013
SPOTLIGHT
AN EVENING OF CABARET
CELEBRATING PETER FOX
The Peter Fox Project, named after the popular
singer with the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington
who died in January 2012, offers a special cabaret
that benets the afterschool arts organization the
Sitar Arts Center. Mary Ann Redmond, GMCWs
Potomac Fever and others perform at this Change
The World cabaret. The rst recipient of the Peter
Fox Award, a scholarship for a promising music
student, will also be announced. Saturday, May
11, at 6:30 p.m. Stroga, 1808 Adams Mill Rd. NW.
Individual tickets are $100. Call 718-753-5520 or visit
PeterFoxProject.org or sitarartscenter.org.
BETTYE LAVETTE, BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
Technically, the legendary gospel group the Blind
Boys of Alabama gets top billing for this concert at
the Howard Theatre. But its the great, hard-living
soul singer Bettye Lavette who most appeals to
us. Lavette has been incredibly forthcoming about
her many dalliances with women, including in her
recent memoir, and the New York Times wrote that
shes basically second only to Aretha Franklin in
inuencing her generation and to think shes only
now getting the credit she deserved decades ago
when she started out in the business. Saturday, May
18, at 8 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW.
Tickets are $37.50 in advance, or $43 day-of show.
Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.
EMMAS REVOLUTION
Mount Rainiers Joes Movement Emporium presents
a hometown show for this folk duo, recipient of the
Washington Area Music Associations Fan Favorite
WAMMIE Award the last two years running. As
emmas revolution, Pat Humphries and Sandy O.
were active in the successful ght for marriage
equality in Maryland and carry on the longstanding
tradition of a peace-centric, progressive folk act.
Friday, May 10, at 8 p.m. Joes Movement Emporium,
3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, Md. Tickets
are $15 in advance, or $18 at the door. Call 301-699-
1819 or visit joesmovement.org.
KOEN VANMECHELEN: LEAVING PARADISE
Two living, breathing chickens have been imported
to take up roost at the Northeast art gallery
Connersmith. The birds will be surrounded by
photographs, sculptures and records documenting
the work of this Belgian artist/activist and his efforts
to breed chickens until they regain traits they lost
over centuries of evolution and human intervention,
such as ying. Through June 29. Connersmith,
1358 Florida Ave. NE. Call 202-588-8750 or visit
connersmith.us.com.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:
TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN SCHWARTZ
NSO Pops Conductor Steven Reineke has lined up
quite a bash to celebrate both the 65th birthday of
Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz as well as
the 10th anniversary of his blockbuster show Wicked.
Former Wicked stars Jennifer Laura Thompson
36
DeAnda (L) and Heck
Compiled by Doug Rule
Texas Hold Em
Yen Tans Pit Stop offers a story about rural gay life
A
DECADE AGO, WHEN TEXAS-BASED FILMMAKER YEN TAN
regularly commuted between Dallas and Houston, he wondered if he
was alone out there.
I would stop at gas stations and wonder if there were gay people living
in these small towns between the cities, Tan says. His latest lm, Pit Stop,
reects what he uncovered. The evocative lm tells the ctional story of two
gay men struggling to move on from past relationships, each wondering if
theres hope for love again. Played by Bill Heck and Marcus DeAnda, the two
men live on opposite sides of the same small town. They only meet during the
course of the lm for a hookup.
Pit Stop is something I wanted to make for a long time, says Tan. Its
probably the longest Ive ever worked on a lm, in writing and developing it.
This weekend Pit Stop, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier
this year, will screen at the Maryland Film Festival. Next comes the gay and
lesbian lm festival circuit, where Tans previous lms, including 2002s
Happy Birthday and 2008s Ciao, have been well received.
Set as it is in a quieter, more rural part of the country, Pit Stop is also quieter
and more stoic than what were used to seeing. The lms two leads both sport
beards, but theyre decidedly not bears or trying to be trendy.
When I was doing research about gay men who live in small towns, thats
always one of the things I noticed, Tan says, chuckling at being asked about
facial scruff. I was trying to not make it seem like it was a trend thing. I was
going back and forth on it should they be clean-shaven, or have beards? And
then I thought, well, I have to go by what I observed. Doug Rule
Pit Stop screens Friday, May 10, at 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 12, at 5:30 p.m.
at the Charles Theater, 1711 N. Charles St., Baltimore. Tickets are $10. Call 410-
752-8083 or visit md-lmfest.com.
STAGE
4000 MILES
Tana Hicken stars in Amy Herzogs play about
a 21-year-old neo-hippie who, following his
girlfriends death, seeks refuge in the Greenwich
Village apartment of his 91-year-old leftist
grandmother. Studios former longtime artistic
director Joy Zinoman returns to direct the show
starring local stage veteran Tana Hicken, who is
threatening this may be her swan song, and Grant
Harrison. Extended again to Sunday, May 19. Studio
Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or
visit studiotheatre.org.
