CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 29, 2018 Volume 25 Issue 29

14 WRESTLEMANIA
Oscar Ceville embodies a Lucha Libre legend in Keegan’s
unique staging of one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies.

By Randy Shulman

THE POLITICS
OF PREVENTION
For World AIDS Day, Us Helping Us executive director
DeMarc Hickson talks about sex, stigma,
and the need for education.
24
34
Interview by André Hereford
Photography by Todd Franson

PALACE INTRIGUE
The struggle for power in Queen Anne’s court is caustic,
kinky, and a bit repetitive in The Favourite.

By André Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: JANE LYNCH p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.12 WRESTLEMANIA: OSCAR CEVILLE p.14
COMMUNITY: WASTE NOT p.21 COVER STORY: THE POLITICS OF PREVENTION p.24
WORLD AIDS DAY EVENTS p.28 HIV TESTING RESOURCE GUIDE p.30 FILM: THE FAVOURITE p.34
FILM: CREED 2 p.35 STAGE: ANYTHING GOES p.35 STAGE: ALL SAVE ONE p.36 NIGHTLIFE p.39
SCENE: MR. & MS. DC EAGLE p.39 LISTINGS p.40 NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS p.41
PLAYLIST: DJ WESS p.43 LAST WORD p.46

Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley
Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks
Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim
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4 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
Jane Lynch
I
T’S A THROWBACK TO THOSE SPECIALS IN THE LATE
’50s, early ’60s and that kind of music,” Jane Lynch says of
her cabaret, A Swingin’ Little Christmas. “It’s celebrating that
kind of Christmas music that endures, the stuff that we listen
to every year that was recorded by Bing Crosby and Rosemary
Clooney and The Andrews Sisters — that kind of sound.”
The holiday show also features Kate Flannery, familiar to
many as Meredith from The Office, and Tim Davis, a singer
regarded for his versatility in musical genres. “It’s basically the
three of us together up there with the Tony Guerrero Quintet
behind us,” says Lynch. “It’s a very lively show.”
The evening grew out of an album of jazzed-up Christmas
tunes recorded by Lynch, Flannery, and Davis in 2016. “The
tour is growing exponentially with each year,” says Lynch. “We
started out with four shows in San Francisco the first year. Then
we had 14 shows in 2017. And this year, we’re doing 34 shows all
over the country.”
Lynch seems to be everywhere and in everything these
days. Her already high national visibility, thanks to her Emmy-
winning turn on Glee as the show’s nemesis, Sue Sylvester,
Jane Lynch’s A Swingin’ Little Christmas is Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
at the City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $45 to $65. Visit citywinery.com/washingtondc or call 202-250-2531.
was boosted further after she began hosting NBC’s popular
Hollywood Game Night (“It’s like throwing a party, and you
have a bunch of really shiny, funny, bright people show up”)
and made several memorable appearances as a maladjusted FBI
investigator on CBS All Access’ The Good Fight (“I think she’s
sociopathic. It really doesn’t bother her that she might send
somebody to jail for the rest of their life”). Her most recent proj-
ect, voicing Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun in Ralph Breaks the
Internet, just hit theaters.
A proud member of the LGBTQ community, Lynch doesn’t
mince words when it comes to threats from the current admin-
istration. But she’s more concerned with the bigger picture.
“What’s going on now and the phase we’re in is bigger than
just LBGTQ [issues],” she says. “It’s about everything except
Donald Trump, who’s the only one who seems to be getting
anything out of this. There’s a target on everybody’s back. I just
keep holding my breath, hoping we’re going to get through it....
We just have to recognize that [the Trumps] are an anomaly in
American politics, and hopefully sanity will be restored.”
—Randy Shulman
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 7
 Spotlight
WHO’S HOLIDAY
Matthew Lombardo’s raucous, raunchy
comedy is an unofficial sequel to the Dr.
Seuss childhood favorite How The Grinch
Stole Christmas. The story revolves around
a very grown-up Cindy Lou Who recalling
the infamous night she met the mean, green
one. Dexter Ramey directs Kimberly Jones
Clark in what is billed as a “trailer park
Christmas Eve party.” Weekends to Dec. 22.
Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont
Ave. Richmond, Va. Tickets are $30 to $35.
Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.

SHADE:
A TALE OF TWO
PRESIDENTS
Pete Souza’s follow-up to
Obama: An Intimate History,
Shade includes hundreds of
groundbreaking snapshots with
incisive captions contrasting the
44th President to the 45th, all
from the official Obama White
House photographer. The new
book is intended to serve as a
reminder of shared American
values. Souza appears on
Monday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at
Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut
Ave. NW. Call 202-387-1400 or
visit kramers.com.

THE BRIAN SETZER

ORCHESTRA
“The 15th Anniversary Christmas
Rocks!” takes a spin through rock-ori-
ented renditions of holiday favorites
by an 18-piece swing jazz orchestra
led by the Grammy-winning Setzer,
who founded the ’80s-era rockabil-
ly band Stray Cats. New rockabilly
act Lara Hope & the Ark-Tones also
appear at this show presented by
SiriusXM and The Birchmere at The
Anthem. Friday, Nov. 30. Doors at
6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St.
SW. Tickets are $55 to $125. Call 202-
GREG HILD.

888-0020 or visit theanthemdc.com.

8 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
STORM LARGE: HOLIDAY ORDEAL
The brassy cabaret performer who moonlights as a featured vocalist
with Pink Martini, brings her wild “Holiday Ordeal” show, billed
as a no-holds-barred evening of humor and music, with songs rang-
ing from “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” to “Sock It To Me, Santa.”
Saturday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave.
in North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 301-581-5100 or visit
ampbystrathmore.com.
LAURA DOMELA

AN INSPECTOR CALLS
A festive evening at the home of a well-heeled
British family is suddenly punctured by a visit from
a grim inspector investigating the death of a young
woman that proceeds to upend their comfortable
lives. Acclaimed director Stephen Daldry (Billy
Elliot) returns to J.B. Priestley’s chilling drama,
which he first helmed in 1992 at London’s National
Theatre. Starring Liam Brennan as Inspector Goole
and Christine Kavanagh, Jeff Harmer, Lianne

MARK DOUET
Harvey, and Hamish Riddle as the Birlings. To
Dec. 23. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Call
202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

BUDDIES
The first American film to focus on the AIDS pan-
demic (preceding both the TV movie An Early Frost
and Longtime Companion), Arthur J. Bressan Jr.’s
1985 drama tells the powerful story of a gay man
(David Schacter) who volunteers to help an AIDS
patient abandoned by his friends and lovers. The
rarely-screened film is the December pick for Reel
Affirmations Xtra monthly screening series in honor
of World AIDS Day. Schachter will take part in a
talkback following the screening. Thursday, Dec. 6,
starting at 6 p.m. with an Open Bar Happy Hour fea-
turing music by DJ Matt. Rayceen Pendarvis hosts.
HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW.
Tickets are $12, or $25 for VIP seating as well as one
complimentary cocktail, beer, or wine and popcorn.
Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.

10 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

COIURTESY OF THE ARTISTS

Out On The Town

CHAD MICHAELS: TRIBUTE TO CHER

The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season One is also billed as the nation’s “#1 Cher impersonator.” The
California-based Michaels presents a free Saturday evening concert at the Kennedy Center, performing hits from the icon’s
repertoire as part of a double-bill concert that also features the Capital Hearings, an a cappella group performing songs
from Reba McEntire’s catalog. (On Sunday, the actual icons — Cher and McEntire, along with Philip Glass, Wayne Shorter
and the creators of Hamilton will be feted in the Opera House at the 41st Kennedy Center Honors.) KenCen Millenium
Stage, Saturday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule
HOLIDAY
HIGHLIGHTS
CHRISTMAS AT THE OLD BULL
AND BUSH
Catherine Flye’s cheery holiday tale
centers on patrons at a pub tell-
ing corny jokes and singing British
music hall songs and Christmas car-
ols. Originally presented at the turn
of the millennium by Arena Stage,
some of the original cast members
return for another holiday run at
Alexandria’s MetroStage includ-
ing sing-alongs and an abbreviated
reenactment of Dickens’ Christmas
Carol, plus a few surprises along
the way. Opens Thursday, Nov. 29.
To Dec. 30. MetroStage, 1201 North
Royal St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-
9044 or visit metrostage.org.
DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET
Over 150 artisans rotate among
sixty tents set up on two blocks in
the heart of downtown. Now in its
14th year, the holiday market offers
a vast, eclectic, and international
assortment of gifts and souvenirs,
collectibles and wearables — from
prints and photographs, to pottery
and glassware, to custom jewel-
ry and accessories. Each day also
brings free staged concerts by local
musicians, and options for food and
(non-alcoholic) drink. Open noon
to 8 p.m. daily. Now to Dec. 23. F
Street between 7th and 9th Streets
NW. It’s open from noon to 8 p.m.
Visit downtownholidaymarket.com.
GEORGETOWN GLOW 2018
Now in its fifth year, the light
art exhibition presented by the
Georgetown Business Improvement
District features 10 displays by mul-
tidisciplinary artists. Billed as a way
to “reimagine the season of light,”
the commissioned works, curated by
Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams, offer a
high-tech modern contrast with the
surroundings of D.C.’s oldest neigh-
borhood — which has been further
illuminated by the stringing of
white lights on street-facing build-
ings. The five-week event includes a
GLOW All Night evening shopping
and dining extravaganza on Dec. 7,
a Winter Wonderland during the
day on Dec. 8, plus a Christmas Tree
Farm every weekend at the Ritz-
Carlton Georgetown’s Yard and reg-
ular GLOW-inspired walking and
food tours led by several local tour There’s also Seasons Dreamings,
companies. In addition, the House a free, 25-minute aerial Cirque
of Sweden offers its annual Swedish Dreams Unwrapped show that
Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. takes place daily in the Gaylord’s
1, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. GLOW kicks Garden Atrium. Through Jan. 1.
off Saturday, Dec. 1, and runs every 201 Waterfront St. Oxon Hill, Md.
night from 5 to 10 p.m. through Jan. Tickets to Ice! are $27 to $38. Call
6. Visit GeorgetownGlowDC.com 301-965-4000 or visit christmason-
for more information.
thepotomac.com.
ICE! A CHARLIE BROWN
CHRISTMAS FILM
Snoopy, Lucy, and other clas-
GREMLINS
sic cartoon characters created by
Fun fact: the editor of this publica-
Charles M. Schulz will be holding
tion went to film school with the
court at National Harbor in col-
writer of this enjoyable bit of sheer
orful, larger-than-life sculptures
lunacy about a cuddly little pet that
carved from two million pounds
spawns evil, mischievous creatures
of ice. The Peanuts gang’s sto-
if fed after midnight. The movie is
ried holiday antics are the focus
notable for Joe Dante’s increasing-
of this year’s Ice! Display, accent-
ly frenzied direction and master-
ed by four, two-story tall ice slides
ful creature design by Chris Walas.
and a Nativity scene. And that’s
Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe
just the main draw at the annu-
Cates, Judge Reinhold, Corey
al series organized by the Gaylord
Feldman, and Howie Mandel as the
National Resort. A Christmas
voice of Gizmo. Part of the Capital
Carousel, an ice skating rink, a short
Classics series at Landmark’s West
Potomac Express holiday train
End Cinema. Wednesday, Dec. 5,
ride, a Build-A-Bear Workshop,
at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m., 2301 M
30-minute Christmas storytelling
St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30
events led by Mrs. Claus, and a
p.m. Tickets are $10 to $12.50. Call
Gingerbread Decorating Center are
202-534-1907 or visit landmarkthe-
among more than a dozen other
atres.com.
kid-friendly activities on tap.

12 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 MetroWeekly’s Holiday Gift Guide

Visit the Holiday Gift Guide online at MetroWeekly.com/GiftGuide

 STAGE
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Craig Wallace returns for his
third year as the miserly Ebenezer
Scrooge in Ford’s Theatre’s cher-
ished annual production of Dickens’
Yuletide classic. It really wouldn’t
be Christmas in Washington with-
out this music-infused adaptation,
conceived by Michael Wilson and
directed by Michael Baron. To Dec.
30. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW.
Tickets are $24 to $107. Call 800-
982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org..

