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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Randy Shulman

FEBRUARY 5, 2015
Volume 21 / Issue 39

ART DIRECTOR
Todd Franson
POLITICAL EDITOR
Justin Snow

NEWS

ASSISTANT EDITOR
Rhuaridh Marr

10

GLOBAL EFFORT
by Justin Snow

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim

10

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR
Scott G. Brooks

FLEDGLING EAGLET
by Doug Rule

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Christian Gerard, Troy Petenbrink,
Kate Wingfield

FEATURE

12

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

16

EDUCATING VIRGINIA
EQUALITY VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR JAMES PARRISH ON WHY
MARRIAGE EQUALITY CANT BE THE
ENDGAME FOR LGBT RIGHTS IN THE
OLD DOMINION

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Julian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

by John Riley
photography by Todd Franson

PUBLISHER
Randy Shulman
BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETING
Christopher Cunetto
Cunetto Creative

SOCIAL SECURITY FIX


by Justin Snow

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Doug Rule

WEBMASTER
David Uy

EXXONMOBIL EVOLVES?
by Justin Snow

NEWS & BUSINESS EDITOR


John Riley

OUT ON THE TOWN

22

SHI-QUEETAS SALUTE
by Doug Rule

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE


Rivendell Media Co.
212-242-6863

24

ALLIED ARTIST
by Doug Rule

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Dennis Havrilla

STAGE

28

THEATER QUEENS
by Doug Rule

PATRON SAINT
Hazel

GAMES

30

GRIM FANDANGO
by Rhuaridh Marr

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Todd Franson

TECH

32

SPEED BUMP
by Rhuaridh Marr

NIGHTLIFE

35

WIG NIGHT OUT AT TOWN


photography by Ward Morrison

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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

SCENE

42

NELLIES SPORTS BAR


photography by Ward Morrison

CLUBLIFE

44

BUDDING CHERRY
by Doug Rule

SCENE

45

CTRL AT TOWN
photography by Ward Morrison

46

LAST WORD

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Nondiscrimination Bill Passes Va. Senate


Marriage Equality Coming to Alabama Feb. 9

CHRISTOPHER DILTS FOR OBAMA FOR AMERICA

LGBT

News

Now online at MetroWeekly.com

Obama

ExxonMobil Evolves?

On the heels of Obamas executive order, ExxonMobil prohibits LGBT


workplace discrimination
by Justin Snow

XXONMOBIL HAS QUIetly adopted LGBT workplace protections in the wake


of President Barack Obamas
executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discrimination on the basis
of sexual ordination or gender identity.
According to ExxonMobils recently
released standards of business conduct,
it is now the policy of the company to
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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

provide equal employment opportunity


to LGBT people.
It is the policy of Exxon Mobil
Corporation to provide equal employment opportunity in conformance with
all applicable laws and regulations to
individuals who are qualified to perform
job requirements regardless of their race,
color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, genetic information,
physical or mental disability, veteran,
sexual orientation, gender identity or
other legally protected status, the modified document states.

The reversal in policy comes after


ExxonMobil shareholders have voted
year after year to reject adopting LGBT
workplace protections. But now, with
Obamas executive order set to go into
effect later this year, ExxonMobil is falling in line with federal law. For those
reasons, LGBT-rights advocates say the
company deserves little credit for finally
adopting inclusive workplace policies.
This wasnt prompted by a change
of principles or corporate values, it represents Exxons response to President
Obamas July 2014 executive order that

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

LGBTNews
prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT people, said
Deena Fidas, director of the Human
Rights Campaigns Workplace Equality
Program, in a statement. Exxon had to
include these explicit workplace protections or risk losing its federal contracts.
Exxons management deserves little
credit for finally adopting the LGBT fairness policies they have rejected year after
year for almost two decades, but this is an
important victory for the companys current LGBT employees and future LGBT
job applicants, added Tico Almeida,
founder and president of Freedom to
Work, in a statement. Its obvious Exxon
is making these changes now because of
mounting legal pressure and the impending risk of losing hundreds of millions
of dollars in federal contracts thanks to
President Obamas executive order.
In July, Obama signed Executive
Order 13672 prohibiting contractors
working with the federal government
from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, a move
long sought by advocates. In December,
the Labor Department released the final

rule implementing Obamas executive


order, set to take effect 120 days after
its posting. Speaking to reporters last
week, White House press secretary Josh
Earnest said the move by ExxonMobil
demonstrates there are a number of
ways that the president can advance the
kind of agenda that he thinks is in the
best interest of the country.
Almeidas Freedom to Work has filed
a complaint against ExxonMobil alleging the company discriminated against
job applicants who were LGBT. We
will continue prosecuting our civil rights
lawsuit against Exxon in Illinois because
the corporation should be held accountable for its discriminatory actions from
the recent past, Almeida said. We will
also remain vigilant and file new cases,
including under the Obama executive
order, based on any new evidence of discrimination that we find at Exxon.
ExxonMobil is one of the federal governments top 100 contractors. However,
the company has repeatedly held the lowest ranking on HRCs Corporate Equality
Index the first and only company to
receive a negative score.

Exxon has a long, established history


of anti-LGBT stances, said Fidas. To
articulate its policy through the lens of
legal conformance is not an affirmative
changing of course and full adoption of
equality, but instead a calibrated response
to retain government contracts.
According to Sen. Jeff Merkley
(D-Ore.), the move by ExxonMobil is a
demonstration that when we push for
change, we can have a real and tangible
impact. Merkley is the Senate champion
of the Employment Non-Discrimination
Act (ENDA) and was vocal in pushing
Obama to sign the executive order for
federal contractors. Merkley has vowed
to introduce a comprehensive LGBT
nondiscrimination bill in this congress,
likely by April or May.
Make no mistake, though, our work
is far from done, Merkley said in a statement. This progress should only inspire
us to work harder for comprehensive
nondiscrimination legislation that will
cover all LGBT Americans and end antiLGBT discrimination not just in employment, but in public accommodations,
housing, and more. l

Social Security Fix

Obama budget seeks to extend Social Security benefits to all same-sex couples
by Justin Snow

RESIDENT BARACK OBAMA


is seeking to ensure all legally married same-sex couples
have access to Social Security
benefits, regardless of whether they
live in a marriage-equality state. In his
proposed budget for fiscal year 2016,
Obama calls for the Social Security
Act to be amended in order to equalize Social Security spousal benefits for
married same-sex couples.
Currently, if a legally married samesex couple lives in a State that does not
recognize the marriage, these Social
Security benefits are unavailable under
Federal law, the proposal states. This
means that for a couple that marries in
one State where same-sex marriage is
recognized and then moves to another
State where it is not, the protection that
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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

Social Security spousal benefits provides


to families is unavailable. Under this proposal, such married couples would have
access to these benefits.
While numerous agencies and departments across the federal government have
moved to broadly implement the Supreme
Courts Windsor decision, striking down
the Defense of Marriage Acts definition of
marriage as between a man and a woman,
the Social Security Administration has
been limited in its implementation. Due
to the Obama administrations legal interpretation of the place of domicile rule,
the Social Security Administration and
the Department of Veterans Affairs have
been prohibited from adopting a place of
celebration rule for certain programs and
must instead confer benefits based on the
laws of the state where a married samesex couple lives.
With same-sex marriage now legal in
all but 14 states, the Obama administration is seeking to fix that issue. The fix

proposed by Obama is similar to legislation introduced in Congress this past


May. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) introduced the
Social Security and Marriage Equality
(SAME) Act to amend federal code so as
to ensure recognition of all lawfully married same-sex couples, even if they live in
a state that does not recognize same-sex
marriage.
Although Murray praised the proposal
in Obamas budget, she told Metro Weekly
she still plans to reintroduce the SAME
Act in this congress.
All legally married same-sex couples
deserve equal treatment under the law,
regardless of their zip code, Murray said
in a statement. I introduced the Social
Security and Marriage Equality Act to
ensure all couples have access to Social
Security survivor benefits theyve earned,
and Im pleased the President reflected
this priority in his budget proposal. There
is still work to be done to ensure that

marketplace

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

LGBTNews
equality does not end at state lines, so I
look forward to reintroducing the SAME
Act in the 114th Congress.
Obamas proposed $4 trillion budget, and the amendment to the Social

Security Act, must still clear Republican


majorities in both houses of Congress.
Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court
is also expected to rule on whether states
can ban same-sex marriage. l

Global Effort

Bill seeks to affirm commitment to LGBT rights as


part of U.S. foreign policy
by Justin Snow

EGISLATION THAT WOULD


direct the State Department
to make international LGBT
rights a priority of American
foreign policy was reintroduced in both
houses of Congress last week.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep.
Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) reintroduced
the International Human Rights Defense
Act on Jan. 29. If signed into the law,
the legislation would instruct the State
Department to devise a global strategy for
preventing and responding to discrimination and violence against LGBT people. In
order to coordinate such efforts, a special
envoy for LGBT human rights would be
established within the State Department,
serving as the principal advisor on LGBT
issues to the secretary of State and helping coordinate efforts to promote international LGBT rights with local advocacy
groups, governments, multilateral organizations and the private sector.
When President Obama addressed
the nation and committed to defending

the human rights of the LGBT community, we made that commitment to the
world, said Markey, a member of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
in a statement. With the rights of the
LGBT community under attack around
the globe, we must stand hand-in-hand
with them in the struggle for recognition and equality everywhere. It is vital
to have a dedicated position at the State
Department spearheading that effort.
Last month, Obama made history as
the first president to spell out bisexual
and transgender in LGBT during a State
of the Union address. As Americans,
we respect human dignity, even when
were threatened, Obama said. Thats
why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn
the persecution of women, or religious
minorities, or people who are lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender. We do these
things not only because theyre right, but
because they make us safer.
The bill was introduced with 26
cosponsors in the Senate and 45 in the
House. So far, Reps. Chris Gibson (N.Y.)
and Richard Hanna (N.Y.) are the bills
only Republican cosponsors in the House

Fledgling Eaglet
The DC Eagle is now open at its new location
in Northeast

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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

while no Senate Republicans have yet


signed on as cosponsors.
With Republican majorities in both
houses of Congress, the bills future
seems bleak. Days before the bills reintroduction, the chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa,
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and
International Organizations said that he
does not believe LGBT rights are human
rights.
I am a strong believer in traditional
marriage and do not construe homosexual rights as human rights, Rep. Chris
Smith (R-N.J.) said during a hearing on
Nigeria. Smith went on to ask whether
the Obama administrations views on
LGBT rights have affected or hindered in
anyway U.S. support to Nigeria to combat
Boko Haram.
On a day when 12 men were reportedly arrested for simply attending an
alleged LGBT wedding in Nigeria, and as
reports keep emerging about the impact
of Nigerias anti-LGBT law on the lives
of Nigerians, it is unconscionable that
Representative Smith would not only
object to the basic human rights of LGBT
people, but argue that their rights should
not be part of the administrations policy
in Nigeria, said Ty Cobb, Director of
HRC Global, in a statement.
Obama has been asked to appoint a
special envoy on LGBT human rights
before. In a letter sent to the President in
October, 25 senators urged him to make
the appointment as soon as possible to
ensure that it is carried over into the next
administration.
We must do what we can as a nation
to enforce the precept that all human
beings, regardless of where they live, are
entitled to a basic set of human rights
which include the right to love who they
choose without fear of punishment or
death, Lowenthal said in a statement.
LGBT rights are human rights. l

by Doug Rule

FEW MONTHS BEHIND


schedule, the DC Eagle partially opened its doors at a
large new location in northeast D.C. last weekend.
I thought it went really, really well,
Peter Lloyd, one of the venues owners, said on Monday. I thought it was
important that we get our feet wet [and

WARD MORRISON

Lloyd (R) with co-owner Ted Clements

get] a survey of how things were going to work. Because were


in a renovated building, I think the process will be a little more
flowing, if you will.
Going forward, the venues main bar space will be open in
the evenings Thursday through Sunday. The other floors will
open in stages next to come are the Terminal Alley cigar bar
off the bar entrance and the Exile dance floor on the top level.
Lloyd is hesitant to even give a ballpark of when those might be
ready, much less the lower-level restaurant. The restaurant has
extra hoops of fire and fields of broken glass across which I must
walk, he deadpans. Even after staff and construction crews
worked feverishly all summer and fall to get it in shipshape,
the former warehouse wasnt ready to host Leather Sabbat in
October or the clubs 43rd anniversary in November. They even
missed Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend last month all due to
construction and permit delays beyond their control.
Nonetheless, Lloyd proffered a speculative timetable for
completion. Im going to say eight weeks [only] a couple
months [more] on the [Terminal] Alley and the Exile. He feels
confident in that timetable, because were working hard [and]
Im busier than a schizophrenic on a tilt-a-whirl.
By early March, the venue expects to host its Mr. DC Eagle
2015 contest. A pool table and coat check are also set to be in
place soon, as well as repairs to several inoperable lockers in
the bar.
The nightclub has plans to offer valet parking Were
working on it diligently but for now patrons will have to
settle for street parking, except for motorcycles, which can be
parked on the property. Now that the venue is open, the owners
hope more cabs and Ubers will begin circulating past the bars
only outlet, the service road that runs parallel to Benning Road.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Avenue Metro stop is just a couple
blocks away.
We could have [waited until] everything was ready and then
done one slamming opening, Lloyd says. But I really love our
community, and I would like them to see the process.
The DC Eagle is at 3701 Benning Rd. NE. Call 202-347-6025 or
visit dceagle.com. l
METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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LGBTCommunityCalendar
Metro Weeklys Community Calendar highlights important events in
the D.C.-area LGBT community, from alternative social events to
volunteer opportunities. Event information should be sent by email to
calendar@MetroWeekly.com. Deadline for inclusion is noon
of the Friday before Thursdays publication. Questions about
the calendar may be directed to the Metro Weekly office at
202-638-6830 or the calendar email address.

and Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation at the Falls


Church PetSmart. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

CENTER GLOBAL, a group of the DC Center providing direct assistance and services to LGBTQ
individuals in various stages of the asylum seeking
process, holds its monthly meeting. 12:00-1:30 p.m.
at 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6

The DC Center for the LGBT Community hosts a


meeting of TEAM DC, the umbrella organization for
D.C.s sports leagues. 7:00-8:30 p.m. at 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The DC Center hosts a meeting of its TRANS


SUPPORT GROUP. 7:00-8:00 p.m. at 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW.
7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian squaredancing group features mainstream through
advanced square dancing at the National City
Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30 p.m.
Casual dress. 301-257-0517, dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour at Sheraton in Reston,
11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9
p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH offers

BET MISHPACHAH, founded by members of the


LGBT community, holds Saturday morning Shabbat
services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddush luncheon.
Services in DCJCC Community Room, 1529 16th St.
NW. betmish.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including others interested in Brazilian culture, meets. For location/time,
email braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at
Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social

free HIV testing, 9-5 p.m., and HIV services (by


appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

club welcomes all levels for exercise in a fun and


supportive environment, socializing afterward.
Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a walk; or
10 a.m. for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session

DC SENTINELS basketball team meets at Turkey

at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit


swimdcac.org.

GAY DISTRICT holds facilitated discussion for


GBTQ men, 18-35, first and third Fridays. 8:30-9:30
p.m. The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
202-682-2245, gaydistrict.org.
GAY MARRIED MENS ASSOCIATION (GAMMA)

Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE,


2-4 p.m. For players of all levels, gay or straight.
teamdcbasketball.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for LGBT community,


family and friends. 6:30 p.m., Immanuel Churchon-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All
welcome. For more info, visit dignitynova.org.

Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,


9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson Center, 2301
MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 202-7457000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

is a confidential support group for men who are


gay, bisexual, questioning and who are married
or involved with a woman, that meets regularly
in Dupont Circle at 7:30 PM and also Northern
Virginia and Maryland. For more information:
GAMMAinDC.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confidential HIV testing

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health,

in Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite


411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments other
hours, call 301-422-2398.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health. The

in Gaithersburg, 414 East Diamond Ave., and in


Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411.
Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointments other hours,
call Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or Takoma Park,
301-422-2398.

METROHEALTH CENTER offers free, rapid HIV


testing. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW,
Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5 p.m., by


appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger.
202-567-3155 or testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous
Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW.
The group is independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE for young
LBTQ women, 13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7th
St. SE. 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.

Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,


9 a.m.-5 p.m. 202-745-7000, whitman-walker.org.

group for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road


NW. Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYALS REC NIGHT provides a social atmo-

sphere for GLBT and questioning youth, featuring


dance parties, vogue nights, movies and games.
More info, catherine.chu@smyal.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7
ADVENTURING outdoors group hikes 7.6 miles
on Fort Circle Trail in Southeast D.C. Bring beverages, lunch, $2 trip fee. Hike begins at 9:30 a.m. at
Anacostia Metro Station, ends at Minnesota Avenue
Metro Station. Contact Brett, 703-914-1439. adventuring.org.
BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for the Rainbow Families
DC Annual Winter Family Dance, Food & Friends,

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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St.
NW. RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@gmail.com.
IDENTITY offers free and confidential HIV testing

BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for the DC Central Kitchen
and Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in Potomac
Yards. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Scarlets Foundation hosts 45th Annual

SCARLETS BAKE SALE to raise money for Right

Rides DC, a project of Collective Action for Safe


Spaces. Bake goods accepted from 2-3 p.m. Auction
at 3:30 p.m. Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St.
NW. For more information, contact Ash Duncan,
asahel@mac.com.

WEEKLY EVENTS
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS MEMORIAL
EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30

a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave. NW.


202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

LGBTCommunityCalendar
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive and radically inclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,
SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

COMING OUT DISCUSSION GROUP meets at The DC Center. 7:00-8:30 p.m.


2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman Catholic Mass for the LGBT community. 6 p.m., St.

DC BI WOMEN meets on the second Tuesday of each month in the upstairs

FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON meets for worship, 10:30 a.m., 2111


Florida Ave. NW, Quaker House Living Room (next to Meeting House on
Decatur Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbians and gays. Handicapped
accessible from Phelps Place gate. Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.

GAY & LESBIAN ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE meets at 7 p.m. in private home in

Margarets Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome. Sign interpreted.
For more info, visit dignitynova.org.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, God-centered new age church

& learning center. Sunday Services and Workshops event. 5419 Sherier Place
NW. isd-dc.org.

room at Dupont Italian Kitchen Restaurant. 7:00-9:00 p.m. 1637 17th St. NW. For
more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Dupont Circle to discuss legislative priorities for the new Council. All welcome.
202-667-5139. glaa.org.

The LATINO LGBT TASK FORCE holds its monthly meeting at The DC Center.
3:30-5:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites all to Sunday worship at

8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is available at both services. Welcoming LGBT people


for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services


at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted) and 11 a.m. Childrens Sunday School at 11 a.m. 474
Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH, a Christ-centered, interracial, welcomingand-affirming church, offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330,
riversidedc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming
congregation, offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444
Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcoming and inclu-

sive church. GLBT Interweave social/service group meets monthly. Services at


11 a.m., Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St. NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9
The DC Center hosts the monthly meeting of its YOUTH WORKING GROUP,
dealing with issues important to LGBT youth. 6:00-7:30 p.m. at 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS
Michael Brazell teaches BEARS DO YOGA, a program of The DC Center. 6:30
p.m., Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW. No cost, newcomers welcome. 202682-2245, thedccenter.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison Elementary,


1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. NW. getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
METROHEALTH CENTER offers free, rapid HIV testing. No appointment
needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200,
Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

The DC Center hosts COFFEE DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT


COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS Water Polo Team practices 7-9 p.m. Takoma


Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, secretary@wetskins.org,
wetskins.org.
Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP for newly diagnosed
individuals, meets 7 p.m. Registration required. 202-939-7671, hivsupport@
whitman-walker.org.

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LGBTCommunityCalendar
WEEKLY EVENTS
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinner in Dupont/

Logan Circle area, 6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com,


afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at


Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW.
7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club


serving greater D.C.s LGBT community and allies
hosts an evening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MENS HEALTH COLLABORATIVE

offers free HIV testing and STI screening and treatment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday

LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480


King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. james.
leslie@inova.org.

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THE DC CENTER

US HELPING US hosts a support group for black


gay men 40 and older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. 202-446-1100.

hosts Packing Party, where volunteers assemble


safe-sex kits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m., Green
Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW. thedccenter.org.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUSLGBT focused

meeting every Tuesday, 7 p.m. St. Georges


Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just
steps from Virginia Square Metro. For more info.
call Dick, 703-521-1999 or Gretchen, 703-307-9517.
Handicapped accessible. Newcomers welcome.
liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

meets at SMYAL, 410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy


Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.

Whitman-Walker Healths GAY MENS HEALTH


AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m.,
1701 14th St. NW. Patients are seen on walk-in basis.
No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and
chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing available
for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meets for Duplicate
Bridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 721 8th St SE,
across from Marine Barrack. No reservation needed.
703-407-6540 if you need a partner.
RAINBOW RESPONSE, a coalition of individuals
dedicated to combating LGBT intimate partner violence, holds its monthly meeting at the DC Center.
6:00-8:00 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more information, visit rainbowresponse.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS
AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets
about 6:30-6 p.m., Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez,
703-732-5174.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday
worship 7:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.
Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.
JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job

entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 2000


14th St. NW, Suite 105. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. More info,
www.centercareers.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offers free, rapid HIV

testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012


14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing. 11 a.m.2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington.
Appointments: 703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social club for mature gay


men, hosts weekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian Kitchen, 1637
17th St. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316.
Whitman-Walker Health holds confidential HIV
TESTING at its D.C. locations. At the Elizabeth
Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. At the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr.
Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call
202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org. l

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marketplace

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Educat

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ating Virginia
Equality Virginia executive director James Parrish on
why marriage equality cant be the endgame
for LGBT rights in the Old Dominion
Interview by John Riley Photography by Todd Franson

F YOU KNEW JAMES PARRISH


more than two decades ago, the
thought of him helming Equality
Virginia, the commonwealths top
LGBT rights organization, would be ludicrous he didnt officially come out of
the closet until 2002.
Parrish stayed in the closet throughout
his 20s, dating women and pursuing a
career in scientific research. Even when
he had opportunities to explore the D.C.
gay club scene as an adult, he avoided
acknowledging his attraction to men.
Fast forward, and the 43-year-old
Richmond resident is now leading the
charge when it comes to ensuring LGBT
rights arent trampled upon in Virginia.
Over the past few years, hes helped rebuild
a depleted organization and navigate it
through financial hardship and legislative defeats. At last years Commonwealth
Dinner, celebrating Equality Virginias
25th anniversary, Parrish reflected on the
progress made over the past two-anda-half decades, through turbulent times
and, often, fighting tooth-and-nail against
a General Assembly and statewide officeholders who brought new meaning to the
word hostile.
At the EV dinner last spring, Parrish
recalls, I closed by saying, I grew up in
a town of 1,000 people, and I could never
have imagined, when I was that person, in
1989, that Id be standing in front of more
people than lived in my town who are
LGBT or LGBT-supportive.
After celebrating the victories of 2013,
which saw for the first time in Virginia
history the election of three statewide
candidates who publicly embraced and
actively campaigned upon support for
LGBT rights, Parrish has set his organizations sights on the 140-member General
Assembly. Here, he hopes to see an
employment nondiscrimination bill gain
enough traction to be signed, permanently, into law. He also hopes to work with
Gov. Terry McAuliffes office, making
use of a limited amount of time to push
through LGBT-friendly policies, such as
expanding access for transgender people
to Virginias health systems, working with
schools to ensure their policies for transgender students are compliant with Title
IX, and including the LGBT community
in various studies or tracking to ensure its
needs are being both acknowledged and
addressed.
But Parrishs job is not simply political. Part of his role as executive direcMETROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

17

tor involves changing hearts and minds on LGBT-related issues. Most importantly,
Parrish wants to ensure that people know Equality Virginia is in this fight for the
long-term. Unlike some other states, where equality organizations imploded after
failed campaigns to stop the approval of constitutional amendments banning same-sex
marriage, Equality Virginia has continued to thrive because it diversified its approach
to LGBT rights, knowing there was always more at stake even after the courts made
final rulings on those marriage amendments in the case of Virginia, eventually overturning the ban.
Were very serious about our work, because if you look at the landscape of
Virginia, theres still a lot of work to do, Parrish says. And we think that includes
nondiscrimination, we think that includes public accommodations. We think that
does include access to healthcare for trans people.
And for those who may be skeptical as to how much further LGBT equality has to
go in the commonwealth, Parrish offers up a story. Equality Virginia twice attempted
to hold a social event in Abingdon, Va., located in the southwestern panhandle of the
commonwealth, with a public event at a bar drawing three people and a private house
party drawing five, despite more than 15 people having opened EVs email inviting
followers to the event.
We actually got a thank-you letter from somebody the next week, thanking me
over and over for making the drive down to Abingdon, Parrish says. And he said he
would have loved to go to the event, but he was so afraid to go, that one of his friends
would see his car outside a house with a bunch of other cars, and ask him what was
going on. So he couldnt go, but wanted us to know how much he appreciated it. So
when people are saying, Its over. We have marriage and everything, were saying,
No, we have gay people in Abingdon that are afraid to come out of their house. So
we have a ways to go.
METRO WEEKLY: Where did you grow up?
JAMES PARRISH: I grew up in Wakefield,

