the lgbtq community news source

la vida local national

honesto
2010 brought a new
crop of out gay celebs,
suggesting it’s getting
easier to come out.
PAGE 23
news
Maryland and Virginia
legislatures are back
in session next week.
What can we expect?
PAGE 2
news
Congress gets its
4th out gay member,
as David Cicilline is
sworn in this week.
PAGE 10

washingtonblade.com • vol. 42, issue 01 • january 7, 2011 • Still sharp after 40 years

Looking back on four years with Fenty

GLBT head Dyer praises former mayor;
never had private meeting with him 
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com

In the three and a half years that he served as director of the city’s Of-
fice of GLBT Affairs, Christopher Dyer said he never met with Mayor Adri-
an Fenty to discuss gay-related issues in a private, face-to-face meeting.
Yet Dyer, who left office Dec. 31 in the closing days of the Fenty ad-
ministration, said he had constant access to Fenty through a mayoral
chain of command that allowed him to weigh in on all matters relevant
to the LGBT community.
“Obviously there are ways that we could have been better and
done the job better,” Dyer told the Blade.
In his first media interview after no longer being bound by a Fen-
ty policy that barred him from talking to the press, Dyer provided a
glimpse into the inner workings of the city’s handling of LGBT issues.
He praised Fenty’s accomplishments on LGBT and other pressing
city issues. But Dyer also acknowledged he was as baffled as other
political observers over how a highly popular mayor who won a land-
slide victory in the 2006 election could lose his re-election bid four
years later amid accusations of being aloof and arrogant.
“We could have communicated better and done the job better,” Dyer Washington Blade photo by Michael Key
said. “In hindsight, we could have done a lot of things differently. But in
‘Obviously there are ways that we could have been better and done the job better,’ said Christopher Dyer, head
of D.C.’s Office of GLBT Affairs under Mayor Fenty, in his first interview since leaving office.
Continues on page 4

Prop 8 sent to Calif. Supreme Court

Supporters may lack standing to continue case
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
localnews
Who stole the Nutcracker figurine from Trio last weekend? The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals this week sidestepped a ruling on whether California’s ban
PAGE 6 on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution and sent a lawsuit seeking to overturn Proposition
8 to the California Supreme Court.
In a decision handed down by a three-judge panel, the Ninth Circuit appeals court said it was not
qualified to decide whether supporters of Proposition 8 have legal standing to appeal an earlier ruling
by a federal judge that Prop 8 violates the U.S. Constitution and must be struck down.
However, the three-judge panel upheld the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker
that officials with Imperial County, Calif., lack standing to intervene in the case on behalf of the state.
The legal standing issue surfaced when former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and then
state Attorney General Jerry Brown, now the governor, refused to defend Prop 8 against a lawsuit
brought by two same-sex couples.
The private citizens who organized Prop 8 were allowed to intervene on its behalf during the district
socialagenda court proceedings, including a civil trial, but gay rights attorneys challenging the ballot measure on
appeal argued that only the state could defend the measure because it was a state law.
Mari Levi talks music, kids and why she loves Washington.
PAGE 24
Continues on page 14
2 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
LOCALNEWS
Virginia officials introduce anti-bullying bills
Ebbin, Englin plan
legislation to toughen
state’s existing laws  tendents and hold administrators respon-
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Two members of the Virginia House of
Delegates — one gay, one a straight ally
— have introduced two anti-bullying bills
that, if successful, will be major accom-
plishments in the coming legislative ses-
sion considering how difficult activists
and elected officials there have found
getting pro-LGBT legislation passed.
Del. Adam Ebbin, who represents Virgin-
ia’s 49th House District, which includes parts
of Arlington County, Alexandria and Fairfax
County, has introduced legislation that would
make bullying a class one misdemeanor,
give victims the right to sue bullies who are
sanctioned or found guilty, provide for expul-
sions for bullies and require that any bullying
that causes injury be reported to the state’s
attorney. Ebbin is the only openly gay mem-
ber of the House of Delegates.
Del. David Englin, who represents the
state’s 45th House District which includes
parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties and
Alexandria, has introduced the “Anti-Bully-
ing Responsibility Act,” which would add
specificity to the codes of student conduct
already required of state school districts, re-
quire schools to have procedures in place
Marriage, trans bills get boost in Md. House
Valentine’s Day picked for
lobbying on both measures
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
The same-sex marriage and transgen-
der non-discrimination bills pending in
the Maryland Legislature cleared another
hurdle last week when the speaker of the
House of Delegates appointed a majority
of supporters of the two bills to the com-
mittees that must first approve them.
House Speaker Michael Busch (D-
Anne Arundel County) had been expect-
ed to retain a majority on the House Judi-
ciary Committee in favor of the marriage
equality bill as he has in past years, and
did so again on Dec. 29.
But officials with Equality Maryland,
the statewide LGBT advocacy organiza-
tion, were less certain about the makeup
of the House Committee on Health and
Government Operations. That panel
has jurisdiction over a pending bill that
would ban employment discrimination
based on gender identity and expres-
sion, which would protect transgender
people. In past years, the panel has not
taken a vote on the transgender bill.
Equality Maryland Executive Director
to separate victims from bullies, make bully-
ing intervention a requirement for teachers,
require incidents to be reported to superin-
sible for their local policies.
“No child should be afraid to go to
school and every child has a right to a
safe learning environment,” Englin said.
“We need to make sure that school is a
safe environment for all our children.”
Forty-seven states have anti-bullying
laws in place and 35 states have taken
action against cyber bullying, including
Virginia. Ebbin said these new laws, if
passed, would “add teeth” to existing laws.
Ebbin’s bill, for instance, adds sexual
orientation and gender identity to the
definition of bullying even though some
districts, such as his, already have that
specified. He said having those areas
identified is important because in some
parts of the state, educators don’t take
anti-gay bullying seriously.
“Even some teachers have been known
to use anti-gay epithets in class,” Ebbin
said. “This law would make it so that even in
areas where there isn’t a strong policy that
makes it clear that’s not OK, this would.”
Ebbin said he was inspired to intro-
duce the legislation in part because of
the late Christian Taylor, a 16-year-old
freshman at Grafton High School in Yor-
ktown, Va., who committed suicide last
May after enduring months of bullying.
He hung himself in his bedroom. His
mother told reporters they had reported
Morgan Meneses-Sheets said the group
was delighted with Busch’s decision on
Dec. 29 to also name at least 13 sup-
porters of the transgender measure to
the 23-member Health and Government
Operations Committee. The action en-
sures that the bill will be reported out of
committee for an up or down vote in the
House of Delegates.
In early December, a majority of pro-
marriage equality members were named
to the Maryland Senate’s Judicial Pro-
ceedings Committee, ensuring for the
first time that a same-sex marriage mea-
sure would clear that key panel and
reach the Senate floor for a vote. Up until
now, the Judicial Proceedings Commit-
tee has blocked the marriage bill from
coming to a floor vote.
“We want to move the marriage bill first
in the Senate and the gender identity bill
first in the House,” Meneses-Sheets said
in discussing the timetable planned for
the bills among a coalition of supporters.
She said further refinement of the
timetable for moving both measures was
to be discussed Wednesday in a confer-
ence call between Equality Maryland of-
ficials and all seven members of the leg-
islature’s gay and lesbian caucus.
Similar to past years, Meneses-Sheets
and others advocating for the two bills be-
Virginia Del. Adam Ebbin says his state needs tougher laws to deter bullies. He introduced legislation this
week that has provisions for gender identity and sexual orientation.
the bullying to school administrators and
police but nothing was done. Police said
they looked into the situation but turned it
over to the school when they determined
no crime had been committed.
Ebbin said one bully told Taylor, “you
need to just go commit suicide and get it
over with.”
Ebbin admitted, considering Virgin-
ia’s poor track record of passing LGBT-
friendly laws, the sexual orientation and
gender identity provisions in his bill could
hinder it but he said it’s still important to
try to get it passed that way.
Equality Virginia, of course, supports
the legislation but said its staff and lob-
byists have yet to finalize their legislative
priorities for the year. The board of its
Washington Blade file photo
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has
pledged to sign a marriage equality bill if
the legislature can pass it. Lawmakers and
activists are increasingly optimistic it will
happen this year.
lieve there appear to be enough votes to
pass the marriage bill in the House. Sup-
porters in the Senate believe they have
the 24 votes needed to pass the marriage
bill on an up or down vote but were less
certain over whether they have the 29
votes needed to stop an expected filibus-
ter by same-sex marriage opponents.
“The question is whether we can get
cloture to break a filibuster,” said Sen.
Washington Blade file photo
lobbying arm is meeting this weekend to
decide its members’ goals.
“We haven’t finalized anything but ob-
viously a law protecting LGBT employees
based on sexual orientation and gender
identity has been on the top of our wish
list for about three years,” said James Par-
rish, the organization’s deputy director.
Parrish also said provisions for partners
of gay state employees and having sexual
orientation and gender identity as protect-
ed classes in the state’s human rights act
will likely top the organization’s “wish list.”
And if Del. Bob Marshall introduces
a bill — which he said he’s drafting —
to ban gays from serving in the Virginia
National Guard, Parrish said defeating it
would be among his group’s top goals.
Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County),
who supports both the marriage equality
and transgender non-discrimination bills.
“That’s the mystery at this point,” he said.
Raskin said he was not familiar enough
with the positions of his colleagues on
the transgender bill to predict its out-
come other than to say he sees support
growing for that measure.
Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgom-
ery County), who is gay, said on Wednes-
day he’s more confident in the prospects
for the marriage bill.
“I have never been so optimistic about
getting this done,” he said. “Today at
lunch I sat quietly by myself with a list of
the members of the new Senate going
over again and again in my head where
the votes are, and I’m feeling really good
right now both for the floor vote and the
cloture vote.”
Madaleno is among seven out gays
and lesbians now serving in the Mary-
land legislature — one in the Senate and
six in the House — who said they will
push hard from the inside to pass both
the marriage and transgender rights bill.
Meneses-Sheets said Equality Mary-
land has scheduled a lobby day for Feb.
14 on Valentine’s Day, where the group
hopes large numbers of LGBT Mary-
Continues on page 12
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 3

