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Pulitzer Prize-winning Police identify suspect EFN Lounge to host
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‘Beauty of the Father’ death of gay man for Nat'l Black HIV/AIDS
to D.C.’s Gala Theatre. in Southeast. Awareness Day.
PAGE 17 PAGE 5 PAGE 20

dcagenda.com • vol. 2, issue 6 • february 5, 2010

Pentagon leaders back ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal
But new Defense Dept.
study could delay policy
change by a year
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
Top Pentagon leaders announced
Tuesday their support for allowing
gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve
openly in the U.S. military while
unveiling new plans for a working
group that will examine the impact of
such a change in the armed forces.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates
and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Adm. Michael Mullen made the
remarks in the first Senate hearing in
17 years dedicated to the issue of
gays in the military.
Mullen told the Senate Armed
Services Committee that he favors
allowing gays to serve openly as a
matter of fairness for those who are
serving in the armed forces.
“Speaking for myself, and myself
only, it is my personal belief that
allowing gays and lesbians to serve
openly is the right thing to do,” Mullen
said. “No matter how I look at this
issue, I cannot escape … the fact
that we have in place a policy that
forces young men and women to lie
about who they are in order to defend
their fellow citizens.”
Gates similarly expressed support
for ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” noting
President Obama last week restated
his commitment to repealing the law in
his State of the Union address.
“I fully support the president’s
decision,” he said. “The question
before us is not whether the military
decides to makes this change, but
how we best prepare for it. We have
received our orders from the com- DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
mander-in-chief and we are moving
out accordingly.” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen said ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ should be overturned because ‘allowing gays
and lesbians to serve openly is the right thing to do.’
Continues on page 12

Prop 8 trial spotlights

clash of cultures
districtagenda ‘Are we modern or
Rev. Anthony Evans stuns audience with homophobic are we medieval?’
outburst at hearing. Page 6 By KAREN OCAMB
Special to DC Agenda
Everyone packed into U.S. District
Court Judge Vaughn Walker’s court-
room in San Francisco on Jan. 11 knew
they were watching history.
On one side of the court sat lawyers
Ted Olson and David Boies, partisan
foes in Bush v. Gore. Now the straight
pair pledged to prove that same-sex
couples deserved the fundamental
right to marry. For them, the meaning of
socialagenda the U.S. Constitution is at stake.
From Tom Goss to a Madonna dance party, there's something On the other side sat Republican
attorney Charles Cooper and a handful
for all musical tastes this weekend. Page 16 of supporting lawyers. It was what some
might consider a strange sight. After the
passage of Proposition 8 in California,
the loss of same-sex marriage in Maine,
New York and New Jersey and the gloat-
ing by ProtectMarriage affiliates such as
the National Organization for Marriage,
the anti-gay forces looked weak. In fact,
throughout the trial, they portrayed them-
selves as David fighting Goliath.
Retired philosophy professor
Linda Hirshman, reporting for The
Daily Beast web site, pronounced the
matchup a modern day Scopes trial.
“In the confrontation between an
irrefutable religious standard and a
Photo by Diana Walker; courtesy of
worldly empirical survey, the chal- American Foundation for Equal Rights
lenge to California’s prohibition on
gay marriage reveals a fissure that Ted Olson (left) and David Boies argued
runs throughout American history: forcefully that same-sex couples are enti-
tled to a fundamental right to marry.
Continues on page 10
2 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010
february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 3
4 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010