Virginia. Im an only child. Wakefields a


town of about 1,000 people, so you would
call that a small town. And it was the 70s.
Im 43, so it was a long time ago. It was
your classic, small town, ride your bike
everywhere, be home by dark kind of life.
I graduated from school in Wakefield.
I went to Tyler Academy, I graduated
there. I went to Charlottesville to the
University of Virginia, so thats what got
me out of Wakefield. And I had a science
degree, and used to do different types of
scientific research virology, microbiology, that sort of stuff.
MW: How did you come to work for Equality
Virginia?
PARRISH: I found my way towards Equality
Virginia, during our marriage amendment
fight, when I think a lot of people in this
state became really active. I think that
happens, or at least used to happen, regularly in other states.
So what we did for the marriage
amendment was create community
action teams to handle local work, and
I was very involved in the one here in
Richmond. From that, I hung on with
Equality Virginias Lobby Day, and thats
how I got more involved with the office
side of it. And so, when the new executive
director came on board in 2009, he asked
me to join the team. I was in charge of the
grant from the State Equality Fund, which
is a group that funds a lot of the state
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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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equality groups, and we had one for some


nondiscrimination work thats what I
was brought on to do.
As time moved on, my role changed,
as it does with any small organization.
That was what we referred to as the
dark days. Equality Virginia survived
our marriage amendment loss. Some state
groups dont: its a very trying time for any
state group. In 2007, coming out of the
marriage amendment fight, we had eight
employees, and, very quickly, over the
course of two years, that dropped from
eight to two, just from a combination of
fallout from the marriage amendment and
the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009.
The executive director left, and the
board brought me on in January 2011.
And so weve slowly rebuilt from our program side, and now were back up to five
employees, and our budget has doubled in
that time. Weve built a great team.
MW: When did you first come out?
PARRISH: I didnt come out completely
until I was 30. I came out to my family.
That was one of my goals for my 30th
birthday. If you asked people close to me
growing up, theyd say, Yeah, I thought
he was gay, but it wasnt something I
acknowledged until I was 30.
MW: How did your friends find out?
PARRISH: Some by just telling them, and
some by just seeing me in a position
of where Id mention, Hey, Im going
on a date with John, and thats all. I
dont remember really beyond my par-

ents, because I said, Were going to have


a conversation. But, I mean, I was 30, so
its not like they were going to be kicking me out of the house. Obviously, there
was some tension there, because it builds.
At least for me and what I try to tell
people who havent come out yet its a
lot more easy than you build it up to be in
your mind.
I mean, I had one friend who came
out by sitting down each friend individually, taking them out and telling them. I
did not have that process. For me, it was
much more casual. I think Im a much
more matter-of-fact person, so I think
that whenever I was at that comfort level,
where you knew I was gay, it was like,
Okay. Now lets go out to dinner or
something.
MW: How did your family react?
PARRISH: Fine. They reacted completely
fine, theyve been nothing but supportive.
Again, I was 30, so it wasnt like I had
spoiled some family dinner or anything.
For me, it was one of those stupid goals
you make for yourself, like, I am not
leaving my parents house tonight until
Ive told them I am gay. I told them,
and then said I was meeting friends at
10. My flippant quote was because we
were going to the beach the next week,
we always go to the Outer Banks This
should be no shock, now Ive got to go.
The conversation was probably longer,
but it was essentially, Weve got plenty of
time to talk next week at the beach. And
we never really did. But Ive had relationships where the person Im dating vacations with my parents, and theyve been
nothing but supportive.
MW: Were your parents fairly liberal?
PARRISH: I dont know how theyd describe
themselves. I mean, Im not going to share
their voting record. But they graduated
high school in the late 60s, theyre products of the 70s. Theyre definitely not tiedye wearing hippies, but when it comes
to social justice issues, they dont have a
problem.
Again, thats part of my personality.
I know I had it easy compared to some
people, but for me, it was like, Okay, Im
gay. Lets move on.
MW: What were your first experiences with
openly LGBT people?
PARRISH: The first trans person I ever
met, even though they never transitioned
if that makes sense was my grandfathers cousin, Hazel. Clearly looking
back, Hazel lived alone all of her life. She
always dressed in mens Sunday best. She
had white hair and kept it in the classic
50s cut that a lot of people have, with

black-rimmed glasses. And shed wear


the Oxford shirt, dress pants and shoes. It
was always recognized in the family that
Hazel presented as a male. I look back,
sometimes, with a little bit of sadness,
because I think: what kind of a life would
Hazel be having now if she had been born
in 2000 instead of 1910? I think about her
a lot, especially when we talk about trans
issues.
The first openly gay person was a
gentleman in Wakefield: John. And, stereotypically, he retired and came back
to Wakefield to take care of his mother,
and opened a florist and gift shop. I did
delivery driving for him my senior year.
And its Wakefield, so a flower delivery
could be to the [Sentara] Obici Hospital in
Suffolk, 30 miles away, so youre getting
paid as a teenager to drive 60 minutes
and listen to the radio to drop off one
delivery. And even then, at that time, I
would say I knew he was gay. I would say
John knew, or maybe even offered me the
job, because he knew I was. I thought that
was going to be the best thing to just drive
around. But again, it was the late 80s,
these werent conversations that were
had. But he made it clear to me that his
shop was a welcoming place, even though
I never said to him, Im gay.
The first gay person I knew was in my
first year at UVA. My hall mates brother
had a room on the lawn, which at UVA
goes to fourth-year students who have
done great things for the university. So his
older brother was part of whatever LGBT
group Virginia had then, and there was
a bit of controversy. I remember hearing
whispers in the halls, because they were
letting a gay person on the lawn. Even
though in Wakefield I had heard people
say anti-gay stuff, that was the first time I
was hearing that a lot of people were having a problem with this just because he
was gay. And I dont even think it was that
big a deal, but his younger brother was on
our hall, so I think thats why we were
hearing about it. But it just stuck with me,
the idea of people have an unnecessary
issue with this.
MW: How old were you when you first had
a serious relationship with another man?
PARRISH: My late 20s. I had two shortterm relationships, nine months to a year.
And it was near the end of the second one
where I set this goal to be out by 30.
One time, I had randomly gone to a
movie with the first guy I was dating,
and he actually lived two hours from
Richmond, in the Northern Neck, and
everyone in his world knew he was gay.
And he came into Richmond one time and

went to see a movie, and while waiting in


line, I saw someone I knew not even
very well and could do nothing but
stress that they would see me 75 people
back in the line, with a guy. We werent
kissing or holding hands, but I created in
all that chaos in my head.
In the second relationship, that was
the one where the guy said, Were going
to go to a gay bar for the first time in our
lives together. Its very ridiculous when
you think, Okay, now youre actually
leading the state equality group, but 13
years ago, you werent even out.
MW: Tell me about Equality Virginias current goals or initiatives.
PARRISH: Our board is working on something called Equality Forward, which is
designed to take us from 2015 through

legislative goal, to keep moving forward


on that.
I think there are some fair bills that
were put up this year that, unfortunately,
didnt make it. But nondiscrimination for
state employees is a common sense bill.
All of our Fortune 500 companies based
in Virginia, and a majority of our leading employers already have these practices. We have straight youth graduating
from colleges looking at HRCs Corporate
Equality Index, because they know if
a business is pro-gay, its a progressive
place to work. So non-gay people are
looking at these metrics, because if a company is supportive of gay people, theyll be
supportive of everyone. We just see that
as a common sense policy that faces difficulties, but should pass. The housing bills

It was always recognized in the family that Hazel presented


as a male. I look back with a bit of sadness, because I think:

what kind of a life would Hazel be having now


if she had been born in 2000 instead of 1910?
2020 and accomplishing certain goals.
Legislatively, this year, our goal is to have
the Senate nondiscrimination bill go back
to the House. Even though Republicans
control the Senate, theres some moderation and friends in the Senate, and so
weve enjoyed bipartisan support on bills.
Obviously Senator [Jill Holtzman] Vogel
is a key ally. That doesnt make some
people happy, but were glad she stands
with us on some of our issues.
If you look at the General Assembly,
the House is a different landscape. We
have so many Republicans living in moderate districts I wont say theyre moderate themselves but theyre just so
worried about being primaried from the
far right, which is a bigger concern than
losing to a Democrat. Theyre actually
not worried about it, because of the way
our districts have been redistricted so
much that they arent even worried about
losing the general election. Theyre worried about losing their primary to somebody more conservative. So one of our
goals is bringing on more Republicans
to patron more bills and some have done
that Delegates Villanueva and Yost
most recently. You have other Republican
delegates voting or voicing their support.
Not nearly enough, but weve been picking up two or three each year. Thats a

another one. First of all, if you take federal money, you cant discriminate based
on sexual orientation or gender identity.
But why do we want to live in a Virginia
where that happens?
MW: Whats another bargaining chip that
activists can use to pull delegates to their
side?
PARRISH: Thats part of what were doing.
If we need the support of eight more delegates obviously, we want to get more
than eight where are 15 different places
in the state where there are opportunities? A lot of those are rural areas. Does
that mean we need to hire a rural organizer in Republican areas, who identifies
Republicans who support LGBT issues,
so these delegates are hearing from their
Republican base, Hey, Im fine with the
LGBT issues. Move on? Is it more faith
work, and having faith leaders stand up?
So thats a difficult strategy piece
of: how do we pull over a few of these
delegates each year onto our side? One
good thing is historys on our side. Two,
momentum is on our side. The business community has the greatest input
with our General Assembly. Thats why
we have Virginia Fairness and Equality
Means Business as ways of identifying
and highlighting businesses and spreading that narrative to greater Virginia, that,
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19

Hey, this is already happening.


The flip side of that, though, is
Virginians themselves need to catch up in
terms of education. And thats why weve
doubled down on the trans piece, and
are trying to provide more resources for
the trans community. Because while we
believe that the General Assembly will be
more led by the business community in
putting in place these protections, we also
need to make sure that the general population understands why we need these
protections. Its kind of our responsibility. We cant expect Virginians to support
a law if they dont even understand why
its needed.
I still get into arguments with gay people at Prides who say that they cant be
fired in Virginia because their company
has a policy or because its already against
the law. Our own community doesnt
even know that, yes, you can be married
in Virginia, but you can still be denied

people where five or 10 spoke in favor of


the student, but a clear majority of people,
including students, and tons of mothers
and grandmothers raising their children,
spoke against it, literally shaking, not even
able to understand that the school is going
to let what they perceive as a girl in the
bathroom with their sons or grandsons.
Completely not understanding the issue,
but and this is where the LGBT community can be in a bubble for these
people, its not just a simple process of
letting the student be himself. If theyve
never interacted with trans issues, or
know a trans person, all theyre thinking
about is the biological parts that he has
and that their son might see in a locker
room. Because they have been raised all
their life that thats just something that
doesnt mingle.
It was all coming from a very legitimate place of fear, or just not understanding what the question at hand was. It

If youre talking about representation, Id love to see more


women. Id love to see a strong lesbian advocate.

Its something where it can be too gay man-centric.


A trans person would be amazing.
public accommodations, you can still be
fired and not hired, you can still be denied
housing or credit. Basically, anything and
everything else.
MW: Why is the LGBT community so misinformed?
PARRISH: Most people, when polled, support LGBT protections, but if you flip that
question on its head and say, Is it already
a protection in Virginia? I guarantee you
the majority of people would say yes.
And then some people mistakenly
believe that, because their company has a
policy that they cant be fired. We just saw
that with the Saks case, where the trans
person was fired. I know of a person who
filed a complaint because they said, Once
I came out at work, I hadnt been getting
the promotions and reviews under this
manager, and the company, which has a
good policy, said, Youre in Virginia. We
have this policy, but you have no protections, because you live in Virginia.
And then there was the case in
Gloucester County with the trans youth.
Nothing could be more clear on how
much education there is still left to do in
our state than watching that hearing of 90
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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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wasnt anti-trans, it wasnt anti-gay. And


that is why were doing Coffee Talks,
and want to expand that into book clubs,
where they can read a selection of trans
books and listen to speakers, and really get
into what MAP [Movement Advancement
Project] calls the conflicted middle.
Those people that when you ask them
about nondiscrimination, 80 to 90 percent support it, but as the question gets
narrower like, should a trans person be
allowed to teach in high school? In middle
school? the yes responses start going
down. Those are the people were trying
to target. Because I do believe that most
people are good at heart. I do believe
that just as weve seen the amount of
support for the lesbian and gay population increase in this country, we will see
the same thing for the transgender community. But we have to get trans people
out there, and its our organizations duty
to give them the support they need and
training they need to be the best advocate
they can be on this issue. Were depending on them to be part of the process to
educate people.
MW: In Virginia, is there a regional divide

on LGBT rights, or not as much as people


suspect?
PARRISH: I think theres maybe regionalism in the sense that everyone thinks
where they live is the best place. There
are places in this state, especially for gay
and lesbian people, where, living your
day-to-day life, you really arent facing
challenges. If you live in the Fan District
of Richmond, or Charlottesville, or the
Ghent area of Norfolk, there are pockets
in this state, outside of NOVA, that are
friendly. Ive dated somebody, where Ive
walked down Cary Street [in Richmond]
holding his hand and not felt that I was
endangered in any way. So I dont think
its correct to say that theres this NOVA
world and the rest of Virginia, and ones
good and the others bad.
I also think its hard to understand the
NOVA world. When you want to hold
an event in Roanoke, theres one or two
places where anybody close to Roanoke,
if theyre interested in EVs work, is going
to come. You go up to NOVA, where
its wall-to-wall people, and if youre not
in that persons circle of influence, and
half a mile away from where they live or
work, you dont get everybody coming. So
theres pros and cons to both. Theres a lot
of concentrated leadership in Northern
Virginia thats supportive of LGBT rights,
but they have to be, because theres so
many LGBT people there. We see a lot of
bills that get filed, and thats wonderful.
Lets make sure everybodys not just filing
bills to check off a list, but putting some
muscle behind it.
On the other hand, our two strongest Republican delegates are one from
outside of Blacksburg, in southwestern Virginia, and one in Virginia Beach,
which is a very Republican city. Its not
those Fairfax Republicans in the House
of Delegates. So you can talk about that
NOVA belt, but the people who are standing the strongest with us arent Northern
Virginia Republicans, outside of Jill Vogel
in the Senate. So, NOVAs great, but it
doesnt mean that everybody up there
super-duper loves LGBT people. And we
have House Republicans who have supported nondiscrimination, but its like,
Youre from Fairfax, why arent you
more of a leader on this? Why arent you
pushing your party on this? Its not safe
to assume that just because youre from
NOVA, youre more progressive than
other places in the state. Thats definitely
not true.
MW: Would you like to see more openly
LGBT elected officials, on the county level,
and in the General Assembly?