CORIOLANUS
A man rises and falls as a hero on account of his
inexible self-belief and contempt for popular rule,
and then seeks revenge against the Romans who
banished him. Gee, sounds like House of Cards, but
it is in fact Shakespeare. David Muse directs a large
cast led by Patrick Page in the title role. Running
in repertory with Wallenstein to June 2. Sidney
Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts,
610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit
shakespearetheatre.org.
DC-7: THE ROBERTO CLEMENTE STORY
GALA Hispanic Theatre presents Luis Caballeros
bilingual musical based on the life of Roberto
Clemente, who went from the barrios of Puerto
Rico to a successful run with the Pittsburgh Pirates
to a fateful ight delivering humanitarian aid in
Nicaragua. Caballero directs the production with
musical assist from Didier Prossaird of the salsa
band Sin Miedo with choreography by Luis Salgado.
To May 26. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333
14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $42. Call 202-234-
7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
from a feisty, young maid compels him to confront
his own humanity and the fate of our nation. Robert
OHara (Woolly Mammoths Bootycandy) directs a
co-production with Houstons Alley Theatre and
starring Bowman Wright as King and Joaquina
Kalukango as his maid. Closes this Sunday, May 12.
Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW.
Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.
FILM
DONNIE DARKO
Fairfaxs Angelika Film Center has launched a new
Angelika After Hours series, screening cult favorites
as midnight movies. Back to the Future and The
Shining are on tap for coming weekends, but this
weekend brings Richard Kellys daring apocalyptic
lm, set in, of all places, a Virginia suburb in the
1980s, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal before he became
a Hollywood leading man. Jakes sister Maggie also
co-stars, along with Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore,
even the late Patrick Swayze. Friday, May 10, and
Saturday, May 11, at 11:45 p.m. Angelika Film Center,
Lee Highway & Gallows Road near 8200 Strawberry
Lane. Fairfax, Va. Tickets are $7. Call 571-512-3301 or
visit angelikalmcenter.com.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Landmarks E Street Cinema screens everyones
favorite camp classic as part of its regular midnight
screenings. Landmarks showing comes with a live
cast, meaning its even more interactive than usual.
Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, at midnight.
Landmarks E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call
202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
and Julia Murney, plus Jeremy Jordan (Newsies)
and Norm Lewis (The Gershwins Porgy and Bess),
join the NSO and the Washington Chorus in a
performance of hits from the Schwartz repertoire,
including Broadways Godspell and Pippin and
Disney lms Pochantas and The Hunchback of Notre
Dame. Why even Schwartz is expected to show up
and tickle the ivories. How could any self-respecting
showtunes queen skip this? Thursday, May 16, at 7
p.m.. Also Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, at 8
p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20
to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
RAINBOW MAMBO: GAY AND LESBIAN
PRESENCE IN LATIN MUSIC
Jim Byers, host of WPFW 89.3 FMs Latin Flavor,
has organized this presentation that will discuss
the inuence of LGBT individuals on Latin music,
from contemporary stars Ricky Martin and Albita,
to unsung pioneers such as singer Johnny Rodriguez
and composer/pianist Julio Gutierrez. Andy Torres,
an original cast member of the musical The Wiz, will
be a discussion panelist. The lecture was intended
to run as part of a full Metro Mambo series and in
tandem with Capital Pride before Congressional
sequestration made organizers scramble to make
alternate plans with scraped-together funds from
the Anacostia museum. Saturday, May 18, from 2
p.m. to 4 p.m. Smithsonian Anacostia Community
Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE. Free but space is
limited. Call 202-633-4866 or visit Anacostia.si.edu.
THE MOUNTAINTOP
Arena Stage presents resident playwright Katori
Halls bold reimagining of the last night of the
historic life of Martin Luther King Jr. Exhausted
from delivering a signicant speech, King rests in his
room at the Lorraine Motel when an unexpected visit
GHOST-WRITER
When a novelist dies mid-sentence, his typist
continues to take dictation creating concern
among the novelists wife, publisher and the general
public. John Vreeke directs Michael Hollingers play,
inspired by Henry James and his typist Theodora
Bosanquet, with a cast including Paul Morella, Susan
Lynskey and Helen Hedman. To June 2. MetroStage,
1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Call 800-494-8497
or visit metrostage.org.
GILGAMESH
Part god, part man, King Gilgamesh goes on an
epic quest for immortality in the latest show in
Constellation Theatre Companys seasonal focus
on heroes. As conceived by dramaturg Chad Garcia,
Gilgamesh features poetry by the Pulitzer Prize-
winning Yusef Komunyakaa and music by the Helen
Hayes-winning eclectic new age local musician Tom
Teasley. Constellations Allison Arkell Stockman
directs. To June 2. Source, 1835 14th St. NW.
Tickets $50. Call 202-204-7760 or visit
constellationtheatre.org.
OPTIMISM! OR VOLTAIRES CANDIDE
Spooky Action Theater presents TJ Edwards
wild romp of an adaptation complete with
rhyming couplets of Voltaires Candide. Michael
Chamberlin directs nine actors playing over 70 roles
as our hero is propelled by a kiss to pursue the
best of all possible worlds come war, earthquake
and the Spanish Inquisition. Weekends to May 19.
Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th
St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-248-0301 or
visit spookyaction.org.
OTHER DESERT CITIES
Arena Stage presents this drama that tells the story
of a womans return home after a six-year absence.
Written by Jon Robin Baitz, best known for ABCs
Brothers & Sisters, the story pivots on the womans
upcoming memoir, which threatens to revive the
most painful chapter of her familys history. Some
secrets cannot stay buried forever. Kyle Donnelly
directs. To May 26. Mead Center for American
Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit
arenastage.org.
THE FULL MONTY
Keegan Theatre presents the Americanized musical
stage version of the 1997 British lm, with a book by
Terrence McNally and a score by David Yazbeck. The
musical follows a group of unemployed steelworkers
desperately seeking employment until they hatch
a plan to make money by stripping for the ladies.
To June 1. Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St.
NW. Tickets are $40. Call 703-892-0202 or visit
keegantheatre.com.
THE ELDER STATESMAN
The Washington Stage Guild presents a production
of T.S. Eliots nal play in its rst D.C. production,
as part of its Eliot canon. Bill Largess directs this
moving story about an esteemed politician whose
career is besmirched just as he retires from public
life. Certainly sounds like a fail-safe play for
Washington. Opens Thursday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m.
To May 19. Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon
United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave.
NW. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 240-582-0050 or
visit stageguild.org.
THE PERSONAL(S)
No Rules Theatre Company, in residence at
Shirlingtons Signature Theatre, presents a stage
adaptation by the companys Brian Sutow of the lm
Blind Date, about a couple who goes on a series of
blind dates in an effort to save their marriage after
the death of their daughter. Josh Hecht directs Anne
Kanengeiser and Michael Kramer in the play, based
on the lms by the late Dutch lmmaker Theo van
Gogh and Stanley Tucci and likened to the classic
ery tte--tte Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf. To
May 18. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave.,
Arlington. Tickets $30 to $40. Call 703-820-9771
or visit signature-theatre.org or norulestheatre.org.
THE UNCLEAR FAMILY:
A REPERTORY OF THREE PLAYS
The women-strong Pinky Swear Productions
presents three plays, grouped into two programs,
about what it means to be a family. The rst program
features two world premiere one-acts by local
playwrights: Allyson Currins Benched is about three
mothers whose friendship becomes threatened,
while Renee Calarcos Bleed, directed by Matt Ripa,
involves the last round of a game that denes a
husband and wifes marriage. The second program
features Rachel Axlers Smudge, directed by Ryan
Maxwell, exploring expectant parents fears about
what happens if an unborn child comes outwrong.
To May 19. The Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St.
Bethesda. Tickets to each program are $20. Call 301-
654-8664 or visit writer.org.

TWELFTH NIGHT
Lost lovers and unruly servants conspire in
Shakespeares beloved romantic comedy about
unconditional, unrequited and undeserved love,
now in a production at the Folger Theatre directed
by Robert Richmond. To June 9. Folger Theatre,
201 East Capitol St. SE. Call 202-544-7077 or visit
folger.edu.
TWELFTH NIGHT
Yes, you are seeing double, because there really
are two productions of the Bards popular music-
early or else wait in line. Saturday, May 11. Doors at
9:30 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are
$10. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.
FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor Christopher Zimmerman ensures the
local symphonys season ends with a bang in a
concert featuring soprano Joni Henson and tenor
Brennen Guillory in a program of overtures and
arias by Verdi and Wagner. Both musical giants
would have turned 200 this year. Saturday, May 11,
at 8 p.m., with a pre-performance lecture at 7 p.m.
George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373
Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $25 to $55.
Call 703-563-1990 or visit fairfaxsymphony.org.
FATHER JOHN MISTY
Its a strange name for a indie-folk musician, one
who is neither ordained nor particularly religious.
And as far as we can ascertain he hasnt sired any
offspring either. Joshua J. Tillman rst came to
fame under his real name and as part of Fleet Foxes,
among other indie-rock bands, but as of last year
adopted the self-described totally arbitrary name
Father John Misty. No less than NPR Music has sung
his praises, so he must be doing something right.
Thursday, May 16. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30,
815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930
or visit 930.com. Also visit 930.com/friends to sign
up for the clubs new Friends With Benets rewards
program offering exclusive deals and discounts on
tickets, drinks and merchandise. l
plus originals from band members at its namesake
venue. Founded by baritone saxophonist Brad Linde
and club owner Omrao Brown, features some of
D.C.s best jazz musicians, including Linde and
trumpeter Joe Herrera, who co-direct. Performances
at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. every Monday night. Bohemian
Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-
299-0800 or visit bohemiancaverns.com.
CHRIS MANN
The leader of the pack well, Christina Aguileras
pack, anyway; he only made it to fourth place overall
on last years The Voice comes to the area for not
one but two headlining shows. And then in a couple
weeks hell take part in PBSs National Memorial
Day concert on the Mall. Clearly, the Kansan is
trying hard to make this a habit. Tuesday, May 14, at
7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.,
Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or
visit birchmere.com.