localagenda
Gay murder victim knew juvenile
arrested in his slaying
Police silent on role
sexual orientation
played in case
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
A 17-year-old D.C. male charged
with the Jan. 10 shooting death of gay
Maryland resident Gordon Rivers told
police he knew the man and invited
him to the location where Rivers was
shot during an alleged botched rob-
bery, according to a police affidavit.
William X. Wren was ordered held
without bond during a Jan. 29 arraign-
ment in D.C. Superior Court on charges
of first- and second-degree murder and
assault with intent to kill while armed, all
in connection with Rivers’ death.
Rivers, 47, a resident of Brandywine,
Md., was found in the street suffering
multiple gunshot wounds in front of
2641 Naylor Road, S.E., at about 5:30
p.m. on Jan. 10 by an off-duty police offi-
cer, says the affidavit.
It says police arrested Wren after
he voluntarily appeared at the police
homicide squad office for an interview
Jan. 28. It says Wren told detectives
he knew Rivers and contacted him by
phone to invite him for a visit near
where Wren lived in Southeast D.C.
According to the affidavit, Wren
allegedly shot Rivers inside Rivers’
car during a robbery shortly after
Rivers drove to the area in his black
Cadillac on Jan. 10.
The U.S. Attorney’s office charged
Wren as an adult, resulting in the
release of the three-page arrest affi-
davit that details the case against
him. But the affidavit does not dis-
close whether Rivers’ sexual orienta-
tion was a factor in his murder or the
nature of his relationship with Wren.
Benjamin Friedman, a spokesper-
son for the U.S. Attorney’s office, said
the investigation into the murder is
continuing and neither his office nor
the police could provide additional
details, such as how Rivers and
Wren met each other.
People who knew Rivers told DC
Agenda he was a regular customer
of the D.C. gay bar Bachelor’s Mill,
located near the Washington Navy
Gay clubs vow support at Dupont Circle crime summit
Representatives of gay bars Fireplace,
Omega and Apex told participants of a
Dupont Circle crime summit that they
would join efforts to curtail crime and
excessive noise in the neighborhood.
The Dupont Circle Advisory
Neighborhood Commission and the
Dupont Circle Citizens Association
called the Jan. 26 summit in response
to what some of their members called
an alarming spike in violent crime in
that area during the month of
December. The summit was held at
the Hotel Palomar on P Street.
ANC Chair Mike Silverstein and for-
mer DCCA President Rob Halligan,
who served as moderator at the sum-
mit, pointed to police reports of a car-
jacking, rape and shooting on and
Yard, which is about five miles from
the area where he was killed.
A law enforcement source said an
area near where Rivers was shot has
been known as a clandestine cruising
spot for men seeking other men for sex.
The affidavit says the off-duty officer
heard gunshots and observed “muzzle
flash” from within a black Cadillac parked
on the 2600 block of Naylor Road. It says
the officer saw a youth, later identified as
Wren, leave the car via the front pas-
senger door while carrying a handgun.
The youth then fled the scene.
“The officer observed a male sub-
ject, who was later identified as 47-year-
old Gordon Rivers, exit the driver’s side
door and walk to the rear of the vehicle
where he collapsed,” says the affidavit.
Police said Rivers was taken by
ambulance to Washington Hospital
Center, where he was pronounced
dead less than an hour later.
According to the affidavit, Wren
voluntarily appeared at the police
homicide office Jan. 28 and agreed
to be interviewed about the case.
It says his appearance followed an
earlier interview by homicide detec-
tives of a witness who told detectives
he knew Wren. The witness told
detectives he overheard Wren and
another man, whom police identify
only as an “accomplice,” talk about
robbing someone, says the affidavit.
It says the witness told police he
saw the accomplice hand Wren a
pistol moments before Wren entered
Rivers’ car. According to the affidavit,
the witness said he heard the sound
of multiple gunshots coming from
inside the car a short time later. It
says the witness then saw Wren exit
Rivers’ Cadillac and flee the scene.
The affidavit says that in the days fol-
lowing the murder, the witness reported
hearing Wren say he shot Rivers “during
the botched robbery attempt.”
The affidavit says Wren told detec-
tives during his Jan. 28 police inter-
view that he lives with the mother of
his children on the 2400 block of S St.,
S.E., which is close to where he
arranged to meet Rivers on the day of
the shooting. He arranged to meet
Rivers “for the purpose of robbing him
of money and marijuana,” the affidavit
says he told the detectives.
It says Wren told detectives he
around P Street, between 20th and
22nd streets, all within a few weeks of
each other. Police have said they aren’t
sure if the incidents are linked to near-
by clubs, but many P Street residents
pointed to frequent fights, including a
stabbing, that have been linked to the
Pasha Lounge, a straight nightclub on
the 2100 block of P St., N.W.
No one was known to have been hit
or injured in the shooting incident, and
no suspects have been identified.
“That sort of thing is unprecedented
in our neighborhood and simply can’t be
tolerated,” Silverstein told DC Agenda.
Halligan said the three incidents in
December that prompted neighbor-
hood activists to call the summit came
on the heels of ongoing concern about
Photo courtesy of Metro D.C. Police
Murder charges were filed last week
in the shooting death of Gordon
Rivers, who was gay.
entered Rivers’ car unarmed with the
intent that his accomplice would enter
the car a short time later with a gun,
and the two would carry out the rob-
bery. But according to Wren, Rivers
pulled out his own gun when Wren
told him “not to move,” and the two
men got into a struggle over the gun.
“William Wren said that he took the
decedent’s gun,” says the affidavit. “Then,
he and the decedent fought over the gun.
During the struggle, the gun went off and
the decedent was shot multiple times.
William Wren said that he exited the vehi-
cle while still in possession of the dece-
dent’s gun and fled on foot.”
During the arraignment, defense
attorney Ronald Horton challenged
the credibility of the witness who told
police Wren was in possession of a
gun as he entered Rivers’ car. Horton
asked Judge-Magistrate Karen Howze
to approve a motion to dismiss the
case due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean
Tonolli, the prosecutor in the case, dis-
puted Horton’s assessment. He said
the evidence was strong and over-
whelming and the witness was reliable
— and that Wren’s claim that the gun
belonged to Rivers lacked credibility.
Howze denied the defense motion,
ordering that Wren be held without
bond. She set a preliminary hearing for
Feb. 10, where Judge Herbert Dixon
would take over the case and deter-
mine whether Wren was eligible for
release while awaiting trial.
noise, excessive traffic congestion and
rowdiness associated with some of the
bars and nightclubs in the area.
Silverstein and Jacobson said no
one has linked the violent incidents in
December to any of the three gay
clubs in the area: Fireplace, Omega
and Apex, all of which are operated
by the same owner.
Perry Morehouse, an official with
Omega and Apex, told the summit he
and the staff of the two clubs have
worked closely with the ANC to curtail
noise and other problems in the area
and they would continue to do so. He
noted that Omega, Apex and other
nearby clubs have jointly paid for off-
duty police officers.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 5
Catania files for re-election as Ray,
Mendelson compete for funds
Gay D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At Large) has filed papers
with the city’s Office of Campaign Finance announcing his candidacy for
re-election, ending speculation that he was thinking about leaving poli-
tics to practice law.
With the exception of
Council Chair Vincent Gray
(D-At Large), who is consid-
ering running for mayor
rather seeking re-election to
the Council, Catania became
the last incumbent Council
member to file for re-election.
He filed his papers Jan. 21.
According to records
released Monday by the
Office of Campaign Finance,
he raised $33,750 between
Jan. 20 and Jan. 31, the end
of the most recent campaign
finance reporting period.
Under the city’s campaign
finance law, unannounced
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
candidates can’t begin rais-
ing money more than five D.C. City Council member David Catania,
days before they formally who’s gay, ended speculation that he might
register their campaigns with leave politics when he filed for re-election.
the campaign finance office.
Campaign finance records
for Catania’s only known opponent for the at-large seat reserved for non-
Democrats, Rev. Anthony Motley, could not immediately be obtained.
Gay Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who filed his re-elec-
tion papers with the finance office Sept. 28, reported raising $171,391
between Oct. 1 and Jan. 27, records show. Graham’s campaign spent
$8,611, leaving him with $162,780 in cash on hand as of Jan. 31.
Gay Democrat Clark Ray, who is challenging incumbent Council
member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) in the Democratic primary, report-
ed raising $65,383 between Aug. 1 and Jan. 31, records show. He
obtained a loan of $15,000, bringing his total campaign receipts so far to
$80,382. Ray filed papers declaring his candidacy on Aug. 27.
Mendelson reported raising $60,250 for the same six-month period,
records show. Mendelson raised $70,606 in a prior reporting period,
bringing his total money raised to $130,856. He filed papers July 9
declaring his candidacy.
Records show that Mendelson spent just $816, leaving him with
$130,040 in cash on hand as of Jan. 31. By the same date, Ray had
spent $38,314, leaving him with $42,068 in cash on hand.
Peter Rosenstein, a Ray campaign adviser, said the campaign used
the $38,314 to buy yard signs, posters and to pay for his web site, among
other things.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
GLOV elects new co-chairs
Members of Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence, also known GLOV,
voted at their monthly meeting Jan. 29 to elect D.C. residents Kelly
Pickard and Joe Montoni as the group’s new co-chairs.
The two succeed outgoing co-chairs Chris Farris and Tod Metrokin,
who are credited with reactivating GLOV a little more than a year ago
after it had been dormant for nearly 10 years. The group serves as the
local LGBT community’s advocate on crime and law enforcement issues.
It also monitors and tracks anti-LGBT hate crimes.
“Tod Metrokin and I couldn’t be happier with the group’s choice,”
Farris said of the election. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the past year and
I look forward to continuing our work under the new leadership.”
In the time since Farris and Metrokin took on leadership of GLOV, the
group has operated as a project of the D.C. Center, which recently
moved to 1810 14th St., N.W.
Pickard and Montoni take the helm of GLOV at a time when the group
has had strained relations with D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. The group
has criticized Lanier’s efforts to restructure and decentralize the depart-
ment’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, saying she had nearly dismantled the
unit before putting in place GLLU affiliate officers in each of the seven
police districts.
Capt. Edward Delgado, who oversees the GLLU and three other spe-
cial liaison units, announced two weeks ago that an expanded GLLU
now includes 24 affiliate officers and at least six officers and supervisors
associated with the unit’s headquarters in Dupont Circle.
“We know there remains a tremendous amount of work ahead of us,
and we’ll continue to work to build confidence within the LGBT commu-
nity that the issue of hate crimes is being handled with the seriousness
it deserves,” Pickard said in a statement.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
6 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010
localagenda
Minister alleges conflict of interest at election board hearing
‘Are any of your family
members or friends
homosexuals?’
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
A local minister calling for a voter
referendum to ban same-sex mar-
riage in the nation’s capital startled a
D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics
hearing when he asked the board’s
two members if they have “homosex-
ual” family members or friends.
Rev. Anthony Evans, associate pas-
tor of D.C.’s Mount Zion Baptist Church
and a same-sex marriage opponent,
questioned the board’s objectivity Jan.
27 in its role to decide whether a refer-
endum seeking to ban gay marriage is
an appropriate subject for the ballot.
“Deep down in your heart, are you
for same-sex marriage?” Evans asked
during his testimony. “Are any of your
family members or friends homosexu-
als? Do you have any hatred in your
heart towards the church … or
towards clergy?”
Evans, who was applauded by
some of the hearing’s spectators, called
on the two board members to withdraw
from the proceedings if they “answered
yes to any of these questions.”
Board members Errol Arthur, who
serves as chair, and Charles Lowery
did not respond to Evans’ questions.
The two thanked him for his testimo-
ny and called the next witness.
Evans was one of about 50 wit-
nesses who urged the board to allow
a marriage referendum to be placed
on the ballot. Eighteen witnesses,
including LGBT activists, testified
against holding a referendum, saying
such a ballot measure would violate
the city’s human rights law.
The hearing was the third one held
Md. lawmaker says gay marriage ban ‘not discriminatory’
Burns claims same-sex
nuptials cannot be likened
to interracial weddings
By HARLEY DENNETT
Special to DC Agenda
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland state
Del. Emmett Burns Jr. (D-Baltimore
County) railed against comparisons
between LGBT and black civil rights last
week during a hearing for his bill that
would block recognition of same-sex
marriage licenses issued out of state.
Burns claimed that he doesn’t
support discrimination, but was tired
of same-sex marriage supporters
raising the Loving v. Virginia ruling
that struck down interracial marriage
bans. He said the current ban on
same-sex marriage is not the same.
“It is not discriminatory,” he said dur-
ing the House Judiciary Committee
hearing Jan. 31 in Annapolis. “I cannot
hide my color. I don’t want to. I’m proud
to be who I am. But those who are of a
different sexual orientation could.”
His exchange with fellow Democratic
Rev. Anthony Evans, who opposes same-sex marriage, called on D.C. Board
of Election & Ethics members who have gay family or friends to acknowledge
their conflict of interest and leave it to others to consider a proposed voter referendum
on the issue.
by the board during the past seven
months to decide whether a ballot
measure seeking to ban same-sex
marriage could be held. The board
ruled against two earlier requests —
one for a referendum and the other for
an initiative seeking to ban marriage.
D.C. Superior Court judges upheld
both board rulings, saying members
were correct in determining that a bal-
lot measure seeking to ban same-sex
marriage in the city would violate the
city’s Human Rights Act. The act,
among other things, prohibits discrimi-
nation based on sexual orientation.
Rick Rosendall, vice president of
the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance
and one of the witnesses to testify
against the proposed referendum,
called Evans’ questions to the election
board “outrageous” and said they rep-
resented an escalating anger and
vehemence among same-sex mar-
riage opponents.
committee members grew testy as
they quoted NAACP Chair Julian Bond
and U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) as
saying the LGBT and black civil rights
struggles were shared. Burns dis-
missed the comments, saying he didn’t
recognize their leadership.
Burns said the state faces a crisis
with the neighboring District of
Columbia poised to begin issuing
same-sex marriage licenses, a devel-
opment that could put Maryland’s
same-sex marriage ban at risk.
Maryland Attorney General Douglas
Gansler has given no timeframe for
when he will release a long-expected
opinion on the issue of recognizing
same-sex marriage licenses issued in
D.C. and elsewhere, but some sources
speculated that he will wait until the leg-
islative session ends in April to take that
step. Burns said he feared Gansler’s
opinion could legislate same-sex mar-
riage “through the back door.”
“Our back door is wide open,” Burns
said. “Our law does not speak to mar-
riages performed in other jurisdictions.”
Committee member Michael
Smigiel Sr. (R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent
and Queen Anne’s counties) added
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
“They already lost twice and they’re
certainly going to lose again on this one,”
Rosendall said. “They’re beginning to
sound increasingly shrill and desperate.”
Several witnesses, including D.C.
residents Odessia Tolliver and Corinthia
Boone, cited biblical passages. They
said the excerpts showed that same-
sex marriage is immoral and would hurt
society and “traditional” culture.
“I teach history,” Boone said.
“Every great empire where they
dared to redefine marriage as [some-
thing other than being exclusively]
between a man and a woman
declined and no longer exists.”
Among those testifying against the
proposed referendum were D.C.
Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At
Large), who worked with Council
member David Catania (I-At Large) to
shepherd the Religious Freedom &
Civil Marriage Equality Amendment
Act of 2009 through the Council.
that he believes Gansler has a politi-
cal agenda and would act only after
the current session had ended.
Gansler’s spokesperson denied the
claim this week, saying the attorney
general was still investigating the issue.
Mary Ellen Russell, executive direc-
tor of the Maryland Catholic Conference,
testified in support of Burns’ bill during
the hearing, saying the recognition of
out-of-state same-sex marriages would
undermine the right of the General
Assembly and the people of Maryland to
decide the issue.
“The legalization of same-sex mar-
riage in a small number of other states,
and the prospect of its legalization in
our neighboring jurisdiction, the District
of Columbia, provides no legitimate
legal cause for granting recognition in
Maryland to those marriages,” Russell
said. “House Bill 90 provides an added
measure of assurance to the people of
Maryland that the decisions of out-of-
state courts or legislatures cannot, and
should not, provide grounds for usurp-
ing the legitimate democratic process
in our state for deciding this issue.”
She added that the Catholic
Church supports the state’s current
The bill is undergoing its required
congressional review following its
approval by the Council in December
and Mayor Adrian Fenty’s decision to
sign it. It’s expected to become law
in early March, with nearly all politi-
cal observers predicting Congress
won’t overturn it.
U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)
has introduced a motion to overturn
the same-sex marriage bill, but the
Democratic-controlled Congress is
expected to block his resolution.
Two attorneys opposed to the ref-
erendum joined same-sex marriage
advocate Bob Summersgill in raising
last week what some called a new
and novel argument against ballot
measures seeking to ban gay mar-
riage in the city.
The three said the proposed ref-
erendum, if approved, would violate
the D.C. City Charter by preventing
the city from obtaining projected tax
revenue generated from same-sex
weddings. The revenue could total
more than $1 million annually.
Brian Flowers, general counsel for
the City Council, and Mark Levine, an
attorney representing the Gertrude
Stein Democratic Club, noted that a
provision in the City Charter strictly
prohibits initiatives and referenda that
would appropriate funds, cut taxes or
negatively impact the city’s budget.
To invoke the provision, they cited
a report issued in December by the
city’s chief financial officer projecting
that same-sex weddings would gen-
erate millions of dollars a year in rev-
enue for D.C. businesses that spe-
cialize in services related to wed-
dings. That revenue, in turn, would
result in additional tax revenue for
the city, according to the report.
“Another study predicts that more
than $50 million over three years would
be generated in local tax and fee rev-
enues, potentially creating approxi-
marriage definition in recognition that
“only a man and a woman are capa-
ble of bringing children, our society’s
next generation, into the world” and
that voters have repeatedly agreed,
even in liberal states.
Committee Chair Joseph Vallario Jr.
(D-Calvert and Prince George’s coun-
ties) asked if gay Marylanders could
meet, go to D.C., conduct a “drive
through” wedding, return to Maryland
and expect that marriage to be recog-
nized “without even leaving their car.”
Lawyers for Lambda Legal and the
American Civil Liberties Union testified
that Maryland’s 1973 law defining
marriage as one man and one woman
would not be undermined if the attor-
ney general upheld the full faith and
credit clause of the U.S. Constitution,
which mandates recognition of other
states’ marriage licenses.
Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery
County) testified against the bill, citing
her own California-issued marriage cer-
tificate to her spouse Deborah.
“This bill is about me, and it’s about
my family, and it’s about thousands of
families across the state,” Mizeur said. “In
Pasadena, Calif. — 3,000 miles from
mately 700 new jobs,” Flowers said in
his testimony before the election board.
Flowers and Levine pointed to a
2004 decision by the D.C. Court of
Appeals barring an initiative seeking
to ban smoking in restaurants and
bars and an appeals court ruling in
1994 rejecting an initiative to prevent
the city from booting cars that are
illegally parked. In those cases, the
court ruled that advocates for a
smoking ban and an anti-booting pol-
icy could not seek to enact those
polices through a ballot measure
because the policies would reduce
city revenue by curtailing taxes gen-
erated by restaurants and bars or
fines generated by booting cars.
Some legal observers believe the
“revenue” argument may be stronger
than the human rights act argument
because the revenue-related restric-
tion against ballot measures is written
in the City Charter. The human rights
law restriction is part of a regular city
law passed in 1978 to implement the
City Charter’s creation of the initiative
and referendum process.
Cleta Mitchell, an attorney repre-
senting supporters of the ballot
measure to ban same-sex marriage,
testified at the election board hearing
that the human rights law argument
used by marriage equality advocates
is flawed. Mitchell and others calling
on the board to allow a marriage ref-
erendum have argued that the
human rights law restriction could
only be used if they were embedded
in the City Charter.
Two Superior Court judges have
rejected that argument, however, and
marriage equality activists said they
were hopeful that the election board
and yet another court ruling would sup-
port their view that the ballot measures
must be rejected if they would result in
discrimination against minorities pro-
tected by the Human Rights Act.
here — we’re treated as a married cou-
ple. In Pasadena, Md. — less than 30
minutes from here — we’re not. In
Cambridge, Mass., our marriage would
protect us were life to deal us a bad
hand. In Cambridge, Md., we’re two unre-
lated women with some very expensive
legal documents and a lot of uncertainty.”
Mizeur said Maryland’s current
legal recognition of same-sex couples
grants her 12 statutory rights of the 425
rights bestowed upon married couples.
Mizeur said she didn’t know how
Gansler would decide the issue, but
said that Maryland has a long tradi-
tion of upholding the full faith and
credit clause and Maryland would
eventually change its law, anyway.
“But either way, this bill is wrong,”
she said. “It’s a step backwards for a
state that presses forward.”
The hearing drew a standing-room-
only crowd of mostly same-sex mar-
riage supporters, including high school
students, who frequently reacted to
Burns’ colorful explanations of why
LGBT bans were not discrimination.
Burns’ bill is not believed to have
the necessary votes to make it out of
the House Judiciary Committee.
 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 7

