CONTENTS

DECEMBER 20, 2018 Volume 25 Issue 31

7 FLORIANA’S NANCY
PELOSI TREE
The House Speaker-designate swept onto 17th Street last week,
“red” coat and all, to visit a Christmas Tree in her honor.

By Randy Shulman

YEAR IN REVIEW
If 2017 was the year of stunned silence and erosion of LGBTQ
rights, 2018 was the year we rallied the troops and charged.

By John Riley
22
37 SWAMP THINGS
Kings, Studio Theatre’s new dark comedy, spins its own
credible version of down-and-dirty politics.

By André Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: FLORIANA’S NANCY PELOSI TREE p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10
STOCKING STUFFERS: PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER p.12
R&B REVIVAL: WILLIAM “SMOOTH” WARDLAW p.15 UNIFIED CELEBRATION p.19
COMMUNITY CALENDAR p.19 YEAR IN REVIEW: THE RESISTANCE STRIKES BACK p.22
THE YEAR IN COVERS p.24 THE YEAR IN QUOTES p.30 FILM: AQUAMAN p.34
STAGE: THE PANTIES, THE PARTNER AND THE PROFIT p.35 STAGE: KINGS p.37 STAGE: OH, GOD p.38
NIGHTLIFE p.39 SCENE: DUPLEX’S JANKY SWEATER PARTY p.39 LISTINGS p.40 NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS p.41
PLAYLIST: DJ WESS p.44 SCENE: HOLIDAY BARE AT COBALT p.45 LAST WORD p.46

Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley
Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks
Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim
Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla
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4 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 RANDY SHULMAN
Spotlight
Floriana’s Nancy Pelosi Tree
T
HE CHEF IS IN THE KITCHEN!” AND WITH THOSE
not so coded words, loudly intoned by a Congressional
aide, House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi magically
materialized on 17th Street last Friday morning, Dec. 14, stopping
in front of Floriana Restaurant to admire the restaurant’s large,
lavish Christmas Tree, which bar manager and beverage director
Dito Sevilla had dedicated in her honor. (The #NancyPelostree
he later called it in an Instagram hashtag.)
“Last year’s theme was ‘Day of the Dead,’” said Sevilla before
the California Democrat’s arrival. “The kids loved it, but a lot of
the adults thought it was satanic. So this year I said, ‘No black and
orange, we’re gonna go full Americana, and satisfy everybody!’
“And the beautiful thing is, even with Nancy on top,” he
continued, gleefully pointing to the tree-topping photo of Pelosi,
gavel in hand, “Republicans can’t disparage it, because American
flags are all over it!”
The patriotic fir is festooned with red, white, and blue rib-
bons bearing the names of every elected woman in Congress,
including those starting fresh in January, including Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez and Kyrsten Sinema. Sevilla and Richard Paules
handcrafted poster-board ornaments out of Pelosi’s victorious
meme-moment following last week’s public meeting with the
President, in which Trump threw a tantrum that would put the
most petulant 5-year-old to shame. He barked that any govern-
ment shutdown would be his responsibility fully (“I’ll own it!”),
Floriana Restaurant is at 1602 17th St. NW in Washington. The Nancy Pelosi Christmas Tree will remain on display
at least through Jan. 1, 2019. For reservations, call 202-667-5937 or visit florianarestaurant.com.
Watch Nancy Pelosi’s arrival and comments on video at Instagram.com/MetroWeekly.
giving Pelosi and her Democratic counterpart in the Senate,
Chuck Schumer, a huge PR chit. Pelosi triumphantly strode out
of the White House in a blazing red coat, grinning broadly, while
donning a pair of sunglasses.
Naturally, the congresswoman wore the coat to the tree
unveiling, and spoke briefly before a tidy assemblage of reporters
and admirers. In real life, the coat is more of an earthen orange.
“I got this coat for Obama’s inauguration in 2013,” she remarked,
clearly bemused by its sudden iconic status.
In all her years in Congress, Pelosi has seen “nothing like”
the current administration, and the Democratic landslide in
the House midterms have made her hopeful for the future.
“Let’s deal with [issues] in a way that shows a contrast,” she
said of the next two years. “Not only in our views, but in our
attitude, and dignity, and tone, and respect for people. So that
people will listen to [Democrats] and not just think we’re in
a screaming contest with a President of the United States.
“Some of the people that we want to persuade are people who
voted for him,” she said, as Chef Daniel Hlusak dispensed carry-
out bags filled with Floriana’s lasagna, Venison Bolognese, and
Scallop & Shrimp Risotto. “They don’t want to be told they made
a mistake. So we have to just say, ‘Granted that, but now let’s go
into the future in a way that is dignified and respectful, one that
is successful at the polls in 2020 as we elect a Democratic House,
Senate, and White House.” —Randy Shulman
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 7
 Spotlight
THE ROOTS
What the Philadelphia hip-hop ensemble The
Roots lacks in mainstream popular recogni-
tion they more than make up for in influence.
Combining jazz and soul elements, their live
shows are frequently touted as among the
best in the business — and they’re also the
house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
They return for another post-holiday show,
this year with Sirius Co. featuring Ms. Kim &
Scooby and Victory. Friday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m.
Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring. General admission tickets are
$69.50 plus fees. Call 301-960-9999 or visit
fillmoresilverspring.com.

A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS

Paula Vogel’s “pageant of carols” is set in 1864 and shares tales
from Virginia’s battlegrounds as well as the Lincoln White
House. Deidra LaWan Starnes directs 1st Stage Theatre’s take
on A Civil War Christmas, featuring music by Daryl Waters, with
a 12-person cast including Suzy Alden, Tiziano D’Affuso, Billie
Krishawn, V. Savoy McIlwain, Karma Price, and Joshua Simon.
Extended to Dec. 30. 1524 Spring Hill Rd. Tysons, Va. Tickets are
$15 to $39. Call 703-854-1856 or visit 1ststage.org.