BILLY ELLIOT
Matthew Gardiner helms Signature
Theatre’s take on the moving musi-
cal from writer/lyricist Lee Hall
and composer Elton John about
an 11-year-old boy who just wants
to dance. The production features
two Billys and two young ensem-
bles performing in rotation, along
with an adult crew featuring Nancy
Anderson as Mrs. Wilkinson,
Chris Genebach as Billy’s father,
Crystal Mosser as his mother, Sean
CAMERON WHITMAN

Watkinson as brother Tony, and

Catherine Flye as Grandma. Pride
Night is Dec. 14. To Jan. 6. The Ark,
4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call
703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

CRY IT OUT

WRESTLEMANIA
Studio Theatre presents Molly
Smith Metzler’s candid comedy
about the tinderbox of parenthood
and class in today’s culture. Emjoy
Gavino plays Jesse, a corporate
Oscar Ceville embodies a Lucha Libre legend in Keegan’s unique staging of one lawyer, who befriends her working
of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. class neighbor Lina (Dina Thomas)
while both are marooned at home
on maternity leave. A wealthy cou-

D
ple from the neighborhood, played
OING ANY SHOW IN THE ROUND IS VERY CHALLENGING, BECAUSE YOU HAVE by Paolo Andino and Tessa Klein,
to be aware that you have audiences on all four sides,” says Oscar Ceville, currently appear- intrudes on a naptime coffee date
between the new mothers, push-
ing in As You Like It at Keegan Theatre. For this musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s ing Cry It Out toward a dramatic
beloved comedy, directors Cara Gabriel and Josh Sticklin have abandoned the Church Street climax. Directed by Joanie Schultz.
Theatre’s traditional proscenium moorings, instead crafted an immersive, four-sided playing To Dec. 16. Milton Theatre, 14th &
arena. The comedy’s familiar wrestling matches have been expanded, reimagined as Lucha Libre, a P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or
visit studiotheatre.org.
freestyle form of the sport popularized in Mexico, for which participants don aggressively colored,
somewhat menacing masks. DC QUEER THEATRE FESTIVAL
Ceville, long a mainstay of the D.C. theater scene, plays Bronco Internationale. “He’s the cham- The annual showcase, presented by
the DC Center, returns with seven
pion of the Court and he always wins,” says the openly gay actor. “But then he wrestles Orlando, stage works written by area play-
who is one of the main characters of the play, and loses.” Ceville also fields the less physically wrights, each under 10 minutes
demanding role of Adam, Orlando’s manservant, who follows him into the magical forest of Arden. in length. The program includes:
Still, the 46-year-old, Panamanian-born actor gets an adrenaline rush from portraying Bronco, Alan Sharpe’s Most Important
Meal of the Day, Audrey Cefaly’s
who is based on one of the sport’s living legends, and a founder of the Bronx Wrestling Federation. Consider the Ficus, Asabi Oke’s Out
“I was surprised when I found out that I was playing Bronco, because I was basically the oldest of Culture, Brittany Alyse Willis’s
person in the cast,” says Ceville, who has been featured in productions at GALA, Constellation, and Son of Apollo, John Bavaso’s Plus
One, Xemiyulu Manibusan’s Protect
The Shakespeare Theatre Company. “I was like, ‘Oh you’re picking the oldest man in the cast to do & Serve, and Xian Mao’s Fantasy
this?’ Thank God I go to the gym. I can keep up.” Roadtrip. Performances are Friday,
Thankfully, Ceville hasn’t sustained any serious injuries during the production’s run, apart Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday,
from “a couple of bruises here and there.” However, he notes that, as a precautionary measure, Dec. 8, at 3 and 7:30 p.m. District
of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th
the cast runs through the fights daily before the start of each show, to “make sure that everybody’s St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-
okay, everything’s good, everything’s in place, and we’re ready to do it at the performance.” 462-7833 or visit thedccenter.org/
—Randy Shulman queertheatrefest.

HOW TO KEEP AN ALIEN

As You Like It runs through Sunday, Dec. 2 at The Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets Solas Nua, the nation’s only orga-
are $48 to $58. Call 202-265-3767 or visit keegantheatre.com. nization exclusively dedicated to
contemporary Irish arts, presents

14 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 MetroWeekly’s Holiday Gift Guide

Visit the Holiday Gift Guide online at MetroWeekly.com/GiftGuide

 the regional premiere of a romantic
comedy with a global perspective
on immigration. An audience favor-
ite from the D.C.-based company’s
play reading series last season,
How to Keep An Alien explores the
real-life travails of Irish playwright
Sonya Kelly in securing a visa for
her Australian-born partner Kate
by proving their love to the Irish
government. With Tonya Beckman
as Sonya. Directed by Tom Story. To
Dec. 16. Dance Loft on 14 Theater,
4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor. Tickets
are $35 to $45. Call 202-621-3670 or
visit solasnua.org.
KING JOHN
He may be king, but unlike his older
brother Richard the Lionheart,
John has no stirring nickname or
truly loyal following, with everyone
from the Pope to his own court
seeming to think his crown is up
for grabs. Aaron Posner directs a
rarely staged but timely history
play by Shakespeare about a toxic
era of secret deals, threats of mass
destruction, and shifting loyalties
(what a difference 800 years doesn’t
always make). Brian Dykstra
plays the King in a gender-bend-
ing production that also features
Kate Eastwood Norris as Philip
Faulconbridge, Holly Twyford as
Lady Faulconbridge, and Megan
Graves as Arthur and Prince Henry.
To Dec. 2. Folger Theatre, 201 East
Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $42 to
$79. Call 202-544-7077 or visit fol-
ger.edu.
ONCE UPON
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Virginia’s Run Rabbit Run Theatre
reprises Meredith Bean McMath’s
adaptation of the Charles Dickens
classic, amped up with origi-
nal music and lyrics by Diane
El-Shafey, instrumental music by
Carma Oliverez, and a few tra-
ditional favorites. The show fea-
tures 32 actors portraying over
120 characters relating the story
of the redemption of the Grinch-
like Ebenezer Scrooge, played by
Phil Erickson. Weekends to Dec. 9.
Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441
Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville,
Va. Tickets are $20 online, or $25 at
the door. Call 540-668-6779 or visit
storyroot.com/RRRtickets.html.
MUSIC
BASTILLE AT
DC101’S OFFICE PARTY
A British pop act named after the
French national holiday, Bastille’s
biggest U.S. hit before this year was
all about an infamously destroyed
Roman town. In the years since
2013’s “Pompeii,” the four-piece
led by Dan Smith has churned out
plenty of other similarly pleas-
ing, anthemic tunes, 14 of them
on 2016’s Wild World alone. But
it wasn’t until teaming up with
EDM act Marshmello that Bastille
16 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
managed to go two notches higher
than the previous peak of No. 5
on the Billboard Hot 100 with this
year’s “Happier.” The band is due to
release its third album Doom Days
early next year, but in the meantime
comes to town to headline DC101’s
Office Party, a mini-festival also
featuring Andrew McMahon in the
Wilderness, Meg Myers, and the
Glorious Sons. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at
7 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St.
SW. Tickets are $55 to $95. Call
202-888-0020 or visit theanthem-
dc.com.
CHAISE LOUNGE
Six of D.C.’s leading jazz musicians
perform sparkling arrangements of
standards plus new, original swing-
ing tunes that sound as if recorded
a half-century ago. Featuring the
soft, luminous vocals of Marilyn
Older, the party jazz group, touted
on NPR and a frequent draw at the
Kennedy Center, returns to Blues
Alley for “A Very Chaise Lounge,”
a holiday show named after a 2012
album. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 8 and
10 p.m. 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Tickets are $31, plus $12 minimum
purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit
bluesalley.com.
LISSIE
Singer-songwriter Lissie Maurus
lives in Iowa, but got her start on
the Los Angeles coffeehouse cir-
cuit before opening for the likes of
Lenny Kravitz and Ray LaMontagne
and appearing at the Lilith Fair.
Although she doesn’t channel Stevie
Nicks quite as blatantly on Castles
as she did on 2016’s My Wild West,
Lissie’s new fourth studio album is
every bit as steeped in the dramat-
ic and folky rock/pop style of her
idol, with the biting “Love Blows”
and the power ballad “Meet Me
In The Mystery” particular stand-
outs. Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon
Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25.
Call 703-549-7500 or visit birch-
mere.com.
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC:
HOLIDAY POPS
Soprano Iyona Blake, a Helen
Hayes Award-winning actress,
will sing “O Holy Night” among
other holiday favorites as the fea-
tured soloist at this year’s seasonal
offering from Strathmore’s resident
orchestra. Victoria Gau conducts
the Philharmonic and National
Philharmonic Chorale in seasonal
classics and a sing-along or two.
Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. The
Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman
Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are
$18 to $74. Call 301-581-5100 or visit
strathmore.org.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA: MAHLER’S FIRST
SYMPHONY
NSO Music Director Gianandrea
Noseda leads a program of spirited