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nationalagenda
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, who’s gay, is sponsoring a bill that would bar discrimination against LGBT
students in schools across the country.
Rep. Polis introduces bill
to protect LGBT students
White House backs Student
Non-Discrimination Act
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
The sponsor of a bill that would bar discrimi-
nation against LGBT students in schools across
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in the Washington Region. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), a gay lawmaker,
told DC Agenda last week he’s planning to push
for inclusion of his legislation as a component of
the Elementary & Secondary Education Act
authorization bill this year or early next year.
“I think that we will look to get it included in
the ESEA reauthorization, which is the main
education bill,” he said. “I’m optimistic that we’ll
be able to include some protections for gay
and lesbian students in the bill.”
A member of the House Education & Labor
Committee, Polis said the panel could take up
discussion on his legislation this year when
hearings begin on the ESEA reauthorization.
Polis introduced last week standalone legis-
lation known as the Student Non-Discrimination
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secondary schools. Additionally, the legislation
would bar discrimination against students for
associating with an LGBT person.
The new measure is based on Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972, which pro-
hibits discrimination on the basis of gender in
education programs or activities receiving fed-
eral funds.
Polis said the legislation would give schools
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“Gays and lesbians across the country face
discrimination and frequently institutionalized
discrimination in many school districts, and
giving them a federal remedy, just as girls do
and minorities, will help address this,” he said.
Even though the bill was recently intro-
duced, it has support among lawmakers. The
legislation had 60 original co-sponsors, includ-
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
ing gay Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).
Civil rights and education organizations also are
supporting the bill, including the Human Rights
Campaign, American Civil Liberties Union, National
Association of School Psychologists and National
Association of Secondary School Principals.
Also supporting the legislation is the Gay,
Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Shawn
Gaylord, director of public policy, said his
organization has been working closely with
Polis’ office in developing the legislation and
trying to push it through Congress.
“Now that it’s been introduced, we plan to
work alongside the office to help attract addi-
tional co-sponsors,” he said. “We have a lobby-
ing day coming up later in the spring. It’s pos-
sible that we’ll be lobbying on this bill along
with other legislation that we’re interested in.”
Gaylord said the legislation is necessary
because discrimination against LGBT students
in schools “is pervasive.”
The National Climate School Survey that
GLSEN releases every two years, Gaylord
said, shows that nearly nine out of 10 LGBT
students say they’ve experienced harassment
at school because of their sexual orientation.
“And we know that almost a third of students
missed a day of school in the past month because
they felt unsafe, which is more than five times
higher than a national sample of all students feel-
ings of not feeling safe at school,” he said.
Gaylord said he’s “optimistic” about the passage
of the Student Non-Discrimination Act because the
bill already enjoys support among lawmakers.
“We know from our discussion on the Hill
that this is an issue that legislators care about,
and so we’re going to be optimistic that we can
continue to build support for it, and I think it can
make it all the way through,” he said.
The White House also expressed support
for the legislation in response to a query from
DC Agenda.
“The president believes that every child
should learn in a safe and secure school envi-
ronment,” said Shin Inouye, a White House
spokesperson.
Drew Hammill, spokesperson for U.S.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said the speak-
er’s office is “reviewing the legislation.”
 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 9
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nationalagenda

directoryservices Prop 8 case seen by some

as modern day Scopes trial
Cognitive-Behavioral Continued from page 1
Therapy Are we modern or are we medieval?”
Results-Oriented ▼ Affordable Hirshman wrote. “Do Americans live together
Larry Cohen, LICSW in a social contract for our material well-being,
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or are we following ancient traditions of how to
live, because tradition is a better teacher than
202-244-0903
reason? This issue does not surface often in
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the United States, but it did most powerfully
See website for NPR story on my work
almost 90 years ago in Scopes vs. the State of
Tennessee, the ‘monkey trial.’ And it did so
again this week.”
Becky Carroll, Ph.D. Sidney W. Binks III, Ph.D. The Scopes trial pitted the teaching of sec-
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Clinical Psychologist ular science and intellectual freedom against
Interactive Counseling, traditional Bible-based Christian fundamental-
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www.LGBTC.com taught alongside the theory of evolution in the
202.332.8477 Kansas public school system.
B.Carroll@mac.com SidBinks@aol.com 202.255.5187 For Prop 8 supporters, the trial is now posit- Photo by Diana Walker; courtesy of American
www.LGBTC.com/staff/sidney_binks 3000 Conn. Ave. ed as if freedom of religion itself is at stake. In
3000 Connecticut Ave., NW Foundation for Equal Rights
a Jan. 26 column, “Putting Religion on Trial?”,
NOM president Maggie Gallagher wrote that Chad Griffin of American Foundation for Equal
Individuals u Couples u Sex
be happy be yourself be proud Olson and Boies are trying to invalidate the Rights said he was thrilled the Prop 8 trial put
religious beliefs of millions of voters who hold ‘those who attempt to provide justification for
Helping People that homosexuality is a sin and marriage is a discrimination’ under oath for the first time.
Grow Stronger sacrament between one man and one woman.
in Rough Times “The stakes are high. And the argument been a reason not to allow a marriage. In fact,
they will be asking the Supreme Court to it’s a surprise to many people to learn that
Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. endorse is this: Only bigotry, hatred and unrea- George Washington, who is often called the
Licensed Psychologist u 15 years experience
son explains why anyone cares about the idea father of our country, was sterile.”
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Robyn S. Zeiger, Ph.D. just anti-gay bigotry,” Gallagher wrote.
Anti-bigotry is one of the central elements to
introduced the depositions of the dropped wit-
nesses into evidence, which appeared to bol-
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Sylvia R. Medley, M.D., M.P.H. Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to
Internal Medicine, HIV, Women’s Health Marry, said the arguments were compelling.
Weight Management “Our side powerfully showed that
202-667-5041 California’s selective stripping away of the fun-
damental freedom to marry from a vulnerable
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harms families while helping no one,” he said.
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New Yorker contributor Margaret Talbot
wrote that Boies’ cross-examination technique
“was a little like watching your cat play with his
food before he eats it.”
Indeed, Boies seemed to make mincemeat
of official Prop 8 proponent Hak-Shing William
Tam, who was called as a hostile witness. Tam
stood by claims that gays were 12 times more
likely to molest children, “based on the different
literature that I have read.”
ProtectMarriage called California’s Claremont
McKenna College political science professor
Kenneth Miller, whose credibility as an expert on
gay political power was mightily challenged by
Boies on cross examination. Boies also read from
a book Miller co-authored that ballot initiatives or
“direct democracy can actually be less democrat-
ic than representative democracy.”
ProtectMarriage’s second witness, David
Blankenhorn, was so combative, the judge repri-
manded his demeanor. Boies had Blankenhorn,
author of “The Future of Marriage,” go down a list
of “possible positive consequences” of same-sex
marriage and mark the statements with which he
personally agreed.
Among the many positive statements with
which Blankenhorn agreed were, “gay mar-
riage would extend a wide range of the natural
and practical benefits of marriage to many les-
bian and gay couples and their children,” and
“same-sex marriage would likely contribute to
more stability and to longer-lasting relation-
ships for committed same-sex couples.”
Chad Griffin, chair of the board of the
American Foundation for Equal Rights, said he
was thrilled that the trial put “those who
attempt to provide justification for discrimina-
tion” under oath for the first time.
“I think they found in a court of law, it’s quite
different from on a political campaign where