TERESA CASTRACANE

PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON

John Van der Put’s adopted stage name suits his act, as Piff
sports a ludicrous, shiny dragon costume and performs with a
sour-sweet bemused manner that is as unique as it is funny. He
also performs with his pet chihuahua, Mr. Piffles, outfitted in a
matching dragon suit. “Magic has a strange effect on people,”
Van der Put told Metro Weekly interview last year. “You go to
Walmart, and the doors open all by themselves, and nobody
ever goes, ‘Oh, my god! How did they do that?!’ Then, on stage,
you make something move without touching it, and people
freak out.” Wednesday, Dec. 26, and Thursday, Dec. 27, at 7:30
p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.
Tickets are $39.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

8 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

KERRYN MCDONOUGH

Out On The Town

HANK’S FEAST OF SEVEN FISHES/OYSTERS

Throughout December, Jamie Leeds is celebrating the holiday tradition Feast of the Seven Fishes by serving two differ-
ent all-in-one combination entrees at her restaurants. At Hank’s Pasta Bar in Alexandria, linguine gets tossed in a spicy
tomato sauce overflowing with seven types of seafood — octopus, clams, mussels, shrimp, squid, lump crabmeat, and
catfish — and priced at $34. Meanwhile, all four Hank’s Oyster Bar locations — including the original Q Street location as
well as the newest at 701 Wharf St. SW — will serve a $25 special featuring oysters on the half shell with seven different
dressings, from smoked lemon with olive oil and pink peppercorn, to salmon roe and chives, to wakame and sesame salad.
Visit hankspastabar.com.

Compiled by Doug Rule
HOLIDAY
HIGHLIGHTS
AFI HOLIDAY CLASSICS
Over the next several weeks, the
American Film Institute offers 16
Christmas films, from classics to
curiosities. Among the more nota-
ble titles screening over the next
week are Edward Scissorhands, Tim
Burton’s delicate gothic fairytale
about an artificial man (Johnny
Depp) invented by a daft scientist
(Vincent Price), on Sunday, Dec.
23, at 7:10 p.m., and Monday, Dec.
24, at 5:05 p.m.; Love Actually, the
Hugh Grant rom-com you either
love or loathe, on Sunday, Dec. 23,
at 4:30 p.m., and Monday, Dec. 24,
at 11:45 a.m.; and Dial Code Santa
Claus, René Manzor’s 1989 French
horror that has almost the same
plot as Home Alone but is far more
stylized and much, much bloodier.
Friday, Dec. 21, at 10 p.m. AFI Silver
Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring. Tickets are $13. Call
301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver
for schedule and details.
ALL-STAR CHRISTMAS DAY
JAZZ JAM
Among the many jazzy jingle balls on
offer this season, it’d be hard to beat
the Kennedy Center’s free Christmas
Day treat, the All-Star Christmas Day
Jazz Jam. The 20th annual event
features host/vibraphonist Chuck
Redd, drummer Lenny Robinson,
trumpeteers Robert Redd and Tom
Williams, bassist James King, and
vocalist Delores Williams. Tuesday,
Dec. 25, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center
Millennium Stage. Free. Call 202-
467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.
org.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Two of the area’s great orches-
tras take on Handel’s monumen-
tal Messiah a few days before
Christmas. Nicholas McGegan
conducts the National Symphony
Orchestra version featuring the
University of Maryland Concert
Choir and soloists Yulia van Doren,
Meg Bragle, Miles Mykkanen, and
William Berger. Thursday, Dec.
20, at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 21, and
Saturday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m., and
Sunday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m. Kennedy
Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15
to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org. Meanwhile,
Stan Engebretson conducts the
National Philharmonic and its
Chorale plus soloists Suzanne
Karpov, Magdalena Wór, Matthew
Smith, and Trevor Scheunemann.
Saturday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m., and
Sunday, Dec. 23, at 3 p.m. Music
Center at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $34 to $84. Call 301-581-
5100 or visit strathmore.org.
THE SECOND CITY:
LOVE, FACTUALLY
The latest seasonal satire from the
cleverly twisted minds of the leg-
endary improv/comedy company
gets to the truth of life, love, and
romance during the holidays — all
through a parody, as you might sur-
mise from the production’s title,
of a certain nauseating yet popular
movie that is low-hanging-paro-
dy fruit. Expect original comedy,
music, improv, and audience partic-
ipation. To Dec. 31. Kennedy Center
Theater Lab. Tickets are $59 to $85.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kenne-
dy-center.org.
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
“The Ghosts of Christmas Eve”
is the conceptual Yuletide “rock
opera” from the progressive-rock
juggernaut. The show follows the
story of a young runaway who has
visions from the past after sneaking
into an abandoned vaudeville the-
ater. This year’s tour includes a sec-
ond set containing some of Trans-
Siberian Orchestra’s greatest hits
and fan pleasers. Sunday, Dec. 23,
at 3 and 8 p.m. Capital One Arena,
601 F St. NW. Tickets are $46.50 to
$55.50. Call 202-628-3200 or visit
capitalonearena.com.
FILM
GARRY WINOGRAND: ALL
THINGS ARE PHOTOGRAPHABLE
One of the foremost photographers
of the 20th century is the subject of
an intimate documentary by Sasha
Waters Freyer and constructed

10 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 MetroWeekly’s Holiday Gift Guide

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

 using Winogrand’s own words and
images — including the more than
10,000 rolls of exposed film left
behind when he died suddenly at
age 56 in 1984. The National Gallery
of Art presents a screening of
Freyer’s documentary, billed as the
PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER

first focused on the life and work

of this celebrated photographer,
known from his captures of street
life in New York and goings-on in
postwar America. Sunday, Dec. 23,
and Dec. 30. Doors approximately
1:30 p.m. East Building Auditorium,
3rd Street at Constitution Avenue
NW. Free, but seating is on a first-
come, first-seated basis. Call 202-
737-4215 or visit nga.gov.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Tish is an African-American woman
determined to clear the name of her
husband Fonny, wrongfully accused
of rape, before she gives birth to
their child. The latest film from
Moonlight screenwriter and direc-
tor Barry Jenkins adapts James
Baldwin’s 1974 novel, its themes
of racism and injustice still con-

STOCKING STUFFERS
cerningly relevant today. If Beale
Street Could Talk stars Kiki Layne as
Tish and Stephan James as Fonny.
Critics are already heaping praise
on the film, so don’t be surprised
The Pyramid Atlantic Art Center showcases small, giftable artworks to see it reappear come awards
for only $50 each. season. Opens Tuesday, Dec. 25.
Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