DARCY JAMES ARGUES SECRET SOCIETY
A Swing Era-style 18-piece big band, which earned a
Grammy nod for its record Infernal Machines, takes
what it is billed as a steampunk-inspired attitude
towards the traditional big band[refashioning]
this well-worn instrumentation into a cutting-edge
ensemble. Denitely sounds intriguing. Saturday,
May 18, at 8 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333
H St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-399-7993
or visit atlasarts.org.
DOUBLE DUCHESS AT MIXTAPE
Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer present a
performance by this eccentric and fun electro-
hop multiracial gay duo, all the way from San
Francisco, during the May edition of their ever-
popular Mixtape party at the Black Cat. Get there
lled rom-com, the second far wilder than the rst.
Marylands Rude Mechanicals, whose name derives
from another beloved Bard comedy A Midsummer
Nights Dream, offers Maureen Shanahans
adulterated version, with the story moved to a music
festival in the 1980s, centered on two pop stars who
get separated after a freak tour bus accident. Patrons
are encouraged to dress up each performance of
the run in different 80s-era rock star garb, from
hair metal Friday, May 10, at 8 p.m., to goth and
punk Saturday, May 11, at 8 p.m., to Mothers Day
Matinee Teen Idol Jubilee Sunday, May 12, at 2
p.m. Each night also offers a post-show discussion
on issues raised by the play, including a discussion
Saturday, May 11, about the plays LGBT issues
led by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network. Runs to May 18. Howard County Center
for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Rd. Ellicott City, Md.
Tickets are $12 rst weekend, $15 second. Visit
rudemechanicals.com.
MUSIC
ADAM PASCAL
The original Roger Davis in Rent and a star of Aida
and Memphis too drops by the Kennedy Center
for a night of sure-to-be-rocking cabaret, part of
Barbara Cooks Spotlight series. Friday, May 10, at
7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, 2700 F
St. NW. Tickets are $45. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
BOHEMIAN CAVERNS JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Every Monday night the 17-piece jazz orchestra
performs a variety of music from the big band
repertoire including pieces by Duke Ellington,
Count Basie, Billy Strayhorn and Maria Schneider,
FOR MORE OUT ON THE TOWN LISTINGS
PLEASE VISIT
WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM
W
HAT KIND OF
maniac tries to
adapt The Great
Gatsby? Few
books are legitimate touchstones
in American culture, and for bet-
ter or for worse, F. Scott Fitzger-
alds sits atop that very short list.
Its a perennial bestseller and
a staple of high school English
classes across the country, and
yet in all of its years, it hasnt
spawned a single decent movie.
The Great American Novel cant
seem to inspire The Great Ameri-
can Film.
Despite director Baz
Luhrmanns manic attempt to will
Fitzgeralds words to screen, The
Great Gatsby (in 3D!) has about as
much success fullling that wish
as its titular, tragic hero does with
his own. Both desperately try to
recreate a beautiful thing of the
past, but only in Luhrmanns case
does failure feel so bloodless and
forged. Gatsby meets a tragic end,
shot dead in a pool after being
abandoned by the love of his life.
Luhrmann merely leaves us with
a glittery, three-dimensional pro-
scenium and a Jay-Z soundtrack.
Still, its worth noting the
ambition of Luhrmanns garish
expressionism. After stumbling
through a dizzy parade of scenery
and I do literally mean dizzy,
thanks to a nauseating mix of
forced-focus 3D projection and a
moving camera the lm jolts to
life when it reaches its rst party
scene. Its Luhrmann at his nest,
a bacchanalian absurdity soaked
in Champagne and a heavy bass
line. Hes conjuring an anachro-
nistic sense of overindulgence,
tempting us to enjoy the gaudy
sort of high society that Fitzger-
ald aimed to tear down. The only
problem? Every party looks like
CHRIS HELLER
a hell of a time, and The Great
Gatsby never seethes with the
emotional heft it needs to prove
otherwise. Luhrmanns work is as
thin as what the people hes trying
to criticize.
Were thrust into these drunk-
en orgies alongside Nick Car-
raway (Tobey Maguire), an ama-
teur writer who comes to New
York hoping to make his fortune
on the bonds market. Hes within
spitting distance of old money
thanks to his posh cousin, Daisy
Buchanan (Carey Mulligan),
and her pompous, disloyal hus-
band Tom (Joel Edgerton). Not
that they hold his attention for
too long the man who whisks
Nick into bright, loud revelry is
the ludicrously rich Jay Gatsby
(Leonardo DiCaprio). Every
night, Gatsbys mansion gleams
from lavish, expensive parties
meant to attract Daisys attention.
With Nicks help, the star-crossed
lovers eventually meet, setting off
an affair that slowly burns away
to tragedy.
In other words, The Great
Gatsby tends to stick closely to
Fitzgeralds story. Each depar-
ture from the novel, however, is
signicantly confounding. Nick
is stripped of his (oft-contested)
sexuality and thrown in a sanitar-
ium, for reasons never explained.
