dcagenda

from fashion national local

the lgbtq community’s news source

to filmmaking agenda agenda

Gay director Tom Ford
talks about marriage,
movies and his debut
film, ‘A Single Man.’
PAGE 18
Could Ted Kennedy’s
Senate seat go to an
anti-gay Republican in
next week's election?
PAGE 8
Gay couple walks out
during bishop’s anti-gay
sermon at Greater Mount
Calvary Holy Church.
PAGE 5

dcagenda.com • vol. 2, issue 3 • january 15, 2010

Great expectations as Congress returns from recess

Movement on ENDA,
‘Don’t Ask’ repeal
could be imminent
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
As lawmakers hash out the 2010
legislative schedule for Congress,
LGBT rights supporters are anticipating
a House markup for the long-sought
Employment Non-Discrimination Act
within the next month.
Sources familiar with Capitol Hill
said the House Education & Labor
Committee will take up ENDA, which
would bar job bias against LGBT
people in the public and private work-
force, shortly after lawmakers return
from holiday break.
Last year, House and Senate
committees held hearings on legisla-
tion that would provide workplace
protections for LGBT people. The
next step in both committees — the
Education & Labor Committee in the
House and the Health, Education,
Labor & Pensions Committee in the
Senate — is reporting out the legis-
lation so floor votes can take place.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), a gay
lawmaker who serves on the House
Education & Labor Committee, said
he’s expecting a markup of the legis-
lation either this month or in
February and a floor vote soon after.
“Once it’s been marked up in
committee, it’s simply a matter of
scheduling it for the floor, and that of
course depends on what else is com-
ing to the floor, whether it’s health
care or what[ever] it is, but it should-
n’t take very long,” he said.
Also expecting an ENDA markup
in the House shortly is Allison DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
Herwitt, legislative director for the
Human Rights Campaign. U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) told DC Agenda this week that he’s expecting a markup of Employment Non-Discrimination
Act this month or next.
Continues on page 10

Two D.C. ballot measures seek

to ban same-sex marriage
nationalagenda Conservative members
A potentially historic effort at overturning Proposition 8 is of Congress also
underway in a California court. Visit dcagenda.com for entering legal fray
updated blog reports from the courtroom.
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
Gay marriage opponents have
filed papers with the city’s election
board proposing two more ballot
measures to overturn a same-sex
marriage law the D.C. City Council
passed and Mayor Adrian Fenty
signed in December.
Bishop Harry Jackson, the
Beltsville, Md., minister who is lead-
socialagenda ing efforts to oppose same-sex mar-
Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend is here. A schedule of riage in the District, filed papers last
week calling for a voter referendum
events and interview with outgoing titleholder, Page 20 to block the Religious Freedom &
Civil Marriage Equality Amendment
Act from becoming law.
And in a separate development
that went largely unnoticed, Ward 8
resident Joyce Little filed papers with
the Board of Elections & Ethics on
Dec. 23 calling for a voter initiative
that seeks to overturn the same-sex
marriage bill by banning same-sex
marriage in the city.
“The purpose of this initiative is to
allow the citizens of the District of
Columbia to vote to preserve tradi-
tional marriage as between one man
and one woman,” Little wrote in a
summary statement submitted to the
election board.
The election board scheduled a
Feb. 16 public hearing for Little’s ini- Photo by Joe Tresh
tiative. Board General Counsel
Bishop Harry Jackson
Continues on page 12
2 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 3
4 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010