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4 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
LOCALNEWS
LGBT office head never had private meeting with Fenty
Continued from page 1
the end, I completely and thoroughly sup-
ported the mayor and I never for a mo-
ment didn’t think I had the support of the
mayor in trying to get things done.”
Dyer disputes claims by some gay ac-
tivists that he had little or no access to
Fenty and that Fenty paid little attention
to his advice on LGBT issues.
“By the way we were structured, I re-
ported directly to the chief of staff at one
point and then directly to the director of
the Office of Community Affairs,” he said.
“And so all the communication went
up the chain of command and so I could
make recommendations,” according to
Dyer. “On an extreme occasion if I re-
ally needed to get the mayor’s attention
I could send him an e-mail.”
In the nearly four years that he worked
for Fenty, Dyer said there were only two
occasions in which he felt he needed to
directly communicate with the mayor.
“And I did,” he said.
One of the occasions involved the
beating death of gay Maryland resident
Tony Randolph Hunter, who died from
injuries he received in an assault while
walking to the then 9th Street, N.W. gay
bar called BeBar.
LGBT activists, led the by local group
Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence
(GLOV), viewed the incident as an anti-
gay hate crime, even though police said
they lacked sufficient evidence to list the
assault as being bias related.
Following an outcry by activists that
Fenty speak out forcefully on hate crimes
and anti-gay violence, Dyer said he
urged the mayor to attend a commu-
nity meeting called by GLOV to discuss
the Hunter case. Fenty didn’t attend
the meeting; District Police Chief Cathy
Lanier and two City Council members at-
tended the event.
Dyer said Fenty was concerned about
hate crimes and took steps to make sure
Lanier and top police officials investigat-
ed such crimes.
“But I don’t know if him speaking out
on hate crimes would have done any-
thing to prevent them,” he said. “It cer-
tainly would have made people feel a
whole lot better. But in the end, he didn’t.
And there was really nothing much I
could do about that.”
On the subject of same-sex marriage,
Dyer noted that Fenty was the first may-
oral candidate in 2006 to come out for
it and pledge to sign a same-sex mar-
riage bill. Yet during the period in 2009
when the City Council deliberated over
a same-sex marriage equality bill intro-
duced by gay Council member David
Catania (I-At-Large), Fenty, while reiter-
ating his promise to sign the bill, did not
appear before the Council to testify at a
hearing on the bill.
He also did not send anyone from his
administration, including Dyer, to testify
for the bill, a development that troubled
some LGBT activists.
“He didn’t need to,” Dyer said, when
asked why Fenty didn’t appear to testify
on the marriage bill, noting that everyone
knew at least 10 of the 13 Council mem-
bers were expected to vote for it.
“When the mayor ran in 2006 every
mayoral candidate had not taken a posi-
tion on marriage,” said Dyer. “He was the
first to say I’m going to sign it. He wrote
an op-ed in the Blade saying he was go-
ing to sign it and support it and defend
it. And as a result of his position every
candidate who ran for mayor with the
exception of Vincent Orange endorsed
marriage equality. That’s significant.”
Dyer recounted the one LGBT-related
issue in which he felt the Fenty adminis-
tration committed a blunder and told how
he clandestinely worked to reverse it.
At the request of officials in the D.C. De-
partment of Corrections, the mayor’s office
asked the director of the Office of Human
Rights to propose a regulatory change
that, if approved, would exempt prison
officials from complying with the Human
Rights Act’s ban on transgender discrimi-
nation in the city correctional system.
The proposal was based on concern
by prison officials that complying with the
Human Rights Act would require them to
place male-to-female transgender wom-
en in prison sleeping quarters with other
women. Transgender activists have long
called for placing transgender women
prisoners in women’s facilities to avoid
harassment by male prisoners.
Dyer called the proposal “remarkably
stupid” and said he argued against it when
informed it was under consideration.
“I knew this was a bad idea and I didn’t
want to deliberately tell anybody what we
were doing,” he said, noting that he was
bound by rules barring him from publicly
opposing an administration policy.
“So I saw [gay activists] Bob Summers-
gill and Rick Rosendall at a [Gertrude Stein
Democratic Club] meeting. And I walked
up to them and said, ‘Hey Bob, Rick, take
a look at the D.C. Register this week. You
might find something interesting.’”
Dyer’s tip to the two activists alerted
them to the proposal’s official announce-
ment in the D.C. Register, prompting them
to issue an alert to the LGBT community
that the mayor’s office was proposing a
curtailment of the non-discrimination pro-
tections for the transgender community.
The alert triggered a firestorm of op-
position to the proposal from the LGBT
community and other progressive
groups. A short time later, the mayor’s of-
fice dropped the proposal.
Dyer said the only other action that
drew his concern occurred in 2007, short-
ly after Fenty took office. Fenty promised
the LGBT community during his 2006
election campaign that he would release
a memo written by former D.C. Attorney
General Robert Spagnoletti under Mayor
Anthony Williams. The memo addressed
the question of whether D.C. could legal-
ly recognize same-sex marriages from
other states or countries under the city’s
existing marriage law.
Sources familiar with the Williams ad-
ministration said Spagnoletti concluded
in his memo that the city could recognize
Former Mayor Adrian Fenty was criticized by some for failing to attend LGBT community
events during his tenure.
those marriages. Williams chose not to
release the memo, expressing fear that
it would prompt the then GOP-controlled
Congress to pass legislation banning the
city from recognizing same-sex marriages.
According to Dyer, Fenty chose not
to release the memo, but for a different
reason. He was in the process of push-
ing through his plan to take over the
city’s public school system and worried
that any controversial action such as a
same-sex marriage recognition memo
would anger some members of Con-
gress, who might retaliate and block the
Fenty school proposal, which required
congressional approval.
Despite the few issues where he dis-
agreed with Fenty’s actions, Dyer said the
mayor’s administration was overwhelm-
ingly supportive of the LGBT community.
Following is a partial transcript of the
Blade’s exclusive interview with Christo-
pher Dyer, former director of the D.C. Of-
fice of GLBT Affairs. The full interview is
available at washingtonblade.com.
Washington Blade: Can you tell a
little about what you did before you be-
came director of the Office of GLBT Af-
fairs, both career wise and in Mayor Fen-
ty’s first election campaign?
Chris Dyer: I was the manager of
member services for the Congress of
Lung Association’s staff, which is the pro-
fessional development association for the
staff of the American Lung Association.
Someone had suggested – the late Larry
Stansbury – that if I ever wanted a job in
a political administration like Wanda’s job
that I needed to volunteer for a campaign.
And so when I noticed Mayor Fenty be-
ginning to wander around the high heel
race two years ago – two years before he
ran – I thought ‘ah ha.’ And so I got in-
volved in his campaign. And it turned out
that I really, really liked him. I don’t think I
Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key
could have genuinely supported anyone
who I didn’t like. I was immediately attract-
ed to his energy, his excitement, his joie
de vivre. And I thought that he would be a
welcome change, a welcome addition to
moving the city — continuing what Mayor
Williams did but with more energy.
Washington Blade: Can you tell
about the selection process that landed
you in the job?
Dyer: Well, I knew all of his staff from
the campaign. Tene Dolphin, who was
the chief of staff and who was my direct
supervisor, knew me from the campaign.
The mayor knew me from knocking on
doors and being involved in the cam-
paign. So I got a call on Feb. 5 on a Friday
night saying, ‘Chris, the mayor wants you
to come in has the interim director. We’re
going to do a search for the permanent di-
rector, but he wants you to be the interim.’
And so I said sure, why not? I’ll go in as
interim director. That lasted for about six
months. Now that was interesting to me
because a lot of people came up to me
and said do you know that other people
are trying to lobby for the job. And I’m like,
really? O.K. That’s nice. I don’t know if it
hurt or hindered me but it didn’t affect me
to the extent that I lost my staff member in
May. I had inherited a program manager
who had been working for Darlene [Nip-
per]. And when she resigned in May I was
left alone in the office for four months until
I was finally named permanent director
and I could hire Clarence in December.
And that was a little bit interesting. But I
got the permanent job in September and I
served until December 30 [2010].
Washington Blade: Was there a time
that the mayor talked to you directly
about hiring you for the job?
Dyer: He called me and said Chris,
Continues on page 6
january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 5
6 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
LOCALNEWS
Dyer praises Fenty’s accomplishments on LGBT issues
Continued from page 4 munity affairs and so all the communica- director of [the Office of] Community
tion went up the chain of command. And Affairs. And then she left and there had
would you do the job? And I said sure. so I would make recommendations. On been a transition and I reported directly
But it’s important to understand—I would an extreme occasion if I really needed to Carrie Kohns. She was the next chief
see the mayor once a month at cabinet to get the mayor’s attention I could send of staff. And then Sara Latterner was the
meetings and we’d exchange pleasant- him an e-mail. But we really tried to re- director of community affairs and my final
ries. He did consult with me a couple of spect the standard chain of command. boss. She was awesome.
times on the location of where the mar-
riage ceremony was—where the mar- Washington Blade: At the beginning Washington Blade: Some people,
riage bill signing was. But the way that who were those people in the chain of including critics of the mayor, have said
we were structured, I reported directly to command? you had no real access to the mayor.
the chief of staff at one point and then I Dyer: I worked for Tene Dolphin. And Dyer: If I needed to, I could have had
reported directly to the director of com- then they hired Carla Brailey. She was direct access to the mayor at any point.
But I was very trusting of the fact that I
knew that every single thing that went
up the chain of command—almost every
major decision that had to happen in the
GLBT Office was directly approved by
the mayor. Almost every single piece that
we wrote wasn’t. But like the strategy for
marriage—obviously the mayor was di-
rectly involved in all that because he was
getting feedback from Peter Nickles and
Carrie and Sara and Tene’s senior staff.
And my opinion was also being forward-
ed through all of this. So even though I
didn’t have any five to 10 minute meeting
with the mayor – I don’t know what I could
have done in a five to 10 minute meeting
with the mayor that I couldn’t get done
the way I did it. It wasn’t that he didn’t
Washington Blade photo by Michael Key care. And obviously I would also see him
at the constituent community events that
we would go to. And I don’t think there
Nutcracker figurine stolen from Trio was ever a case – there are only two cas-
es in the four years that I worked for him
This nutcracker figurine at Trio Restaurant (at 17th and Q streets, N.W.) had a
twin that was stolen on New Year’s Eve. Trio owner George Mallios says the nut- that I thought that I needed to directly
crackers — which are about four feet tall and stood guard at the cash register dur- communicate with him. And I did.
ing the holidays — have been part of the restaurant’s Christmas display for “about
the last 10 or 15 years” and he would love to recover the missing statuette. Washington Blade: What were they?
“We know it happened on New Year’s Eve,” Mallios says. “We didn’t call the Dyer: There was trying to get him to
police or anything. We just figure it was some kind of prank or dare or maybe a attend the hate crimes – the guy that
lark from somebody who had too much to drink. There’ll be no questions asked or died. I can’t think of his name.
anything. We just hope to have it returned.”
Anyone with information about the missing nutcracker should call the restaurant Washington Blade: Do you mean the
at 202-232-6305. incident near BeBar?
Trio is a family restaurant Mallios’ father started in 1950. Though not gay owned, Dyer: Yeah.
it’s popular with gay patrons because of its 17th Street location.
JOEY DiGUGLIELMO Washington Blade: Tony—
Dyer: Tony Hunter—- the Tony Hunter
case. I suggested he attend that [GLOV
Catania wants HIV/AIDS director in cabinet meeting to discuss anti-gay attacks, in-
D.C. Council member David Catania (At-Large) this week introduced a bill that cluding Hunter case]. And then I think I
would elevate the District’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Administra- needed his permission to get, to involve
tion (HASTA) to a cabinet-level agency. someone at the Frank Kameny bill sign-
The “HIV/AIDS Program Management Act of 2011” would require the Senior ing and speak at the Frank Kameny
Deputy Director of HASTA to report directly to the mayor. press conference—the street-naming
Catania, in a statement, emphasized that the bill does not create a new HIV/ press conference. So it was interesting. I
AIDS department. did hear the criticism that I needed more
“The District can and should be an example to the world on how to get its act direct access. But on the other hand, by
together and effectively fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. I believe that we are on the not having a direct report to the mayor
right course, but it will take enormous efforts on the part of our government and I had a lot more freedom to actually do
our provider community to ensure that we shine on the world’s stage in 2012, and stuff. The mayor had a general vision of –
more importantly, continue our progress so that no District resident has to suffer I don’t know if it’s a copout – the mayor’s
this dreadful disease,” noted Catania. idea of running GLBT policy was to hire
He was referring to the 2012 International AIDS Society conference in D.C., me and to pretty much let me do what I
marking the first time the massive gathering of thousands of AIDS researchers and needed to do. So that’s where it was.
other service providers comes to the United States.
“In approximately 18 months, the world’s eyes will be on the District of Colum- Washington Blade: There was
bia’s fight to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. This will be a unique chance for the criticism that the mayor was not vocal
District to showcase our revamped efforts to eliminate this disease,” said Catania. enough in response to the growing num-
“We cannot waste this opportunity, which is why I am proposing the promotion of ber of anti-LGBT hate crimes.
the HASTA within the executive branch of our local government.” Dyer: I think personally it would have
STAFF REPORTS been nice if the mayor had spoken out
just to reassure people that yes, the MPD
is actually doing its job. In private, for ex-
ample, I remember when Brett [Parson]
was reporting the incident directly to him
about the guy getting bashed in the head
with a wine bottle on the C&O Canal tow-
path. The mayor said, God that sounds
horrible. I don’t think the mayor didn’t think
that hate crimes were important. I think
that in the context of – I don’t know. I think
that in context, all crimes are horrible. It
would have been neat if he had talked
about it. But I don’t know if him speaking
out on hate crimes would have done any-
thing to prevent them. It certainly would
have made people feel a whole lot better.
But in the end, he didn’t. And there was
really nothing much I could do about that.
Washington Blade: How did Brett tell
the mayor about this directly?
Dyer: Because Brett and I ran into
the mayor at the AIDS Walk. It was one
of those great things. We were at AIDS
Walk. The mayor was doing AIDS Walk. I
was staffing the mayor and Brett was at
AIDS Walk. So Brett talked to the mayor
directly about what had happened. The
mayor said he heard there was a crime
last night because Peter Rosenstein was
bugging the mayor about it. And so the
mayor asked Brett what happened be-
cause Brett was running the Gay and
Lesbian Liaison Unit at the time. So in
private the mayor was very compassion-
ate. I wish that compassion could have
shown but for whatever reason it didn’t.
Washington Blade: Was there a time
when you began to realize that the mayor
was alienating a lot of people, including
people in the LGBT community?
Dyer: I really don’t understand it. It’s a
mystery to me. I don’t know if there was
a conscious decision on his part or not
whether to be accessible. But he was
constantly accessible to every commu-
nity event and every community meet-
ing that he would attend. Whenever he
would be out there people would be nice
– except starting in 2009 and 2010. At
the 2009 high heel race—last year’s high
heel race—people were booing him. It
was after he fired the teachers. I think the
whole thing about him being indifferent
is – I think more in the arrogance charge
that might be true. But I think that’s re-
ally more sort of a code for why people
wouldn’t vote for him – that they didn’t
like the fact that he let go teachers, the
fact that we fired 1,500 or 2,000 govern-
ment employees and that had a direct ef-
fect. I also got the sense from talking to
people on the campaign trail that some
voters had this expectation that he would
be more like Marion Barry meaning more
of a man of the people. And he simply
wasn’t. And I don’t know what had hap-
pened. But to answer your question, did
I have a sense that things were going
south—well obviously when I read the
Post poll in January 2009 that showed
him with 42 percent approval I began to
think there might be trouble.
Continues on page 12
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 7

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8 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011

NATIONALNEWS
Palin’s re-Tweet sparks speculation
WASHINGTON — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah
Palin has inspired speculation about her stand on
gay issues and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” since she re-
Tweeted a post from a gay talk radio host criticizing
opponents of the repeal of the anti-gay policy, sev-
eral media outlets reported this week.
At issue is a Tweet posted early Tuesday by
Tammy Bruce, a conservative talk radio host that
said, “But this hypocrisy is just truly too much. Enuf
already — the more someone complains about the
homos the more we should look under their bed.”
Palin, who uses Twitter often to send out announce-
ments and commentary to her 350,000 followers,
posted Bruce’s comment on her own account but
didn’t elaborate. She hadn’t commented on it pub-
licly as of Blade press time Wednesday.
Bruce’s comment referred to a Navy captain who Photo courtesy of Wilton Manors Police

was relieved of his command for making a series of Stephen Adams (left) and Kevin Powell were found murdered in their Florida home Christmas
lewd videos that were shown to those serving under week.
him on the USS Enterprise.
Palin’s opinions of gay issues have been unclear
at times. She told Fox News last year that “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” wasn’t a pressing issue and that the Christmas murder of gay
couple rocks Ft. Lauderdale
military had more pressing matters to deal with. But
she didn’t say she disapproved of repeal either.
In other gay matters, Palin opted not to veto Photo courtesy of citizenpalin4president

partner benefits legislation when she was governor Sarah Palin’s opinion of ‘Don’t
of Alaska, but has repeatedly said that marriage
should be reserved for opposite-sex couples.
Ask, Don’t Tell’ was brought into
question on Twitter this week.
Victims found in
Wilton Manors home
N.C. commissioner calls gays ‘sexual predators’ By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina county commissioner last week said that lchibbaro@washblade.com
gays are “sexual predators,” according to reports from NPR, MSNBC and other
media outlets. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Two gay
The comment came from an e-mail Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill men who had been a couple for 29 years
James sent to board chair Jennifer Roberts. She wanted to send a letter on board were found murdered in their house in
stationary congratulating Sen. Richard Burr on his vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t the City of Wilton Manors just outside
Tell.” James replied saying that not every homosexual is a predator but as a group, Fort Lauderdale at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 26,
they are. with local authorities saying the men ap-
His comments, which received national attention, inspired a resolution from the parently invited their killer to their home.
commission that calls for tolerance, inclusion and civility. James voted for it but Local activists said the double slay-
did not apologize for his earlier e-mail. He said he didn’t think the resolution would ing appeared to be yet another in a se-
have much impact but said it was a nice gesture he could support because he ries of gay “pickup” murders that have
believes in kindness. occurred in the Fort Lauderdale area
Some of his fellow board members said his remarks are “beyond reproach” and for more than a decade. In some of the
“out of line.” past cases, police have said the killings
involved troubled youths who targeted
older gay men for robberies.
Minnesota town passes pro-gay ordinance Wilton Manors police announced on
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — The St. Louis Park City Council unanimously passed Dec. 29 that officers with the Florida Depart-
an ordinance Monday that will allow domestic partners — opposite- and same-sex ment of Law Enforcement apprehended a
— to register their partnerships with the city. suspect in the latest case in Polk County,
The ordinance won’t supersede any state or federal laws nor will it grant couples Fla., after discovering him in possession of
any new legal rights. The state of Minnesota doesn’t recognize gay marriage, but a vehicle belonging to the victims. The vehi-
proponents tout it as a step in the right direction. cle, a 2003 Saturn Vue, had been reported
The ordinance will go in effect in February if it passes a formal second reading stolen at the time of the murder.
in two weeks, which is expected to easily pass. Police identified the suspect as Peter
Registration will ensure domestic partners the same family rates and benefits at Serge Avsenew, 26, a resident of nearby
city events and at area businesses. Another Minnesota town, Rochester, passed a Hollywood, Fla., with a long record of
similar ordinance. prior arrests on charges including auto
theft, check fraud, robbery, grand theft
and marijuana and drug paraphernalia
Official says gay marriages should be recognized possession. Police said Avsenew has
ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico’s attorney general this week issued an opinion used at least half a dozen aliases in re-
stating that same-sex marriages from other states would be legal in his state. He cent years.
came to that conclusion after an in-depth legal analysis, the New Mexico Indepen- Alesia Furdom, a spokesperson for
dent reported. the Wilton Manors police, said Avsenew
“While we cannot predict how a New Mexico court would rule on this issue, after was being held on a parole violation
review of the law in this area, it is our opinion that a same-sex marriage that is valid charge related to one of his prior convic-
under the laws of the country or state where it was consummated would likewise tions. She said police were continuing
be found valid in New Mexico,” Attorney General Gary King wrote. their investigation to determine whether
While 40 states explicitly bar same-sex marriage, King says that New Mexico’s he or someone else would be charged in
law does “not explicitly address the recognition of same-sex marriages from other the double slaying.
jurisdictions,” according to the release announcing the opinion. Authorities waited two days before re-
leasing the identity of the victims, and as
of early this week police had yet to dis-
close whether they were shot, stabbed or
killed in some other way.
Wilton Manors police identified them
as Stephen Adams, 52, and Kevin Pow-
ell, 47.
A friend said the two met at a Pride
parade in Cleveland when Powell was
18. The couple lived for many years in
Hollywood, Fla., before moving to a rent-
ed house in Wilton Manors in 2010.
Shannon Kicklighter, one of the cou-
ple’s friends, told the South Florida Sun
Sentinel that Adams was a registered
nurse and Powell worked as an interior
decorator.
Their Wilton Manors home on North-
west 8th Avenue is in the heart of an up-
scale city with a population of 13,000,
with 40 percent of the residents believed
to be gay or lesbian.
Furdom said investigators have deter-
mined that the incident was not a random
killing and that “the victims did know the
suspect.”
According to Furdom, investigators
were still looking into the circumstances
of how the victims met Avsenew.
Kicklighter said the murders took
place shortly after Powell underwent a
kidney and pancreas transplant to treat
his life-long diabetes. The surgery was
declared a success and the couple was
looking forward to Powell’s full recovery,
Kicklighter told the Sun Sentinel.
In September, the Broward County,
Fla., Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdic-
tion over the Fort Lauderdale area, asked
the South Florida Gay News to publish
a photo of Alexandria, Va., businessman
Samuel DelBrocco, who was found mur-
dered in his vacation home in Pompano
Beach, Fla.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office
told the Blade, which also published Del-
Brocco’s photo, that investigators were
uncertain whether he was gay or whether
his murder was related to his sexual ori-
entation. The spokesperson said investi-
gators were seeking help from “all com-
munities” in their effort to solve that case.
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 9