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12 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010
nationalagenda
Recalling 1993, activists prepare for ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal
Advocates say they’ve
learned from past mistakes
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@dcagenda.com
Activists are ramping up efforts to
push for repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” later this year, while remember-
ing that similar optimism in 1993 on
lifting the ban on gays serving open-
ly led to the law’s creation.
Last week, President Obama
affirmed his commitment during the
State of the Union address to repeal
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” noting that
he’d work this year with Congress
and military leaders to end the law.
His announcement brought new life
to the issue in the mainstream media
and among activist groups.
But amid this activity, the shadow
of what took place in 1993, when
LGBT advocates had similar optimism
about lifting the ban, is influencing the
work that’s happening today.
When former President Bill Clinton
took office 17 years ago, advocates
expected him to fulfill his campaign
pledge to end the ban. Since there
was no federal law on the issue at the
time, the only step required to end the
ban was administrative action.
But resistance from Congress —
particularly from then-Senate Armed
Services Committee Chair Sam Nunn
— and opposition from military leaders
DOD working group to consider implications of ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal
Continued from page 1
Mullen and Gates’ support for allow-
ing gays to serve in the U.S. military
stands in stark contrast to how military
leaders in 1993 opposed open service
and favored “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
The Senate panel received
Mullen and Gates’ endorsement of
allowing gays to serve openly with
mixed reactions — with those oppos-
ing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” applauding
him and those supporting the policy
expressing their discontent.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), rank-
ing Republican on the committee and
strong proponent of “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell,” said he was “deeply disappoint-
ed” with Gates’ testimony and said it
showed his bias on the issue.
“It would be far more appropriate,
I say with great respect, to determine
whether repeal of this law is appro-
priate and what the effects it would
have on the readiness and the effec-
tiveness of the military before decid-
ing on whether we should repeal the
law or not,” he said.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) noted
Mullen only came out in favor of
allowing open service after Obama
announced his intent to repeal “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell,” suggesting Mullen
was taking that position to fall in line
with his superior.
Sessions said Mullen’s position
would interfere with his subordinates’
ability to evaluate “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” and the implication of its repeal.
“I guess, if it was a trial, we would
perhaps raise the undue command
Photo courtesy of Clinton Global Initiative
LGBT rights activists had high hopes
for former President Bill Clinton, who
pledged to allow gay service mem-
bers to serve openly 17 years ago.
such as then-Chair of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff Gen. Colin Powell thwarted
Clinton’s efforts to end the ban.
The result was the 1993 law that
came to be known as “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell,” which at the time was
billed as a compromise because it
would ostensibly allow gays to serve
influence defense flag,” Sessions said.
But Senate Armed Services
Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-
Mich.) came to Mullen’s defense,
saying the admiral was showing
leadership and acting as required by
a Senate-confirmed nominee by
expressing his personal opinion.
“It was clear to me and, I think, clear
to most of us that you think this is a view
that you hold in your conscience and
not given to us because you were
directed to by anybody, including the
commander-in-chief,” Levin said.
Gates and Mullen expressed sup-
port for a change in policy while at
the same time highlighting the impor-
tance of a new Pentagon working
group that would examine the issue.
Mullen said he didn’t know fully
what impact ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” would have throughout the armed
forces — especially in a time of two
wars — and said further investigation
would bring to light those implications.
“That there will be legal, social
and perhaps even infrastructure
changes to be made certainly seems
plausible,” Mullen said. “We would all
like to have a better handle on these
types of concerns.”
Gates unveiled plans for a working
group that he said would examine the
implications of ending “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell.” By the end of this year, the
group is charged with producing rec-
ommendations in the form of an imple-
mentation plan in the event Congress
moves to repeal the statute.
Defense Department General
Counsel Jeh Jonson and Gen. Carter
in the U.S. military provided they did-
n’t disclose their sexual orientation.
Many activists have said Clinton
was unable to fulfill his promise to end
the ban because the LGBT communi-
ty didn’t provide him with sufficient
political cover to accomplish his goal.
Clinton also holds this view. After
gay activist Lane Hudson questioned
him on the matter last year during the
Netroots Nation conference, Clinton
told an audience of bloggers that
advocates in 1993 “couldn’t deliver”
support in Congress needed to
administratively end the ban.
David Smith, vice president of pro-
grams for the Human Rights
Campaign, in 1993 was communica-
tions director for the Campaign for
Military Service, a group that worked to
help guide Clinton’s efforts to repeal
the ban. While acknowledging LGBT
activists made some missteps at the
time, Smith told DC Agenda that a
number of obstacles contributed to the
creation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“You had a very exuberant, political-
ly naïve community combined with a
politically naïve new president, a
Democratic-controlled Congress that
wasn’t all that enthusiastic about lifting
the ban, and you had a Republican
minority in Congress that was dying to
regain the majority and inflict political
harm on the new president and the
Democratic Congress,” Smith said.
Smith said the LGBT community
might have fared better if the issue had
Ham, commander of U.S. Army
Europe, have been chosen to lead
this working group, Gates said.
The working group, Gates said,
would be charged with reaching out to
the force to understand their views about
repeal, examining changes in regula-
tions and policy that need to be made
and looking at the potential impact of a
change in law on military readiness.
To supplement the efforts of this
working group, Gates said the
Pentagon will ask the RAND Corp. to
update its 1993 study on the impact
of allowing gays to serve in the mili-
tary, which at the time found that
open service wouldn’t be detrimental
to the U.S. military.
In addition to the working group,
Gates said he’s directed the Pentagon
to review the regulations used to
implement “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and,
within 45 days, present recommenda-
tions that could be applied under exist-
ing law to “enforce this policy in a more
humane and fair manner.”
“You may recall that I asked the
Department’s general counsel to con-
duct a preliminary review of this mat-
ter last year,” Gates said. “Based on
that preliminary review, we believe
that we have a degree of latitude with-
in the existing law to change our inter-
nal procedures in a manner that is
more appropriate and fair to our men
and women in uniform.”
While the recommendations
aren’t yet complete, Gates said the
Pentagon is considering a number of
options that could allow for greater
latitude on discharging gay service
come up later in Clinton’s term as
opposed to soon after he took office.
“In retrospect, I think if the commu-
nity would have waited a year or two to
better understand military resistance
and understand congressional resist-
ance, and mapped out a plan,
Congress wouldn’t have been so quick
to impose a law, and there might have
been a different path,” Smith said.
Nathaniel Frank, author of “Unfriendly
Fire” and research fellow at the Palm
Center, a think-tank on gays in the
military at the University of California,
Santa Barbara, was similarly reluctant
to ascribe the failure of lifting the ban
in 1993 solely to shortcomings from
the LGBT community.
“Yes, the gay community could
have done more if it was bigger, more
organized, better funded,” Frank said.
“Political leaders need the pressure of
constituents to help them get done
what they need to get done, but I think
that President Clinton there was really
evading responsibility.”
Whatever responsibility LGBT sup-
porters had in creating “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell,” activists this year say they are learn-
ing from mistakes made at that time.
Smith said one of the lessons from
1993 is to make tactical decisions after
thoughtful planning. He noted that his
organization has been “quietly press-
ing for action” for months on this issue
in Congress and in the administration.
A more public campaign, Smith
said, will launch soon and target
members under current law.
Gates said it’s possible to change
implementation of current law by
raising the rank of officers who are
authorized to either initiate or con-
duct inquiries under “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell.” He also said officials can “raise
the bar” on what is considered credi-
ble information or who is considered
a credible source to start an inquiry
on a service member.
“Overall, we can reduce the
instances in which the service mem-
ber who is trying to serve the country
honorably is outed by a third-person
with the motive to harm the service
member,” Gates said.
Many LGBT activists praised
Gates and Mullen for coming out in
favor of allowing gays to serve open-
ly and working to adjust the rules for
discharges. Still, activists maintain
that full repeal is still necessary.
Lt. Dan Choi, a gay U.S. Army
infantry soldier who’s facing discharge
after publicly coming out last year, told
DC Agenda after the hearing that
“there will be some impact” by the
interim changes proposed by Gates,
but said it’s “missing the point.”
“When you still have people that
are lying about who they are, you
haven’t solved the root of the problem,”
Choi said. “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is the
establishment of a closeted policy, and
I don’t think that anybody has to be
closeted in our military.”
Gates’ announcement on the for-
mation of a new working group raises
questions about whether Congress
will act this year to repeal the law or
states with lawmakers who would be
key to overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell.” Smith estimated the campaign
would cost more than $2 million.
“It’s very targeted, but again it’s still
unclear exactly how this is going to
unfold and it could go in any number of
directions,” Smith said. “We need to be
ready to deal with whatever direction it
does go in to make sure the ultimate
outcome is what we all expect.”
Smith declined to comment on which
states HRC would target in its campaign.
Alex Nicholson, executive director of
Servicemembers United, said his organ-
ization also is ramping up its efforts.
“We always hoped it would happen
sooner rather than later, but I think it’s
definitely been a surprise that the pres-
ident has decided to include this issue
in the State of the Union and to move
forward on this quickly,” Nicholson said.
“So we’re obviously trying to rapidly
expand our capacity, roll out a number
of campaigns and initiatives that we
wanted to get underway.”
Nicholson said Servicemembers
United has been getting numerous
media calls and has been identifying
LGBT service members and veterans
to respond to those requests. He also
noted that his organization is trying to
identify high-ranking retired military
members who are straight and sup-
port allowing gays to serve openly.
Story continues at
DCAgenda.com
instead wait until the working group
completes its review.
Levin suggested he may include
language that would change “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” in the upcoming
defense authorization bill.
After Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-
Conn.) made a comment that senators
need to find 60 votes to pass repeal leg-
islation, Levin replied, “Unless there’s a
provision in the defense authorization bill
that goes to the floor, which would then
require an amendment to strike it from
the bill, in which case, the 60-vote rule
would be turning the other way.”
Following the hearing, Levin told
reporters that it’s possible to include
in the defense authorization bill a
moratorium on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
that would be in place until the
Pentagon completes its study.
“If we throw a moratorium on it, then
what I consider to be a slow pace then
would be more practical,” he said.
Asked whether he’s ruled out actu-
al repeal in the defense authorization
bill in favor of a moratorium, Levin
replied, “I haven’t ruled anything out.”
Also foreseeing the possibility of
repeal this year is Sen. Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), one of the most
vocal proponents in Congress of
overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
After the hearing, she told reporters
she doesn’t think the time Gates is ask-
ing for review “will affect legislative
progress” and that “we can actually
write the bill and pass the bill now.”
Story continues at
DCAgenda.com
 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 13