localagenda
Couple walks out during anti-gay sermon
Gay men protest Bishop
Owens’ ‘homophobic
rant’ at Calvary
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
Jon Mack and his partner, Michael
Garrett, said their one-year tenure as
members of Greater Mount Calvary
Holy Church in Northeast D.C. came
to an abrupt end last week.
The two gay men said they were star-
tled and deeply hurt when Bishop Alfred
Owens, the church pastor, appeared to
be sending them and other same-sex
couples a blunt message Jan. 3.
“Sex is only pleasing to God in the
marriage bed, and the marriage bed
is a man and … a woman!” Owens
shouted from the pulpit, with hun-
dreds in the church pews shouting
their approval, according to accounts
by Mack and Garrett.
Owens’ remarks are also cap-
tured on a recording of his sermon
made available last week on the
church’s web site.
“If marriage wasn’t between a
man and a woman, you wouldn’t be
here because two men doing it don’t
produce no kids,” Owens said. “And
two women doing it don’t produce no
kids! It’s all about family,” he said as
members of the congregation contin-
ued to clap and cheer.
“During this homophobic rant, me
and my partner got up and walked
out,” said Mack, 28.
Mack and Garrett, 32, contacted DC
Agenda about their decision to walk out
on Owens’ sermon and are believed to
be the first gays to publicly disclose
their departure from a church that
activists say has a large number of
closeted gay members, mostly black.
“What hurt me more than what he
said is how the congregation yelled
and agreed with him,” Mack said. “It
showed me that people that don’t
Gay man who reported jail beating pleads guilty to reduced charge
Council member, activists
seek full account of
alleged Dec. 27 attack
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
A gay man who says guards at
the D.C. Jail beat him in a staircase
last month pleaded guilty Thursday
to a charge of misdemeanor sexual
abuse as part of a plea bargain
offered by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
John Burrows, a 38-year-old District
resident, had been held in the D.C. Jail
since September while awaiting trial on
charges that he allegedly stole money
and sexually abused a 79-year-old man.
His sister, Margaret Groat, said
Burrows has denied sexually abusing
the man, noting that her brother claims
the sex was consensual and a dispute
Jon Mack, left, and his partner, Michael Garrett ended their affiliation with Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church last week.
even know me hate me just because
of my sexuality.”
Mack and Garrett said they were
aware of reports that Owens had
previously made anti-gay remarks
during his sermons at Greater Mount
Calvary, which boasts a membership
of more than 6,000 people. But the
two noted they were attracted to the
church’s charismatic, highly animat-
ed services, which include perform-
ances by several different choirs.
arose when the man refused to comply
with a prior agreement to pay for the sex.
Burrows’ jail beating allegation
has prompted LGBT activists and
D.C. City Council member Phil
Mendelson (D-At Large) to call on
the city’s Department of Corrections
to give a full account of the incident.
Mendelson chairs a Council commit-
tee with jurisdiction over the jail.
In letters sent to his mother during
the past two weeks, Burrows said jail
guards on Dec. 27 handcuffed him
and bound his legs, then carried him
down three flights of stairs while delib-
erately knocking his head against the
walls and handrails. He told his moth-
er he believed the guards targeted him
because he’s gay.
Margaret Groat told DC Agenda that
Burrows suffered a concussion, two
black eyes and numbness in three fin-
gers as a result of the handcuffs being
tightened around his wrists. She said he
was awaiting an MRI test to determine
Owens previously drew media atten-
tion in 2006 when, in one of his record-
ed sermons on the Sunday before
Easter, he referred to gays as faggots.
“It takes a real man to confess
Jesus as Lord and Savior,” he said in
the 2006 sermon. “I’m not talking
about no faggot or no sissy. … Let
the real men come down here and
take a bow — all the real men. I’m
talking about straight men. … Praise
God that you’re straight.”
the extent of his head injuries after
experiencing severe headaches two
weeks following the incident.
Sylvia Lane, a Department of
Corrections spokesperson, said the
department was investigating the
incident and had no immediate com-
ment on the matter.
“There is no further information
available at this time,” she said.
Groat said she and Burrows’
mother, Judy Burrows, are suspi-
cious that the guards chose to take
Burrows into a stairwell to beat him
because the location was likely out of
the range of the jail’s video cameras.
Devon Brown, director of the
Department of Corrections, told a
City Council hearing last March that
officials had installed more than 600
video surveillance cameras through-
out the jail to help ensure “order,
safety and security” in the facility.
Mendelson expressed concern
that jail and corrections department
january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 5
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
His references to gays in the ser-
mon prompted LGBT activists to ask
then D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams to
expel Owens from a mayoral task
force on faith. In response, Owens
issued an apology, which prompted
Williams to announce he would retain
the minister on the faith task force.
Garrett said his initial reaction
upon hearing Owens’ hostile refer-
ences to gays in the Jan. 3 sermon
was to blame himself for continuing
officials often don’t release informa-
tion about reports of violence in the
jail, including reports of a recent riot
by inmates in the jail.
“This is pretty typical of how the
Department of Corrections is not
responsive,” he said. “We will try to
get more information.”
In exchange for pleading guilty,
prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s
office dropped a robbery charge
against Burrows and lowered a sec-
ond charge from felony sexual abuse
to misdemeanor sexual abuse. The
reduced charge carries a maximum
sentence of six months in jail.
Burrow’s mother, who attended a
court hearing Jan. 7 when the plea agree-
ment was announced, said her son’s
lawyer was hopeful that Judge Michael
Rankin would sentence him to the four
months of jail time he has already served
in connection with the case.
Rankin scheduled a sentencing
hearing for Jan. 21.
to attend Greater Mount Calvary
services, despite the reports from
friends and acquaintances that
Owens is hostile to gays.
“Since going there for the past year,
I never heard anything out of the way
like that,” Garrett said. “So a lot of it was
inspirational up until that point. And it
kind of took me aback. … And then due
to the fact that Jon and I are together
and we’re going to see about getting
married in D.C., it really was like, ‘Why
am I supporting this person? How
come I couldn’t see this beforehand?’”
Mack and Garrett, who live in
Bowie, Md., said they now plan to wor-
ship at Covenant Baptist Church in
Southeast D.C, which bills itself as an
LGBT-affirming congregation. The
church’s husband and wife co-pastors,
Dennis and Christine Wiley, served as
leaders of a coalition of clergy in sup-
port of same-sex marriage in D.C.
The two men said they’re hopeful
that other gays will leave Greater
Mount Calvary and other churches
whose pastors and congregations
are hostile toward or unwelcoming of
LGBT members.
“I was depressed and actually
thought about suicide,” Mack said. “I
kept thinking, ‘What’s the point of going
on if God hates me and I’m going to hell
anyway?’ and ‘Why does God hate me?’
“My hope is if this is put in the
paper or in the media and it deters
one person from attending Greater
Mount Calvary Holy Church so they
never have to feel how I felt [that]
Sunday, then I’ll feel as though I’ve
accomplished something,” Mack said.
Leaders of three D.C. Christian
churches with mostly gay congregations
have called on gay members of church-
es such as Greater Mount Calvary to
consider joining their congregations.
The leaders are Rev. Abena McCray,
pastor of Unity Fellowship Church;
Bishop Rainey Cheeks, pastor of Inner
Light Ministries; and Rev. Dwayne
Johnson, pastor of Metropolitan
Community Church of Washington.
Photo courtesy of Margaret Groat
John Burrows, who says guards at the
D.C. Jail beat him, has pleaded guilty to
a charge of misdemeanor sexual abuse
6 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
localagenda
New HIV/AIDS initiative targets black gay men in D.C.
Whitman-Walker
Clinic to be part of
$26.4 million effort
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty joined
health officials Tuesday to announce
a new D.C. and National Institutes of
Health research and treatment initia-
tive aimed at decreasing the city’s
high rate of HIV infections.
The $26.4 million federally funded
initiative, called the D.C. Partnership
for HIV/AIDS Progress, includes
among four components a study that
targets black men who have sex with
men to determine the best ways to
curtail HIV infections among the
group, which experts say is at high
risk for HIV infection in the District.
“Tragically, our nation’s capital
has one of the highest rates of
HIV/AIDS, where about 3 percent of
adults and adolescents are infected
with the virus,” said NIH’s Dr. Anthony
Fauci at the initiative’s unveiling.
“By collaborating with Mayor
Fenty’s administration to establish
the new D.C. Partnership for
HIV/AIDS Progress, NIH will seek to
answer critical HIV research ques-
tions that could positively affect the
Virginia lawmakers to consider 2 LGBT bills
Workplace discrimination,
insurance benefits on
the legislative agenda
By HARLEY DENNETT
Special to DC Agenda
Two key pieces of LGBT-related leg-
islation will receive bipartisan sponsor-
ship in the Virginia General Assembly,
which began session Wednesday.
Equality Virginia CEO Jon Blair
said the two bills expanding work-
place discrimination protections and
permitting employee life insurance
benefits for domestic partners were
the lobby group’s top priorities with
the best chance of passing in 2010.
Other bills to be considered by com-
mittees, but with a more doubtful future,
include extending reproductive technol-
ogy access to unmarried couples.
After a series of Assembly sessions
where attempts were made to further
restrict the rights of LGBT Virginians,
including the successful constitutional
amendment banning same-sex relation-
ship recognition, it appeared to LGBT
rights lobbyists that no further attempts
were being planned this session.
“The atmosphere is not perfect,
however it is imminent,” Blair told DC
Agenda. “Equality is going to happen
in Virginia and the handful of people
who are trying to hold it down will
only be successful for so long.”
Blair’s big-ticket item is passing a bill
barring workplace discrimination based
on sexual orientation and gender identity,
enshrining in law former Gov. Tim Kaine’s
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and
health officials announced a $26.4
million federally funded initiative
that targets black men who have
sex with men in D.C.
District’s HIV/AIDS problem and
serve as a model for programs in
other U.S. cities as well,” Fauci said.
Fenty said the initiative comes
two years after his administration set
in motion sweeping changes in the
city’s AIDS office and Department of
Health, which he said has laid the
executive order that incoming Gov. Bob
McDonnell declined to continue.
Like the executive order it will replace,
if passed, the workplace protection will
only cover public employees. Blair hoped,
though, that step would be just the start.
“Virginia is the only state in the
nation where it is 100 percent legal to
fire someone based on their per-
ceived sexual orientation. Protected
classes are race, gender, creed —
those kinds of things,” he said.
“This [bill] means every gay, les-
bian, bisexual and transgender
Virginian should be protected in the
workplace from being fired based on
their sexual orientation. This is public
employers this year.”
The lobby group’s second priority
this year is a group life insurance bill
that would allow insurers and employ-
ers to mutually agree upon any group
of people they’re willing to insure.
“Virginia is quirky in having the Dillon
Rule,” Blair said. “Right now insurers
want to provide life insurance to
Virginians and employers want to pro-
vide life insurance to Virginians, but they
do not have express permission from the
state. Until they have permission from
the state, they are not able to do that
because the Dillon Rule prevents that.”
Virginia is the last state to have kept
the court-authored law dating back to the
1860s, which limited the powers of munic-
ipal corporations to only those granted by
state legislatures or where the state has
not defined its own powers in that area.
Local government entities are just some
of the employers that have sought to pro-
vide life insurance to domestic partners,
but were thwarted by state law.
groundwork for making D.C. a nation-
al leader in the fight against AIDS.
“This comprehensive collabora-
tion will generate fresh ideas, new
services and technical knowledge to
enable the city and NIH to prevent
new infections and improve health
care services for all residents living
with HIV/AIDS,” he said.
Also speaking at the news confer-
ence, held at a private community clin-
ic in Anacostia, were D.C. City Council
member David Catania (I-At Large),
who chairs the Council’s Committee
on Health; Dr. Pierre Vigilance, direc-
tor of the D.C. Department of Health;
and Dr. Shannon Hader, senior
deputy director of the city’s health
department in charge of the recently
renamed D.C. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis,
STD & Tuberculosis Administration.
Catania said he was hopeful that
the benefits from the joint D.C.-NIH
initiative combined with the “steady
progress” the city is making on the
HIV/AIDS front would lead to
improved numbers in the infection
rate before the city hosts the World
AIDS Conference in 2012.
“This is a day we’ve waited for for
a long time,” he said.
Don Blanchon, executive director
of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, said
the Clinic would play a role in the
joint D.C.-HIH initiative.
“This new partnership has the poten-
“Employees want it, employers want
it, and insurers want it, and all we need
is the General Assembly to bless it,”
Blair said. “We’re not just talking about
GLBT people here. Any person who has
an otherwise qualified adult in their
household who they want to provide
insurance to, including straight couples.
“I’m the perfect example. I’m
straight and engaged. Until my fiancé
and I are married, I can’t provide life
insurance to her. If you don’t think
that impacts where she chooses to
work, you’re crazy.”
Like the federal Domestic Partnership
Benefits & Obligations Act, support-
ers say lack of action in the matter
hurts the government and the state.
“This isn’t just about recruiting new
employees, either,” Blair said. “There are
companies here that have more than
one major headquarters and they can-
not promote employees from one of
those offices to their main headquarters
here because employees will refuse the
promotion based on losing their benefits.
Because when they live in Montreal or
Seattle or wherever they are allowed to
provide benefits to those partners and
when they move here they lose them.”
The task of lobbying to get both bills
passed falls primarily to Virginia Equality’s
chief counsel, Claire Guthrie Gastañaga,
a 24-year veteran in the assembly.
“Given that the business community
has made it clear the life insurance bill is
a common sense piece of legislation and
voters made it clear that non-discrimina-
tion is an issue they’re in agreement
should be a policy of the Commonwealth,
we shouldn’t have any problems getting
these bills through,” she said.
tial to make a real difference in people’s
lives, especially in how we combat
HIV/AIDS in D.C.,” Blanchon said. “We
are proud to be a part of this effort.”
An NIH statement released at
Tuesday’s news conference says the
study of black men who have sex
with men, is already underway in
D.C. and other cities, and is being
conducted by the NIH’s National
Institute of Allergy & Infectious
Diseases. Fauci heads that division.
The NIH statement notes that
blacks represent 76 percent of the
District’s HIV/AIDS cases. Recent D.C.
studies have shown that while hetero-
sexuals make up the highest percent-
age of newly HIV-infected people in
the city, men who have sex with men
make up the highest number of overall
HIV cases in the District.
According to the statement, the
research into black men who have sex
with men includes gathering “sexual
and social networking information from
black men who have sex with men.”
The statement said as part of the
effort, “participants receive HIV risk-
reduction counseling and condoms;
testing for HIV and other sexually
transmitted infections; screenings for
substance use, mental health issues,
partner and/or homophobic violence;
and a peer system to help them nav-
igate the health care system and uti-
lize HIV services.”
If that sounds too optimistic, Guthrie
Gastañaga said she wishes it didn’t.
“I can’t tell you the number of
times I’ve seen bills people have
agreed to co-patron a bill they’ve
ended up voting against, and they’re
just as likely to come to you and say
I’ll vote for it on the floor, but I’m not
in a position to co-patron it.
“I’m not counting any chickens
before they hatch, but I’m sitting on a
bunch of them and keeping them
really warm in this cold weather.”
The life insurance bill is similar to a
previous law passed in 2005 that
extended the rights of employers to offer
health insurance to domestic partners.
That law passed by just one vote in the
state House, which Guthrie Gastañaga
says validated the lobby group’s
approach to working with both parties.
Virginia Equality came under fire
for that bipartisan approach to lobby-
ing when it continued to endorse Del.
Tom Rust, a Republican, over a
Democratic candidate with strong
support from the LGBT community.
But the relationship building has
apparently paid off. Rust’s office con-
firmed to DC Agenda that the law-
maker will introduce the life insur-
ance bill again this session.
Blair said the arguments already
appealed to Republican principles.
“When you explain the life insur-
ance bill is revenue neutral and won’t
cost employers anything, that means
something,” he said. “When you can
say a comprehensive non-discrimina-
tion policy is good for business and
employers recruiting employees —
and 88 percent of fortune 500 compa-
It says this two-year study will
“assess the impact of these services
on HIV incidence.” The study will
enlist 2,600 men in six U.S. cities,
including about 400 in D.C.
Other components of the joint D.C.-
NIH initiative include tracking and
measuring the success of HIV care;
enhancing care for other HIV-related
medical issues, such diabetes,
Hepatitis, and cardiovascular disease;
and a “test and treat” pilot program.
Fauci said the “test and treat” pro-
gram is part of an international exper-
iment among AIDS researchers and
physicians. He noted that its aim is to
determine whether an aggressive
medical treatment regimen that drasti-
cally reduces the HIV viral load
among patients could be the most
effective means of preventing the
spread of the virus.
He noted that some researchers
with the United Nation’s World
Health Organization believe the
rate of infection in a given geo-
graphical area could be reduced to
a greater degree under a “test and
treat” program than through more
traditional prevention programs
such as condom distribution and
HIV prevention education.
According to WHO researchers, a
lower viral load reduces the chance
of infection, even in instances where
people engaged in unprotected sex.
Photo courtesy of Ebbin
Virginia state Del. Adam Ebbin, who’s
gay, said the ‘insurance industry and
business community very much sup-
port’ bills that would bar workplace dis-
crimination based on sexual orienta-
tion and gender identity, and permit
employee life insurance benefits for
domestic partners.
nies in Virginia already voluntarily have
a non-discrimination policy because
they on their own decided it was a
good idea — that means something.”
The state’s only openly gay dele-
gate, Adam Ebbin, a Democrat,
noted that he felt there would be
“more than one Republican” joining
him in supporting both bills.
“The insurance industry and busi-
ness community very much support
this. If people see the advantage of this
bill for a wide variety of potential policy
beneficiaries, I think it can pass.”
january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 7
8 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
nationalagenda
Could an anti-gay Republican take Kennedy’s seat?
One poll shows
candidates tied ahead
of Jan. 19 vote
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
The race to succeed the late Sen.
Edward Kennedy in the U.S. Senate
could be tightening up as one recent
poll shows an anti-gay Republican
running even with the pro-LGBT
Democratic candidate.
A poll published Saturday by
Public Policy Polling shows state
Sen. Scott Brown, the GOP candi-
date vying to succeed Kennedy, one
point ahead of Democratic nominee
and Massachusetts Attorney
General Martha Coakley.
In a poll of residents who planned
to vote in the special election — which
occurs Jan. 19 — Public Policy Polling
found that 48 percent said they
intended to vote for Brown, while 47
percent said they would vote for
Coakley. Six percent of responders
said they were undecided.
Dean Debnam, president of
Public Policy Polling, said in a state-
ment that the poll shows the special
election is “shaping up to be a poten-
tial disaster for Democrats.”
“Martha Coakley’s complacent
campaign has put Scott Brown in a
surprisingly strong position and she
N.J. Senate kills same-sex marriage bill
State unlikely to see gay
weddings in next 4 years
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
The New Jersey State Senate last
week defeated legislation that would
have legalized same-sex marriage,
but plans are already brewing to
obtain marriage rights for gay cou-
ples through litigation.
Senators voted down the measure,
14-20, following a 90-minute debate.
After the vote was recorded, oppo-
nents of gay nuptials filled the Senate
chamber with cheers and applause.
The bill’s failure almost certainly
means New Jersey won’t see the legal-
ization of same-sex marriage through
legislative means anytime soon.
Republican Governor-elect Chris
Christie will begin his four-year term
Jan. 19, and he’s pledged to veto any
marriage bill that comes to his desk.
Outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in
a statement Thursday expressed dis-
appointment about the outcome of
the vote, although he commended
the Senate for having public debate
on the issue.
“Most assuredly, this is an issue of
civil rights and civil liberties, the foun-
dation of our state and federal consti-
tutions,” he said. “Denying any group of
people a fundamental human right
because of who they are, or whom
they love, is wrong, plain and simple.”
Celebrating the victory was the
Massachusetts state Sen. Scott Brown, the anti-gay GOP candidate vying to suc-
ceed Sen. Edward Kennedy, is polling even with the pro-LGBT Democratic candidate.
will need to step it up in the final
week to win a victory once thought
inevitable,” Debnam said.
Public Policy Polling’s poll specu-
lated that Brown found strong support
in an overwhelmingly “blue” state
because of depressed Democratic
interest in the election and because
he’s favored by independent voters.
The poll could be an outlier.
Another poll conducted by the
University of New Hampshire Survey
Center and published Sunday by the
Boston Globe found Coakley had a
National Organization for Marriage.
In an e-mail blast, Brian Brown, the
organization’s executive director,
praised followers who “made phone
calls, sent e-mails, and prayed” in
opposition to same-sex marriage.
“Yet again, we have witnessed a
tremendous victory for marriage in a
state where just a few months ago, vic-
tory seemed unlikely at best,” he said.
Immediately following the vote,
Kevin Cathcart, executive director of
Lambda Legal, announced in a state-
ment plans to pursue the legalization
of same-sex marriage in New Jersey
through court action.
“The requirement to ensure equal-
ity for same-sex couples, established
by the New Jersey Supreme Court in
its decision in our marriage lawsuit in
2006, has not been met,” he said.
“There is enormous, heartbreaking
evidence that civil unions are not
equal to marriage, and we will be
going back to the courts in New
Jersey to fight for equality.”
In a conference call following the
vote, Steven Goldstein, chair of
Garden State Equality, said advo-
cates of same-sex marriage have
had “a seamless transition from our
legislative phase to our court phase.”
“It’s not a situation where New Jersey
will go all the way backwards,” he said.
“In New Jersey, the Supreme Court
ruled in 2006 that same-sex couples
must receive equal treatment under the
law as a state constitutional matter.”
Goldstein said he didn’t yet know
details about the litigation, such as
Photo courtesy of Brown for U.S. Senate
17-point lead over Brown. Fifty-three
percent of responders said they
would vote for her, while 36 percent
said they intended to vote for Brown.
Neither Coakley’s campaign nor
Brown’s campaign responded to DC
Agenda’s requests for comment, but
the candidates’ records significantly
diverge on LGBT issues, particularly
with regard to same-sex marriage.
In 2007, Brown voted in the state
legislature for a failed state constitu-
tional amendment that would have
taken marriage rights away from gay
who would become plaintiff couples
or when the New Jersey Supreme
Court might hear the case.
Reflecting on the vote, Goldstein
said the marriage bill didn’t succeed
for one reason: the failure of Corzine
to win re-election in November.
“We had at minimum 22 votes in the
Senate … and we were going to win
this clearly in the Assembly,” he said. “At
some point immediately after the elec-
tion, we saw the fortunes change.”
Goldstein said Corzine was “a
star supporter of marriage equality”
throughout most of 2009, but added
“it did take him a while to get there.”
“We were very honest in our
statement today in saying that this
bill should never have waited until
sudden death overtime — the lame
duck session,” he said. “And obvious-
ly we’re disappointed in that.”
Opposition to the bill also increased,
Goldstein said, because Christie visited
Republican senators before the debate
and urged them to vote against the bill.
“We understand from impeccable
sources that Governor-elect Christie
went to the Republican Senate cau-
cus and in the Republican Assembly
caucus and told members who were
going to vote for marriage equality, ‘I
don’t want to see any marriage
equality votes coming out of this cau-
cus,’” Goldstein said.
Even though they thought they
might not win, Goldstein said advo-
cates held the vote in the Senate
because they believed it would bolster
the chances of successful litigation.
couples in the first state in the coun-
try to allow same-sex marriage.
By comparison, Coakley supports
same-sex marriage and as attorney
general has been a proponent of feder-
al recognition for married same-sex
couples. Last year, she filed a lawsuit on
behalf on the State of Massachusetts
against the Defense of Marriage Act, a
1996 law that prohibits married same-
sex couples from receiving the federal
benefits of marriage.
The candidates’ campaign web
sites also are markedly different in how
they handle LGBT issues. Coakley’s
site details how she supports legislation
that would affect the LGBT community,
such as legislative repeal of DOMA and
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Her site additionally notes that as
attorney general she has “aggres-
sively prosecuted” hate crimes at the
state level — including those against
LGBT people — and that she in 2008
was the first statewide official to
endorse state legislation that includ-
ed gender expression and identity in
Massachusetts discrimination and
hate crimes laws.
Brown’s site lacks mention of
issues specifically affecting LGBT
people — with the exception of mar-
riage. The site says that Brown
believes marriage is between one
man and woman and says, “States
should be free to make their own
laws in this area, so long at they
reflect the people’s will as
“We consulted and spoke with
lawyers far and wide who said the New
Jersey Legislature has to show its
dereliction of duty affirmatively to go
back to court — because they said it’s
up to the legislature to act,” he said.
“Today the legislature acted. It default-
ed on its constitutional obligation to
provide same-sex couples equality.”
Noting that a number of lawmak-
ers who voted against the marriage
bill also conceded on the floor civil
unions aren’t working, Goldstein said
the Senate record will also help per-
suade the courts that civil unions
aren’t adequate in providing protec-
tions for same-sex couples.
Several senators gave emotional
speeches on both sides of the mar-
riage issue on the Senate floor before
the vote was taken. State Sen. Loretta
Weinberg, a Democrat and sponsor of
the marriage legislation, was among
those who spoke in favor of the bill.
“Men and women do not have a
monopoly on loving relationships,”
she said. “We all know same-sex
couples that enjoy the same love
and trust that is shared between a
man and a woman, between a hus-
band and a wife.”
Also speaking out in favor of the
legislation was State Sen. Raymond
Lesniak, another Democrat who
sponsored the bill.
Noting that 120 religious leaders
sent a letter to the New Jersey
Senate in support of same-sex mar-
riage, Lesniak said the failure of the
chamber to pass the legislation would
expressed through them directly, or
as expressed through their elected
representatives.”
Michael Mitchell, executive direc-
tor of National Stonewall Democrats,
said helping Coakley win the special
election “couldn’t be more impor-
tant” for LGBT people because a 60-
seat Democratic majority in the
Senate is needed to advance LGBT
rights in Congress.
“I think that things are going to be a
lot worse off if there’s 59 Democrats in
the Senate instead of 60,” he said.
Noting that the election will deter-
mine who would succeed Kennedy —
perhaps the greatest proponent of
LGBT issues in the Senate — Mitchell
said “it would be a strange world
indeed” to replace the so-called Liberal
Lion with a Republican like Brown.
Mitchell said Stonewall was
“pulling out all the stops” to help
Coakley win the election. He noted
that the organization is sending out
an e-mail blast to members across
the country, urging them to contribute
to Coakley’s campaign and partici-
pate in phone banking activities.
The local Stonewall chapter in
Massachusetts, Mitchell said, is hosting
an event where supporters can gather
to do phone banking for Coakley.
Also backing Coakley in the spe-
cial election is MassEquality, the
statewide LGBT organization in
Massachusetts. The organization
endorsed Coakley in November.
Photo courtesy of Christie for Governor
Efforts to legislatively enact same-sex
marriage in New Jersey were stymied
last week when state senators voted
against the bill. The vote was consid-
ered a last chance to pass same-sex
marriage before the swearing in of
Governor-elect Chris Christie, who
opposes gay nuptials.
amount to religious discrimination.
“Unless we vote for marriage
equality, we will be interfering with the
religious beliefs of many of our citi-
zens,” he said. “Government is wrong
to interfere with religious beliefs.
Today, we can right that wrong.”
State Sen. Bill Baroni, the lone
Republican to vote in favor of the
marriage legislation, said New
Jersey’s current system of offering
civil unions to same-sex couples
amounted to discrimination perpetu-
ated by the government.
 january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 9