Mulligan plays Daisy as a severely
wounded bird, not a conicted
woman capable of her own agen-
cy. This change emphasizes how
shes controlled by the men who
love her, but only at the expense
of a deeper truth. Were never
shown her poisonous desire for
elite life, and because of it, we
never realize shes no better a
person than her husband.
Nonetheless, its a small plea-
sure that Edgerton plays Tom so
well. His scenes against DiCaprio
are the highlight of this movie,
if only because they capture the
only moments of tension in a two-
plus hour epic that rarely has any.
Once Gatsby appears, DiCaprios
boyish charm shines through the
dullness but its not until he
faces off against Edgerton that
FILM
Baz Luhrmann tromps across Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, all too eager
to interpret subtle tension as over-the-top melodrama
The glamorous life: Elizabeth Debicki and Edgerton
THE GREAT
GATSBY
HHHHH
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Tobey Maguire,
Carey Mulligan
Rated PG-13
143 minutes
Opens Friday
Area theaters
41
Wretched Excess
W
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continues on page 44
42
I
N A SECOND ACT SCENE
in Show Boat, the character
Magnolia auditions to be a
singer at Chicagos popular
Trocadero Club. Magnolia was a
star on the Cotton Blossom, but
of course a Mississippi riverboat
celebrity is in a different league
from a big city nightclub act
just as a musical is a different
animal from an opera.
Or is it?
Youd be forgiven for think-
ing otherwise in the Washing-
ton National Operas production
of the show now docked at the
Kennedy Center. The companys
Show Boat a co-production
with opera companies in Chicago,
Houston and San Francisco
muddies most of the distinctions.
Oh, sure, as with any opera theres
prolic use of vibrato and colora-
tura, and no vocal amplication,
with lyrics projected above the
stage to aid in comprehension
or in this case to help the hard of
hearing; Show Boat is naturally
performed in English. But as in
musicals the performers dance
and talk and talk some more, far
more than the typical opera as
well as sing. The show also incor-
porates popular musical styles in
a way that would make an opera
purist frown who no doubt
would grow still more frustrated
seeing and hearing so many of his
fellow opera patrons oohing and
ahhing and even clapping vigor-
ously throughout the production,
as if on a common cruise ship.
But unless youre that rigid and
fussy, youll no doubt nd plenty
to enjoy in the way WNOs Show
Boat treads the waters dividing
these two forms of musical the-
ater. And ultimately, any connois-
seur of musical theater should see
this production. When else will
you get a chance to see 100 per-
formers onstage four or even
ve times the usual musical cast?
Aided by conductor John DeMain
leading an 80-piece orchestra
three or four times bigger than the
typical pit orchestra the music
really pops in the Kennedy Center
Opera House. That sheer power
will give you chills, especially in
the Show Boat songs that have
become American Songbook stan-
dards, especially Ol Man River
and Cant Help Lovin Dat Man.
In so many other ways Fran-
cesca Zambello has directed her
creative team and it should be
noted that most of them are vet-
erans of both opera and Broad-
way to make this a particu-
larly showy Show Boat. Among
the highlights are Peter J. Davi-
sons elaborate, sliding sets; Paul
Tazewells extravagant costumes
in various styles and covering
several decades worth of turn-
of-the-20th century fashions; and
choreographer Michele Lynchs
wide range of dance styles cover-
ing the same timeframe some
of the early ones naturally corny.
Show Boat, of course, is the
theater piece that pioneered the
musical art form. Previous Broad-
way shows incorporating music
were frilly, frothy song-and-dance
shows lacking in drama and sub-
stance. By contrast, composer
Jerome Kern and writer/lyricist
Oscar Hammerstein II fashioned
Show Boat, based on Edna Fer-
bers novel of the same name, to
deal with weighty issues, every-
thing from racism to interracial
marriage to marital struggles and
divorce. Captain Andy Hawks
runs the popular riverboat cruise
ship the Cotton Blossom, offering
white passengers an entertaining
escape from their humdrum daily
life, while black workers do back-
breaking work tending to their
leisurely needs. The leading lady
of the boat is Julie LaVerne, until
Theres plenty to enjoy in the way the WNOs Show Boat treads the
waters between opera from musicals
Showtime!: Angela Renee Simpson and the company of Show Boat
SHOW BOAT
HHHHH

To May 26
Kennedy Center
$25 to $270
202-467-4600
kennedy-center.org
Showy Boat
DOUG RULE STAGE
S
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S
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continues on page 44
C
RAVING A SLICE OF TESLAS AUTOMOTIVE FUTURE, BUT DONT HAVE
the bank account for the $62,400 sticker price? Fear not. The companys CEO
Elon Musk has announced that, in addition to now offering unconditional war-
ranties on all Model S power packs even if the user is at fault and using
Model S and Roadsters as loaners should ones car need to visit a garage, Tesla is also
upping its nance terms to make the Model S even more accessible.