A
(Rhuaridh Marr)
RE YOU DESPERATELY SEEKING A LAST-MINUTE GIFT? ONE AFFORDABLE,
original, and supportive of a good cause? If so, get thee to Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. ON THE BASIS OF SEX
The Hyattsville-situated nonprofit art gallery is currently showcasing small and var- Notorious RBG makes her big
screen debut. Felicity Jones is a
ied works donated by artists as part of its fourth annual exhibition/fundraiser, the “10 X 10 young Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a bril-
Invitational.” liant lawyer fighting for equal rights
“The wall is gridded almost from floor to ceiling with works of art,” says Pyramid artistic for women, including in arguments
before the Supreme Court that she
director Gretchen Schermerhorn. “You’re going to find something that you like just by the
would eventually come to have a
sheer number of pieces. seat on. Armie Hammer co-stars
The gallery puts out a request for works that are 10 inches by 10 inches. Apart from that as Ginsburg’s husband, Martin,
guidance, artists are free to create what they want and how they want, whether it be a draw- and Emmy-winning director Mimi
Leder is at the helm. This is about
ing, a painting, or some sort of mixed-media assemblage. “We have embroidery work, we have as close as it gets to perfect Oscar-
prints, we have pieces of wood,” says Schermerhorn. “There are even some multi-dimension- fodder, but should also hopefully
al pieces — the only restriction being they can’t be more than 10 inches deep.” make for compelling viewing —
Ginsburg’s incredible life achieve-
The works are all priced at an afforable $50 each.
ments deserve it. Opens Tuesday,
Schermerhorn enlisted nearly 100 artists who have collectively donated more than Dec. 25. Area theaters. Visit fandan-
150 works of art to the nationally known, printmaking-focused gallery. Proceeds benefit go.com. (RM)
Pyramid’s internships for fledgling artists, as well as its work in youth outreach and artistic
THE APARTMENT
education. Set in a New York firm where the
The show also helps support the costs associated with the upkeep of the historic two-story women are prey for the higher-ups,
building, constructed in 1890, that Pyramid moved into two years ago. Filled with workshops Billy Wilder’s 1960 comedy of man-
ners won five Oscars and would go
and community studios, Schermerhorn playfully refers to the downstairs level as “Santa’s
on to inspire the musical Promises,
workshop.” Promises. Jack Lemmon stars as
What you might call Santa’s elves, meanwhile, are busy in the gallery space upstairs — Bud Baxter, whose apartment his
especially during 10 X 10, with its continually changing display due to limited space and daily bosses borrow for “nooners,” while
Shirley MacLaine is the amiable
sales. elevator operator. Both are part
“There are some quirky pieces, there are some pieces that surprise you, and some subver- of an extraordinary ensemble that
sive ones, too,” Schermerhorn says. “I’m just really impressed with the range of media and brings to life Wilder’s witty dia-
logue and caustic commentary. The
how people have attacked the idea of creating work in everything from cloth to wood. I think
National Gallery of Art premieres
it’s the best ‘10 X 10’ that we’ve ever had.” — Doug Rule a new digital restoration of the
film historian Charles Silver said
“touched a contemporary, and pos-
The Pyramid Atlantic Art Center’s “10 X 10 Invitational” is on display daily from 10 a.m. to sibly raw, nerve.” Sunday, Dec. 30,
6 p.m. except Sundays (noon to 5 p.m.) and Mondays (closed) through Jan. 4 at 4318 Gallatin at 4 p.m. East Building Auditorium,
Street in Hyattsville. Call 301-608-9101 or visit pryamidatlanticartcenter.org.

12 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 MetroWeekly’s Holiday Gift Guide

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

 SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit are-
nastage.org.

GEM OF THE OCEAN

The “American Century” dawns
in Aunt Ester’s kitchen, where
Citizen Barlow arrives to have his
soul cleansed by the venerable,
285-year-old soothsayer. Round
House Theatre presents the first
chapter in the late August Wilson’s
monumental decade-by-decade
play series set in Pittsburgh’s
African-American Hill District.
Timothy Douglas directs a cast
featuring Stephanie Berry as Ester,
Justin Weaks as Barlow, Alfred
Wilson as Solly Two Kings, and
KenYatta Rogers as the constable
Caesar. To Dec. 23. Round House
Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway,
Bethesda. Call 240-644-1100 or visit
roundhousetheatre.org.

INDECENT
Paula Vogel’s latest work tells the
story of a group of artists who
risked their careers to perform
Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance
TOO MANY ZOOZ on Broadway in 1923, a work
A busking sensation in the subways of New York, this instrumental “brass house” trio has deemed “indecent” for tackling
taboo themes of censorship, immi-
gotten a significant upgrade in recent years. First, Beyonce tapped them to accompany her gration, and anti-Semitism — but
on Lemonade songs “Formation” and “Daddy Issues,” then she invited them to perform especially for depicting romance
“Daddy Issues” with her at the 2016 CMA Awards. And in the past year, they’ve gotten blooming between two women. Eric
Rosen directs a cast that includes
significant airplay in the U.K. with their song “Warriors,” as well as the sequel “So Real
Ben Cherry, Susan Lynskey, John
(Warriors)” featuring Jess Glynne. A blend of jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms, funk, and elec- Milosich, and Max Wolkowitz. To
tronic/dance elements, the brassy, sassy, manic music of Too Many Zooz can be a little, Dec. 30. Kreeger Theater in the
well, too much to merely listen to. Fortunately, they provide plenty to look at, from a very Mead Center for American Theater,
1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300
physical style of dancing, to the shock of hair sported by the tall baritone saxophonist Leo or visit arenastage.org.
P. Too Many Zooz tours in support of new EP A Very Too Many Zooz Xmas, Vol. 1 on a
double-bill with the six-piece rock/jam band Big Something, supporting its “post-apoc- MADELINE’S CHRISTMAS
The adventures of a brave and
alyptic peyote trip”-themed album The Otherside. All that, plus an opening set from
resourceful precocious Parisian
Baltimore’s “future wave/space disco” instrumental quartet Electric Love Machine. Talk who takes her bed-ridden friends
about a far-out kind of night. Saturday, Dec. 22. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. on an unforgettable Christmas jour-
Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com. ney via magic carpet ride. Virginia’s
Creative Cauldron has had a hit
with two previous iterations of this
musical adaptation by writer/lyri-
3rd Street at Constitution Avenue
NW. Free, with seating on a first-
WELCOME TO MARWEN
In 2000, artist Mark Hogancamp
STAGE cist Jennifer Kirkeby and compos-
er Shirley Mier and based on the
come, first-seated basis. Call 202- was left with brain damage and book by author/illustrator Ludwig
ANYTHING GOES
737-4215 or visit nga.gov. little memory of his life after Bemelmans. Matt Conner directs.
Molly Smith puts her stamp on
being attacked outside a bar in To Dec. 23. ArtSpace Falls Church,
Cole Porter’s most famous show
VICE New York. His crime? Telling five 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls
by enlisting two right-hand-men
Adam McKay successfully dis- men he was a cross-dresser. To Church. Tickets are $20 to $26, or
for staging musical classics in the
tilled the 2008 financial crisis into recover, Hogancamp construct- $30 for opening night. Call 703-436-
round — choreographer Parker
a simultaneously humorous and ed Marwencol, a one-sixth scale 9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.
Esse (Oklahoma!) and music
horrifying experience with 2015’s WWII-era Belgian town, and director Paul Sportelli (Carousel).
Oscar-nominated The Big Short. populated it with dolls represent- THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER
Soara-Joye Ross, last seen in
Expectations are high that he will ing himself, his friends, and his Through its family and younger
D.C. via the national tour of The
do similarly good work with a come- attackers. Steve Carell steps into audiences-geared series PLAY-
Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, makes
dy-drama — initially titled Backseat Hogancamp’s shoes for this drama, RAH-KA, Keegan Theatre stag-
her Arena debut as showboat sen-
— about America’s most powerful directed and co-written by Robert es Kristin Walter’s holiday twist
sation Reno Sweeney who sings
Vice President, Dick Cheney, who Zemeckis, and based on the doc- on the classic from Grimm’s
several American Songbook stan-
was widely believed to be running umentary Marwencol, which cap- Fairy Tales. Jake Null portrays a
dards, including “Anything Goes,”
the show behind President George tured Hogancamp’s escape into his down-at-heel shoemaker whose
“I Get A Kick Out of You,” and
W. Bush. Christian Bale stars as fictional world to cope with his young daughter (Emily Dwornik)
“Blow, Gabriel, Blow.” Ross leads
Cheney, capturing his rise to V.P., PTSD and recovery. Leslie Mann, enlists a pair of elves (Joe Baker
a cruise ship-sized cast also includ-
Amy Adams plays his wife Lynne Merritt Wever, and Janelle Monáe and Debora Crabbe) to help turn-
ing Corbin Bleu as Billy Crocker,
Cheney, Steve Carell is Donald also star. Opens Friday, Dec. 21. around her father’s business. Alexis
Lisa Helmi Johanson as Hope
Rumsfeld, and Sam Rockwell is Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. J. Hartwick directs a cast that also
Harcourt, Jimmy Ray Bennett as
Bush, alongside a number of other (RM) includes Maggie Leigh and Duane
Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Lisa Tejero
famous faces from the Bush admin- Richards. Opens Saturday, Dec. 22.
as Evangeline Harcourt, and Maria
istration. Opens Tuesday, Dec. 25. Runs to Dec. 30. All performanc-
Rizzo as the vampy Erma. To Dec.
Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. es at 11 a.m. 1742 Church St. NW.
23. Fichandler Stage, 1101 6th St.
(RM)