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nationalagenda

directoryservices ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal may

Cognitive-Behavioral come via budget process
Therapy Continued from page 1
Results-Oriented ▼ Affordable “We’re hopeful that it will be either January or
Larry Cohen, LICSW February and we’re pushing for that,” she said.
22 years serving the glbt community
Still, it’s unclear exactly when the House
committee will take up the legislation. Aaron
202-244-0903
Albright, spokesperson for the House &
socialanxietyhelp.com
Education Labor Committee, said, “nothing
See website for NPR story on my work
has been scheduled yet.”
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Jeff Merkley (D-
Ore.), who sponsors ENDA in that chamber,
Becky Carroll, Ph.D. has said the HELP Committee will take up
Joel C. Ang, M.D.
Licensed Psychologist Family Medicine, HIV Diagnosis & Treatment ENDA in the spring, but Herwitt said the timing
Interactive Counseling, in the Senate “is a little less clear.”
Psychotherapy and 202-667-5041 “I think that we’re going to talk to [Chair
Somatic Experiencing Tom] Harkin’s staff people, committee staff and
Adult Primary Care try to figure all of that out, what’s the timeframe
www.LGBTC.com 1759 Q Street NW, Washington, DC that they’re looking at, how will we envision the
202.332.8477 bill moving forward in the Senate,” she said. “I
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www.qstreetmds.com when it is freestanding.”
Same Day Appointments Advocates are committed to passing a ver-
Individuals u Couples u Sex Insurance Accepted sion of ENDA that provides protections on the
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
Copies of records at each visit basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Helping People Instant HIV/Syphilis/Herpes Testing The inclusion of transgender people in Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) is lead sponsor of
Grow Stronger CLIA Certified Laboratory ENDA has been a sensitive issue. In 2007, the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) came under fire
in Rough Times for pushing a version of ENDA that provided repeal in his budget request to stay true to the
Sylvia R. Medley, M.D., M.P.H. protections only on the basis of sexual orienta- promise he made to end the ban last year dur-
Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. Internal Medicine, HIV, Women’s Health
Licensed Psychologist u 15 years experience tion, saying at the time that Congress lacked ing a speech at an HRC dinner.
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www.personalgrowthzone.com said lawmakers expect to pass “an inclusive said. “It is the logical place to get rid of the dis-
ENDA that includes protections based on gen- criminatory ban. We urge the president to make
der identity.” good on his words on the campaign trail as well
Sidney W. Binks III, Ph.D. Psychiatrist / Psychoanalyst in Foggy Bottom, Herwitt expressed similar optimism that the as those said last October when he emphati-
Licensed Clinical Psychologist Joseph M. Jeral, M.D., sees individu- House would be able to pass ENDA with pro- cally declared, ‘I will end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’”
tections based on sexual orientation and gen- Herwitt said HRC also wants Obama to
als and couples for treatment of depres- der identity. include repeal of the ban on open service as
Individual & Couples Therapy sion, anxiety, relationship problems, etc. “I think that we’re in a really strong place in part of his defense budget request.
for the LGBT Community
18 years experience!! Call office at (202) 457-8899. the House,” she said. “I think that, again, when “We have been working to make that a real-
we look at our vote count for final passage, it ity,” she said. “We are hopeful and it has been
Joseph M. Jeral, M.D. looks good for a fully inclusive bill.” part of our plan. We think that having the White
SidBinks@aol.com 202.255.5187 2112 F Street, NW Still, Herwitt said conversations are more House put the policy recommendations
www.LGBTC.com/staff/sidney_binks 3000 Conn. Ave. Washington, D.C. 20037 nascent on the Senate side regarding ENDA through [the] DOD [budget request] forward is
and the inclusion of gender identity provisions. important and key.”
“We have education that we need to do and Whether the budget request will, in fact,
have conversations,” she said. “I know that include language that would repeal “Don’t Ask,
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just need to continue some of that process and
ENTHUSIASTICALLY Contact then see where we are with the vote count.”
Asked whether the gender identity provisions
SERVING DC & VIRGINIA
Robbie Barnett at could be a sticking point in the Senate, Herwitt
replied, “I think what I’m saying is we’re still in
rbarnett@dcagenda.com the process of figuring all of that out. The con-
versations are still happening, the education
process is still ongoing and obviously we want
to make sure that the bill moves forward when it
can move forward as a fully inclusive bill.”
Activists want ‘Don’t Ask’
repeal in budget request  ing with our allies in the House and the Senate
The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the
1993 law that prohibits openly gay people from
serving in the U.S. military, is also a primary
focus for LGBT rights supporters on the Hill.
Advocates are urging President Obama to
include language that would overturn the law
as part of his defense budget request to
Congress for the next fiscal year. The request
is expected to be made public early this year.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network on Tuesday published a full-page ad
in Roll Call newspaper calling on Obama to
include repeal in his budget request. Aubrey
Sarvis, executive director of the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network,
writes in the letter that Obama should include
whether administration officials would include
such language in the budget request.
“As we are in the midst of the policy process
for the FY 2011 Budget, it would be premature
to comment on its contents,” he said.
Another bill pending in Congress is the Domestic
Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act. The legisla-
tion — approved late last year by both House and
Senate committees — would allow the same-sex
partners of LGBT federal workers to receive the
same benefits as the spouses of straight workers,
including health and pension benefits.
But the timing for a floor vote is not yet
clear. Herwitt said she doesn’t know when floor
votes would take place and said HRC is “work-
to try and figure out what is the schedule, what
are they looking at.”
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), the
sponsor of the bill in that chamber, said last
month a floor vote wouldn’t take place until
lawmakers receive cost offset information from
the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for
implementing the measure within the agency’s
existing budget.
Leslie Phillips, spokesperson for the Senate
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
Committee, which has jurisdiction over the leg-
islation, said Tuesday that lawmakers have “not
yet received the offset information from OPM.”
The agency didn’t respond to DC Agenda’s
request for comment.
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districtagenda

