J A N U A R Y 2 4 2 0 1 4 V O L U M E 4 5 I S S U E 0 4 O U R C O M M U N I T Y, O U R S T O R I E S S I N C E 1 9 6 9 W A S H I N G T O N B L A D E .

C O M

A gay member of Congress from the South?

Ebbin, Fisette on short list for House seat from Va.
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com Political insiders in Northern Virginia have placed two openly gay elected ofcials near the top of a list of at least a dozen possible candidates considered qualied to run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), who announced hes not running for re-election this year. Virginia State Sen. Adam Ebbin, whose district includes parts of the City of Alexandria and parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties; and Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette, who represents the entire county, are well known and have longstanding ties to the 8th Congressional District, according to those familiar with the district. Ebbin and Fisette are both Democrats. The 8th District, which Moran has represented for more than 20 years, is a Democratic stronghold. Virtually all political observers say the candidate that wins the Democratic primary scheduled for June 10 is almost certain to win the general election in November. The 8th District is a highly educated, progressive, engaged district that has embraced LGBT equality for years, said Joshua Israel, former president of Virginia Partisans, a statewide LGBT
CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

Virginia State Sen. ADAM EBBIN (left) and Arlington County Board Chair JAY FISETTE are possible candidates for Congress.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTOS BY JEFF SURPRENANT

Renewed calls for workplace protections

Some hope Obamas State of the Union address includes ENDA push
By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com Amid expectations that President Obama will issue a national call to address income equality in his upcoming State of the Union address, some advocates are asking him to take the opportunity to speak out against anti-LGBT workplace discrimination. With no explicit federal language in place protecting LGBT workers from job discrimination, advocates are calling on Obama to incorporate as part of his speech a call to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and a pledge to sign an executive order prohibiting antiLGBT discrimination among federal contractors. The details of the speech are under wraps, but Obama already hinted earlier this month the address which will be delivered Tuesday before a joint session of Congress will seek to mobilize the country to ensure the economy offers every American who works hard a fair shot at success. Fred Sainz, vice president of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, said including the executive order or ENDA in the speech would t right in with the presidents larger theme. The president is going to spend much of his State of the Union talking about economic inequalities and
CONTINUES ON PAGE 17

BODY COUNTS
Activist Sean Strub recounts life on front lines of AIDS ght.
PAGE 7

PUTINS PUTDOWNS
Russian leader likens gays to pedophiles as security concerns mount in Sochi.
PAGE 14

SHARING THE LOVE

Two couples nd lots of interest in their YouTube adventures.
PAGE 29

02 JANUARY 24, 2014

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

MAUTNER PROJECT WEEKEND

MARCH 7
$75 GA | 7 PM
LOCATION:
ARTISPHERE 1101 WILSON BLVD ARLINGTON, VA

A COMEDY NIGHT BENEFITING MAUTNER PROJECT OF WWH AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

LADIES & LAUGHTER

GLORIA BIGELOW

MICHELE BALAN CO-HOSTED BY:

DANA GOLDBERG

SPONSORED BY:
TICKETS AT WHITMAN-WALKER.ORG/COMEDYNIGHT

25% DISCOUNT ON LADIES & LAUGHTER TICKET WITH A PURCHASE OF GALA & DANCE TICKET

MARCH 8
$250 | 6 PM
LOCATION:
JW MARRIOTT 1331 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW WASHINGTON, DC

A BENEFIT GALA FOR MAUTNER PROJECT OF WWH

GALA & DANCE

BENEFITING:

CHAIRS AWARD DELEGATE HEATHER MIZEUR

EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARD DR. LESLIE J CALMAN

ENTERTAINMENT

DJ ROSIE

KELLYE GRAY

TICKETS AT WHITMAN-WALKER.ORG/MAUTNERPROJECTGALA

CO-CHAIRS: DEBORAH DUBOIS | DR. LINDA SPOONER | CHRISTINA A. SVOBODA | HUDSON YOUNG

5 0
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 03

African Art celebrates 50 years!

Black History Month at the National Museum of African Art

PERFORMANCE

Batik with Tunde Odunlade

Feb. 11 | 11 a.m.12 p.m. Feb. 12 | 13 p.m. Feb. 13 | 10 a.m.12 p.m. Feb. 14 | 11 a.m.1 p.m. Space limited; reservations required, 202.633.4646 Bowie State Univer sity, Black Box Theater

Earth Matters: Performance, Participation, and Perspective

Feb. 1 | 6:309:30 p.m.

An interactive, multidisciplinary celebration of the exhibition Earth Matters: Land as Metaphor and Material in the Arts of Africa includes music, performances, and other events.

Earth Matters, Fashion Matters

Feb. 22 | 6:309:30 p.m.

Participate in batik workshop with master artist Tunde Odunlade.

LECTURE

Katie Rost, member of The Vogue 100, hosts this evening of music and ecofriendly fashions inspired by Earth Matters: Land as Metaphor and Material in the Arts of Africa.

Innovative Africa: Blue, Green, and Brown Technologies

Feb. 13 | 5:308:30 p.m.

WORKSHOPS

Weaving with Kwasi Asare

Sat., Feb. 8, 15 | 14 p.m. Ages: 10 and up Space limited; reservations required, 202.633.4632

Panel discussion, moderated by Lawrence Jones, explores Africas technological innovations in water, energy and agriculture and their impact on sustainable development. Evening also includes curator-led tour and reception.
Co-organized with Center for Sustainable Development in Africa (csda)

Join master weaver Kwasi Asare for kente UPCOMING EXHIBITION weaving demonstration and hands-on Visions from the Forests: The Art workshop. of Liberia and Sierra Leone
April 9August 17, 2014

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art

Visions from the Forests focuses on the peoples and cultures of Liberia and Sierra Leone, recognizing their rich cultural traditions and long histories of exquisitely made artworks.

africa.si.edu

950 independence ave sw | open daily 10 a.m. 5:30 p.m. | take metro to smithsonian station | free and open to the public

Katie Rost photograph by Monica True; Tompienne, active 196080, Dan artist, Liberia, Face mask, c. 1965, National Museum of African Art, bequest of William Siegmann in memory of Philip Ravenhill, 2012-11-2

washingtonblade.com 04 JANUARY 24, 2014 LOCAL NEWS

Kennedy Library showcases Kameny letters to JFK

Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. Homosexuality is neither a sickness, disease, neurosis, psychosis, disorder, defect, nor other disturbance, but merely a matter of the predisposition of a signicantly large minority of our citizens. Chandler said the Kennedy Librarys archivists could nd no response from Kennedy or anyone else at the White House to Kamenys letters. In fact, the only response weve found in our archives is a brief note from John W. Macy, Chairman of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, to Bruce Schuyler, Secretary of the Mattachine Society, who requested a meeting, Chandler wrote. In his note to Schuyler, Macy said, It is the established policy of the Civil Service Commission that homosexuals are not suitable for appointment to or retention in positions in the Federal service. There would be no useful purpose served in meeting with representatives of your Society. Chandler said that in a March 6, 1963 letter to Kennedy, Kameny appeared to be referring to the governments lack of response to his and the Mattachine Society of Washingtons overtures to the Kennedy administration. We wish to cooperate in any way possible, if the chance for friendly, constructive cooperation is offered to us by you, Kameny wrote, but if it continues to be refused us, then we will have to seek out and to use any lawful means whatever, which seem to us appropriate, in order to achieve our lawful ends, just as the Negro has done in the South when he was refused cooperation. In 1975, after several court rulings against the Civil Service ban on gay employees that Kameny played a role in organizing, the Civil Service Commission ended its prohibition on gay federal workers. In 2009, John Berry, the gay director of the U.S. Ofce of Personnel Management, the successor to the Civil Service Commission, presented Kameny with an ofcial government apology for his 1958 ring.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

In 1961, it has, ironically, become necessary for me to ght my own government, with words, FRANK KAMENY wrote to President Kennedy.
WASHINGTON BLADE ARCHIVE PHOTO BY DOUG HINCKLE

Pioneering activist wrote to White House from 1961-1963

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston is taking steps this month to publicize the dozens of letters, pamphlets and press releases that D.C. gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny sent to President Kennedy from 1961 to 1963. In a prominent write-up on the Kennedy Library website, library ofcial Stacey Chandler, a reference archives specialist, said the letters poignantly document Kamenys role as one of the nations rst advocates for the rights of gay people before the highest levels of the U.S. government. Chandler said the letters and other documents from Kameny are part of the librarys archives and are available for viewing online. Kameny died at the age of 86 in 2011. In World War II, I willingly fought the Germans, with bullets, in order to preserve and secure my rights, freedoms and liberties, and those of my fellow citizens, Kameny told Kennedy in a letter dated May 15, 1961 thats part of the archive collection. In 1961, it has, ironically, become necessary for me to ght my own government, with words, in order to achieve some of the very same rights, freedoms, and liberties for which I placed my life in jeopardy in 1945, wrote Kameny. This letter is part of that ght. In a letter dated Aug. 28, 1962 Kameny told Kennedy, You have said: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. We know what we can do for our country; we wish to do it; we ask only that our country allow us to do it. Kameny wrote the letters in his role as president of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C., the citys rst gay rights organization that Kameny cofounded in 1961 and led through the 1960s and early 1970s.

Chandler noted in her article that the Mattachine Society of Washington came into being shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case of a legal challenge that Kameny led against the then U.S. Civil Service Commission. In a rst-of-its-kind action, Kameny contested the Civil Service Commissions decision in 1958 to re him from his job as an astronomer with the Army Map Service in Washington following an investigation into alleged homosexual activity by Kameny. Among other things, the Commission cited a 1953 executive order by President Dwight Eisenhower that barred from the federal workforce anyone with a history of sexual perversion and other immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct. Homosexual acts between consenting adults were considered among the prohibited conduct. Kameny wrote an astounding number of letters throughout his lifetime of advocacy, most of which are now in the Library of Congress, Chandler wrote in her Kennedy Library article. The huge volume of his correspondence makes the personal nature of his letters to President Kennedy especially surprising for archivists here, she said. In these letters, he tenaciously argued for the right of gay Americans to work as civil servants, she said. In the same May 15, 1961 letter in which he told of his combat service in World War II, Kameny told Kennedy, Yours is an administration that has openly disavowed blind conformityYou yourself have said, in your recent address at George Washington University, that (people) desire to develop their own personalities and their own potential, that democracy permits them to do so. But your government, by its policies certainly does not permit the homosexual to develop his personality and his potential, Kameny wrote. In a Feb. 28, 1963 letter, Kameny told Kennedy about his edgling effort to persuade the American Psychiatric

D.C. woman gets 6 years for shooting gay man at IHOP

A D.C. Superior Court judge last week sentenced a 29-year-old woman to six-and-a-half years in prison for the March 2012 non-fatal shooting of a gay man inside an International House of Pancakes restaurant in the citys Columbia Heights neighborhood. The sentencing by Judge Michael Ryan came three months after a jury found Lashawn Yvonne Carson, a D.C. resident, guilty of aggravated assault while armed and six additional rearms-related charges. During the four-day trial prosecutors played for the jury a video obtained from the restaurants security cameras that they said showed Carson, then 28, pull out a handgun and shoot Dante Thomas in the chest. Thomas has since recovered from a gunshot wound to his liver that the lead prosecutor said could have been fatal if he had not received immediate medical treatment at a nearby hospital. Police and prosecutors said an altercation leading to the shooting began when two groups of friends were eating at separate tables near one another at the IHOP restaurant about 5:30 a.m. on March 11, 2012. According to a police afdavit and testimony by witnesses, one of Carsons friends while sitting at her table used the word faggot to describe one or more of the men sitting at Thomass table. A short time later a physical altercation erupted between the two groups when Thomas attempted to walk to the cash register to pay his bill. Carson and a male friend inadvertently stood directly in his way, a statement by the U.S. Attorneys ofce says. The victim attempted to squeeze by and accidently bumped into Carson. Words were exchanged and the defendants male friend used a homophobic slur, the statement says. Government witnesses at the trial said a ght then broke out between the opposing groups of friends and an off-duty D.C. police detective who was seated nearby stepped in to break it up. At that point, according to the governments evidence, Carson walked over, adjusted her hair, pulled out a rearm and shot the victim once in the chest, the U.S. Attorneys statement says. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 05

All new 2015 Volvo V60 Wagon

See it at the Washington Auto Show!

0% APR on select 2013 models!

4800 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington, DC 20016 202-537-3000

E D IT R R C $500 D S YOU T AR EN TOW T PAYM D! FI R S TH I S A WITH

DCs Largest Volvo Dealer!

2013 VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC. THE IRON MARK IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF VOLVO. PLEASE VISIT WWW.VOLVOCARS.COM/US/OFFERDETAILS OR YOUR LOCAL RETAILER FOR DETAILS.

06 JANUARY 24, 2014

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

March 5-10, 2014 - Miami Beach, FL

Lose your coat, scarf and boots. Enjoy a week of fun, sun and value-packed partying. Vacation. Dance. Mingle single with 10,000 international people. Its gonna be a scorcher. Purchase passes and tickets today at

winterparty.com.

the Hottest DJs on the Planet

SETH COOPER ISAAC ESCALANTE WAYNE G. JOE GAUTHREAUX GRIND IVAN GOMEZ ALAIN JACKINSKY EDDIE MARTINEZ PAULO ROSABEL GUSTAVO SCORPIO SR. EDU DANNY VERDE

#winterparty
Host Hotel Premier Marketing Partner

/winterparty

@winter party

winterparty

Keep your promise to protect each other.

Steve Weinberg
ATTORNEY AT LAW
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR 33 YEARS
PERSONAL INJURY PROBATE WILLS/ POAs CIVIL LITIGATION CONSERVATORSHIPS GUARDIANSHIPS

2141 P STREET NW SUITE 103 WASHINGTON DC 20037 E-MAIL steveweinbergdc@aol.com

LICENSED IN DC, MD AND VA

202-861-0077

Wills & Trusts Powers of Attorney Living Wills Partnership & Prenuptial Agreements

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR 31 YEARS

A DV I C E M E D I AT I O N L I T I G AT I O N A P P E A L S C O L L A B O R AT I O N

(240) 778-2330 (703) 536-0220 www.PartnerPlanning.com

Serving the LGBT Community in DC/MD/VA since 1983

Lawrence S. Jacobs/McMillan Metro, PC

FAMILY | ESTATE PLANNING | EMPLOYMENT | IMMIGRATION COMPLEX LITIGATION | CIVIL RIGHTS | LGBT | ADOPTION | BUSINESS

Silber, Perlman, Sigman &Tilev, P .A.

AT TO R N E YS AT L AW D C | M D | VA

7 0 0 0 C A R R O L L AV E N U E S U I T E 2 0 0 T A K O M A P A R K M D

3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 S P - L aw. C o m

washingtonblade.com LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 24, 2014 07

Delaware Attorney General BEAU BIDEN.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

SEAN STRUB will read from his new AIDS memoir on Tuesday at Politics & Prose.
PHOTO COURTESY OF STRUB

Longtime AIDS activist comes to D.C.

Sean Strub, a longtime AIDS activist and author, will be in D.C. next week to promote his new book Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS and Survival. He will hold a reading at Politics and Prose (5015 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. Body Counts is a page-turner with moving insight and fresh analysis told in a compelling and highly personal style, actress Lily Tomlin is quoted as saying in a statement promoting the book. Strub has been on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic from the beginning. He was part of ACT UP, raising money and participating in the groups notorious protests. In 1990, he became the rst openly HIV-positive person to run for the U.S. Congress and later founded POZ magazine. Visit washingtonblade.com for a full interview with Strub and more on his book. STAFF REPORTS

Democrats poised to retake Va. Senate

A former Loudoun County prosecutor will succeed Attorney General Mark Herring in the Virginia Senate after she won a special election that will likely allow Democrats to regain control of the chamber. Jennifer Wexton defeated Republican John Whitbeck by a 53-38 percent margin. Former state Del. Joe T. May, who ran as an independent, came in third with slightly less than 10 percent of the vote. It feels terric, Wexton told the Loudoun Times-Mirror after she defeated Whitbeck and May. Herring in a statement congratulated Wexton on her hard-fought and wellearned victory. I could not be more proud to know that the citizens of Virginias 33rd Senate District will continue to be represented by someone who will always put problem solving over partisan politics and who will work tirelessly to strengthen our economy, improve our transportation system and who will support our public schools, he said. Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lieutenant Gov. Ralph Northam, the Human Rights Campaign and EMILYs List are among those who also endorsed Wexton. I look forward to working with her and the entire General Assembly to nd common ground on issues that will grow Virginias economy and create more opportunities for all Virginians, said McAuliffe. State Del. Lynwood Lewis (D-Accomack County) defeated Norfolk businessman Wayne Coleman by nine votes in a Jan. 7 special election to ll the Senate seat that Northam vacated. Coleman last week requested a recount. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

whom to spend their lives with, said Biden in a statement that announced his decision. More than 1,300 marriages of same-sex couples were legally performed in Utah between Dec. 20, 2013, and Jan. 6, 2014, after couples received marriage licenses by Utah authorities. It is our position that these marriages are and should be recognized as valid under Delaware law. Biden made the announcement hours after Equality Delaware President Lisa Goodman and Equality Delaware Foundation President Mark Purpura sent him a letter that urged the Democrat to conrm that same-sex marriages validly solemnized in Utah from Dec. 20, 2013, to Jan. 6, 2014, are recognized as valid marriages for all purposes of Delaware law. The Biden family has been strong supporters of marriage both in Delaware and nationwide, Goodman told the Washington Blade after Biden made his announcement. We are very happy and not surprised that Attorney General Biden would rule that Utah marriages, which we believe are and continue to be valid in the state of Utah, are valid and will be recognized as such in the state of Delaware. The U.S. Supreme Court last week blocked any future same-sex marriages from taking place in Utah pending the outcome of an appeal of U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelbys Dec. 20 ruling that struck down the states gay nuptials ban. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Jan. 8 announced his state would not recognize samesex marriages performed between Dec. 20 and Jan. 6 pending the outcome of his administrations appeal of Shelbys ruling. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder two days later said the federal government will recognize these unions. Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler and his counterparts in Maine and Washington subsequently announced their states will follow suit. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray on Monday said the nations capital should also recognize same-sex marriages performed in Utah. Delawares same-sex marriage law took effect last July. It is now among the 18 states and D.C. in which gays and lesbians can legally marry. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Defrocked Methodist pastor returns to D.C.