PARRISH: Yes, its necessary for several


reasons. Its not fair to Senator Ebbin or
Delegate Sickles to be the point person on
all LGBT issues. Thats not a responsibility that only they should have. We have
two board members who are civic and
community leaders. Michael Sutphin, our
board vice chair, is on the town council of
Blacksburg, and Lawrence Webb was on
the Falls Church City Council and is now
on the school board there.
So, yes, wed love to see more people.
And if youre talking about representation, Id love to see more women. Id love
to see a strong lesbian advocate. Its something where it can be too gay man-centric.
A trans person would be amazing, I think.
That would be interesting. And this is not
my issue, or EVs issue, but the argument
that some of the partisan Democrats are
having in Virginia is when some of these
people retire, a lot of people on the progressive side are just seeing white men
replace white men, and if theres any
place youre going to have an out lesbian,
its probably going to be one of the more
progressive districts. How are we diversifying the makeup of the General Assembly
if, even in the most liberal districts, were
only putting in white straight men? All of
whom, I should say, are strong advocates
of ours and doing great work. But thats a
question to ask. Wed love to see
MW: A Republican lesbian from Southwest
Virginia?
PARRISH: Yes, or a Republican trans delegate representing District 1, way down
in what I call the beak of the chicken of
Virginia.
But you know what? We have a great
advocate down there who we hope will
be one of our equality ambassadors. We
met her when we did the state tour. We
toured the state twice last summer trying to garner up support for our trans
conference. The first time, she came with
family members because she was nervous.
The second time she came by herself.
Then she came to the conference. And
the Barter Theater in Abingdon did a
reading of the play 8, and she handed
out EV brochures and signed up people,
and wants to do more. Thats us putting a
clearly trans woman, front and center, in
Abingdon, Virginia. Theres a long way to
go before any delegate elected in that area
is an LGBT leader, but to have her out at
events, thats a way people are meeting
a trans person. Shes amazing, so who
knows? I personally love her. So maybe
shell end up changing hearts and minds
and end up being the first trans member
of the Abingdon Town Council and the

first trans delegate in the Virginia General


Assembly. But even just having her as a
strong advocate would be a great achievement, because shes an amazing person.
MW: Where does the equality movement
in Virginia stand post-marriage equality?
Has EV been hurt because marriage is perceived as the end-game?
PARRISH: No, and Ive seen quite the opposite, which is really great. Bringing the
freedom to marry to Virginia has been an
amazing thing.
When you went to our website, it
wasnt about marriage, marriage, marriage. Its been about nondiscrimination.
Its been about trans rights. Its been
about other things including marriage.
Were seeing this sense of excitement,
like, Yes, we can get something accomplished. Lets not just stop with mar-

riage. Weve had some new people that


we just brought on the board that are as
excited as anybody before. Theyre like, I
cant wait to see what we win next.
Success breeds success. People support winning. We havent experienced a
decline in donations, which was a huge
worry. We are seeing this renewed sense
of energy and momentum. I cant wait to
see whats next. For us, its been an amazing whirlwind year that, so far, has done
nothing but bolster the enthusiasm of our
community. Ive seen people come out of
the woodwork to say, I want to help you
do whats next.
For more information about Equality
Virginia, call 804-643-4816 or visit equalityvirginia.org. Follow Equality Virginia on
Twitter at @EqualityVA. l
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21

FEBRUARY 5 - 12, 2015

Compiled by Doug Rule

Shi-Queetas Salute
M ONE OF THE FIRST LOCAL TALENTS TO SELL OUT THE
Howard Theatre, beams drag queen Shi-Queeta-Lee, who has
performed at the revived historic venue over the past two years as
part of the enormously popular drag show series A Drag Salute to the
Divas. Lee generally performs every other month in all lip-synched
shows, varying from concert-style presentations focused on particular
divas, such as Cher or Madonna, to full-scale, on-stage productions
recreating a particular movie, such as Dreamgirls.
This weekend Lee presents an early Valentines Day treat performing What Shi-Queeta-Lee Has Done With It, her twist on the
1993 biopic Whats Love Got to Do With It. Lee first performed a Tina
Turner-themed show a decade ago at Black Pride, but, at the Howard,
shes amped it up with more songs and a cast of 22 accompanying her.
In my plays, the males play the female roles, and the females play
the male roles. Ill be playing the role of Tina Turner, and LaShawn
Johnson, who is a female, will be playing the role of Ike.
Lee has been entertaining crowds even longer at nearby venue
Town, where she appears as part of the drag show every Friday and
Saturday night, and Nellies, where she leads the bars weekly Drag
Brunch, now with two seatings on both Saturdays and Sundays.
But because of the success at Howard, Lee, born Jerry Van Hook,
has been increasingly taking the Salute to the Divas show on the
road to smaller towns in Maryland and Virginia including near her
hometown in southwestern Virginia. Lee had her first show 10 miles
south of the Van Hook perch in Gretna, Va., this past December, and
will return to the area in May.
Lee, who has lived in D.C. for over 30 years, was initially nervous
about performing back home, especially after one local preacher
warned residents to steer clear of the show a serious sign of the
end time, Charles E. Miller Jr. wrote in a letter to the Chatham Star-

SPOTLIGHT
LACHANZE

If the recent musical If/Then left a lot to be desired,


it wasnt in the casting department. LaChanze, who
won the lead-actress Tony Award for her work in The
Color Purple, returns to D.C. to make her Kennedy
Center debut as part of Barbara Cooks Spotlight
intimate cabaret series. Friday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $45.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

MICHAEL CHE

This Saturday night, this comedian will be live not


on television, via his main perch as a cast member
and Weekend Update co-host on Saturday Night
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ROBERT MECER JR.

Shi-Queeta-Lees Tina Turner-themed treat at the


Howard Theatre

Tribune and yet over 250 people attended.


It was a very successful turnout, Lee says And I
liked it so much over there, Im going back.
A Drag Valentines Salute to the Divas is Sunday, Feb. 8,
at 8 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW.
Tickets are $20 to $50. Call 202-588-5595 or visit
thehowardtheatre.com for more details. l

Live, but in person, at the Arlington Drafthouse. The


31-year-old Che was touted by Variety as a Comic to
Watch almost as soon as he emerged on the scene
a couple years ago. And his appealing, provocatively
unassuming approach blunt, insightful humor
mixed with a reflective laid-back stage presence, to
quote the New York Times all but ensures well be
watching him even more in the years to come. Friday,
Feb. 6, at 10:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. and 10
p.m. Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia
Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $22. Call 703-486-2345 or
visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

ORCHIDS:
INTERLOCKING SCIENCE AND BEAUTY

Orchids: Interlocking Science and Beauty is the 20th


annual orchid exhibition presented by the U.S. Botanic

Garden and the Smithsonian Gardens. Featuring several hundred colorful flowering plants on any given
day, the focus is on how new ideas, technologies and
inventions are changing the way we study, protect
and enjoy orchids. Now to April 26. First Floor in the
Special Exhibits Hall, National Museum of Natural
History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.
Call 202-633-1000 or visit mnh.si.edu.

PRAVA FESTIVAL

The Pike & Rose Audio Visual Arts (PRAVA) Festival


is a one-night-only art event transforming two floors
of a newly constructed office tower into a spectacle
of light, sound and projection. PRAVA is the first in a
series of upcoming contemporary arts events at Pike
& Rose, the new pedestrian-centered outdoor entertainment and shopping complex near White Flint

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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

23

in North Bethesda, Md. Performances Saturday,


Feb. 7, include Yeah Yeah Yeahs drummer Brian
Chase paired with visual artist Ursula Scherrer;
Northampton, Mass.-based singer-songwriter Mal
Devisa; D.C.s haunting dream-pop duo Gems;
Baltimores experimental duo Matmos; and Allard
Van Hoorn, a Dutch performance artist who teams
up with Baltimores CharmCityRollerGirls to turn
one floor into a choreographed roller arena. There
will also be installations by Tamar Ettun, Milton
Croissant III, Derek Larson, Sara Ludy, Johnathon
Monaghan, Sam Okerstrom-Lang, Jason Peters,
Michael Bell Smith. Saturday, Feb. 7, from 6 p.m.
to 2 a.m. Pike & Rose, 11580 Old Georgetown Rd.
North Bethesda. Free, but online RSVP required.
Visit pravafest.org.

PUSSY NOIR AT TOPICALIAS LOVE FEAST

Fabulous Archival Ink Jet Print 2015

Allied
Artist
Linda Hesh pays tribute to gay rights at Duponts Hillyer

AY IS GOOD! DONT FEAR THE QUEER.


Wouldnt it be great to have big billboards like that all over? says artist
Linda Hesh, explaining her recent series of artworks, which draw inspiration from the many heartfelt homemade signs waved at gay rights rallies. Taking
many of the gay-affirming slogans that have been in circulation, she digitally adds
them to billboards in original cityscape photographs.
Over the past decade and a half, the photography-based artist has developed
seven series along the same lines, all of which factor into her latest solo show at
Dupont Circles Hillyer Art Space, Linda Heshs All Gay Review: A Heterosexuals
Tribute to Homosexual Civil Rights. When I got the opportunity to do this show, I
decided I wanted to do a show only about gay rights, she says.
Chicago-reared Hesh has been a straight ally for as long as she can remember.
My mother was a fag hag literally thats what it is. Her two best friends were gay
men, she explains. I always knew there was something different about these men,
although, of course, as a child, I didnt know what the difference was. And then as I
grew up, I realized that my father was homophobic and a racist and misogynist. So
when Im doing this work about civil rights, I feel like Im sort of doing reparations,
and exploring those problems that I grew up with.
Another series of works in the Hillyer show is a calendar Hesh describes as looking like a normal wildlife calendar, with beautiful wildlife pictures until you get
close and then read the text underneath [which] tells you the same-sex behavior of
that animal. More recently shes created a couple interactive selfie-inspired projects a cutout allowing exhibit-goers to take a selfie with a gay, as well as another option to snap a photo wearing a gay hat, a gayer necklace or a gayest sash.
Next weekend Hesh will staff a Valentines Day Kissing Booth, where people can
pose and kiss in any combination. Says Hesh: Ill be serving milk and cookies and
taking photographs. Doug Rule
The opening reception for Linda Heshs All Gay Review is Friday, Feb. 6, from 6 to
9 p.m., while the Valentines Day event is Saturday, Feb. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. Exhibit
runs to Feb 28. Hillyer Art Space at International Arts & Artists, 9 Hillyer Court
NW. Call 202-338-0680 or visit artsandartists.org. l
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Next week U Streets Tropicalia offers a gay-popular night of music and spectacle. Love Feast on
Thursday, Feb. 12, features a performance by Jason
Barnes as his drag alter-ego Pussy Noir. The affair
kicks off with a performance by D.C.-based theatrical fire dance company, Dance Afire Productions,
whose tagline is everything goes better with firedancers, and closes with a set of house, hip-hop
and club music by DJs Sam Blodgett and Kris
Sutton, who work together under the moniker Butch
Queen. Also on the bill: D.C.s New Wave/soul band
Mundy, whose concerts are billed as a theatrical rock
experience. Thursday, Feb. 12. Doors at 8:30 p.m.
Tropicalia, 2001 14th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call
202-629-4535 or visit tropicaliadc.com.

RAINBOW THEATRE PROJECT PLAY READINGS

As part of its Generation Q (concert readings)


series, the LGBT-focused Rainbow Theatre Project
focuses on Bryne Turners metaphysical comedy
How to Separate Your Soul from Your Body (in
Ten Easy Steps), directed by Jay D. Brock, and
Steven Kobars A Quick Stop at the Florist. David A.
Richardson directs this short play about an argument over gay marriage that breaks out between
two straight women picking up wedding flowers.
Monday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Source, 1835 14th St.
NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-204-7760 or visit
rainbowtheatreproject.org.