Two Senate retirements mean two losses for gays

By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
With two veteran Democratic sena-
tors last week announcing plans to
retire at year’s end, the LGBT commu-
nity is losing two lawmakers that have
largely been allies on Capitol Hill.
Media reports circulated last
week that Sens. Chris Dodd (D-
Conn.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)
are not seeking re-election this year
— and pundits are speculating their
retirement foretells a dismal election
year for Democrats.
Whatever their exit means in
November at the polls, the retirement
of these senators means LGBT peo-
ple will be losing voices that have
been largely reliable in supporting
gay rights. It’s particularly true for
Dodd, who was an advocate for
advancing LGBT rights even when
such stances weren’t as politically
tenable as they are today.
Dodd has consistently voted in
favor of hate crimes legislation, includ-
ing the most recent bill that was
signed into law last year by President
Obama. The senator also has been a
co-sponsor for the Employment Non-
voted in favor of the 1996 version of
ENDA. The North Dakota senator
also voted against the Federal
Marriage Amendment in 2004 and
2006. Dodd voted against the meas-
ure in 2004, but cast no vote in 2006.
The records on LGBT issues for
Dodd and Dorgan aren’t spotless.
Both senators voted in favor of the
Defense of Marriage Act when it
came to a Senate floor vote in 1996.
Dodd seemed have to recanted that
vote last year, though, when he came
out in favor of same-sex marriage.
Joe Solmonese, president of the
Human Rights Campaign, said in a
statement to DC Agenda that Dodd
and Dorgan would be missed.
“Senators Chris Dodd and Byron
Dorgan have been reliable support-
ers of LGBT civil rights and stood
strongly in opposition to the Federal
Photo courtesy of Dodd Marriage Amendment,” Solmonese
said. “In particular, Chris Dodd has
U.S. Sens. Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan are retiring at the end of the year. been a leader in speaking out for
marriage equality and repeal of the
Discrimination Act since 1994 and a mately failed by a 49-50 vote — Defense of Marriage Act. They will
co-sponsor for the Uniting American came from Dodd. be missed.”
Families Act since 1996. Dorgan isn’t a co-sponsor of Who will succeed the two sena-
One of the votes in favor of a ver- UAFA or ENDA, but has been a sup- tors remains to be seen. In
sion of ENDA in 1996 — which ulti- porter of hate crimes legislation, and Connecticut, Attorney General
Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, is
in contention for Dodd’s seat. LGBT
activists have been pressuring
Blumenthal to join a federal lawsuit
against DOMA filed last year by the
state of Massachusetts.
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons
is running for the Republican nomi-
nation, and he’s a favorite among
LGBT Republicans. Before he was
voted out of Congress in 2006,
Simmons had been a co-sponsor of
ENDA and hate crimes legislation.
North Dakota is known for being
a solidly Republican state. The
favorite in the race seems to be
Republican Gov. John Hoeven. He’s
against civil unions and same-sex
marriage, and spoke in favor of a
state constitutional ban on same-
sex marriage in 2004.
On the Democratic side, the
Huffington Post reported MSNBC
talk show host Ed Schultz is consid-
ering a run for Dorgan’s seat.
Also named as a contender is Rep.
Earl Pomeroy, a Democratic House
member from North Dakota. He’s voted
in favor of hate crimes legislation and
ENDA and twice voted against the
Federal Marriage Amendment.

New ballot measure proposals face election board review

Continued from page 1 Macaluso is deliberating over Brian Flowers, the D.C. City

Kenneth McGhie said the board was

in the process of scheduling another
hearing sometime this month for
Jackson’s referendum proposal.
In a related development, two U.S.
senators and 37 members of the
House of Representatives — all
Republicans — filed a friend-of-the-
court brief in support of an older law-
suit from Jackson that seeks to force
the city to hold a voter initiative on the
gay marriage question. Jackson filed
the lawsuit last year after the election
board ruled that a ballot measure
seeking to ban gay marriage would
violate the city’s Human Rights Act
and is therefore not allowable.
The GOP lawmakers’ brief was
countered by another friend of the
court, or amicus, brief filed by three
D.C. same-sex couples that were
married in other states and another
same-sex couple that hopes to marry
in the District later this year. Also
signing on to the couples’ brief were
the local same-sex marriage advoca-
cy groups D.C. Clergy United and
Campaign for All D.C. Families.
Attorneys for same-sex marriage
supporters and opponents argued on
behalf of their respective motions and
briefs at a hearing Wednesday before
Superior Court Judge Judith Macaluso,
who is expected to issue a ruling on
Jackson’s lawsuit in the next few weeks.
The two new ballot measure propos-
als, including the ones filed in December
by Little and this week by Jackson, come
on the heels of decisions last year by
the election board rejecting an earlier
initiative and referendum proposal —
both introduced by Jackson and his
backers. A D.C. Superior Court judge
last spring upheld the board’s ruling
rejecting the referendum.
Jackson’s lawsuit seeking to overturn
the board’s decision to disallow his
earlier initiative proposal.
Most legal observers expect the
election board to reject the initiative filed
this week by Little. Little could not be
reached to determine whether she plans
to appeal in court any board decision
denying her request for the initiative.
“If they keep coming back and the
courts continue to rule against them,
at some point the courts will throw
these cases out in summary judg-
ment,” said gay activist Peter
Rosenstein, who is a board member
of the Campaign for All D.C. Families.
“You can’t keep going back to the
courts with the same case.”
But Jackson and Ward 5 Advisory
Neighborhood Commissioner Robert
King have vowed to do just that, saying
they believe a higher-level court will
eventually force the city to hold a refer-
endum or initiative that brings the subject
of gay marriage before the city’s voters.
Marriage bill goes to Hill
Meanwhile, the City Council’s Office
of Legislative Affairs sent the same-sex
marriage bill passed by the Council and
signed by Fenty to Congress on Jan. 5
to arrange for a required congressional
review of the law, according to office
staffer Ebony Henry.
Henry said her office’s decision to
wait more than two weeks after Fenty
signed the bill Dec. 18 to send it to
Capitol Hill was due to the office’s nor-
mal processing of bills that get sent to
Congress for their required congres-
sional review of 30 legislative days.
The clock for the congressional
review was expected to start ticking
next week, when the House and
Senate were to begin their 2010 leg-
islative session.
Council's staff attorney, said as of
Monday, the pojected date for
Congress to complete its review of the
same-sex marraige bill is March 2.
Flowers noted that the projection was
made by counting the days the House
and Senate are expected to be in ses-
sion between this week and the
beginning of March.
"The count includes 14 days in
January, 15 days in February and one
day in March, making March 2 the
31st day," Flowers said in an e-mail.
Little, who filed papers in
December for an initiative to overturn
the city’s same-sex marriage law, filed
a motion in federal court the same
month seeking an injunction to block
the City Council from voting on the
same-sex marriage bill at its regularly
scheduled legislative session. U.S.
District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-
Kotolly denied the motion Dec. 15, the
same day the Council passed the bill,
saying Little failed to provide evidence
to support her claim that allowing the
Council to vote on the marriage bill
would cause the city and gay marriage
opponents “irreparable harm.”
Little did not issue a public
announcement about her motion for the
injunction, and most local activists and
Council members were unaware that
she had made an apparently unprece-
dented attempt to ask a court to stop
the Council from voting on a bill.
U.S. Sens. James Inhoff (R-Oak.)
and Roger Wilkins (R-Miss.) joined
37 conservative GOP House mem-
bers, most of whom are vocal oppo-
nents of LGBT rights, in filing the
amicus brief in support of the lawsuit
by Jackson to force the city into hold-
ing a voter initiative on gay marriage.
“Under the United States
Constitution, they serve as members
Gay weddings could
boost D.C. economy
An analysis released by the D.C. Office of the Chief Financial Officer
estimates that as much as $22 million in revenue for area businesses could
be generated by weddings for thousands of same-sex couples who flock to
the city from other states.
The analysis calls the $22 million figure a “high end” estimate and lists a
“low end” estimate of $4.5 million to be generated in D.C. and the surround-
ing suburbs through bookings of hotel rooms, banquet halls and other
expenses related to same-sex weddings.
Total tax revenue for the city from same-sex weddings over the next three
years could range from a low of $14,970 to a high of about $1 million, accord-
ing to the analysis. The analysis points to a U.S. Census Bureau survey track-
ing the years 2006-2008, which shows there were 3,896 same-sex households
in the District of Columbia.
“Based on the experience of Massachusetts, we estimate that 50 percent of
all same-sex households in D.C. will marry in the three years following the legal-
ization of same-sex marriage,” says the analysis.
“We assume that 25 percent of all same-sex couples in the Virginia and
Maryland suburbs in the D.C. metropolitan area will marry in D.C. in three
years following the legalization of same-sex marriage,” it says.
It adds, “We assume that 2.5 percent of all same-sex couples in the remain-
ing states will marry in D.C.” in the same three-year period.
The analysis estimates that the surrounding suburbs are likely to share a
significant portion of the revenue from same-sex couples traveling to D.C. to
marry. “Fifty percent is our best guess,” it says.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
of the ultimate legislative authority for city’s same-sex marriage law will be
the District of Columbia and the very protected as long as Democrats retain
body which delegated to the District control of Congress, but they caution
its limited legislative power under that the law could be in jeopardy if
home rule,” the amicus brief states. Republicans gain control in the future.
D.C. home rule advocates, includ- The same-sex couples who filed the
ing LGBT groups that have pushed amicus brief opposing Jackson’s law-
for full voting rights for D.C. in suit include city residents Trevor Blake
Congress, are likely to interpret the and Jeff Krehely; Amy Hinze-Pifer and
brief as a signal by the GOP lawmak- Rebecca Hinze-Pifer; Vincent Micone
ers that they will seek to overturn the and Thomas Metzger; and Reginald
same-sex marriage law sometime in Stanley and Rocky Galloway.
the future if Jackson loses his court The nationally known law firm
fight. Congress retains authority to Covington & Burling is providing pro-
overturn any D.C. law at any time. bono legal representation for the
Most political observers believe the same-sex couples in the case.
 january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 13