A Methodist minister from Pennsylvania who was defrocked as a clergyman in December for refusing to stop performing same-sex marriages is scheduled to return to D.C.s Foundry United Methodist Church on Sunday. Ex-pastor Frank Schaefer will deliver guest sermons at a service for hope and justice at 9:30 and 11 a.m. on the 26th, according to a statement released by Foundry. Foundrys pastor, Rev. Dean Snyder, is a longtime ally of the LGBT community and has performed same-sex marriages. The statement says two other United Methodist ministers who were defrocked will also participate in the services Jimmy Creech and Beth Stroud. Church ofcials revoked Creechs credentials as a Methodist minister in 1999 after he performed a holy union ceremony for a gay male couple in Chapel Hill, N.C. Stroud was defrocked in 2001 after coming out as a lesbian while assigned as a minister for a United Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Schaefer, Creech, Stroud and others will participate in a panel discussion at the church following the 11 a.m. worship service, the Foundry statement says. Foundry is on the forefront of full inclusion of the LGBTQ community in the life of the church, the statement says, adding that Foundry continues to push for the United Methodist Church to end the discriminatory language related to LGBT people in its Book of Discipline or church law. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Del. to recognize Utah marriages

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden last week said his state will recognize same-sex marriages performed in Utah. Marriage equality is the law in Delaware and I strongly believe that individuals outside our state borders should be equally free to choose whom to love and

washingtonblade.com 12 JANUARY 24, 2014 LOCAL NEWS

Hundreds turn out for Out & Ready for Hillary fundraiser
Prop 8 plaintiffs urge Clinton to enter 2016 race
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com More than 300 people packed the D.C. gay nightclub Town Danceboutique last Wednesday night for the rst LGBT fundraiser and rally organized by Ready for Hillary, the independent committee formed last year to urge Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016. Organizers said the large turnout was in keeping with the outpouring of support the Ready for Hillary organization is receiving from the LGBT community across the nation. Guest speakers at the event included Michelle Clunie, actress and star of the television series Queer as Folk, and Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, the lesbian couple that became plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case that successfully challenged Californias Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. I really like Hillary, Clunie told the Blade. I met her. I trust her. I believe in her. Shes always the smartest person in the room. I think shes over qualied for the job and I think shell make one of the best presidents ever. Clunie said she traveled to D.C. from her home in California to attend and speak at the event at the invitation of D.C. gay Democratic activist Lane Hudson, who, along with D.C. gay Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein, the event under campaign nance rules, organizers arranged for a substitute that appeared to delight the crowd. A lifesize cut-out photo of Hillary Clinton was propped up on a platform in front of a backdrop with the words Ready for Hillary written on it multiple times. A photographer working with the Ready for Hillary group took dozens of pictures of people standing beside the Hillary cut-out photo. This is incredible, said Earl Fowlkes, a D.C. gay activist who, among other things, serves as chair of the Democratic National Committees LGBT Americans Caucus. I never expected to see this many people here to encourage Hillary to run, he said. And this goes to show you the kind of depth she has in the LGBT community for this many people to come out on a Wednesday night and basically give her the message that we want you to run. Were ready for her. Added Fowlkes, We had a black president and now were ready for a woman president. Im ready. Gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Anthony Lorenzo Green, who represents an ANC district in Ward 8, said he too believes Clinton is the bestqualied candidate to succeed Barack Obama as president. I prefer Democrats with a backbone, Green said. And she has continuously proved that she is not afraid to stand up to these Republicans and let them know that there are people in this country that we really need to look out for and she is the right person to do that.

Hundreds turned out for a Ready for Hillary event at Town last week.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY DAMIEN SALAS

served as coordinators of the rally in which attendees paid $20.16 to attend. Lisa Changadveja, Ready for Hillarys LGBT Americans Director, told the gathering that more than 1.5 million people across the nation have signed on as supporters of the political action committee, or PAC, which under federal campaign nance rules cannot have any interaction with Clinton. Changadveja said more than 35,000 people have made contributions of $100 or less to the organization as part of its outreach to small donors and potential campaign volunteers if and when Clinton decides to enter the 2016 presidential race. Perry and Stier, who are longtime partners, were married last year shortly after the Supreme Court ruling overturning Prop 8 cleared the way for same-sex marriages to

resume in California. Ive met the Secretary a few times and Ive been incredibly impressed by her commitment to children, families, LGBT people and equal rights in general, Perry said of Clinton. She was amazing as Secretary of State and her leadership at the United Nations and elsewhere. I think shes done an awful lot to prove to the community that shes a good candidate. Perry said she just moved to D.C. to take a job with a childrens advocacy organization called the First Five Years Fund. With their four sons grown up and either attending college or living on their own, she and Stier plan to divide their time between Washington and their home in Berkley, Perry said. Although Clinton herself couldnt attend

Va. lawmakers kill two pro-LGBT bills

Repeal of marriage ban fails in committee vote
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com Virginia lawmakers this week killed two bills that sought to extend rights to LGBT Virginians. Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Civil Law Subcommittee in a 4-5 vote struck down a proposal that would have repealed the states statutory same-sex marriage ban. State Dels. Gregory Habeeb (R-Salem), David Toscano (D-Charlottesville), Mark Keam (D-Fairfax County) and G. M. (Manoli) Loupassi (R-Richmond) voted for House Bill 939 that state Del Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County) introduced earlier this month. State Dels. Randall Minchew (R-Loudoun County), Terry Kilgore (R-Scott County), A. Benton Chan (R-Russell County), Jeffrey Campbell (R-Smyth County) and James Leftwich (R-Chesapeake) opposed the measure. State Del. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) was not present for the vote due to a death in her family. Were making progress in changing peoples opinion, Surovell told the Washington Blade after the vote, noting two Republicans supported HB 939. Five years ago Im not sure Republicans would have felt comfortable voting for the bill. Members of the Virginia Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Monday in a 7-7 vote struck down a bill state Sens. A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico County) and Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced that would have banned discrimination against LGBT state employees. Ebbin along with state Sens. George Barker (D-Alexandria), Charles Colgan (D-Manassas), Mamie Locke (D-Hampton), J. Chapman Petersen (D-Fairfax County), Creigh Deeds (D-Bath County) and Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester) voted for Senate Bill 248. Committee Chair Frank Ruff (R-Mecklenburg County) voted against the measure alongside Walter Stosch (R-Henrico County,) Stephen Martin (R-Chestereld County), Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland County), Richard Black (R-Loudoun County), Bryce Reeves (R-Fredericksburg) and Thomas Garrett (R-Goochland County). These senators refuse to acknowledge what the Virginia public and business community have long understood: protecting LGBT employees is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense and will contribute to the overall success of the commonwealth, said Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parrish in a statement after the SB 248 vote. The House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee last January killed Surovells proposed resolution that sought to repeal the states constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. State Del Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), chair of the House Privileges and Elections Committee, on Jan. 9 announced lawmakers will not consider any proposals seeking to repeal the states gay nuptials prohibition during the 2014 legislative session. State Del. Rob Krupicka (D-Alexandria) earlier this month introduced a proposed resolution that sought to amend the state constitution to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples in Virginia. The Alexandria Democrats proposal would have also allowed the commonwealth to recognize gay nuptials legally performed in Maryland, D.C. and other jurisdictions.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 13

RATE HIKES ARE COMING!

But not for everyone...
Thousands of homeowners are saving on energy costs and making energy profits.
I love opening my mail every month and seeing a check from BGE instead of a bill. Alice B, Owings Mills, MD
I havent paid anything for electricity since mid-March through October! Jim Mattingly, Washington DC I really enjoy watching the meter spin backwards. Rich Lechner, Pasadena, MD I think I just heard my roof go Cha-Ching again. You cant beat a 500% return on investment! E. Richards, Potomac, MD Last summer we paid nothing for our electricity, even with the air conditioning going full blast. Candice Stankus, Rockville, MD

Want to know how you can save on energy costs and make profits?

ATTEND A FREE SOLAR WORKSHOP

Saturday, February 1, 2014 10:30am 12:30pm
Solar Energy World Headquarters (20-30 minute drive from DC or Baltimore)

RSVP REQUIRED by 1/28/14 for FREE Admission $20 at-door without RSVP
Attendees will receive Continental breakfast, Tour of Solar Energy Worlds solar roof system, Information package and a special Non-Advertised Offer.

www.MySolarWorkshop.com or call: 888-485-1909

To RSVP & to see the workshop agenda, go to:

washingtonblade.com 14 JANUARY 24, 2014 NATIONAL NEWS

Houston mayor marries longtime partner

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. Houston Mayor Annise Parker and her partner of more than two decades, Kathy Hubbard, married on Jan. 16. A press release the city of Houston released said Parker and Hubbard, who celebrated their 23rd anniversary on their wedding day, exchanged vows at a Palm Springs home. Rev. Paul Fromberg of San Francisco ofciated the wedding that Parkers mother, Hubbards sister and a small group of family and friends attended. Harris County Civil Judicial District Court Judge Steve Kirkland and Mark Parthie were witnesses. This is a very happy day for us, said Parker. [Hubbard] is the love of my life and I cant wait to spend the rest of my life married to her. Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodll, who is suing Parker and Houston over the extension of benets to the same-sex partners of city employees, criticized the wedding. This is about a bigger political agenda for her, said Woodll as Lone Star Q reported. Houston voters rst elected Parker as mayor in 2009. She won re-election for a third term last November.

Putin defends Russia anti-gay law

Links gays to pedophilia as security concerns mount
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com Russian President Vladimir Putin told ABC News George Stephanopoulos during an interview his network aired on Sunday that those who protest the Kremlins LGBT rights record during the 2014 Winter Olympics will not face prosecution under Russias controversial law that bans gay propaganda to minors. Acts of protest and acts of propaganda are somewhat different things, Putin told Stephanopoulos through a translator during an interview with him and a handful of other journalists from Russia, China and the U.K., that took place in Sochi, Russia. They are close, but if we were to look at them from the legal perspective, then protesting a law does not amount to propaganda of sexuality or sexual abuse of children. Putin once again sought to downplay concerns over the gay propaganda law ahead of the Sochi games that begin on Feb. 6. It has nothing to do with prosecuting people for their non-traditional orientation, he told Stephanopoulos. In this country, everybody is absolutely equal to anybody else, irrespective of ones religion, sex, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Everybody is equal. So no concerns exist for people who intend to come as athletes or visitors to the Olympics. But Putin defended the antipropaganda law by linking gays to pedophilia and suggesting gays are more likely to abuse children. He added, anything that gets in the way of [population growth] we should clean up. The interview comes amid growing concerns about the security of athletes and tourists and new terror threats from suspected suicide bombers believed to already be in Sochi. Putin said during the interview that homosexuality remains a felony in some U.S. states Stephanopoulos pointed out the U.S. Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws. The Russian president also noted homosexuality remains a crime in 70 countries and seven of those nations impose the death penalty upon anyone found guilty of same-sex sexual relations. Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993. Russia does not criminally prosecute people for being gay, unlike in over onethird of the worlds nations, said Putin.

Marriage advocates criticize Ind. lawmaker

INDIANAPOLIS Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) on Jan. 21 moved a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the Hoosier State to another committee after it stalled. The Indianapolis Star reported that Bosma moved the proposed amendment House Joint Resolution 3 from the House Judiciary Committee to the Elections and Appointment Committee. Republican leadership of the House Judiciary Committee last week declined to allow a vote on the proposal after they held a hearing on it. Weve followed the legislative process with an earnest expectation that legislators truly seek to represent their constituents, said Freedom Indiana Campaign Manager Megan Robertson in a Jan. 21 press release. We found that to be the case with the legislators serving on the House Judiciary Committee, but House Speaker Brian Bosma broke his commitment to Hoosiers to uphold the traditional legislative process.

Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN spoke to journalists last week.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Mississippi city passes LGBT resolution

STARKVILLE, Miss. The Starkville Board of Aldermen on Tuesday approved the rst pro-LGBT municipal resolution in Mississippi. The city of Starkville declares it the public policy of the city to respect the inherent worth of every person, without regard to a persons race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, veterans status, disability or source of income, reads the resolution that also opposed anti-LGBT discrimination, according to the Mississippi Press. The newspaper reported Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman thanked the aldermen and all those involved with the equality resolution. Starkville is located roughly 125 miles north of Jackson, the state capital. The small Northeastern Mississippi city is home to Mississippi State University.

Florida student appears in gay porn

COCOA, Fla. A Florida school district has allowed a student who appeared in a gay pornographic lm to return to class. Robert Marucci, 18, told an Orlando television station on Jan. 20 the Brevard County School District suspended him after appearing in a Sean Cody lm. Marucci told WKMG he turned to pornography to help his mother who was struggling nancially. I feel like I have been treated unfairly and this is unjust, said Marucci. This was completely legal. I didnt break any laws, and this took place out of the school. Michelle Irwin, a spokesperson for the Brevard County School District, told WKMG that Marucci was to have been allowed back to class on Jan. 22.

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Grifn criticized Putins comments. President Putins public interpretation of the countrys anti-LGBT law is beyond comprehension, said Grifn in a statement. This law was designed to do nothing less than secure second class status for LGBT Russians and visitors. It does nothing to protect children, but goes great lengths to harm families. Putin spoke with Stephanopoulos and other journalists a day before authorities detained a protester who unfurled a rainbow ag as the Olympic torch relay passed through the city of Voronezh. Putin on Friday once again sought to downplay concerns over Russias gay propaganda law during a meeting with Olympic volunteers in Sochi. We arent banning anything, we arent rounding up anyone, we have no criminal punishment for such relations unlike many other countries, said the Russian president as the Associated Press reported. One can feel relaxed and at ease, but please leave the children in peace. LGBT rights advocates blasted Putins comments. This statement demonstrates very well how the ofcial discourse labels LGBT people as a threat to children, instilling fear and hatred in the society, Anastasia Smirnova, spokesperson for a coalition of six Russian LGBT advocacy groups that includes the Russian LGBT Network, told the Blade on Friday.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 15

Get discounts up to 5-40%

If your economy needs some stimulation, Ill show you how to make your car insurance dollars work harder. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. CALL FOR A QUOTE 24/7

P090102 04/09 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL

ADVERTISING ISSUE DATE: 12.02.11 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com)

PROOF

NS GN EVISIONS /LOGO REVISIONS SIONS

GREEN CARDS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES & FAMILY MEMBERS

NEW LGBT Marriage Right: Become American Citizens!
ADVERTISER SIGNATURE
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement, payment and insertion schedule.

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

Be Free to Work and Live Anywhere in the U.S. Foreign ancs, spouses, and family may be eligible even if abroad or living in the U.S. illegally.
CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION 202.643.1110
Julie Oliver-Zhang Attorney At Law

proud winner of a 2013 american graphic design award for the 2012 capital pride guide! Woof!

FOLLOW US: LIKE US: OliverZhangLaw @OliverZhangLaw help@oliverzhanglaw.com oliverzhanglaw.com/immigration/lgbt A proud member of the National LGBT Bar Association

washingtonblade.com 16 JANUARY 24, 2014 NATIONAL NEWS

Couples seek marriage rights in Florida

Lawsuit challenges states ban on gay nuptials
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com Six same-sex couples on Tuesday led a lawsuit challenging Floridas gay marriage ban. Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello, Dr. Juan Carlos Rodrguez and David Price, Vanessa and Melanie Alenier, Todd and Jeff Delmay, Summer Greene and Pamela Faerber and Don Price Johnston and Jorge Isaias Daz joined their lawyers and representatives from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Florida at a press conference in Miami Beach. Each of the couples sought to apply for marriage licenses at the Miami-Dade County Courts clerks ofce on Jan. 17. The Equality Florida Institute is also named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit led in Miami-Dade Circuit Court in Miami. Harven Ruvin, clerk of the Miami-Dade County Courts, is named as a defendant. Florida is our home, it is where we are raising our child, and where we want to get married, said Pareto, who has been with Arguello for 14 years and with whom she has 15-month-old son in a press release. Karla and I wish for our family the same things that other families want. We want to build our lives together, provide a safe and caring home for our child, and share in the responsibilities and protections of marriage. Florida voters in 2008 approved a state constitutional amendment that denes marriage as between a man and a woman. Equality Florida announced shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court last June found a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional that the organization was looking for plaintiffs to challenge the Sunshine States gay nuptials ban. Governor [Rick] Scott supports traditional marriage, the governors spokesperson, John Tupps, told the Washington Blade. Florida voters amended the State Constitution in 2008 to dene marriage as between a man and a woman. Former Gov. Charlie Crist, who is challenging Scott as a Democrat, in 2006 signed a petition in support of the constitutional amendment. The former Republican who has faced persistent questions about his sexual orientation late last year said he now

CATHERINA PARETO and KARLA ARGUELLO are among six same-sex couples challenging Floridas gay marriage ban.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIK OLVERA/NATIONAL CENTER FOR LESBIAN RIGHTS

regrets his decision. Im proud to support the lawsuit challenging Floridas ban on marriage equality, wrote Crist on his Twitter page on Tuesday. Its an issue of fairness. Eighteen states and D.C. have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples. The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 6 blocked any future same-sex marriages from taking place in Utah pending the outcome of an appeal of a federal judges December ruling that struck down the

states gay nuptials ban. A federal judge in Oklahoma last week struck down the Sooner States constitutional amendment that dened marriage as between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage lawsuits have also been led in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and other states. These harmful laws are outdated and out of step, said Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith. It is time for all families in our state to have full equality under the law.

Gay juror decision bodes well for marriage

Ninth Circuit applies heightened scrutiny to laws on sexual orientation
By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com A ruling handed down by a federal appeals court this week in favor of LGBT non-discrimination in jury selection bodes well for the success of marriage equality litigation, according to legal experts who spoke to the Washington Blade. Suzanne Goldberg, a lesbian and codirector of Columbia Universitys Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, said the decision is important in and of itself, but also because of its impact on the case pending before the same court against Nevadas ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling will make it even more difcult for Nevadas marriage law to withstand the current challenge to it because heightened scrutiny means that the government will have to identify an important state interest if it wants to continue to exclude gay and lesbian couples from marriage, Goldberg said. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined the trial judge erred in allowing one litigant to remove a juror because of his sexual orientation, remanding the case for a new trial. The case Glaxo Smith Kline v. Abbott Laboratories is the result of antitrust, contracts and business tort claims led against the company for quadrupling the price of its protease inhibitor booster drug used by people with HIV. During jury selection, Abbott used its rst peremptory challenge to strike a prospective juror after learning he was gay. Writing for the majority, U.S. District Judge Roy Reinhardt ruled that Abbott unconstitutionally used a peremptory strike to exclude Juror B from the case because of his sexual orientation, but goes further by saying the court must apply heightened scrutiny in its ruling in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision against the Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor requires that when state action discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, we must examine its actual purposes and carefully consider the resulting inequality to ensure that our most fundamental institutions neither send nor reinforce messages of stigma or secondclass status, Reinhardt writes. In short, Windsor requires heightened scrutiny. Its not the rst time that an appellate court has applied heightened scrutiny, or a greater assumption a law is unconstitutional, when considering a case related to sexual orientation. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals applied that standard when ruling in favor of Edith Windsor in her case against DOMA before that lawsuit came before the Supreme Court. Several federal district courts have made similar rulings, as have the state high courts of California, Iowa, Connecticut and New Mexico. The view that laws related to sexual orientation should be subject to heightened scrutiny is also shared by the Obama administration. But the decision in the Ninth Circuit is signicant because it creates precedent within that jurisdiction to apply heightened scrutiny in the numerous cases before it involving gay people and may encourage courts outside the circuit to do the same. Doug NeJaime, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, said the court application of heightened scrutiny to its decision is very signicant. This Ninth Circuit ruling will likely encourage other courts to engage with the issue of whether Windsor suggests some heightened form of scrutiny, NeJaime said. More concretely, it will directly inuence the challenge to Nevadas marriage law currently before the Ninth Circuit; whether sexual orientation merits heightened scrutiny for federal equal protection purposes has been an issue throughout that case, and the district court had decided that it did not. Still, NeJaime said the Ninth Circuits decision to draw on the DOMA decision to apply heightened scrutiny will likely be proven controversial because U.S. Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy never explicitly invoked the level of scrutiny in his ruling. Jon Davidson, Lambdas legal director, said the ruling will have a very signicant impact on the courts examination of the Nevada marriage case. The Ninth Circuits ruling that sexual orientation discrimination must be given heightened scrutiny is further proof of the progress we are making in convincing courts that the Constitution affords LGBT people meaningful protections against government-imposed inequality, Davidson said. The Nevada marriage case isnt the only lawsuit pending before the Ninth Circuit. Other cases in the jurisdiction are the recently led challenge against Arizonas ban on same-sex marriage and the case against Oregons ban, which is currently before gay U.S. District Judge Michael McShane.

washingtonblade.com NEWS JANUARY 24, 2014 17

Advocates seek LGBT inclusion in State of the Union

Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, said ENDA and the executive order are part of a group of agenda items Obama should mention during his speech to build on his stellar track record in the area of LGBT freedoms and justice. This includes signing an executive order that bans discrimination against LGBT people working for federal contractors and pushing Congress on passing ENDA and fair immigration reform legislation, Carey said. We would also like to see him include LGBT people and families as examples in his references to domestic issues that all Americans care about such as jobs, the economy, and health care. And nally, we would like him to use use the word transgender and to call for an end to violence against transgender people.