SPEAKEASYDCS SUCKER FOR LOVE

The local storytelling organization offers its seventh


Sucker for Love, a Valentines Day-themed event
with true tales about loves found, lost and imagined.
Unlike other storytelling organizations, SpeakEasyDC
is focused on congenial camaraderie, not competition no judged Story Slams here. Scheduled to
appear are Kathy Baird, Jenny Splitter, Valentina
Staki, Meredith Whipple, Sam Kean, Michael Zhuang,
Jose Magana and Bradley Podliska. Mike Baireuther
hosts. Tickets remain for the second show Saturday,
Feb. 14. Doors at 8:30 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St.
NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.
com and speakeasydc.com.

THE TURN OF THE SCREW

As the first installment in its five-year Bold New


Works for Intimate Stages Initiative, Virginias
Creative Cauldron commissioned this musical from
the Signature Theatre-affiliated team (and reallife gay couple) writer Stephen Gregory Smith and
musician Matt Conner (Nevermore, Crossing). Smith
and Conner adapted Henry Jamess classic novella,
a ghost story about a governess who learns dark
secrets about the two young orphans in her care.
Opening night is Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m., and
Pride Night is Sunday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. Runs to Feb.
22. Creative Cauldron, 410 South Maple Ave. Falls
Church. Tickets are $25, or $20 for Pride night with
code PRIDE. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

TIM BURTON:
MELANCHOLY, MIRTH AND MAGIC

The American Film Institute kicks off part two in its Tim Burton: Melancholy,
Mirth and Magic series with two very different cult favorites: 1990s delicate
goth fairytale Edward Scissorhands starring Johnny Depp, Dianne Wiest, Winona
Ryder and Vincent Price, and 1985s Pee Wees Big Adventure, Burtons feature
debut, an improbably weird beginning to an improbably weird mainstream
career focused on the wacky character created by Paul Reubens, in a screenplay
co-written by late SNL star Phil Hartman. Edward Scissorhands is Friday, Feb.
6, at 9:15 p.m., and Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m. Pee Wees Big Adventure is
Saturday, Feb. 7, at 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 8, at 9:40 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre,
8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $12 general admission. Call 301495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

FILM
OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2015: ANIMATED, LIVE ACTION

Once again, Landmarks E Street Cinema, in partnership with ShortsHD, offers


two feature-length programs of the short films nominated at the upcoming
Academy Awards, set for Feb. 22: a program with the animated shorts, featuring
films from the Netherlands, the U.K. and a Canada/Norway joint venture, plus
two U.S. films, including Disneys Feast, about one mans love life as seen through
his dog; and a program of live action shorts, including two films from the U.K.,
one from Switzerland and two with ties to France one Aya, a co-production
with Israel about a case of mistaken identity at the airport, and Butter Lamp, a
co-production with China about photographing Tibetan nomads. Now playing.
Landmarks E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Every Friday and Saturday Landmarks E Street Cinema shows films at midnight
that are more risqu or campy than the usual fare. And, no surprise, once a month
brings screenings of a certain cult classic. Each screening is accompanied by the
shadow cast Sonic Transducers, who act out the film in front of the screen
with props and costumes. Friday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 14, at midnight.
Landmarks E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

STAGE
BAD JEWS

HHHHH
Its become the best-selling show in Studio Theatres history, and sales are still
rolling in: Studio has extended Bad Jews multiple times, making it one of the
longest-running shows in the companys history too, or twice the normal run of a
Studio show. And with good reason: In Studios production of Joshua Harmons
acerbic dramedy, Irene Sofia Lucio and Alex Mandell both turn in astonishing
performances as the shows two tentpole monsters, one an Israeli-dreaming
Jewish hardliner, the other a thoroughly assimilated American atheist. Peace and
goodwill between these two is as impossible to imagine as it is between Israel
and Palestine. Extended to Sunday, Feb. 15. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW.
Tickets are $44 to $88. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org. (Doug Rule)

BESSIES BLUES

Virginias Metro Stage reprises this musical by Thomas W. Jones II on the occasion of its 20th anniversary since its multiple Helen Hayes Award-winning premiere at Studio Theatre. The show looks at the legacy of the blues as told through
the eyes and lens of Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues, performed by the great
Bernardine Mitchell. To March 15. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria.
Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 800-494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.

CHEROKEE

John Vreeke directs a Woolly Mammoth production of Lisa DAmours latest comedy, about two couples one black, one white fleeing their suburban pressures
in an attempt to reconnect with nature by going camping in Cherokee, N.C. A companion to last seasons hit Detroit, Cherokee takes a disparate group of Americans
beyond the brink and asks what it means to lead an authentic life. Opens in previews Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. Through March 8. Woolly Mammoth, 641 D
St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $68. Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.

CHICAGO: THE MUSICAL

Another tour brings the longest-running musical in Broadway history back to the
National Theatre next week. Bianca Marroquin, who won a Helen Hayes Award
when she starred in the show in 2004, returns as Roxie Hart. Opens Tuesday, Feb.
10, at 7:30 p.m. To Feb. 15. National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets
are $48 to $108. Call 202-628-6161 or visit thenationaldc.org.

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25

DUNSINANE

The Shakespeare Theatre Company presents a co-production with the National


Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company of David Greigs
Dunsinane, created as a dramatic sequel to MacBeth. Roxana Silbert directs this
vision of one mans attempt to restore peace in a country ravaged by war, written
from the perspective of a Scot. Now to Feb. 21. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center
for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

LIFE SUCKS (OR THE PRESENT RIDICULOUS)

Theater J presents the world premiere of Aaron Posners irreverent variation on


Chekhovs Uncle Vanya, where life is miserable for every character in this play
about love and longing. Kimberly Gilbert, Eric Hissom and Naomi Jacobson head
the cast. To Feb. 15. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Washington, D.C.s
Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $55. Call 202-5189400 or visit washingtondcjcc.org.

RACHEL HYNES HALF-LIFE

Parenthetically subtitled (A Zombie Love Letter for No One), this devisedtheater piece uses zombies as a darkly humorous metaphor for that unsettling
point in life where you suffer a significant loss, leaving you feeling disconnected
from peers, or just numb, out of place. CulturalDC presents this work conceived
by Rachel Hynes and devised by Hynes, Joshua Drew, Jonathan Lee Taylor and
Tyler Herman. The specific focus is on Regina, a survivor of a car accident who
is bloody and looking undead, which makes it impossible for her to successfully
return to her old life and pursuits. To Feb. 22. Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916
G St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-315-1310 or visit flashpointdc.org.

THE METROMANIACS

Michael Kahn directs a new adaptation by David Ives of Alexis Pirons classic 1738
French farce, about a would-be poet who has fallen for the works of a mysterious
Breton poetess. In fact, the works are by a middle-aged gentleman, who pawns
his own daughter off as the author in an attempt to separate her from the son of a
sworn enemy. Chaos ensues, as does some poetic wooing reminiscent of Cyrano.
Now to March 8. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit
shakespearetheatre.org.

THE WIDOW LINCOLN

Mary Todd Lincoln sparked more controversy than any First Lady in history,
and this world premiere by James Still, commissioned by Fords Theatre and set
during the weeks following Abraham Lincolns murder at Fords, should have particular dramatic resonance in the venue and in this city that loves a good mystery
with political intrigue. Stephen Rayne directs a cast led by Mary Bacon as Mary
Lincoln and featuring Sarah Marshall, Kimberly Schraf and Brynn Tucker. To Feb.
22. Fords Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org.

MUSIC
AMIT PELED

As part of its Founders Day celebration, Baltimores Peabody Institute presents


its renowned faculty artist and cellist Amit Peled in a tribute to legendary cellist
Pablo Casals. The Israel-born Peled will play the same program, of Handel, Bach,
Beethoven and Saint-Saens on the same cello, a 1733 Goffriller as Casals did in
a recital at Peabody a century ago. Pianist Noreen Polera accompanies. Thursday,
Feb. 12, at 8 p.m. Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall, 17 E. Mount Vernon Pl.
Baltimore. Tickets are $15. Call 410-234-4800 or visit peabody.jhu.edu.

BOHEMIAN CAVERNS JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Every Monday night the 17-piece jazz orchestra performs a variety of music
from the big band repertoire including pieces by Duke Ellington, Count Basie,
Billy Strayhorn and Maria Schneider, plus originals from band members, at its
namesake venue. Founded by baritone saxophonist Brad Linde and club owner
Omrao Brown, featuring some of D.C.s best jazz musicians, including Linde and
trumpeter Joe Herrera, who co-direct. Performances at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. every
Monday night. Bohemian Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202299-0800 or visit bohemiancaverns.com.

CHRIS BRUBECKS TRIPLE PLAY

As part of its KC Jazz Club programming, the Kennedy Center welcomes jazz
and blues great Chris Brubeck in his namesake trio with Joel Brown and Peter
Madcat Ruth, who perform in tribute to Brubecks father, the late jazz pianist
Dave Brubeck, a 2009 Kennedy Center Honoree. Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. and
9:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. Tickets are $26 to $32. Call 202-4674600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

GARRICK OHLSSON WITH BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Known for his technical dexterity at the keys, internationally acclaimed American
pianist Garrick Ohlsson joins the BSO to play Rachmaninoffs ravishing Piano
Concerto No. 2. Marin Alsop leads the orchestra in a program also featuring two
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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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pieces by Respighi, the tone poem Pines of Rome and Church Windows. The
Thursday night concert at Strathmore also serves as a toast to the 10th anniversary of the BSOs secondary residency at the Music Center. The evening starts at
5:30 p.m. in the lobby with a fundraising gala offering dinner, drinks and a private
concert with Ohlsson. Thursday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore,
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Also Friday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 7,
at 8 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets
are $29 to $99, or $350 for the Strathmore 10th Anniversary Gala. Call 410-7838000 or visit bsomusic.org.

JOHN PIZZARELLI & JANE MONHEIT

For Valentines Day, Strathmore offers a swinging evening, featuring jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli in duet with sultry cabaret chanteuse Jane Monheit.
Saturday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,
North Bethesda. Remaining tickets are $35 to $60. Call 301-581-5100 or visit
strathmore.org.

LANDAU EUGENE MURPHY, JR.

Winner of season six of NBCs Americas Got Talent, the dreadlocked classic
crooner returns to Baltimore after performing the National Anthem last summer at
Camden Yards. Murphy will sing from his debut CD Thats Life plus offer a sneak
peek at songs from his upcoming third album due sometime this year. Friday, Feb.
13, at 9 p.m. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place. Tickets are $35 in advance, or
$40 at the door. Call 410-244-0057 or visit baltimoresoundstage.com.

LEON RUSSELL

Five years ago, Elton John helped revive the original bluesy rockers career
with the 2010 album The Union, which featured Russell on both backing vocals
and piano. Russell, who helped launch Johns career in the U.S., is now touring in support of last years Life Journey. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. The
Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $40. Call 202-787-1000 or visit
thehamiltondc.com.

LEVINE MUSIC: BASSAPPELLA: THE ART OF SOLO BASS

As part of its annual series Pushing the Boundaries, D.C.s music school Levine
Music offers a Valentines Day treat for those who are, you might say, all about
that bass. Bassappella: The Art of Solo Bass features Levines rock faculty artists
electric bassist Christopher Brown and percussionist Manny Arciniega showcasing the full spectrum of the bass instrument, from Bach to Stevie Wonder to U2.
Saturday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. Levine Music, 2801 Upton St. NW. Tickets are $15
online, or $20 at the door, and includes wine and light appetizers. Call 686-8000
or visit levinemusic.org.

MECCORE QUARTET

The Clarice presents the debut of this visionary-thinking Polish quartet, formed
in 2007. Flouting convention, the Meccore Quartet repertoire includes modern,
often experimental works informed by jazz and literature as well as contemporary concerns. Meccore will perform hallmark quartets by Mozart and Debussy
from the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively but also Eclipse, a 2003 string
quartet by Brett Dean, an Australian composer known for works with literary
and cultural references, such as environmental issues. Friday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m.
Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the Clarice at the University of Maryland, University
Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are $25. Call 301-405-ARTS
or visit theclarice.umd.edu.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

As part of a multi-week series Fantasy & Fate: Tchaikovsky Masterworks,


Juraj Valcuha leads the NSO in the Russian masters dramatically contrasting
Symphony No. 5. Also on the program is Stravinskys Pulcinella and Bruchs Violin
Concerto No. 1, featuring the NSO debut of Vilde Frang. Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m.,
and Friday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
Tickets are $10 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

PHOX, FIELD REPORT

The quirky electro-folk group PHOX features vocalist Monica Martin, and the
sound sometimes reminds you of a moodier Sara Bareilles, Feist, or even Imogen
Heap. The Wisconsin six-piece has recruited a fellow Wisconsin band as opening
act on its current tour. Chris Porterfield once performed in a band alongside Bon
Iver and Megafaun and is now making a name for himself as the leader of the sixpiece Field Report. The bands Marigolden is a heartfelt, sometimes heartbreaking
album, whose seasonally inspired title derives from the sets realistically hopeful
homecoming song Home (Leave The Lights On). Thursday, Feb. 12. Doors at 7
p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.
com and speakeasydc.com.