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personalagenda
More Democratic disappointments
One year of complete
control by party yields
little for LGBT people
By ROBERT TURNER
We are at the start of a new year.
Democrats have controlled the halls
of Congress for three years. Barack
Obama has resided in the White
House just days shy of a full year.
What is there to show for the
progress of the LGBT movement
under Democratic control?
The president spoke at the annual
Human Rights Campaign dinner, hate
crimes legislation became law, and the
Ryan White Care Act was reautho-
rized. But that last item had been reau-
thorized by a Republican Congress
and a Republican president.
To be sure, the GOP track record
on gay issues is abysmal, to say the
least. However, it was the
Democratic Party that asked for gay
dollars and the gay vote, both in
2006 and again in 2008 to give them
complete control of both ends of
Pennsylvania Avenue.
To this end, what has our commu-
nity seen in terms of real progress as
opposed to mere lip service? As we
begin the second session of the 111th
Congress, we must ask ourselves if
we’ve been had. Yes, my liberal broth-
ers and sisters will argue that more
has been done in the last year to lay
the groundwork on major accomplish-
ments in the coming years.
But they are forgetting the most
feedback
The following comments were
posted to DCAgenda.com. Visit
our site to join the discussion.
Re: “Prop 8 trial begins Monday”
In bringing Prop. 8 to trial, we
should remember the old Chinese
proverb, “Be careful what you wish for.”
While I feel as strongly as most
readers here about the need for mar-
riage to be available to us, I cannot
help but think that it will hurt us if we try
to bully the will of the people through
legal tricks. Consider the abortion
issue as an example. It was getting
close to being made legal in some
places and situations with general sup-
port when the courts intervened and
made an edict. Now it remains a
chasm in our public thought. If abortion
laws had changed in most places
through legislative action, and bills to
change them failed several times it
would be considered a dead issue in
the political world. Only the “gadflies”
would be pushing it.
Public opinion is evolving in our
favor now that more people are out of
the closet, and thus more people
understand us as just regular harm-
less folks who care about their loved
ones and their country.
Even basic rights for us, such as
employment non-discrimination have
President Obama has been in office for a full year and the Democrats have held commanding majorities in Congress during
that time, yet progress on LGBT rights has been disappointingly slow.
important tenet of politics: Senators
and members of Congress have one
simple goal, and that is to get reelect-
ed. As we usher in the mid-term elec-
tion season, most of Congress will be
focused on maintaining their jobs and
their hold on power.
One of the few shining moments
in Congress is the Domestic
Partnership Benefits & Obligations
Act. It has been passed out of com-
mittee in the Senate, and is expected
to see floor action early this year, that
is, if the Obama administration will
stop dragging its feet and come up
with offsets — ways to pay for the
estimated $63 million per year cost.
Last year, House Speaker Nancy
Pelsoi said, “not now” to repealing
gone from about 20 percent public
support in the 1980s to 80 percent
today. Almost every poll shows
stronger support for our rights from
younger people in both parties and of
many religious traditions.
We need to build on this trend
and educate people and we need to
be examples of solid couples and
good citizens so this can all get
resolved in our favor democratically.
— Sam Brown
Re: “Two more D.C. ballot
measures proposed to ban same-
sex marriage”
I had my suspicions so I went
back in THOMAS and looked it up.
Sure enough, there were three
House signers on the amicus brief
who were in office in 1993 when the
D.C. statehood bill was voted on:
Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), Jack Kingston
(Ga.), and Don Manzullo (Ill.) All
voted NO in 1993 on the HR.51.
So much for their commitment to
D.C. residents getting the right to
vote on important matters. — Don
I find it amusing that there is at
least one not-so-closeted gay
Republican who signed this amicus
brief and that all but one voted
against giving D.C. residents a real
Photo by Pete Souza; courtesy of the White House
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (Defense
Secretary Robert Gates said it wasn’t a
high priority). The White House sat idly
by as marriage equality was repealed
in Maine via ballot initiative and was
defeated in the New York State Senate.
An immigration bill has been intro-
duced in the House that doesn’t allow
LGBT Americans to sponsor their for-
eign partners for residency.
And while New York Gov. David
Patterson has aggressively pushed
his state Senate to act favorably on
marriage equality, Obama has said in
no uncertain terms that he would
prefer Patterson step aside so some-
one who has a better chance of
retaining the governor’s mansion for
Democrats can run.
congressional seat in the voting
rights bill. The so-called GOP Big
Tent continues to smell of its own ele-
phant dung! — DC John
Re: “D.C. Jail guards accused
of beating gay inmate”
Let me see if I understand this. An
inmate of the D.C. Jail, injured in an
altercation with guards on December
17, is being held in “protective cus-
tody” and is not able to have visitors
(or one presumes be seen or have
his injuries seen or photographed)
“until Jan. 27 at the earliest”?
Excuse me? I don’t care if this guy is
a hustler, a drug addict, a thief or what-
ever. We fought to put an end to this
sort of thing decades ago. It seems to
me that in a lot of ways, things are
going backwards rather than forwards
in the District. — Michael
No matter what someone’s past is
or what they are in jail for this does
not give them the right to beat some-
one. No matter what he did in the jail
or to the guards once he was
restrained that should have been the
end of it. You do not get to break the
law just because you are a prison
guard. They [allegedly] did this
because John is white and gay, this
was a hate crime. — Dee
Instead, Democrats spent their
political capital on a Cap & Trade bill in
the House, and health care reform that
does not address health benefits for
our partners. Earlier this month, The
Bilerico Project asked two questions:
Are we not making our voices heard?
Or are our voices being ignored?
I suspect that if these items don’t
get moved through Congress and
signed into law before the Memorial
Day recess, we will not see any
major legislation favorable to our
community at all in 2010.
Robert Turner is president of The
Turner Group, a D.C.-based govern-
ment relations firm. Reach him at
robert@turner-dc.com.
Re: “Arrest warrant sought in
lesbian parental custody dispute”
Maggie Gallagher: You are delud-
ed to think that you control the levers
of a supernatural universe, as is any-
one else who believes a single word
from your lying mouth. Then, you
meddle with the lives of innocent chil-
dren like Isabella, forever helping to
screw with their secure future and a
loving parent.
Then, you put visions of demons
and fairy-tales of made-up gay con-
spiracies in the heads of people who
don’t know any better (because they
don’t know any gay people). And how
is it that you and NOM claim to know
more about gay issues and families,
than all the gay people who say you’re
full of it, like me? Could never figure
that one out. — Peter the Saint
Maggie Gallagher talking about unjust
laws is a scream! She is one of the pre-
eminent instigators of unjust laws against
the LGBTI community. — Mykelb
Re: “Two Senate retirements
means two losses for LGBT people”
It will be easier to have someone
who is pro-LGBT in the seat without
Chris Dodd running, which would
have handed the seat to a hetero-
sexist Republican. — libhomo
dcagenda
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 january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 15
WWW.LIRONEPRO.COM (703) 623-9042
Images by
LIRONE Photographer

1517 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20007
(202) 625-2677

Tysons Galleria
1785M International Drive
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 848-2197