Advocates are calling on President Obama to mention LGBT workers during his upcoming State of the Union address.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

its important that he highlight those faced by the LGBT community, Sainz said. There are many ways to address these issues including signing a federal contractor non-discrimination executive order and calling on Congress to send ENDA to him for his signature. The call for inclusion of the executive order and ENDA in the State of the Union is the same request that LGBT advocates made early in 2013 prior to that years speech. Instead, Obama made a veiled reference to gay people when he said the economy should work for Americans no matterwho you love and gave himself props for starting the process to secure partner benets for gay troops. But the situation has changed this time around. The Senate last year passed ENDA on a bipartisan basis by a 64-32 vote. The only thing stopping ENDA from reaching Obamas desk is House Republican leadership. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has repeatedly said he opposes the bill when asked if hell allow a vote on it. Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work, said including ENDA in the State of the Union would place signicant pressure on Boehner to move forward. By explicitly calling on Speaker Boehner to allow ENDA to come to a vote, and by explaining the current gaps in employment law to the American people, President Obama can help build political momentum and do important public education to help correct the fact that 80 or 90 percent of Americans mistakenly think ENDA is already law, Almeida said. The

presidents words would be a catalyst for millions of important conversations around the country. Almeida pointed to Obamas words in his previous State of the Union speech calling for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act as model language for what he could say about ENDA. Following that speech, the House voted to send an LGBT-inclusive VAWA reauthorization to Obamas desk after a version without the protections failed on the House oor. The White House didnt respond to a request for comment on whether Obama will include a reference to ENDA or the executive order in the State of the Union address. If Obama calls for passage of ENDA during the State of the Union, it wouldnt be the rst time that a president has mentioned the legislation during the annual speech. In 1999, then-President Clinton said discrimination based on factors such as sexual orientation is wrong and it ought to be illegal, calling on Congress to turn ENDA as well as hate crimes protections into law. As for the executive order, Obama has recently threatened to take executive action if Congress fails to act on legislation important to his agenda. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said he had no updates when asked by the Blade if the use of the pen applies to non-discrimination protections for LGBT workers, but suggested Obama would take the route only for other agenda items. Still, the lingering issue of LGBT workplace discrimination isnt the only issue advocates want addressed during the State of the Union.

From left: Lt. Gov. ANTHONY BROWN, DIANE STOLLENWERK, Del. MAGGIE MCINTOSH, Del. MARY WASHINGTON and Howard County Executive KEN ULMAN.
PHOTO BY SAM ONEIL

Brown leads in Md. fundraising

Maryland gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown has developed a signicant fundraising advantage over his Democratic challengers in the race to succeed Gov. Martin OMalley. Brown and his running mate, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, raised nearly $5.4 million between Jan. 10, 2013, and Jan. 8, according to their latest campaign nance report they led with state ofcials last week. This gure includes a $250 contribution Equality Marylands PAC made on Jan. 6 less than two weeks after the statewide LGBT advocacy group endorsed Brown and Ulman. Brown and Ulman, who ended his own gubernatorial bid last spring after Brown tapped him as his running mate, had slightly more than $7 million on hand at the end of the reporting period. Attorney General Doug Gansler and his running mate, state Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Prince Georges County), reported they raised nearly $1.7 million during the same period. They reported they have slightly more than $6.2 million in the bank. State Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County) reported she and her running mate, Rev. Delman Coates, raised more than $1.1 million between Jan. 10, 2013, and Jan. 8. This gure includes slightly more than $284,359 in public funds the campaign has thus far received. Mizeur and Coates campaign nance report indicates they had slightly more than $747,000 on hand at the end of the latest reporting period. Im grateful for this tremendous outpouring of support from people who share our vision of a better Maryland for more Marylanders, said Brown in a statement, noting education remains among his top priorities. With a successful 2013 under our belt and growing momentum, we look forward to a busy and productive legislative session to build a better Maryland for more Marylanders. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

washingtonblade.com 18 JANUARY 24, 2014 NEWS

Ebbin, Fisette on short list for Congress

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Democratic group that recently changed its name to Lesbian and Gay Democrats of Virginia. Israel says he knows most of the other candidates considering entering the race and all of them are strong supporters of LGBT rights, just as Moran has been a staunch ally of the LGBT community during his tenure as a congressman. The eld will no doubt be an embarrassment of riches, he said. Fisette became the rst known openly gay candidate to win election to public ofce in Virginia in 1997, when he won his race for a seat on the Arlington County Board, which serves as the countys legislative body. He has won re-election four times since then by wide margins, with his latest electoral victory in 2013. Fisettes colleagues elected him chair of the ve-member board in 2001, 2005, 2010, and again this year under a system in which the board rotates its leadership posts every year. Ebbin became the rst openly gay candidate to win election to the Virginia General Assembly when he won his race for a seat in the House of Delegates in 2003 in a district in Alexandria, which is his home base. He won re-election to the seat in 2007. When a seat in the 30th State Senate district came open in 2011 Ebbin tossed his hat in the ring and won the Democratic primary in a hotly contested, threecandidate race by a three-point margin. He won the general election against a Republican opponent by a margin of 64.4 percent to 35.4 percent. Political observers note that Ebbin is the

only potential candidate for the 8th District congressional seat who represents parts of Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax, giving him an advantage in the June primary should he enter the race. With the 2014 legislative session just beginning, I am working hard every day for the people of the 30th District, Ebbin said in a statement released last week. I am honored that people think Id make a good congressman, and I will give it the serious consideration it deserves, he said. I hope to have more to say about this in the future. Ebbin told the Blade on Monday that a report posted on Twitter by Virginia political blogger Ben Tribbett incorrectly claimed Ebbin announced his candidacy for the congressional seat at a Jan. 18 meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee. I dont know why he tweeted that, said Ebbin. I didnt make an announcement. Although Ebbin told the Blade he isnt ready to announce his decision on whether or not to run, Charlie Conrad, vice chair of elections for Lesbian and Gay Democrats of Virginia said the word is out that Ebbin plans to run for the congressional seat. Im supporting Adam, he said. He is very popular and very well respected. Fisette, who couldnt immediately be reached for comment, had not made a public statement about whether he was considering running for the congressional seat as of early this week. A spokesperson for the Virginia election board said that if the Democratic Party decides to hold a primary, as expected, rather than a caucus to nominate a candidate for the seat, candidates must le petitions with 1,000 valid signatures by March 27 to

gain placement on the June 10 ballot. Other potential Democratic candidates for the 8th District seat mentioned by political insiders include Alexandria Mayor William Euille and former Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley; Del. Charniele Herring (Alexandria); Del. Patrick Hope (Arlington); Del. K. Robert Krupicka Jr. (Alexandria); Del. Alfonso Lopez (Arlington); Fairfax Board of Supervisors member Jeff McKay; Del. Mark Sickles (Fairfax); and Del. Scott Surovell (Fairfax). Surovell and Krupicka have sponsored bills in the House of Delegates in support of same-sex marriage rights. Hope has proposed legislation to ban ex-gay therapy for minors. Chestereld resident Maggie Sacra, the current chair of Lesbian and Gay Democrats of Virginia, which recently became an ofcial arm of the Virginia Democratic Party, said the organization can no longer endorse candidates in a primary under party rules. Thus the states largest LGBT Democratic group wont be able to endorse Ebbin or Fisette should they decide to run in the primary. Sacra said the group nevertheless will be very active in the primary campaign by reaching out to all of the Democratic candidates to discuss their positions on LGBT issues and inform them of the issues of concern to the LGBT community. I think we will have a good group of candidates, she said. All are pro-equality. She added, It would be a great thing for the state if we were to get an openly gay congressman, noting that such a development would be an historic rst in the South. Israel, who lives in Arlington, said the LGBT vote could be a key factor in the

primary if a large number of candidates enter the race. The biggest question is going to be how many people run and who is able to turn out a plurality of their supporters, he said. Given the number of potential candidates considering this race, one candidate with a particularly committed base of support could become a U.S. representative for decades to come. In August 2003, Fisette announced he would run against Moran in the 2004 Democratic primary at a time when Moran came under re for what political observers called a series of widely reported missteps. Among other things, fellow Democrats criticized him for suggesting that the Jewish lobby was responsible for persuading President George W. Bush to start the Iraq war. Jim deserves credit for his past work, but its time to move forward, the Free Republic blog quoted Fisette as saying at the time. Im convinced that theres an overwhelming number of people looking for a change. But less than two weeks later, Fisette changed his mind and withdrew from the race, saying that while he had differences with Moran he agreed with the congressman on most issues and didnt want to engage in a negative campaign. He made the very smart decision not to run, said Nick Benton, the gay editor and publisher of the Falls Church News-Press and an outspoken advocate of LGBT rights. It would have been very destructive of his future ambitions to run. Benton has been a longtime supporter of Moran.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Agema responds to criticism over anti-gay remarks

RNC member reects badly on Republicans and on Michigan
By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com A member of the Republican National Committee who has been criticized for making a series of anti-gay comments has apparently responded ahead of an upcoming national party meeting in D.C. Dave Agema, who formerly served in the Michigan State House, issued the response via Facebook posting Sunday night, according to an individual with access to his news feed and an apparent screenshot of the message. Saying hes been on vacation for the past eight days, Agema said his intent with his previous messages which have riled both gay Republicans and GOP leadership was to encourage discourse. While I was gone it seems the same people are feeding half truths to the news within the GOP , stirring up divisiveness, Agema apparently said. I stand on the same issues I always have God, family and country. Agema, who recently called Russias controversial anti-gay propaganda law common sense via Facebook, asserts he doesnt necessarily align himself with the views expressed in items he posted. There are times I have posted or linked an article to encourage discourse, Agema apparently said. This does not constitute endorsement of that position, but some capture a controversial snippet and allege those are my words. It is an unfortunate and uncivil tactic meant to ruin a persons reputation. Further, Agema apparently takes on the mantle of the victim, saying hes faced retaliation for his remarks, including threats and vulgar messages. The Party platform is clear and the State Constitution is clear, Agema looks to have said. I have tried to uphold them but have been threatened, sent vulgar T-shirts, called nasty names at all times of night and day. I have never used name calling. Political correctness is taking the place of free speech via fear and intimidation. Agema concludes his posting by calling for supporters and friends to turn the other cheek and not show the intolerance some of the opposition have shown. As seen in the screenshot, Agema made the posting visible to only his friends on Facebook, so the Blade is unable to independently view it to conrm its accuracy. Agema didnt immediately respond to the Washington Blades request for comment to verify the posting. Gregory Angelo, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, dismissed the notion that his postings merely fostered discourse, saying the RNC member needs to look in the mirror. His statements go far beyond polite debate about civil marriage equality; theyre outright bigotry, Angelo said. When GOP leadership across your state make a point of distancing themselves or explicitly denouncing you, its time to rethink your role in the party. Further, Angelo, who previously called for Agemas ouster from the RNC, said its time for the Michigan Republican to relinquish his post. If Mr. Agema was truly as serious about getting conservatives elected as he professes, he would do the right thing and vacate his seat at the RNC, Angelo said.

washingtonblade.com BALTIMORE NEWS DIGEST JANUARY 24, 2013 19

Smooth sailing on rst Equality Cruise

A total of 69 passengers participated in Equality Marylands rst Equality Cruise Jan. 12-19. Those participating were mostly from the BaltimoreWashington region but some came from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee. They included a diverse group of LGBT people and allies. Carnival Cruises donated a portion of the groups proceeds to Equality Maryland. Travel arrangements were made by Equality Marylands ofce manager, Vanessa Bowling, who also owns Vanessa Addrienne Travel. She, along with Doug Rose, communications volunteer for Equality Maryland, served as hosts for the group. The cruise took place aboard the aptly named Carnival Pride, which departed from Baltimore. It sailed to Port Canaveral and then on to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas before returning. Both Bowling and Rose hosted a meet-and-greet as the ship departed Baltimore. They also arranged group gatherings including pre-dinner socials and organized a red party in the Prides dance club. Tokyo Derekston of Glen Burnie, Md., enjoyed her rst cruise. Im having a great time, she said during its midpoint. As long as people stop asking me to sing. Bowling indicated that she intends to send out surveys about what people would like in the way of future cruises and ports of call. The Equality Cruises maiden voyage went well and there is optimism that the size of the group will increase next year.

Marriage rights seminar scheduled

For those newly married same-sex couples and those planning to tie the knot, a seminar covering a variety of legal and nancial matters will take place on Saturday in Towson. Issues to be discussed include estate planning,

inheritance and estate tax benets, health issues and qualication for Medicaid, tax law issues and income tax pros and cons. Pessin Katz Law estate planning attorneys Kimberly L. Battaglia and Helen M. Smith will be on hand for an informal discussion of these issues. The seminar will take place from 10 a.m.-noon, with registration beginning

at 9:45 a.m. at Pessin Katz Law, P.A.s Seminar Room, 901 Dulaney Valley Rd., Suite 400, Towson. The seminar is free, but registration is required. RSVP by calling Rhonda King at 410-938-8800 or email rking@ pklaw.com. Parking is available in the Sheraton garage. STEVE CHARING

WAMU 88.5 Community Open House

Saturday, February 1, 2014 2 4 p.m. WAMU 88.5 Media Center 4401 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20008

Miss Freestate 2014 pageant

As an ofcial preliminary to Miss Gay Maryland America, S&D Entertainment will present Miss Freestate 2014: Anastacia Amors Fun House tonight at the Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St., in Baltimore. The doors open at 10 p.m. and the pageant begins at 10:30 p.m. Hosted by Josie Foster and starring Miss Freestate Anastacia Amor, other local drag performers scheduled to appear are Tatiyanna Voche, Stephanie Michaels, Eva Couture, Tuly Fabu, Inginue, Diamond (Miss Gay Maryland 2000), Ashley Bannks (Miss Gay Maryland 2002), Michelle Michaels (North Carolina USofA-Newcomer 2013), and Araya Sparxx (Miss Gay Maryland 2013). General Admission is $8 with reserved seating priced at $10. For more information, contact Sue Nami at 410-440-3344.

Tours of newsroom, studios and community space. Meet WAMU hosts, reporters and staff. Light refreshments.

Listen at wamu.org

washingtonblade.com 20 JANUARY 24, 2014 HEALTH NEWS

In general, LGBT people experience stigma associated with their sexual and gender minority status, disproportionate behavioral risks and psychosocial health problems, said Robert W.S. Coulter of Pittsburgh Public Healths Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences. Coulter and his colleagues found that the NIH funded 628 studies between 1989 and 2011 concerning LGBT health. These stories accounted for 0.5 percent of all NIH studies in total during this period, the Medical News Today article said. Of the 628 studies, 519 focused on HIV/AIDS and sexual health issues, with 86.1 percent focusing on men, 13.5 percent focusing on women, and 6.8 percent of the studies focusing on transgender people. The researchers are also concerned about the low numbers of intervention studies addressing LGBT health. Just 21 NIH-funded intervention studies in this period addressed non-HIV LGBT health issues, the article said. Coulter said political pressure is behind the low number. The report notes a 2003 request made by Republican members of Congress to justify the benets of nearly 200 NIH projects proposing to study health issues relating to LGBT or other marginalized populations, Medical News Today said.
Choices made during pregnancy such as smoking can raise the chance of having a gay child, according to a new study.

Teen prank may have skewed 90s research

NEW YORK Teens who thought it would be funny to fake being gay may have skewed the results of a landmark 1990s health survey according to a new research paper, Hufngton Post reports. The article, published online Dec. 24 in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, says that the ve to seven percent of teens who identied as homosexual or bisexual in that survey is likely a huge overestimate caused by teens who responded in jest or who misunderstood the questions, the article said. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health survey, colloquially known as Add Health, asked 14,000 teenagers detailed questions about their health, well-being and other behaviors in four waves from 1994 to 2008, the Hufngton Post article said. But when the results for the rst wave came out in the 1990s, researchers were shocked. Whereas just 1 percent of teens had identied as gay or bisexual previously, Add Health found dramatically higher results. Even stranger, about 70 percent of the teens initially identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual said they were straight in later versions of the survey.

Pregnant smokers, drinkers more likely to have gay kids: study

LONDON A new study from an Amsterdam University neurobiology professor suggests that choices made during pregnancy such as taking synthetic hormones, smoking, drinking and stress can raise the chance of having a gay child, the Sunday Times reports. Professor Dick Swaab says smoking, drinking and taking drugs designed to combat depression during pregnancy can lower a childs IQ, while living in an area with high levels of trafc pollution can raise the risk of autism, the Times reports. Swaabs claims follow a survey of the latest academic studies about links between the lifestyles of pregnant women and the development of their babies. Each provides evidence of the sensitivity of the brain to outside inuences, the article said. Pregnant women suffering from stress are also more likely to have homosexual children of both genders because their raised level of the stress hormone cortisol affects the production of fetal sex hormones, the Telegraph quoted him as having said.

Gay couples more likely to be happy in relationships

LONDON Gay couples are more likely to be happy and positive about their relationships than their straight counterparts according to a major study by the Open University, the Independent, a British newspaper, reports. However, they are less likely to be openly affectionate toward each other holding hands in public, for instance because they still fear attracting disapproval, the article said. The study of 5,000 people 50 of whom were later followed up with in-depth interviews aimed at nding out how modern couples keep their relationships on track through lifes difculties. LGBQ participants (lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer) are more generally positive about and happier with the quality of their relationship and the relationship which they have with their partner, the research concludes.

Gays not widely represented in NIH studies

EAST SUSSEX, UK Just half of one percent of studies funded by the National Institutes of Health concern LGBT issues according to a new report from the American Journal of Public Health, Medical News Today reports. The percentage was considered disproportionately low according to researchers from the Pittsburgh Public Healths Center for LGBT Health Research, the article said.