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14 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010
personalagenda
D.C. should elect its attorney general
Move would avert
inevitable conflicts
of interest
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
The District needs an independ-
ent attorney general responsible to
the people and not answerable to
the mayor. I have been privy to pre-
vious administrations’ discussions
when they tried to recruit and vet a
person for the position that used to
be called the Corporation Counsel.
We have since changed the name of
that position to attorney General but
now is the time to make that an
elected position.
It is time to make that office inde-
pendent. Currently, even with the
name change, the person occupying
that office is still part of the mayor’s
cabinet and answers directly to the
mayor. It would be a first step to giv-
ing that office the right to control
criminal trials in D.C., as well.
This is not a criticism of the work
of Peter Nickles, who currently holds
the position. In fact the LGBT com-
munity appreciates his strong stand
in defending the Board of Elections &
Ethics decision to declare a referen-
dum or an initiative inappropriate in
feedback
The following comments were post-
ed to our web site. Visit dcagenda.com
to join the discussion.
Re: “Looking ahead with opti-
mism” (editorial by Kevin Naff)
If you really want to make a differ-
ence, try figuring out what exactly
our LGBT equality strategy is. We
don’t have one.
For 50 years we have stuck with
incrementalism and the false idea
that there is a “political solution.”
We’ve spent millions. We have little to
show for it.
Early last year, in a series of e-
mails, I asked HRC if they had a
“strategy to win.” They danced
around the question and suggested
“everyone needs to do whatever they
can” and we would succeed “one of
these days.” Nothing inspirational
there. Nothing practical there.
It seems to me we need to rede-
fine our movement and put the focus
on actually WINNING. All of the
LGBT advocacy groups seem to be
preoccupied with raising money and
surviving — not finishing the job, not
winning. Perhaps your effort could
include a call to action and a search
for answers. WE NEED A COHE-
SIVE STRATEGY.
The biggest thing lacking for our
dysfunctional movement is the idea
that we can WIN. Until we can see
that (even if imagined) we will just
keep wishing and hoping and those
are not strategies.
I’m certain that if our equality was
being held hostage and the ransom
the case of marriage equality. But we
had little idea of where the AG would
come down on this issue and what
his personal views on marriage
equality were. We assumed that the
mayor wouldn’t appoint someone
who disagrees with him on such a
basic issue, but stranger things have
happened. That is just one reason
why we in the LGBT community
should care about this office. There
are others. Issues of concern include
contracts that the city has with
Catholic Charities or other religious
organizations that may come into
question after marriage equality
becomes law.
There are issues surrounding the
contracting related to HIV/AIDS that
the recent articles in the Washington
Post revealed. There is the apparent
waste of scarce AIDS funding that
could end up in the courts. In this
case, the contracts were awarded by
one mayoral agency — and the attor-
ney general’s office, another mayoral
agency, will be investigating them.
The mayor’s office will be investigat-
ing itself. This could lead to white-
washing the issue because there is
no way we can be assured that the
final report is totally independent and
that the result of the AG’s investiga-
tion won’t be slanted in order to make
the mayor look good.
was $1 billion, we’d raise the money.
So, it’s not money — it’s ideas. We
are still stuck on the same old ideas
and tactics. We can do better and we
must do better.
How and when can we win our
equality? — Andrew W.
Re: “Pentagon to unveil new
policy for gays in the military”
(news story by Chris Johnson)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates
says that the military should harass,
intimidate, disgrace and discriminate
against gay and lesbian soldiers and
patriots in a “more humane” way???
I think it is time to discharge anyone
in the military who says “god bless
you,” or who wears a cross around
their neck or on their lapel, how
about that? I feel like discriminating
too. — Peter the Saint
How do you make taxpaying citi-
zens second class without harm?
There is no “more humane” way to
have this policy. — Jerry
My partner was in the Air Force
and says that the people most dis-
ruptive to military cohesiveness were
the Holy Joes. Therefore, if the mili-
tary cohesiveness argument applies
to LGBT people, it applies to people
of faith, too. — Doctor Whom
Re: “Brown: military operations
a priority over ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal”
(news story by Chris Johnson)
What the hell were the people of
Massachusetts thinking when they
I am not suggesting that Nickles
would do that. But we have no guar-
antee that some future AG wouldn’t.
There are often cases where the AG’s
office has to investigate impropriety in
another agency and they have to
defend decisions of city agencies in
court. The current battle with the
courts over putting mayoral agencies
into receivership is one example.
Another possible conflict has to do
with recent contracts that were
entered into by the city without proper
consultation with the Council. The AG
suggested that this was an illegal
action by the mayor’s office, but then
began to defend the contracts done
that way. Again the contracting was
done by the mayor’s office and is being
reviewed by the mayor’s office itself. If
this were done by an independently
elected AG, the people would have
more confidence in the outcome of the
investigation. In this case, the AG is
actually negotiating with the Council
on behalf of the mayor.
A major benefit of the direct elec-
tion of an attorney general is that we
will have the same ability to question
them on their views on the issues as
we do our other elected officials. We
will be able to judge for ourselves
their backgrounds and abilities.
One of the fears I hear from those
opposed to electing an independent
Scott Brown, the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts, opposes repealing ‘Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell.’
elected the conservative gay-bashing
clown? For whatever reason, it seems
like the people in Massachusetts go
crazy every few years and put a right-
wing Republican in there like Mitt
Romney. This guy will also probably
oppose us on ENDA and the Domestic
Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act
too, in addition to opposing same-sex
marriage and a repeal of “Don’t Ask
Don’t Tell.” How many years until he’s
up for re-election? — Tim
Re: “OMB director sees no ‘fund-
ing implication’ for ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal”
(news story by Chris Johnson)
Shouldn’t there be positive budg-
et impact to removing DADT? First,
the costs of the investigations and
prosecutions will be eliminated.
Secondly, thousands of service
members will be retained, who are
AG is that they will make decisions
based on looking at a future run for
mayor. Well, that is part of our elec-
toral process and it will be up to the
people whether they would succeed.
We have so few elected positions in
the District that one more would be
welcome. Decisions now made by the
appointed AG are every bit as politi-
cal, but rather than being independ-
ent and representing the people, they
are made by a person appointed by
the mayor who owes his job to him.
Yes, AGs have become governors
and even cabinet members, like Janet
Napolitano. Or Andrew Cuomo, who
began in the cabinet, now is an AG and
wants to run for governor in New York.
But then in D.C. we have had elected
officials become mayor, for example
Marion Barry and Adrian Fenty, so
what is the difference? The scenario of
moving to higher office from the AG’s
position isn’t really a problem.
The bigger problem for the people
of D.C. is to ensure that we have
another independent voice repre-
senting our interests. An independ-
ent AG elected by the people whose
views on the issues of the day are
known could be that person.
Peter Rosenstein is a D.C.-
based LGBT rights and Democratic
Party activist.
Photo courtesy of Brown
currently being lost (booted out) after
an expensive training and experi-
ence investment in the discharged
persons. Third, increased productivi-
ty without the threat of investigations,
prosecutions, counseling and in
some cases medical and psychiatric
treatment for service persons facing
outing threats. — Pete
Re: “Obama, Dems must regain
their footing” (blog post by Kevin Naff)
That’s a lot of wishful thinking. If
Obama wouldn’t move on equal
rights for gays when he had a veto-
proof majority, why would he now?
His popularity is dropping because
he promises, with soaring rhetoric,
but cannot deliver. The Republicans
are usually our enemies, but the
friendship of most Democrats is little
better. — Jared
dcagenda
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 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 15