Name: Michael Woods

Occupation: Attorney
Hobbies: Electronic dance music, personal fitness, sci-fi, and foreign affairs.
Philosophy: Know your worth, speak your truth.
16 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
socialagenda
friday, jan. 15  gallery will be open Wednesdays through
MID-ATLANTIC LEATHER WEEKEND,
one of the largest gay leather gatherings in
the world, is this weekend in Washington at
the Washington Plaza Hotel. The event is
sold out but some spillover hotels have
rooms available and some events are
open to the public. Visit leatherweek-
end.com for more information.
GAY DISTRICT meets tonight. The
group was formerly known as the
Twenties Group but has expanded its
age range for gay, bi, trans and question-
ing men from 18 to 35. The group meets
for weekly discussion from 8:30 to 9:30
every Friday at St. Margaret’s Church
located at 1830 Connecticut Ave.
Members dine afterwards then go danc-
ing. The group is changing its contact
information but for now, those interested
can visit the group on Facebook under
the name “GD: Gay District.”
The D.C. Cowboys are having a new
event starting tonight called BRODEO
AT REMINGTON’S. It will feature
country, western, disco and club
music, performances, giveaways, Jell-
O shots, an auction and the Cowboys.
Proceeds benefit the group, which
uses funds to facilitate its ability to pro-
vide free entertainment for HIV and
AIDS charity groups. For more informa-
tion, visit dccowboys.org. Remington’s
is at 639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.
saturday, jan. 16
A new gay-owned gallery called
INDUSTRY GALLERY opens tonight from
6 to 8 p.m. with “Round the Corner,” the
debut solo U.S. exhibition of Jerusalem-
born artist Shlomo Harush. Visit industry-
gallerydc.com for more information. The
INDUSTRY GALLERY opens Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. with ‘Round the Corner,’
the debut solo U.S. exhibition of Jerusalem-born artist Shlomo Harush.
Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TOWN has two events tonight. DJ Brett
Henrichsen spins upstairs (Town’s reg-
ular DJ Wess is downstairs). And
monthly party “WTF?” is also tonight
with a special Mexican installment.
Doors open at 10 p.m. Town is located
at 2009 Eighth Street, N.W. Visit
towndc.com for more information.
BLOWOFF, a monthly party featuring gay
DJs/remixers Bob Mould and Rich
Morel, is tonight at the 9:30 club, located
at 815 V Street, N.W. starting at 11:30
p.m. Visit blowoff.us for more information.
sunday, jan. 17
REACTION, the closing night party for
Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, is
tonight from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. at the 9:30
club, located at 815 V Street, N.W., with
music by DJ David LaSalle and enter-
tainment by German retro singer Myke
Lowe. Tickets are $35 in advance or
$45 at the door. They’re available at the
Leather Rack or ticketfly.com.
monday, jan. 18
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH
OF WASHINGTON, the District’s
largest mostly gay church, has an HIV
positive support group for people of
faith every Monday at the church. For
more information, contact Matt
Senger at 202-546-2159 or e-mail
him at ndc20003@yahoo.com. MCC-
DC is located at 474 Ridge Street,
N.W. Visit mccdc.com for more infor-
mation about the church.
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR, located at
555 S. 23rd Street in Crystal City, Va.,
has disco trivia every Monday at 8 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Industry Gallery
tuesday, jan. 19
A remembrance event for Martin
Luther King Jr. is being held tonight by
the GLBT ARTS CONSORTIUM from
7 to 9 p.m. at Capitol Hill Presbyterian
Church at 4th and Independence Ave.,
S.E. near the Eastern Market and
Capitol South Metro stations. The event
is free and open to the public.
D.C.’S HIV WORKING GROUP assem-
bles safer sex kits with its “packing par-
ties” every Tuesday at EFN Lounge.
Those who volunteer their time get drink
discounts. The events are held from 7 to
10:30 p.m. at Motley Bar, located above
EFN, which is at 1318 9th St., N.W. Visit
fighthivindc.com for more information.
POZ, a bar night for HIV-positive men
and men open to dating HIV-positive
men regardless of their own HIV status,
is held every Tuesday night from 7 p.m.
to midnight at Motley Bar, located
above EFN Lounge at 1318 19th St.,
N.W. The event is organized by HIV-pos-
itive party promoter Jacob Pring. Visit
the group’s Facebook page at face- Photo by Noah Kalina
book.com/pozdc for more information.
HOLLABACK, a social club and sup- Blowoff, a monthly party featuring gay DJs/remixers BOB MOULD and Rich
port group for trans people, presented Morel, will be held Saturday night.
by Alpha Drugs, is tonight at 1638 R
St., N.W., Suite 260. To RSVP, call Dee 14th St., N.W., previous home of the Arts and Culture Group, another local
Curry at 202-290-0324. Lesbian Services Program and Austin gay social outfit, for a trip to Gettysburg
COBALT has “Flashback,” a retro night, Center of Whitman-Walker Clinic. Visit today. A moderate 6-mile hike is planned
every Tuesday at 10 p.m. Cobalt is at the thedccenter.org for more information. with some steep passages. Those inter-
corner of 17th and R streets, N.W. ested should bring beverages, lunch, hik-
thursday, jan. 21 ing shoes and about $12 for transporta-
wednesday, jan. 20 D.C. LAMBDA SQUARES, a local gay tion fees. The groups will meet at 9 a.m.
THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN square dancing group, meets every at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro
TASK FORCE has weekly volunteer Thursday for square dancing. Those Station. For more information, contact
nights every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 who’ve taken the group’s “Mainstream” Craig at 202-462-0535 or craighow-
p.m. at its offices located at 1325 and “Plus” classes dance on the first and ell1@verizon.net.
Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 600. third Thursdays. “Plus” and “Advanced” D.C. LAMBDA SQUARES, a local gay
Volunteers fold and stuff letters for the classes are on the second and fourth square dancing outfit, has a community
gay rights organization. Pizza is provid- Thursdays. For more information about the dance today with guest caller Jeremy
ed. For more information, contact Ezra group or to find out when beginner classes Butler from Virginia Beach. The dance will
Towne at stowne@thetaskforce.org. are available, visit dclambdasquares.org. be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at Sligo Middle
Ladies First night is tonight and every School in Silver Spring, Md. Cost is $10.
Wednesday at FAB LOUNGE, located at friday, jan. 22 For more information about this or other
1805 Connecticut Ave., N.W. For more A GAYSPIRITS event is being held this club affairs, visit dclambdasquares.org.
information, visit myspace.com/ladiesfirst. weekend in Annandale, Va. It’s a spiritu- Several local gay social groups are join-
An HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP, pre- al retreat for gay men who’ve avoided ing D.C. ICEBREAKERS, a local gay
sented by Alpha Drugs, is tonight at 1638 religion because many faiths condemn ice skating group, tonight for a large
R St., N.W., Suite 260. Dinner will be served them. GaySpirits creators say gay men social event at the Kettler Capitals
but reservations are required. To RSVP, call have “unique spiritual giftedness.” The Iceplex in Ballston. Skating will run from
301-735-2805 or 301-674-8901. events will take place at Little River 8 to 9 p.m. with a social to follow at
THE D.C. CENTER has career develop- U.C.C., located at 8410 Little River Bailey’s Pub and Grill. Other groups
ment for LGBT job seekers today from Turnpike, tonight from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and slated to join the Icebreakers are Zoom
3 to 4:30 p.m. Trained counselors will on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Urban Lesbian Excursions, NOVA Gay
offer support for job searching, inter- Cost is $70. For more information, visit & Lesbian Professionals, D.C. Lesbian
viewing skills, resume writing, etc. The gayspirits.com or call 301-580-2953. Singles, Burgundy Crescent Volunteers,
program has been adapted to meet the NOVA Dynamic Lesbian Singles, the
needs of the local gay community and saturday, jan. 23 Mixed Ladies Arlington Pool League
the D.C. job market. The Center recently ADVENTURING OUTDOORS GROUP, a and Social Cheverly. For more informa-
moved to its new location at 1804/1810 gay hiking group, is joining the Chrysalis tion, visit dcicebreakers.org.
 january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 17

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I came to Dignity/Washington nearly 25 years ago in search of a spiritual home where I could
worship with others who affirmed the intrinsic goodness of our sexual orientation as a gift
from God. I have remained because of the strong bonds of friendship and community formed
over those many years. In the early 1990s, I had the privilege of leading Dignity/Washington,
a task that I was more than happy to undertake because I could see firsthand the positive
changes that we brought to numerous individuals. In addition to fulfilling its core religious
mission, Dignity/Washington also provides critical and necessary social, educational, financial,
and cultural support to many people through a variety of programs and activities. In this way,
it has woven the lives of its members into the fabric of the wider community and thus aided
the GLBT community’s goals of acceptance and equality.
— Bernie Delia, Dignity/Washington member since 1986
Mass (sign interpreted) and social: Sundays at 6:00 PM Contact us at: 202-546-2235 (phone)
At St. Margaret’s Church 202-521-3954 (fax)
1820 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington Visit online at www.dignitywashington.org
18 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
socialagenda
from fashion to filmmaking
Director Tom Ford
insists ‘Single Man’
isn't a gay film
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
jdiguglielmo@dcagenda.com
Early promos for the new film “A
Single Man,” even its trailer, don’t
mention the fashion industry day job
of its director. “A film by Tom Ford.”
We’re not used to seeing his name
in trailers. Oh, THAT Tom Ford.
By now, of course, word is out
and the international film communi-
ty is abuzz that the legendary
designer, he of the perpetually half-
unbuttoned dress shirt, has practi-
cally conquered a new artistic medi-
um in one fell swoop. “A Single
Man,” which opened in Washington
on Christmas at Landmark E Street
Cinema and goes into wide release
today, has earned strong reviews
and fared well at the Venice
International Film Festival in
September where it was nominated
for the festival’s top prize (the
Golden Lion) and star Colin Firth
won best actor. The film is up in
three categories at Sunday’s
Golden Globes.
Some gay movie fans are saying
they were pleasantly surprised.
“I really enjoyed it,” says
Rodney Shanks, a gay Seattle
resident who makes it a point to
see all the gay-themed films he
can. “I’d been hearing a lot of buzz
about Colin Firth, but I still wasn’t
expecting a whole lot. I kind of
thought, what does this fashion
guy know about directing a movie.
But it was beautifully done. The
attention to detail, you really got
the whole feel of the period. I was
very, very impressed.”
So how long had Ford, famous for
his own eponymous fashion house
after rescuing Gucci from near obliv-
ion in the ’90s, been harboring
moviemaking dreams? About 12
years, an affable and down-to-earth
Ford says during a half-hour inter-
view from his office in Milan, Italy.
“I was very satisfied with my life
as a fashion designer, but I started
feeling there were things I wanted to
say that I couldn’t say through
clothes. I started realizing I’d really
like to have a career as a filmmaker.
I was in my mid-40s. I was kind of
thinking, ‘OK, it’s now or never,’ so I
started a film production company.”
Ford has been a lifelong film
buff, though he stops shy of calling
himself a cineaste. He remembers
his early years in New York in the
‘70s when the “young homosexual
thing was to be very up on old
Hollywood movies.”
He became well versed in
European film while living in Paris, a
city Ford says is “obsessed with
film.” Ultimately, though, the medi-
um’s permanency is what appealed
to him. Though film preservationists
might argue, Ford says the medium
has lasting impact that the more
fleeting fashion world lacks.
“If you design a beautiful dress,
the first time you see it, it’s very
powerful. You might look at it six
TOM FORD says he was partially attracted to Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 book, which he just filmed, because it
dealt with a same-sex relationship in a matter-of-fact way. ‘A Single Man’ stars Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
months later and feel something,
but not the same thing. Six months
later you feel something less. Then
maybe two years later you sell it on
eBay. Thirty years later it’s in a
museum and you might say, ‘Well,
the cut was interesting,’ but you
don’t feel that same emotion. When
you watch a film, it could be some-
thing from the ’30s where every sin-
gle person who was involved in that
production is gone, yet you’re
immediately sucked back in, living
that moment with them. It’s sealed
in a bubble forever and ever. Even
500 years from now, whatever the
medium is, we’ll be able to experi-
ence those emotions. It’s incredibly
powerful and seductive and appeal-
ing if you’re creative.”
Though the film is about grief —
it’s based on late gay author
Christopher Isherwood’s book and
tells of a gay Brit (Firth) mourning the
death of his partner in Los Angeles
in 1962 — Ford says it’s not a down-
er. He calls it a “celebration of life.”
Firth’s character, George Falconer,
considers suicide after the accident
that claims his partner but is eventu-
ally seduced by everyday beauty —
texture, eyes, flowers — he’s taken
for granted. This beauty, Ford says,
leads to epiphany.
And it’s not a gay movie, says
Ford, who’s openly gay and has been
with his partner, Richard Buckley for
23 years. That the lead character is
gay wasn’t essential to the story,
though Ford concedes there are
byproducts of that he found appeal-
ing. And he admits the book probably
resonated with him more because its
characters were gay. Ford discovered
the book in his early 20s while living in
Los Angeles, where he still has a
home, dividing his time between
there, London and Milan.
“I became very attracted to the
character of George,” Ford says.
“He was so real and so beautifully
realized, I felt I could bump into
him walking down the street.”
The film’s gay themes have
caused a few stirs. The world, of
course, is far more gay friendly
than it was in the early ‘60s, but
Ford conceded begrudgingly to a
same-sex kiss being cut from the
trailer to appease U.S. gatekeep-
ers. Leaving it in would have con-
stituted “adult sexual content” and
prevented it from being shown
before other films.
It’s familiar territory for Ford.
He’s had male nudity censored
from his fragrance ads in the U.S.
He dreams of a day when such
considerations are moot.
“That’s why I’ve said this isn’t a
gay film, it’s not a straight film. It just
happens to be a same-sex couple. I
would love it if we could get to that
point in the culture. It’s just about, ‘Oh,
you live with someone. Oh, it’s a man
or oh, it’s a woman. Oh, it’s love.’ But
America is weird about these things.
In ads, you can run a woman topless
in Europe, no problem. In America
you can but only if you remove her
nipples. How strange is that? … But
America is a country founded by
Puritans. That’s still present.”
So if Ford is so comfortable with
nudity, why was he clothed on the
memorable Vanity Fair cover in 2006
while actresses Kiera Knightly and
Scarlett Johansson were nude?
Ford says he wasn’t planning to be in
the shoot at all. He was guest editing
that year’s Hollywood issue and was
on the set with lesbian photographer
Annie Leibovitz. The plan, which
Ford corroborates without naming
names, was for actress Rachel
McAdams to appear with Knightly
and Johansson but she got cold feet
so the shot was re-imagined with
Ford. He says he would have been
fine with taking his clothes off.
“I’ve been nude in W, in Out. I’ve
been nude in a few things,” he says.
“I would have been fine with it but
that’s just not the direction it went.”
Ford says learning the mechan-
ics of film direction — he also co-
wrote and co-produced the picture
— wasn’t terribly hard. His years of
directing photo shoots and even
doing his own photography helped.
Photo courtesy of Ford
He found his way quickly and says
much of it was intuitive.
Reviews and profiles have
praised the film’s visual aesthetic.
The Washington Post praised its
“precise period detail, handsome
actors and gorgeous outfits that
capture the early 1960s in all their
sartorial beauty …”
Did his design background help?
“I think the thing that for me is
related with any creative endeavor is
you have to have a vision, a point of
view,” Ford says. “If you’re an archi-
tect, you need to visualize it because
you can’t build it yourself. You have to
convey your vision to a team. The
same with fashion … and the same
with filmmaking. Architects have skills
not needed as a fashion designer.
You’re thinking spacially and in 3-D.
For fashion designers and cosmetic
fashion, it’s all about draping and
where you’re going to hide the seam.”
More films will come, he says.
He’s giving a couple of ideas time to
gestate while he goes back to
design. He hopes to rotate the two
fields in the coming years and says
the months of downtime while
movies are in development and in
post-production will give him time to
focus his energies on fashion.
Ford says he’d have been fine
with casting a gay actor in the lead
but would never discriminate in
casting decisions. He just felt Firth
was right for the part.
Ford and Firth were shooting
the pivotal scene where George
realizes his partner is dead in
November 2008 when Obama was
elected but California’s Proposition
8 passed, overturning same-sex
marriage rights there. Though Ford
and Buckley haven’t wed, he has
followed the issue closely.
“It really needs to be a federal
law,” he says. “This might not go
over well with all homosexuals and
I would love it with gay marriage,
but first of all it’s about the rights.
I’m worried this word marriage,
people aren’t quite ready to get
their heads around it.”
 january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 19