Diagnosed with AIDS, HIV, Cancer, Glaucoma, or Muscle Spasticity?

DC Residents, bring your valid DC Doctors Recommendation. We will:

Complete the paperwork with you Take your picture and prepare required photos for Dept. of Health Pay $100 Dept. of Health registration fee with Cashiers Check Hand-deliver your application to Dept. of Health Schedule your 1st appointment at Takoma Wellness Center

MARIJUANA CAN HELP!

When you receive your card, bring it to your 1st appointment the next day! Download Doctors Recommendation form at takomawellness.com/physicians

6925 Blair Avenue, NW, WDC 20012 202.465.4260 takomawellness.com

washingtonblade.com FITNESS JANUARY 24, 2014 21

GAY OWNED AND OPERATED

In achieving any goals in life, one has to be realistic and be reminded of where you want to be and how to get there.

Figuring out the hows and whys of your tness goals is essential

GERARD BURLEY is a D.C.-based personal trainer. Reach him via @CoachGFit or coachg@ coachgtness.com.

Were deep into January and Im still seeing people living the theme new year, new you. I like it! Though you may have already made your resolutions, theres no bad time to talk about the best ways to achieve your goals. I meet with new clients all the time who have goals, but havent gone about it the right way to be successful. Here are a few of my hopefully new tricks that will help set you up to win in and out of the gym. Start backwards Yes when goal setting, I literally start backwards. I write out what my specic goal is and then think of the steps from my goal back to my current status. By starting from your goal and moving back it helps put a more realistic space on how long the goal will take. We can use weight loss as a great example. Instead of randomly saying, Ill lose 20 pounds by Memorial Day, you can break it down like this: Im starting at 20 pounds and healthy weight loss that stays off is about one pound per week, so I know Im looking at 20 weeks or about ve months to hit my goal. During any tness goal attempt there will be setbacks because the body sometimes just do what it want to do, as my momma would say. Also, we all have travel, work and family life that can pump the breaks on our progress. Keeping this in mind, I suggest adding in a week for a slip up. Now we have an accurate time frame

to make our goals happen. This doesnt mean that you can achieve them before this goal date, but it will help you avoid setting yourself up for failure. See it daily A major problem people have with accomplishing their goals are that they many times forget about them. Yeah, they stay in the back of your mind, but its doing you no good there. Not until something drastic like a visit from the doctor comes around or you cant t in those tight jeans any more do you realize those goals should have been up front all along. A great tool to beat this is by using constant visual cues. I teach my clients to write their goals down everywhere. Put them up in the bathroom, in your car, at work and especially on your fridge. I also like to use something called a goal card. I got this technique from another trainer who writes his goals on a card that he keeps in his wallet. That means every time you reach for a credit or debit card, which for many of us is too many times, you see your goals. Constant reminders of what you want to achieve can help breathe new life into you, especially on those days when it gets hard. Find the whys Whenever people talk about their goals be it tness, career or family goals, you usually hear a list of things they want to achieve, or what I call the whats. The whats are great, but unfortunately in life its not the whats that drive us, its the whys. To get to the whys, we have to dig a little deeper and nd out what is our true motivation. Ask yourself why you want to lose weight or pack on more muscle. Is it because you lack condence now and this will give you more? Your why can also be a preventative. Maybe you want to stay in good health because there is a history of obesity-related disease in your family. Whatever your personal why is, its important that you nd it. Find the why and you will nd your path to success. Goals and goal setting are a big part of being successful this year in regard to tness and well being. Make sure you spend extra time planning out your goals with a good route to conquer them and youll be blasting through them in no time.

At the Surrogacy Group, LLC, we are committed to making sure that the surrogacy process runs smoothly and effectively for you at an affordable price. We make every effort to accomplish the surrogacy process with ease and comfort. Many of our staff members have been through the surrogacy process themselves so we know what you are experiencing.

Call us today!
THE SURROGACY GROUP, LLC
839 Bestgate Road Suite 400 Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 990- 0018 | www.surrogacygroup.com

washingtonblade.com 22 JANUARY 24, 2014 VIEWPOINT V O L U M E 4 5 I S S U E 0 4

ADDRESS PO Box 53352 Washington DC 20009 PHONE 202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET www.washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 FEATURES EDITOR JOEY DIGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com ext. 8081 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 NEWS REPORTER CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083 NEWS REPORTER MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com EDITORIAL INTERN MARIAH COOPER PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Understanding Israel in all its complexity

New hope for sustained peace in U.S.-backed negotiations
By STUART KURLANDER & ALAN RONKIN History matters. Facts matter. Both were tossed to the wind by Pauline Park in a recent op-ed in the Washington Blade, who assailed the American Jewish Committee and its signature Project Interchange program. Without any explanation, she asserted that AJC is aggressive in its defense of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Nonsense! AJC, of course, is a strong advocate for an Israel that thrives in peace and security, and continues to support a negotiated two-state solution to achieve sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace. As a global advocacy organization, AJC has brought that message to the top leaders of many countries, including Arab nations. But Parks baseless accusation is the foundation for her criticizing American LGBT community leaders who participated in an educational visit to Israel and the West Bank with AJCs Project Interchange. For over 30 years, more than 6,000 leaders from across the United States and 84 other countries have participated in Project Interchanges unique, weeklong educational seminars in Israel. Project Interchanges success is rooted in its non-ideological approach. By introducing rst-time visitors to a broad range of Israelis, who offer diverse narratives across the political, social and religious spectrum, seminar participants gain an appreciation for Israel as a dynamic diverse society. Whats more, AJCs Project Interchange participants travel to the West Bank, where they meet with a range of Palestinian leaders, including at the highest levels of the Palestinian Authority. Yes, Israel has challenges like other democratic nations, though Israels challenges have special signicance given the history of the conict and its neighborhood. Project Interchange is not afraid to show Israel in all its complexity, warts and all. What visitors nd is a robust democratic nation, where, among other things, there are freedoms of speech, religion and sexual orientation. Indeed, Tel Aviv was named the No. 1 gay city in the world in a broad survey by GayCities. com and American Airlines. The LGBT delegation that visited Israel in October fullled AJCs desire to introduce this important segment of American society to Israel. When it comes to understanding Israel, there is simply no substitute for rsthand, on-the-ground experience. The group seized the opportunities to engage directly with Israelis and Palestinians in open conversations. As part of their program, the LGBT delegation visited Ramallah, as do other Project Interchange groups, to engage with Palestinian leaders. Regrettably, Palestinian LGBT groups rejected the opportunity to meet with their U.S. counterparts. Park, however, as a member of the New York City Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, offers a preconceived, politically myopic view of Israel. One has to wonder whether she or any members of her delegation met with, or even expressed a desire to meet with, any mainstream Israelis on her 2012 visit to the region. Moreover, one cannot help but wonder whether her use of the term occupation refers to the period since June 1967, following Israels war of survival, or to 1948, when Israel was established as an independent country following a UN recommendation. Lets remember that a Palestinian state could have been established at the same time. The UN Partition Plan of 1947 divided the British Mandate into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. That was the original two-state solution. But the Arabs rejected that concept. Sixty-six years later the twostate solution is still on the table. And, lets recall Israel did not set out to govern the Palestinians. Israel came to rule over Gaza and the West Bank not by choice, but in a defensive war in June 1967, when neighboring Arab states particularly Egypt and Syria threatened time and again to overrun and destroy the young country. Israel has tried relentlessly to nd negotiating partners to exchange land for peace. Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties in 1979 and 1994. But the Palestinian leadership rebuffed Israels substantial peace offers in 2000, in 2001 and again in 2008. These historical facts are ignored by Park, her organization and other supporters of the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanction) anti-Israel movement, which at its core dismisses Israels right to exist. Our utmost hope is that the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, with the key assistance of the U.S., will yield an enduring agreement. Both peoples deserve to live in peace and security. Tellingly, Park and her organization dont seem to share the same goals for one of those peoples.

AZERCREATIVE.COM SALES & ADMINISTRATION SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE JERYL PARADE jparade@washblade.com ext. 8072 ACCT. EXECUTIVE ERIN WOMMACK ewommack@washblade.com ext. 8094 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com
For distribution, contact Lynne Brown ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC at 202-747-2077,

EDITORIAL CARTOON

All material in the Washington Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Washington Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the Washington Blade is supported by many ne advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Washington Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the Washington Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Multiple copies are available from the Washington Blade ofce only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for $175 per year or $3.50 per single issue. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Washington Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Washington Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Individual Subscriptions are $175 per year for 52 issues (only $3.37 per issue mailed to you USPS). Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing ofces. Editorial positions of the Washington Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors notes as determined by the papers editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Washington Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verication. Send submissions by e-mail to knaff@washblade.com.

STUART KURLANDER is a board member of AJC Washington; ALAN RONKIN is executive director of AJCs Washington regional ofce.

2014 Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 23

24 JANUARY 24, 2014

VIEWPOINT

Life beyond marriage equality

Where the GOP and LGBT community have common ground
there is no political unity between progressives and conservatives in the LGBT community. This is highlighted on issue after issue with gun control, abortion, immigration, tax, and a panoply of other items that comprise our daily lives. When you listen to some national gay organizations, they speak of the evils of Republicans. They often imply ALL Republicans. Either they are not mindful that we have a growing number of Republican allies in the House and Senate and around the country who support us on many of our core issues, or they are simply party hacks. Its OK to be a party hack. I am. Just dont masquerade as a non-partisan national LGBT organization if thats what you really are an operative of the Democratic Party. Dont Ask, Dont Tell would not have been repealed three years ago without the six Republican senators who supported ending the law. Nor would the Senate have passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would provide employment protections for LGBT individuals in the workplace, without the votes of 10 Republicans. Fifteen years ago, those votes would have been unheard of. The Republican Party is going through a cultural shift (albeit slowly) as more Republican legislators consistently step up for LGBT Americans. States like New York, Maryland and Illinois bear witness to that. Conversely, there are those in leadership positions within the Republican Party to whom it is anathema for gays to be in the GOP and, worse yet, that we exist at all. It would be dishonest to say that, for gay Republicans, the last 20 years have been easy. The ascension of many within the Christian right into the party has often made life rough. That is, however, not a blanket statement. There are many good people who are part of the Christian right. The tenor of the marriage equality debate, on both sides of the aisle, has been nasty at times. Within the GOP, it uncovered the fact that there are those who see the party as a closed, inwardlooking operation who view defeat in the pursuit of ideological purity as acceptable. The tone of the marriage equality debate by certain members of the GOP fails to recognize that, beyond marriage, there are other issues where the LGBT community can contribute to a winning coalition for Republicans. What the Democratic Party fails to understand is that families cannot live on love alone. As my counterpart, John Fluharty, executive director of the Delaware GOP, often says, the GOP message of education, job creation, and economic growth and less government in our lives, are indeed the Republican Party and speak to many in the LGBT community when hate is not interjected. Sadly, its the David Agemas of the party, with their ecclesiastical rants, who are the squeaky wheel. And it is because of their boisterous noise that the Republican Party is on the brink of shrinking instead of growing. RNC Chair Reince Priebus has done a great job of starting to reach out to minority groups that have not supported the party in recent elections. And while he does not have a plank in his Growth and Opportunity Project for gays and lesbians, he shows no malice toward us either. We simply cant throw a temper tantrum and leave an organization or a political party when we dont get our way. Thats what they want. We persevere. We engage. We listen. And then we continue to change hearts and minds. We gay Republicans are here, to the chagrin of the gay left, and annoyance of the Republican radical right.

ROBERT TURNER is executive director of the D.C. Republican Party and former president of the D.C. chapter of Log Cabin Republicans. Reach him at robert. turner@dcgop.com or @RobertTurnerDC.

There are people both in the Republican Party and in the gay community who strongly believe that gays do not belong in the Grand Old Party. To my brothers and sisters in the gay community, while the Democratic Party has been much better on equality, when you step away from that string of issues, there is a wealth of policy positions where there is room for discussion and differing opinion. As Urvashi Vaid says in her book, Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics, Beyond a shared basic rights agenda,

VIEWPOINT

My partner is 34 years my senior so what?

Nothing creepy about inter-generational couples
than I way too old. And I most certainly do not nd the life we share creepy or strange. Sheer coincidence brought us together for the rst time. I met Andrs at a Northwest Washington gay bar on July 8, 2010. It was the last night of a three-day trip to the nations capital to visit a good friend and his partner. I was extremely happy because my father had just called me from New Hampshire to tell me that I was to become an uncle for the rst time. Andrs and I continued to chat as we left the bar and walked toward Logan Circle on that sultry July evening. I was momentarily surprised when he told me he was 62 I was 28 at the time, but the age difference truly did not matter. I thought to myself as I returned home to Brooklyn, N.Y. and my summer job as managing editor of the Fire Island News the next morning that I had just met a genuinely nice man with whom I wanted to keep in touch. Andrs and I reunited a few weeks later when he came to New York to visit his family and I quickly realized there was something more to our friendship than our daily phone calls and lengthy streams of text messages. We ofcially became a couple a few weeks later when he spent Labor Day weekend with me on Fire Island. A handful of people noted our age difference when we began dating or when they saw us together. These include an airline ticket agent at BWI who asked me whether I was Andrs son when we were trying to get onto another ight to travel to a friends wedding in New Hampshire. A person who is thankfully no longer a part of my life rather foolishly concluded that I had a sugar daddy. Andrs and I have done many of the same mundane and dare I say boring things that I assume most couples do since I moved in with him here in D.C. in October 2011. These include kvetching over the days news while drinking our morning coffee; making weekly grocery lists and deciding who is going to pick up the dry cleaning or put gas in the car. He also takes a keen interest in my work as a reporter for the Washington Blade and the front-row seat to LGBT history that my colleagues and I continue to enjoy. My nephew who turns 3 in March recently called Andrs to wish him happy birthday. And my parents routinely ask about him when we speak and send them their love. There is certainly nothing creepy or strange about the life we share as an inter-generational couple. Our friends, family and other loved ones who knew us as single for way too long agree. Andrs and I are comfortable enough with who we are as people and especially with our relationship not to worry about whether someone may have an issue with our age difference. The same argument should certainly apply to Tom Daley and his rumored boyfriend. Those who concern themselves with the age difference of two adults who have made the decision to share their lives with each other almost certainly need to spend more time worrying about themselves and assessing their own issues, insecurities, ll in the blank. It is the very simple mantra of mind your own business as those of us from New Hampshire know all too well.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS is a news reporter for the Washington Blade. Reach him at mlavers@ washblade.com.

The way that some have reacted to British Olympic diver Tom Daleys acknowledgement he is in a relationship with a man rumored to be Oscarwinning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black who is two decades older has certainly piqued this humble reporters interest. Creepy, strange and way too old are some of the myriad adjectives and phrases used to describe Daley and Blacks rumored relationship that I have read in the media and online. I dont nd my beloved partner who is 34 years older

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 25

JA NU AR YS PE CIA LS !

2012 CC 4dr Sdn DSG Sport

Sale Price: $18,995*

2011 GTI 2dr HB Manual

Sale Price: $17,695*

VW Certified One Owner Car*

2012 VW CC Sport just traded fron orignal owner. Fully equipped; 2.0T FSI Engine, 6-speed DSG Automatic Transmission, Leahter, Automatic Headlamps, Heated Seats, Touch Screen Radio w-6-disc in-dash CD Player, Bluetooth, Power Seats and more. One owner, clean CarFax, Maryland Inspected and VW Certified. Comes with an additional 24 month/24K mile full coverage warranty.

VW Certified One Owner Car*

201 1 VW GTI just off lease. Origianlly sold and serviced by Martens. Nicely equipped; 2.0T engine, 6-spd manual transmission, power windows & locks, keyless entry, heated mirrors, cruise control, fog lamps, anti-theft alarm, Sirius satellite radio and much more. One owner, clean CarFax, Maryland Inspected and VW Certified. Comes with an additional 24 month/24K mile full coverage warranty.

2012 Beetle 2dr Cpe DSG 2.0T Turbo

Sale Price: $18,395*

2013 Touareg 4dr VR6 Sport

Sale Price: $33,245*

Certified One Owner*

2012 VW Bettle Turbo Coupe-former VW Company car. Nicley equipped; 2.0T Turbo Engine, 6-speed DSG Automatic Transmission, Bluetooth, Heated Seats, Cruise Control, Fog Lamps, Media Device Interface, Keyless Entry, 8-Speaker Sound System, Alloy Pedals, Rear Spoiler and more. One owner, clean CarFax, Maryland Inspected and VW Certified. Comes with an additional 24 month/24K mile full coverage warrant.

VW Certified One Owner AWD*

201 3 VW Touareg Sport with 22K miles. Nicely equipped; VR6 engine, Automatic, AWD, Leatherette, Heated Seats, Dual Zone Climate Control, Touchscreen Radio w/6-Disc CD Player, 8-Way Power Front Seats, Power Liftgate, Bluetooth, Fog Lamps, Bi-Xenon Headlamps and much more. One owner, Clean CarFax, Maryland Inspected and VW Certified. Comes with an additional 24 month/24K mile full coverage warranty.

2010 Jetta Sedan 4dr Auto Limited

Sale Price: $13,495*

2013 Touareg 4dr VR6 Sport

Sale Price: $33,995*

Certified One Owner *

VW Certified One Owner Car*

2010 VW Jetta Limited just off lease with only 20K miles. Nicely equipped; Sunroof, Auto, Leatherette, Heated Seats, Aluminum Wheels, Power Windows & Locks, Keyless Entry, Bluetooth and much more. One owner, clean Carfax, Maryland Safety Inspected and VW Certified. Comes with a 24 month/24K mile full coverage warranty from date of purchase.

201 3 VW Touareg Sport with 1 5K miles. Nicely equipped; VR6 engine, Automatic, AWD, Leatherette, Heated Seats, Dual Zone Climate Control, Touchscreen Radio w/6-Disc CD Player, 8-Way Power Front Seats, Power Liftgate, Bluetooth, Fog Lamps, Bi-Xenon Headlamps and much more. One owner, Clean CarFax, Maryland Inspected and VW Certified. Comes with an additional 24 month/24K mile full coverage warranty.