Apparently, sales have been strong enough that nancing partners have agreed to allow
the current 63-month nance term to extend to 72 months. Tesla claims that, after taking
deposit and fuel-savings into account, the average user will pay just $580 per month to
own the Model S. Business users can expect a monthly rate of $315, once the depreciation
benet is taken into account and with 70 percent of miles driven being for business use.
This comes with a fresh guarantee from Musk, who previously assured owners that the
Model S would have a resale value comparable to that of the Mercedes S-Class, that the
auto will now have the highest resale value of any premium sedan. Tesla has also updated
the true cost of ownership section of its website. So if youre curious to see what impact
the Model S would have on your automotive and nancial life, head over to teslamo-
tors.com and check it out.
Meanwhile, the company has just announced a Performance Plus package for the
Model S, claiming it takes the sedans handling into supercar territory.
Their reasoning? A journalist told Musk that the Model S handled well, but was out-
performed by McLarens MP4-12C supercar. Instead of suggesting the man Google obvi-
ous statements, Teslas engineers instead rented the McLaren and set about trying to
match its dynamics.
The result? A $6,500 package that ts upgraded dampers, bushings, stabilizer bars
and better gripping Michelin tires
on the optional $3,500, 21-inch
wheels which are 20mm wider
at the rear. Tesla claims that over-
all handling and performance are
greatly improved, but that ride
comfort is also better. On top of all
that, Model Ss with the package
will get six to 12 more miles per
charge than standard cars.
Its available now for new
orders. Current owners, mean-
while, can retrot the package
to their cars so they dont feel
left out. If Teslas handling claims
bear fruit in the real world, those
with deep enough pockets have an
easy decision to make.
FORD IS THE SECOND-LARGEST
producer of hybrids in the United
States running a distant second
to the infamous Toyota Prius fam-
ily but the Japanese marque
shouldnt be resting on its lau-
rels, as Henry Fords company is
gearing up to smash its previous
hybrid yearly sales record, seven
months ahead of schedule.
Fords last record-breaking
year was 2010, when they sold
35,496 hybrids. Taking Aprils
strong sales into account, 2013s
total currently sits at 29,561, just
6,000 shy of the record. If current
sales maintain their pace, Ford
expects to break its record some-
time in May.
Toyota currently holds 58 per-
cent of the hybrid market, but
Ford increased its share to 18 per-
cent in April with strong sales of
the Fusion and C-Max hybrids.
This comes as Prius sales have
stalled, with lower gasoline prices
driving consumers out of Toyota
showrooms though the Priuss
bland image and stale looks cant
be helping matters. If Toyota cant
reverse the decline, we could be
seeing a change at the top of the
hybrid heap in the future.
IN AN ENCOURAGING SIGN
for Americas three biggest auto-
makers, April has been another
solid month of increasing sales.
GM, Chrysler and Ford are all
posting double-digit sales gains,
and the overall market has swelled
Tesla is courting car lovers with more favorable nancing terms, while
Fords hybrids are catching up to Toyota
Tesla Model S
43
Electric Company
RHUARIDH MARR GEARS
C
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S
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STAGE
continued from page 42
FILM
continued from page 41
from its position this time last year, with
projected sales of 1.3 million an 11 per-
cent increase compared with April 2012.
Crossovers, light-trucks and large
pickups remain the most sought after
vehicles, the latter two buoyed by gains
in the housing and construction markets,
with all three expected to increase over-
all sales this year to around 15.4 million
autos, an increase of almost 1 million over
last year.
GM sales rose 11 percent last month,
with Cadillac up 34 percent, and Chevy
and Buick swelling by 11 percent each.
Ford increased its sales by 18 percent
through April, with Lincoln increasing
its volume by 21 percent. Chrysler has
enjoyed strong growth thanks to its Ram
trucks, and the company can now mark
37 months of solid, consecutive gains on
its calendar.
In keeping with self-made stereotypes,
Americans continue to ock to pick-ups,
with new models and old favorites con-
tinuing to perform well the Chevrolet
Silverado increased sales by 28 percent,
and Ram selling over 31,000 trucks in
April. Redesigns are proving popular too
Ford is recognizing increased demand
for its latest Escape and Fusion models,
and Dodges brand new Dart helping to
The Great Gastby even begins to approach
conict.
With rare exception, the cast is too ten-
tative with Fitzgeralds material, acting as
if theyre carrying precious, fragile cargo.
They tiptoe more often than they need,
while Luhrmann tromps across Fitzger-
alds novel, all too eager to interpret subtle
tension as over-the-top melodrama. The
result is a peculiar sort of adaptation it
looks right, but it doesnt pass the smell
test. This isnt The Great Gatsby. This is
Moulin Rouge in the Jazz Age. l
buoy its sales, with a 65 percent increase
in demand for the Durango not hurting
either.
For more, visit MetroWeekly.com/gears. l
its revealed that LaVerne is half black.
And because shes married to a white
man a case of miscegenation that goes
against the laws at the time LaVerne
is quickly kicked off the boat. While
LaVerne becomes a sad sack character
by Act 2, pushed aside by Hawkss white
daughter Magnolia, you cant overlook
the injustice done to LaVerne simply
because of her race.