dcagenda lgbt nightlife guide

dceagle.com
washington, dc The popular Levi/leather bar’s origins date
to the 1960s. Features billiards, regular
LARRY’S LOUNGE
1836 18th St., NW
30 DEGREES tournaments and other special events. Washington, DC 20009
1639 R St., NW Located near the convention center, two 202-483-1483
Washington, DC 20009 blocks north of Gallery Place Metro. Dupont Circle area bar and restaurant
202-462-6569 popular with both men and women.
cobaltdc.com DELTA ELITE
In Dupont Circle area; popular with men 3734 10th St. NE MIXTAPE
but check schedule for other events. Washington, DC 20017 Different locations
202-546-5979 mixtapedc.com
1409 PLAYBILL CAFÉ thedeltaelite.com twitter.com/MIXTAPEdc
1409 14th St., NW Longtime bar popular with African- Alternative dance party for queer men and
Washington, DC 20005 American men in Brookland neighbor- women featuring electro, alt-pop, indie
202-265-3055 hood; hosts regular ladies night. Check rock, house, disco and New Wave. Check
Logan Circle area restaurant and bar web site for special events. web site for 2010 schedule of events.
(Dupont Circle Metro) popular with the
theater crowd and featuring open-mike DIK BAR MOVA
nights, karaoke and other special events. 1637 17th St., NW 1435 P St., NW
Washington, DC 20009 Washington, DC 20005
ACADEMY OF 202-328-0100 202-797-9730
WASHINGTON dupontitaliankitchen.com halodc.com
thewashingtonacademy.com In Dupont Circle area, above Dupont Trendy Logan Circle bar and lounge
Longtime organizers of drag events in the Italian Kitchen. popular with men features regular happy
city; most events held at Ziegfeld’s. See hour and other specials. Formerly known
web site for full list of upcoming events. DUPLEX DINER as Halo, MOVA re-launched in early

ANNIE’S
1609 17th St., NW
2004 18th St., NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-265-9599
2010 as a environmentally friendly bar
with an emphasis on community service. MOVA DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
Washington, DC 20009 duplexdiner.com NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
202-232-0395 Popular restaurant and bar in the Adams 900 U St., NW
In Dupont Circle area; popular longtime Morgan area; happy hour specials and Washington, DC 20001
restaurant and steakhouse with recently many other special events. See web site 202-332-6355
renovated Upstairs Lounge. for updated schedule. nelliessportsbar.com crowd, though welcoming to women

APEX EFN LOUNGE

Sports bar featuring poker events, drag
bingo, trivia contests and other specials.
baltimore and straight patrons.

1415 22nd St., NW 1318 9th St., NW Popular bar with massive outdoor deck 1722 LEON’S/
Washington, DC 20037 Washington, DC 20001 and plenty of TVs for watching sports. 1722 N. Charles St. TYSON PLACE
202-296-0505 202-341-8281 Baltimore, MD 21201 870 Park Ave.
apex-dc.com efnlounge.com OMEGA Multi-level after-hours dance club attracts Baltimore, MD 21201
In Dupont Circle area; popular with men, but twitter.com/EFN_Lounge 2122 P St., NW a mixed crowd but remains gay-friendly. 410-539-4993
check schedule regularly for other events. Funky, edgy neighborhood lounge in Washington, DC 20036 leonsbaltimore.tripod.com
Logan Circle with special events galore. 202-223-4917 BALTIMORE EAGLE In business for more than 50 years,
BACHELOR’S MILL Popular with men and women; features omegadc.com 2002 N. Charles St. Leon’s is the oldest gay bar in Baltimore
1104 8th St., SE dancing, videos. Check web site for Dupont Circle area bar and club popular Baltimore, MD 21218 and among the oldest in the country.
Washington, DC 20003 event schedule. with men featuring dancing, drag and 410-82-EAGLE Friendly bar with jukebox gets especial-
202-544-1931 other special events. Longtime Levi/leather bar not far from ly busy on Sunday nights. Tyson Place
Longtime bar popular with African- FAB LOUNGE Mount Vernon offers friendly bar, bil- is a restaurant bar located behind
American men in Capitol Hill area. 1805 Connecticut Ave., NW PHASE 1 liards, outdoor patio, videos and a full Leon’s with a separate entrance.
Washington, DC 20009 525 8th St., SE store for your leather needs. Mostly
BANANA CAFÉ 202-797-1122 Washington, DC 20003 men, but welcoming to women. PORT IN A STORM
500 8th St., SE thefablounge.com phase1dc.com 4330 E. Lombard St.
Washington, DC 20003 In Dupont Circle area; popular with men twitter.com/phase1dc CLUB PHOENIX Baltimore, MD 21224
202-543-5906 but hosts regular women’s events. The Phase opened in 1970 and remains 1 W. Biddle St. 410-534-0014
bananacafedc.com a popular lesbian bar and club. Features Baltimore, MD 21201 Friendly neighborhood lesbian bar gets
Popular Capitol Hill area restaurant and FIREPLACE regular special events, including Jell-O 410-837-3906 especially popular when the Ravens
bar (Eastern Market Metro) for both men 2161 P St., NW wrestling, 80s theme nights and more. Mount Vernon-area downstairs bar play. Features billiards, music and more.
and women. Features Cuban, Mexican Washington, DC 20037 Check web site for details. attracts men and women; friendly service.
and Puerto Rican cuisine. 202-293-1293 QUEST
In Dupont Circle area; neighborhood bar REMINGTONS DRINKERY 3607 Fleet St.
BLOWOFF popular with men. 639 Pennsylvania Ave., SE 205 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD 21224
815 V St., NW Washington, DC 20003 Baltimore, MD 21201 410-563-2617
Washington, DC 20001 GREEN LANTERN 202-543-3113 410-225-3100 Neighborhood bar in Highlandtown
blowoff.us 1335 Green Court, NW remingtonswdc.com Another of Baltimore’s friendly neighbor- area is popular with men and women
Created by musicians Bob Mould and Washington, DC 20005 twitter.com/remingtonsWDC hood bars in Mount Vernon featuring bil- and offers billiards.
Richard Morel, Blowoff is an occasional greenlanterndc.com Popular country/Western nightclub in Capitol liards, jukebox and welcoming service.
dance event popular with men. Events are twitter.com/greenlanterndc Hill neighborhood with more than 6,000 SAPPHOS
held in clubs around the country; D.C.’s Friendly bar for men hosts regular happy square feet of space for dancing and billiards. GALLERY 1001 N. Charles St.
Blowoff parties are held at the 9:30 club in hours and special events, including One half block west of Eastern Market Metro. 1735 Maryland Ave. Baltimore, MD 21201
the popular U Street corridor. karaoke and shirtless drink special Baltimore, MD 21201 410-752-7133
nights. Check web site for details. TOWN DANCEBOUTIQUE 410-539-6965 centralstationpub.com
B.O.I. PRODUCTIONS McPherson Square Metro. 2009 8th St., NW Longtime bar and restaurant popular Part of the Grand Central complex,
boimarketing.com//community.html Washington, DC 20001 with African-American clientele. Sappho’s attracts a lesbian crowd and
Organizes regular women’s events around JACK’S 202-234-TOWN offers comfy couches, outdoor patio
town. Check web site for updated information. 1527 17th St., NW towndc.com GRAND CENTRAL and more in its second floor location.
Washington, DC 20036 Dance club and bar popular with men 1001 N. Charles St.
COBALT
1639 R St., NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-332-6767
jacksdc.com
Dupont Circle area restaurant popular
and women, features regular drag per-
formances. U Street Metro.
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-752-7133
centralstationpub.com
northern va
202-462-6569 with men and women. ULTRABAR Large entertainment complex featuring FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
cobaltdc.com 911 F St., NW friendly pub, lesbian bar Sappho’s upstairs 555 23rd St. South
In Dupont Circle area; part of complex JR.’S Washington, DC 20004 and a dance club on the first floor. Arlington, VA 22202
of LGBT businesses at this address, 1519 17th St., NW ultrabardc.com 703-685-0555
including Level One restaurant on street Washington, DC 20036 twitter.com/UltraBar HIPPO Freddie Lutz’s Virginia establishment
level and 30 Degrees bar. 202-328-0090 Large dance club with gay-friendly 1 W. Eager St. includes a restaurant and friendly bar,
jrswdc.com events and vibe located downtown near Baltimore, MD 21201 regular specials and is popular with
CREW CLUB Longtime friendly Dupont Circle area Metro Center. 410-547-0069 men and women. Crystal City Metro.
1321 14th St., NW bar popular with men; videos, regular clubhippo.com
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Washington, DC 20005
202-319-1333
crewclub.net
special events.