14 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

Tickets are $17. Call 202-265-3767
or visit keegantheatre.com.
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
Touted as a cross between Sherlock
Holmes and Monty Python and
made for the stage, this classic
murder mystery is full of mis-
haps and madcap mania. From an
unconscious leading lady, to actors
tripping over everything (includ-
ing their lines), The Murder at
Haversham Manor, the play-within-
this-play, has a murderous opening
night. Fortunately, the actors killed
it, as it were, when The Play That
Goes Wrong debuted in London and
New York, earning the 2015 Olivier
Award for Best New Comedy and
garnering critical praise. Now to
Jan. 6. Kennedy Center Eisenhower
Theater. Tickets are $49 to $149.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kenne-
dy-center.org.
MUSIC
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA: HOLIDAY POPS
Andy Einhorn, the conductor and
musical director for such celebrated
recent Broadway revivals as Hello,
Dolly! and Carousel, conducts the
BSO and the Baltimore Choral Arts
Society in a new holiday BSO Pops
show featuring festive favorites,
tap-dancing, an audience sing-
along, and a few musical surprises.
All that, plus pre-concert perfor-
mances, holiday cookies, and orna-
ments for sale as the Meyerhoff
Symphony Hall becomes a winter
wonderland. Saturday, Dec. 22, at
3 and 8 p.m. 1212 Cathedral St.,
Baltimore. Tickets are $12.50 to
$80. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bso-
music.org.
FOLGER CONSORT:
CHRISTMAS MESSE
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s
1619 manuscript A Christmas Messe,
which recounts a tussle between
King Beef and King Brawn, offers
lively accompaniment to a main
course of beloved Yuletide music.
Billed as a banquet of seasonal
English music, ranging from the
earliest carols to later arrange-
ments of favorites like Greensleeves
by Vaughan Williams, the music
will be brought to life by strings,
harp, organist Webb Wiggins, and
an ensemble of voices, including
soprano Crossley Hawn, alto P.
Lucy McVeigh, and tenor Oliver
Mercer. Remaining performances
are Thursday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m.,
Friday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m., Saturday,
Dec. 22, at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sunday,
Dec. 23, at 2 p.m. Folger Theatre,
201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are
$52. Call 202-544-7077 or visit fol-
ger.edu.
GOOD FOR THE JEWS
Rob Tannenbaum insists his musi-
cal comedy rock band is good for
the Jews — and not just in name.
R&B REVIVAL
William “Smooth” Wardlaw recreates the live
sound of the one and only Luther Vandross.
I
T TAKES SOME SMOOTH CROONING TO COME
close to the vocal greatness that was Grammy-
winning R&B legend Luther Vandross. But William
“Smooth” Wardlaw comes close enough to live up to his
billing as the featured voice of “Luther Re-Lives,” the
concert experience he’s fronted for nearly a decade.
“We try not to say tribute or impersonation,” says
Wardlaw. “That’s why we’re called Luther Re-Lives,
because we want people to relive those moments when
Luther was onstage.”
The “Luther Re-Lives Holiday Concert” featuring William “Smooth” Wardlaw is
Sunday, Dec. 23 at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. Tickets are $45.
Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
The Alexandria native relives
his own love for Luther’s music
and vocal prowess by performing
the artist’s songs, accompanied
by two backup singers and a five-
piece band. The act arrives at
The Birchmere for a concert of
Luther classics and soulful holi-
day tunes.
“If you are a Luther fan,
[you know] he’s done sever-
al holiday CDs, so this is what
we try to bring,” says Wardlaw.
“He did the traditional, and he
did his own holiday songs — ‘A
Christmas Heart,’ ‘Every Day,
Every Christmas.’ We’re gonna
be bringing those, but we’re also
gonna be doing the Luther show
as well.”
The show is a full, Vegas-style
performance that Wardlaw says
aims to recapture not just the
sublime musical effect of Luther
live, but also “the flamboyance,
the lighting, the wardrobe.”
Wardlaw, who discovered
Vandross’ music as a high school-
er, is a true believer in the late leg-
end’s talent. “I love to sing [and]
I’m an admirer of good singers,”
he says. “Luther just happened to
be one of the best. A lot of people
said that I sound just like him,
even at an early age. When I got
a little older [that’s] when I had
people start telling me, ‘Oh man,
you look just like him, and you
sound just like him.’”
Wardlaw has no trouble
acknowledging the mastery of the
real deal, especially after he saw
Vandross live in concert. “It was
wonderful,” he says. “You know
when you wake up for Christmas
and you see your first toy? That’s
how it was with me when I first
saw Luther. I was just in awe.
He was just an amazing perform-
er. I try to be the same way. I
want to make sure I give the
people a complete performance,
that I won’t be playing with their
money. Luther never played with
nobody’s money when it comes to
performing. I’m kind of like that,
too.” —André Hereford
15
 turing the Choral Arts Chorus and gasbord of different comedy shows,
Youth Choir along with soprano all of which have some sort-of angle
soloist Esther Heideman. Concert or theme related to the holidays.”
Hall. Tickets are $15 to $69. Call No two programs are alike, as each
202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-cen- pivots off of a suggestion or theme
ter.org. from the audience. From there, the
WIT players concoct characters,
THE WASHINGTON CHORUS: A story, theme — whether to create
CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS an original, off-the-cuff show via
Artistic Director Christopher Bell the iMusical team, an improvised
directs the annual “A Candlelight rock concert from Heavy Rotation,
Christmas,” featuring the 200- a Latino variety show a la Sabado
voice chorus singing familiar car- Picante, or “Huggy Smalls: The
ols and holiday songs accompa- Notorious H.U.G.” Weekends to
nied by brass ensemble plus organ, Dec. 30. Source, 1835 14th St. NW.
plus audience sing-alongs and a Tickets are $15 in advance, or $18
candlelight processional. Joining at the door. Call 202-204-7770 or
the chorus this year is Virginia visit witdc.org. Weekends to Dec. 28.
CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO Bronze, the Alexandria commu- Source Theater, 1835 14th St. NW.
“The best jazz pianist of his generation,” Time music nity-based, auditioned handbell Tickets are $12 online in advance, or
critic Josh Tyrangiel proclaimed in 2017 about ensemble. Thursday, Dec. 20, at 8 $15 at the door. Call 202-204-7770 or