SOLAS

The Washington Post has called this quintet, which got its start playing in Irish
bars in New York, one of the worlds finest Celtic-folk ensembles, with music
ranging from innovative original songs to Irish classics. Friday, Feb. 13, and
Saturday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna.
Tickets are $25 to $28. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

TIA NINA: JUICED

As part of the occasional series the Festival of Subversive Artists and Minds, the
University of Maryland welcomes Tia Nina, a local dance theater troupe styling
itself as a feminist punk rock dance band. Multidisciplinary performance artists
Leah Curran Moon, Ilana Silverstein and Lisi Stoessel first gained attention as
Tia Nina when they teamed up for a well-reviewed gender-bending staged show
featuring original music, Pitchin The Tent, at the 2013 Capital Fringe Festival.
Juiced features more original tunes and continues the trios critique of our hypermasculine rock culture, taking on, according to The Clarice: the showy, phallic
panache of lead guitarists, the aggressive boastful struts of front men, and the
sweaty, reckless abandon of great drummers, to expose the ways masculine activity, feminine passivity and compulsory heterosexuality are reproduced in rock n
roll. Saturday, Feb. 7, at 9 p.m. Dance Theatre at the Clarice at the University of
Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Free. Call 301405-ARTS or visit theclarice.umd.edu.

DANCE

GALLERIES
BEYOND BOLLYWOOD: INDIAN AMERICANS SHAPE THE NATION

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center presents this ambitious and colorful
exhibition on the second floor of the National Museum of Natural History, exploring the heritage, daily experiences and diverse contributions of Indians and Indian
Americans. Through Aug. 16. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and
Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit mnh.si.edu.

DECODING THE RENAISSANCE

The Folger Shakespeare Librarys latest exhibition focuses on the first great age
of mass communication, the Renaissance, which launched printing, developed
diplomacy and created postal systems. All of this triggered an obsession with
encryption and secret communication that produced some of the periods most
brilliant inventions, most beautiful books and most enduring legacies, including
that of code-breakers and cryptographers. Through Feb. 26. Folger Great Hall in
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. Call 202-544-7077 or
visit folger.edu. l

ALVIN AILEY DANCE THEATER

The vaunted American dance company returns to the Kennedy Center for its
annual week of performances. This years focus is on new works by nine leading American and international choreographers among them the companys
Matthew Rushing, Robert Moses and Christopher Wheeldon but all five mixedrepertory programs conclude with Revelations, the signature masterpiece by
the companys gay namesake, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1989.
Remaining shows are Thursday, Feb. 5, through Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Also
Saturday, Feb. 7, and Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Opera House.
Tickets are $30 to $125. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

CONTRADICTION DANCE

Boundaries is a dance-based theater performance inspired by the social media


campaign #YesAllWomen where everyday people share and document everyday examples of misogyny and violence against women and exploring feminine
sensuality, strength and vulnerability as seen through the lens of men, women and
the media. In this multimedia presentation, nine male and female Contradiction
Dance members portray interactions among strangers, friends and lovers, all
informed by the personal stories of artistic director and choreographer Kelly King
and the companys director of theater Melissa Leigh-Bustamente. Friday, Feb. 6,
at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Joes Movement Emporium,
3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, Md. Tickets are $10. Call 301-699-1819 or
visit joesmovement.org.

DC CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE

Founded in 1984 by artistic director Miya Hisaka Silva as D.C.s first multicultural repertory dance company, this company, with roots in El Salvador, chiefly
focuses on the power, passion and poetry of Latin America and its people. Next
weekend at Dance Place, DCCDT, or as its known in Spanish Teatro de Danza
Contemporanea, presents a diverse program with works by Kevin Iega Jeff,
Adrian Bolton, Francisco Castillo, Gloria Contreras, Yasmin Hernandez as well as
Silva herself. Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. Dance Place,
3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600
or visit danceplace.org.

SAVION GLOVER

The Music Center at Strathmore welcomes this energetic Tony Award-winning


hoofer (Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk) to perform as part of its spirited 10th
anniversary celebration next weekend. Performed by Glover and his ensemble,
Stepz merges influences from classic tap with that of the choreographers more
contemporary, improvisational style, set to a wildly eccentric score veering from
Shostakovich to Prince to John Coltrane. The buzz will be building even before
show time, as Strathmore offers a 10th Anniversary happy hour of food and drink
specials in the lobby starting at 6:30 p.m. and the first 200 guests get a complimentary champagne toast. Friday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore,
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Remaining tickets are $25 to $68. Call
301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

READINGS
DAVID AXELROD

Believer shares a wealth of stories from the 40-year journey of the mastermind
behind President Obamas historic election campaigns. The result is said to be
a deeper and richer profile of the President, from the perspective of a man who
was at his side every step of the way. David Axelrod will be in conversation with
John Dickerson, Slates chief political correspondent. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7
p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $15, or $38 with one
book; two tickets plus a book runs $43. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

27

stage

Gigi at the Kennedy Center is no


match for the queens in Folger
Theatres Mary Stuart
by DOUG RULE

ISNEY STARLET VANESSA HUDGENS WAS


recruited to add a special sheen to Lerner and
Loewes Gigi a blatant attempt to make this
old-fashioned musical more appealing to a younger generation. The star of the Disney Channels High School
Musical franchise, Hudgens acquits herself ably in the role, but
even with a few other modern twists added by director Eric
Schaeffer and book adapter Heidi Thomas, Gigi still registers
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FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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as a lower-caliber Broadway musical, and a lesser My Fair Lady


writers Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewes big hit that
mightily overshadows it.
In fact, Gigi isnt even as interesting as the problematic Little
Dancer, the other world premiere musical the Kennedy Center
staged this season. While no plans have been announced for
a Broadway transfer of that notably original Lynn Ahrens and
Stephen Flaherty musical more than two months after it closed,
Gigis transfer to New Yorks Neil Simon Theatre next month
was announced even before the short Kennedy Center engagement started.
Thats not to say the show or at least this production is
without merit. In fact, anyone fine with style over substance will
find much to love here. Derek McLane has created an extravagant set to rival Vincente Minnellis opulent, Oscar-winning 1958
movie musical version: resplendent with Eiffel Tower-inspired
iron latticework in outdoor scenes and sumptuous drapery
indoors. Catherine Zuber has designed glamorous costumes to

JOAN MARCUS

Theater Queens

match, and Natasha Katz (Follies, Aida) proves once again why
shes won numerous Tony Awards for her lighting design Im
not sure Ive ever seen richer shades of blue realized on a stage.
Joshua Bergasse, known especially for his work on television,
stirs up further interest with his deceptively light and charming
choreography.
There are yet more praises to sing about this production,
not least of which is the superb cast Schaeffer has assembled.
Hudgens may be the tent pole star of the show, but the two
women molding the young girl rule the stage: Victoria Clark
as Gigis grandmother and caretaker Mamita, and Dee Hoty as
Aunt Alicia. Their characters caution and counsel about the
ways of the world for a girl may run contrary to what you know
and believe, but you cant help admiring the convictions and
even chutzpah these actors bring to bear.
Aunt Alicia, for example, makes an impressionable influence
when she tells Gigi early on that girls arent attractive to men if
theyre seen deep in thought. By Act 2, Gigi lets her suitor Gaston
(a fine Corey Cott) know in no uncertain terms that shes one
smart cookie and ultimately, he likes the refreshing challenge
she offers. Still, its never completely clear that Gigi sees much
of anything attractive in him, other than the promise of fame and
fortune. Nor is it clear that shell be satisfied with just that. She
seems both ahead of her time, 20th-century Paris but also far
behind ours.
IF YOU THINK THE THREE LEADING actresses in Gigi
are something, get a load of the triumvirate cast in the Folger
Theatres Mary Stuart: Holly Twyford, Kate Eastwood Norris
and Nancy Robinette. If youve partaken in any theater in D.C.
over the past couple decades, you know these three, all previous

Helen Hayes Award winners, are stage royalty.


And go figure: two of them are even playing queens.
Friedrich Schillers Mary Stuart is a 19th Century
Shakespearean political drama about one of Englands most
storied rivalries, that between Mary, Queen of Scots (Norris)
and Queen Elizabeth I (Twyford). Catholic Mary is a threat
to Protestant Queen Elizabeths reign, but her murder isnt
a clear way to eliminate the threat. Further complicating
the case is the fact that the two are cousins and both are,
at base, sensible, feeling women. D.C. theaters grand dame
Robinette plays Marys attentive assistant while shes imprisoned by Elizabeth in England.
Peter Oswalds adaptation trims Schillers flowery language,
though this Mary Stuart is still a tad long and wordy, clocking
in at just under three hours. But its also one of the more compelling historical play productions Ive seen, a credit to both
Richard Cliffords sharp eye in casting and directing and in Tony
Ciseks scenery from the starkly dark tones in Marys prison
to the bright gold leaf behind Elizabeths throne. And Mariah
Hales glorious costumes put the characters in even starker
relief. Mary is refined and regal, while Elizabeth looks overbearingly overdressed and tortured. Uneasy lies the head that wears
a crown, indeed.
Mary Stuart (
) runs to March 8 at Folger Shakespeare
Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $40 to $75. Call 202544-7077 or visit folger.edu.
Gigi (HHHHH) runs to Thursday, Feb. 12. Kennedy Center
Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $45 to $150. Call 202-467-4600
or visit kennedy-center.org. l

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

29

games

Holiday Road
Grim Fandango may not be the most
in-depth of remasters, but its a genre
classic definitely worth revisiting
by RHUARIDH MARR

TS BECOME VERY DU JOUR OF LATE TO REMASTER


older games. Whether for nostalgia, profit, or both, developers are digging through their back catalogs to find titles
worthy of a quick spit n shine to give a new round of players and those who fondly remember the original a chance
to experience an older game. Thats not to say its limited to the
classics: GTA V, Saints Row IV and Sleeping Dogs, for instance,
have all recently been remastered from the PS3/360 to run on
the PS4 and Xbox One, letting their respective publishers wring
every last cent from gamers on all four systems.
There are, thankfully, more than a few titles that are genuine remasters. Take Oddworld: New n Tasty!, last years PS4
remaster of the cult classic Oddworld: Abes Oddysee, which saw
an updated game engine and so much polishing that, in many
ways, its a vastly superior game to the 1998 original. Or, for horror fans, the seminal classic Resident Evil, which was released
in 1996 on the original PlayStation, remastered in 2002 for the
GameCube, which in turn was then updated in high definition
for a 2014 release on current gen consoles. Both took established,
older franchises and pulled them into the modern era, giving
young gamers a chance to live through the same worlds their
parents did almost two decades ago without vastly altering the
original experience.
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Developers must walk a fine line when remastering a beloved


title. Do too little, and the games age will be all too apparent
for those used to modern control schemes and pixel-perfect
graphics. Resident Evils tank controls, for instance, feel utterly
alien in todays world. Do too much, and you risk ruining the
magic that earned the game its classic status, by potentially
transforming its world to be unrecognizable or fiddling too
much with game mechanics. Thats why, at first glance, Grim
Fandango Remastered looks as if developer Double Fine didnt
really bother at all.
Lets walk through the list of changes. Character models are
overhauled, with smooth textures that will render well on any
size screen, a new lighting engine subtly illuminates everything
in a more realistic way, backgrounds have been cleaned up to
let them better stretch across 1080p screens, and theres better
anti-aliasing to smooth everything out as you play. Audio has
been updated and remastered, with the games beautiful score
recorded by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (the original
games audio files didnt hold up to modern scrutiny). And thats
about it. Grim Fandango still runs at a 4:3 aspect ratio (it can
be stretched across a 16:9 aspect, but dont bother) and, aside
from the option to point and click on PCs and the PS Vita, or
use camera-relative movement on PS4, instead of the originals
tanks controls, this is essentially the same game you played back
in the nineties.
Which is exactly why its still so utterly fantastic. Everything
that gave the original game its cult status is here. Often revered
as one of the hallmarks of the adventure genre, which was at its
peak in the late 80s through the mid-90s, Grim Fandango is a
beautifully realized, wonderfully scripted, gorgeously depicted
world to explore.
Players are given control of Manuel Manny Calavera, a