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socialagenda
friday, feb. 5
Gay organist CHARLES MILLER plays a
recital today at 12:15 p.m. at his church,
National City Christian Church in
Thomas Circle. He’ll perform works by
J.S. Bach, Louis Vierne, Pietro Mascagni
and David N. Johnson as part of a week-
ly concert organ series dubbed “Magical,
Mystical, Musical Machine,” which
resumes today and runs every Friday at
this time through May. It’s free. Gay organ-
ists David Christopher and Stephen
Harouff play on the 12th and the 19th
respectively. Miller plays again on the
26th. The recitals are a half hour each.
Lesbian rock/dance party HOTTBOXX
returns to Phase 1 tonight from 10 p.m. to
2 a.m. and will happen the first Friday of
every month. Doors open at 9. Phase is
located at 525 8th St., S.E. Cover is $5.
A dance party featuring the music of
Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson is
tonight at 9:30 club, located at 815 V St.,
N.W. Visit 930.com for more information.
QUEER SHABBATON, an urban retreat
for LGBT Jews and allies, is this week-
end, beginning today at 5 p.m. and con-
tinuing through Sunday at the D.C.
Jewish Community Center located at
16th and Q streets. The event, which has
been held successfully three times in
New York, is coming to Washington for
Gay singer TOM GOSS joins Matt Alber for shows at DeLaski Theater on Sunday.
the first time this weekend. It features
workshops, services, opportunities for
networking, yoga and meditation, kosher
food and more with several high profile
Jewish LGBT speakers. Admission
ranges from $80 to $140. For more infor-
mation, visit nehirim.org/qsdc.
The “SO YOU THINK YOU’RE A DRAG
QUEEN” monthly contest is tonight at Town,
at 2009 8th St., N.W. Doors open at 10 p.m.
Visit towndc.com for more information.
saturday, feb. 6
“DIVAS OF POP,” a dance party span-
ning four decades of pop’s most iconic
female singers, is tonight at 9 at State,
located at 220 N. Washington St. in Falls
Church, Va. Doors open at 7. Visit thes-
tatetheatre.com for more information.
A singles-only event is today at Hillwood
Museum & Gardens from 11 a.m. to 3
p.m. A meet-and-greet, tour and lunch will
be held. Tickets are $15. It’s hosted by
Zoom Lesbian Excursions. Visit zoomex-
cursions.com for more information.
D.C. FRONT RUNNERS, a local gay run-
ning group, starts a run today at 23rd and
P streets (at the Shevchenko Monument)
at 10 a.m. The group also runs Tuesdays
and Thursdays at 7 p.m., though some-
times at other locations. Visit dcfrontrun-
ners.org for more information.
Photo courtesy of Goss
D.C. METRO LGBT IT PROFESSIONALS
meets today from 10 to 11 a.m. at
SteamCafe at 17th and R streets, N.W.
Gay singer/songwriters TOM GOSS and
MATT ALBER play two shows tonight at
the DeLaski Theater, located at 1700
Kalorama Road, N.W., in Adams Morgan.
Shows are at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets are
$20. Visit tomgossmusic.com/store for
tickets. Goss is based in Washington and
is touring on his latest album “Back to
Love.” Alber, who lives in Los Angeles,
became an online sensation last year for
his poignant video “End of the World.”
sunday, feb. 7
Local drag queen SHI-QUEETA LEE
hosts drag brunch every Sunday at
Nellie’s Sports Bar, located at 900 U
St., N.W. Brunch buffet is $20. Miss Lee
performs at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visit nel-
liessportsbar.com for more information.
monday, feb. 8
EQUALITY MARYLAND LOBBY DAY
is today in Annapolis. LGBT Marylanders
are encouraged to help the group have a
strong presence in the state capitol. A rally
is scheduled for 5 p.m., meetings with law-
makers will occur from 6 to 8 p.m. and a
special “Annapolis edition” of Guerilla
Gay Bar Baltimore will be from 8 to 10
p.m. at Ram’s Head Tavern. Register to
attend at equalitymaryland.org/lobbyday.
Or contact Mike at 410-685-6567 or
mike@equalitymaryland.org.
A week of musical theater cabaret
dubbed “BROADWAY TODAY AND
TOMORROW” is being held tonight and
all week at the Kennedy Center at 6
p.m. on the Millennium Stage. Tonight’s
performers are Matt Cavanaugh, Peter
Mills and Kate Baldwin. Many other
Broadway up-and-comers perform each
night through Friday. Free. For more
information, visit kennedy-center.org.
Metropolitan Community Church of
Washington, the District’s largest
mostly gay church, has an HIV-POSI-
TIVE SUPPORT GROUP FOR PEO-
PLE OF FAITH every Monday at the
church. For more information, contact
Matt Senger at 202-546-2159 or e-mail
him at ndc20003@yahoo.com. MCC-
DC is located at 474 Ridge St., N.W.
Visit mccdc.com for more information
about the church.
tuesday, feb. 9
Cobalt has “FLASHBACK,” a retro
night, every Tuesday at 10 p.m. Rail
vodka drinks are free from 10 to 11 p.m.
Cobalt, a gay bar and dance club, is at
the corner of 17th and R streets, N.W.
A dance party featuring the music of MADONNA, Michael Jackson and Prince
will be held Feb. 5 at the 9:30 club.
wednesday, feb. 10
RAINBOW RESPONSE has its monthly
meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at National
City Christian Church, located at 5
Thomas Circle, N.W. The group is a
meeting of individuals and agencies col-
laborating to discuss intimate partner vio-
lence in the local LGBT community. The
meeting is typically held on the second
Wednesday of each month. Visit rain-
bowresponse.org for more information.
THE GERTRUDE STEIN CLUB, a local
group of gay Democrats, is having a
speed dating event tonight at the D.C.
Center at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be
served. Attendees will go on three-minute
dates, fill out evaluation forms and be
informed of matches upon which contact
information will be shared. Cost is $10 in
advance or $15 at the door. The Center is
located at 1804 14th St., N.W. Visit stein-
democrats.org for more information.
LADIES FIRST NIGHT is tonight and
every Wednesday at Fab Lounge, located
at 1805 Connecticut Ave., N.W. For more
information, visit myspace.com/ladiesfirst.
thursday, feb. 11
D.C. LAMBDA SQUARES, a local gay
square dancing group, meets every
Thursday for square dancing. For more
information about the group or to find
out when beginner classes are avail-
able, visit dclambdasquares.org.
friday, feb. 12
GAY DISTRICT meets tonight. The group
was formerly known as the Twenties
Photo courtesy of Madonna.com
Group but has expanded its age range for
gay, bi, trans and questioning men from
18 to 35. The group meets for weekly dis-
cussion from 8:30 to 9:30 every Friday at
St. Margaret’s Church located at 1830
Connecticut Ave. Those interested can
visit the group on Facebook under the
name “GD: Gay District.”
A new Friday night drag show at
Ziegfeld’s has started with a new host-
ess. THE LADIES OF ILLUSION host-
ed by Kristina Kelly has performances
every Friday at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Ziegfeld’s is celebrating its one-year
anniversary this weekend.
saturday, feb. 13
Metropolitan Community Church of
Washington, the District’s largest mostly
gay church, has its annual VALENTINE’S
DANCE tonight at 7 p.m. at the church.
Refreshments will be served. A $7 dona-
tion is suggested. Contact 202-638-7373
or churchoffice@mccdc.com for more
information. The church is located at 474
Ridge St., N.W.
“LOVE,” a concert by the Gay Men’s
Chorus of Washington, is today with
shows at 5 and 8 p.m. at Church of the
Epiphany located at 1317 G St. N.W.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at
www.gmcw.org/tickets, by phone at 202-
293-1548 or at the HRC shop at 1633
Connecticut Ave., N.W. The concert will
feature a chorus transcription of Brahm’s
“Liebeslieder Waltzes” by chorus mem-
ber Robert T. Boaz and a performance by
the Rock Creek Singers, a chamber
ensemble of Chorus members.
 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 17

theateragenda

improbable ‘beauty’ gests “the crazy-quilt melodramas of

Latino playwright explores
inter-generational romantic
quagmire in ’04 play
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
In “Beauty of the Father” — Pulitzer
Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz’s
exploration of familial bonds — a
young American woman travels to
southern Spain to meet her estranged
artist father. Things go OK until she
falls in love (and in bed) with dad’s
much younger boyfriend, and that’s
where it gets a little tense. A Manhattan
critic said the 2004 drama’s plot sug-
Photo by Daniel Troconis; courtesy of Gala Hispanic Theatre
Norman Aronovic and Lucas Beck in ‘BEAUTY OF THE FATHER,’ Nilo Cruz’s
English language play being performed now at Gala Hispanic Theatre.
early Almodóvar,” but the gay play-
wright doesn’t entirely agree.
Speaking via telephone from his
home in New York City, Cruz explains,
“It’s no more improbable than the love
triangle in ‘The Graduate,’ and audi-
ences didn’t find that plot so hard to
grasp. Besides, the essence of ‘Beauty
of the Father’ comes from real life. I
wrote the play after spending some
time in Naples, Italy, with friends — two
men and a woman — who were living
a similar experience.”
Cruz took some license with the
story: He swapped the Naples locale
for Andalusia and rather than
Tunisian, the younger man in his
Beauty of the Father
Through Feb. 28
Gala Hispanic Theatre
3333 14th Street, N.W.
$20 to $36
202-234-7174
www.galatheatre.org
piece is a Moroccan immigrant. And
perhaps most importantly, he threw a
father/daughter rivalry into the mix;
but otherwise all the same emotions
are there, and ultimately, Cruz says,
“it’s about what comprises a family
and the sacrifices involved in that.”
“Beauty of the Father” played off-
Broadway in early 2006, and is cur-
rently making its Abel Lopez-directed
D.C.-area premiere at Gala Hispanic
Theatre through the end of the month.
Typically, Gala produces classic and
contemporary Spanish language
works by Latin playwrights performed
in Spanish with English surtitles, but
they make exceptions and, in part,
Cruz’s play is one of these.
While Cruz is Cuban-born (his fam-
ily left Cuba for Miami in 1970 when he
was 10), he writes primarily in English.
For this production (titled “La belleza
del padre” in Spanish), he also sup-
plied the Spanish translation. Though
fully bilingual, Cruz, who received an
MFA from Brown University and has
taught there as well, confesses to
struggling in both languages.
NILO CRUZ says it’s important for playwrights to capture the essence of ideas in
dialogue.
“But I think it’s good for a writer to
struggle,” he says. “To get to the
essence of a thought and for the dia-
logue not to be entirely mundane, it
takes work. Otherwise you might as
well just go to the grocery store and
listen to people talk.”
Prior to writing “Beauty of the
Father,” Cruz won the Pulitzer Prize
for drama in 2003 for his gorgeously
written “Anna in the Tropics,” the
story of a “lector” who is hired to read
aloud to workers to in a Cuban-
American cigar factory circa 1929,
and what happens when the novel he
selects (Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”)
begins to change their lives. The
Pulitzer changed Cruz’s life, too.
“It was euphoric,” he says. “After
all, you write the play to share it with
an audience and that’s what I was
Photo courtesy of Gala Hispanic Theatre
doing — everywhere it seemed. And
to be the first Latino to win the
Pulitzer for drama made the prize
especially meaningful to me. I felt
that I was opening the door for other
Latino writers in this country.”
The Pulitzer judges approved of
Cruz’s Latin sensibility, as well as his
“magical realism that reads like a
dream — with realism, which has its
feet on the ground.”
His work is refulgent with ethnic
and sexual diversity too. In addition
to a same-sex couple, “Beauty of the
Father” also includes the ghost of
gay poet/playwright/martyr Federico
Garcia Lorca, who haunts the title
character’s home and studio.
“But it’s true; I do like to put gay
characters in my work. I'm gay myself,
so it shouldn't come as a big surprise.”