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10 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
NATIONALNEWS
Rep. David Cicilline was sworn in this week, becoming the fourth openly gay member of the
112th Congress.
Congress gets 4th
openly gay member
Cicilline sworn in on ‘historic
day for LGBT Americans’
STAFF REPORTS
Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) was
sworn in Wednesday, becoming the
fourth openly gay member of the 112th
Congress and only the seventh out gay
person to serve in the House.
He joins gay Reps. Barney Frank (D-
Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and
Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who were reelect-
ed in November.
“I am thrilled to be the next congress-
man from Rhode Island’s First District and
so grateful to the members of the LGBT
community who supported my cam-
paign,” Cicilline said on election night. “I
look forward to going to Washington and
fighting for the issues important to all of
us — creating good jobs, protecting So-
cial Security, working to fight global cli-
mate change and, of course, fighting for
full equality for our community.”
The former Providence mayor suc-
ceeds Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who re-
tired. He ran in a Democratic stronghold
and was a powerhouse fundraiser. Ac-
cording to Federal Election Commission
reports, Cicilline raked in nearly $1.7 mil-
lion over the course of his campaign.
Cicilline earned the endorsement of
many national LGBT organizations, in-
cluding the Human Rights Campaign
Washington Blade photo by Michael Key
and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
“This is an historic day for LGBT
Americans, and another step toward a
government that truly reflects our coun-
try’s diversity,” said Chuck Wolfe, presi-
dent and CEO of the Victory Fund.
Michael Cole, an HRC spokesper-
son, said on election night that he was
“thrilled” that Cicilline will join the 112th
Congress.
“No doubt he will carry on the record of
retiring Rep. Patrick Kennedy in ensuring
Rhode Island’s first district is represented
by an effective congressman in promoting
equality for all people,” Cole said.
Cicilline defeated John Loughlin, a
Rhode Island State Assembly member,
who was accused by some of using
gay-baiting tactics late in the campaign.
Loughlin ran ads emphasizing that he’s a
husband and a father — possibly a refer-
ence to the fact that Cicilline is gay and
single — and defended “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” during a debate.
Cicilline was the only one of three
prominent openly gay congressio-
nal candidates to emerge victorious
in a tough night for Democrats. Steve
Pougnet, who’s gay and mayor of Palm
Springs, Calif., lost his bid to unseat six-
term incumbent Rep. Mary Bono Mack
(R-Calif.). And Ed Potosnak, a school-
teacher and former staffer for Rep. Mike
Honda (D-Calif.), lost his bid to unseat
Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.), a one-term
incumbent.
Gates working to implement
‘Don’t Ask’ repeal
No timeline, but ‘this is
high on his agenda’
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
Senior Defense Department officials
are already working toward imple-
menting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal,
according to the Pentagon.
“This is high on [Defense Secretary
Robert Gates’] agenda, and his senior
staff is focused on it this week,” said Ei-
leen Lainez, a Pentagon spokesperson,
via e-mail to the Washington Blade.
On Dec. 22, President Obama
signed legislation allowing for repeal
of the 17-year-old law banning open
gays from serving in the U.S. military.
But repeal won’t take effect until the
president, the defense secretary and
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff issue certification that the armed
forces are ready for an end to “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell.” There is no set time
for when this certification would take
place, and the Obama administration
hasn’t issued a timetable for when it
might happen.
Additionally, after certification is is-
sued, a 60-day waiting period for con-
gressional review must take place be-
fore gays can serve openly in the U.S.
military without fear of discharge.
Lainez said Undersecretary of De-
fense for Personnel and Readiness
Clifford Stanley is working with the mili-
tary service branches, the Joint Chiefs
of Staff and the combatant commands
throughout the process for repeal.
“Planning for successful repeal in-
cludes reviewing and revising policies
and directives, establishing education
and training materials, developing in-
tegrated communication plans and
obtaining feedback throughout the
process,” Lainez said.
Capt. John Kirby, spokesperson for
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Adm. Mike Mullen, said the Pentagon
is working through issues of implemen-
tation and certification. He said no fi-
nal decisions have been made and he
couldn’t offer further comment about
Mullen’s plan for issuing certification.
A White House spokesperson de-
ferred comment to the Defense De-
partment on questions for when the
president would issue certification. In
an interview last month with The Advo-
cate, President Obama predicted that
certification for repeal would happen
in “a matter of months.”
Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm
Center, said implementation of “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal shouldn’t be a
long process because the Pentagon
already established a policy to allow
gays to serve openly in the military
when a California federal court in Oc-
tober issued an injunction that tempo-
rarily enjoined enforcement of the law.
“Although they haven’t acknowl-
edged this in public, the replacement
regulations have already been written,
and so the Pentagon could easily re-
peal the ban today if there was the po-
litical will,” Belkin said.
Belkin said lessons learned from
foreign countries that have lifted their
bans on gays in the military show two
things are necessary for repeal: strong
leadership and a set of rules that ap-
ply to everyone without mentioning
sexual orientation.
“The commander-in-chief has said
the policy hurts the military and re-
search has also shown that there’s no
advantage to the policy and that it’s
easy to change,” Belkin said.
Michael Cole-Schwartz, a Human
Rights Campaign spokesperson, said
his organization foresees a similarly ex-
peditious path for implementing repeal.
“President Obama, in his public
statement and in his commitments to us,
has said that he does not want this to
be a drawn out process,” Cole-Schwartz
said. “Our advocacy for the Pentagon
and the White House is going to be for
them to keep that commitment.”
Belkin said he suspects opposi-
tion to repeal from some military ser-
vice chiefs — Army Chief of Staff
Gen. George Casey, Marine Corps
Commandant Gen. James Amos and
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton
Schwartz — could slow the process
for certification. Chief of Naval Opera-
tions Adm. Gary Roughead has said
he supports repeal.
“Casey in particular is leaving soon
and doesn’t want to be known as the
Army chief of staff who let gays in
on his watch,” Belkin said. “The foot-
dragging is not about some sincere or
legitimate sense that the troops need
to be trained on how to deal with gays;
it’s because they don’t want to be
around when the policy happens.”
One lingering question about certi-
fication is whether Gates would remain
in his role as defense secretary when
certification takes place. The defense
secretary has said he intends to retire
sometime this year, although the spe-
cific date hasn’t yet been announced.
Belkin said he doesn’t think Gates
would retire as defense secretary be-
fore he certifies repeal as “a matter of
personal, professional pride for him to
get this done on his watch.”
“It’s hard for me to believe that he
will walk away from the process with-
out finishing it,” Belkin said. “That’s not
because I know anything from the in-
side, but just kind of triangulating the
little pieces of insight here and there.”
Gates has said he wouldn’t certify
repeal until training for open service
has been implemented and he feels
the service chiefs are comfortable
moving forward.
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 11

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12 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
LOCALNEWS
Dyer defends Fenty’s record on LGBT issues
Continued from page 6
Washington Blade: Did that come as
a shock to some in the administration?
Dyer: It came as a surprise to me. I
wasn’t involved directly in the campaign
brain trust. But I do know that it came to a
surprise to a lot of people. It was interest-
ing to me that they finally understood and
finally captured that people were pretty
upset at him after he lost the Ward 4 straw
poll because there was a definite shift in
his tone. Toward the end of the campaign
he began to sound more apologetic. And
of course by then it was too late. But it
was an interesting thing. We really were
aggressive as an administration. We did
a lot of things that probably alienated a
lot of voters and took on vested interests
and I think that in the end, coupled with
his arrogance, or perceived arrogance,
was the undoing of him.
Washington Blade: On the other side
of the equation, do you think overall he was
helpful to the city and the LGBT community?
Dyer: This mayor has done more for
LGBT issues than any other mayors
combined—period. I mean obviously,
by signing the marriage bill—he did
that. But also, by letting our office run
with stuff we did more – I don’t want to
claim that we did more for LGBT people
than any other administration. But we
had a pretty strong marker. In addition to
signing the marriage bill, we started the
Wanda Alston House. People had been
asking for LGBT housing. When I started
at the job there was a list of things from
the summit—the LGBT citizens sum-
mit—that had been recommended. And
we got LGBT housing taken care of for
youth. For years people wanted an LGBT
health report done. We delivered on that.
We got an LGB health report. We didn’t
have transgender data. We delivered on
that. People wanted us to train Fire and
EMS and MPD [the Department of Fire
Marriage, trans bills get boost in Md. House
Continued from page 2
landers and their straight supporters will
come to the state capital in Annapolis to
push for both bills.
She said the group is inviting LGBT
people to bring family members with
them to the all-day lobbying event, with
the intention that they visit the offices of
members of the Senate and House of
Delegates from all parts of the state.
“We’re so close that it will take just a
handful of votes to push this through,”
she said of the marriage bill. “The elec-
torate is with us on this. The young voters
are with us on this issue.”
Concerning the transgender bill, she
said its prospects “look good on the floor
of the House” but “there may be chal-
lenges” in the Senate.
Among the challenges, she noted, are
and Emergency Medical Services and
the police department]. We did a com-
prehensive training at Fire and EMS. We
started and developed a partnership
with community groups to start doing a
quarterly, an intense training of MPD of-
ficers. We trained 10,000 government
employees. So we did a lot of good.
Now whether it was the mayor himself sit-
ting there and saying, Chris, I want you to
specifically train these 10,000 people—no
that never happened. But he hired me and
he hired people like [Schools Chancellor]
Michelle Rhee and [Police] Chief [Cathy]
Lanier and cabinet members who got
things done. And for the city, I think the most
fundamental thing that will really be the
most transformative in the end is not only
the fact that we had so many construction
projects going on—we essentially saved
the construction industry for about a year
by doing all the renovations of schools and
parks and rec centers. We started school
reform again. That’s going to have a long-
term effect. But I think we also downsized
government by two or three thousand po-
sitions, which in the end will be putting us
in much better financial shape moving
forward. So there are a lot of examples of
things that people don’t obviously see. And
in the end, I think we’ll be viewed as a very
transformational administration.
It was interesting when we were cam-
paigning in 2006 a lot of people in Wards
2 and 3 were concerned that Fenty would
turn into another Marion Barry. In the end,
those same voters were concerned that
Gray was going to take that spot. I think
Fenty surprised a heck of a lot of people
when he turned out to govern more like
Williams than people ever thought he
would—but with a lot more energy.
Washington Blade: When you say the
mayor started the Wanda Alston House,
isn’t that a project of Transgender Health
Empowerment?
Dyer: We funded it. We didn’t start it.
arguments by opponents that a transgender
non-discrimination measure would enable
men dressed as women to harass women in
women’s bathrooms in public places.
Transgender activists have disputed
the so-called “bathroom” argument, which
usually surfaces when transgender non-
discrimination legislation is introduced.
Mara Keisling, executive director of
the National Center for Transgender
Equality, has said no reports of women
being targeted in bathrooms have sur-
faced in any of the states, cities or coun-
ties where transgender non-discrimina-
tion laws have been adopted.
“It’s a myth,” she said.
“We need to persuade people that
you should be judged on the merits when
it comes to your job,” said Meneses-
Sheets. “It’s an economic issue.”
She said Equality Maryland is bringing
Let me make that very clear. We funded it.
Washington Blade: It was created by
THE.
Dyer: It was actually created by Brian
Watson [THE’s director of programs].
Let’s be clear. Brian had the idea. Brian
started lobbying us intensely. And this is
a good example of how to actually work
with government…
Washington Blade: How much did the
city allocate for the Alston House funding?
Dyer: What the city does is it appro-
priates a certain amount of money to the
Community Partnership to End Home-
lessness. And the Community Partner-
ship then does all the distribution, does a
significant distribution of funds for home-
less services in this city. And they get as
contract from the city. So I don’t know
what our final thing is. I think it’s around a
quarter of a million. But you’ll have to ask
Brian what he gets from the city.
…The other thing we did in addition to
Wanda Alston is we worked with the De-
partment of Human Services to update
their shelter inspection guidelines so that
when you go to inspect a shelter people
know how to be in compliance with the
new gender identity laws. We did a se-
ries of trainings with THE’s frontline staff
on how to interact with transgender resi-
dents and LGBT residents. So there’s a
lot of other work that got done. We also
finally, in the last, toward the last [part
of the administration] we published a
tip sheet for shelter providers on how
to properly house and interact and take
care of LGBT residents.
Washington Blade: Can you summa-
rize the most important accomplishments
the administration did on LGBT issues?
Dyer: Well obviously signing mar-
riage—signing the marriage bill was huge.
Washington Blade: On that issue,
on three more full-time staff members to
work on the two bills beginning Jan. 12,
when the Maryland General Assembly
opens its 2011 session.
The session lasts for just 90 days, a
development that LGBT activists say
gives them only until April 11 to secure
the passage of the marriage and trans-
gender rights measures.
“We have a lot of work to do in a short
time,” said Meneses-Sheets.
Madaleno said that under the long-
standing practice in the General Assem-
bly, nearly all important or controversial
bills don’t come to a final vote until the last
two or three weeks of the session in April.
A late passage of both the marriage
and transgender rights bill would make
it more difficult for opponents to collect
the required signatures for a referendum
to kill the bills. Nearly all observers of the
critics like Lane Hudson said the mayor
didn’t do anything to advance the bill in
the City Council other than say he would
sign it. Did he do any lobbying for it?
Dyer: He didn’t need to. Here’s the
interesting thing. When the mayor ran
in 2006 every major mayoral candidate
had not taken a position on marriage. He
was the first to say I’m going to sign it.
He wrote an op-ed in the Blade saying
he was going to sign it and support it and
defend it. As a result of his position, ev-
ery candidate who ran for mayor with the
exception of Vincent Orange endorsed
marriage equality. And that’s significant.
Washington Blade: Didn’t Linda
Cropp hesitate on the issue?
Dyer: Yeah, but Linda Cropp moved on
it. So by endorsing it, by saying he was go-
ing to sign it, he moved the discussion. You
know, did the mayor ask Chairman Gray to
drop [introduce] the marriage bill? No. Would
Chairman Gray have agreed to it if he said
[introduce] the marriage bill? No. But did he
help Catania? Did he stop Catania? No. Did
he stop Mendelson? No, he couldn’t. The
Council very wisely did what the Council was
supposed to do and they passed the mar-
riage bill. And he signed it promptly. And
he’s aggressively and vigorously defended
the marriage bill [against attacks] by the
National Organization for Marriage [the lead
national group opposing gay marriage]. And
that’s what the executive branch does.
Washington Blade: Are you referring
to city Attorney General Peter Nickles’
court filings defending the marriage law?
Dyer: Yeah. That’s the role of the may-
or. We would get criticized for not attend-
ing every LGBT event. I think it’s nice to
have direct interaction with the mayor but
it’s impractical for the mayor to attend
thousands of events every year.
Interview continues at
washingtonblade.com.
General Assembly expect opponents to
take out petitions to call a referendum,
which would stop the bills from taking
effect until after voters decide on the is-
sue — assuming the required number of
petitions is obtained.
Under the state constitution, one-third
of the required number of petition sig-
natures must be obtained by the end of
May and the remainder of the signatures
needed must be collected by the end of
June. The gathering of petitions cannot
begin until both houses of the General
Assembly passes a bill being challenged.
That means it would be to the advantage
of supporters of the two bills to wait until
the end of the session to pass them.
The number of signatures needed is three
percent of the qualified voters in the state
based on the total number of votes cast in
the most recent election for governor.
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 13