CARL DIAZ
SPECIAL AGENT GALACTICA:
FAREWELL SHOW
It’s been a while since we last heard from Jeffrey
Johnson’s spacey and pink-haired singing drag act.
The bad news is that Galactica’s return also marks her
last before a permanent move to Charleston, South
Carolina. The good news, as far as it goes, is that the
final show certainly lives up to the concept of going out
with a bang. Galactica will essentially perform three
shows in one, kicking off with a “greatest hits” set chan-
neling the Happy Hour Variety Show she hosted at the
now defunct Black Fox Lounge and featuring the Black
Fox-minted trio of keyboardist Aaron Meyers, bassist
Ethan Foote, and drummer Winston Johnson, plus a lip
sync gem or two. Next up is a slightly truncated version
of the original show A Romp Around Uranus, developed
for Capital Fringe in 2016 and subsequently performed
at New York’s iconic Stonewall Inn, and featuring
Galactica, guitarist Peter Fields (aka Captain Satellite)
and the Timeship Aurora (voiced by the B-52’s Fred
Schneider). All the performers from the first two sets
will come together for a finale featuring yet more
Galactica standards, as well as some surprise curveballs
and Johnson favorites. Sunday, Dec. 9, starting at 5:30
p.m. Pie Shop Bar & Patio, 1339 H St. NE. Pay-What-
You-Can donations accepted. Call 202-398-7437 or visit
dangerouspiesdc.com.
18 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
and expressive works including a
world premiere from Kennedy Center
Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates.
A 30-minute, three-movement work,
Bates’ Art of War incorporates elec-
tronic instrumentation into more
traditional orchestral scoring and
explores the drama of human con-
flict from the perspective of soldiers,
weaponry, and human loss. Noseda
has paired Bates with Mahler, specif-
ically Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Titan,
revered today as a sumptuous and
groundbreaking work in the way it
incorporates folk melodies and danc-
es. The work was so groundbreak-
ing, so shocking, that early audiences
hissed and booed when they heard
it — and their reaction prompted the
German Jewish composer to spend
a decade tweaking the work before
finally publishing his score in 1898.
Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., Saturday,
Dec. 8, at 8 p.m., and, Sunday, Dec.
9, at 3 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert
Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call 202-
467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
RED BARAAT
Jazz artist Sunny Jain leads the
bhangra-rooted party band Red
Baraat, which NPR has described as
something akin to “a New Orleans
street band playing Indian Bollywood
tunes with a go-go beat.” The Barns
at Wolf Trap. Saturday, Dec. 1, at 8
p.m. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets
are $35. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
There’s a sizable cadre of young,
queer artists singing openly and
honestly about their experiences
in today’s landscape, but it was a
different story 20 years ago, and
Rufus Wainwright stood out in that
regard as he launched his career
with his 1998 self-titled debut and
established himself with 2001’s
Poses. The two albums felt rather
groundbreaking then, and they still
hold up two decades later, which is
why a concert finding Wainwright
performing songs from both regis-
ters as more than just a toast to his
day-one or longtime fans. It’s all the
more enticing given that he’ll revive
the material locally in Strathmore’s
large, acoustically rich concert hall.
Saturday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. Music
Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,
North Bethesda. Tickets are $39
to $89, or $299 to $399 for VIP
levels including a premium seat,
pre-show meet and greet and photo,
tour print, a photo book, and more.
Call 301-581-5100 or visit strath-
more.org.
THE BYRDS WITH MARTY STUART
Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman
set the pace for so much of today’s
popular music by virtue of their
work in The Byrds, a band that pio-
neered the sub-genres of folk rock,
psychedelic rock, and country rock
50 years ago. The two co-found-
ers are currently sharing stages on
tour with Marty Stuart, a country
music legend who was once part of
Johnny Cash’s band and now leads
his own dynamic band. Presented
by The Birchmere, the occasion is
the 50th anniversary of the Byrds’
sixth album Sweetheart of the
Rodeo, said to be music’s first major
“country rock” album. McGuinn
and Hillman will perform the set in
its entirety accompanied by Stuart
and The Fabulous Superlatives as
part of a concert featuring other
hits from the Byrds — from “Mr.
Tambourine Man” to “Turn! Turn!
Turn!” Monday, Dec. 3, at 8 p.m.
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $92.50. Call 301-581-
5100 or visit strathmore.org.
THE INSERIES:
OPERETTA WONDERLAND
Brian J. Shaw directs a cabaret fea-
turing century-old, waltz-inspired
street songs and soaring melodies
plucked from topsy-turvy operettas
written by one of America’s greatest
popular composers, Victor Herbert.
The InSeries program features
selections from Herbert operettas
including Sweethearts, Naughty
Marietta, The Enchantress, and
Babes in Toyland. Expect fanciful
visions of prima donnas, toy sol-
diers, and star-crossed lovers — and,
for those who want to be immersed
in the proceedings, Cabaret Table
Seating right onstage. Saturday,
Dec. 1, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2,
at 2 p.m. D.C. Scottish Rite Temple,
2800 16th St. NW. Tickets are $20
to $45. Call 202-204-7763 or visit
inseries.org.
VERONNEAU
Led by married couple Lynn
Veronneau on vocals and Ken
Avis on guitar, the local Wammie-
winning international jazz fusion
act returns to Blues Alley barely
two months after its last shows at
Georgetown’s legendary jazz club.
Veronneau, with special guests per-
cussionist Bruno Lucini and violin-
ist Dave Kline, is sure to perform
from its new third album Love &
Surrender, a multilingual collection
of originals and standards from
around the world in a melange of
uptempo genres, from swing to
samba to gypsy. Yet the focus this
time around is a holiday show cen-
tered around Snowtime, the act’s
seasonal-themed EP from 2013.
Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 8 and 10 p.m.
Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave.
NW. Tickets are $31, plus $12 min-
imum purchase. Call 202-337-4141
or visit bluesalley.com.
DANCE
BALLET WEST: THE NUTCRACKER
After a debut last year in Salt Lake
City, Utah’s preeminent dance
company brings to the Kennedy
Center a whimsical new take on
the enchanting holiday classic.
Reimagined designs, from grand
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COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
PAULA ABDUL
It’s been 30 years since she first came to fame with her hit song “Straight Up,” but Abdul
has no plans to go “a b-b-b-bye, b-b-b-b-bye” anytime soon. Instead, she’s doing a hit and
run tour across North America celebrating her 30 years in the business. It marks Abdul’s
first solo outing in over 25 years — and comes a year after touring with Boyz II Men and
New Kids on the Block. Sunday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100
Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets are $54 to $90, or $175 for the Straight Up Paula!
VIP Package, which offers more than most: one front-row ticket, early entry and access to
pre-show soundcheck, backstage meet and greet, Q&A, and selfie with Abdul, tour shirt
and poster, photo frame and tote bag. Call 844-346-4664 or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.
sets and fantastical costumes to
special effects, add a glittering,
opulent sparkle. The Kennedy
Center Opera House Orchestra
and the Arlington Children’s Choir
will offer live accompaniment.
Opens Wednesday, Dec. 5. To Dec.
9. Kennedy Center Opera House.
Tickets are 59 to $215. Call 202-467-
4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
THE WASHINGTON BALLET:
THE NUTCRACKER
The Washington Ballet’s former
artistic director Septime Webre
first staged his twist on the family
favorite 13 years ago, setting it in
D.C.’s historic Georgetown neigh-
borhood with George Washington
as the titular figure and King George
III as the Rat King. As always, the
production sets up shop for near-
ly all of December at downtown’s
Warner Theatre. To Dec. 24. 513
13th St. NW. Call 202-889-5901 or
visit washingtonballet.org.
COMEDY
THE SECOND CITY:
SHE THE PEOPLE
An all-female team roasts the patri-
archy, modern politics and pop
culture in the latest revue from
Chicago’s sketch comedy troupe.
20 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Carly Heffernan directs a Second
City ensemble featuring Atra Asdou,
Carisa Barreca, Alex Bellisle, Katie
Caussin, Kazi Jones, and Maggie
Wilder. Opens Tuesday, Dec. 4. To
Jan. 6. Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St.
NW. Tickets range from $20 to $85.
Call 202-393-3939 or visit woolly-
mammoth.net.
READINGS
& LECTURES
BETH KANTER AND EMILY
GOODSTEIN
Two veteran D.C.-focused travel
and food writers team up to provide
behind-the-scenes stories and imag-
es of hidden spots in and around
the Nation’s Capital. Their book, No
Access Washington, D.C., features
several of the city’s more iconic
buildings, such as the massive under-
croft below the Lincoln Memorial, as
well as other gems, including the
mini Washington Monument or the
sauna in the Embassy of Finland.
Monday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Sixth & I
Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW.
Tickets are $12, or $30 including a
book, $40 for two tickets and one
book. Call 202-408-3100 or visit
sixthandi.org.
ART & EXHIBITS
TORPEDO: 100 YEARS
ART OF ARMISTICE
There are currently two temporary
exhibitions exploring the military
history of Old Town Alexandria’s
Torpedo Factory Art Center.
Construction on the original U.S.
Naval Torpedo Station began the
day after Armistice Day marked the
end of World War I — Nov. 12,
1918 — and it remained a munitions
plant through the end of World
War II. In 1972, the building was
converted into an art center hous-
ing what is reportedly the nation’s
largest number of publicly acces-
sible working artist studios under
one roof — a whopping 82, plus
seven galleries. Currently in Gallery
311, the Torpedo Factory Artists’
Association presents art in a range
of media related to torpedos, the
Navy, the city of Alexandria, the
factory itself. Lesley Clarke, Min
Enghauser, Mary Beth Gaiarin,
John Gosling, Hyun Jung Kim, Greg
Knott, Mary Lynch, and Meg Talley
are among the 18 participating art-
ists. On display to Dec. 16.
Meanwhile, the Target Gallery pres-
ents 25 artworks by 23 artists from
around the country exploring the
after-effects of war in an exhibi-
tion juried by Spencer Dormitzer,
director of the Brentwood Arts
Exchange. The region is represented
by artists including Katherine Akey
and Tom Greaves of D.C., Mikhail
Bolkhovitinov, Irene Clouthier,
and Henrik Sundqvist of Northern
Virginia, and Roy Comiskey and
Amy Helminiak of Maryland.
“Every piece submitted and cho-
sen contained an element of some-
thing broken in need of mending,”
Dormitzer says about the exhibition.
“Throughout these depictions of
heroism, loss, bravery, and vulnera-
bility lies a plea for resolution.” On
display to Dec. 2. 105 North Union
St. Alexandria. Call 703-838-4565 or
visit torpedofactory.org.
WINTER WONDERLAND
Gallery Underground, the visual
arts space for the Arlington Artists
Alliance and part of Crystal City’s
Art Underground, features new
seasonally themed works in multi-
genres by Gallery members, plus
refined traditional still life paintings
by George Bowels. Opens Monday,
Dec. 3, with a Meet the Artists
Reception Friday, Dec. 7, from 5
to 8 p.m. On display through Dec.
28. Crystal City Shops, 2100 Crystal
Drive, Arlington. Call 571-483-0652
or visit galleryunderground.org.
FOOD & DRINK
METROCOOKING DC COOKING &
ENTERTAINING SHOW
Both a holiday treat and a shopping
preserve, “The Ultimate Foodie
Outing” is the area’s biggest special-
ty food and culinary event. Emeril
Lagasse is the headliner at the James
Beard Foundation Cooking Stage at
the 13th annual showcase also fea-
turing Jacques Pepin, Carla Hall,
Bethenny Frankel, and many of D.C’s
best chefs, including Scott Drewno,
Amy Brandwein, Erik Bruner-Yang,
Vikram Sunderam, and Michael
Schlow. Also on hand: 200 special-
ty food vendors, including a focused
Made in DC pavilion, a two-day Beer,
Wine & Spirits section, a BBQ Bash on
Saturday and the 6th annual Grand
Tasting Pavilion with over 50 local
restaurants on Sunday. New this
year is a Holiday Gingerbread House
Competition featuring professional
and amateur bakers. Saturday, Dec.
1, and Sunday, Dec. 2, starting at 10
a.m. each day. Walter E. Washington
Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon
Place NW. General admission tick-
ets are priced at $21.50, and include
admission to the James Beard Cooking
Stage and the Exhibitor Marketplace.
Sur La Table cooking classes, Beer,
Wine and Spirits Garden, BBQ Bash
and the Grand Tasting are special tick-
eted events and sold separately. VIP
ticket packages are available, which
will afford a backstage meet and greet
with Lagasse, Pepin, and Frankel plus
access to additional ticketed special
events. Call 866-840-8822 or visit
metrocookingdc.com. l
 Community
THURSDAY, NOV. 29
Join Center Aging for
its SILVER PRIDE FALL
FESTIVAL, celebrating LGBTQ
elders and giving thanks for
blessings, at the Residences at
Thomas Circle. A chili supper
will be served, followed by
s’mores for dessert. 6-8 p.m.
1330 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
To RSVP, or for more informa-
tion, call 202-719-0785.

THE DC ANTI-VIOLENCE
PROJECT will hold an open
meeting for anyone interested
in getting involved in com-
bating anti-LGBTQ violence.
PHOTO COURTEST OF FRUS

7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,

Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, visit facebook.com/
DCAntiViolenceProject.

Weekly Events

ANDROMEDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing and HIV

WASTE NOT
services (by appointment). 9
a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center,
1400 Decatur St. NW. To
arrange an appointment, call
202-291-4707, or visit androm-
Food Rescue US transports excess food from big businesses edatransculturalhealth.org.
to agencies that feed the needy. DC AQUATICS CLUB practice
session at Takoma Aquatic

W
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van
HAT I LOVE ABOUT MY WORK IS THAT IT DEALS WITH CUTTING Buren St. NW. For more infor-
down on food waste and providing meals to those who are food-in- mation, visit swimdcac.org.
secure,” says Kate Urbank, D.C. site director for Food Rescue US. DC FRONT RUNNERS run-
Urbank oversees the organization’s food rescue program, which allows large- ning/walking/social club
scale businesses with their own cafeterias, farmers markets, and local grocers welcomes runners of all ability
levels for exercise in a fun and
to sign up as food donors — meaning they contribute foodstuffs that are still supportive environment, with
fit for consumption to D.C.-area nonprofits that operate food pantries or soup socializing afterward. Route
kitchens. distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at
Serving as the go-between are dozens of volunteer “food rescuers” who pick 7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
For more information, visit
up the excess food and transport it to the receiving agencies. “What we do as dcfrontrunners.org.
food rescuers is provide that last-mile service,” says Urbank. “So we pick up
food from, say, National Geographic — which we do five times a week — and DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s
gay and lesbian square-dancing
drive it usually no more than 15 minutes down the road to an agency that will group, features mainstream
serve the food.” through advanced square
Beneficiaries include SMYAL, Casa Ruby, Martha’s Table, and Thrive DC. dancing at the National City
Some food runners even reach nonprofits as far out as Arlington and Fairfax Christian Church. Please dress
casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas
County. Urbank is always looking for new volunteers to make food runs Circle NW. 202-930-1058,
between 8 a.m and 6 p.m. on weekdays. She plans to organize weekend food dclambdasquares.org.
rescues, as well, and to enlist local law firms to sign up as food donors.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
Food Rescue US is making it easier than ever to get involved thanks to a new practice. The team is always
app — donors, receiving agencies, and food rescuers can all sign up, arrange looking for new members.
pickup and delivery times, and even “adopt” runs based on their availability. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry
“It makes a huge difference when you see how grateful the food donors are, Thomas Recreation Center,
1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more
because they don’t have to throw away all the perfectly beautiful, gorgeous information, visit scandalsrfc.
food they’ve prepared,” Urbank says. “On the other side, you drive down the org or dcscandals@gmail.com.
road and deliver the food, and it provides a meal for those in need.” —John Riley
THE DULLES TRIANGLES
Northern Virginia social
The Food Rescue app is free of charge and available on Apple’s App Store and at group meets for happy hour at
Sheraton in Reston. All wel-
Google Play. For more information on Food Rescue, visit foodrescue.us.
come. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise

NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 21

 Valley Drive, second-floor bar. For
more information, visit dullestrian-
gles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-
5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, and
9 a.m-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the
Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK
Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment,
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY
(K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker
Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va.,
offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and
counseling by appointment only. 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special
appointment if seeking testing after
2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401.
METROHEALTH CENTER
offers free, rapid HIV testing.
Appointment needed. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an
appointment, call 202-849-8029.
STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3
p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and
the Max Robinson Center, 2301
Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE.
Testing is intended for those with-
out symptoms. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics
Anonymous Meeting. The group
is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30
p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For
more information, call 202-446-
1100.
FRIDAY, NOV. 30
Join The DC Center for a QUEER
TANGO CLASS with instructor Liz
Sabatiuk of Tango Mercurio. The
class is for beginners and will com-
bine instruction on tango vocabu-
lary and technique with discussion
and exploration of the assumptions
people make about gender, mas-
culinity, and femininity — and
how that might affect our dancing
and our interactions with others.
Students will be invited to exper-
iment with both roles and reflect
on their experiences. $10 donation
recommended. Proceeds directly
benefit The DC Center. Sliding
scale tickets are available if needed.
7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, email
supportdesk@thedccenter.org.
THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF D.C.
will hold a screening of the film
Sorry to Bother You, followed by a
discussion on racism and capital-
ism. 6-8 p.m. St. Stephen and the
Incarnation Episcopal Church,
1525 Newton St. NW. For more
information, visit facebook.com/
MetroDCSP.
22 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
SATURDAY, DEC. 1
CENTER GLOBAL, a group that
advocates for LGBTIQ rights and
fights against anti-LGBTIQ laws
in more than 80 countries, holds
its monthly meeting on the first
Saturday of every month. 12-1:30
p.m. The DC Center, 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more informa-
tion, visit thedccenter.org.
CHOICES IN SUBSTANCE
MISUSE & ADDICTION hosts
“Steps or Stepping Stones?”, a
workshop for people in recovery
from substance misuse or addiction
who are looking for alternatives to
the current 12-Step programs. The
workshop, led by licensed social
worker Eryca Kasse, offers the
opportunity to share experiences
about 12-Step meetings, explore
how some of the 12-Step language
can be triggering, and learn trau-
ma-informed language options
that promote empowerment while
helping participants work on their
recovery. Cover is $10-15, based on
a sliding scale. 2-4 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, contact EKasseLICSW@
gmail.com.
The DC Center hosts a month-
ly LGBT ASYLEES SUPPORT
MEETING AND DINNER for LGBT
refugees and asylum seekers. 5-7
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit thedc-
center.org.
SUNDAY, DEC. 2
Weekly Events
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
celebrates Low Mass at 8:30
a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300
Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,
allsoulsdc.org.
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive
and radically inclusive church
holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217
Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895,
betheldc.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a
practice session at Wilson Aquatic
Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr.
NW. For more information, visit
swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club welcomes run-
ners of all ability levels for exercise
in a fun and supportive environ-
ment, with socializing afterward.
Route will be a distance run of 8, 10
or 12 miles. Meet at 9 a.m. at 23rd
& P Streets NW. For more informa-
tion, visit dcfrontrunners.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman
Catholic Mass for the LGBT
community. All welcome. Sign
interpreted. 6 p.m. St. Margaret’s
Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave.
NW. For more info, visit dignity-
washington.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
welcomes all to 10:30 a.m. service,
945 G St. NW. firstuccdc.org or
202-628-4317.
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF
CHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-
nity for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130
Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.
hopeucc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT
GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be
meeting once a month. For infor-
mation on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
Join LINCOLN
CONGREGATIONAL TEMPLE –
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST for
an inclusive, loving and progressive
faith community every Sunday. 11
a.m. 1701 11th Street NW, near R in
Shaw/Logan neighborhood. lincol-
ntemple.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpret-
ed) and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday
School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW.
202-638-7373, mccdc.com.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,
a Christ-centered, interracial,
welcoming-and-affirming church,
offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St.
SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF
ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcom-
ing-and-affirming congregation,
offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia
Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444
Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING
invites LGBTQ families and indi-
viduals of all creeds and cultures to
join the church. Services 9:15 and
11:15 a.m. 10309 New Hampshire
Ave. uucss.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL
MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-
ing and inclusive church. GLBT
Interweave social/service group
meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,
Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th
St. NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.
org.
MONDAY, DEC. 3
The DC Center holds a monthly
VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION for
those interested in helping out at
The DC Center. Activities include
sorting through book donations,
taking inventory, or assembling
safe-sex packets. 6:30-8:30 p.m.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. To
register, or for more information,
email chris@thedccenter.org.
TUESDAY, DEC. 4
The DC Anti-Violence Project
will host a SURVIVOR ART
EXPRESSION NIGHT, led by social
worker Sarah Lawson. All those
who have been survivors of or
impacted by violence are welcome
to join. The event will also offer
information about resources avail-
able to survivors. Space is limited
to 15 participants. 6:30-8 p.m. The
DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. To RSVP, or for more
information, email sarahl@thedc-
center.org.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 5
BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’s
gay literature group, discusses
Andre Gide’s novel The Immoralist
at the Cleveland Park Library.
All are welcome. 7:30 p.m. 3310
Connecticut Ave. NW. For more
information, visit bookmendc.blog-
spot.com.
Center Careers offers a 90-min-
ute workshop on IMPROVING
LINKEDIN PROFILES to help job
candidates improve their profes-
sionalism, develop strength-led
strategies, techniques, and goal
plans, and find meaningful and
satisfying employment. 6-7 p.m.
The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. To register and RSVP, or
for more information, email center-
careers@thedccenter.org or visit
thedccenter.org/careers.
OutWrite DC hosts a “FROM
THE FIRST PAGE: STRATEGIES
FOR CRAFTING COMPELLING
OPENINGS IN FICTION,” a
workshop to improve the skills
of budding writers, led by John
Copenhaver, author of Dodging and
Burning. Free. Open to the public.
7-8:30 p.m. The DC Center, 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org/
outwrite.
The DC Center hosts a GET
EMPOWERED! Self-Defense
Workshop on how to defend your-
self if you are verbally or physically
harassed. Open to women, trans-
gender, and gender-nonconforming
people ages 16 and up. 6:30-8 p.m.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. To
register, or for more information,
visit defendyourself.org.
The TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL
BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social
Bridge at the Dignity Center, across
from the Marine Barracks. No
partner needed. 7:30 p.m. 721 8th
St. SE. Call 301-345-1571 for more
information. l
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 23
T HERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN DR.
DeMarc Hickson thought that his career in public health might
be leading him deeper into matters of the heart. “I had original-
ly started working at Jackson State University, in the Jackson
Heart Study,” Hickson recalls of the position he took after finish-
ing his PhD at Emory, where the South Carolina native had also
worked at the Centers for Disease Control. “[But] I wanted to
get back in community-based work, in particular around HIV.”
At the time, just over a decade ago, many might have consid-
ered the most harrowing days of the AIDS epidemic to be past.
But transmission rates remained — and still remain — persistent-
THE POLITICS OF
PREVENTION
For World AIDS Day, Us Helping Us executive director DeMarc Hickson
talks about sex, stigma, and the need for education.
Interview by André Hereford
P h o t o g r aph y b y T o d d F r a n s o n
ly alarming, particularly in minority communities, and there’s a
perpetual need for research, awareness, care, and prevention.
“Even in high school, growing up in South Carolina, we never
talked about STDs really or HIV within school,” Hickson says.
“My mom did because she was a teacher, and made sure that we
had condoms or we talked about sex and those types of things.
I went to undergrad at Norfolk State in Norfolk, Virginia. Don’t
recall talking about HIV or STDs, and maybe that was [as a result
of] being more around heterosexual individuals. They don’t talk
about those things or they never really talked about that then.
It wasn’t until Emory, because they were right beside the CDC,
[that] you heard of everything from Ebola to flu to HIV.”
Working in Mississippi, Hickson was seeking a way to bridge
his expertise in biomedical research with his passion for com-
munity-based action in the fight against HIV.
“One of my friends was a [CDC] project officer, and she
referred me to My Brother’s Keeper, which is a nonprofit orga-
nization in Jackson that was similar to Us Helping Us, working
in the black community to address the HIV epidemic,” he says.
“The founder and CEO at the time, Dr. Mark Colomb, because I
had applied for a recruiter job, was like, ‘You have a PhD, why
are you trying to be a recruiter? You can come in and be my
24 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
second hand.’”
A longtime leader in the HIV community, Colomb wanted
Hickson to bring his cardiovascular experience from working at
the Jackson Heart Study to My Brother’s Keeper. When Colomb
passed away in 2011, the organization’s new CEO, Dr. June
Gipson, asked Hickson to be her chief operating officer.
While at My Brother’s Keeper, Hickson partnered on a
research project with Us Helping Us, Washington, D.C.’s 33-year
old organization known for its commitment to improving the
health of communities of color and reducing the impact of HIV/
AIDS in the entire Black community. The research project,
developed in collaboration with UHU’s then-executive director
Dr. Ron Simmons, aimed to increase understanding of risk and
protective factors for HIV among black gay men. Although that
project didn’t get funded, Dr. Hickson and his work made a last-
ing impression at UHU.
Soon thereafter, he received a phone call from someone
on the search committee for the organization’s next executive
director. Hickson figured they might want him to join the com-
mittee. “I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t mind serving on the
committee.’”
But UHU called again, clarifying that they didn’t want
Hickson to help them find the next executive director, they
wanted him to interview to be the new executive director.
“I knew of Us Helping Us and people that worked here for
years,” he says. “When you work in the field, you kind of know
the other organizations. So I came and interviewed and history
is history. I was very honored, and now I’m here.”
For Hickson, success at UHU is about cultivating relation-
ships — with the clients, with other like-minded organizations,
with the public-at-large in order to educate and inform. It’s
something he brings into his professional life from his hobby as
an urban farmer.
“Farming is just my — what do they call it now? — self care,”
he says, noting that has grown everything from tomatoes to egg-
plants to yellow peppers. “And then again, I just enjoy it.”
METRO WEEKLY: This may seem like an obvious question, but has
the “us” in Us Helping Us changed at all since 1985?
DEMARC HICKSON: I would say yes. The “us” in Us Helping Us,
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 25
as originally founded, were black gay men who were becom-
ing infected with HIV at the start of the epidemic. They came
together as a support group of volunteers, where they would
come in and talk about mind, body, and spirit, in terms of health
maintenance for living with HIV. The “us” has since expanded
to include black gay men who are not living with HIV, transgen-
der individuals, irrespective of HIV status, and really just the
entire black community and other minority communities. We
serve everyone, we’re open to everyone, but we do have a partic-
ular focus on the black community.
MW: Why did the focus expand from men’s health to including
transgender individuals and women?
HICKSON: Because HIV is not just a gay man’s disease, as some
people have called it. And we saw the need for transgender indi-
viduals as well as women. In the ‘90s, or early 2000, Us Helping
Us actually incorporated Transgender Health Empowerment
as a separate organization. To date, they’ve had to close, so that
was just the start of recognizing the need in the community, and
expanding to address those particular needs. Just like with het-
erosexual women, or cisgender women — we provide a variety
of services for them as well, including POZitively BeYoutiful, a
support group for women who are living with HIV. We’re going
to expand that group to be more of a therapy group, and then
also have a social support group, where we would have differ-
ent activities throughout the year that they can attend. Because
as our client base ages, you can imagine their social isolation
increases. So really [it’s] having a two-pronged approach to be
able to address their particular needs.
MW: Was expanding your services, and who you’re addressing, in
response to any particular activism? Were people saying we need
you here and you’re not here?
HICKSON: It’s probably a mix. For example, SaVanna Wanzer
has been pushing us to do more in the transgender community.
And I know we’ve gotten a few grants and other things. So I
think it’s individual activists who have reached out to the lead-
ership at Us Helping Us, saying we need this or we need that.
MW: This interview will run in our World AIDS Day issue. What
do you have planned for World AIDS Day?
HICKSON: We have a number of events we’re partnering on with
different organizations here in the D.C. area. We are hosting
our state of the epidemic and film screening of the Us Helping
Us history at the University of District of Columbia. And we’re
going to have a state of the epidemic brunch, where we’ll have
officials from HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC, and NIH, like Dr. Tony
Fauci. They’ll talk about the epidemic on a national level, from
their perspective within these federal agencies. We’re also going
to have another panel of community members talking about
their experiences, either living with — or not living with — PrEP.
MW: For somebody who wants to observe World AIDS Day mean-
ingfully, what would you encourage them to do?
HICKSON: One would be to volunteer with an AIDS service or
community-based organization that provides these direct ser-
vices — we’re always in need of human resources and support.
But also to educate themselves — and I think [volunteering is] a
great platform because you are in the trenches and you actually
get to learn about advancements that have happened in the field.
You’re able to work alongside somebody that may be living with
HIV, because it doesn’t look the same as it did at the start of the
epidemic.
An increase in community education can help to reduce the
stigma around HIV, and that it can also, in reducing the stigma,
encourage individuals that may have anxiety about coming in
to get tested, people who may want to know their status but
26 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
are scared to know. If somebody hasn’t been tested in the past
12 months, or three months as a transgendered individual or a
gay and bisexual man, then get tested so that you can know your
status.
MW: You talked about educating people. What are some common
misperceptions that you find are still sort of hard to nudge people
out of?
HICKSON: One, I think, is just on how HIV has always been per-
ceived as a “death sentence.” And I put that in quotes. People
don’t understand that the new treatments are less toxic, that
they help to prolong life, and that there’s individuals who are
living with HIV that are living longer than individuals without
HIV. And also that it’s not HIV that a lot of people are dying
from, it’s heart disease, or a stroke. Though they may have HIV,
they’re not dying from that.
I would also say the new research that’s out shows undetect-
able equals untransmittable. That is another piece that I don’t
think people know about. Though it’s existed for years, now we
have the science that proves that if you’re on your medication
and you are undetectable, there’s a very, very, very low risk of
transmitting it to someone else. But that’s on the care end. On
the prevention end, I think that there’s always the stigma around
PrEP.
MW: What stigma? That if you’re on PreP you must be a slut?
HICKSON: Yeah, yeah. Like you’re a “Truvada whore,” or that
you are promiscuous because now that means you’re going to go
out and have more sex, and this and that. I think that’s just one
of the misnomers around that as well, instead of it just being a
preventative tool. I’m sure they wouldn’t say the same thing if
you could prevent hypertension, if there was a pill for that.
MW: But they say the same thing about birth control.
HICKSON: That’s just the thing — people are now always willing
to talk about sex. We talk about fertility rates and we talk about
procreation, or just all those other terms, but don’t want to talk
about the act of what it takes to make a baby.
MW: Something that’s been somewhat controversial in some states
is giving PrEP to teens. What are your thoughts on teenagers using
it, or UHU offering PrEP to those under the age of 18?
HICKSON: I think it’s a great idea in concept and theory. My only
concern is the effects of the medication on development. So if we
think about brain development, that it continues until someone
is 24, 25, we’re talking about growth that occurs primarily in
these ages. If the medications that are currently on the market
can impact bone density for someone who’s still developing,
that’s a concern. Whether that’s brain development, bone devel-
opment, organ development, all those things still happen. We
just don’t know the effects on those that are less than 18. I know
there are states who are prescribing, and I know that there are