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dcagenda lgbt nightlife guide

dceagle.com
washington, dc The popular Levi/leather bar’s origins date
to the 1960s. Features billiards, regular
LARRY’S LOUNGE
1836 18th St., NW
30 DEGREES tournaments and other special events. Washington, DC 20009
1639 R St., NW Located near the convention center, two 202-483-1483
Washington, DC 20009 blocks north of Gallery Place Metro. Dupont Circle area bar and restaurant
202-462-6569 popular with both men and women.
cobaltdc.com DELTA ELITE
In Dupont Circle area; popular with men 3734 10th St. NE MIXTAPE
but check schedule for other events. Washington, DC 20017 Different locations
202-546-5979 mixtapedc.com
1409 PLAYBILL CAFÉ thedeltaelite.com twitter.com/MIXTAPEdc
1409 14th St., NW Longtime bar popular with African- Alternative dance party for queer men and
Washington, DC 20005 American men in Brookland neighbor- women featuring electro, alt-pop, indie
202-265-3055 hood; hosts regular ladies night. Check rock, house, disco and New Wave. Check
Logan Circle area restaurant and bar web site for special events. web site for 2010 schedule of events.
(Dupont Circle Metro) popular with the
theater crowd and featuring open-mike DIK BAR MOVA
nights, karaoke and other special events. 1637 17th St., NW 1435 P St., NW
Washington, DC 20009 Washington, DC 20005
ACADEMY OF
WASHINGTON
thewashingtonacademy.com
202-328-0100
dupontitaliankitchen.com
In Dupont Circle area, above Dupont
202-797-9730
halodc.com
Trendy Logan Circle bar and lounge
APEX DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
Longtime organizers of drag events in the Italian Kitchen. popular with men features regular happy
city; most events held at Ziegfeld’s. See hour and other specials. Formerly known The awesome CHANEL DEVEREUX, left, a Saturday staple
web site for full list of upcoming events. DUPLEX DINER as Halo, MOVA re-launched in early for APEX, donned her ‘Snow Queen’ dudes for the special
2004 18th St., NW 2010 as a environmentally friendly bar
‘Let There be Snow’ event Jan. 29. ‘We want to keep you stim-
ANNIE’S Washington, DC 20009 with an emphasis on community service.
1609 17th St., NW 202-265-9599 ulated,’ said 13-year APEX general manager Joey Oldaker, ‘to
Washington, DC 20009 duplexdiner.com NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR keep you in dancing bliss.’ Story and more photos at
202-232-0395 Popular restaurant and bar in the Adams 900 U St., NW DCAgenda.com. — David J. Hoffman
In Dupont Circle area; popular longtime Morgan area; happy hour specials and Washington, DC 20001
restaurant and steakhouse with recently many other special events. See web site 202-332-6355
renovated Upstairs Lounge. for updated schedule. nelliessportsbar.com crowd, though welcoming to women

APEX EFN LOUNGE

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

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

LACE
1824 Half St., SW
Washington, DC 20024
Large club popular with men and
women featuring billiards, top
DJs/dancing, karaoke, videos and
laurel, md
Men’s 24-hour gym in Logan Circle area, 2214 Rhode Island Ave., NE 202-863-0670 more. Opened in 1972, Hippo’s motto PW’S
featuring steam rooms, lounges, private Washington, DC 20018 secretsdc.com is “where everyone is welcome.” 9855 N. Washington Blvd.
dressing rooms and more. 202-832-3888 Featuring all-nude male dancers Laurel, MD 20723
lacedc.com Wednesdays-Sundays, drag performanc- JAY’S ON READ 301-498-8202
DC EAGLE Every night is ladies night at Lace; fea- es, large dance floor and many regular 225 W. Read St. pwssportsbar.com
639 New York Ave., NW tures regular special events for women special events, contests and more. Large Baltimore, MD 21201 Restaurant and bar is popular with gay
Washington, DC 20001 in Brookland neighborhood. Check web parking lot available; located in 410-225-0188 and lesbian sports fans and is known
202-347-6025 site for details on happy hour specials. Buzzard’s Point warehouse district. Piano bar attracts a mostly male for its superb burgers.
february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 19
20 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010
socialagenda
‘black cherry’ planned at efn lounge
Nat'l Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day event
set for Feb. 7 in D.C.
By TYRONE FORD
Special to DC Agenda
Feb. 7 marks National Black
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and sever-
al local groups are stepping up to
take part in the annual initiative.
This national commemoration is fund-
ed by the Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention and was founded by five
national organizations: Concerned Black
Men, Inc. of Philadelphia; Health Watch
Information and Promotion Services,
Inc.; Jackson State University -
Mississippi Urban Research Center;
National Black Alcoholism and
Addictions Council; and National Black
Leadership Commission on AIDS.
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness
Day is focused on educating the African-
American community on HIV/AIDS,
encouraging regular HIV testing, mobi-
lizing the community to increase involve-
ment in local leadership, and connecting
those living with HIV to treatment and
care services. Statistics from 2007
showed that African Americans account-
ed for 51 percent of the 42,655 new
HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 34 states and 48
percent of the 551,932 persons living
with HIV/AIDS in 34 states.
PW’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL
Twice voted Maryland’s Best Gay Bar
(Baltimore Outland News, Maryland R-Group)
PW’s Big Screen
SUPERBOWL
PARTY
No Cover, Free Buffet, $1.00 off
all bottles and Pints. Game
on all the Big Screens
We Offer a Full Menu
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and Annapolis.
Come see what
you’ve been missing!
PW’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL
9855 Washington Blvd. N • Laurel, MD 20723
301-498-4840 • www.pwssportsbar.com
On Feb. 7, the Cherry Fund, an
all-volunteer 501(c)3 foundation
whose purpose is to raise funds for
HIV/AIDS service organizations,
brings its fundraising efforts to EFN
Lounge for “Black Cherry.”
The Cherry Fund, along with DC’s
Most Fabulous Magazine, has lined up
an evening of performances marking
National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
that is not to be missed. The emcee of
the evening will be Howard Cromwell
Jr., publisher of DC’s Most Fabulous
Magazine. The evening will feature a
fashion showcase from Renee France
Designs, and performances by NISHA,
Dynez Dennis, Lady Tony and V-Day:
Vagina Monologues.
“Black Cherry” at EFN Lounge,
located at 1318 Ninth St., N.W., will be
held from 6:30-9:30 p.m., admission is
$10 with a portion being donated to
Us Helping Us. Participants who are
tested between Feb. 1-6 at Us Helping
Us, located at 3636 Georgia Ave.,
N.W., or at the event will be provided
free admission. In addition, those test-
ed will be entered in a special raffle for
Image courtesy of D.C. Dept. of Health
event tickets to White Attire Affair and
Capital Queer Prom. HOWARD CROMWELL JR. will host ‘Black Cherry’ at EFN Lounge on Feb. 7 in connection with National Black HIV/AIDS
Speakers include: Rahim Briggs, Awareness Day.
Al Sura; Brandon Macsata, AAA+;
Christopher Chauncey Watson, proj- Cheeks, Us Helping Us, People Into politan Washington area.” The head- transgender persons who are living
ect director, George Washington Living, Inc., has become the “premier quarters and service facility provides with HIV; and group meetings for
University School of Public Health & AIDS services agency specializing in such programs as condom distribu- African-American gay men, which are
Health Services. HIV prevention and support services tion, clinical care services for African- confidential and held in a safe, affirm-
Founded in 1985 by Rainey for African Americans in the metro- American gay/bisexual men and ing environment.
Top Ten List Area’s Best Burgers
(WTOP Listeners Poll)
 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 21