travel agent in the Land of the Dead who helps souls move from
the Land of the Living on to the Ninth Underworld. Manny
determines how good each person was while alive, with those
leading better lives able to access better travel packages for
reaching the Ninth Underworld. The Number Nine train is
the ultimate reward, capable of reaching the gates of the Ninth
Underworld in four minutes, while boat and bus packages are
also available. Those who failed to lead a good life must make
the journey on foot, and are thus resigned to a four year journey
to reach their destination.
When a computer error fails to assign the Number Nine train
to Mercedes Meche Colomar, its revealed that the entire
system is corrupted someone is stealing the tickets assigned
to good souls, leaving those who qualify for the train to walk
the four year journey. Manny heads off in search of Meche to
rescue her and ensure she secures her place on the train to the
Ninth Underworld and hopefully make it there himself in the
process.
If it sounds convoluted, dont worry. The now-defunct
LucasArts, the original developer, and the games director Tim
Schafer crafted a rich, inviting world that instantly draws you
into its narrative. Seventeen years later, the witty, snappy script
still shines, and Mannys interactions with his environments and
the various characters within them ensure that the games plot
is always apparent and appreciable. Inspiration for the game
comes from various sources: film noir, especially in the second
year of the story, Mexican calaca figures (on which most characters designs are based), and the Day of the Dead celebrations, as
well as art design from the Art Deco period.
Its easy to see why the game itself has needed such little
remastering. The vast majority of environments Manny encounters are pre-rendered, and the original art style holds up beautifully today though cutscenes, which arent remastered, are
definitely showing their age. There are other sore spots, such as
water movement or the propellers on a blimp, but for the most
part the games various scenes whether the cityscape of El
Marrow or the precarious island setting of the third chapter
look as good now as they ever did. Double Fine knew that what
they had was more than enough they updated the parts that
needed it most, such as character design and audio, and left
everything else that worked intact.
For the most part, thats a good thing. As noted, conversations
are excellent, thanks to the hilarious script and strong performances from the voice actors. Its the games core gameplay
namely, the adventuring where youre either going to love
or hate Grim Fandango. Ill say it now: Im terrible at adventure
games, or at least the type involving lots of puzzles. While I like
to think that Im a competent gamer, put a challenging puzzle
in front of me and if I dont know what to do instantly Im
likely to cry and then lose interest. As a result, Grim Fandango
would, on the surface, seem to be one of the worst games I
could have played, because not only does it have puzzles that
can be infuriatingly hard, theyre also ones that occasionally
have utterly illogical solutions. I had to resort several times to a
walkthrough in order to move through some of the scenes in the
game and while more often than not I would read the solution
and realize that I was an idiot, there were several which made no
sense even after completing them. (I still have no idea how I was
supposed to work out the betting stub for the cat races.)
Grim Fandangos control scheme doesnt help matters. Yes,
tank controls are gone (though, for the sadists among you,
its possible to reactivate them in the settings) but, at least on
console, the new camera-relative settings arent fantastic. Too

often Id enter a new area only for the camera to have switched
perspective, which meant the direction I was pressing when I
entered the room would either send me in the wrong direction
or turn me back around and out of the area. Contextual awareness isnt great, either, with no UI hints other than Manny turning his head to notice relevant objects or characters (which can
be buggy if several items are close together) or the occasional
dialogue snippet. That can make moments where you need to
use an item a game of trial and error interacting with various
people and objects while holding numerous different items to
find a combination that works will be a core part of your Grim
Fandango experience. Double Fine also failed to patch in autosaving, which is a somewhat egregious error for lazy modern
gamers its not exactly laborious to manually save, but it just
makes sense to have baked it in here.
Of course, none of the above matters because, in the five or six
hours I spent in the Land of the Dead, I couldnt have cared any
less about control issues or obtuse puzzles or control problems.
Its both impressive and depressing that, in seventeen years, few
games can match Grim Fandangos fully-realized and beautifully
executed world. Manny is the perfect protagonist: hes likeable,
witty, and youll want to see his story to its conclusion. Every
character you meet is memorable, from main characters such
as Glottis, a spirit demon Manny befriends who accompanies
him throughout the game, Domino, Mannys swaggering archnemesis, and Hector LeMans, the games main antagonist who
masterminds the plot to steal Number Nine tickets, through to
side characters met throughout the game such as poetry-reading
Olivia, security guard Carla, and oily lawyer Nick. Yes, the
games puzzles may be tough, but when they require you to talk
to so many fantastic characters, its utterly forgivable.
Grim Fandango succeeds today because it refuses to apologize
for what it is: a game born and bred in the 90s. Any problems
with its control scheme or layout or puzzle structure are issues
that many games suffered from at that time but it doesnt
stop it being a memorable classic. Yes, there were times I had
to resort to a walkthrough (and, of course, your mileage will
vary if youre not an incompetent fool like I am), but there were
also moments of pure elation when I deduced the solution to a
puzzle sans help and was rewarded with more story, more dialogue more Grim Fandango. Year 2 alone, and the port town
of Rubacava, is a sprawling mess of a level thats breathtaking
in scope, maddening in execution, and utterly brilliant. That
this game is seventeen years old and still manages to be so wondrously playable is a testament to the design conviction of Tim
Schafer and company when they built it.
As a remaster, Grim Fandango wont win any awards. The
changes here are so subtle as to be virtually nonexistent, especially in the face of other, more thorough efforts. But thats missing the point, as there wasnt much about Grim Fandango that
needed a modern rethinking. The original sold in tiny numbers,
but was still able to become one of the definitive examples of
the adventure game genre whats here is truly special, and Im
completely okay with Double Fine taking as light an approach as
possible with its updating for todays gamers. No, its not perfect,
but it doesnt have to be. The mere fact that you can play it at all
(the PC original is notoriously difficult to get running on modern
systems) is something worth celebrating, and I urge you to journey to the Land of the Dead. Whether its a return trip, or a first
vacation, youll love your stay regardless.
Grim Fandango (HHHHH) is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and
PlayStation Vita. l
METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

31

tech

The FCC redefines broadband and seeks


to reclassify it as a public utility
by RHUARIDH MARR

RE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR INTERNET


connection? Its an important question, and
one the folks at the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) must ask on a daily basis.
Tasked with overseeing our broadband connections (among
many other things), the FCC is also in charge of keeping the
many telecommunications companies in check, as well as setting the guidelines for the connection we use to update our
Facebook, watch cat videos on YouTube, and browse Tumblr
for amusing GIFs.
Its been a busy week at the FCC, at least for broadband, with
proposed changes to internet guidelines and plans to revamp
the way internet connections are managed at state level. The
most important news for U.S. consumers, though, is that the
very definition of broadband itself has been updated. Until now,
for a company to sell broadband it had to ensure that a customer
would receive a minimum of 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps
upload speed. In modern terms, they dont amount to much
Netflix recommends 5 Mbps down for HD content and up to
25 Mbps down for its 4K content and the FCC itself calls the
standard, mandated in 2010, dated and inadequate.
The FCC now hopes that slow broadband will become a thing
of the past. In a vote last week, commissioners chose to greatly
increase the standard by which broadband will be held accountable in order to sell the service to consumers, a company must
now offer at least 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps to classify it as
broadband. With the new standard in place, 55 million people
(17 percent of the total population) are now classified as lacking broadband, while over half of those living in rural areas lack
access to services which can offer the FCCs updated speeds.
Indeed, those living in rural areas are dealt the harshest hand
one fifth of rural America lacks access even to the 2010 standard
of 4Mbps down.
Of course, while updated standards are good for consumers,
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at least at face value, the FCC lacks the power to force telecoms
companies to deploy the faster speeds immediately. The new
standard only applies to the report the FCC issues annually on
the state of broadband in America the FCC cant force companies to adopt it. It can, its report notes, take immediate action
if broadband isnt being deployed to consumers in a reasonable
and timely fashion, but Verizon, Comcast, AT&T et al will be the
ones who roll the speeds out to customers, and theyll likely do
so at their own pace which will be nothing short of glacial. A
week before the updated standards were voted on, the National
Cable & Telecommunications Association wrote to the FCC asking them not to update the broadband definition. It noted that
any updated standard would have no regulatory significance
and that if the FCC attempted to use the new benchmark for
broadband in a regulatory capacity, such as determining support levels under the Connect America Fund (CAF) or deciding which entities should be subject to open Internet rules, it
would lead to inevitable tensions. In short? Telecoms dont
want faster speeds, but the FCC is going to start marking them
down for not achieving them regardless. As FCC Commissioner
Jessica Rosenworcel stated of the new 25 Mbps benchmark, I
think our new threshold, frankly, should be 100Mbps.
The FCC isnt stopping at merely redefining what it thinks
are acceptable broadband speeds. According to reports, its planning to alter not only the way the internet functions, but also the
way it can be deployed at state level.
With the former, whats at stake here is something which
has been in the public eye since John Oliver eloquently ranted
about it on Last Week Tonight: net neutrality. Essentially, its
the idea that all data on the internet should be treated equally,
regardless of source or content, in the way its delivered from
its origin to its end point. The government, telecoms companies
and service providers wouldnt treat a Netflix stream, or an
iTunes download, or someone browsing Pinterest any differently from one another in the speed and stability of their connection. Unsurprisingly, telecoms have actively fought against
net neutrality, as it would stop them from offering internet toll
roads, where companies can pay (or are forced to pay) in order
to access faster internet connections.
Netflix, for instance, accused Comcast of extortion after
it found that Netflix users were having their broadband speeds

APATSARA

Speed Bump

throttled by Comcast to limit data consumption. It is extortion


when Comcast fails to provide its own customers the broadband
speed theyve paid for unless Netflix also pays a ransom. That
ransom? A deal negotiated with Comcast last year that saw
Netflix paying the company in order to unlock speeds for Netflix
customers on Comcast connections, a deal which Netflix stated
it grudgingly paid to improve performance for our mutual customers, a precedent that remains damaging for consumers (who
ultimately pay higher costs) and for other innovative businesses
(that can be held over the barrel by Comcast to do the same).
According to reports by the Wall Street Journal and New York
Times, however, such extortion could soon be a thing of the past.
The FCC are apparently seeking to reclassify the internet as a
telecoms service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act.
In essence, that would make internet service a public utility,
a classification currently applied to landline telephones (yes,
some people still have those), and would prevent any telecom
company from charging a business to access faster connections
or allow any entity to pay extra to have traffic from its service be
prioritized over others.
The new proposal is expected to be made public on February
5, with a vote by FCC commissioners expected by February
26. If the FCC chooses to approve the rules and reclassify the
internet as a public utility, itll mean intensified regulation and
scrutinization of telecoms by the FCC can you guess why Time
Warner et al are opposed to it?
As if that werent enough, according to The Washington Post
the FCC is also exploring the possibility of draft proposal which
would seek to curtail state laws which hinder municipal internet
access in Tennessee and North Carolina. Municipal internet
access is, essentially, publicly-owned internet access, provided

by local governments to offer a wider variety of choice in areas


where traditional telecoms cant or wont compete. In Wilson,
North Carolina, for instance, Greenlight is a publicly owned utility offering fiber-to-the-home internet to residents, with speeds
up to 100 Mbps at affordable prices Time Warner previously
offered the citys fastest speeds, at a paltry 10 Mbps.
Why is the FCC getting involved? Tennessee, North Carolina
and nineteen other states have laws that place limits (or outright
ban) on local government-operated services, after pressure
and money from traditional telecoms who refused to compete
with the faster, cheaper services. To quote the Washington Post,
if the FCC approved the proposal it would effectively knock
down the state laws that the cities say inhibit them from building viable competitors to the likes of Comcast and Verizon.
The FCCs proposals apparently only target laws in Tennessee
which restricts publicly-owned broadband to specific areas
and North Carolina which mandates that publicly-owned
services cant be cheaper than private telecoms but could ultimately impact states with similar laws and restrictions.
Republicans, of course, would likely try to block the FCC
from doing so. While the Commission could argue that its
authorized to promote the deployment of broadband under
Section 706 of the Communications Act, those in the GOP favor
private solutions to broadband deployment. Indeed, Senator
John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.)
have co-sponsored a bill which would limit the FCCs influence
under Section 706 and, as a result, stop it from using the law
to regulate broadband.
The FCC would likely suggest that, by encouraging greater
competition between private and public telecoms services, consumers will ultimately be the ones to benefit. l

METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

33

NIGHT

LIFE
LISTINGS
THURS., 02.05.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour, 4pm-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $6 Call
Martini, $3 Miller Lite, $4
Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm $3
Rail Drinks, 10pm-midnight,
$5 Red Bull, Gatorade
and Frozen Virgin Drinks
Locker Room Thursday
Nights DJs Sean Morris
and MadScience Ripped
Hot Body Contest at midnight, hosted by Sasha
J. Adams and BaNaka
$200 Cash Prize Doors
open 10pm, 18+ $5 Cover
under 21 and free with
college ID
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
JR.S
$3 Rail Vodka Highballs, $2
JR.s drafts, 8pm to close
Throwback Thursday featuring rock/pop retro hits
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat The Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo

ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ

NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover

METROWEEKLY.COM

35

36

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

scene
Wig Night Out
Benefit for
The Point Foundation
Saturday, January 31
Town
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON

Tim-e in Secrets 9pm


Cover 21+
FRI., 02.06.15

9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
Friday Night Videos with
resident DJ Shea Van Horn
VJ Expanded craft beer
selection No cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis Upstairs open
5-11pm
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail &
Domestic, $21 Call &
Imports, 6-9pm Guys
Night Out Free Rail
Vodka, 11pm-Midnight, $6
Belvedere Vodka Drinks all
night DJ Keenan Orr in
Cobalt, DJ Barronhawk in
30 Degrees $10 cover