individual prescribers who will prescribe. I think that they are
being trailblazers, but I’m still concerned about it. Because we
do see reductions in bone density. Though it may be minor, or it
may not be a large percentage, we just don’t know for those that
are less than 18.
MW: Does UHU serve clients who are minors?
HICKSON: Yes. Because I think the legal age here, just like in
other jurisdictions, is you can test for HIV and STDs without
parental consent.
MW: At what age?
HICKSON: I believe it’s 13. But it’s then that part about the PrEP
or any other medication, having that conversation. Especially
if the adolescent or teen is on their parent’s insurance. That’s
another piece that can happen, especially if a mother or father
sees Truvada, which is an HIV medication, on there, and they’re
like, “What are you taking this for? Do you have something to tell
me?” Then you have disclosure issues around sexual orientation.
And coming from Mississippi, we saw that at least once or twice
a month. Somebody being expelled from their house because
they told their parents that they were gay or lesbian. So that’s
just another kind of cultural piece, that I’m also always leery
about, because I don’t think that we’ve advanced that much as
a society.
MW: On your site, you note the CDC study from 2017, talking about
the high rate of young people becoming infected in D.C. It’s twice
the national average. I know it’s hard to have these conversations
about sex or PrEP, but what conversations can you have with
young people that are not going to upset the adults in their lives,
but actually have some impact on their health?
HICKSON: Well, I think we have to have those conversations.
Because it’s stuff that’s happening. So we talk to our kids about
if they’re using cigarettes, or if they’re drinking alcohol with
their friends, or those particular things, but we don’t talk about
sex. And we know that it is happening, especially when we have
middle school age girls that are pregnant. So we know that is
happening.
I think we have to just make sure that it’s in a context that is
appropriate for whatever demographic that we’re talking about,
or that we’re serving. Because again, I know coming up through
school, sex education was a heterosexual approach. We didn’t
talk about it in terms of whether it’s a man, same-gender-loving
men having sex with men, or same-gender-loving woman. So
there are a lot of things that are nuanced for both of those. If
we’re talking about lesbians, then we know that a majority use
sex toys. That’s another mode of transmission, especially for
sexually transmitted infections. But we don’t talk about cleaning
sex toys, or those things like that.
MW: But you do talk about that here?
HICKSON: Oh, yeah, definitely. We actually have a 101, 201, and a
301 course that we’re going to be taking to the college campuses
and high schools, that, as you can imagine, progressively gets
to those more in-depth conversations that aren’t just “Here’s a
picture of gonorrhea, here’s a picture of syphilis.” Really getting
into the conversations about sexual acts.
We are often funded by local health departments, or CDC,
and they have their own messages that they support and want
us to say. But they don’t talk about the other acts that people
are doing. In terms of if somebody ejaculates inside of a man or
woman, about pushing out. Talking about rectal douching for
gay men. Because there’s the research out there now that shows
the prevalence of rectal douching on the magnitude of 50- to
65-percent within gay men. That’s high. So if we’re talking about
improper usage, where it could damage the mucosal lining in the
rectum, which now increases risk of HIV infection, or any sexual
transmitted infection, then we can show you how to properly
use a rectal douche. Instead of saying, “No, you’re not supposed
to that,” which is what CDC or the health department will say,
or they would divert around it, we will say, “Hey, here’s how to
properly do it. Don’t use the saline solution or the solution that’s
in the bottle. Pour it out. Don’t use bleach or shampoos, and all
these things.” Just having those conversations.
We have to have the same thing with teens. At My Brother’s
Keeper, we partnered with one of the local high schools, and
one of the young ladies came in because we were doing STD
screenings. And she was like, “Oh, I have a rash on my under-
arm.” So the counselor talking to her was like, ”What have you
been doing, how do you believe that you got that?” Come to find
out they were having armpit sex, to be able to save their virginity
until marriage. So they were allowing the guys to act out sex in
their armpits.
Kids are going to be creative, so you have to listen. You have
to be able to sit and talk and have those conversations. Maybe
you want to get some lube and put it in your arm and you may
want him to use a condom, if that’s what you’re going to do to
save your virginity. It’s going to have to be those type of conver-
sations.
MW: Do you think that the general message about PrEP and U=U
is getting out to the community here?
HICKSON: I think PrEP is out there because that message has
been out there a little bit more. But there’s still a lot of work that
needs to be done. We were at Baltimore Pride, and a high school
teacher came over and was like “What is PrEP?” And we start-
ed talking to her and it was like “Oh, y’all have to come to my
school and come to my class because they need this. They always
talking about fucking.” That’s a direct quote from her.
So we have been working to educate her students and to get
into more of the schools. But I think that there still needs to be
more messaging around it. Which is another opportunity for
World AIDS Day — for being that champion or having some type
of message. Even if you put it on your Facebook page, talking
about the preventative measures. Because then that reaches how
ever many friends you have on Facebook. We do a lot of testing
and within our testing sessions we talk about PrEP, especially for
those who have indications or sexual behaviors that are linked
to HIV acquisition or transmission. We do educate folks around
PrEP. And I would say a good 60- to 70-percent have not heard
of PrEP.
MW: It always surprises me these days when people haven’t heard
of it. The statistics support the need for HIV/AIDS care and pre-
vention, and campaigning, that specifically targets the black com-
munity. What are the challenges in reaching the black community
versus everybody else?
HICKSON: I’m glad you asked that. I think the challenge for the
black community is inherent to what it’s been from the very
beginning: that it’s a gay man’s disease. Because even when our
outreach and testing team has been out passing out condoms,
they’ve come back and told me stories black men are like, “I
don’t need that shit. That’s for the fags.” Those types of things
still happen that add to the stigma.
And then you have in the black community [folks who] don’t
want to talk about sex. Because it’s not supposed to be had out-
side of marriage. We still have the religious influence even here
in D.C. and it gets stronger as you go towards the Mississippi
River. And then, I think the black community has just inherently
always just turned a blind eye to stuff. Whether it’s around men-
tal health issues, whether it’s around childhood sexual abuse,
which is high in the black community. And abuse period.
So for the black community, with all the other things that
we face, HIV is oftentimes the last thing that folks want to be
talking and hearing about. Even as black gay men. But we know
that sex is a big driver in the black community. As black men,
you’re supposed to be this herculean type of man with this hyper
sex drive. And I say that also in talking about hypertension. We
know the high rates of hypertension in black men that also lead
to heart disease and stroke. But we don’t want to take the hyper-
tension meds because then we have difficulties performing in
bed sexually. So again, [someone] will go with not taking hyper-
tension meds so [he] can be able to perform in bed. It’s just those
different things that we just have to address. It’s not a monolith
for one. So one message isn’t going to be the same for the entire
community.
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 27
MW: There are a lot of organizations here whose missions overlap:
Casa Ruby, UHU, Whitman-Walker. How do you balance collab-
orating, not stepping on other people’s toes, and still competing for
dollars?
HICKSON: I think the biggest thing is really working with, and
seeing how you can be supportive of, other organizations. I
think it’s just having those fruitful conversations and seeing
how to partner. Not everybody wants to partner, and everybody
can’t partner because they don’t know how to partner and what
partnership means. So I think having that upfront conversation,
whether it’s about the budget, whether it’s about reporting num-
bers, because with it being largely grant-funded, you have some
deliverable attached to a grant. It’s really aligning organizational
missions and approaches together.
We partner heavily with Heart to Hand — they’re in Prince
George’s County. We have a monthly game night with them
and also what we call Pillow Talk. We talk about relationships,
impact of HIV within relationships, sero-discordant couples,
etc. And I know we’ve had other people reach out and say, “Hey,
let’s go in together and do a testing event.” And it’s like, “Why
HIV TESTING RESOURCE GUIDE
The following Metro D.C.-area organizations offer free or low-cost HIV and STI testing and treatment.
See individual entries for details.
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION — AHF HEALTHCARE CENTER
1647 Benning Rd. NE
Washington, D.C.
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Walk-ins accepted. To make an appointment, visit hivcare.org.
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION — AHF WELLNESS CENTER
4302 St. Barnabas Rd.
Temple Hills, Md.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-7 p.m.
Walk-ins accepted. To make an appointment, visit hivcare.org.
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION — BLAIR UNDERWOOD
WELLNESS CENTER
2141 K St. NW
Washington, D.C.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5:30
p.m.
Wednesday: 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-6:30 p.m.
Walk-ins accepted. To make an appointment, visit hivcare.org.
ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND INOVA JUNIPER
GAY MEN’S HEALTH COLLABORATIVE “RAINBOW TUESDAYS”
CLINIC
Alexandria Health Department
4480 King St, 2nd floor
Alexandria, Va.
Offering weekly HIV and STI screening, testing, and treatment
to members of the LGBTQ community.
Tuesday, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Walk-ins accepted.
Call 703-746-4976.
28 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
are we going to have three people on the same site testing?” You
don’t want to put that kind of competition in the air when it’s not
needed. Because then the community will truly see it and feel it.
I think it’s just like with any other business, you’re going to have
to bring your A game. It’s like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger
King — they’re all fast food restaurants selling burgers, so you got
to see how yours is going to be different.
MW: What do you and the organization envision for the fourth
decade of Us Helping Us?
HICKSON: I think one is looking at addressing all health dispari-
ties. Whether that’s disparities in education, disparities in health
literacy, disparities in income, net worth, financial literacy —
really addressing all of those things and being able to provide
either onsite services or working very closely with others to pro-
vide these particular services. For example, we expanded to have
a food pantry — the Us Helping Us cupboard. Really addressing
hunger, especially if we look at the number of Americans who
miss a meal or even go hungry on multiple days. Being a commu-
nity-based leader that addresses your physical health, your emo-
tional health, your financial health, and even your mental health.
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
1400 Decatur St. NW
Washington, D.C.
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m-5 p.m.
Appointments required. Call 202-291-4707.
INOVA JUNIPER — DUMFRIES OFFICE
18003 Fraley Blvd
Dumfries, Va.
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome.
Call 703-221-8860.
INOVA JUNIPER — FAIRFAX OFFICE
2740 Prosperity Ave, Suite 200
Fairfax, Va.
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome.
Call 703-321-2600.
INOVA JUNIPER — FALLS CHURCH OFFICE
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
500 N. Washington St, Suite 200
Falls Church, VA 22046
Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome.
Call 703-522-1175.
INOVA JUNIPER — HERNDON OFFICE
1175 Herndon Parkway, Suite 850
Herndon, Va.
Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome.
Call 703-464-6092.
Because all of those are needed to have good overall wellbeing.
I think also to remain at our core around mind, body, and
spirit, especially as it relates to health. But to really normalize
HIV as just a standard of care. Whether that’s coming in for
your annual physical or your annual screening, that it includes
HIV and STD testing. That we have reduced stigma around liv-
ing with HIV or even testing for HIV because we know anxiety
levels are high as well. A lot of people don’t come in for testing.
And to be that go-to community leader for communities of
color. I know that it’s very diverse here in D.C. when you say
communities of color, but whether that’s Latinos, blacks, African
immigrants, Caribbean immigrants, just being that place where
people can go in a nonjudgmental environment, that all of their
healthcare needs are addressed. Where we work with clients
that understand even your essential supportive needs around
education, income, even all the way down to violence, which we
don’t talk about that a lot. We don’t talk about intimate partner
violence, whether physical, emotional, verbal, etc.
MW: What signs are you seeing that the work here is having a
positive impact?
INOVA JUNIPER — LEESBURG OFFICE
211 Gibson Street NW, Suite 206
Leesburg, Va.
1st 3rd and 5th Fridays of each month, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome.
Call 703-779-5438.
INOVA JUNIPER — MANASSAS OFFICE
9304 Forest Point Circle
Manassas, Va.
Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome.
Call 703-396-8390.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, INC.
20 S. Quaker Lane, Suite 210
Alexandria, Va.
Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
HIV Testings: $30 per person, by appointment only.
To schedule, call 703-823-4401.
METROHEALTH CENTER (MAIN OFFICE)
1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C.
Monday: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-7 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-7 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m.
No appointment needed, but encouraged to ensure short wait-
ing time. Call 202-849-8029.
METROHEALTH CENTER (MOBILE TESTING UNIT)
@Adams Place, 2210 Adams Mill Rd. NE: Third and fourth
Tuesdays of each month
@Community Connections, 801 Pennsylvania Ave. SE: Second,
third, fourth, and fifth Thursdays of each month
@Hubbard Place, 3500 14th St. NW: Last Monday of each
month
@Columbia Heights Village, 2900 14th St. NW: Last Friday of
each month
@Creative Community for NonViolence, 425 Mitch Snyder Pl.
(2nd Street) NW: Last Tuesday of each month
HICKSON: By clients who remained engaged in care. Whether
that’s HIV care or preventative care. Clients that come back
frequently. Every three months or six months. That they’re
scheduled to come back. That our clientele is diversifying. We’ve
had individuals from Haiti to Poland to Ethiopia. I think in that
regard I can see a lot of changes and successes. And then just
hearing stories from community members, the services that
they received and how they were treated better than better. Or
how people made them feel welcome here. And then when you
have your partners or your funders even saying how people have
come to them to say how good of a job we did. I think that that’s
a good measuring tool for us. l
Us Helping Us is located at 3636 Georgia Ave. NW in Washington,
D.C., and operates a second facility at 8240 Professional Place
in Landover, Md. For hours, more info on their services or vol-
unteering, or to make an appointment, visit ushelpingus.org or
call 202-446-1100. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @
ushelpingus.
US HELPING US
3636 Georgia Ave. NW
Washington, D.C.
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Offering full health screenings, including testing for HIV,
chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C, syphilis, pregnancy, and
blood pressure. To make an appointment, visit ushelpingus.
org/testing.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH — 1525 BUILDING
1525 14th St. NW
Washington, D.C.
Monday, Wednesday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, Friday: 9 a.m-5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-5 p.m.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH — EASTERN MARKET YOUTH
SERVICES
651 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Washington, D.C.
Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (closes at 6 p.m. on second
Friday of the month)
HIV, STI, and pregnancy screenings, testing and treatment
provided.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH — GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND
WELLNESS STI CLINIC
1525 14th St. NW, 4th Floor
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, Thursday: 5:30 p.m.
Provides HIV and STI testing and treatment. Spots deter-
mined on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive between
3:30-4:30 p.m. to guarantee a spot (check in on second floor
to receive a number).
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH — MAX ROBINSON CENTER
2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE
Washington, D.C.
Monday-Wednesday: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.
For an appointment, call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org. l
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 29
 WORLD AIDS DAY EVENTS
THURSDAY, Nov. 29 information, contact Joshua Riley, 202-745-6118 or JRiley@
whitman-walker.org.
FREE HIV TESTING
12-5 p.m. GOLDEN TICKET PARTY FOR PREVENTION
George Mason University 4:30-8 p.m.
4400 University Dr. Tropicalia
Fairfax, Va. 2001 14th St. NW
Student Union Building I, Suite 3200 Washington, D.C.
Join RealTalk DC of Whitman-Walker Health for its “Good
HIV TESTING AT SMYAL Vibes Only” HIV testing and awareness event. All tickets are
5-8 p.m. free and the event features live performances, free food, raffle
410 7th St. SE prizes, free testing, and more. Aimed at youth ages 13-24. For
Washington, D.C. more information, email DLawson-Brown@whitman-walker.
SMYAL, the local LGBTQ advocacy organization in D.C., org or call 202-207-2364.
holds an HIV testing event in honor of World AIDS Day.
DECAIDS: THEN, THERE & NOW — A WORLD AIDS DAY
FRIDAY, Nov. 30 CELEBRATION
6-10 p.m.
WORLD AIDS DAY: WHERE ARE WE WITH HIV North Hall at Eastern Market
9-11 a.m. 225 7th St. SE
Arlington Department of Human Services Auditorium Washington, D.C.
2100 Washington Blvd. Join Impulse DC and AIDS Healthcare Foundation as they
Arlington, Va. look back on how HIV/AIDS has affected the LGBTQ commu-
Join Inova Juniper and the Arlington Health Department for nity throughout the decades through an interactive art experi-
a presentation by Dr. William Short on “New Emerging Drugs ence featuring surprise celebrity guest speakers, sip and paint
and Approaches for HIV Management.” Following the presen- activities, spoken word performances, and dramatic presenta-
tation, there will be a panel discussion with people living with tions. Complimentary admission and two-hour sponsored bar.
HIV, who will tell their stories about living with the disease,
its challenges, best practices for health care workers, and stig- SATURDAY, Dec. 1
ma and discrimination that HIV-positive people may face.
Register at maaetc.org/events/view/12264. 32ND ANNUAL WALK & 5K TO END HIV
7:30-11 a.m.
FREE HIV TESTING Freedom Plaza
11-4 p.m. 1455 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
George Mason University Washington, D.C.
4400 University Dr. Join people from all over the D.C. area as they walk and run to
Fairfax, Va. raise money on behalf of Whitman-Walker’s HIV testing and
Student Union Building I, Suite 3200 client treatment services.