p.m., and Friday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. visit washingtonimprovtheater.com.
Baltimore’s versatile virtuoso Cyrus Chestnut, who Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
two decades ago portrayed a Count Basie-inspired pia-
ART & EXHIBITS
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
nist in Robert Altman’s film Kansas City. He returns to Also Saturday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m.
Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
D.C.’s leading jazz venue for another week-long run of EXHIBITION OF FINE ARTS
Tickets are $18 to $75. Call 202-
shows, culminating in New Year’s Eve performances, 342-6221 or visit thewashington- IN MINIATURE
both offering a three-course meal — with a midnight chorus.org. Strathmore hosts the 85th annu-
al show featuring more than 700
glass of champagne at second seating — and featuring “mini-masterpieces”: intricately
the Cyrus Chestnut Trio along with the vocalist-led DANCE detailed works of art from around
Integriti Reeves Band. Tuesday, Dec. 26, through the world, painstakingly produced
Sunday, Dec. 30, at 8 and 10 p.m., and Monday, Dec. 31, STEP AFRIKA!: MAGICAL in miniature. The prodigious exhi-
MUSICAL HOLIDAY STEP SHOW bition, presented by the Miniature
at 6:30 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. The local percussive dance com- Painters, Sculptors & Gravers
NW. Tickets are $46 to $51, or $116 to $166 for NYE pany dedicated to the tradition of Society of Washington, D.C., draws
dinner/show packages, plus $12 minimum purchase stepping presents its annual holi- viewers into a concentrated uni-
day step show intended for audi- verse — tracing its roots to the 7th
per person. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com. ences aged four years and up. The century — featuring portraits, still
focus is on getting North Pole ani- lifes, and landscapes all no bigger
mals — polar bears, penguins — to than a postage stamp. Through Jan.
step. And all to music by “Frosty 6. The Mansion, 10701 Rockville
“What we’re trying to present is an crowd of fans who will be able to the Snowman,” putting the nee- Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-
evolved ideal, or an evolved repre- sing along. Friday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. dle on the record as special guest 5100 or visit strathmore.org.
sentation of what Jews are about,” 7719 Wisconsin Ave. Tickets are $67 DJ. In addition to the show fea-
says Tannenbaum. Out are ancient to $87, plus $20 minimum purchase turing friendly, furry characters, FABERGE REDISCOVERED
Hebrew melodies and songs about per person. Call 240-330-4500 or this holiday tradition at the Atlas The late heiress Marjorie
dreidels. Instead, there’s original visit bethesdabluesjazz.com. Performing Arts Center includes Merriweather Post has a renowned
songs evocative of many of the 20th pre-show instrument-making collection of pieces from the firm of
Century’s best folk and pop songs, MOTOWN: workshops, photo ops, and a dance Carl Fabergé, the legendary jeweler
all written by Jewish Americans, HITSVILLE U.S.A. CABARET party. To Dec. 30. The Sprenger to the last court of Russia. A spe-
from Bob Dylan to Paul Simon to Jade Jones, Marc G. Meadows, and Theatre, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are cial exhibition at Post’s Hillwood
Irving Berlin. After a decade of Ines Nassara perform songs popu- $25 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or Estate, nestled in a leafy section
performing annually at Virginia’s larized by the Supremes, Smokey visit atlasarts.org. of Upper Northwest a few blocks
Jammin’ Java, Tannenbaum and Robinson, Stevie Wonder, the from Van Ness, unveils new dis-
bandmate David Fagin bring their Jackson 5 and many more in a caba- THE WASHINGTON BALLET: THE coveries relating to the collection
popular annual show into D.C. this ret show directed by Kelly Crandall NUTCRACKER of about 90 Fabergé works, includ-
year at the Brindley Brothers’ one- d’Amboise. This “Motown: The The Washington Ballet’s former ing two imperial Easter eggs. In
year-old venue on the Wharf, where Reprise” cabaret is a sequel to the artistic director Septime Webre conjunction with the exhibition,
they’ll be sure to sing their new sin- original sold-out Signature Theatre first staged his twist on the family Hillwood’s holiday decorations,
gle “If You’re a Jew Who Voted for production. To Dec. 23. The Ark, favorite 13 years ago, setting it in most notably five Christmas trees,
Donald Trump.” Sunday, Dec. 23, at 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. D.C.’s historic Georgetown neigh- reflect the opulence and splendor
7 p.m. Union Stage, 740 Water St. Tickets are $38. Call 703-820-9771 borhood with George Washington of Fabergé through jeweled orna-
SW. Tickets are $20. Call 877-987- or visit sigtheatre.org. as the titular figure and King George ments, live flowers, and brilliant
6487 or visit unionstage.com. III as the Rat King. As always, the treasures. To Jan. 13. 4155 Linnean
THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF production sets up shop for near- Ave. NW. Suggested donation
MACY GRAY WASHINGTON ly all of December at downtown’s is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit
Nearly 20 years since “I Try,” Gray Scott Tucker leads the local vocal Warner Theatre. To Dec. 24. 513 HillwoodMuseum.org.
is still recording and performing her ensemble in two Kennedy Center 13th St. NW. Call 202-889-5901 or
signature blend of R&B, pop, funk, shows taking place on Christmas visit washingtonballet.org. JOHN WATERS:
and jazz. The Bethesda Blues & Jazz Eve, or Monday, Dec. 24. First up, at INDECENT EXPOSURE
Supper Club brings the chanteuse 11 a.m., comes A Family Christmas,
“back by popular demand” only a one-hour concert intended for COMEDY Talk about a shock: A preeminent
high-art institution offering a retro-
six months after her last visit over the young and featuring songs of spective on a famously, purposely
Black Pride Weekend when she and classic Christmas characters, from WASHINGTON IMPROV lowbrow artist would be unusual and
a full band offered a sneak peek at Santa to Frosty to Rudolph. That’s THEATER: SEASONAL DISORDER unexpected anywhere, regarding
Ruby, her 10th full-length album, followed at 2 p.m. with the 90-min- Artistic Director Mark Chalfant anyone. But that it’s the Baltimore
released in September. Now comes ute program Songs of the Season: describes WIT’s decade-old Museum of Art honoring native son
a command performance before a Christmas with Choral Arts, fea- Seasonal Disorder as “a huge smor- and “King of Trash” John Waters is