10pm-1am, $5 after 1am


21+
DC BEAR CRUE
@Town Bear Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm Hosted
by Charger Stone No
cover before 9:30pm 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1, 11pm-midnight Happy Hour: 2-for1, 4-9pm $5 Coronas, $8
Vodka Red Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat The Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour: 2
for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover

TOWN
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by Lena
Lett and featuring Miss
Tatianna, Shi-QueetaLee, Epiphany B. Lee
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, BacK2bACk
downstairs Doors open
at 10pm For those 21 and
over, $5 from 10-11pm and
$10 after 11pm For those
18-20, $12 all night 18+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Illusion with host
Kristina Kelly, 9pm DJ
Steve Henderson in Secrets
DJ Don T. in Ziegfelds
Cover 21+
SAT., 02.07.15

9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
$5 Absolut & Titos, $3
Miller Lite after 9pm
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover

COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch
at Level One, 11am-2 and
2-4pm Featuring Kristina
Kelly and the Ladies of
Illusion Bottomless
Mimosas and Bloody Marys
Happy Hour: $3 Miller
Lite, $4 Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm
Rumba Latina by Johnny
Vasquez presents GLOW
NIGHT, 10pm-3am With
DJs Willie and MadScience
Featuring Divas de la
Rumba: Sylvanna Duve,
Miss Gay Maryland Jordan
Sinclair, Mayline Guerrero,
Candy Crawford, Candice
Michelle and Kamillie
Glam Free Glow Sticks
$5 Modello, $5 Corona,
$6 Captain Morgan Cuba
Libres, $6 Jose Cuervo
shots and $8 Long Islands
21+

GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Highwaymen Bar Night,
9pm-close $5 Bacardi
Buffet, All Flavors, All Night

FREDDIES BEACH BAR


Diner-style Breakfast
Buffet, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Freddies Follies Drag
Show 8pm-10pm, hosted
by Ms. Destiny B. Childs
Karaoke, 10pm-1am

TOWN
DC Rawhides host Town
& Country: Two-Step, Line
Dancing, Waltz and West
Coast Swing, $5 Cover to
stay all night Doors open
6:45pm, Lessons 7-8pm,
Open dance 8-10:30pm

JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka highballs, $7 Vodka Red Bulls
NELLIES
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 5-9pm No
Cover DILF Daddy Party,
9:30pm-close Featuring
DJ Douglas Sullivan $3
Miller Lite, $5 Titos and
Bulleit bourbon, 9pm-close

METROWEEKLY.COM

Madonna Living For Love


Remixes Release Party,
10pm-close DJ Paulo
spins upstairs Cherry
2015 tickets on sale Drag
Show starts at 10:30pm
Hosted by Lena Lett and
featuring Miss Tatianna,
Shi-Queeta-Lee, Epiphany
B. Lee and BaNaka
Music and videos by DJ
Wess downstairs Cover
$10 from 8-11pm, $12 after
11pm 21+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion with host Ella
Fitzgerald, 9pm DJ Steve
Henderson in Secrets
DJ Joey O in Ziegfelds
Doors 8pm Cover 21+
SUN., 02.08.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

37

COBALT/30 DEGREES
$4 Stoli and Miller Lite all
day Gay Capital Cities
United States presents
Hollywood Glitz Pageant,
6pm-2am Hosted by
Kristina Kelly and Big
Daddy $6 Cover
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Champagne Brunch Buffet,
10am-3pm Crazy Hour,
4-7pm Karaoke 8pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Upstairs: Bears Can Party,
6-10pm Featuring DJ
Jeff Eletto Downstairs:
Mamas Trailer Park
Karaoke, 9:30pm-close
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights &
$3 Skyy (all avors), all day
and night

38

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

NELLIES
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am-3pm
$20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World with
Wes Della Volla at 9:30
pm Happy Hour: 2 for
1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
8pm Cover 21+
MON., 02.09.15

9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
Multiple TVs showing
movies, shows, sports
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover

ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm
Drag Show hosted by
Kristina Kelly Doors open
at 10pm, show starts at
11pm $3 Skyy Cocktails,
$8 Skyy and Red Bull No
Cover, 18+
FREDDIES
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm
Showtunes Songs &
Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ Jamez $3 Drafts

NELLIES SPORTS BAR


Beat The Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Poker Texas
Holdem, 8pm Dart
Boards
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour: 2
for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover
TUES., 02.10.15

9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
Multiple TVs showing
movies, shows, sports
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover
ANNIES
Happy Hour, 4-7pm $4
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis

COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm
SIN Industry Night
Half-price Cocktails, 10pmclose
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
JR.S
Underground (Indie Pop/Alt/
Brit Rock), 9pm-close DJ
Wes Della Volla 2-for-1,
all day and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat The Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Karaoke and
Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour: 2
for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover Safe Word: A
Gay Spelling Bee, 8-11pm
Prizes to top three
spellers After 9pm, $3
Absolut, Bulleit & Stella

WED., 02.11.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
ANNIES
Happy Hour, 4-7pm $4
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm
Wednesday Night
Karaoke downstairs, 10pm
$4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors
and Miller Lite No Cover
21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6
Burgers Drag Bingo
Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams
Karaoke, 10pm-1am

JR.S
Trivia with MC Jay Ray,
8pm The Queen, 10-11pm
$2 JRs Drafts & $4
Vodka ($2 with College I.D./
JRs Team Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night, 8pm
and 9pm Prizes include
bar tabs and tickets to
shows at the 9:30 Club
$15 Buckets of Beer for
SmartAss Teams only
Bring a new team member
and each get a free $10
Dinner
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with
military ID DJ Don T. in
Secrets 9pm Cover 21+

THURS., 02.12.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour, 4pm-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $6 Call
Martini, $3 Miller Lite, $4
Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm $3
Rail Drinks, 10pm-midnight,
$5 Red Bull, Gatorade
and Frozen Virgin Drinks
Locker Room Thursday
Nights DJs Sean Morris
and MadScience Ripped
Hot Body Contest at midnight, hosted by Sasha
J. Adams and BaNaka
$200 Cash Prize Doors

METROWEEKLY.COM

open 10pm, 18+ $5 Cover


under 21 and free with
college ID
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
JR.S
$3 Rail Vodka Highballs, $2
JR.s drafts, 8pm to close
Throwback Thursday featuring rock/pop retro hits
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat The Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim-e in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

39

FRI., 02.13.15

9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
Friday Night Videos with
resident DJ Shea Van Horn
VJ Expanded craft beer
selection No cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis Upstairs open
5-11pm
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail &
Domestic, $21 Call &
Imports, 6-9pm Guys
Night Out Free Rail
Vodka, 11pm-Midnight, $6
Belvedere Vodka Drinks all
night DJ Keenan Orr in
Cobalt, DJ Barronhawk in
30 Degrees $10 cover
10pm-1am, $5 after 1am
21+

40

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

DC BEAR CRUE
@Town Bear Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm Hosted
by Charger Stone No
cover before 9:30pm 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1, 11pm-midnight Happy Hour: 2-for1, 4-9pm $5 Coronas, $8
Vodka Red Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat The Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15

NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour: 2
for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover
TOWN
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by Lena
Lett and featuring Miss
Tatianna, Shi-QueetaLee, Epiphany B. Lee
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, BacK2bACk
downstairs Doors open
at 10pm For those 21 and
over, $5 from 10-11pm and
$10 after 11pm For those
18-20, $12 all night 18+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Illusion with host
Kristina Kelly, 9pm DJ
Steve Henderson in Secrets
DJ Don T. in Ziegfelds
Cover 21+ l

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

41

scene
Nellies Sports Bar
Saturday, January 31
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON

42

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

43

BY DOUG RULE

CLUBLIFE

S Budding

Cherry

The Cherry Fund aims to warm spirits this weekend with a preview of the club heat it will bring this spring

HIS WEEKEND,
organizers of the
annual charity dance
event Cherry aim to
warm spirits with a preview
of the club heat to come this
spring. This Saturday, Feb. 7,
the Cherry Fund helps Town
Danceboutique welcome
back DJ Paulo, the main
event DJ at Cherry last year
and the draw for its debut at
the Howard Theatre in April.
And Paulos set this Saturday
at Town will be followed by
a party at the club that has
become Cherrys partner in
reviving after-hours events the
past couple years. Late into
the night Saturday, Feb. 7,
Tropicalia, the stellar-sounding
subterranean club below
Subway at 14th and U Streets
NW, will offer the D.C. debut
of DJ Billy Lace. The New
York DJ has been the resident
at an increasingly popular

44

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

after-hours party in Chelsea


over the past year.
The back-to-back parties this weekend will give
a small taste of whats to
come the third weekend in
April, when Cherry launches
this years event, astronomy-themed Nova. Over
the past several years the
Cherry Fund has been reinvigorated with a new board
and a renewed focus on its
fundraising mission last
years event raised $12,000
for local charities, up $5,000
from the year before and
a vast improvement from
when the event, which
started roughly 20 years
ago, broke even at best.
Cherry 2015 is gearing up to be the biggest in
years. Organizers, including veteran board member James Decker, have
planned six events, includ-

METROWEEKLY.COM

ing an opening party on


Thursday, April 16, at Cobalt
and a closing party at Flash
Nightclub, the intimate
club, with superb sound
and lighting systems, near
both the Howard Theatre
and Town. This years
Cherry will also present the
long-overdue return of Tom
Superchumbo Stephan,
who spun for the much-larger party 13 years ago when
Cherry helped christen the
Washington Convention
Center. Stephan will be the
DJ for the main event at
Town Saturday, April 18.
Meanwhile, Joe Gauthreaux
will return as DJ at Towns
Saturday afternoon party
for Moody Mustafa, the
president emeritus/founder of Cherry, according
to Decker, who adds, It
would not be Cherry without his birthday party.

And it wouldnt be April


without Cherry, which always
adds extra luster, even when
at Town. We throw a lot of
production into it, Decker
says. It really has no equal in
Washington, D.C.
This weekends Cherry preview starts Saturday, Feb. 7,
at Town Danceboutique, 2009
8th NW. Tickets are $8 before
11 p.m., or $12 after. Call 202234-TOWN or visit towndc.
com. The night continues at 3
a.m. at Tropicalia, 2001 14th
St. NW. Tickets are $15 in
advance, or $20 at the door.
Call 202-629-4535 or visit
tropicaliadc.com.
For more on the full Cherry
event in April, visit cherryfund.
org. Weekend passes, which
can be purchased at Town on
Feb. 7, cost $75 until Feb. 15;
$100 after. l

scene
CTRL at Town
Saturday, January 31
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

45

I am a strong believer in traditional marriage and


I do not construe homosexual rights as human rights.
U.S. Rep. CHRIS SMITH (R-N.J.), chair of New Jerseys House Subcommittee on Human Rights, in a statement reported by
PolitickerNJ. Smith has a history of anti-gay rhetoric and voting practices, including opposing gay marriage,
gay adoption and HIV funding and prevention measures.

I acknowledge the hurt and pain of the trans community and welcome their feedback.
I made a mistake; it was horrible judgment.
JILL SOLOWAY, creator of Transparent Amazons Golden Globe-winning show about a transgender character coming to
terms with their gender identity late in life in a post on her Facebook page. Soloway was forced to apologize after sharing an
image of Bruce Jenner and the Kardashian family photoshopped in place of the cast of Transparent in a poster for the show.
Jenner has been subject to invasive media speculation regarding the former Olympians gender identity,
and Soloways post was viewed as being complicit in the invasion of Jenners privacy.

People can be my friends who have


lifestyles that are not necessarily my lifestyle.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), former Governor of Arkansas, in an interview with CNN. The potential candidate for the White House in
2016 who in November last year called marriage equality a threat to the foundation of our society and culture attempted
to emphasize his tolerance for LGBT people, stating that he has friends who drink, swear and enjoy opera, even though he does
not, and thus can have gay friends, even though he is heterosexual, conservative and religious.

Its like being diagnosed with AIDS in the early Eighties.


She is trying to get everybody to be afraid of me and ostracize me.

Blogger PEREZ HILTON, during an argument on Celebrity Big Brother a version of the CBS reality show which airs in the
United Kingdom. Hilton, who gained prominence by trashing celebrities and outing people on his website, made the ridiculous
comparison after another housemate refused to accept his childish behavior in the house. RuPaul star Michelle Visage, a longtime LGBT ally, called Hilton out on his comments, stating, Having lost 20 plus friends to AIDS, that is a bit extreme.

With the rights of the LGBT community under attack around the globe, we must
stand hand-in-hand with them in the struggle
for recognition
and equality everywhere.

Senator EDWARD MARKEY (D-Mass.), in a statement. Senator Markey and House Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) have introduced bicameral legislation which aims to further the advancement of LGBT rights across the globe by directing the State
Department to make tackling LGBT discrimination a key part of its foreign policy. We must do what we can as a nation to
enforce the precept that all human beings... are entitled to a basic set of human rights which include the right to love who they
choose without fear of punishment or death, Lowenthal added in a statement.
46

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

47

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