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NATIONALNEWS
Senate confirms lesbian for Commission 
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has con-
firmed a lesbian for a full term as a Commissioner
of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Com-
mission.
Chai Feldblum had been blocked previously by
Republican senators but President Obama used
a recess appointment to make her temporarily
a commissioner last March. That temporary ap-
pointment would have expired at the end of 2011
but Feldblum will now serve through July 2013.
Prior to her recess appointment, Feldblum
served as a professor of law at Georgetown Uni-
versity Law Center. Throughout her career, she
has worked to enact protections for some of the Photo courtesy of Georgetown University Law Center
most stigmatized populations in America. As leg- Chai Feldblum
islative counsel for the American Civil Liberties
Union in the 1980s, she worked to secure legal protections for people with
AIDS at a time when the disease was vilified and poorly understood. Feldblum
also played a leading role in the drafting and negotiation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990.
The Commission was established as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Its
mission is to promote equality of opportunity in the workplace and enforce fed-
eral laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Anti-gay group may end CPAC sponsorship

COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado-based Focus on the Family is considering
ending its sponsorship of a national conservative political action rally because of
the involvement of a gay conservative group, the Associated Press and several
media outlets reported.
The lobbying arm of Focus on Family, CitizenLink, is a co-sponsor of the Conser-
vative Political Action Conference in Washington next month.
CitizenLink senior vice president Tom Minnery told the Gazette that the group is Washington Blade file photo

participating partly to help offset the influence of the gay group, GOProud. But he Attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies are leading the legal fight against Proposition 8 in Cali-
says this may be the last year it’s a sponsor, the AP reported. fornia. Observers expect the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually decide the case.
Sarah Palin and Mike Hucakbee are among those scheduled to speak at the

Court sidesteps ruling on

conference.

Report focuses on suicide, risk among LGBT people

MIAMI — An expert panel of 26 leading researchers, clinicians, educators
and policy experts have released a comprehensive report on the prevalence
constitutionality of Prop 8
and underlying causes of suicidal behavior in LGBT adolescents and adults.
The report was published online this week. Continued from page 1
Titled “Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender During the Ninth Circuit hearing of
Populations: Review and Recommendations,” the report makes sweeping rec- oral arguments on the case last year,
ommendations for closing knowledge gaps in what is known and not known the three judges divided the proceed-
about LGBT suicide behaviors and calls for making LGBT suicide prevention ing between the issue of legal standing
a national priority. This is especially timely in light of multiple suicide deaths and the issue of the merits of whether
among LGBT youth in recent months. Prop 8 violates the U.S. Constitution.
Despite four decades of research pointing to elevated rates of suicide at- They also heard arguments by at-
tempts among LGBT people, national suicide prevention initiatives, including torneys defending Prop 8 that Impe-
the 2001 U.S. National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, have given scant atten- rial County, Calif., officials, including
tion to suicide risk in sexual minority persons. the Board of Supervisors and a deputy
“With this report and recommendations, we hope to move LGBT suicide pre- clerk who presides over civil marriages,
vention squarely onto the national agenda and provide a framework for actions should be allowed to intervene in the
aimed at reducing suicidal behavior in these populations,” said Ann Haas, lead case on behalf of Prop 8.
author and director of prevention projects for the American Foundation for Sui- “We affirm the denial of the inter-
cide Prevention. vention motion, although on different
The report found strong evidence of significantly higher suicide rates for grounds from those relied upon by the
gays of all ages compared to their straight counterparts and that increased district court, and correspondingly we
depression and substance abuse problems among sexual minorities do not ac- dismiss the appeal on the merits for lack
count for the higher rates but stigma and discrimination play “key roles.” of standing,” the Ninth Circuit ruling says.
“The decision, of course, does not af-
Most NOM money came from a few donors fect the standing or the separate appeal
of the official proponents of Proposition
WASHINGTON — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has released a 8,” the ruling says.
partial version of its 2009 tax return, which shows that most of the more than $7 mil- In discussing its decision to send the
lion it received that year came from a small number of large donors, NOM Exposed jurisdictional question to the California
(which Human Rights Campaign sponsors) reported this week. Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit judges
According to the report, three wealthy donors contributed 68 percent of the stated, “This court is obligated to ensure
organization’s donations. The top five donors accounted for 75 percent of contri- that it has jurisdiction over this appeal be-
butions. The donors were not identified and could be individuals or corporations. fore proceeding to the important constitu-
The sites pointed out that NOM doesn’t represent a grassroots constituency but tional questions it presents, and we must
a small group of wealthy anti-gay supporters. NOM had kept its returns private until dismiss the appeal if we lack jurisdiction.”
HRC reps visited their D.C. office twice in person. The judges gave attorneys defending
Prop 8 time to file for an “en banc” re-
hearing of the case before the full Ninth
Circuit Appeals Court.
“We hope the California Supreme Court
takes up this procedural question about initia-
tives and believe the federal court’s action was
entirely reasonable,” said Lambda Legal’s Jen-
nifer Pizer in a statement. “State law is unclear
on those important points, and that’s problem-
atic for our entire state. In California, so much
lawmaking is done these days by popular vote
at the ballot box. The public needs to know
what processes exist for testing measures en-
acted by voters at the ballot box.
“We do not believe California law does
or should allow initiative proponents special
power to drive litigation about measures
they have supported. Prop 8’s proponents
are not personally affected by that initiative
as none of them wants to marry a same-
sex partner. And state law up to this point
has never authorized political activists to
usurp the role of the state’s chief executive
and top lawyer if the activists disagree with
those duly elected officials’ decision not to
prolong litigation of a particular court case.”
The decision to send the case to the
state Supreme Court means the final out-
come of whether same-sex marriage is
protected under the U.S. Constitution is
delayed several months for the Ninth Cir-
cuit court. All parties following the case
agree that the U.S. Supreme Court will
make the final decision in the case since
both sides say they will appeal a losing
decision to the high court.
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 15

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16 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
INSIDELGBTWASHINGTON
After a year to remember, what’s next?
Working together,
we can continue to
make progress
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
Looking back on 2010, one
word sums it up nicely: Wow!
It was a roller coaster of a year
with enough political ups and
downs to get the person with the
heartiest stomach a little queasy.
Democrats began the year
with an overwhelming majority
in Congress but seemed unable
to move forward on so many
issues. Then, in the last few
weeks of a lame duck session,
after being handed what the
president called a “shellack-
ing” in the mid-term elections,
they suddenly got it together.
They repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” with a bill that became the
first stand-alone civil rights bill
for the LGBT community. We
can thank sponsors Rep. Pat-
rick Murphy (D-Pa.), who was
defeated in his bid for reelec-
tion, and Sens. Joe Lieberman
(I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-
Maine). With the signing cere-
mony on the Wednesday before
Christmas the congressional
session ended on an incredibly
high note for the LGBT commu-
nity. As Shakespeare said, “All’s
Well That Ends Well.”
On so many issues during the
year there were times many of us
railed against President Obama
and his staff and other days
FEEDBACK
The following comments were
posted to the Blade’s website.
Visit washingtonblade.com to
join the discussion.
Re: “Curator decries cut to ‘Hide/
Seek’ exhibit” (news, Dec. 23)
The man who made the
unconscionable decision to
yank the Wojnarowicz video,
G. Wayne Clough, head of the
Smithsonian – where is he? It’s
time for him to appear in public
and explain his action. Where is
Clough? —Bill Dobbs
Re: “Year in Review: Mile-
stones and missteps” (by Joey
DiGuglielmo, Dec. 30)
How disrespectful, and terri-
bly wrong you are in referring to
La Streisand as a fossil.
This year alone Barbra was
nominated for a Grammy for
her Love is the Answer CD.
Washington Blade file photo by michael Key
the highlight of 2010 was President
Obama’s Christmas week signing of
‘don’t Ask, don’t tell’ repeal. Will we
see further progress in 2011?
when we wanted to send a big
kiss. There were days that even
as a Democrat it was hard to
imagine wanting to reelect Harry
Reid and then at the end won-
dering why we supported Sen.
Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
But with repeal of “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell,” passage of health-
care reform, the START treaty,
financial reform and a number
of other bills, the 111th Con-
gress turned out to be the most
productive since the New Deal.
Congress allowed the D.C.
marriage equality law to stand
and the courts ruled that marriage
equality was legal with no referen-
dum required. There is real con-
fidence that the Supreme Court
won’t even look at the issue.
As we begin 2011, my crystal
ball reveals challenges ahead
but based on this past year,
no one can tell us where we
She authored a best seller, “My
Passion for Design,” she ap-
peared at the Village Vanguard,
her first night club appearance
since 1963 and released an-
other great CD commensurate
with the appearance, she was
inducted into the Jewish Ameri-
can Hall of Fame, the California
Museum Hall of Fame, reprised
her role as Roz in “Little Fock-
ers” and continued to demon-
strate her generosity as one of
America’s greatest philanthro-
pists by initiating a matching
grant of $5 million to Cedars Si-
nai for heart disease research.
She was also active politically in
her most important role as citi-
zen. This actress, singer, author,
director, producer, composer,
photographer, philanthropist,
designer, etc. is far from a fossil.
What have you done this year
that puts you in a position to re-
will end up on Dec. 31, 2011.
Who knows, maybe we can
even have a signing ceremony
for federal partner benefits and
ENDA. We must never stop
fighting or give up hope.
What we do know is that if we
band together and are vigilant
in protecting the rights we have,
as we continue our fight for total
equality for the LGBT communi-
ty, there can be success. There
are some out there that fear
us, because they believe we
threaten their way of life. It is our
job to convince the majority of
them that all we want is the right
to live our lives in peace and
dignity, with full equality, just as
they do. If only there were some
magic wand to wave maybe we
could avoid all the sturm and
drang that is sure to come.
In the District we will be pre-
pared to defend marriage equal-
ity against a new Congress. But
even they may have moved on
to other fights. In New Hamp-
shire we will need to stand tall
with our brothers and sisters and
defend it there. In California we
await a court decision on Propo-
sition 8 and know that whatever
happens the case will most likely
move to the Supreme Court.
Our new year’s resolution
should be to stop bickering among
ourselves. We will need each per-
son and organization — HRC,
Task Force, Log Cabin, Stonewall,
GetEqual, SLDN and so many
others and allies too numerous to
mention — working together if we
are to make progress on complet-
fer to Barbra as a fossil? She is
anything but a fossil.
—Lou Papalas
Re: “Choi recuperating after
hospital stay” (news, Dec. 23)
I’m glad to hear that Lt. Choi
is recovering. I actually thought
about him when the Senate
voted to repeal DADT and won-
dered if he was watching from
the hospital. Now that DADT is
settled, I hope we can focus our
collective attention on passing
the Employment Non-Discrim-
ination Act, the Domestic Part-
nership Benefits & Obligations
Act, the Uniting American Fami-
lies Act and the repeal of DOMA,
because we are a long way from
achieving the goal of equality.
—Tim
Re: “Year in Review: ‘Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell repeal is year’s
ing our quest for equality.
Our strength comes from be-
ing on the right side of history.
Knowing and understanding
history and our vision for a bet-
ter future for the entire world will
make us successful.
In 2011, I want President
Obama and others to fully
“evolve” and support marriage
equality. More of us must come
out and that includes members
of Congress, past and present
Cabinet members, and military
leaders, including generals.
As we work on that we can make
progress on passing an inclusive
ENDA and repealing DOMA. Just
let us take heart from the fact that
no one could have predicted that
the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
would be in the form of a stand-
alone civil rights bill.
Let us march hand-in-hand into
2011 looking to the better angels
that I believe stand on the shoul-
ders of every member of Congress
and all Americans, and work to
make sure that those angels’ voic-
es are heard loud enough to drown
out the bigotry and hate and allow
us to make progress.
Peter Rosenstein is a d.C.-based lGBt
rights and democratic Party activist. he
writes regularly for the Blade.
top story’” (Dec. 30)
PUHLEEZE! This reads as
if the White House and Secre-
tary Gates had nothing to do
with the “compromise” bill and
leaves out entirely that what it
left on the floor was the five-
year old bill (that Obama had
promised to personally fight
for), which not only contained
a mandate that all discharges
unequivocally end within six
months but also would have
created a federal law ban-
ning any kind of discrimination
against gays while IN the mili-
tary. More than a week after the
signing—despite the fact that
their own “study” document-
ed that the majority of troops
would be fine NOW with open
service—Gates refuses to say
when discharges will end. Gay,
Inc., your work is not done.
—Michael
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 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 17

VIEWPOINT

Continuing the fight for education reform

As more gays adopt, lished. This past November,
several new members were
of bringing marriage equality
to the District and surely will be
we must support elected to the recently recre- instrumental in advancing any
fixing our schools ated school board. One of them
is Patrick Mara in Ward 1.
anti-bullying policy that presents
itself to the school board.