LACE
1824 Half St., SW
Washington, DC 20024
Large club popular with men and
women featuring billiards, top
DJs/dancing, karaoke, videos and
laurel, md
Men’s 24-hour gym in Logan Circle area, 2214 Rhode Island Ave., NE 202-863-0670 more. Opened in 1972, Hippo’s motto PW’S
featuring steam rooms, lounges, private Washington, DC 20018 secretsdc.com is “where everyone is welcome.” 9855 N. Washington Blvd.
dressing rooms and more. 202-832-3888 Featuring all-nude male dancers Laurel, MD 20723
lacedc.com Wednesdays-Sundays, drag performanc- JAY’S ON READ 301-498-8202
DC EAGLE Every night is ladies night at Lace; fea- es, large dance floor and many regular 225 W. Read St. pwssportsbar.com
639 New York Ave., NW tures regular special events for women special events, contests and more. Large Baltimore, MD 21201 Restaurant and bar is popular with gay
Washington, DC 20001 in Brookland neighborhood. Check web parking lot available; located in 410-225-0188 and lesbian sports fans and is known
202-347-6025 site for details on happy hour specials. Buzzard’s Point warehouse district. Piano bar attracts a mostly male for its superb burgers.
20 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
socialagenda
donning the gear
Leather enthusiasts
descend on D.C. for
MAL Weekend  “I don’t even remember hearing
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
jdiguglielmo@dcagenda.com
Kip Hollar had no particular inter-
est in leather. The Baltimore resident
was at Baltimore Pride in 2008 and
stopped at a few of the leather
booths to say hi to friends he knew in
COMMAND and ShipMates, two
local leather clubs.
One of the clubs was sponsoring
a charity fundraiser. Pay $5 to let
them dress you up in leather and
take your photo.
“I didn’t have any real interest in
it,” Hollar says. “But they kept egging
me on. That’s where it all began. I
liked what I saw and felt.”
Hollar is shocked at how quickly the
leather community embraced him. He
came in second in the 2008 Mr.
Maryland leather contest, which quali-
fied him to enter Mr. Mid-Atlantic
Leather, which he won last year. This
weekend he’ll be on the judging panel
to help decide his successor.
Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend is
this weekend in Washington. Most par-
ticipants stay at Washington Plaza
Hotel. The contest is Sunday afternoon
The Closing
Party for MAL
Sunday, January 17th
10p-5a
9:30 Club
815 V St. NW
Music:
David LaSalle
Entertainment:
Myke Lowe
Tickets available at:
The Leather Rack
Washington Plaza Hotel
and at the door
at 9:30 club. The weekend will culmi-
nate with the Reaction Dance, also at
9:30, which will go into the wee hours
Monday morning.
my name called,” Hollar says. “I didn’t
think I had a chance.”
He also says he doesn’t know
why or how he won.
“Maybe it’s because I was new to
the leather community. Fresh into the
scene, with a younger, fresher per-
spective. I’m not sure, but I’ve defi-
nitely become involved in the com-
munity and have taken the ball and
run with it,” the 33-year-old says.
Contestants are judged in a pri-
vate pre-show interview, then model
jock, formal and bar leather on stage.
They give a speech and talk about
their community involvement.
Hollar says the appeal for him is
the sense of community leather offers.
“It’s the brotherhood that’s in it,
the camaraderie, the unity.”
But let’s be real, there’s a strong
sexual component as well, right?
“Leather is a fetish lifestyle,” he
says. “How sexual you make it is up
to you. It’s what you make of it. It’s
first and foremost the social, but
certainly there is a sex appeal. With
the love of the fetish, there’s the
feel, the smell, the taste, the look.
For most people there is a sexual
component.”
Mid-Atlantic Leather
Weekend
Today through Monday
Washington Plaza Hotel, et. al.
leatherweekend.com
Mid-Atlantic Leather, organized
each year by the Centaur Motorcycle
Club, is the world’s largest club-run
gay leather event and is in its 26th
year. Only Chicago’s International Mr.
Leather is larger. Organizers guess it’s
in the top five of all gay leather events
in terms of size with about 1,000 peo-
ple registered for the weekend. A few
thousand others come for one or two
side events but don’t stay the whole
weekend. There are sometimes up to
5,000 participants in total throughout
the weekend.
The main event is leather cock-
tails, a social event that started in
New York 36 years ago where enthu-
siasts don their favorite “uniforms”
and mingle with each other among
open bar and buffet. The Mr. Leather
contest and the closing night party
are the other main features but side
parties are held for sub-fetish
groups: sports gear, cigar smokers,
uniforms and so on.
This year’s weekend will not be
significantly different from years past.
Next year the group, realizing it’s out-
grown Washington Plaza Hotel, is
KIP HOLLAR, Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2008
moving to the Hyatt on Capital Hill,
which is twice as large.
Involvement levels run the full
gamut, but organizers such as pro-
motions chair Larry Barat, say the
ones who attend the weekend tend
to take it seriously.
“It attracts a crowd that’s much
more committed to the community,”
he says. “They’re more serious about
the lifestyle. Not the sort of people
who, not to be derogatory, but we
don’t attract a lot who are just inter-
ested in playing dress up. It’s people
who are committed to the community
and the lifestyle and curious about
getting into the lifestyle, rather than
those hangers on who just think they
look good in a harness.”
And just what is the lifestyle, exact-
ly? It’s a world, after all, that gays in
many circles have come to shun.
“There’s certainly a range and
there are people who live 24/7 in
Photo courtesy of Hollar
what one would call a leather
lifestyle, maybe in a sub/dom rela-
tionship,” Barat says.
Though leather has gained
increased acceptance as the gay
community itself has made gains,
Barat says there’s still stigma.
Leather groups have sometimes
been discouraged, he says, from par-
ticipating in gay rights marches.
“The attitude is changing, but it’s
no coincidence that you see ads
coming out from HRC with the
blonde-haired, blue-eyed lesbians in
polo shirts with their three kids,” he
says. “The subtle message there is
we’re just like you.”
Actually the gay leather community
is probably more “like you” for the
straight world than some realize. Barat
says gay leather events pale in size to
those held by the straight leather com-
munity. It’s a fetish not confined by sex-
ual orientation, he says.
 january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 21

PW’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL

Drag bingo this Saturday Twice voted Maryland’s Best Gay Bar
(Baltimore Outland News, Maryland R-Group)
to raise money for Top Ten List Area’s Best Burgers
Equality Maryland (WTOP Listeners Poll)

Starts at 8:30pm, Sundays

• Happy Hour All Night
cash prizes, and drink specials. • Games on the Big Screen

Mondays
• Trivia and 50 Cents Off Bottles and Drafts
• Games on the Big Screen

Tuesdays
• Happy Hour All Night

Wednesdays
• Free Pool, 50 Cents Off Bottles and Drafts

Thursdays
• Karaoke in the Show Lounge

Fridays
• Alternating Weeks, 1st and 3rd DJ,
We Offer 2nd and 4th Drag Show
a Full Menu Saturdays
A short drive from DC, Baltimore and Annapolis. • Karaoke
Come see what you’ve been missing! • Drag Bingo 3rd Sat. of Every Month

PW’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL

9855 Washington Blvd. N • Laurel, MD 20723
301-498-4840 • www.pwssportsbar.com
22 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010

autoagenda

top cars for 2010

It’s a good time to buy
as dealers keep prices
at record lows
By JOE PHILLIPS
Special to DC Agenda
If Santa didn’t plop a new car in
your driveway last month, fear not.
The economy is inching forward, and
dealers are keeping prices at record
lows to entice buyers into show-
rooms. So what to buy? Here’s a look
at the top vehicle picks for 2010.
best compact
NISSAN CUBE
$14,000
Mpg: 25 city/30 highway
It’s cute. It scoots. And it hauls like
a sport-ute. Nissan’s funky Cube
takes refrigerator-like styling to a new
level, with pert bumpers, rounded
door frames, and a wraparound win-
dow that snakes across the back and
right side of the vehicle. “Austin
Powers” fans will love the optional
shag carpet on the dash. And “Dr.
Who” fans will love how the roomy
cabin is akin to the Tardis — the
spaceship that looks like a British
phone booth on the outside, but is as
big as a soccer field inside. Built on
the compact Versa platform, the Cube
comes with the same peppy engine,
as well as six airbags and traction/sta-
bility control. Three trim levels, includ-
ing a tuner-like Krom edition with rear-
roof spoiler, aluminum-trim pedals,
and 20-color ambient lighting. Must-
have options: push-button ignition,
steering-wheel audio controls and
Rockford Fosgate subwoofer.
best sedan
BUICK LACROSSE
$28,000
Mpg: 17 city/26 highway
Taking a cue from Jerome Kern,
GM is picking itself up, dusting itself
off, and starting all over again. This
includes the radically redesigned
LaCrosse, with its sexy styling, sporty
handling, and cutting-edge interior —
much less Fred and Ginger, in other
words, and much more Adam
Lambert. Taut steering, adjustable
shock absorbers and solid braking add
to the package. And a top-of-the-line
V6 puts out plenty of power, but two
other engine choices are simply too
wimpy. Still, the LaCrosse is full of the
latest luxe options, such as power rear
sunshade, heated side mirrors with
integrated turn signals, rear-seat
entertainment system with dual head-
rest displays, and 11-speaker Harman
Kardon surround-sound stereo.
best crossover
HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR
$30,000
Mpg: 18 city/27 highway
The Rolling Stones couldn’t get no
satisfaction, and apparently neither
can Honda. Despite two popular
crossovers — the midsized Pilot and
smallish CUV — the automaker just
added the new Crosstour. The reason:
Crossovers are the fastest growing
automotive segment. Honda took its
popular Accord sedan, raised the rear,
then added a door. And it works, sort of.
This hauler is really a butch hatchback
that rides higher (and is quieter) than the
sedan, maneuvers like a sport wagon,
and is shorter than most crossovers —
albeit with a lot less cargo room. Only
two trim levels, both with bolstered seats
and lots of standard gear. The smallish
rear window hinders visibility, but there’s
a backup camera with the optional voice-
activated nav system.
best green machine
VW GOLF TDI
$22,000
Mpg: 30 city/41 highway
Achtung, baby! After years of
mediocre reliability and a lackluster
lineup, VW is back in the game. This
time it’s with the compact Golf, which
had been renamed the Rabbit the past
three years. With this latest name
change, the Golf also gets a new
design, including sleeker sheet metal,
reworked fascia and upscale techno
cabin. But the big news is the new TDI
model, with standard sport suspension
and clean-diesel engine. Top speed:
130 mph, with 0 to 60 mph in about 8.6
seconds. Cornering is tight and con-
trolled, with sure shifting and superb
braking. And there’s a choice of coupe
or sedan, with either a six-speed man-
ual or manumatic transmission.
best luxe mobile
JAGUAR XK COUPE
$83,000
Mpg: 16 city/24 highway
If snarky coach Sue Sylvester on
JAGUAR XK COUPE
“Glee” could afford one, this is the
Jag she’d drive. Available in coupe
or convertible, this in-your-face sta-
tus symbol gets more aggressive
styling and major mechanical
upgrades. There’s a choice of two
new V8s, but it’s the high-test 510-
hp model that screams from 0 to 60
mph in just 4.6 seconds. The tight
chassis used to be a pain in the butt
— literally — but a new drive-con-
trol feature offers three different
suspension settings to ease the
ride. And the ritzy interior has heat-
ed/cooled seats, heated steering
wheel, and Bowers & Wilkins sur-
round-sound stereo. Still, it’s that
macho exhaust rumble that gets
your blood pumping each time you
get behind the wheel.

#1 Volume Ford Dealership

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january 15, 2010 • dcagenda.com 23
24 dcagenda.com • january 15, 2010
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