4800 Wisconsin Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 202-537-3000

washingtonblade.com 26 JANUARY 24, 2014 INSIDE LGBT WASHINGTON

The difculties of beating an incumbent

D.C. mayoral challengers so far not generating much excitement
have an advantage and the only way to beat them is if you can rst get voters to focus on things they have done wrong and then move them to buy into what you as the challenger can do right. We recently witnessed a mayoral primary and election in New York where there was no incumbent on the ballot but the winning candidate, rather than focus on his opponents. ran against the mayor in ofce. Bill de Blasio was able to tap into an electorate tired of Michael Bloomberg after 12 years in ofce. He was able to run pitting the haves against the have-nots. That is often a way national races are run. One of the major issues in New York was universal pre-kindergarten. Instead of focusing on the issue he focused on taxing the rich to pay for it. It was very effective as a campaign issue even if he may not be able to do it now that he is in ofce. De Blasio was able to tie incumbent Council President Christine Quinn, a lesbian, to Bloomberg and then benetted when many in the LGBT community attacked her. That election showed that voters in New York have moved beyond guaranteeing votes to a candidate based on their being the same race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. De Blasio also did something hard to do and which could have backred when he highlighted his family in the election. De Blasio is white. His wife is African American beautiful, intelligent and she was once an activist lesbian. His son seems to have a great personality and great natural hairstyle to go with it; he captured the interest of the press and the imagination of the community. Clearly not all candidates have such an interesting family. Now there are some candidates running across the nation who look at Bill de Blasios campaign as a blueprint for their own. Some see it as the rise of progressivism and the public nally ghting back against the economic inequality that we are seeing in the nation. But I would caution candidates to think twice about using New York as an example of how to run a campaign. Some think that it was former Mayor Adrian Fenty trying to model himself after Michael Bloomberg that caused many of his problems. There are few cities with eight million people and the diversity of New York. More are like the District, which is comparable to a collection of just a few neighborhoods in New York. D.C. today has only 400,000 registered voters. Everyone in politics tends to know everyone else and their business. When a new mayor is installed in New York, he or she has a choice of millions of people to place in government positions. That isnt the case in D.C. and it is the reason many people remain in their positions from one administration to another. Challengers who generally have the same positions on the issues as the incumbent have a difcult time making themselves stand out. Challengers who are themselves incumbents in another ofce have the additional problem of having already staked out positions many the same as the person they are now challenging. In a small city like D.C. the issues always tend to be the same. They include education, public safety, scal stability, economic development and balancing the needs of the haves and have-nots, which includes dealing with gentrication. Over the next less than 70 days, the struggle will be for the challengers for all ofces in D.C. to make the case for how they can make a difference. First they will try to convince voters that the city isnt moving in the right direction and present a believable plan to change things. If that doesnt work they must make the case for why the incumbent cant continue to lead. Not easy in a one-on-one challenge but made even more difcult when there are multiple candidates having to run not only against the incumbent but against each other.

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

The D.C. primary is less than 70 days away. There are numerous candidates running for ofce and nearly all incumbents have more than one challenger. Looking at a recent Washington Post poll it is clear that no challenger in the mayors race has yet created enough excitement around their candidacy to stand out from the crowd. But creating that excitement is a very hard thing to do even for good candidates in races with numerous challengers. From the political perspective the problem of running against an incumbent is very difcult. From president to local school board, incumbents

OUR BUSINESS MATTERS

Fixing D.C. elections to let independent voters play

Dominant Democrats fear loss of party registrations, electoral exclusivity
tys primary election. The only exception is a requirement that two of four At-Large D.C. Council seats be held by a non-majorityparty. This provision is intended to prevent absolute single-party control but is both easily and commonly overridden by Democrats changing afliation to independent as if changing socks. Despite being primary participation outcasts, slightly more than 17 percent of the Districts registered voters have selected No Party as their political afliation. This reduces voting eligibility to general elections, being prohibited from any partys closed primary election. The percentage of independent registrations would undoubtedly skyrocket if D.C. election rules were revised to eliminate participation restrictions. Independent voters are a fast-growing phenomenon in places with broader participation rules. In addition, nearly half of Americans now self-identify as independents even if mostly in attitude while retaining a party preference an all-time high in 25 years of Gallup polling. Of course, both local Democratic Party ofcials and incumbents are not eager for any change weakening the incentive to register with the party. Why would they? There is no upside to surrendering the power of a determinant process exclusively involving party registrants or offering other parties a potential path to victory. Its partly understandable, in reference to the open primary system used in Virginia and other states where voters are not required to register by party and independents may vote in any party primary. Even those registered with a political party may vote in another partys primary upon making a declaration they intend to support that party in the general election. There is an argument for letting political parties restrict primary voting to the party-registered. This prevents the possibility a party would have to associate with a winning candidate that did not adhere to particular political positions. The rules for voting in primary elections vary by state and there are differing systems in place. And, yes, various protocols lead to multiple types of strategic mischief. In a fully open primary, for example, competing party members switch over to vote for candidates perceived weaker as general election opponents, especially if their own partys primary is already sewn-up by a strong or single candidate or popular incumbent. Neither open nor semi-closed primary systems that allow only independents to choose a party primary are perfect alternatives. Another option, determining a winner by ranking preference in automatic run-off primaries is also subject to strategic gaming by voters and introduces an unduly complex poker game mentality into the process. D.C.s dilemma might best be remedied by non-partisan elections. All candidates would compete in a single primary open to all voters, with the top two candidates proceeding to the general election. One or both of the top two candidates might still win only a plurality. All voters, however, would have the opportunity to choose among all candidates, with a nal selection available to voters in the general election. After all, no system is perfect. A non-partisan system would provide for the least political disruption in a city with single party dominance. It would yield freedom from needing to register with the dominant party to attain electoral equity while also requiring candidates to compete side-by-side, as we already do for special elections. It may be time to allow D.C. residents to register and fully participate in election outcomes without forcing afliation with a political party. It could be the best possible rst-step election reform most appropriate for D.C.

MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur and community business advocate. Follow on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.

In D.C., independent voters dont really get to play the game come election time. Not only that, the current system allows the dominant Democratic Partys primary candidates to proceed to the general election winning only a plurality of votes. It will likely happen again on April 1 in the historically determinant Democratic primary for mayor. These are separate problems. But there may be a single solution. Due to overwhelming Democratic registration at nearly 75 percent, winners of local elections are decided in the dominant par-

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 27

sunroom & window

SALE
Compare Us to Leading National Brands

SINCE

1966

SINCE

1953

Get inspired, visit

CALL 703-496-3019
NO INTEREST NO PAYMENTS
FOR 1 YEAR
Interest waived if repaid in full within rst 12 months. Loans provided by EnerBank USA (1245 Brickyard Rd., Suite 600, Salt Lake City, UT 84106) on approved credit for a limited time. Repayment terms vary from 24 to 132 months. 16.79% xed APR, effective as of 1/01/14, subject to change. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Mention code wbLade to get your savings.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATE

patioenclosures.com and stanekwindows.com

OR

Showroom Near You: Washington: 10595 Furnace Rd., #100, Lorton, VA Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p | Sat 10a-3p | Sun by appt.

FREE HIGH-PERFORMANCE
GLASS UPGRADE
Some restrictions apply. See sales associate for details. Sorry, no adjustment to prior sales. Offers cannot be combined with other discounts. 2014 Patio Enclosures. HURRY, OFFER ENDS 03/07/14. Mention code wbLade to get your savings.

GLASS UPGRADE
Some restrictions apply. See sales associate for details. Sorry, no adjustment to prior sales. Offers cannot be combined with other discounts. 2014 Stanek Windows. HURRY, OFFER ENDS 03/07/14. Mention code wbLade to get your savings.

FREE TRIPLE-PANE

sunrooms windows basements and more

greatdayimprovements.com
VA 20345A; MHIC 12744; DC 263

28 JANUARY 24, 2014

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Center for the Arts

GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON

20132014 SEASON

Visit us at cfa.gmu.edu

Mark Morris Dance Group

Saturday, February 22 at 8 p.m. Sunday, February 23 at 4 p.m. Always with live music, Morris brilliant choreography will be on show on our stage with Italian Concerto, set to Bachs Italian Concerto in F major, the D.C. area premiere of A Wooden Tree, set to the music and words of Ivor Cutler, Jenn and Spencer, set to Henry Cowells Suite for Violin and Piano, and Crosswalk, set to the Grand Duo Concertant for clarinet and piano by Carl Maria von Weber. Saturday, $23, $38, $46 Sunday, $23, $38, $46

Max Raabe & Palast Orchester

The Golden Age
Sunday, March 2 at 4 p.m. Youre in a popular Berlin nightclub back in the 1920s-1930s. The smooth, impeccably dressed crooner with the silky voice is singing the current cabaret hits backed by the very ne orchestra Irresistible elegant fun! Featured in Vogue before their Carnegie Hall appearance this past October, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester classically trained and serious about the music, but not themselves present a delightful concert quite unlike anything youve experienced before! $23, $38, $46 ff
SERIES UNDERWRITER

Joffrey Ballet
Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m.

American Legends Body and Soul

Saturday, March 8 at 8 p.m. The Center for the Arts is honored to welcome one of the worlds most well-known and respected dance companies. American Legends will feature Jerome Robbins Interplay, Twyla Tharps Nine Sinatra Songs and more. Body and Soul features works by some of todays most brilliant choreographers. Balletgoing rarely gets more rewarding, and the [Joffrey] dancers reach for and often grasp new levels of achievement. (Chicago Tribune) Friday, $25, $42, $50 / Saturday, $25, $42, $50

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

Tickets

888-945-2468 or cfa.gmu.edu

Located on the Fairfax campus, six miles west of Beltway exit 54 at the intersection of Braddock Road and Rt. 123.

A R T S A N D E N T E R TA I N M E N T W A S H I N G T O N B L A D E . C O M V O L U M E 4 5 I S S U E 0 4 J A N U A R Y 2 4 2 0 1 4 P A G E 2 9
R.J. AGUIAR, left, and WILL SHEPHERD, a gay vlogging couple.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHEPHERD

Two couples nd unexpected interest in their YouTube adventures

By MARIAH COOPER In a world of stereotypes, two couples want to show gay relationships are normal by putting their own on YouTube for the world to see. Will Shepherd, 24, and R.J. Aguiar, 25, have been daily vlogging their relationship on their YouTube channel shep689 since January 2012. It started as a month-long experiment to video every day of their lives together. Since then, their channel has expanded to more than 100,000 subscribers and almost two years worth of daily videos. Daily vlogging happened by accident, Aguiar says. We decided to try it for a month and thought it would fail completely, but instead it took off. We tried it for another month and it took off even more than the rst. Shepherd started the channel as a hobby to respond to funny videos his friend posted. It grew into posting self-help advice and book reviews and eventually included

day in the life videos after he met Aguiar. Occasionally the two would record themselves on vacation and at the request of subscribers, they decided to try vlogging every day. From there, the channels focus became Shepherd and Aguiars everyday lives together. I wanted to portray gay life as it should be, Shepherd says. We wanted to show that there are very little differences between the daily life of a heterosexual couple and a homosexual couple. Shepherd, who works in advertising, and Aguiar, who works in marketing, have documented large parts of their lives like their move from their home state of Florida to Los Angeles and getting a dog. Theyve also recorded little moments such as going to Chipotle, being stuck in trafc and getting locked out of the house. Their channel led to the launch of their website, notadamandsteve.com, a mix of everything from advice and reviews to recipes and personal stories. Kaelyn Petras, 25, and Lucy Sutcliffe, 21, started their YouTube channel Kaelyn and Lucy to stay connected in their longdistance relationship, which began online. Sutcliffe had been following Petrass Taylor

Swift Tumblr and saw that Petras posted she was ready to come out to her family. Id spent the springtime obsessively watching all six seasons of The L Word and had sort of just begun accepting myself as a gay woman, Sutcliffe says. So I decided to send Kaelyn a quick email, just letting her know that she wasnt alone and that I was here if she ever wanted to talk. A few hours later she responded and we just havent stopped talking. Sutcliffe, who resides in England, had planned a road trip in the United States and decided to y to visit Petras, who was in veterinary school in Saint Kitts (an island in the West Indies), at the end of her trip. Sutcliffe, a student lmmaker, lmed the trip and uploaded it to YouTube, mainly as a memento for the couple. Instead, it gained unexpected popularity. A few months passed and then literally overnight the video had gained several thousand views, Sutcliffe says. People had started commenting, This video saved my life, You girls have showed me that I dont have to be ashamed of my sexuality, and Our daughter has just come out to us
CONTINUES ON PAGE 39

washingtonblade.com 30 JANUARY 24, 2014 QUEERY: 20 QUESTIONS FOR BRYCE KEYSER

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? Ive been out, to everyone, for about a year and a half now. The hardest person to tell was myself. For a long time I didnt want to accept the lifestyle and the pain that may come with associating yourself as gay. I nally got tired of sheltering who I really was and came out to everyone at lightning speed. Whos your LGBT hero? All the LGBT people who came before me and helped pave the way for us today. Without them, Id probably still be in the closet. Whats Washingtons best nightspot, past or present? Town is my rst love. It was the rst gay club I ever went to and the place that I started my drag career and met my drag mother, Shiqueeta Lee! Describe your dream wedding. Two men, holding hands, surrounded by friends and family underneath a beautiful altar covered in white roses. Im a hopeless romantic as long as there is something sappy and theres love involved, Im set! What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? This year, Beyonc tied Dolly Parton with the record for the most Grammy Award nominations for any female artist. Oh wait this is supposed to be non-LGBT! What historical outcome would you change? The assassination of JFK. He gave America hope at a very crucial time. Whats been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? Im still in recovery from Dolly not winning the Best Original Song Oscar in 2006. On what do you insist? Love, acceptance and the pursuit of happiness. What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? Announcing that I am one of three new cast members on the D.C.-based drag reality show Drag City: DC. This will be the third season of the show and its going to be a good one! If your life were a book, what would the title be? How to Launch a Drag Career in 30 Days

I would applaud the scientists who discovered it, then continue watching that weeks Judith Ripkas Jewelry special on QVC. I am very proud of my sexuality and of who I am. Being gay has enhanced my life in so many ways. What do you believe in beyond the physical world? I am not a religious person by any means, although I am a very spiritual person. I do believe there is something bigger than us out there somewhere. I think you kind of have to believe that to stay halfway sane in this world. Whats your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Rhinestone the rainbow ag; it will look better under the spotlights. What would you walk across hot coals for? My family. Take care of them while you can. What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? That we all wear pink on Wednesdays. Everyone knows we wear ruby slipper red on Wednesdays now. Whats your favorite LGBT movie? Steel Magnolias will always be my favorite. Its hilarious, southern, so sad it will make you cry your eyes out and Dolly plays the town hairdresser. Its got my name written all over it in 12 different languages. Whats the most overrated social custom? Using the mens restroom. I am more of a lady than half the trafc that passes through an average womens restroom. Plus they smell nicer. What trophy or prize do you most covet? The support of my family. No trophy or honor that I will ever receive in my lifetime will top that. What do you wish youd known at 18? I wish I would have known where everything was going to end up and that it all gets better. I stressed out for a long time trying to gure out what I wanted to be when I grew up when I actually knew all along, but didnt want to accept it because it wasnt what everyone else was doing. Why Washington? Washington is like New York Citys baby sister. It has almost everything youd ever want in a city however its a little less stressful than New York. The perfect place for a freelance female impressionist like myself.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Bryce Keyser is planning to eventually get away from the salon work he does hes a stylist at Bang Salon on U Street and make his drag alter ego his full-time work. Porcelain St. Clair was begun, he says, on a whim. I did a costume contest at my old job and won, the Manassas, Va., native says. People said, Wow, youre pretty good, maybe you should do some more, so I got some costumes made, did some drag contests and got booked pretty quickly. Dolly Parton is his main character, which he says he does about 95 percent of the time, but he also does Liza, Madonna and Shania on occasion. He says Parton, whom he grew up idolizing and has met several times, knows his work and has been supportive. Theres no big secret to the boobs, he says just cotton padding mostly. He made all the foam body padding himself. Keyser starts a new show on Thursday at LivingSocial (918 F St., N.W.) where hell be every week. He also does Nellies Drag Brunch every Sunday and Drag Salute to the Divas every month at the Howard with his drag mother, Shiqueeta Lee (the next Howard show is Feb. 9). Keyser is single and enjoys reading, shopping at thrift stores and watching QVC and HSN in his free time.

202.747.2077

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?

washingtonblade.com THEATER JANUARY 24, 2014 31

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY

Actress SIAN PHILLIPS calls her current play as intricately crafted as a well-made clock.

Stage legend relishes Earnest role at STC

By PATRICK FOLLIARD Early in actress Sin Phillips long and illustrious career, trusted mentors warned her that despite a charmed start in the business, it would take many years before she got what she wanted. And they were absolutely right, she explains in a small ofce in the Lansburgh Theatre basement. It took me a long time to get where I am today. But of course, I wouldnt have done it any other way. The London-based Phillips is in town to play Lady Augusta Bracknell in the Shakespeare Theatre Companys production of The Importance of Being Earnest, staged by her lifelong friend, Keith Baxter. Makeup done, she wears a silk print robe and matching turban. Tall and slender, she moves like a woman much younger than her 80 years. Its two hours until curtain and shes sharing some thoughts on the part and her career before she gets into costume. When playing Lady Bracknell, many players take their cues from Dame Edith Evans, whose brilliantly bombastic take on the society-worshipping Bracknell was the highlight of the 1952 lm version. Not Phillips. Actually, I approach the part as if it were written last week. I adored Edith Evans but I dont hear her voice when I read the lines. Not to say that doesnt happen when I played Miss Havisham, I couldnt get Martita Hunt [famed British actress] out of my head. In Oscar Wildes enduring 1895 comedy, two men about town Jack Worthing and his pal Algernon fall for a pair of fair young ladies who are inexplicably intent on marrying a man named Ernest. The men come up with an intricate deception to land their quarry. And then the formidable Lady Bracknell steps in to ferret out the truth. Jack describes the snobbish grande dame as a gorgon. Yes, its true, Phillips

says. She is rather unpleasant, and extremely intent on getting her own way. But try as she may, its Jack who comes out OK in the end, isnt it? The part is a smallish-but-integral comedic gem in Wildes dazzlingly wellmade satire. Its the shortest part Ive played in some time. The disadvantage is you must come on striking 12, she says. Theres no opportunity to work up to it. Youve got to come on high and stay up there. Phillips says the rhythm of Wildes language is difcult to master. Im used to Shakespeare and have done a lot of Shaw. This is harder. Its the heightened nature of the English. But of course he writes so well. When you rehearse it you realize what a great piece of work it is. Its aged so well. Ive done Wildes Lady Windermeres Fan and A Woman of No Importance. But this particular play is a masterpiece. Its like sitting in the middle of a clock. Its a mechanism. The whole thing could collapse at any minute. Its like being on ice skates. I nd it exhilarating. Its scary, but I dont mind being scared. A radio personality throughout her teens, Phillips left her native Wales to study acting at Londons Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where she was singled out for her talent and beauty in a year that included Diana Rigg and Glenda Jackson. After graduating, she seamlessly transferred to the professional stage. Those same trusted mentors who predicted she would nd professional satisfaction later in life, also advised her not to marry so early in her career. Of course they were right again. But what could I do? I was madly in love with OToole [she was married to movie star Peter OToole from 1959-1979]. And we had some wonderful times and two daughters. I dont regret it.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Through March 2 Shakespeare Theatre Company Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. N.W. $20-100 202-547-1122 shakespearetheatre.org

UTTERLY CHARMING!
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS

EISENHOWER THEATER JANUARY 28--FEBRUARY 16

Tickets on sale now! (202) 467-4600 kennedy-center.org Tickets also available at the Box Ofce | Groups (202) 416-8400
The Kennedy Center Theater Season is sponsored by Altria. Comedy at the Kennedy Center Presenting Sponsor

PHOTO BY JENNY ANDERSON

The Neverland you never knew...until now.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

LIVE

washingtonblade.com 32 JANUARY 24, 2014 OUT & ABOUT

SPIRIT FAMILY
REUNION:
AND SHENANDOAH RIVERKEEPERS

A BENEFIT FOR THE POTOMAC

W/ 19 TH STREET BAND

THURSDAY

JAN 23
By MARIAH COOPER

NRBQ
SATURDAY
FRIDAY, JAN 31

JAN 25

BRINDLEY BROTHERS PRESENTS W/ THE FALLS

BRONZE RADIO RETURN

TUESDAY, FEB 4

INDIGENOUS

WEDNESDAY, FEB 5

LEYLA MCCALLA
FRIDAY, FEB 7

OF THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS: VARI-COLORED SONGS, A TRIBUTE TO LANGSTON HUGHES

PHOTO BY JENNY ANDERSON; COURTESY OF THE KENNEDY CENTER

YO MAMAS BIG FAT BOOTY BAND

W/ THE GOOD THING

Peter Pan prequel at Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) presents Peter and the Starcatcher, the Tony Award-winning prequel to Peter Pan. It opens Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Eisenhower Theater. The musical, based on the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, explores Peter Pans origins in Neverland. The story focuses on Peter and his friend Molly as they battle pirates and go on an adventure at sea. Tickets range from $55-$135. The show runs through Feb. 16. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAME

THEHAMILTONDC.COM

Gay/Bash returns to Black Cat Saturday

Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Gay/Bash featuring Heidi Glum and Rumor Millz with special guest Severely Mame Saturday at 10 p.m. Mame, who is from Brooklyn, was in Sharon Needless music video Call Me on the Ouija Board. The performances will be mixed with a blend of alternative, new wave, teen-pop and punk-rock music by DJ Joshua and DJ Dean Sullivan from Cobalts Bearzerk. Performances are at 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Cover charge is $5. The event is open for all ages. For more details, visit blackcatdc.com.