RYAN WHITE CONSUMER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
12-2 p.m.
Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes
1217 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C.
Join MetroHealth and Gilead as they throw an appreciation
event with clients who benefit from MetroHealth’s Food Bank
as part of World AIDS Day. The food bank, open to recipients
of Ryan White funds, provides clients with groceries and fresh
produce to cover up to 21 meals each week.
VISUAL AIDS DAY WITH(OUT) ART
SCREENING OF ALTERNATE ENDINGS ACTIVISTS RISING
6-9 p.m.
3229 Walbridge Pl. NW
Washington, D.C.
Join the Studio House at Walbridge as it celebrates
World AIDS Day with a potluck dinner, a screening of
the film Alternate Endings Activists Rising, and a panel
discussion. For more information, visit facebook.com/
StudiohouseAtWalbridge or call 202-319-7656.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TESTING EVENT
12-4 p.m.
CVS Parking Lot
845 Bladensburg Rd. NE
Washington, D.C.
Join Whitman-Walker Health, the Washington, D.C.
Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and
the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum as they offer
free HIV testing in observance of World AIDS Day. For more
FEARLESS AT 40: THE STORY OF WHITMAN-WALKER
8 p.m. on DCTV (Comcast Ch. 95, RCN Ch. 10, Verizon Ch.
10)
On the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day, watch this doc-
umentary to learn the story of Whitman-Walker Health and
its history of fighting stigma and saving lives, from the per-
spectives of its patients, volunteers, staff, and founders. The
event can also be streamed live via @whitmanwalker and @
yourDCTV’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. l

30 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

Movies

visual humor, like one hilariously distract-

ed handjob.

PALACE INTRIGUE
The struggle for power in Queen Anne’s court is caustic, kinky,
The hand in question belongs to Abigail
Hill (Emma Stone), a servant freshly
arrived to Queen Anne’s court, who also
happens to be Lady Sarah’s cousin. Abigail
and a bit repetitive in The Favourite. By André Hereford catches on quickly that the way to the
Queen’s heart, and greater power, leads

W
through or over Sarah, so she plots a
HILE QUEEN ANNE’S BRITAIN WAGES WAR AGAINST FRANCE, THE course.
real battle in The Favourite (HHHHH) is for the power behind the throne of Abigail endures the cruelty of men as
the 18th-century monarch. she rises to a position as one of the ladies
Lady Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz), has Queen Anne of the queen’s bedchamber, but the film
(Olivia Colman) exactly where she wants her. The queen, feeble of body and somewhat doesn’t seem deeply concerned with the
of mind, relies on Sarah to run both the palace and the nation’s affairs, and to keep the gender politics of the day. Anyway, Abigail
queen herself running. has her own plaything to toy with, the
By every indication of the sharp script by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, smitten nobleman Masham (Joe Alwyn).
Sarah’s not only eager to fill that role, but quite capable at it. Her husband Lord He will prove to be key in her quest to
Marlborough (Mark Gatiss) leads the Queen’s forces, but at home Sarah is the domi- restore her own noble standing.
neering force as an advisor and the queen’s clandestine lover. The film’s sharper commentary comes
Weisz is the domineering force in the film, shaping Sarah as a slick and ruthless through its depiction of the aristocracy, a
player who can smirk like a winner whether she’s won or lost her latest scuffle. Even class more passionately devoted to status
when the uber-confident Lady Sarah does suffer blows, her armor doesn’t crater. Weisz and vain pursuits like racing prize ducks
keeps her looking like the cat who swallowed the canary then somehow fed it back to than they are cognizant of the true wages
her enemy on a silver platter. of war. Somewhere off in Europe, men are
Moreover, Weisz has a field day with the acerbic dialogue, locating the uniquely dying for queen and country, but everyone
arch frequency that director Yorgos Lanthimos plies here, as he did in last year’s famil- in the queen’s court is fighting entirely
ial power struggle The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Lanthimos expresses his taste for dry for themselves. That includes Nicholas
wit not just with dialogue and pacing, but with googly, fisheyed angles and winking Hoult’s ambitious politician Harley, the

32 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 one character who seems self-aware about the cruel oblivious-
ness of the ruling class.
The bitter undercurrent of class consciousness cuts through
the comedy. So too does a sense of pity for Queen Anne, a leader
who is so inept yet still wields so much authority. Embodying
the monarch’s frenetic mood swings and debilitating ailments,
Colman’s performance is a marvel of pitch and physical control.
The film provides not enough context for the character, nor
detail about what circumstances led to her current addled state,
but she’s a fascinating creation nonetheless.
In Colman’s portrayal, something haunting lies beneath
Anne’s mercurial surface. Stone’s performance lacks similar
depth. Abigail is too baldly deceitful and power-hungry, and just
never seems like the worthy adversary to Sarah that the film
intends for her to be.
Whatever went down between the real-life Lady Sarah
and her fierce rival Abigail, based on how the two women
are relayed here, it appears that Sarah would wipe the
floor with her country cousin. The film, on the other hand,
seems intent to play out their devious plotting and count-
er-plotting ad nauseam. Lanthimos lays on the piano and
harpsichord thickly, as he ushers the story through several
chapters of the cousins’ clashes.
Eventually, the film does declare a winner. Although, some in
the audience will have given up caring who wins Anne’s favor,
because they likely will have chosen a favorite of their own. l

The Favourite is rated R, and opens November 30 at Landmark’s E Street and Bethesda Row Cinemas. Visit landmarktheatres.com.

in the previous movie.