By ROBERT TURNER
If there’s one thing that we
should have learned over the
last 20 or so years, it’s that throw-
ing money at a problem often ex-
acerbates the very problem you
are seeking to solve. This has
been the case with the D.C. Pub-
lic School System for a very long
time. At one point, Washington,
D.C., was spending more dollars
per student than any other juris-
diction in the country. And we
had nothing to show for it.
For decades, the same prob-
lems were prevalent. There were
decaying buildings where stu-
dents were supposed to learn.
The management systems were
dysfunctional, to say the least.
And, most importantly, the test
scores were abysmal. Gradua-
tion rates were down and drop-
out rates were high. That is a
contributing factor to the 12 per-
cent population decrease in the
Although it is uncertain what kind
of leadership the new mayor and a
new chancellor will bring to D.C. schools,
Patrick Mara’s leadership will be
refreshing and innovative.
District between 1960 and 2000.
No matter which side of the
recent mayoral debate you
came down on, it is widely
agreed upon that former Mayor
Adrian Fenty was wise to take
over the D.C. schools and ap-
point Michelle Rhee as chancel-
lor. Before Rhee took the reins,
there were six superintendents
in the past decade alone. Be-
fore her appointment, there was
no real accountability. There
was only a circular firing squad.
The city had a mayor, a Council,
a superintendent and a school
board all pointing the finger of
blame at one another.
Four years later, things are
looking up. Now, even though
Fenty lost his reelection bid, and
Rhee has resigned, D.C. stu-
dents have a fighting chance.
As part of D.C. public edu-
cation reform in 2007, the State
Board of Education was estab-
Though he has lived in D.C.
for many years, Mara is fairly
As our community begins to
adopt and have children of our
new to the local political scene. own, the quality of the schools in
Many may recall two years ago, our neighborhoods will become
Mara ran against and defeated a deciding factor as to where we
longtime Council member Carol
Schwartz in the Republican pri-
buy — D.C. or the suburbs.
Although it is uncertain what
mary. Though he lost in the gen- kind of leadership the new
eral election for the at-large seat mayor and a new chancellor
on the City Council, he didn’t give will bring to D.C. schools, Pat-
up. He thought of how he could rick Mara’s leadership will be
best serve his adoptive city. refreshing and innovative.
Mara has served as a men- Mara was sworn in as State
tor at the Maya Angelou Public Board of Education Member,
Charter School in Shaw and Ward 1 on Sunday.
with the Hoop Dreams Scholar-
ship Fund Program. He has tu-
tored DCPS special education
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 washingtonblade.com • vol. 42, issue 01 • january 7, 2011 • Page 18

Mortgages by the numbers: rates see modest rise

By David Bediz, REALTOR
Coldwell Banker
Residential Brokerage
U.S. 30-year fixed mort-
gage rate averages recently
hit a high of 5.08 percent since
June of this year, according to
BankRate.com. That’s up from
a low of 4.46 percent only six
weeks ago, and many of my
clients have been able to get
mortgages as low as 4 percent
without points in the past year.
They’re back down under 5 per-
cent now, but it’s still a “high”
rate by standards of recent
years’ interest rate history.
A 1 percent difference on a
mortgage for a typical Wash-
ington, DC 2-bedroom condo
bought for $550,000 with 10 per-
cent down changes the monthly
payment by about $300 per
month. In other terms, to keep
the monthly payment about the
same at the higher interest rate,
the property purchase price has
to go down a whopping $60,000
to $490,000. Therefore there is
undoubtedly downward pres-
sure on prices when interest
rates rise … not just because
people want to pay the lower
monthly payment — it may be all
they can afford to pay.
Options for Buyers
So if you’re shopping for a
property now and want to reduce
your monthly payments, what can
you do? There’s no easy answer,
but here are a few suggestions:
Buy down your rate with
“discount” points: Although dis-
count points sound like you’re
getting a bargain, you are ac-
tually paying money up front
to “buy” the rate of your loan
down. Typically a 25 percent
drop in your interest rate costs
about 1 percent upfront, so
for that same $550,000 buyer
the monthly payment could go
down by $75 if she paid $4,950
to the bank at closing. Paying
points is only worth it if you plan
to keep the loan long enough
for that $75 savings to add up
to the upfront cost, which in this
case is 66 months or five-and-a-
half years.
Put more money down: If you
have more money to spare for
downpayment, don’t hesitate to
do so, especially if you are al-
ready paying a downpayment
near 20 percent. By getting to 20
percent down, you will eliminate
a very costly Private Mortgage
Insurance premium (usually
around $300-400 per month!) for
conventional loans, and your rate
will likely go down no matter what
kind of loan you have because
you will be seen as a less “risky”
borrower. Also, every dollar you
pay down will reduce your loan
amount, which in turn will slightly
reduce your monthly payment.
Go for an ARM: They may
sound scary to most folks, but Ad-
justable Rate Mortgages are not as
risky as most people think. There
are lifetime caps on the interest rate
(usually about 5-6 percent higher
than initial) and also yearly caps on
the increase. And if you get a long
enough fixed period, like seven or
10 years, you may sell your home
long before the rate would ever ad-
just. “Buydown” programs are also
available to help those borrowers
qualify with a lower rate the first
year but a higher fixed rate over
the course of the next year or two
years to allow a borrower to qualify
whose current income is lower but
expects to make more soon (like
doctors finishing up a residency,
for example).
Find a loan program without
PMI: There are conventional loan
programs that don’t have a PMI
requirement, but their interest
rates are higher. Talk to your lender
about this option, and it may save
you a little in overall expenses.
Pay over 40 years: There are
40-year amortization mortgages
that will reduce your monthly
payments, but they are not as
common, so your lender may not
have that as an option. Also, the
interest rate is higher so you will
pay less each month, but more
interest over the course of a year.
Shop around. It should go
without saying that you should
do your homework. Lenders are
in competition for your business
and you should make sure you
are getting the best rate avail-
able from a reputable lender.
My clients have seen spreads
as wide as half a percent from
different lenders on any given
day, so make sure you get at
least three quotes.
Re-evaluate your purchase
plans: This is another “duh” an-
swer, but when rates go up you
may want to ask yourself whether
you could live in a slightly small-
er space, go without the parking
space you thought you needed,
or might want to venture into a
developing neighborhood where
you get more for your money.
By paying less for the property
you buy, you’ll certainly pay less
each month for the mortgage.
Buy a home with a rental unit
for extra income: An easy way
to cut your mortgage payment
down, or perhaps cut it out alto-
gether, is to take on roommates
or tenants (like in a basement
rental). Be careful, though, be-
cause being a landlord, espe-
cially in D.C., can be very tricky
since tenants have more rights
here than in most jurisdictions
nationwide. Most attorneys would
advise you against renting out an
“in-law suite” or any other sepa-
rate unit that does not have a
legal separate Certificate of Oc-
cupancy due to the dangerous
legal liabilities that introduces.
Also, you will most likely still need
to qualify for the entire mortgage
without including tenant income
upfront.
Sellers Beware
Watching interest rates is not
just for buyers. Sellers and their
agents should constantly monitor
interest rates as they rise and fall
so they can accurately predict
the behavior of the market in re-
sponse to the property they are
trying to sell. If you have already
priced your home relatively high,
you may want to consider a big-
ger price reduction sooner due to
the weakened buying power of
buyers. Remember, a 1 percent
increase in rates for a $550,000
condo meant an equivalent loss
in value of about 11 percent if
you view it from a buyer’s monthly
payment perspective.
Continues at washingtonblade.com
David Bediz is a Realtor at Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage and
part of the Dwight and David Real
Estate Group. He can be reached
at 202 352 8456 or through www.
DwightandDavid.com. Special
thanks to Scott Tucker of Coldwell
Banker Home Loans (703-725-3300
or stucker@mortgagefamily.com) for
participating in this article.

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january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 19
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20 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011

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 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 21

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MARA LEVI ANSWERS 20 QUESTIONS
washingtonblade.com • vol. 42, issue 01 • january 7, 2011 • Page 23
Each year brings
celebrity outings
but the class of
2010 proved it’s
getting easier
By DAVID J. HOFFMAN
Last year was ripe with big-name
stars and public figures who came
out — singers Ricky Martin and Chely
Wright, actors Amanda Heard and
Anna Paquin and Republican politico
Ken Mehlman. Media observers say
coming out in the new decade is get-
ting easier for celebs even though it’s
not a risk-free notion depending on
one’s arena.
In 2010, the door of the closet was
blasted off its rusting hinges, says
leading Hollywood PR guru Howard
Bragman, who is openly gay and mar-
ried. He says there are three impor-
tant things about the latest batch.
“Number one, there’s more,” says
Bragman, a gay activist well known
for his skill at managing celebrity im-
ages in the media. “Number two, it
continues to get big play as a news
story, and number three, people are
just happier when they come out,
and their careers get better and other
people take notice and then they de-
cide to come out also.”
Braqman, who heads the Los An-
geles-based boutique entertainment
public relations firm Fifteen Minutes,
says there’s still a “glass closet” in
show business, but he adds that “ev-
erybody knows” who’s in the closet,
“and it’s much harder now to live that
kind of life than it ever was before.”
“Who wants to live that kind of life?”
he says. “No matter how many hun-
dreds of millions of dollars you make,
and if you do, it’s just sad. And the real
question is not, ‘Will coming out hurt
your career,’ but, ‘Will staying in kill
your soul?’”
Bragman was hired by Chely
Wright’s record label and manage-
ment company to “craft,” he says, her
“coming out plan,” which culminated
in May when she became the first ma-
jor country music performer to come
out as gay or lesbian. He says the
reaction to her announcement — or-
chestrated through a story in People
magazine, the simultaneous release
of her autobiography “Like Me” and
arts & entertainment
PAGE 24
arts & entertainment
newest album “Lifted Off the Ground,”
appearances on “Oprah” and else-
where — showed that the careful
strategy “worked, by every measure
in the positive amount of media.”
“Chely Wright came out to save her
own life,” says Washington-based PR
executive Cathy Renna, who heads
her own firm specializing in LGBT is-
sues. “She came out because she’s
a devout Christian and because she
couldn’t live with her lies any more, so
when she came out as a ‘gay Chris-
tian’ that was a real wake-up call.”
Forty-year old Richell Rene “Chely”
Wright, with seven hit albums a Nash-
ville star since she was named “Top
New Female vocalist” by the Acad-
emy of Country music in 1995, was
born and raised in small-town Kansas.
She says in her book that she realized
from the age of 4 that she would sing
country music and that she was les-
bian from the age of 8. Her third-grade
“crush” on her female teacher may not
have come with sexual awareness,
but she knew immediately that these
feelings in her community including at
church were taboo.
So she was horrified at her feel-
ings, imprinted early on by anti-gay
slurs from her parents and the sermons
against same-sex attraction preached
on Sundays at her family’s church. As
a result, she began daily ritual of pray-
ing to God, asking, “Please don’t let
me be gay ... please take it away,” as
she writes in her autobiography. From
childhood, she swore to herself never
to confide in anyone her attraction to
other females let alone pursue same-
sex romantic love. Later, this resolve
was cemented when she realized that
it might be a career-killer.
During high school she worked one
summer as a performer at the “Ozark
Jubilee” in Branson, Mo. In 1989, fol-
lowing her grandfather’s urging, she
auditioned and landed a spot in Opry-
land USA, a now-defunct theme park
in Nashville. And as her career as a
country music recording artist soared,
with her first Top 40 country hit in 1997
coming out &
— “Shut Up and Drive” and then two
years later “Single White Female” —
she would call Nashville home until
2008 (she now lives in New York City).
That album, “Single White Female”
carrying on
went Gold (RIAA-certified sales of a
half-million copies) and soon she was
also being promoted as a sex symbol
by People magazine and linked ro-
Continues on page 40
24 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011

QUEERY: 20 Questions for Mara Levi

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO How long have you been out and who If science discovered a way to change
joeyd@washblade.com was the hardest person to tell? sexual orientation, what would you do?
My family was hard to tell, not because You mean change sexual orientation
Mara Levi has made several shifts in her adult I was concerned about their reactions, so that gay people could un-gay them-
life. She came out in 2000 and was in a long-term but because they were the first people selves (or vice versa)? I would lobby to
relationship for five years, which found her and I told. After that, and after they reacted remove science from schools because
her ex moving from Massachusetts to D.C. where with openness and love, I didn’t really clearly science would be a waste of time
she lived for five years. worry about coming out to other people. in that scenario.
Frustration in that relationship — which ended
in mid-2008 — inspired many of the songs on her Who’s your LGBT hero? What do you believe in beyond the
latest album, “We Listen to Fools,” which dropped My Uncle Jeff. We haven’t talked a ton physical world?
in October. She’s touring the album now — look about gay things, but I know he has done a A universe of love and compassion.
for a D.C. show with her band the Pushovers on lot of political work to make being gay easier
Feb. 26 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (de- for all of us, and he always set a fantastic What’s your advice for LGBT move-
tails at maralevi.com) and will be in the Midwest example for how being gay can be an im- ment leaders?
this month. It’s her third project. portant part of your life, but also how won- Sometimes compromise and baby
Levi, a veteran performer at Capital Pride, derful it is to do good things for all people. steps are important, but sometimes mak-
Phasefest and many D.C. venues, moved to ing a stand on principle and drawing a
Brooklyn in November 2009 to be with her new What’s Washington’s best nightspot, line in the sand is equally important.
girlfriend/fiance, Meredith who, at the time, was past or present?
in law school there. Levi is also continuing her Phase 1. Always my favorite, always What would you walk across hot
education — she’s in a graduate program at New Photo by Meredith Palmer welcoming to all, and always red. coals for?
York University and plans eventually to teach My family, my friends, my pets and a
music. She hasn’t given up on the touring musician/singer-songwriter lifestyle, but Describe your dream wedding. plantain enchilada with mole sauce.
says several years of breaking even — an accomplishment, she says — gave way I’m planning it right now. It involves
to some practical considerations. flamingos and smoke machines. What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
“I consider myself a pretty accomplished musician but I’ve never said I was good Wait, there are gay stereotypes? I
at marketing, business, all those other important components that go into it,” Levi What non-LGBT issue are you most thought we were all open-minded indi-
says. “You start thinking about savings and wanting to have kids and all those things passionate about? viduals who saw individual expressions
that are just not realistic if you’re breaking even.” Social justice in education. of sexuality as enriching personality traits,
The Shaker Heights, Ohio, native is still friendly with her ex and spends time in not a defining characteristic. We’re not?
Washington visiting the two cats they had together — Herbert Hoover and Calvin What historical outcome would you
Coolidge. change? What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
Levi enjoys word games, web design and carpentry in her spare time. She likes The ninth game of the 1997 World “But I’m a Cheerleader”
to relax on the beach in Mexico. Series. Specifically the ninth inning, be-
cause that’s where the Indians lost it. What’s the most overrated social
custom?
What’s been the most memorable pop Fashion. Give me a pair of sweat-
culture moment of your lifetime? pants, some comfy shoes and a T-shirt
When the Pushovers (my band) and I’m happy as a pig in a puddle.
played at the 9:30 club!

Mr. Henry’s
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
On what do you insist? The Nobel Prize for chemistry. I keep
Fairness. Life can be fair if we all make coming so CLOSE!
it so.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
What was your last Facebook post or How (and why) to network.
CAPITOL HILL Tweet?
Vamonos al Mexico. (Not sure if it was cor- Why Washington?
rect Spanish grammar, but it’s what I posted.) D.C. is small but active, friendly, clean,
easy to get around and clean (yes, a
If your life were a book, what would second mention was necessary). I miss
the title be? living in D.C. very much and hope to
“Just a Few More Miles” come back some day.