Thai Tanic II
HAPPY HOUR 5-7 PM*
Pitcher Draft Beer & 2 Appetizers $25 Draft Beer Tower $23.50

Rainbow Theatre Project presents Die Mommie Die!

The Rainbow Theatre Project, a group that brings LGBT-minded theater to the District, presents a staged reading of Die Mommie Die! at Source (1835 14th St., N.W.) Monday at 7:30 p.m. The show tells the story of singer Angela Andrews, who murders her lm producer husband with the help of her younger lover, an out-of-work television actor. The story gained cult status in the LGBT community after the movie version, starring Frances Conroy among others, was released. Gay playwright and actor Charles Busch wrote the work. Admission is free. There will be refreshments available for purchase. For details, visit rainbowtheatreproject.org.

SPECIALS*

Yellow Curry Fried Rice & Sunny Side Up $12.99 Soft Shell Crab Papaya Salad $9.99
M-TH 11-10, FRI 11-11, SAT 12-11, SUN 12-10
Family Owned & Operated

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLY KETTERING

Ndegeocello brings Simone tribute to Annapolis

Queer bassist and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello performs a dedication to Nina Simone at Rams Head On Stage (33 West St., Annapolis, Md.) Thursday at 8 p.m. Ndegeocellos 10th studio album Pour une me souveraine (For a Sovereign Soul) includes notable guests such as Sinead OConnor, Lizz Wright, Valerie June and more. The track Be My Husband recently premiered on NPR. Tickets are $49.50. Admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ramsheadonstage.com.

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS

3462 14th St. NW 202-387-0882 202-387-0886 for delivery to limited area

*ONLY@Columbia Heights. LivingSocial, Groupon, and other promotions do not apply.

WWW.THAITANIC.US/THAITANIC2

washingtonblade.com TELEVISION JANUARY 24, 2014 33

Hope and Justice

9:30 AM and 11:00 AM

A Service of

January 26
Panel Discussion
at 12:30 PM. Everyone is invited!

th

STILL COURTESY OF HBO

From left, MURRAY BARTLETT as Dom, JONATHAN GROFF as Patrick and FRANKIE J. ALVAREZ as Agustin in Looking.

New HBO dramedy follows trio of awed gay San Francisco friends
By SANTIAGO MELLI-HUBER At rst glance, HBOs new dramedy Looking may seem like a gay mans answer to Girls, but if Sunday nights series premiere is any indication, it serves as a foil to shows like Modern Family and The New Normal, complete with dated stereotypes of gay men. The pilot opens up with Jonathan Groffs character, video game developer Patrick, at the receiving end of an awkward handjob courtesy of a stranger he cruised in a park in broad daylight. The idea that a techsavvy 20-something would go cruising in the middle of the day in the age of Grindr seems unbelievable, as if its the image a middle-aged television producer has of young gay men. This suspicion is all but conrmed in the next scene when another main character is shown, without a trace of irony, sporting a Freddie Mercury mustache. The series is created by Michael Lannan, who produced Interior. Leather Bar, a lm about the controversial 1980 movie Cruising. Lannans Looking is set and lmed in San Francisco, where cruising for sex is still commonplace, if mostly among older men. Most younger gay men beyond the Bay may not relate to Patricks mid-day cruising session. While there is the rare comment on careers or housing issues, it becomes clear that the chief concern for the three main characters is sex. This, however, is hardly surprising, considering the seriess title.

Patrick resorts to cruising and OKCupid, a far more believable approach, for his next hookup. Agustn and his boyfriend engage in a threesome with someone they just met. Dom throws himself at anyone he may be able to get into bed and, after failing, goes searching for some blonde slut to help me regain my self-respect. The funniest part of the pilot is the singular scene featuring Lauren Weedman, who plays Doms roommate, Doris. The recurring character is already tragically underused in the series. She switches seamlessly from witty and sardonic to sympathetic and back again. She is only credited for ve of the seasons eight episodes, which is a blessing for the main trio, as she could easily steal every scene if given the chance. Like its sister program Girls, the main characters are all deeply awed, which makes the show captivating. Bucking the trend of modern sitcoms featuring a butch/ femme, nancially stable, wholesome, white gay couple adopting a baby, the three men here smoke weed, are nowhere near marriage and are unapologetic in their sexual triumphs and misadventures. Looking certainly tells a different story about gay men than is normally seen on television. Its not a narrative that will play as well in suburbia as seen in family friendly sitcoms, but with a racially diverse cast and sexually liberated characters, it helps represent an often-ignored portion of the LGBT community. Until the show develops over the next few episodes and its purpose becomes clear, its a series to keep on the radar. Lets hope it develops some depth as it unfolds. Looking airs Sunday nights at 10:30 p.m. on HBO.

SCHAEFER
We welcome back Frank Schaefer, who was recently defrocked as a clergyman in Eastern, PA. He ofciated the same gender marriage for his son. Schaefer is now a Foundry member!

Jimmy Beth

Frank

CREECH STROUD
A Reconciling Congregation

Jimmy Creech, who was defrocked as a clergyman in North Carolina in 1999. He ofciated a same gender marriage. He preached at Foundry in 2012.

Beth Stroud, who was defrocked as a clergywoman in Philadelphia in 2005. She was in a same gender relationship. Beth is married and she and her partner are raising their daughter.

1500 16th Street NW (16th & P St.) 202-332-4010 FoundryUMC.org

washingtonblade.com 34 JANUARY 24, 2014 THE GUIDE TO ARTS & CULTURE

HOT HITS & HIDDEN JEWELS

F R O M C U LT U RE C AP I TAL .C OM Y O U R L IN K T O THE ARTS I N ME TR O D.C.

THEATRE
Richard III. Jan 28-Mar 9. Folger Theatre. 202-544-7077. folger.edu. Ralphie May. Jan 25. GW Lisner Auditorium. 202-994-6800. lisner.org. Shear Madness. Thru Jun 30. Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org. Violet. Jan 24-Feb 23. Fords Theatre. 800-982-2787. fords.org. Tribes. Thru Feb 23. Studio Theatre. 202-232-3300. studiotheatre.org. The Best Man. Jan 25-Feb 22. Keegan Theatre. 703-892-0202. keegantheatre.com. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Jan 29-Feb 23. Olney Theatre. 301-924-3400. olneytheatre.org. American Shakepeare Center on Tour: Othello. Jan 25. The Merry Wives of Windsor. Jan 25.The Alden. 703-790-9223. aldentheatre.org. The Old Masters. Thru Jan 26. Washington Stage Guild. Undercroft Theatre. 240-582-0050. stageguild.org. Gypsy. Thru Jan 26. Signature Theatre. 703-820-9771. signature-theatre.org. Twelfth Night. Thru Feb 16. Synetic Theater. 703-824-8060. synetictheater.org. Charlotte Blake Alston. Jan 25. BlackRock. 240-912-1058. blackrockcenter.org. One-Act Festival. Jan 24-Jan 25. Workhouse Arts Center. 703-584-2900. workhousearts.org. Dyskolos. Jan 30-Feb 2. Ambassador Theater. Anacostia Arts Center. 703-475-4036. aticc.org. Bang the Drum Slowly. Thru Feb 1. American Century Theater. Gunston. 703-998-4555. americancentury.org. Scapin. Thru Feb 16. Constellation Theatre Company. Source Theatre. 202-204-7741. constellationtheatre.org.

Fusion: Quatuor Eclisses. Jan 26. The Phillips Collection. 202-387-2151. phillipscollection.org. Chamber Concert. Jan 24. FMMC. Calvary Baptist Church. 202-333-2075. fmmc.org. Jews Who Rock. Jan 26. JCCNV. JCC of Greater Washington. 703-537-3000. jccnv.org.

MUSEUMS
Corcoran Gallery of Art. Recent Acquisitions: American Art from the Johns Collection. Thru Feb 9. Question Bridge: Black Males. Thru Feb 16. NOW at the Corcoran Mia Feuer: An Unkindness. Thru Feb 23. Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd. Thru Mar 9. American Journeys Visions of Place. Thru Sep 21. 202-639-1700. corcoran.org. Folger Shakespeare Library. Shakespeares the Thing. Jan 28-Jun 15. folger.edu. Fords Theatre. Abraham Lincoln and the Technology of War. Thru Jul 6. 202-347-4833. fords.org. National Gallery of Art. Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections. Thru Mar 2. The Dying Gaul: An Ancient Roman Masterpiece from the Capitoline Museum, Rome. Thru Mar 16. Masterpieces of American Furniture from the Kaufman Collection, 1700 - 1830. Thru Dec 31. 202-737-4215. nga.gov. National Geographic. Lions, Tigers, and Bears. Thru Feb 2. Women of Vision. Thru Mar 9. One Cubic Foot. Thru Mar 31. A New Age of Exploration. Thru Jun 8. 202-857-7000. nglive.org. Museum of Women in the Arts. New York Avenue Sculpture Project: Chakaia Booker. Thru Mar 1. Judy Chicago: Circa 75. Thru Apr 13. Workt by Hand: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts. Thru Apr 27. Equal Exposure: Anita Steckels Fight Against Censorship. Thru May 9. Making her Mark: Publishers Bindings by Women. Thru Nov 1. 202-783-5000. nmwa.org. The Phillips Collection. Van Gogh Repetitions. Thru Jan 26. Duncan Phillips and New York Collections. Thru Feb 28. Jean Meisel: 50-65 Horizon Line. Thru May 4. 202-387-2151. phillipscollection.org.

P ET ER A N D T HE STARC ATC HE R JA N 2 8 -F EB 1 6 . K E NNE DY C E NTE R. 202-467-4600. K EN N ED Y-CE NTE R.ORG . Winner of ve Tony Awards, this innovative and imaginative prequel to Peter Pan-based on the best-selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson-takes a hilarious, swashbuckling romp through the Neverland you never knew. T HE J A ZZ/ BL UE S P R OJE C T JAN 29-FEB 2. THE WASHINGTON BALLET. SIDNEY HARMAN HALL. 202-362-3606. WASHINGTONBALLET.ORG. Americana at its nest-the iconic music of Etta James and Charlie Bird Parker and world-class dance come together in Trey McIntyres Blue Until June and Val Caniparolis Birds Nest. Along with a world premiere by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. N ATA S C IA D IAZ JA N 2 5 . S T R ATHM ORE . 3 0 1 -5 8 1 -5 1 0 0. S T RAT H MORE.ORG. On Broadway, shes played in Man of La Mancha and Carousel. But this multiple Helen Hayes Award winner is a particular favorite of Washington theater fans, whove seen her dazzling performances at Signature Theatre and the Kennedy Center. A BS T R A C T EXP RE SSI ONI SM RE VI SI TED T HE A RT L EA G UE G AL L E RY. THR U FEB 3. 703-683-1780. T HEA RT L EA GUE .ORG . The works selected for this exhibit will honor the artwork created during the great 1950s Abstract Expressionist movement.
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE KENNEDY CENTER

DANCE
Mariinsky Ballet: Swan Lake. Jan 28-Feb 2. Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org. 31st Annual Choreographers Showcase. Jan 25. Clarice Smith. 301-405-2787. claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

MUSIC
Natascia Diaz. Jan 25. Rob Patterson, Maria Lambros & Audrey Andrist. Jan 26. Strathmore. 301-581-5100. strathmore.org. Carrie Rodriguez. Jan 25. Artisphere. 703-875-1100. artisphere.com. Anna Lee, violin. Jan 26. WPAS. Kennedy Center. 202-785-9728. wpas.org. Fortas Chamber Music Concert. Jan 27. Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org. Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar. Jan 24. Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound. Jan 25. Maceo Parker. Jan 26. Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Jan 27. The Barns at Wolf Trap. 877-965-3872. wolftrap.org. VERGE Ensemble Presents: Modern Mystics. Jan 26. Corcoran Gallery of Art. 202-639-1700. corcoran.org.

GALLERIES
Artisphere. Alicia Eggert: Everything You Are Looking For. Thru Feb 2. Lina Vargas: Portable Places_Permanent Spaces. Thru Feb 2. 703-875-1100. artisphere.com. Gallery plan b. Figures & Vistas / Works by Gordon Binder and Joyce McCarten. Thru Feb 16. 202-234-2711. galleryplanb.com. Goethe-Institut. Linger On! Photography from Saxony-Anhalt. Thru Jan 31. 202-289-1200. goethe.de. Joan Hisaoka Gallery. A Window into the Minds Eye. Thru Mar 15. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org. Neptune Fine Art. Wolf Kahn: Printmaking with Line and Color. Thru Jan 25. 202-338-0353. neptuneneart.com.

washingtonblade.com DINING JANUARY 24, 2014 35

Call today for an in-home estimate.

202-630-HUNG
PHOTO BY GREG POWERS

windowwears.net

MIKE ISABELLA has created buzz with his monthly Industry Takeover Nights at Grafatto.

Our Blinds Are Well Hung!

Monthly Takeover nights feature rotating guest chefs

By JONATHAN HOWARD Mike Isabella is a household name in Washington. Not only is he a Top Chef alum, but he also has three major restaurants including Grafatto (707 Sixth St. N.W.), host of Industry Takeover Night. This monthly blowout just celebrated its one-year anniversary in style on Jan. 6 with a huge party by inviting back a few favorites from previous events like fellow Top Chef alum Jennifer Carroll and local luminary Victor Albisu of Del Campo. Industry Nights used to be a term that simply described a group of restaurant employees, cooks, bartenders or waiters gathering at a local watering hole to have drinks and exchange war stories. Now in D.C. and thanks to Isabella, Industry Nights means much more. The concept is simple: Chef Isabella hands over the rst oor kitchen at Grafato to one of many renowned chefs and the bar to an equally renowned bartender the rst Monday of every month. Isabella then steps back and enjoys the party. The chef can make whatever he or she wants and the bartenders will be serving their own original cocktails. For $10 (half of which goes to charity), guests can get a taste of all the food they can get their hands on, as well as enjoy $5 cocktails. The outcome of this simple concept is a mindblowing event every month. I like to party and I like to hang out with friends, Isabella says. Guests have the opportunity to gather around the open kitchen at Grafato and watch renowned chefs prepare some of their favorite dishes up close, and sometimes even chat with them as they do it. The restaurant is packed with masses of people celebrating the joys of food. Its not only the food lovers who show up for this event, but also other famous chefs from the area, so you never know who you will be

rubbing elbows with. Last January, Bryan Voltaggio and his head mixologist at Range, Owen Thomson, were the rst ones to take over, serving dishes like lamb tongue pasta, black cod with hazelnuts and even samplings of candy Custom Made: from Ranges candy counter for dessert. Thomson brought over a bottled tequila Solar Shades Honeycomb Shades Draperies Wood Blinds punch called Serpentine Overow, which Roman Shades Plantation Shutters And More contained cranberry, hibiscus and black pepper. Since that rst takeover the chefs have been kicking Isabella out of his own kitchen and packing the restaurant every month. Some of the participants last year included Spike Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery; Anwar Morgan, head mixologist at Sbraga; Erik Bruner-Yang, chef and owner of Toki Underground; Timothy Spinner of La Calaca Feliz; and Shannon Overmiller, head chef at Majestic. On Jan. 6, Isabella decided to expand the takeover night to include the second oor of the restaurant and keep the doors open until 2 a.m. He lled this extra space and time with some of the most popular chefs and bartenders from previous events to please the crowd. Scott Drewno of The Source prepared a char sui bao and a spicy chicken dumpling. Adam Sobel, former head toque at Bourbon steak, now of RN74 of ADVERTISING San Francisco, made PROOF his return #1 to D.C. and ISSUE DATE: 01.03.14 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JERYL PARADE (jparade@washblade.com) prepared Burrata-stuffed meatballs for REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of diners. Chef Jennifer Carroll of Concrete proof. Proof will be considered nal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is Blonde pleased the crowd REVISIONS with a Shell sh responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users REDESIGN can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or Escabeche that had crab, mussels, scallops TEXT REVISIONS any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS and shrimp and Angelo Sosa of Poppy competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE NO REVISIONS washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contr Den made an Asian Borscht with Koreanliability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred washington blade newspaper. This includes but is n by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations payment and insertion schedule. style pork belly. and warranties. Victor Albisu of Del Campo made some small plates for the crowd including Smoked Beef Tongue, Blood Sausage, Chorizo and Tripa Tacos. Andre Mack, owner and winemaker of Mouton Noir Wines, mixed drinks. Isabella clearly knows how to celebrate an anniversary in style. Lindsay Autry, another Top Chef alum and chef/owner of Table Frederick De Pue, will take the reins Feb. 2.