Their story evolves here not through con-
flict with each other, but through how they
handle their individual and mutual challenges
operating as, more or less, a partnership of
equals.
Jordan and Thompson continue to pro-
duce the endearing chemistry of a ride-or-die
couple, but the movie, directed by Steven
Caple, Jr., seems not really here for them.
The film’s heart truly beats for the return of
Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the Russian
automaton who fatally knocked out Apollo
Creed in Rocky IV.
Drago declared back in 1985 that he’d break
Rocky too, but Rocky broke him. Desperate
to restore glory to the family name, Drago
has trained his son Viktor (beefy German-
Romanian actor/model Florian Munteanu)
how to box and how to recite his catchphrase.
Creed II, co-written by Stallone, seems intent
on recreating not just phrases but the entire
BARRY WETCHER

formula of Rocky IV (which was written and

directed by Stallone).
This time, however, old guns Rocky and
Drago don’t tangle in the ring, but as rival

Russian Collision
trainers. Over a table at a restaurant, they
trade icy stares and insults in a quiet standoff
that Stallone and Lundgren turn into the film’s
most electric scene outside of a boxing ring.
The son of Creed battles the son of Drago in a sequel that basically The fights themselves sound bone-crushing,
refreshes Rocky IV. By André Hereford and highlight the speed of Adonis versus the
might of Viktor, who’s hyped as “big, fast,

R
strong, and unorthodox.”
YAN COOGLER’S CREED SUCCESSFULLY REVIVED THE ROCKY FRANCHISE The predictable plotting couldn’t care less
by training its focus away from the Italian Stallion and onto the son of Heavyweight about unorthodox, but the movie does offer
champ Apollo Creed, Rocky’s late best friend and greatest rival. one genuine surprise: the Drago family drama
Apollo’s pugnacious progeny Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) arrived with built-in actually eclipses anything going on with the
history, and followed a ready-made trajectory. He fought to accept and earn his father’s storied Creeds or Balboas, despite less screen time
legacy, and he had Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in his corner to help him do it. and Munteanu’s flat performance. Brigitte
In Creed II (HHHH), Adonis is recognized as a real contender — though he’s no less a Nielsen, returning in a silent walk-on role as
hothead, a temper that Jordan relays with a mix of defensiveness and hunger. Adonis is still Drago’s estranged wife, might even steal the
chasing a championship belt and struggling to fill the emotional void of paternal abandonment. whole movie. And that’s a punch in the gut
But he’s found his woman, the aspiring neo-soul singer Bianca (Tessa Thompson) he romanced that Adonis definitely didn’t see coming. l

Creed II is rated PG-13, and is now playing at area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

34 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

MARIA BARANOVA
Stage

Ross and her bubbly alto serve up

a Reno full of moxie, who’s witty and

It’s De-Lovely
worldly and looks like a million bucks
in every one of costume designer Alejo
Vietti’s glamorous gowns and pantsuits.
Praise is due also to hair and wig designer
Corbin Bleu impresses as a gold standard leading man in Molly Smith’s Charles G. Lapointe for period creations
buoyant, boisterous production of Anything Goes. By André Hereford that stay put on Reno and her beautifully
in-sync quartet of Angels (Lizz Picini,

C
Kristyn Pope, DeMoya Watson Brown,
ORBIN BLEU, THE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ACTOR, AND RUNNER-UP and Andrea Weinzierl) throughout some
on Season 17 of Dancing with the Stars, has long since proved his mettle as an bustling musical numbers.
all-around entertainer, with well-received roles on screen and stage. But he Smith and Esse have the entire cast
impresses anew as a gold standard leading man in Molly Smith’s buoyant, boisterous belting from moving platforms, and danc-
staging of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes (HHHHH) at Arena Stage. ing down staircases. The effort shows
Effortlessly dancing up, down, and around Ken MacDonald’s cruise ship set, Bleu’s for some, but not Bleu or Bennett, whose
dapper, lovesick Billy Crocker, a stowaway aboard the S.S. American, also croons in a Oakleigh is likable enough that a sec-
Johnny Mathis tenor that was made for pitching woo. Billy carries the Depression-era ond-act song, “The Gypsy in Me,” risqué
show’s torch of romance, yearning for his debutante love Hope Harcourt (Lisa Helmi in these P.C. times, goes down smoothly.
Johanson), who is already engaged to posh Englishman Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Jimmy The production also finesses its minor sto-
Ray Bennett). To win her hand, Billy impulsively hitches a ride on the American, the ryline about Chinese stowaways John and
ship carrying Hope and Oakleigh, and Billy’s boss, Elisha Whitney (Thomas Adrian Luke (Julio Catano-Yee and Christopher
Simpson), among others, to London. Bleu and Johanson don’t burn up the stage with Shin), posing as Christian converts.
star-crossed desire, but this Billy sells the questionable idea of risking his job, and Offering a tight rendition of the revised
landing in the ship’s brig, in order to chase somebody else’s fiancée across the Atlantic. book written for the ’87 Broadway revival,
The entire cast has a sterling Cole Porter score at their disposal, kicked off by “I Get Anything Goes mixes the screwball ele-
a Kick Out of You,” sung by Reno Sweeney (Soara-Joye Ross). A sultry, evangelizing ment of mistaken and assumed identities
singer, Reno has her eye on Billy, and lets him know with a sincere “You’re the Top.” with a sensual, modern sensibility. The
Bleu and Ross do an airy Astaire and Rogers spin through Parker Esse’s glorious slapstick might go overboard with a few of
choreography, and share a scintillating partners-in-crime chemistry. Alas, Reno reads the passengers on the American — name-
the writing on the wall and keeps her distance. She even does her damndest to help ly gangster Moonface Martin (Stephen
Billy, by peeling Oakleigh away from Hope. DeRosa) and his moll Erma (Maria Rizzo)

NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 35

— but the ease of most everything else reins in the excess. more icing on the cake. The show is definitely a treat. The swag,
And, if the production’s breezy air and upbeat tempo stow- the songs, the orchestra, the dancing sailors are, as Billy sings,
away timely messages on acceptance and friendship, that’s just “Easy to Love.” l

Anything Goes runs through December 23 at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $50 to $125.
Call (202) 488-3300, or visit arenastage.org.

his fractious but loving inner circle. Set in

Hollywood in 1950, D.C.-area playwright
Greg Jones Ellisthe’s comedy runs on tart
dialogue and showbiz-related situations
that easily evoke the spirit of an urbane
studio film of the era.
Yet only rarely does Sims, the Bette
Davis of this piece, evince the magnetism
that might so captivate the audience of
friends, lovers, and pests buzzing about
him. Portrayed by Bill Largess, Sims is
witty and testy, and a tad too self-regard-
ing.
Largess conveys the heft of the famous
English writer, settled down for a spell in
a California beach house, but Sims’ inner
chill never lifts. He doesn’t seem much
penetrated by the feelings of devotion
hurled like darts in his direction by his
long-suffering secretary, Basil (R. Scott
Williams), who is secretly his loving com-
panion.
Williams’ performance allows affecting
glimpses of warmth beneath the brittle
comebacks and bons mots. His adoration
of Sims feels like a torch he’s carried
too long to put down now, even if Sims
stays distracted with young trade, like the
unseen handsome houseguest howling on
the beach behind the house.
Sims also is very publicly married
to famous actress Claire, played with
scene-stealing gusto by Laura Giannarelli.
Claire has concealed some of her own
secrets by acting as beard, but now
she’s fallen for a movie producer, John
(Lawrence Redmond), who’s wrapped up
in the HUAC hearings. She craves more
truth in her life, and Giannarelli makes
that feeling matter.
The narrative takes on too much at
once, adding subplots about blackmail and

Tinseltown Tale
a dim priest, while keeping the group
bound to the stale confines of Sims’ sit-
ting room. And, despite a well-delivered
speech by Basil on the compromises of
There’s not much new under the Hollywood sun in the mildly amusing leading a closeted life, the play’s take on
period comedy All Save One. By André Hereford the parallel lives of different kinds of clos-
eted folks feels done. Still, a more con-

A
nected Sims might compensate for that, if
IMING IN THE VICINITY OF AN ALL ABOUT EVE, AND DROPPING some of the character’s willful blindness
names like Tallulah and Selznick, All Save One (HHHHH) paints a vivid were somehow made alluring, instead of
mid-century backdrop for the story of closeted writer Sims Glendenning and just all-encompassing. l

All Save One runs through December 9, at the Washington Stage Guild, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Tickets are $25 to $60. Call 240-582-0050, or visit stageguild.org.

36 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife
Photography by
Ward Morrison

NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 39

Scene Mr. & Ms. DC Eagle Contest - Saturday, Nov. 17 - Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc... You Can Eat Ribs, 5-10pm, FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR until 9pm • Video Games at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm
$24.95 • $4 Corona and Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • • Foosball • Live televised and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in
Heineken all night Karaoke, 9pm sports • Full dining menu Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+
till 9pm • Special Late
Thursday, NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
TRADE GREEN LANTERN Night menu till 2am • Visit
November 29 — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour, 4-9pm • pitchersbardc.com
$4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
$3 Rail and Domestic •
$5 Svedka, all flavors all SHAW’S TAVERN
Saturday,
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-2am • Happy
of Beer all night • Sports
Leagues Night
tail glass served in a huge night long Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 December 1
glass for the same price, Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
Hour: $2 off everything
5-10pm • Beer and wine NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR $5 House Wines, $5 Rail A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
until 9pm • Video Games NUMBER NINE
only $4 Open 3pm • Beat the Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas Open 2pm-3am • Video
• Live televised sports Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
Clock Happy Hour — $2 and Select Appetizers Games • Live televised
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
All male, nude dancers • (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, TRADE
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • PITCHERS
Open Dancers Audition • $15 • Weekend Kickoff Doors open 5pm • Huge FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Karaoke, 9pm Open 5pm-2am • Happy
Urban House Music by DJ Dance Party, with Nellie’s Happy Hour: Any drink Saturday Breakfast Buffet,
Hour: $2 off everything
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+ DJs spinning bubbly pop normally served in a cock- 10am-3pm • $14.99 with
GREEN LANTERN until 9pm • Video Games
music all night tail glass served in a huge one glass of champagne
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Foosball • Live televised
glass for the same price, or coffee, soda or juice •
• Shirtless Thursday, sports • Full dining menu
NUMBER NINE 5-10pm • Beer and wine Additional champagne $2
10-11pm • Men in till 9pm • Special Late
Underwear Drink Free, Night menu till 11pm • Friday, Open 5pm • Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
only $4 per glass • World Tavern
Poker Tournament, 1-3pm
12-12:30am • DJs
BacK2bACk
Visit pitchersbardc.com
November 30 • No Cover • Friday Night ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Men of Secrets, 9pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag
SHAW’S TAVERN
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Rotating DJs, 9:30pm Guest dancers • Rotating Show, hosted by Miss
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Open 5pm-3am • Happy DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
Hour: $2 off everything PITCHERS Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors • Karaoke, 10pm-close
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
until 9pm • Video Games Open 5pm-3am • Happy
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
• Live televised sports Hour: $2 off everything
and Select Appetizers • All