Talise Trevigne did a wonderful job
performing as LaVerne on the night I saw
the show, sharply conveying her char-
acters devastation in the heartbreaking
ballad Bill. But this is opera, where two
performers often play one lead role on
alternate dates, to help preserve vocal
power and Alyson Cambridge plays
LaVerne more often than Trevigne. No
doubt you cant go wrong with either,
and Im guessing thats true for most of
the alternating leads in the cast. If you
can, however, plan to catch a perfor-
mance starring Angela Renee Simpson
as Queenie and Morris Robinson as Joe,
do. As strong as their substitutes surely
must be, its guaranteed that Simpson and
Robinson will captivate you as this boats
powerhouses.
In particular, Robinsons stunning
rumbling bass voice ensures the spiritual-
inspired but thoroughly operatic ballad
Ol Man River, which he sings at several
turns throughout the show, is every
time the unforgettable and chill-induc-
ing showstopper it was intended to be. l
NIGHT
LIFE
47 METROWEEKLY.COM
t
THURSDAY, 05.09.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, games, football on
Sundays VJ Expanded
craft beer selection No
cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour,
4pm-7pm $4 Small
Plates, $4 Stella Artois,
$4 House Wines, $4
Stolichnaya Cocktails, $4
Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
DC EAGLE
Men in DC Eagle T-Shirts
get $3 Rail and Domestic,
9pm-midnight
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Happy Hour, 5-8pm $15
All You Can Drink Rail
Highballs and Domestic
Drafts ($22 upgrade for a
step-up from rail), 4-8pm
$5 Rail, $2 JR.s drafts,
8pm to close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Active Duty Military Night
Beat The Clock Happy
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover
PHASE 1
Karaoke, 9pm Drink
Specials No Cover
LISTINGS
Destinations on page 53
48
49
For addresses, phone numbers and locations of individual clubs, bars, parties,
and special events, please refer to our Destinations on page 53.
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis Upstairs open
5-11pm
DC BEAR CRUE
@Town
Bear Happy Hour, 6-11pm
$3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3
Bud Bottles Free Pizza,
7pm Hosted by Charger
Stone No cover before
9:30pm 21+
DC EAGLE
New Happy Hour Specials,
$2 off regular prices,
4-9pm Underwear Party
Men in underwear drink
free rail and domestic,
9-11pm Club Bar: SigMa
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
PWS SPORTS BAR
9855 Washington Blvd. N
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Karaoke in the Lounge
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday
DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets 9pm Cover
21+
FRIDAY, 05.10.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
Sundays VJ Expanded
cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1,
11pm-midnight Happy
Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm $5
Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat The Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PHASE 1
DJ Styalo Dancing
$5 cover
PHASE 1 OF DUPONT
1415 22nd St. NW
For the Ladies DJ Rosie
Doors at 9pm 21+
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Drag Show in lounge
Half price burgers and fries
TOWN
Upstairs: DJ Wess
Downstairs: DJ
BacK2bACk Go Go
Boys Doors open 10pm
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-
Lee, Jessica Spaulding
Deverreoux and BaNaka
Doors open at 10pm For
those 21 and over, $5 from
10-11pm and $10 after
11pm For those 18-20,
$10 all night 18+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Ladies of Illusion with
host Kristina Kelly, 9pm
Cover 21+
SATURDAY, 05.11.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
Sundays VJ Expanded
cover
DC EAGLE
$2 off for men with Club
Mugs, Leather Vests,
Harnesses or Chaps All
colors on lock down night
Club Bar: Highwaymen
TNT
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Diner Brunch, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke and/or live
entertainment, 9pm
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
highballs, $7 Vodka Red
Bulls
NELLIES
DJ Twin Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PHASE 1
Dancing, 9pm-close
PHASE 1 OF DUPONT
Doors at 9pm 21+

t
scene
scan this tag
with your
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pics online!