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 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 25

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26 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011

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Members of the D.C. Ice Breakers, a local LGBT skating group, at a recent activity night at the

p
Ballston Common Mall in Arlington.

h e s Spins and salchows

t You don’t have to be an
expert skater to have fun
with the Ice Breakers
By KEVIN MAJOROS
Back in 2006, Neil Schuldenfrei saw
an ad on Craigslist promoting an open
skate for lesbians and gays at a local ice
skating rink. He and a friend arrived at
the rink only to find there was no repre-
sentation from the LGBT community. In-
stead of letting this incident go by, Schul-
denfrei decided to create his own gay ice
skating group, the D.C. Ice Breakers.
The Ice Breakers skate twice a month
during the adults-only hour on Wednes-
day nights at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex
atop the Ballston Common Mall in Ar-
lington. The skate runs from 8:15 to 9:15
PM and the cost is $8 plus $3 for skate
rental. After the skate, members head to
Bailey’s Pub (in the mall) for socializing.
The Kettler Capitals Iceplex is truly a
sight to behold. In addition to the 20,000
square foot training center for the Wash-
ington Capitals, the Iceplex features two
indoor NHL-sized ice rinks, locker rooms,
be a throwback to my youth at ice rinks
and roller rinks.
There is fun music blasting, they
change direction on the rink halfway
through the hour, and at some point all
the lights go out and there are strobe
lights bouncing off disco balls.
Another thing that stood out to me was
the different skill levels present on the
ice. The group skates during the public
skate so there can be as many as 100
people on the ice. There were people
clinging to the walls, people stumbling
over the ice and also people gliding over
the ice. In the center of the rink, you can
watch the advanced skaters practicing
their spins and jumps.
“If you happen to fall down, there is
always someone good-looking who will
pick you up,” Schuldenfrei says.
Along with the skating, the Ice Break-
ers have begun to add other types of
events to their calendar. This past year
they have hosted party game nights, lazy
river tubing, high-speed boat cruises
and winery tours. Every quarter they offer
up one of their “Mega Skate” or “Mega
Game” nights. These events are co-host-
ed by up to 10 LGBT groups and after
the skate, they converge at Bailey’s Pub

VIDA
a full-service ProShop, a Capitals Team
Store, a snack bar and space for special
events. On the night I went to skate, I had
as much fun exploring the facility as I did
skating.
FITNESS The Ice Breakers came up with the
vidafitness.com
Aura spa
idea of co-hosting skating nights with
auraspa.net other LGBT sports teams as well as
LGBT networking and social groups. I
skated with the Federal Triangles Soccer
Club and found the whole experience to
for board games, free use of the pool
tables and drink specials.
Schuldenfrei, who was recently hon-
ored by Team D.C. as an LGBT trailblaz-
er, says the recent “Mega” events have
drawn up to 350 people with an equal
division of men and women.
If you are interested in co-hosting an
event with the D.C. Ice Breakers or want
more information on the skates, visit
dcicebreakers.com.
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 27

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 28 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
CALENDAR the
TODAY
D.C. Center (1318 U St.,
N.W.) is having its monthly open
mic night tonight from 8 to 10
p.m. This month the event will
feature the work of the Brother
Tongue poetry workshop par-
ticipants. Doors open at 7:30
p.m. and performers can sign
up between 7:30 and 8.
ANNIEthing Goes and
friends present “Absolina” a
birthday celebration with DJs
Zenbi, Charles Martin and vAN-
NIEty kills tonight at 10 at Jimmy
Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club
(1103 Bladensberg Rd., N.E.)
RAW, hosted by DJs Bil Todd
and Shea Van Horn, will be at
Green Lantern (1335 Green
Court, N.W.) tonight from 10
p.m. to 3 a.m. Free entry before
11 p.m. with a $3 cover after.
There will be an open bar from
10 to 11 p.m. Attendees must
be 21 or older.
Metropolitan Community
Church of Washington’s fund-
raising team is hosting a bingo
night tonight at 7 p.m. at the
church (474 Ridge St., N.W.).
The evening begins with four
early bird games which costs
$2 for four cards or $3 for eight
cards. This is followed by 17
regular and special games
which are packaged for as low
as $25. There will be home-
made refreshments available in
Mama Cecelia’s kitchen.
The Foundry Gallery (1314
18th St., N.W.) is holding an
courtesy
opening reception from 6 to 8
p.m. for its newest exhibit “Cel-
ebrate Gay Marriage” which is
a juried show of regional artists.
The reception will feature a per-
formance by Potomac Fever,
part of the Gay Men’s Chorus
of Washington. The exhibit will
continue through Jan. 30.
Signature Theatre (4200
Campbell Ave.) in Arlington is
hosting “Pride Night” tonight fea-
turing a performance of “Sunset
Boulevard” following by a one-
hour post-show cocktail and
hors d’oeuvres reception. The
performance begins at 8 p.m.
Signature has also teamed up
with Fleet Transportation and is
offering a shuttle service from
Dupont Circle on P Street directly
to the theater leaving at 6:30 and
returning at 11:30 p.m. Roundtrip
tickets for the bus are $5 and tick-
ets to “Pride Night” are $86 and
$91. All tickets can be purchased
at the theater box office.
Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.)
and Gloss present First Fridays
Ladies Night tonight with music
by DJ Rosie in the main room
and performances by the D.C.
Kings and the D.C. Gurly Show
at midnight. There is a $10
cover. Attendees must be 18 or
older to enter.
Florence Lacey as Norma Desmond in ‘Sunset Blvd.’ Signature Theatre,
which is hosting a production of the show, is having a special ‘Pride Night’
at tonight’s performance.
Front Runners is having its
monthly happy hour tonight at
the Duplex Diner (2004 18th St.,
N.W.) at 6:30 p.m.
The Dance Party will be at
9:30 Club with Wallpaper, K-
Flay, Ra Ra Rasputin and low-
ercaseletters at 8 p.m. Tickets
are $15 and can be purchased
at 930.com.
Saturday, Jan. 8
The planning committee for
the D.C. Center’s sixth annual
Oscar celebration, “Glamour,
Glitter, Gold” is meeting to-
day at 11:30 a.m. at the Center
(1318 U St., N.W.). The commit-
tee is chaired by Michelle Ross
and Timur Tugberk.
City Gallery (804 H St., N.E.)
will be holding an opening re-
ception for its newest exhibit
Birchmere Dec. 17. (Photo courtesy of the Roches)
Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Signature
“Leaves, Words and Screens”
featuring the work of Ronnie
Spiewak tonight from 6 to 9 p.m.
The exhibit will continue through
Jan. 29.
Pianist Alexander Paley will
be giving a free all-Liszt concert
tonight in celebration of what
would be Franz Liszt’s 200th
birthday at 8 p.m. at Westmo-
reland Congregational UCC
Church (1 Westmoreland Circle)
in Bethesda.
Team D.C. will be having an
information Q&A session today
at 10 a.m. at the Verizon Center.
The session is open to anyone,
but space is limited. To reserve
a space, e-mail Ryan Bos at ry-
anbos@yahoo.com.
The Capitol Hill Arts Work-
shop will host its fifth annual ju-
ried photography exhibition and
reception today from 5 to 7 p.m.
at CHAW (545 7th St., S.E.). The
exhibit will feature works from lo-
cal and regional artists. The show
will continue through Feb. 4.
Apex presents Glowing, a fu-
sion of black lights, dayglo paint
and glow sticks tonight with DJ
Gigi. DJ Michael Brandon will
host Caliente, a latin dance
party, in the east wing dance
lounge. Kristina Kelly and the
Girls of Glamour will perform at
11 p.m. There is a $10 cover.
The NSO Teddy Bear Con-
cert: “Fancy That!” will have
three performances of a one-
woman show with NSO violinist
Marissa Regini today at 11 a.m.,
1:30 and 5 p.m. in the Kennedy
Center’s Family Theatre (2700 F
St., N.W.).
Sunday, Jan. 9
LAMBDA SCI-FI, a monthly
meeting and social of LGBT sci-
ence fiction, fantasy and horror
fans, will have its annual blind book
exchange today at 1:30 p.m. At-
tendees are encouraged to bring
a snack or a non-alcoholic drink
to share. The meeting will be held
at 1414 17th St., N.W. For more
information call James at 202-232-
3141, e-mail to info@lambdascifi.
org, or visit the group’s website at
lambdascifi.org.
D.C. Kings will be at Phase
(525 8th St., S.E.) tonight with
“One Hit Wonders.” Doors open
at 7 p.m. and the performance
begins at 10. There is a $5 cover.
The Baltimore Museum of
Art (10 Art Museum Drive) is
having its free family Sundays
with “Collage Wacky Warhol
Wigs” today from 2 to 5 p.m. To-
day is also the last day to view
the exhibit “Andy Warhol: The
Last Decade.” Tickets to the ex-
hibit range from $15 for adults to
$5 for children 6 to 18 years old.
Burgundy Crescent Vol-
unteers will be helping fight
hunger in the D.C. area today
from 9 a.m. to noon, with D.C.
Central Kitchen. Volunteers will
help cook, working along chefs
who have graduated from the
Kitchen’s job training program.
No experience is required,
just an interest of cooking. The
Kitchen provides job skills by
using rescued and donated in-
gredients to teach unemployed
and homeless individuals how
to cook, then turns this food into
free meal services. E-mail jona-
than@burgundycrescent.org for
more information.
Monday, Jan. 10
The fourth Mid-Atlantic
Band Battle IV Preliminaries
start tonight at 7 p.m. at Jam-
min’ Java (227 Maple Ave., E.)
in Vienna. The preliminaries
continue through Thursday.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
The Baltimore Museum of
Art (10 Art Museum Drive) be-
gins “Rest, Restore, Renew,”
its winter yoga series, today
from 6 to 7:15 p.m. There are
six sessions and they are $95
for members and $110 for non-
members.
Join Burgundy Crescent Vol-
unteers to help pack safer sex kits
from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at FUK!T’s
new packing location Green Lan-
tern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.
Wednesday, Jan. 12
The Big Gay Book Group will
meet tonight at 7 p.m. at 1155
F St., N.W., Suite 200. The book
for discussion will be “Great
Speeches on Gay Rights” ed-
ited by James Daley. For more
information, visit the group’s
website biggaybookgroup.com
or e-mail biggaybookgroup@
hotmail.com.
Rainbow Response will hold
its monthly meeting tonight from
7 to 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center
(1318 U St., N.W.)
Thursday, Jan. 13
DCBiWomen will be having
its monthly dinner at Café Luna
(1633 P St., N.W.) tonight from 7
to 8 p.m. For more information,
visit dcbiwomen.org.
Exposed Tattoo and Baller
Inc., present the D.C. Tattoo
Arts Expo starting today at the
Crystal City Doubletree Hotel
(300 Army Navy Drive) in Arling-
ton with a VIP welcome party in
the Sky Dome from 8 p.m. to
2 a.m. The expo will continue
through the weekend, ending
Sunday.
Friday, Jan. 14
DJ Joshua and TheNewGay
present BALLS! Tonight from 10
p.m. to 3 a.m. at Velvet Lounge
(915 U St., N.W.) featuring the
debut DJ set of Steve Scarlata.
There is no cover for this event.
Drink specials include $3 Natty
Boh and $4 kamikazes.
Gross National Product re-
turns with “The Sound of Palin”
at Atlas Performing Arts Center
(1333 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8
p.m. Tickets range from $10 to
$20 and can be purchased at
atlas arts.org.
Saturday, Jan. 15
Blowoff, a dance party fea-
turing gay DJs Bob Mould and
Richard Morel, will be at 9:30
Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight.
Doors opens at 11:30 p.m. At-
tendees must be 21 or older.
Tickets are $12 and can be pur-
chased at 930.com.
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 29