40 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY


GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long • REWIND:
Request Line, an ‘80s
and ‘90s Dance Party,
9pm-close • Featuring
DJ Darryl Strickland •
No Cover
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-3am • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5
Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close
• Time Machine and
Power Hour, featuring DJ
Jack Rayburn, 9:30pm
PITCHERS
Open Noon-3am • Video
Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full
dining menu till 9pm •
Special Late Night menu
till 2am • Visit pitchers-
bardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with $15
Bottomless Mimosas,
10am-3pm • Happy Hour,
5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Blue Moon, $5 House
Wines, $5 Rail Drinks •
Half-Priced Pizzas and
Select Appetizers
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS By Doug Rule
THE RED PARTY
Glee-minted recording artist Alex Newell (pictured) headlines a party celebrat-
ing the 10th anniversary of the Capital Pride Alliance. Local drag king Pretty Rik
E hosts the evening which also features RuPaul’s Drag Race regular JuJubee
and Kristina Kelly. The party starts and ends with dancing to music spun by star
local LGBTQ DJs Tezrah and Wess, culminating with a set from circuit super-
star DJ Tracy Young. Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Echostage,
2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE. Tickets are $15, with 100 percent of sales going
toward the Capital Pride Legacy Fund. Call 202-503-2330 or visit echostage.
com.
PAMALA STANLEY
Every so often, the star resident at the Blue Moon in Rehoboth Beach makes
her way to the D.C. area to perform at D.C.’s beachiest venue around. It’s cer-
tainly worth washing ashore for, especially if you haven’t yet managed to see
the belter live. Stanley, who had several dance hits in the mid-1980s, including
“Coming Out Of Hiding” and “If Looks Could Kill,” ranks high among those
former pop stars and disco divas who should have been a bigger deal. She puts
on a heck of a show — including covers of popular jazz standards and Broadway
showtunes. Friday, Dec. 7, at 8 p.m. Freddie’s Beach Bar, 555 South 23rd St.,
Arlington. Tickets are $20 to $30 plus a fee of approximately $3. Call 703-685-
0555 or visit freddiesbeachbar.com.
SLEAZE: FRUITCAKES
The Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights is never as queer and any-
thing-goes as it is the first Thursday of every month, when DJ Lemz throws this
popular monthly party. Largely inspired by Horse Meat Disco — the traveling
U.K.-based gay party with a dark and dirty-disco vibe — Sleaze features a dimly
lit and foggy intimate dance floor and an eclectic musical mix focused on dark
disco throwbacks and disco-inspired dance tracks, or what Lemz calls “bath-
house music...and future techno.” Lemz spins with fellow resident DJ Keenan
Orr at a “ho hoe heaux” holiday edition featuring fellow local mixmaster Dean
Sullivan, plus a peak hour set from Cake by the Pound of the Toronto-based
bear and cub party Chunk. Jane Saw hosts. Special performance by Buhnana
Gunz. Thursday, Dec. 6, starting at 9 p.m. 1101 Kenyon St. NW. Cover is $5.
Call 202-232-5263 or visit sleazeparty.com.
ELECTRIC RAINBOW: HOLIDAY EDITION
The first Sunday of every month, DJ Chord throws a weekend wind down party
in the unmarked space behind the freezer door in Capo DC, the Shaw sandwich
shop. DJ TWiN joins Chord for the December round, spinning festive pop jams
along with performances from KC Byonce and Jazzmine. Sunday, Dec. 2, from
5 to 10 p.m. The BackRoom, 715A Florida Ave. NW. Call 202-910-6884 or visit
facebook.com/TheBackRoomCapo.
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 41
 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS GREEN LANTERN
Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
• Guest dancers • Ladies Karaoke with Kevin down-
of Illusion Drag Show stairs, 9:30pm-close
with host Ella Fitzgerald
• Doors at 9pm, Shows NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
at 11:30pm and 1:45am Drag Brunch, hosted
• DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s by Chanel Devereaux,
• DJ Steve Henderson in 10:30am-12:30pm and
Secrets • Cover 21+ 1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Sunday, Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-1am • Buckets of
December 2 Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN NUMBER NINE
Open 2pm-12am • $4 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
Smirnoff and Domestic drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
Cans • Video Games • and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
Live televised sports 9pm-close • Multiple TVs
showing movies, shows,
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR sports • Expanded craft
Ella’s Sunday Drag Brunch, beer selection • Pop
10am-3pm • $24.99 with Goes the World with Wes
four glasses of champagne Della Volla at 9:30pm •
or mimosas, 1 Bloody No Cover
Mary, or coffee, soda or
juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm PITCHERS
• Monthly Zodiac Drag
Contest, hosted by Ophelia
Open Noon-2am • $4
Smirnoff, includes flavored,
Bottoms, 8-10pm • $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller
Karaoke, 10pm-close Lites, 2-9pm • Video
Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full din-
ing menu till 9pm • Visit
pitchersbardc.com
42 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm •
Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers
• Dinner-n-Drag, with
Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm
• For reservations, email
shawsdinnerdragshow@
gmail.com
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a
cocktail glass served in a
huge glass for the same
price, 2-10pm • Beer and
wine only $4 • Glam Box:
A Monthly Dress-Up Dance
Party, 10pm • Walk-Off
Contest at 10:30pm •
Music by Joann Fabrixx •
Special Guest Hosts
Monday,
December 3
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Singles Night • Half-Priced
Pasta Dishes • Poker Night
— 7pm and 9pm games •
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
$3 rail cocktails and
domestic beers all night
long • Singing with the
Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke
Night with the Sisters
of Perpetual Indulgence,
9:30pm-close
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Half-Priced
Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm
• PokerFace Poker, 8pm •
Dart Boards • Ping Pong
Madness, featuring 2 Ping-
Pong Tables
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Shaw ’Nuff Trivia, with
Jeremy, 7:30pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Tuesday,
December 4
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-12am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Live televised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco
Tuesday • Poker Night —
7pm and 9pm games •
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm
• $3 rail cocktails and
domestic beers all night
long
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
Beer $15 • Drag Bingo
with Sasha Adams and
Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm •
Karaoke, 9pm-close
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
PITCHERS
Open 5pm-12am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Foosball • Live televised
sports • Full dining menu
till 9pm • Special Late
Night menu till 11pm •
Visit pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers
• Half-Priced Burgers
and Pizzas all night with
$5 House Wines and $5
Sam Adams • DC Bocce
League: Indoor Bocce,
Second Floor, 6:30pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4

Wednesday,
December 5
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-12am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Live televised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6
Burgers • Beach Blanket
Drag Bingo Night, hosted
by Ms. Regina Jozet
Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes
• Karaoke, 10pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm •
Bear Yoga with Greg Leo,
6:30-7:30pm • $10 per
class • $3 rail cocktails
and domestic beers all
night long
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night,
8-10pm • Prizes include
bar tabs and tickets to
shows at the 9:30 Club •
$15 Buckets of Beer for
SmartAss Teams only •
Absolutely Snatched Drag
Show, hosted by Brooklyn
Heights, 9pm • Tickets
available at nelliessports-
bar.com
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
PITCHERS
Open 5pm-12am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Foosball • Live televised
sports • Full dining menu
till 9pm • Special Late
Night menu till 11pm •
Visit pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Piano Bar with Jill, 8pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Playlist
DJ WESS
BINGO BANGO
Tom Staar & Kryder Remix
Basement Jaxx
LE FREAK
Oliver Helens 2018 Remix
Chic
TAKE IT
Dom Dolla
SWEAT
ZDS feat. KE
Thursday, PITCHERS
Open 5pm-2am • Happy ELECTRICITY
December 6 Hour: $2 off everything The Black Madonna Remix
until 9pm • Video Games
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN • Foosball • Live televised Silk City & Dua Lipa
Open 5pm-2am • Happy sports • Full dining menu
Hour: $2 off everything till 9pm • Special Late MISSING YOU
until 9pm • Video Games Night menu till 11pm •
• Live televised sports Visit pitchersbardc.com Weiss Remix
Robyn
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR SHAW’S TAVERN
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Karaoke, 9pm Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, STORY OF MY LIFE
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail Paul Woolford
GREEN LANTERN Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
Happy Hour, 4-9pm and Select Appetizers • All
• Shirtless Thursday, You Can Eat Ribs, 5-10pm, PRAISE YOU
10-11pm • Men in $24.95 • $4 Corona and Purple Disco Machine Remix
Underwear Drink Free, Heineken all night
12-12:30am • DJs
Fatboy Slim
BacK2bACk TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge GET UP
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Happy Hour: Any drink
Beat the Clock Happy Hour normally served in a cock- DJ S.K.T
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), tail glass served in a huge
$4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets glass for the same price,
of Beer all night • Sports 5-10pm • Beer and wine
I’M IN LOVE
Leagues Night only $4 Joey Negro Tribute to Kashif Mix
Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King
NUMBER NINE ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any All male, nude dancers •
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover Open Dancers Audition
• Urban House Music by Wess is best known for being the resident
DJ Tim-e • 9pm • Cover DJ at Town Danceboutique for the past decade.
21+ l Currently, you can find him DJing at his monthly
CHURCH parties at Trade. This Saturday night,
Dec. 1, Wess spins at Capital Pride’s
The Red Party at Echostage.
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 43
44 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 45
 LastWord.
People say the queerest things

“Her death was entirely preventable.”

— LYNLY EGYES, director of litigation at Transgender Law Center, in a statement about Roxsana Hernández Rodriguez, a transgen-
der woman who died from dehydration and complications related to HIV while in ICE custody last May. In addition to her cause
of death, a second autopsy also found evidence of physical abuse and blunt-force trauma, including “deep bruising” and trauma
indicative of “blows, and/or kicks, and possible strikes with blunt object.”

“I feel like I need to go be seen with someone — like a girl — in public,

to prove to people that I’m not gay.”
— SHAWN MENDES, to Rolling Stone about the rumors regarding his sexuality. Mendes pointed out that, though he isn’t gay, if he
had been it would have been much harder to come out given the constant speculation. “I thought, ‘You fucking guys are so lucky
I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out,’” he said. “That’s something that kills people. That’s how sensitive it is. Do you
like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I’m gay?”

“Do I hate gays? Yes!

Where are my fucking rights
as a fucking straight person?”
— REESE BUHR, of Winnipeg, Canada, in a video obtained by CityNews that Buhr posted to social media after being denied entry to
a nightclub for using “gay” as a slur. “I fucking hate gays, let’s put that on the record,” Buhr says in the since-deleted video.
“These fucking queers were illegal 20 years ago.” The nightclub, 441 Main, reportedly plans to install a rainbow flag
in response to Buhr’s comments.

“I’m glad that nowadays a Will Truman

would probably be cast with someone who is gay.”
— ERIC MCCORMACK, star of Will & Grace, speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald about being a straight man playing
an iconic gay character. “I think it wasn’t a terrible thing in 1998 that a straight guy played the role,
but I’m glad that times are changing,” he added.

“If we put ‘gay’ into an acronym,

‘G-A-Y,’ it simply means God Adores You.”
—REVEREND JIDE MACAULAY, speaking as part of BAME Voices, a video series by filmmaker Cherish Oteka and British LGBTQ rights
group Stonewall highlighting the lived experiences of LGBTQ people of color. Macaulay said that he had been “ostracised” and
“demonized” by other Christians, but he has accepted that his sexuality and faith are compatible. “Those who argue against the
sexuality of the LGBT community actually need to take it up with God because I have taken it up with God and I have reconciled.”

46 NOVEMBER 29, 2018 • METROWEEKLY