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theateragenda
award-winning play is a tour de force
Signature’s ‘I Am My
Own Wife’ deserves
a large audience
By DAVID J. HOFFMAN
Special to DC Agenda
“I Am My Own Wife” is a play
about transvestism and the lead
character is indeed a notable real-life
German eccentric, born biologically
male and named Lothar Berfelde
who in early adolescence began
dressing as a female and adopted
the name Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.
That he did so openly under the
viselike grip of homophobic Nazi rule
and the later German Communist
regime is utterly mysterious and yet
how he did it is a layered tale of
ambiguity and ambivalence.
Tenacious in his gender switch
until his death in 2002 at age 74,
Charlotte presents herself as a hero-
ine in this play, which won the Tony
Awards for best play and actor and
Pulitzer Prize for best drama. The
playwright Doug Wright (who is also
a character on stage) nevertheless
casts a darker shadow across her
role playing.
Charlotte is finally what Winston
Churchill once famously called the
nation of Russia — “a riddle wrapped
in a mystery inside an enigma.”
“But perhaps there is a key,”
Churchill also added. And the key to
Charlotte is her need to survive with
her identity intact. For the sake of sur-
vival, all is permitted. For the sake of
survival, people may lie to themselves,
about themselves and also to others.
This same psychic tactic is sometimes
a ruse meant to effect self-cure,
through the freer expression of those
drives that would otherwise fester in
repression and neurosis — or worse.
And lies can be as important as
the truth, a point of view explored
at length by the distinguished ethi-
cist Sissela Bok in her books “Lying
and Secrets: On the Ethics of
Concealment and Revelation.”
We live our lives, this play
declares, as the creator of narra-
tives. We tell “stories” about our-
selves. Our reliability as narrators is
always contingent, a fact that trou-
bled Wright greatly as he construct-
ed this play from a series of inter-
views he initially carried out with
Charlotte, during which encounters
he fell in some senses in love with
her distinctive persona.
As for Charlotte herself, we are
led to believe that she had convinced
herself at least that what she claimed
to be true was true. But for Wright, it
took the director Moises Kaufman,
who also brought the murder of
Matthew Shepard to the stage in
“The Laramie Project,” to work with
I Am My Own Wife
Through March 7
Signature Theatre’s ARK Stage
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Va.
$41 to $71
www.signaturetheatre.org
Wright in three weeks of workshops
at the Sundance Theatre Lab in 2000
to help the playwright find his way
through to putting all the questions
about Charlotte onto the stage
inhabited by a total of 35 characters.
At the Signature Theatre, the
actor Andrew Long turned to 25-
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre
year-old director Alan Paul to helm
the production in which Long plays Actor Andrew Long portrays all 35 roles in ‘I AM MY OWN WIFE.’
all 35 roles, from Charlotte herself to
her brutal and abusive Nazi father to expecting to see something kinky and opened her doors to prostitutes and
the playwright Doug Wright and myr- slinky in sequins and boas or that Long others of the demi-monde seeking a
iad other characters in her life. will play Charlotte as a finger-popping trysting place.
Signature’s artistic director Eric RuPaul. Instead, Long plays Charlotte Who could have guessed that so
Schaeffer has said that doing “I Am almost nun-like as a conventional off-center a concept for a play would
My Own Wife” is for an actor a little Berlin hausfrau, wearing a simple attract a mainstream audience? But
like climbing Mount Everest, so he black dress and a string of pearls with it has! In a one-man play, Long is a
allowed Long to select his own sensible shoes, not high heels. tour de force, gliding from role to role,
director as a guide on this perilous She is an elegantly mannered from accent to accent, changing
ascent. And Paul in turn threw out throwback, a relic of the past in expressions and postures, grada-
all stage directions and approached every sense, someone whose home tions and colorations, in a stunning
the play, which opened on in Berlin became her private muse- portrayal of all the many characters
Broadway in 2003 with Kaufman um housing Kaiser Wilhelm II-era in Charlotte’s life.
directing and was also performed in antiques, objets d’art, and especially It is an extraordinary work and
D.C. in 2005, as a clean slate. gramophones and clocks. But she deserves a large audience. Her life
The result is a darker take on the not only collected objects, she drew was real. Her story is an indomitable
play. No one should see this play people to her and she even quietly riddle. And attention must be paid.

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ALL GAY THEMES. G BOOKS. 1520 U St, NW. 202-
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Contact Phil Rockstroh
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PETS & SUPPLIES

ADOPT AN ADORABLE PUPPY OR DOG All-breed,
non-profit rescue. 100% volunteer run. Donations wel-
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MOVING
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MASSAGE BY "D" Dupont Certified and experi-

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IT'S TAX TIME!!!

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 adult february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 25

bodi contac two and four hand massage all day

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26 dcagenda.com • february 5, 2010

DEENNY
NNY H ORNER
EVERS & CO. Real Estate, Inc.
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 february 5, 2010 • dcagenda.com 27

The $8,000 Federal Tax Credit has been extended

and expanded…..BUT it expires in just three months!
Owned and Operated
by NRT Incorporated
Call 202-387-6180 today for more information or
stop in to talk to your local real estate experts.
NEW LISTING! NEW LISTING!
KALORAMA DUPONT/
1831 Biltmore WEST END
Street, NW #23 2007 O Street,
$340,000 NW #504
RARELY AVAILABLE $384,900
END-UNIT TOWN- Bright and full of
HOUSE CONDO IN light corner top
SWEEEEEET floor unit in amaz-
LOCATION! PER- ing historic build-
FECT FOR FIRST ing. Exposed brick
TIME HOMEBUYER walls through out, NEW LISTING
OR PIED-A-TERRE Open living room, U Street
2001 12th Street, NW #208 DUPONT
FOR BUSY EXEC. corner windows
$405,000 1701 16th Street, NW #436
I N C R E D I B LY and huge sky light.
Beautiful, light, spacious corner unit 1BR+DEN/1.5BA Now Offered @ $459,900
SUNNY WITH 3 11 ft ceilings, reno-
w/view into quiet courtyard. Open floor plan/hdwd **$20K Price Reduction** Gorgeous, Fully
EXPOSURES! vated kitchen,
flrs/commodious closets/approx 900sf/dining room/ Renovated Home. Open Kitchen w/Granite &
FRENCH DOORS w/granite counters,
w&d in unit/GARAGE PARKING/extra storage avail- Stainless Steel Appliances. Hardwood Floors
OPEN TO LARGE stainless appli-
able/perfect condition. Bldg is FHA APPROVED W/ Throughout, In-Unit Washer/Dryer, Limestone
PATIO! WOODBURNING FIREPLACE! OPEN ances and modern updated bath. Large Roof top
roof deck, exercise & party rooms, front desk and Bathroom Floors & Shower/Tub Surround, Recessed
KITCHEN! GORGEOUS HARDWOOD FLOORS! deck with panoramic city views. Located in the mid-
PETS OK. Prime LOCATION steps Lights. Fantastic Dupont Location. SELLER HAS
BRAND NEW WINDOWS! WALKABILI- dle of Dupont/West End. Two blocks
to METRO, shops, nightlife and PARKING AVAILABLE FOR SALE
TY SCORE OF 99 OUT OF 100! to Dupont Circle and Metro.
Vibrant U St! AND IT IS A 10!! AT AN ADDITIONAL PRICE!!

COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT
202-387-6180 202-387-6180 202-387-6180 202-387-6180

LOGAN
24 Logan Circle # 3
$369,000
Pet Friendly 600+ square-foot 1 bedroom condo
built in 1880 with 10' ceilings, huge bay windows
overlooking gorgeous Logan Circle, new pass-
through kitchen and new bathroom, hardwood
floors and huge walk-in closet.
Very low condo fees.
DUPONT
1607 S St NW
$1,595,000
Grand Victorian Townhome with modern ameni-
ties. This beautiful home features 4 bedrooms, 2
bathrooms in the master unit as well as a 1 bed-
room, 1 bathroom in the separate suite below.
Includes 2 car parking space in
the heart of Dupont Circle.
JUST LISTED!
Dupont Circle
1619 R Street, NW #501 • The Roydon
$544,900
Terrific Two Bedroom/Two Bath corner condo at the
popular "Roydon". Perfect Dupont location! Lovely
views. Bright! Great floor plan! Beautiful renovation
features wood floors, granite counters, custom light-
ing, new wood blinds. Fresh paint. In-unit WD. Extra
storage unit. Bike storage available.
Pets welcome, one dog under 40 lbs.
U STREET
2311 15th Street, NW #1
$550,000
**Lower level unit, w/separate entrance potential
home office! Great kitchen. w/stainless steel and
granite counters, living area is open Lofts Space !Two
MBR each w/own FB. Large Private terrace sur-
rounded by stone retaining wall perfect for grilling.2
car covered parking! Across from
Park & Steps to U Street.

DWIGHT MORTENSEN 202-361-4400 DWIGHT MORTENSEN 202-361-4400 COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT
DAVID BEDIZ 202-352-8456 DAVID BEDIZ 202-352-8456
WWW.DWIGHTANDDAVID.COM WWW.DWIGHTANDDAVID.COM 202-387-6180 202-387-6180
LOGAN
CIRCLE
910 M Street,
NW #602
$399,000
1 Bed/1Ba
You'll love living
at the sophisticat-
ed "Whitman"
with its rooftop
pool, 24/7 lobby
DUPONT/KALORAMA attendant, fit-
OPEN SUNDAYS, 2-4 PM LOGAN CIRCLE ness center &
1640 21ST Street, NW #1 DUPONT CIRCLE 1210 R Street, NW #309 party room. Unit
$724,900 1830 18th Street, NW #C $1,050,000
Elegant 2 level condo in historic DC town home w/ is cheerful and
$738,000 100K REDUCTION - PRICED TO SELL! Breathtaking
approx 1,300 sqft. Luxurious kitchen w/ high-in SS bright. Oak
Amazing space at stunning new boutique condo penthouse corner unit. 3 BR/3BA condo with $200K+
appliances, open living & dining room features 12-ft floors, wash-
building with perfect Dupont location! Luxury multi- spent on custom upgrades. Lots of light, hardwood
ceilings, gas frpl & gorgeous built-ins, uniquely divid- er/dryer. Kit features cherry cabs, stainless
level residence offers maple H/W floors, private bal- floors, gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appli-
ed bathroom allowing private use for 2 w/glass- appliances, granite counters. Luxury bath with
cony. Soaring living room ceiling surrounded by loft. ances, & stunning master suite. Second BR complete
enclosed stone-tiled shower. 2 spacious bedrooms Kitchen has marble counters, SS appliances, huge with balcony. Sprawling terrace off master bedroom soaking tub. Pet-friendly bldg. 1
w/ a master featuring a gas frpl w/pri- pantry & dining area. Close to Metro, overlooking DC. Washer/dryer in unit, car garage parking!
vate patio & storage. Pets welcome & shops, etc! parking $35,000/spot. 2 car parking + separate storage unit.
low condo fee!

MICHAEL MARRIOTT
COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT COLDWELL BANKER DUPONT 801-201-7373 CELL
202-387-6180 202-387-6180 202-387-6180 WWW.DCGOTOGUYS.COM

“The most tools, the most technology, the most leads, the best working environment. Sound interesting?
Call me to discuss the advantages of Coldwell Banker. We offer more so our agents can do more for our clients.”
Kevin McDuffie, GRI, Managing Broker
kmcduffie@cbmove.com • 202.439.2435 (c) • 1606 17th Street NW cbmove com
 Love

Truly. Madly. Safely.

202.745.7000 | www.wwc.org