TICKETS ARE GOING FAST! Miss’d America 2010

2011 Miss’d America Pageant Michelle Dupree

to be held on Sunday, January 16, 2011 at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City
Come experience the #1 Drag Pageant hosted by the fabulous Suzanne Westenhoefer!
Ticket Information
Gold:$100.00* Silver:$65.00 Bronze:$35.00
Gold ticket includes VIP seating, free parking, table service, admission to pre and post parties.
Add on a Party Pass to both pre and post parties for $20.00
Pre Party • Boardwalk Hall Concourse Post Party • Boogie Nights
Tickets can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations,
by calling 800-736-1420 or at www.ticketmaster.com.
Find out more information by visiting www.acglbt.org
30 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
AnniversAry OFFer
mention this ad to receive
$200 OFF a new membership
ARTSINBRIEF
Synetic’s ‘Nutcracker’ features original music
Equally kid-friendly is a striking new twist on this
tinseled old favorite — the original E.T.A. Hoffman
tale of the enchanted Nutcracker Prince who saves
a young girl from a nightmare attack of scamper-
ing mice — given it by educator and director Lilia
Slavova. This version, which runs through Jan. 16
at the Synetic Family Theater’s Crystal City stage,
1800 S. Bell St. in Arlington, is virtually non-stop
action and filled with whimsy and wonder, magic
and movement, bright fun and broad farce. Photo by Ulia Kriskovets; courtesy of Synetic
Slavova’s re-imagining is shorn of most of From left, Austin Johnson as Fritz,
Tchaikovsky’s music from the ballet suite and in Emily Whitworth as Louise and
its stead music from Synetic in-house composer Dalles Tolentino as the Nutcracker
Konstantine Lortkipandize is heard along with in Synetic’s ‘Nutcracker,’ which con-
Bach, Beethoven and Stravinsky. For acting and tinues through Jan. 16.
dancing, including credible Russian-style leg-
kicks and break-dance stunts, pay special attention to cute 22-year-old Austin John-
son who plays “Fritz” as a goofy 9 year old full of mischief, and lithe and limber Dallas
Tolentino as the Nutcracker Prince. Tickets at 800-494-8497 or synetictheater.org.
Katz to speak at Foundry on controversial exhibit
Then there’s visual art, including, of course, the art world’s breakthrough mu-
seum show, “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture.” As has
been widely reported, this is a display of the depiction of same-sex attraction in
American art from the 19th century to today. It closes at the National Portrait Gal-
lery, 8th and F St N.W., on Feb 13.
The show’s co-curator Jonathan Katz, director of the doctoral program in visual
studies at the State University of Buffalo, will discuss the firestorm over the recent
political intervention in the exhibit to force the removal of the video “A Fire in the
Belly,” at D.C.’s Foundry Gallery, 1314 18th St. N.W., Saturday Jan 15 at 4 p.m. At-
tendance at the lecture is free.
Flashpoint began showing the censored video after its removal from the show.
Also there is a special exhibit there from through Jan. 30 to celebrate D.C.’s historic
passage last year of the same-sex marriage law. The show features a juried selec-
tion from an “open call” for entries for visual representations of the theme of gay
marriage. One of the artists featured is Bill Travis, a photographer of male nudes
and art historian who recently moved to D.C. from New York City and whose show
“Bodyscapes” just ended its own run at the D.C. Center on Jan 5. The reception for
the show’s opening is tonight from 6 to 8.
Opera diva Fleming in recital this weekend
Grand opera’s sumptuous soprano celebrated
by critics for her “creamy, generous tone” is ex-
pected to be as gorgeous as ever vocally when
she appears in a Kennedy Center Concert Hall re-
cital at 8 p.m. Saturday - a Washington Performing
Arts Society (WPAS) event. Tickets at $47 to $125
are available through wpas.org or 202-785-WPAS.
Known as “the people’s diva,” Fleming sets the
bar high for opera and lieder with such signature
roles as the Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s “Le
nozze di Figaro” and Desdemona in Verdi’s “Otel-
lo.” Fleming also stars on Jan. 31 in another of
her great roles, as Violetta in Verdi’s “La traviata,”
when “Opera in Cinema” kicks off its new season, Photo by Andrew Eccles
now presented at D.C.’s new West End Cinema. Opera legend Renee Fleming plays
Tickets for $20 are at www.westendcinema.com. the Kennedy Center this weekend.
‘Seasons’ suites to be heard at Cathedral
Just when cold winter releases its latest icy grip comes a vision from Vivaldi
that there are indeed four seasons, celebrated in a centerpiece selection of three
masterworks by the Shakespeare Library’s Folger Consort — in concert tonight
and Saturday night in the majestic nave of Washington National Cathedral, located
at Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, N.W.
Violinist Julie Andrijeski leads the baroque orchestra in the classic Vivaldi “Four
Seasons” and also 17th century English composer Christopher Simpson’s fantasia
suites for strings, “The Seasons.”
Rounding out the concert is the atmospheric music for John Cage’s 1947 bal-
let “The Seasons” — arranged for baroque instruments. American-born Cage, a
composer and artist whose romantic partner for most of his life was dancer and
choreographer Merce Cunningham, died in 1992 at age 78.
Get tickets from $30 at folger.edu/consort or 202-544-7077.
— DAVID J. HOFFMAN
january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 31
32 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
THE GUIDE TO ARTS & CULTURE
HOT HITS AND HIDDEN JEWELS OPENINGS
A Shadow of Honor Fri, Jan. 7
Jan 8 - Jan 30 Lyme Park, Round House Theatre,
Round House Theatre Silver Spring. 240-
Keegan Theatre 644-1100. roundhousetheatre.org
Church Street Theater
703-892-0202 Sat, Jan. 8
keegantheatre.com Laura elkins: White House Negligee,
A play about history and family, love The Fridge DC. thefridgedc.com
and war, where past and present col- Masterworks of Three Centuries. The
lide with a new generation and some- Smithsonian Chamber Music Society,
thing has to give. Smithsonian Resident Associate Pro-
gram, Smithsonian American History.
202-633-3030. residentassociates.org
National Philharmonic The In Series - Pagliacci and Maria La
Chee-Yun Plays Vivaldi’s Four Sea-
O - Winter Pocket Opera Double Bill, In
sons Series, Source Theatre. 202-204-7763.
Jan 8 & 9 inseries.org
Strathmore Washington Stage Guild: Magic by
301-581-5100 G.K. Chesterton, Washington Stage
The National Philharmonic and the Guild, Undercroft Theatre. 240-582-
engaging and elegant violinist Chee- 0050. stageguild.org
Yun present two works for string or-
chestra; Vivaldiís The Four Seasons
Wed, Jan. 12
Beyond the Horizon by eugene O’Neill,
and Tchaikovskyís Serenade for American Century Theater, Gunston The-
Strings. atre Two. 703-998-4555. americancen-
tury.org
Thu, Jan. 13
National Symphony Orchestra: Kirill
Karabits, conductor / Sergey Khachatry-
an, violin, plays Shostakovich, National
Symphony Orchestra,Kennedy Center.
202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org
The First 100 Years: The City of Glena-
rden, 1910-2010, Montpelier Arts Center.
301-377-7800. pgparks.com
LAST CHANCE
Beyond the Story: Sat, Jan. 8
Amalgamate: Paintings by Cindy
National Geographic
Neuschwander & Figuration Today: The
Unpublished
National Geographic Surrealist Influence, McLean Project for
the Arts. 703-790-1953. mpaart.org
Through Jun 12 New Sculpture by Michael enn Sirvet,
202-857-7588 Reyes + Davis Independent Exhibitions.
Exhibition features unpublished 202-255-5050.
photographs from fifteen pho-
tographers covering everything Sun, Jan. 9
from the wilds of Madagascar to A Girl’s Guide to Washington Politics,
new leisure pursuits in booming Woolly Mammoth. 202-393-3939. woolly-
Shanghai in 2010. mammoth.net
Arcimboldo, 1526ñ1593: Nature and
The Guide to Arts & Culture is produced by CultureCapital.com, the one-stop shop to arts & culture for Fantasy, National Gallery of Art. nga.gov
Metro DC, a program of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington. A SHADOW OF HONOR: Supplied
Loös Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant
by Keegan Theatre. CHee-YUN provided by National Philharmonic, BeYOND THe STORY supplied by
Color, Museum of Women in the Arts.
National Geographic.
The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings
from the Permanent Collection, The
Textile Museum. 202-667-0441. textil-
emuseum.org
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
Jan. 8 - Jan. 9
Marc Bamuthi Joseph presents The
Spoken World (Words that Move Us
Series), Dance Place. 202-269-1600.
danceplace.org
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Friday Morning Music Club Concert,
Friday Morning Music Club, Sumner
School Museum. fmmc.org
Sat, Jan. 8
Montpelier Film Series - The Art of
Film - east Is east, 1999 (r), Montpelier
Arts Center. 301-377-7800.
Roy Hargrove Quintet, Kennedy Center.
202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org
Tom Chapin, Wolf Trap.
1-877-WOLFTRAP. wolftrap.org
Sun, Jan. 9
NSO ensemble Concert: Connections:
MORe Science and Music, National
Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center.
202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org
Crossing the Delaware: The Battles
of Trenton and Princeton. All-Day
Tour, Smithsonian Resident Associate
Program, Holiday Inn Capitol. 202-633-
3030. residentassociates.org
Thu, Jan. 13
evenings at the TM: Loosening the
Knot - Contemporary Ikat, The Textile
Museum. textilemuseum.org
International Guitar Night, Wolf Trap.
1-877-WOLFTRAP. wolftrap.org
Theater Look-in: Rodgers & Hammer-
stein’s South Pacific, Kennedy Center.
202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org
ONGOING STAGE
Beltway Poetry Slam, The Fridge DC.
202-664-4151. thefridgedc.com
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pa-
cific, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
kennedy-center.org
Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet, The
Studio Theatre. 202-332-3300. studiothe-
atre.org
ONGOING EXHIBITONS
Corcoran Gallery of Art. 202-639-1700.
corcoran.org. Spencer Finch: My Busi-
ness, with the Cloud, Washington Color
and Light
National Archives. archives.gov. Dis-
covering the Civil War - Consequences
National Gallery of Art. nga.gov. Pho-
tographs and Reproductive Prints from
the Department of Image Collections, The
Pre-Raphaelite Lens: British Photography
and Painting, 1848-1875, From Impres-
sionism to Modernism: The Chester Dale
Collection. The Body Inside and Out:
Anatomical Literature and Art Theory Se-
lections from the National Gallery of Art
Library, Picturing the Victorians: British
National Geographic. 202-857-7700.
events.nationalgeographic.com. Great
Migrations: A Photography Exhibition
Museum of Women in the Arts. Books
Without Words: The Visual Poetry of Elis-
abetta Gut
The Textile Museum. 202-667-0441.
textilemuseum.org. Colors of the Oasis:
Central Asian Ikats
ONGOING GALLERIES
Bewick’s Legacy: Six Contemporary
British Wood engravers, Washington
Printmakers Gallery. washingtonprint-
makers.com
Alison Sigethy: Understory, The Art
League. 703-683-1780. theartleague.org
Smack Down: Representational vs Ab-
stract, Arlington Artists Alliance, Lenox
Club. arlingtonartistsalliance.org
Alptraum!, Transformer. 202-483-1102.
transformergallery.org
CHAW’s Fifth Annual Photography ex-
hibition, CHAW. 202-547-6839. chaw.org
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 33

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 34 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011
THEATERAGENDA
we are now
available in
BALTIMORE
Geoff Packard in the title role in ‘Candide.’ Co-star Joey Stone holds his hat in the background.
Last call for ‘Candide’
Gay actor Stone among
high points of production
By DAVID J. HOFFMAN
One weekend remains to see Shake-
speare Theatre Company’s production of
“Candide” — it closes Sunday.
The 1956 masterpiece has several
gay angles — late composer Leonard
Bernstein, contributions from a young
Stephen Sondheim and actor/singer/
dancer Joey Stone, who came out in
high school and who (among various
roles) plays an elegant Senor and a rap-
ing-and-pillaging soldier in this newest
version of Voltaire’s dark satiric novella
of 1759. Stone is also dance captain in
the show birthed last fall at Chicago’s
Goodman Theatre and then transported
wonderfully intact to D.C.’s Shakespeare
Theatre Harman Hall.
The story itself is familiar, boy meets
girl, but then they are sadly parted. Ac-
tually, however, in this case, “boy grows
up with girl.” Handsome-but-penniless
young Candide, who is illegitimate, lives
on the estate of his uncle the baron, with
his cousin Cunegunde, the baron’s self-
absorbed-but-delightfully pretty daughter.
ADVERTISING PROOF
They reside in Westphalia, one of those
tiny German principalities of the time,
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where they are taught by the indulgent Dr.
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of Pangloss, to believe that “all is for the best
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proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts in this best of all possible worlds.”
omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
GN responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users
can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or
But dark clouds of war threaten and
EVISIONS any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any anyway Candide himself is soon dis-
/LOGO REVISIONS copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
SIONS
competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE patched by the baron into exile. From
washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred thenbuton, nothing is for the best any lon-
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the
washington blade newspaper. This includes is not limited to placement,
by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations
ger, as not only war but also earthquake
payment and insertion schedule.
and warranties.
and religious inquisition intervene, and
both Candide and Cunegunde travel,
mostly separately, through ordeal after
ordeal, until their foolish Panglossian op-
timism is knocked right out of them along
with their naive stuffing.
Along their way, both Candide and
Cunegunde keep meeting, in various
guises, the dark-haired and bearded
Stone, who in one of his roles, rapes
Cunegunde. In fact, much of the time
Photo courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company
Stone’s character is party to the “awful
price” paid by the young couple during
their many ordeals, including in one of the
funniest songs, “What a Day for an Auto-
da-fe” — literally, execution in the guise
of purification to save the deceased’s
soul — where Stone lurks darkly among
the gang of religious zealots cheering on
the capital punishment.
Louisville native Stone began life, he
says, with his father in the military, “not
too much as a brat, but definitely as an
army kid.” While attending the Youth Per-
forming Arts School (a public magnet
school in Louisville), “I came out to my
friends first,” he recalls now, when he
was sure he was then “the only out gay
dude in high school.” But he only came
out much later to his mother.
He left school at the University of Cin-
cinnati College Conservatory of Music
(CCM) after his junior year in 2007 and
moved to Chicago “to think outside the
box,” he says, no longer satisfied with
conventional conservatory study for the
performing arts. Almost immediately he
began to get parts, at first in “The Rocky
Horror Show” — hired, says Stone, “ba-
sically the first day I go there.” Other
parts soon followed, including as pup-
peteer and back-up singer in “The Snow
Queen” and several other puppet shows.
Living in Chicago, Stone moved on to
parts in “Funny Girl,” “Cabaret,” “Mame”
and “Sweet Charity,” but continues to
dabble in music also, forming his own
band, Barack and the Obamas.
“We are hilarious,” he says. “We pay
homage to the ‘60s girl-groups like Diana
Ross and the Supremes.”
Continues at washingtonblade.com
‘CANDIDE’
Directed and adapted from Voltaire by
Mary Zimmerman
Through Sunday
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Harman Hall
610 F Street, N.W.
202-547-1122
shakespearetheatre.org
 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 35

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pont Circle Metro) popular with the theater In Dupont Circle area, above Dupont Circle area bar and club popular
crowd and featuring open-mike nights, ka- Dupont Italian Kitchen. with men featuring dancing, drag and
raoke and other special events. other special events.
DUPLEX DINER
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Longtime organizers of drag events in the 202-265-9599 Washington, DC 20003
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web site for full list of upcoming events. Popular restaurant and bar in the twitter.com/phase1dc
Adams Morgan area; happy hour The Phase opened in 1970 and remains
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STEAK HOUSE See web site for updated schedule. regular special events, including Jell-O
1609 17th St., NW wrestling, ’80s theme nights and more.
Washington, DC 20009 FAB LOUNGE Check web site for details. Mova closing party.
202-232-0395 1805 Connecticut Ave., NW
In Dupont Circle area; popular longtime Washington, DC 20009 LGBTQ NIGHT
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In Dupont Circle area; popular with men
2427 18th St., NW baltimore crowd, though welcoming to women
Washington DC 20009 1722 and straight patrons.
APEX but hosts regular women’s events. Party featuring disco house, electro, indie 1722 N. Charles St.
1415 22nd St., NW pop, dance and industrial every Friday Baltimore, MD 21201 LEON’S/TYSON PLACE
Washington, DC 20037 FIREPLACE night. Multi-level after-hours dance club 870 Park Ave.
202-296-0505 2161 P St., NW attracts a mixed crowd but remains Baltimore, MD 21201
apex-dc.com Washington, DC 20037 REMINGTONS gay-friendly. 410-539-4993
In Dupont Circle area; popular with men, 202-293-1293 639 Pennsylvania Ave., SE leonsbaltimore.tripod.com
but check schedule regularly for other In Dupont Circle area; neighborhood bar Washington, DC 20003 BALTIMORE EAGLE In business for more than 50 years,
events. popular with men. 202-543-3113 2002 N. Charles St. Leon’s is the oldest gay bar in
remingtonswdc.com Baltimore, MD 21218 Baltimore and among the oldest in
BACHELOR’S MILL GREEN LANTERN twitter.com/remingtonsWDC 410-82-EAGLE the country. Friendly bar with juke-
1104 8th St., SE 1335 Green Court, NW Popular country/Western nightclub in Longtime Levi/leather bar not far box gets especially busy on Sunday
Washington, DC 20003 Washington, DC 20005 Capitol Hill neighborhood with more than from Mount Vernon offers friendly bar, nights. Tyson Place is a restaurant
202-544-1931 greenlanterndc.com 6,000 square feet of space for dancing billiards, outdoor patio, videos and a bar located behind Leon’s with a
Longtime bar popular with African-Ameri- twitter.com/greenlanterndc and billiards. One half block west of East- full store for your leather needs. separate entrance.
can men in Capitol Hill area. Friendly bar for men hosts regular happy ern Market Metro. Mostly men, but welcoming to wom-
hours and special events, including ka- en. PORT IN A STORM
BANANA CAFÉ raoke and shirtless drink special nights. TOWN 4330 E. Lombard St.
500 8th St., SE Check web site for details. McPherson Danceboutique CLUB PHOENIX Baltimore, MD 21224
Washington, DC 20003 Square Metro. 2009 8th St., NW 1 W. Biddle St. 410-534-0014
202-543-5906 Washington, DC 20001 Baltimore, MD 21201 Friendly neighborhood lesbian bar
bananacafedc.com JR.’S 202-234-TOWN 410-837-3906 gets especially popular when the Ra-
Popular Capitol Hill area restaurant and 1519 17th St., NW towndc.com Mount Vernon-area downstairs bar vens play. Features billiards, music
bar (Eastern Market Metro) for both men Washington, DC 20036 Dance club and bar popular with men attracts men and women; friendly and more.
and women. Features Cuban, Mexican 202-328-0090 and women, features regular drag perfor- service.
and Puerto Rican cuisine. jrswdc.com mances. U Street Metro. QUEST
Longtime friendly Dupont Circle area bar DRINKERY 3607 Fleet St.
BLOWOFF popular with men; videos, regular special ULTRABAR 205 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD 21224
815 V St., NW events. 911 F St., NW Baltimore, MD 21201 410-563-2617
Washington, DC 20001 Washington, DC 20004 410-225-3100 Neighborhood bar in Highlandtown
blowoff.us LACE ultrabardc.com Another of Baltimore’s friendly neigh- area is popular with men and women
Created by musicians Bob Mould and 2214 Rhode Island Ave., NE twitter.com/UltraBar borhood bars in Mount Vernon featur- and offers billiards.
Richard Morel, Blowoff is an occasional Washington, DC 20018 Large dance club with gay-friendly events ing
dance event popular with men. Events are 202-832-3888 and vibe located downtown near Metro billiards, jukebox and welcoming SAPPHOS
held in clubs around the country; D.C.’s lacedc.com Center. service. 1001 N. Charles St.
Blowoff parties are held at the 9:30 club Every night is ladies night at Lace; Baltimore, MD 21201
in the popular U Street corridor. features regular special events for women WHERE THE GIRLS GO GALLERY 410-752-7133
in Brookland neighborhood. Check web wherethegirlsgo.com 1735 Maryland Ave. centralstationpub.com
COBALT site for details on happy hour specials. Queer women’s events in the D.C. area. Baltimore, MD 21201 Part of the Grand Central complex,
1639 R St., NW Check web site for latest info. 410-539-6965 Sappho’s attracts a lesbian crowd
Washington, DC 20009 LARRY’S LOUNGE Longtime bar and restaurant popular and offers comfy couches, outdoor
202-462-6569 1836 18th St., NW with African-American clientele.
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS patio and more in its second
cobaltdc.com Washington, DC 20009 1824 Half St., SW floor location.
In Dupont Circle area; part of complex of 202-483-1483 Washington, DC 20024 GRAND CENTRAL
LGBT businesses at this address, includ- Dupont Circle area bar and restaurant 202-863-0670 1001 N. Charles St.
ing Level One restaurant on
street level and 30 Degrees bar.
popular with both men and women. secretsdc.com
Featuring all-nude male dancers Wednes-
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410-752-7133
northern va
MIXTAPE days-Sundays, drag performances, large centralstationpub.com FREDDIE’S
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555 23rd St. South
1321 14th St., NW mixtapedc.com events, contests and more. Large parking ing friendly pub, lesbian bar Sap-
Washington, DC 20005 twitter.com/MIXTAPEdc pho’s upstairs and a dance club on Arlington, VA 22202
lot available; located in Buzzard’s Point 703-685-0555
202-319-1333 Alternative dance party for queer men and warehouse district. the first floor.
crewclub.net women featuring electro, alt-pop, indie Freddie Lutz’s Virginia establishment
includes a restaurant and friendly
Men’s 24-hour gym in Logan Circle area, rock, house, disco and New Wave. Check HIPPO bar, regular specials and is popular
featuring steam rooms, lounges, web site for 2010 schedule of events. 1 W. Eager St.
private dressing rooms and more. with men and women. Crystal City
Baltimore, MD 21201
Metro.
MOVA 410-547-0069
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Located near the convention center, two a environmentally friendly bar with an em- 225 W. Read St. Restaurant and bar is popular with
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 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 37