16 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

somewhat unprecedented. Indecent
Exposure showcases the famous
queer filmmaker’s visual arts career
through a display of 160 provocative
photographs, sculptures, and video
and sound works. The works range
from send-ups of famous films and
faces, to objects from Waters’ home
and studio, to three peep-shows with
footage from his rarely seen under-
ground movies of the 1960s. All told,
the exhibition offers a glimpse into
the filmmaker’s childhood, identity,
and personality, as well as touching
on his influence and views on pop-
ular culture and the contemporary
art world, with a nod to the trans-
gressive power of images. Now to
Jan. 6. 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore.
Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 443-573-
1700 or visit artbma.org.
NEW NATURE BY MARPI
Polish-born, San Francisco-based
digital artist Mateusz “Marpi”
Marcinowski has developed an
immersive audiovisual experi-
ence featuring a colorful digital
menagerie of nature-inspired crea-
tures and plant life that react in
real time to users’ gestures and
actions. Inspired by early multi-
player online gaming systems such
as Super Mario Brothers, Marpi’s
New Nature is the latest installation
at D.C.’s unique art-meets-technol-
ogy gallery ArTecHouse. To Jan. 13.
1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for
timed-entry sessions are $8 to $15,
18 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
with evening admission for those
over 21 years of age and including
exhibit-related Augmented Reality
Cocktails available for purchase.
Visit artechouse.com.
ROOPKOTHA PHOTO EXHIBIT
Vibrant images captured by various
photographers, along with histor-
ical artifacts and personal mem-
orabilia, tell the story of Xulhaz
Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy,
two Bangladeshi LGBTQ activists
and artists who were savagely mur-
dered in their home two years ago.
The Center Arts Gallery in the DC
Center for the LGBT Community
has set up this powerful installa-
tion as part of an ongoing cam-
paign to protest the inaction of the
Bangladeshi government to inves-
tigate the murders. 2000 14th St.
NW. Call 202-682-2245 or visit
thedccenter.org.
ABOVE & BEYOND
DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET
Over 150 artisans rotate among
sixty tents set up on two blocks in
the heart of downtown. Now in its
14th year, the holiday market offers
a vast, eclectic, and international
assortment of gifts and souvenirs,
collectibles and wearables — from
prints and photographs, to pottery
and glassware, to custom jewel-
ry and accessories. Each day also
brings free staged concerts by local
musicians, and options for food and
(non-alcoholic) drink. Open noon
to 8 p.m. daily. To Dec. 23. F Street
between 7th and 9th Streets NW.
It’s open from noon to 8 p.m. Visit
downtownholidaymarket.com.
GEORGETOWN GLOW 2018
Now in its fifth year, this light
art exhibition presented by the
Georgetown Business Improvement
District features 10 displays by mul-
tidisciplinary artists. Billed as a way
to “reimagine the season of light,”
the commissioned works, curated
by Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams,
offer a high-tech modern contrast
with the surroundings of D.C.’s old-
est neighborhood — which has been
further illuminated by the string-
ing of white lights on street-fac-
ing buildings. The five-week event
includes a Christmas Tree Farm
every weekend at the Ritz-Carlton
Georgetown’s Yard and regular
GLOW-inspired walking and food
tours led by several local tour com-
panies. GLOW runs every night
from 5 to 10 p.m. through Jan. 6.
Visit GeorgetownGlowDC.com for
more information
LIGHTS ON THE BAY
Approximately 70 animated and sta-
tionary displays depicting regional
and holiday themes factor into this
annual holiday show, featuring a two-
mile scenic drive along the shores of
the Chesapeake Bay. A North Pole
Village & Enchanted Fairy Tales is a
recent edition of this benefit for the
SPCA of Anne Arundel County, now
in its 24th year. On display every
evening from 5 to 10 p.m. through
Jan. 1. Sandy Point State Park, 1100
E. College Parkway, Annapolis.
Admission is $15 per car, or $30 to
$50 for larger vans and buses. Visit
lightsonthebay.org.
LIGHT YARDS
Two traveling light installations
add a little seasonal, illuminating
whimsy as part of this year’s fourth
annual holiday celebration in the
Navy Yard area of Southeast D.C.
— also increasingly known as the
Capitol Riverfront. The Pool by New
York’s Jen Lewin Studio, developed
six years ago but making its D.C.
debut here, features 106 interactive
circular pads of light that react as
visitors move on and around them,
creating a giant canvas of shift-
ing and fading colors. Meanwhile,
Angels of Freedom by Israel’s OGE
Group is a social sculptural instal-
lation where visitors pose with
five giant, neon-colored wings and
white halos, intended as a way to
signify that we’re all angels and that
“everybody counts and deserves
love.” On display from 6 to 10 p.m.
every night until Jan. 4. The Yards
Park Boardwalk, 355 Water St. SE.
Call 202-465-7093 or visit theyards-
dc.com. l
 Community
THURSDAY, DEC. 20
Enjoy an LGBTQ HOLIDAY
SOCIAL at The Embassy Row
Hotel’s Kitchen & Cocktails
Lounge. Dupont Circle Metro
is two blocks away. Everyone
welcome. Free to attend. 5:30-9
p.m. 2015 Massachusetts Ave.
NW. For more information,
visit meetup.com/GoGayDC.