washingtonblade.com 36 JANUARY 24, 2014 CALENDAR

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

TODAY Red Knight Productions presents The Ballad of the Red Knight, the story of a prince who must save his kingdom from an evil villain Lord Fango, at Port City Playhouse (1819 N. Quaker Ln., Alexandria, Va.) tonight at 8 p.m. The show runs through Feb. 8 with shows on Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets range from $9-$16. For more information, visit portcityplayhouse.org. The 16th annual Sugarloaf Crafts Festival begins today at Dulles Expo Center (4320 Chantilly Shopping Center Dr., Chantilly, Va.) from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The festival continues through Sunday. Purchase sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion and more from 250 American artists. Live music, childrens entertainment and food vendors will also be available. Tickets are $8 online and $10 at the door. Children under 12 are free. For details, visit sugarloafcrafts.com. D.C. Shorts hosts Pasties and Popcorn at the U.S. Navy Memorials Burke Theater (701 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Watch sexually themed lms from the D.C. Shorts archive, enjoy burlesque shows and see dance and comedic performances. Tickets are $20. For details and to purchase tickets, visit pasties. dcshorts.com. Women in Their 20s, a social discussion group for lesbian, bisexual, transgender and all women interested in women, meets today at The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 8-9:30 p.m. All welcome to join. For details, visit thedccenter.org. SATURDAY, JAN. 25 Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers for Food and Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) today from 8-10 a.m. Volunteers will chop vegetables and pack groceries. To volunteer, email jonathan@burgundycrescent.org. For more details, visit burgundycrescent.org The Latino Queer Bilingual Writing Group hosts its monthly workshop at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from 12:30-2:30 p.m. The focus will be on memoirs. Open to writers of any genre and levels of experience to share creative work in Spanish or English. Workshop is free and no prior experience is necessary. For details, call 202-682-2245 or email washeg@gmail.com. Adult entertainment star Ryan Rose appears at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Rose was named Falcon Studios 2013 Man of the Year. Doors open at 10 p.m. The drag show starts at 10:30 p.m. Drinks are $3 before 11 p.m. The cover is $8 from 10-11 p.m. and $12 after 11 p.m. Admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For details,

conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org. The D.C. Center presents When Social Security and Same-Sex Marriage May Not Be Enough at The Residences at Thomas Circle (1330 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) today from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Attorney Michele Zavos and Financial Advisor DeWayne Ellis will discuss the issues that LGBT people face when they are not fully legally protected. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, visit thedccenter.org. TUESDAY, JAN. 28 Genderqueer D.C. holds a discussion group at The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W..) at 7 p.m. tonight. The group is for anyone who identies outside of the gender binary. For more information, visit thedccenter.org. Bachelors Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) offers all drinks half price tonight until 2 a.m. Enjoy pool, video games and cards. Admission is free. Must be 21 and over. For more details, visit bachelorsmill.com. SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) provides free and condential HIV testing drop-in hours today from 3-5 p.m. For more information, visit smyal.org. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY DAMIEN SALAS

Foundry United Methodist Church welcomes Rev. FRANK SCHAEFER for a special service Sunday. Despite anti-gay teaching from its hierarchy, Foundry continues to advocate strongly for LGBT believers.

visit towndc.com. Brother Help Thyself hosts its grant reception today at Ziegelds/Secrets (1824 Half St., S.W.) at 2 p.m. Doors open at 1 p.m. Brother is a community-based organization committed to providing support to nonprot organizations that serve the LGBT and HIV/AIDS community. For details, visit thedccenter.org. A benet concert for A Wider Circle featuring the music of Ralph VaughanWilliams, Gustav Holst and Percy Grainger is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church (9601 Cedar Lane) in Bethesda. Director Henry Sgrecci will lead the Cedar Lane Chamber Orchestra and Choir. Oboist Jeanine Reinier will also perform. A Wider Circle is a local charitable organization. Admission is free; donations will go to the charity. Open to all. Concert pianist Denis Matsuev plays Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and more tonight at 7 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore Hall (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md.). Tickets range from $35-75. Visit Strathmore.org for details. SUNDAY, JAN.26 Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) presents Service of Hope and Justice with Frank Schaefer today at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Schaefer was recently defrocked for ofciating the same-gender

marriage of his son. Jimmy Creech, also defrocked for ofciating a same-gender marriage, and Beth Stroud, who was defrocked and now is in a same-gender relationship, will also be in attendance. A panel discussion follows at 12:30 p.m. For details, visit foundryumc.org. Perrys (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For more details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com. MetroStage (1201 North Royal St., Alexandria, Va.) presents Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song today at 3 and 7 p.m. The show chronicles Fitzgeralds life both onstage and backstage. Tickets are $60. The show runs through March 16. For details, visit metrostage.org. MONDAY, JAN. 27 The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W..) hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org. Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) holds a support group for gay black men to discuss topics that affect them today, share perspectives and have meaningful

The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No reservations required and new comers welcome. If you need a partner, call 703-407-6540. Fresh Market (3680 King St., Alexandria, Va.) opens its new location today at 8 a.m. Enjoy chef demonstrations, food samplings throughout the store and drawings for The Fresh Market gift cards. The rst 1,000 customers receive a sample bag of Fresh Market coffee and a reusable shopping bag. For details, visit thefreshmarket.com. THURSDAY, JAN 30 Nellies Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts its weekly Beat the Clock Happy Hour tonight from 5-8 p.m. Drink specials start at $2 and increase by a dollar each hour. For more information, visit nelliessportsbar.com. Rude Boi Entertainment hosts Tempted 2 Touch, a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. Drink specials $5 and vodka shots $3 all night. No cover charge. Admission limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit rudeboientertainment. wordpress.com. SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts Caf SMYAL, a fun event to get out of the cold, today from 4-5 p.m. Drink hot cocoa, play board games and make new friends. For more information, visit smyal.org. Whitman Walker provides HIV testing at Glorious Health Club (2120 West Virginia Ave., N.E.) tonight from 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. For details, visit Whitman-walker.og. MARIAH COOPER

washingtonblade.com BOOKS JANUARY 24, 2014 37

PUBLICK PLAYHOUSE

RAISIN CANE

A HARLEM RENAISSANCE ODYSSEY

Starring Jasmine Guy and the Avery Sharpe Trio

IMAGE COURTESY OF GALLERY BOOKS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 8 PM
301-277-1710
301-277-0312/tty

$55/VIP Seating Early Entrance, Pre-Show Reception $40/General Admission

A captivating production for everyone NY Amsterdam News Lively...motivating and entertaining DaytonDailyNews.com "A theatrical gem" Arizona Daily Star

Gay performer writes of limelights draw

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading since she was 3 years old. She lives in Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books. Reach her at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.

OK, pay attention. Sometimes, thats all you need: just someone to watch you, to hear what youre saying or understand your feelings. A little attention can be a bad mood squasher, a good mood enhancer or just validation. Yes, a minute in the spotlight can do wonders. And as youll see in Ham: Slices of a Life by Sam Harris, hogging that spotlight can be even better. From the time he was 3 years old, growing up in Sand Springs, Okla., Sam Harris, a singer and Broadway and TV actor, embraced the dramatic. For his third Christmas, he received a special overcoat that made him dance. By 10, he had talked his parents into allowing him to be baptized, the after-applause being more important than receiving the Holy Ghost. He loved putting on shows in his parents basement, doing local community theater and acting in school performances. He was unabashed about his love of the limelight. When he was just 15, his father lied about Harris age so Harris could take a summer stage job in St. Louis. A year later, though hed known for a long time that he was different and though it caused him anguished guilt and family strife, Harris fell in love with a boy on another stage in Nashville. A short time in college proved to Harris that education wouldnt make his dream

come true, so he hunted out his stage presence in dark, colorless, largely empty clubs. Agents and producers occasionally came slumming, but little happened until Harris nally found someone who believed in him: his father hired Jerry Blatt, PUBLICK PLAYHOUSE who was Bette Midlers writer/director, as 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly, MD 20784 301-277-1710 3 Blocks Inside Baltimore/Washington Parkway on Rte. 202 a gift. Skeptical Harris gured it would be Free On-Site Attended Parking arts.pgparks.com just another disappointment, but Blatt would become the single most important inuence and the greatest gift my dad, or anyone, ever gave me. In this memoir, Harris writes about growing up and how his family had the Alden Theater misfortune to experience home res twice. He writes of falling in love with Fridays & Saturdays at 8 P.M. Mr. Wrong, then meeting his husband, Sundays at 2 P.M. falling in love again, and wanting a child so badly that he couldnt stand seeing other children. He explains his career and his almost-didnt-happen appearance on 866.811.4111 or Star Search. He dishes stories of famous mcleanplayers.org friends, on-stage nemeses, alcoholism, Join McLean Players FaceBook group being different and being gay. show suitable for ages 16 and over Im normally not a fan of books that scramble their timelines, but in Ham: Slices La Cage aux Folles is Presented by Special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. of a Life, that bouncing around works well. Book by Music and Lyrics Based on the play by Maybe thats because author Sam Harris Harvey Fierstein Jerry Herman Jean Poiret writes with bouncing-on-your-toes energy, rushing from subject to subject with the ADVERTISING occasional lingering moment to ponder PROOF ISSUE DATE: 01.24.14 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JERYL PARADE (jparade@@washblade.com) things that are important to#1 him. His is an eagerness thats endearing. REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered nal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of Some of the essays in REVISIONS this book are the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is funny. Liver will put a newREDESIGN metaphor in responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or TEXT any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any your vocabulary. The story of LizaREVISIONS Minellis copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, wedding is hilarious, and Harris memories or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE NO REVISIONS washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contr of his friend, Jerry, made me a little teary. liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred washington blade newspaper. This includes but is n 2001 EAST CAPITOL ST. SE, WASHINGTON DC 20003 by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations payment and insertion schedule. and warranties. With humor, soul baring, name dropping, and just the right mix of vulnerability and DOORS OPEN AT 3PM. FIRST GAME AT snarkiness, this book is a denite pleasure to 4PM: CHERRY BLOSSOM BOMBSHELLS read. If youre looking for a memoir you can VS. SCARE FORCE ONE. enjoy, whole-hog, Ham: Slices of a Life MAJORITY WHIPS VS. DC DEMONCATS AT 5:45. should get your attention.

Jan. 31-Feb. 16
Tickets

DC ROLLERGIRLS
SAT. FEBRUARY 1 AT THE DC ARMORY
$15 FOR ADULTS $6 FOR KIDS KIDS UNDER 6 ARE FREE!

HAM: SLICES OF A LIFE By Sam Harris Gallery Books $26 304 pages

GET TICKETS AT DCROLLERGIRLS.COM

washingtonblade.com 38 JANUARY 24, 2014 PHOTOS BY DAMIEN SALAS

THE 2014 MR. MID-ATLANTIC LEATHER CONTEST WAS HELD AT THE HYATT REGENCY ON CAPITOL HILL ON SUNDAY. JOE BIRDWELL OF TAMPA, FLA. TOOK HOME THE TITLE.

washingtonblade.com ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JANUARY 24, 2014 39

LUCY SUTCLIFFE, left, and KAELYN PETRAS vlogged their long-distance relationship.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUTCLIFFE

YouTube couples surprised by reaction

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

and we didnt know how to react. Weve just stumbled upon your video and youve showed us that our daughter needs nothing from us but support and acceptance. Now, their channel has reached more than 100,000 subscribers. They record videos of their visits together both in England and the United States and have expanded into separate vlog posts of their lives when theyre apart. They lm themselves watching television shows on their laptops and going to get sushi while also lming the emotional turmoil they face when they have to leave each other. Theyre the sort of situations any couple can relate to. The main goal of the channel is to normalize lesbian/gay relationships and that its OK to embrace who you are and be proud of it, Sutcliffe says. Exposing your life to thousands of people does have its downside. Shepherd and Sutcliffe, who edit their videos, both are careful not to reveal too much personal information. However, Shepherd says some viewers have been able to piece together where he and Aguiar live and have spread the information on the Internet. Sutcliffe admits that it can also be difcult for people to comment and question her and Petras relationship. Yet both couples plan to continue sharing their lives on YouTube. Shepherd and Aguiar recently got

engaged; both of their proposal videos to each other are on their channel. They expect to continue vlogging at least until their wedding set for 2015. They want to let subscribers share in that day as well with plans to have it professionally lmed or vlogged by friends. Since we embarked on this as an experiment, its kind of difcult to know how its going to end, Aguiar says. It has to be organic the same way that it started. Petras and Sutcliffe plan to move in together this summer. They still want to continue making videos even though they recognize their videos will change as their long distance situation changes. They hope to continue to show a gay relationship is like any other relationship. Nothing we do or say is scripted or fake. Its just us being our normal, sometimes boring, selves, Sutcliffe says. We love having people countdown with us, cheer us on when were together and cry with us when we leave. It sounds cheesy, but its like having loads and loads of supportive friends, really. Helping young people struggling with coming out who are searching for solace on YouTube is something Shepard and Aguiar hope they can ultimately accomplish. When I was coming out, Shepherd says, I thought I had to change who I was and be a magical quip machine or a Queer as Folk-type gay. The point of our videos is to show that you dont have to change who you are.

40 JANUARY 24, 2014

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

P rouDLy s eLLIng h omes I n y our n eIghborhooD !

www.DLTReaLToRs.com LIke us / FoLLoW us
www.Facebook.com/DLTReaLToRs.com www.TwiTTeR.com/DLTReaLToRs

703.629.8455 Denny@DLtreaLtors.Com

Denny horner LeyLa PheLan

vIsIt our neW WebsIte

202.415.3845 LeyLa@DLtreaLtors.Com

D L

Denny & LeyLa

the

team

evers & Co. reaL estate InC. ~ 1509 22nD street nW, WDC, 20037 ~ 202.464.8400

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
REAL ESTATE

JANUARY 24, 2014 41

The homeowners guide to exercise

Surprising health benets of taking care of your house
By VALERIE M. BLAKE If youre like many of us, you made a New Years resolution to lose weight and get in shape. You threw away the bags of chips in the pantry, gave the rest of the Christmas cookies to the neighbor kids and vowed never again to walk down the ice cream aisle at Harris Teeter. You even brought the treadmill up from the basement so you could exercise while watching Flowers in the Attic. Yes, your intentions were admirable (as were mine), but then that comfy sofa started calling your name, Jillian Michaels became even more annoying and you couldnt resist ordering extra pizza and nachos for Sundays Super Bowl game. To those of you who love working out at the gym, playing Ultimate Frisbee with your pals on a cold Saturday morning or jogging around the National Mall, I salute you. But if youre like me, always the last person picked for a team from elementary through high school, the humiliation of public exercise and lack of sports ability still takes its toll many years later. Most experts agree that you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat, so its hard enough for people on the chocolate chip pancake diet just to stay even, but we forget about the everyday things we do that can contribute to weight loss. Heres what I suggest. Get up in the morning. In the 10 minutes it takes to make your bed, you burn 27 calories. Brush your teeth to burn 34 more and style your hair for 20 minutes to burn another 72. Clean the house. Spend 20 minutes washing dishes by hand, no cheating to burn 63 calories, then get to the real work. Thirty minutes each of dusting, vacuuming, mopping oors, washing windows, doing the laundry and ironing will yield a 773-calorie decit. But also consider the additional benet the 30 extra minutes spent running up and down the stairs doing all this for the 245-calorie burn. Mind the kids. How much time do you spend carrying a baby on your hip? One hour equals 302 calories burned. An additional hour of playing with your child at the park consumes another 327. Walk the dog. A 30-minute walk will help you and your dog burn 143 calories. Have more than one dog? Walk them individually. Go to work. Driving for an hour consumes 172 calories, so some might say that commuting is actually good for you. Decorate and renovate. My favorite home stager is in great shape and its no wonder, since 60 minutes spent rearranging the furniture will burn 540 calories. Take an hour to paint that spare bedroom, something thats been on your To Do list for six months, and youll burn 409 calories. A 30-minute home repair garners 184 more. Do weekend chores out of doors. Theres an outdoor chore for every type of weather. Take 30 minutes each for the following tasks and feel the burn: raking leaves (164), shoveling snow (245), mowing the lawn (178), tending the garden (222)

Cleaning your house burns a surprising amount of calories.

and washing the car (184). Have a party. Go grocery shopping for an hour for a 286-calorie burn (no nibbling along the way, please) then cook dinner for half an hour when you get home for another 108. When your friends arrive, play an hour of bridge to lose 130 calories, tickle the ivories during a 30-minute sing-along for 113 more and nish off the evening with an hour of dancing to your living room Wii console for 486. Go to bed. Finally, sleep for seven hours and burn 530 calories.

Now, for those of you who have been waiting for me to mention it, sex does indeed enter into the picture; however, 10 minutes of foreplay only burns 20 calories and 20 minutes of, er, follow-up, surprisingly only burns 115, so when your best friend tells you he burned 1,000 calories having sex last Saturday night, be impressed. I know I am.
Valerie M. Blake can be reached at 202-246-8602 or at Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com. Each Keller Williams Realty ofce is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Dwellings with

MISSPELLINGS
(Attacked by an SUV, no doubt.)
Dupont Circle Office 202.243.7700 (o) 202.246.8602 (c) Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com

Valerie M. Blake

Associate Broker, GRI

THE MONDRIAN
Rho de Is land Ave.

LOGAN CIRCLE

P St.

One-car attacked garage.

ont A ve.

O St. 13th St. 12th St.

Verm

N St.

The best-kept secret in Washington!

RENTS STARTS AT $1895 PER MONTH! Near 3 Metro StopS, USt aND VerizoN CeNter. SpaCioUS 1, 2 or 3 beDrooMS, With balCoNieS, garage parkiNg, froNt DeSk, SeCUrity, fitNeSS CeNter & roof DeCk. beSt ValUe DoWNtoWN! MENTION BLADE14 FOR RENT SPECIAL.

www.DCHomeQuest.com

CALL 202.371.1747 OR TEXT 703.628.4663

1200 N St NW WDC 20005

L AND ROVER ALEX ANDRIA

42 JANUARY 24, 2014

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JOSH HamPSHIre is the new CEO of LEAGUE at AT&T.

WaSHINGTON blaDe PHOTO bY mICHael keY

AT&T LGBT employee group builds on proud history as workplace pioneer

By MARK LEE When Josh Hampshire was a teenager in Michigan, he lived the life of a nerd. His fascination with technology contrasted with his earlier years growing up almost Amish on the small dairy farm operated by his old hippie counterculture father. Later developing an interest in the communications technology of the era, he would soon nd himself rummaging through a dumpster to retrieve the discarded miscellany of a closing telephone switching station near the subsequent childhood small-town home he would share with his mother. He assembled the salvaged parts to create his own two-node hard-line network linking to a friends home next door. Hampshire, beginning the year as the new CEO of LEAGUE at AT&T, now heads up the 30-chapter network of company LGBT employees, engaging more than 3,300 members across the country. The organizations board of directors and chapter leadership gathered in D.C. last weekend to plan strategic priorities for the year. Established in 1987, the trailblazing AT&T Employee Resource Group, one of 11 current internal associations, became the rst gay workplace support and advocacy organization of its type in the country. It would survive the multiple evolutions of telephone industry re-congurations and re-brandings through which the company would transition. Embraced by a welcoming corporate attitude from the beginning, the novelty of such a gay employee association was a natural t for the telecommunications giant. AT&T management and personnel had, after all, been instrumental in establishing the Telephone Pioneers of America in 1911 now the worlds largest industry-specic organization of employees and retirees dedicated to community service. According to AT&T LEAGUE Foundation founder and president John Klenert, a retired Washington employee, the corporations embrace of equal protection policies was both immediate and organic. When the

2014 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE: ONLY $399/MONTH

36 MONTH/10,000 MILE LEASE | STOCK 13147L | MSRP: $43,295

w w w. b e y e r s u b a r u . c o m

THE

2014 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5i

LEASE FOR ONLY

STOCK #11473S | MODEL: EFB-01 | MSRP: $23,820

229/

FOR 36 MONTHS $2,100 DUE AT SIGNING

MONTH

now-named National Gay and Lesbian Task Force wrote to the late and then AT&T chairman John deButts in early 1975 requesting that the company adopt sexual orientation employment protections, he quickly agreed distinguishing the company as the rst Fortune 500 enterprise to do so. Hampshire, who began as an entry-level customer service rep, praises AT&T for being a pioneer in LGBT workplace policies, noting its additional distinction as the rst large company to provide employment protections for transgender employees. AT&T is ranked as a Human Rights Campaign Best Places to Work and has long enjoyed a perfect score on the organizations Corporate Equality Index. There are few businesses that have celebrated diversity like AT&T, Hampshire points out, noting that the company doesnt toot its horn about nondiscrimination policies and philanthropic activities, that are the result of a unique grassroots management culture from the bottom up. Hampshire, now a Dallas-based senior program manager for the 200-city AT&T Aspire high school mentoring program, recalls how being a techno-nerd and growing up gay was a dual estrangement from his peers. At one point I thought I would drop out of high school, he says, adding that those memories help him understand the importance of his current job. AT&T has committed $350 million to the program over 10 years, Hampshire notes, enthusiastically detailing the positive impact it has for at-risk students, the educational values it instills, and the opportunities the program provides through an emphasis on science and technology skills. LEAGUE of AT&T is expanding its organizational foundations existing college scholarship program, funded by AT&T and private donors, by providing LGBT student mentoring in afliation with the Aspire program. For Hampshire, who is planning a New Mexico wedding with his partner of 10 years and with whom he is expecting twins in late August by in vitro surrogacy, that is a goal as clear as any modern-day mobile phone call.
Mark Lee is a long-time entrepreneur and community business advocate. Follow on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at OurBusinessMatters@gmail. com.