Crack Drag:
Its All a Delusion
Saturday, May 4
Town
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON
50
SUNDAY, 05.12.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
Sundays Expanded craft
beer selection No cover
DC EAGLE
New Happy Hours
Specials: $2 off rail
and domestic, 4-9pm
Cookout by Onyx, 5pm till
food is gone
FIREPLACE
Skyy Vodka, $3 $5 cover
with $1 off coupons
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Champagne Brunch
Buffet, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Drag Show hosted by
Destiny B. Childs featuring
performances by a rotating
cast, 9pm No cover
Karaoke follows show
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights &
$3 Skyy (all favors), all
day and night
NELLIES
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am-3pm
$20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
2 for 1 on any drink,
5pm-till end of game
No Cover
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Karaoke in the lounge
Charity Bingo with Cash
Prizes 3rd Sat. of Every
Month
TOWN
DJ Abel $3 drinks
before 11pm Drag Show
at 10:30pm Music and
video downstairs by Wess
21+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All nude male dancers,
9pm Ladies of Illusion
with host Ella Fitzgerald,
9pm DJ Steve
Henderson in Secrets
DJ Spyke in Ziegfelds
Cover 21+
51
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
MONDAY, 05.13.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES
Martinis
DC EAGLE
Open 4pm $1 Drafts
(Bud and Bud Light)
FREDDIES
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm
Showtunes Songs &
Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ Jamez $3 Drafts
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Poker Texas Holdem, 8pm
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Buzztime Trivia
competition 75 cents off
bottles and drafts
TUESDAY, 05.14.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
DC EAGLE
Open 4pm $2 Rail and
Domestic, All day Free
pool till 9pm
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Underground (Indie Pop/
Alt/Brit Rock), 9pm-close
DJ Wes Della Volla
Special Guest DJ Matt
Bailer 2-for-1, all day
and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Drag BINGO hosted by
Shi-Queeta Lee, 8pm
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
75 cents off bottles and
drafts Movie Night
WED., 05.15.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
DC EAGLE
Open 4pm New Happy
Hour specials, $2 off
regular prices, 4-9pm
Wooden Nickel Night,
9pm-close Receive a
wooden nickel for every
drink purchased
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm Drag
Bingo, 8pm Karaoke,
10pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour Prices,
4pm-Close
JR.S
Trivia with MC Jay
Ray, 8pm The Queen,
10-11pm $2 JRs Drafts
& $4 Vodka ($2 with
College I.D./JRs Team
Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
SmartAss Trivia, 8pm
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
52
Martinis Upstairs open
5-11pm
DC BEAR CRUE
@Town
Bear Happy Hour, 6-11pm
$3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3
Bud Bottles Free Pizza,
7pm Hosted by Charger
Stone No cover before
9:30pm 21+
DC EAGLE
New Happy Hour Specials,
$2 off regular prices,
4-9pm Underwear Party
Men in underwear drink
free rail and domestic,
9-11pm Club Bar: SigMa
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1,
11pm-midnight Happy
Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm $5
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Free Pool 75 cents off
Bottles and Drafts
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
New Meat Wednesday DJ
Don T 9pm Cover 21+
THURSDAY, 05.16.13
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour,
4pm-7pm $4 Small
Plates, $4 Stella Artois,
$4 House Wines, $4
Stolichnaya Cocktails, $4
Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
DC EAGLE
Happy Hour, $2 off regular
prices, 4-9pm DC
Eagle T-Shirt Thursday,
$3 Rail and Domestic,
9pm-midnight
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
$3 Rail Vodka Highballs,
$2 JR.s drafts, 8pm to
close Top Pop Night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Active Duty Military Night
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim E in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
FRIDAY, 05.17.13
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
Sundays VJ Expanded
cover
ANNIES
Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat The Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PHASE 1
DJ Styalo Dancing
$5 cover
PHASE 1 OF DUPONT
1415 22nd St. NW
Doors at 9pm 21+
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Drag Show in lounge
Half price burgers and
fries
TOWN
Upstairs: DJ Wess
Downstairs: DJ
BacK2bACk Go Go
Boys Doors open 10pm
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-
Lee, Jessica Spaulding
Deverreoux and BaNaka
Doors open at 10pm For
those 21 and over, $5 from
10-11pm and $10 after
11pm For those 18-20,
$10 all night 18+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Ladies of Illusion with
host Kristina Kelly, 9pm
Cover 21+ l
53 PURCHASE YOUR PHOTO AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE/
56 SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
scene
Freddies Beach Bar
Sunday, April 21
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
They fact-checked a statement about state law, found it to be true, decided it didnt seem seemly or whatever to actually
just call it true, so then they researched other unrelated information about how there are other kinds of things besides states
like, Some companies decide they dont want to discriminate and doesnt that count for something?
No! Because that is not the statement you are
f
act-checking.
RACHEL MADDOW unloads on PolitiFact for declaring Martina Navratilovas statement that gays can be red in 29 states to be
half true even though the fact-checking site found that gays actually can be red in 29 states.
(The Rachel Maddow Show)
Its a shame that

in a league with players given multiple second chances
after arrests, including felony arrests,
that speaking out on human rights has a chance of getting you cut.
Former Minnesota Vikings punter and outspoken gay-rights supporter CHRIS KLUWE in a texted response to
a reporters question about whether his activism caused him to be cut from his team.
(NBC Sports)
And if we change and become more like pop culture,

young men will be not as well served. America will not be as well served, and
Boy Scouts will start on a decline that I dont think will
serve this country well
as we go into the future.
Texas Gov. RICK PERRY (R) laments the Boy Scouts move to accept gay members. He also equated anti-LGBT activism to the
anti-slavery abolitionist movement of the 19th century.
(Raw Story)
I have no current plans to write any books.

Sorry to disappoint my literary loving fans.
JASON COLLINS, who burst into fame last week as the rst openly gay male player in a major sports league, shoots down rumors
that he is seeking a book deal. However, his former anc has already signed a book deal of her own.
(Twitter)

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Metro Weekly - 05-09-13 - Next Generation Awards

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4

Its a shame that

And if we change and become more like pop culture,

I have no current plans to write any books.

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