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BUSINESSAGENDA

professionaldirectory
Lorraine Biros, LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Life Transitions, Grief Work, Stress
Reduction, Women's Health

301.588.3531
www.lorrainebiros-lcpc.com

Lorraine Biros, LCPC

Strategies for
building wealth
Tracking expenses will regarding the rate of return you believe
you can earn on your investment.
get you focused Armed with all of this information, you
now can develop a strategy for accumu-
Sidney W. Binks III, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Becky Carroll, Ph.D. By TERRY-ANN GARDEMAL lating the wealth you require. Regardless
Licensed Psychologist of the goal or its time frame, consider
Individual & Couples Therapy
for the LGBT Community Interactive Counseling, Earlier in this series, we outlined the implementing a system by which you
18 years experience!! Psychotherapy and basic layers of a sound financial plan, pay yourself first. In other words, instead
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to accumulating wealth. In this article, ment plan contributions that your em-
Joel C. Ang, M.D.
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Next time, I’ll cover strategies for invest-
ployer automatically deducts from your
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Sylvia R. Medley, M.D., M.P.H. life or disability insurance. Keeping track tax efficiencies but may not be useful for
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We offer 25+ plans. We will help you working out what you will need to main- Similarly, 529 Plans, Coverdell ac-
202-667-5041 choose the plan that works best for you. tain your standard of living in retirement. counts, and/or Uniform Gift or Transfer
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cial goals such as retirement, education provide efficiencies in saving for educa-
Therapy for Adults, Michael Deninger PhD funding, saving for a first-time or new tion funding goals, but, like the retirement
Adolescents & Couples Licensed Professional Counselor
Certified in Hypnotherapy and NLP
home purchase or an extravagant vaca- plan options, these typically have limita-
Coming Out tion. This list will be helpful for a number tions making them inappropriate for oth-
Concerns About Intimacy, Partner Choice, INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES & GROUPS of reasons. First, it will allow you to get a er goals. Once again, a financial adviser
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(202) 296-0033 (703) 790-0038 have to save for a particular goal before ing to accomplish.
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 january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 39

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40 washingtonblade.com • january 7, 2011

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NIAID
Country singer Chely Wright’s coming out last year was not something that slipped out in an un-
guarded moment — she conferred with PR pros to maximize her impact and timed her memoirs and a
new album with the announcement. This photo was taken at last year’s Capital Pride shortly after she
came out.
Leading man status
still closet risk

Continued from page 23
mantically with fellow country music star
and friend Brad Paisley, with whom in
2000 she co-wrote their duet, “Hard to be
a Husband, Hard to be a Wife.”
The personal reality, however, was dif-
ferent for Wright. Despite her desire never
to have sex with women, she had a sexual
experience at age 19 that led to an affair
that lasted nearly a year, and later, during
her rise to singing stardom, as described
in her autobiography, she maintained a
committed relationship between 1993 to
about 2004 with a women (while both were
closeted and the other woman even de-
cided to marry). Wright calls this woman
“the love of my life,” and their relationship
endured repeated breakups under the
strain of the closet and also her frequent
absences while on tour, but then would
regularly be followed by reconciliation.
Meanwhile, in 2000, Wright also began
an affair with Paisley, though she says
she felt zero sexual attraction to him, as
to all men. She pursued it as a gesture
of resignation. And she already was Pais-
ley’s good friend. Today, she expresses
remorse for how she treated him, saying
on “Oprah” that “I have a lot of regret for
how that (relationship) began and had a
middle and ended. I had no business be-
ing in a relationship with him.”
Her reality was creeping up on her, she
said in one interview after coming out. “I
knew I’d find myself in a dark place again,”
and she did. She continued to guard the
secret of her sexuality so intensely that it
brought her to the brink of suicide after an
emotional breakdown in 2005.
“It was a perfect storm,” she told the
Lawrence Journal-World, a Kansas pa-
per in May. “It was layers and layers of
fear and rejection,” and eventually an
“implosion” resulted. “That’s a long time
to hide a secret,” she says. “Everyone’s
coming out experience is dynamic, emo-
tional, difficult, scary.”
In her case, it began with a series of
songs that she wrote, even though she
fully expected to lose her country music
career if they were ever made public. In
private, she strummed away on her gui-
tar, until literally her fingers bled.
That album, five years in the making
became “Lifted Off the Ground,” a mu-
sical outpouring from her soul that she
says on her website “was a making that
began with an unmaking — a breakup
leading to a breakdown on the way to
ultimate breakthrough.” The result is a
remarkable song cycle, an emotional tor-
rent of a woman climbing inch by inch out
of a deep hole into the sunlight, from the
opening song “Broken” through the black
humor of “Notes to the Coroner” and the
joy of “Heavenly Days.” She says, “these
songs were annoying me every single
day, so I had to let them out.
“There was no formula, no Nashville
Music Row template,” she says. “Quite
frankly I just wanted to sleep.”
At one point she had told some people,
including her sister and brother, that she
was lesbian but could not face doing so
to her mother, with whom she was in only
rare contact. She did tell her father since
she thought he was about to hear it from
Continues on page 41

DCAGENDA
Coming out still tricky for some entertainers
Continued from page 40
someone else. She wanted to continue
to compartmentalize her life, she says, to
protect her secret from him, but then she
thought, “Why are we growing apart?
“I can’t do this,” she wrote in her autobi-
ography. “I can’t have my dad die of a heart
attack and him not know who I am. So I told
him. He was surprised. He said, ‘But what
about the boys?’ I said, ‘Dad, I tried.’” When
she sat down in 2007 at her laptop to begin
typing the title to her book, “Like Me,” and
then her words began to pour out, she says
that evening she enjoyed her first good
night’s sleep in three years.
When the news broke in May that she
was “out,” she says that she has been
told that in her hometown school in Kan-
sas, “three kids walked into the princi-
pal’s office and came out.” Now she is
touring to take her new album to new
audiences and she appears at the Birch-
mere in Alexandria on Jan. 21.
The other celebrities who chose this
year to come out of their own closets
each follow, of course, their own arc of
self-recognition and then disclosure.
Bragman says coming out is a meta-
phor that extends beyond gay issues —
it can apply to people in rehab, people in
abusive relationships and more.
“Other people know,” he says, “and
that’s the price you pay for being a ce-
lebrity. It’s sad, but there’s this price to be
paid, when you give up the freedom of
privacy and I tell clients that a mediocre
career being who you are is better than
great success living a lie.”
Puerto Rico-born Ricky Martin’s deci-
sion at 39 to come out in March, in Peo-
ple and on “Oprah,” says Bragman, “was
not so big of a shock as Chely Wright,
and it was also totally positive, but most
of all, he’s another happy person now liv-
ing a happy life.”
Longtime music star at first in Span-
ish-language pop music and then with
the crossover mega-hit “Living La Vida
Loca” in 1999 from his first English al-
bum, Martin had long been rumored to
be gay, but generally denied being so,
for example when asked the question
point blank in a TV interview by Barba-
ra Walters. He once said, “It’s no one’s
business whether I’ve been to bed with a
cow, a broom or a woman ... I’m not go-
ing to tell anyone if I’m gay or not.”
In 2008, Martin became the father of
twin boys named Matteo and Valentino,
birthed by a surrogate mother. In 2010,
he decided to out himself on his web-
site saying “I am proud to say that I am
a fortunate homosexual man. I am very
blessed to be who I am.”
And he told Oprah Winfrey that he is in
a relationship, but chooses to shield his
boyfriend from publicity feeling he might
find the spotlight “overwhelming.” He said
on “Larry King Live” that “everything about
saying (that I am gay) feels right,” and that
“if I’d known how good it was going to feel,
I would have done it 10 years ago.”
His autobiography “Me” was pub-
Gay writer Dustin Lance Black applauded the decision by former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman to come
out as gay last year.
lished in November and is now a New
York Times best-seller. His career play-
ing romantic lead roles with women —
he once played Marius on Broadway in
“Les Miserables” — is yet to be tested.
It’s one of the toughest sticking points,
especially for closeted actors — will the
public and money backers buy and back
them playing straight romantic leads if
they’re out in their personal life. Martin is
rumored to be in the running for the role
of Che in the Broadway revival of “Evita,”
set to open in 2012.
Renna notes that “Ricky Martin never
presented himself as a macho stud and
no one was surprised in any way” when he
came out. When he did, “he came out as a
parent, and it meant a lot to see him on the
cover of People magazine with his kids.”
She says some barriers to coming
out remain firmly in place mostly in Hol-
lywood, especially for actors who play
action heroes.
“There always seem to be more wom-
en than men celebrities coming out” for
this reason, she says. “In Hollywood, to
be a man and to be gay is still perceived
to be a career killer, because Hollywood
just can’t imagine a lead male actor com-
ing out and then still being a credible
love interest for women.”
She points out the case of actor Ru-
january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 41
Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key
pert Everett who can now only be cast as
a best friend, and she says that to some
extent this also seems to be the case now
with Sean Hayes. Meanwhile, women like
Portia de Rossi can come out as lesbian
and still be able to be seen as of romantic
interest to men. But Renna says it’s not the
advantage it may appear to be.
“This is partially because women are
not taken as seriously as men,” she says.
“And especially lesbians are not. … Like
in much of the porn industry, it’s just not
threatening to straight men who may feel
if they see lesbian sex, ‘Well, I think I’ll
just join in,’ but they find two men togeth-
er both horrifying and threatening.”
Renna sees a growing trend of young
people coming out early in their show
business careers, pointing to the example
of 24-year-old actress Amanda Heard,
co-star of the 2008 hit film “Pineapple Ex-
press,” who chose this year’s GLAAD 25th
anniversary celebration to walk the red
carpet with her girlfriend of two years, artist
and photographer Tasya van Ree. Heard
will appear next on the screen as Johnny
Depp’s love interest in “The Rum Diary.”
“It’s especially encouraging to see
young media personalities like Anna Pa-
quin and Amber Heard, who see coming
out as a way to take a stand against anti-
LGBT bias, continue to thrive in the in-
dustry,” says Herndon Graddick, deputy
director of media programs for the Gay
& Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD).
Speaking to AfterEllen.com, Heard
said, “I can’t be part of the problem. I
hate the idea of a label as much as any-
one else but I’m with who I’m with. I love
who I love.”
Others in the limelight who came out
in 2010 have had, however, a bumpier
ride — for example, Ken Mehlman,
George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election cam-
paign manager, who served as Repub-
lican National Committee chairman from
2005-2007 and now heads global public
affairs for the private equity firm Kohl-
berg Kravis Roberts. The never-married
Mehlman was long suspected of being
gay, but always fiercely denied it.
He changed his story by going pub-
lic in August in an interview with a blog-
ger for “The Atlantic Monthly” saying “it’s
taken me 43 years to come to terms with
this part of my life.” He now is working as
a strategist for gay marriage rights, help-
ing raise funds for the American Founda-
tion for Equal Rights (AFER), the backer
of the challenge in court to Proposition 8,
the California ballot measure that banned
same-sex marriage in that state.
Mehlman has been hit hard by some
for alleged past hypocrisy, for remaining
in the closet while presiding over cam-
paigns linked to anti-LGBT laws and initia-
tives during his political career. One activ-
ist, Joe Jervis, has dubbed Mehlman, who
is Jewish, a “Quisling Homophobic scum-
bag,” and another activist Michael Rog-
ers said he should receive a “Roy Cohn
Award.” However, gay “Milk” screenwriter
Dustin Lance Black says “Ken represents
an incredible coup for AFER,” as one of
the most prominent openly gay figures in
the Republican Party.
“I can’t changed the fact that I wasn’t
in this place personally when I was in
politics,” Mehlman, 43, told the Atlantic.
“I genuinely regret that” and “it was very
hard, personally.” He said he wishes “I
was where I am today 20 years earlier.”
Speaking of the spate of self-outings
last year, Bragman says he’s “thrilled with
how many” there have been but there’s
“still a long way to go.”
Renna agrees.
“We’re approaching a day when we
won’t have celebrities who come out, but in-
stead we’ll have celebrities who are out from
the beginning of their careers,” she says.
Will there still be career risks?
“LGBT people still face tremendous
bias in all walks of life, but it’s extreme-
ly encouraging to see so many media
personalities flourish in their careers
after coming out,” says GLAAD’s Gran-
nick. “Ellen DeGeneres was once used
as a cautionary tale against coming out,
following the cancellation of her sitcom,
but today she’s a leading force in Hol-
lywood. Neil Patrick Harris has been an
openly gay actor playing a straight role
for several years now, and he’s continu-
ing to achieve remarkable success.”
 42 • JANUARY 07, 2011
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january 7, 2011 • washingtonblade.com 47