NO SECURITY DEPOSIT REQUIRED. IMAGE IS FOR ILLUSTRATION PUPROSES ONLY. LEASE TERM IS FOR 36 MONTHS/10,000 MILES PER YEAR. PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE TAX, TAGS, AND DEALER PROCESSING FEE OF $499. PAYMENT STRUCTURED FOR WELL QUALIFIED BUYERS. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS OR COUPONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR BEYER SUBARU SALES CONSULTANT FOR MORE DETAILS. MUST TAKE DELIVERY OF VEHICLE BY 1/31/14.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM PFLAG promotes the equality and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, their families and friends through:
Support to cope with an adverse society. Education to enlighten an ill-informed public. Advocacy to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights. Trained facilitators lead the Arlington Support Group and condentiality is maintained. For further information about the Arlington Support Group, contact us at arl.pag@gmail.com. Our groups meet on the second Sunday of each month, from 3 4:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, at George Mason Drive & Route 50. A.L.Y. is a group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning Youth and Allies in grades 7-12. Our goal is to give LGBTQ youth a safe place to gather. Trained facilitators lead the youth group. Condentiality maintained. For more info, contact: aly.pagdc@gmail.com. Our Washington DC Chapter of PFLAG may be reached at 202-638-3852.

JANUARY 24, 2014 43

professionaldirectory
IndividualssCouplessSex

Sid Binks, PhD, ABPP-CN

Board Certied in Clinical Neuropsychology Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Helping People Grow Stronger in Rough Times

Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist

Near Woodley & Cleveland Park metro (202) 234-3278 www.personalgrowthzone.com

s20 years experience

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

LGBTC.com/html/sid_binks.html

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Results-Oriented q Affordable
25 years serving the lgbt community
See website for NPR story on my work

Larry Cohen, LICSW

202-244-0903 socialanxietyhelp.com

THOMAS JENKINS & COMPANY

Certied Public Accountants
Corporation, Partnership, Trust, Individual Income Tax & Financial Planning

202-547-9004
Washington, DC

PROOF #1

ISSUE DATE: 01.03.14

SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JERYL PARADE (jparade@washbl

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING IN 2014?

CONTACT ED! 703.282.1197(M) OR EDMCALLISTER.COM
Licensed in DC, MD and VA

the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts REVISIONS omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users REDESIGN Family Medicine, HIV Diagnosis & Treatment can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or TEXT REVISIONS any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the NO REVISIONS washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all

JOEL C. ANG, M.D.

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered nal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of

Adult Primary Care liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties. Copies of records at each visit Insurance Accepted Instant HIV/Syphilis/Herpes Testing CLIA Certified In-House Laboratory CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD

AD

SIMPLE AFFORDABLE PROVEN RESULTS 202.747.2077

By si wash paym

4701 sangamore road, suite 1l bethesda, md 20816 office 301.229.4000 edmcallister@longandfoster.com PROOF #1
PROOF #1 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: REVISIONS

www.qstreetmds.com
1759 Q St. NW, WDC Red Line Metro Dupont Circle

ISSUE DATE: 09.16.11

SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JERYL PARADE (jparade@washblade.com) Parking Available Free Wi-Fi Same Day Appointments
ADVERTISING PROOF

202-667-5041

A D V E RT I S I N G

REVIEW AD FOR AND DESIGN ACCURACY. A COPY DVE RT ISIN G P R Revisions O O F must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will beDATE: considered nal and will be submitted forREPRESENTATIVE: publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date ISSUE 02.03.12 SALES JERYL PARADE (jparade@washblade.com) of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia ISSUE DATE: llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible REVIEW AD FOR DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date can of link through for any legal liability arising outCOPY of or AND relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users proof. Proof will be represents considered nal and will submitted for publication if revision is any not submitted within 24 or hours of rgihts of third REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of the advertisement. Advertiser that its be advertisement will not violate criminal laws any the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts proof. Proof will be considered nal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of REVISIONS parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts NS responsible for any legal liability arising out proprietary of or relating toor thepropety advertisement, and/or any advertising, material to which users competition, REDESIGN trade secret, music, image, or other right, false unfair omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser trademark, is can link through the advertisement. Advertiser violation represents that its advertisement will notlaw violate any criminal laws or responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users GN defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, of anti-discrimination or regulation, or any other right TEXT REVISIONS any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or of any person or copyright, entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff proprietary pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and EVISIONS patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other or propety right, false advertising, unfair any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of the privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages, copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract /LOGO REVISIONS or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of NO anti-discrimination law or regulation, REVISIONS claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred naff pitts washington blade newspaper. This but is not l washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any by and brown all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations withincludes the or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE SIONS omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties. liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred payment and insertion washington blade newspaper. This includes but is notschedule. limited to placement, washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the

BABY, ITS COLD OUTSIDE!

REDESIGN TEXT REVISIONS IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS WELL HELP KEEP YOU WARM NO REVISIONS
liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties.

ADVERTISER SIGNATURE

PROOF #1

ISSUE DATE: 01.06.12

brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising of orto related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations washingtonby blade newspaper. This includes but is notout limited placement, and warranties. payment and insertion schedule.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE: PHIL ROCKSTROH (prockstroh@washblade.com)

SERVING THE GAY COMMUNITY FOR FOUR GENERATIONS

Heating & Cooling REDESIGN Indoor Air Quality TEXT REVISIONS IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS Green Home Services NO REVISIONS
Call Ron Gallant @ 240.398.7006 or 240.750.4988 ron@argent-llc.com or visit argenthvac.com
ISSUE DATE: 11.15.13

REVISIONS

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

FEBRUARY142014
ADVERTISER SIGNATURE
PROOF

PLANNING YOUR GAY WEDDING

payment and insertion schedule.

A D V E RT I S I N G

By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contrac washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not payment and insertion schedule.

ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE: ERIN WOMACK (ewomack@washblade.com)

44 JANUARY 24, 2014

MASSAGE / CERTIFIED
YOURE WORKING THAT BODY HARD. Come to a professional massage therapist offering the best deep tissue massage available. Stretching, Swedish & Sports massage. $70-1 hr./$100-90 mins. Dupont. Marcio (202) 271-9440. www.MarciosMassage.com. RossLyn/Adams Morgan Improve your workouts and refresh your body. Massage available in Rosslyn Sun-Wed, 301-704-1158 and at TuSuva, Adams Morgan Thur-Sat 202-299-9005 (ask for Gary). http://www. mymassagebygary.com/ Gary 301-704-1158.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

LOOKING FOR THAT special someone? Loving vet-checked cats & kittens waiting to meet you. Feline Foundation 703-920-8665. Application & adoption fair schedule online at www.ffgw.org.

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

WEDDINGS
CANTOR JINNY - YOUR Wedding Your Way. Well work together nding the right vows, blessings, & expressions to make the ceremony ow with your personal touch. Cantorjinny@gmail.com 703-282-6505.

CLEANING
TOO NEAT GUYS INC. Residential & Commercial cleaning in DC & Northern VA. Over 20 years experience, gay owned, licensed, bonded & insured. Email: tooneat@ comcast.net, (703) 622-5983. FERNANDOS CLEANING: ResidentiaL & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/ Move-Out. (202) 234-7050, 202-486-6183. MAID TO CLEAN. Rated #1 in Metro DC. Gay owned. Serving DC/VA. DC & VA (703) 299-0101. Visit www.maidtoclean.com.

ITS NICE TO BE KNEADED! For quality, consistency & trust; choose an experienced, intuitive masseur. For appts. 703-402-6698. You wont regret it! BEST MASSAGE by male certied therapist. Soothing Swedish; deep-tissue; stress & pain release. Safe Atmosphere in Annandale, VA, almost right off I-395. Days/Eve/Wkend. In/ Out calls. Hotels welcome. Call Marval (703) 568-6348.

COUNSELING
A MINDFULNESS-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE specializing in a holistic approach to anxiety, depression, careers, & relationships. 20 years experience helping people identify & overcome impediments to a fullling life, satisfying careers, & healthy relationships. Jonathan Kirkendall MA LPC, 202.550.3589, www.dclpc.com. LGBTQ AFFIRMING THERAPY at Dupont Circle Individuals, couples, families, adolescents. Over 15 years serving the community. Mike Giordano, LICSW. 202/4606384 mike.giordano.msw@gmail.com. www. WhatIHearYouSaying.com. COUNSELING FOR GAY MEN. Individual/ couple counseling w/ volunteer peer counselor. Gay Mens Counseling Community since 1973. 202-580-8861. gaymenscounseling.org. No fees, donation requested.

CHANGES ARE EASIER WITH HELP . Small, private practice group of experienced, caring therapists.Safe, condential setting. Ofces in Woodley Park & Takoma Park near Metro.Licensed professionals.Insurance reimbursable.Washington Therapy Guild. Call 202-483-2660. www.therapyguild.net.

LEGAL SERVICES
FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM Representing the GLBT community for over 30 years. Family adoptions, estate planning, immigration, employment. (301) 891-2200.Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P .A. www.SP-Law. com. ADOPTION & ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE Law Attorney Jennifer Fairfax represents clients in Maryland & D.C. interested in adoption or ART matters.301-221-9651,JFairfax@ jenniferfairfax.com. HOME/OFFICE CLEANING by one neat guy! One-time or regular service. Responsible & reasonable rates. Call 202-276-9272.

EMPLOYMENT
$22/hour companion/driver/cook for old woman. See ad on Blade website for details and how to respond. LOCKER ROOM ATTENDANTS NEEDED! The Crew Club, a gay mens naturist gym & sauna, is now hiring Locker Room Attendants. We all scrub toilets & do heavy cleaning. You must be physically able to handle the work & have a great attitude doing it. No drunks/ druggies need apply. Please call Richard at (202) 319-1333. from 9-5pm, to schedule an interview.

MOVERS
OUR GUYS AROUND TOWN MOVERS. Professional Moving & Storage. Let Our Guys Do The Heavy Lifting. Mention the Blade for 10% off of our regular rates. Call today 202.734.3080. www.ourguysatmovers.com.

LIMOUSINES
KASPERS LIVERY SERVICE Gay Veteran Owned Operated Since 1987! 2013 BMW 740LI Special Airport Rates! 24 Hour Reservations. 202-554-2471 - 800-455-2471. www.KasperLivery.com. Click the rates tab!

PETS & SUPPLIES

ADOPT AN ADORABLE PUPPY OR DOG All-breed, non-prot rescue. 100% volunteer run. Donations welcome & needed. www. aforeverhome.org.

HOME SERVICES
TWO POOR TEACHERS Kitchen & Bath Remodeling in Northern VA. Call for free estimate! Two Poor Teachers at 703-969-1179.

JANUARY 24, 2014 45

If you would like to have your pet in the paper, please send a photo and description to

ewommack@washblade.com.

REAL ESTATE
GALE STORM TEAM - Realtors The Realtors you refer to your Friends & Family! Looking to sell or buy a home? Call us! 202-355-4316. www.gayrealtors.us.com. Licensed in DC, MD & VA.

SALE / MD

202-747-2077 ENHANCE YOUR AD WITH OUR UPGRADES LIKE PICTURES BOLD TEXT LARGE TEXT COLOR AND MORE!
all classied ads - including regular and adult - must be received by mondays at 5pm so they can be included in that weeks edition of the washington blade and washingtonblade.com

CONTACT US AT

COLLEGE PARK METRO $344,000 4-LEVEL Brick Split-Level ! 3 Bedrooms,3 Bathrooms, Huge Deck! Garage! Party Room! Fireplace! Gourmet Kitchen! Photos Available ! LARRY PERRIN REALTOR (301) 983-0601 LJPerrin@aol.com.

DEADLINES

GAITHERSBURG $750,000 Splendid Contemporary built 2000. 6 Big Bedrooms ! 3 - 1/2 Bathrooms ! 2-Story Entertainers Living Room ! HUGE Formal Dining Room! Gourmets Dream Kitchen overlooks Fireplace / Family Room ! Breakfast Room ! Incredible Basement Party Room includes 2 Bedrooms /Full Bath ! Private Cul-De-Sac ! Fruit Trees ! Custom-Built Deck ! 2 Car Garage ! Photos Available ! LARRY PERRIN REALTOR (301) 983-0601 LJPerrin@aol.com

SALE / VA
SHIRLINGTON TREETOP 1BR/1BA home Bright & sunny! Updated kitchen, W/D, attic, replacement windows. Pool, tennis, pet friendly. Karina Srebrow, Nova Properties, See ad in Blade classieds online.

PJ MCTAVISH & CO. ROOFING Repairs, New Roof, Gutter Cleaning. Licensed Bonded Insured. See our display ad in this issue. 301-476-8551. BRANCHES - FULL SERVICE Tree Expert Company. Certied Arborists, pruning, insect & disease diagnosis, treatment & removal. 301-589-6181. www.BranchesTreeExperts. com. Angies List Award Winner 09, 10, 11, 12.

SHARE / MD
ROOM 2 RENT $200.00 a week, utilities included. Call - 301-503-4263

ADVERTISE

BEST RATES
BEST RESULTS

bladeclassieds

SHARE / VA
FULLY FURNISHED ARLINGTON includes all utilities + cable & wi-, Full kitchen access & a fully equipped gym. Perfect location minutes from Columbia Pike, South Glebe Rd. & Rte. 50. Walking distance to both Metro and Art bus stops. Must like dogs. $750.00/month. Call Raymond 202-705-3727.

46 JANUARY 24, 2014

MENS PERSONALS
ATTRACTIVE, ITALIAN, GWM, 40s Inshape. Seeking down to earth guy for dating & more. Have many varied interests. Serious replies only. Call 202-306-0288. BLACK MALE TOP seeks black or latino male bottom, 50 - 65 yrs with whom to celebrate the holidays as friends with benets. Please call 202-251-0091. RAPE ME, BEAT me, enslave me, og me, dirty me. Use all your sadistic lust on my body. It is why I exist. Me: pig bottom submissive, 58, 5 1/2 cut, Big white butt, fairly hairy. mature. You: horny aggressive top master. Pluses: bear, black or latino, hung long and thick. Work me over in my condo. I have lots of toys. I need it bad. Jack 301-982-0690. WM 55 240#S white hair ISO WM, 40-55 62+ 250#s+ for dating, etc call 301-503-4263. MARK GUNNELL, ERIC Schnell, Wesley Matthews, I knew you in the 80s and would like to reconnect. Please call 301-503-4263. PATRICK NINE CLUB. Me, WM white hair we chatted would like more dating etc. 301-5034263. MICHAEL, YOU GAVE me a New Years Eve kiss at the Eagle. Would like More. Please call - 301-503-4263. EROTIC SWEDISH MASSAGE - healthy clean cut guy, 61, 160 lbs, Dupont Circle, massage table, noon to 1:00 a.m., indulge your body. $70 for 1 hour. Bill 202-728-0238. AFFORDABLE MASSAGE BY friendly & intuitive Latin male, in relaxing, priv. studio just 15 min from DC in Arlington. Plenty of Parking. Same day appts, 703-401-9093 or a2006mx@yahoo.com. THE MAGIC TOUCH: Swedish, Massage or Deep Tissue. Appts 202-486-6183, Low Rates, 24/7, In-Calls.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

ESCORTS
NEVER HIRED BEFORE? Get tips for a good experience here: http://beforeyoucome. blogspot.com

WARNING HOT GUYS!

(202 ) 822.1666
Washington

BODYWORK
TED 5 11, 155LBS, 30yo, 9X6, Versatile Top 202.271.0440. The Blacklist Site Real Recourse for Male Escorts & Masseurs. (Now a National service) http://BlackListedJohn.com.

( 703 ) 373.1000 ( 410 ) 468.4000

FREE to listen and reply to ads!
Baltimore

Arlington

SPECIALTY ADULT

FREE CODE: W Blade

WHITE HOUSE ATHLETIC CLUB masseur (former) Custom bodywork! Quality massage by a nationally certied masseur. Exceptional deep tissue & sensual bodywork for total stress relief in private studio.4 Handed Massage Available. (Shower & parking available, 2.5 blocks to Metro on Capitol Hill) Call Erik 202544-7905 or 202-285-5709. for one of the best. In calls only. $89.00 SPECIAL Reg. $130.

1-888-MegaMates
24/7 Friendly Customer Care 1(888) 634.2628 18+ 2013 PC LLC www.MegaMatesMen.com

For other local numbers call:

TM

2593

Hot Latino w/ a special touch. 32 yo, 5 9, 165 lbs, Offering full body release in a private atmosphere. In/out. Parking Available, hotels welcome, Silver Spring/DC area, 24/7. 240462-8669 brazilusa50@yahoo.com. SOOTHING SUPERB, SENSUAL massage by in shape attractive guy. Calif. certied, comfortable massage table. 2 Metro stops from Dupont. Private entrance. In/Out. 10 AM - 11 PM. David 202-421-8900. BLONDE GI 6 0 , 165 lbs, Good looking, athletic, well-endowed. Sensual Massage & More. Eli (703) 599-2668. MASSAGE SILVER SPRING est 2004. Where some of the nicest guys in town come for one of the best massages in town...sensuous erotic naked. Days/ Evenings $70 one hour..parking/metro BRUNO 301 580 2716.

JUST LUCAS

RENT-A-DUNGEON Explore your fantasies! Surprise a BF or FB. Awesome, clean, discrete. Fully equipped private DC playroom. Dungeon Massage Available. (Tutorial/ instruction available). Dungeon Master - 202544-8094.

FREE
PERSONALS AD
ISO GWM, Over 30 Years, Over $30K (at least). Must love my dog!

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

JANUARY 24, 2014 47

1321 14TH STREET NW WASHINGTON DC 20005 202.319.1333