The DC Center holds a meet-

ing of its POLY DISCUSSION
GROUP, for people interested
in polyamory, non-monogamy
or other nontraditional rela-
tionships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedc-
center.org.

Weekly Events

AIDS HEALTHCARE
BY AILISA

FOUNDATION offers free walk-

in HIV testing by appointment
from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m.
at its Blair Underwood Wellness

UNIFIED CELEBRATION
Center, 2141 K St. NW, and
its AHF Healthcare Center,
4302 St. Barnabas Rd., Suite B,
Temple Hills, Md., and from 9
a.m.-5 p.m. at its Benning Road
BRUHS invites the D.C. community to celebrate the first day location, 1647 Benning Rd. NE,
of Kwanzaa together. Suite 300. For more informa-
tion, visit hivcare.org.

T
HE MAJORITY OF KWANZAA IS FOCUSED AROUND AFRICAN-AMERICAN ANDROMEDA
families, but we want to expand our understanding of the holiday to include fam- TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing and HIV
ilies within the LGBT spectrum,” says Darrell Johnson, a co-founder of Book services (by appointment). 9
Reading Uplifts His Spirit (BRUHS). On Dec. 26, the LGBTQ book and film discussion a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center,
group historically geared toward same-gender-loving men of color, will celebrate the 1400 Decatur St. NW. To
first day of Kwanzaa and the lighting of the first candle on the kinara, or ceremonial arrange an appointment, call
202-291-4707, or visit androm-
candle-holder. Inspired in part by African traditions, each candle represents one of edatransculturalhealth.org.
seven communitarian principles on which the holiday is based, with the first being
“umoja,” or unity within the family, community, nation, and race. DC AQUATICS CLUB practice
session at Takoma Aquatic
“Kwanzaa isn’t really so much religious as spiritual,” says Johnson. “There’s nothing Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van
pertaining to the Bible or passages relating to any kind of religious connotation.” Buren St. NW. For more infor-
Johnson says that while Kwanzaa is typically celebrated over seven days, BRUHS mation, visit swimdcac.org.
emphasizes the first day so as not to conflict with people’s New Year’s plans. As a result,
DC FRONT RUNNERS run-
the group has a chance to draw a larger crowd to The DC Center and educate them ning/walking/social club
about the holiday. welcomes runners of all ability
“One of the key parts of BRUHS is having discussions with people about ideas,” says levels for exercise in a fun and
supportive environment, with
Johnson. “The event is open to the public. We’re not trying to be exclusive at all. And socializing afterward. Route
if everybody comes, we’ll be able to have discussions about the holiday and the seven distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at
principles of Kwanzaa.” 7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a potluck dish or refreshments, though store- For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.
bought or handmade gifts are accepted as well. BRUHS has also extended invitations
to several queer writers and artists who have appeared before the group for book and DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s
film discussions. gay and lesbian square-dancing
group, features mainstream
“We wanted to invite guests who have written, published, or produced in the past through advanced square
year, and have them tell us about their upcoming works,” says Johnson. “We’re not only dancing at the National City
celebrating Kwanzaa, but trying to tie in the close of 2018 and talk about some of our Christian Church. Please dress
plans for next year.” —John Riley casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas
Circle NW. 202-930-1058,
dclambdasquares.org.
Umoja: A Kwanzaa Celebration is Wednesday, Dec. 26 from 6:45 to 9 p.m. at The DC
Center, located inside the Reeves Municipal Building, 2000 14th St. NW. For more infor- DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice. The team is always
mation and a list of upcoming monthly meetings, visit facebook.com/BRUHSDC. looking for new members. All

DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 19

 welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry Thomas
Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln
Rd. NE. For more information, visit
scandalsrfc.org or dcscandals@
gmail.com.
THE DULLES TRIANGLES
Northern Virginia social group
meets for happy hour at Sheraton
in Reston. All welcome. 7-9 p.m.
11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, sec-
ond-floor bar. For more informa-
tion, visit dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-
5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, and
9 a.m-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the
Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK
Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment,
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY
(K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker
Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va.,
offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and
counseling by appointment only. 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special
appointment if seeking testing after
2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401.
METROHEALTH CENTER
offers free, rapid HIV testing.
Appointment needed. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an
appointment, call 202-849-8029.
STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3
p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and
the Max Robinson Center, 2301
Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE.
Testing is intended for those with-
out symptoms. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics
Anonymous Meeting. The group
is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30
p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For
more information, call 202-446-
1100.
FRIDAY, DEC. 21
GAY DISTRICT, a group for
GBTQQI men between the ages of
18-35, meets on the first and third
Fridays of each month. 8:30-9:30
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit gaydis-
trict.org.
The DC Center hosts a HOLIDAY
GAME NIGHT where participants
can play board and card games and
socialize with other people from
across the LGBTQ spectrum. All
welcome. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. Visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
AIDS HEALTHCARE
FOUNDATION offers free walk-in
HIV testing by appointment from 9
a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. at its Blair
20 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Underwood Wellness Center, 2141
K St. NW, and its AHF Healthcare
Center, 4302 St. Barnabas Rd.,
Suite B, Temple Hills, Md., and
from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at its Benning
Road location, 1647 Benning Rd.
NE, Suite 300. For more informa-
tion, visit hivcare.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by
members of the LGBT community,
holds Friday evening Shabbat ser-
vices in the DC Jewish Community
Center’s Community Room. 8 p.m.
1529 16th St. NW. For more infor-
mation, visit betmish.org.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
affirming social group for ages
11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road
NW. Contact Tamara, 202-319-
0422, layc-dc.org.
SMYAL’S REC NIGHT provides a
social atmosphere for LGBT and
questioning youth, featuring dance
parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. 4-7 p.m. For more info,
email rebecca.york@smyal.org.
SATURDAY, DEC. 22
Join The DC Center as it vol-
unteers for FOOD & FRIENDS,
packing meals and groceries for
people living with serious ailments.
10 a.m.-noon. 219 Riggs Rd. NE.
Near the Fort Totten Metro. For a
ride from the Metro, call the Food
& Friends shuttle at 202-669-6437.
For more information, visit thedc-
center.org or foodandfriends.org.
Weekly Events
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a prac-
tice session at Montgomery College
Aquatics Club. 8:30-10 a.m. 7600
Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more
information, visit swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club welcomes run-
ners of all ability levels for exercise
in a fun and supportive environ-
ment, with socializing afterward.
Route distance will be 3-6 miles.
Walker meet at 9:30 a.m. and run-
ners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets
NW. For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.
DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for
LGBT community, family and
friends. 6:30 p.m., Immanuel
Episcopal Church on the Hill, 3606
Seminary Road, Alexandria. All
welcome. For more information,
visit dignitynova.org.
SUNDAY, DEC. 23
ADVENTURING outdoors group
holds its annual Winter Solstice
Poetry Hike on Sugarloaf
Mountain, near Frederick, Md.
Moderate circuit hike will be
about 6 miles long with 1400 feet
of elevation gain. Bring beverages,
lunch, sturdy boots, a few bucks for
fees, and a poem, either yours or
someone else’s, to share. Carpool
at 10 a.m. from the Grosvenor-
Strathmore Metro Station. Contact
Jeff, 301-775-9660 or visit adven-
turing.org.
MONDAY, DEC. 24
Merry Christmas Eve!
TUESDAY, DEC. 25
Merry Christmas!
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club embarks on
a 3-6-mile run or a 4-mile walk.
Walkers meet at 9:30 a.m. and run-
ners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets
NW or Union Station. For more
information, email info@dcfront-
runners.org.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26
ADVENTURING outdoors group
strolls through Georgetown on the
evening of Boxing Day to enjoy hol-
iday lights and displays. Optional
dinner follows. Bring beverages,
snacks, comfortable walking shoes,
and the $2 trip fee. Meet at 5 p.m.
at 20th & Q Streets NW, at the top
of the escalators for the Dupont
Circle Metro Station. For more
information, contact Craig, 202-
462-0535 or visit adventuring.org.
Book Reading Uplifts His Spirit
(B.R.U.H.S.) hosts UMOJA: A
KWANZAA CELEBRATION for
LGBTQ communities of color,
their family, and friends. Join
them as they celebrate the first day
of Kwanzaa at The DC Center, a
potluck affair with music, vendors,
and more. People are encouraged
to bring some type of offering,
whether food, hand-crafted goods,
or other meaningful trinkets. 6:45-
9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, contact dar-
scorpius@gmail.com.
The LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meets
at the Dignity Center, across from
the Marine Barracks, for Duplicate
Bridge. No reservations needed.
Newcomers welcome. 7:30 p.m. 721
8th St. SE. Call 202-841-0279 if you
need a partner.
Weekly Events
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-
versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m.,
Steam, 17th and R NW. All wel-
come. For more information, call
Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.
AIDS HEALTHCARE
FOUNDATION offers free walk-in
HIV testing by appointment on
Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m.-1
p.m. and 2-6:30 p.m. at its Blair
Underwood Wellness Center, 2141
K St. NW; from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
and 2-7 p.m. its AHF Healthcare
Center, 4302 St. Barnabas Rd.,
Suite B, Temple Hills, Md.; and
from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at its Benning
Road location, 1647 Benning Rd.
NE, Suite 300. For more informa-
tion, visit hivcare.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)
holds a practice session at Dunbar
Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N
St. NW. For more information, visit
swimdcac.org.
FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a
group for LGBT people looking
to quit cigarettes and tobacco use,
holds a weekly support meeting at
The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, visit thedccenter.org.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH
offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.
and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.
Washington St., Alexandria. 703-
549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.
JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-
gram for job entrants and seekers,
meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more info, centercareers.org.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY
(K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker
Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va.,
offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and
counseling by appointment only. 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special
appointment if seeking testing after
2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401.
METROHEALTH CENTER offers
free, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-
ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012
14th St. NW, Suite 700. For more
information, call 202-849-8029.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV
testing. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N.
15th St., Suite 200, Arlington.
Appointments: 703-789-4467.
STD TESTING is available at AIDS
Healthcare Foundation’s Temple
Hills location, 4302 St. Barnabas
Rd., Suite B, from 4-7 p.m. on
Wednesdays. For more informa-
tion, visit aidshealth.org.
STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at both 1525
14th St. NW and the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for
those without symptoms. For an
appointment call 202-745-7000 or
visit whitman-walker.org.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS
WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9
p.m. Newcomers with at least basic
swimming ability always welcome.
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van
Buren St. NW. For more informa-
tion, contact Tom, 703-299-0504
or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit
wetskins.org. l
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 21
 Year In Review:
The Resistance Strikes Back
If 2017 was the year of stunned silence and
erosion of LGBTQ rights, 2018 was the year we
rallied the troops and charged.
By John Riley
I
f 2017 was the year where Trump
became a daily presence in our lives
— through incessant tweeting, unpre-
dictable actions, or constant fodder
for late-night hosts — 2018 was the
year of backlash. The LGBTQ com-
munity, still under attack on many
fronts, is fighting back — and not just against
Trump, but against anyone who would seek to
deny our existence or trample on our civil rights.
As the year progressed, the LGBTQ communi-
ty turned stunned silence over Trump’s win into
anger and action. Because 2018 was an election
year, the midterms consumed most of the oxy-
gen. Hundreds of LGBTQ people ran for office,
thousands of others worked on or volunteered
for political campaigns, and millions followed
the daily drama and poll numbers unfold in
headlines and news scrolls across the nation.
Some activists began organizing on a grass-
roots level to push for change within their
own communities. In the absence of federal or
statewide action to protect LGBTQ people, local
communities and school boards shouldered the
burden, passing laws to ban conversion therapy,
outlaw discrimination, and allow transgender
22 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
kids to express their true identities at school.
There is still much work to be done to achieve
full equality, but 2018 seemed like a turning
point for those who thought America was turn-
ing its back on inclusion.
Ultimately, for some, particularly those on the
political left, 2018 offered the chance to exhale
and push back against the erosion of LGBTQ
rights. But 2018 also proved that the LGBTQ
community is a resilient one. Born out of the
Stonewall riots, the modern-day LGBTQ rights
movement is never too far removed from its
activist roots. Even when things seem bleak, the
movement’s heirs continue to exceed expecta-
tions, proving their detractors wrong and show-
ing off their organizing skills. It is those lit-
tle-known and rarely hailed everyday activists,
who do yeoman’s work without much in the way
of infrastructure or financial support, who pro-
vide hope for the future. Their continued per-
severance affirms that the community, despite
occasional defeats, will never allow itself to be
erased.
With that in mind, let’s reflect on the victo-
ries, the setbacks, and the indomitable spirit of
the LGBTQ community in 2018.
 JANUARY
T A
HE YEAR STARTED WITH A THEME THAT WOULD
carry through the remainder of 2018: whether religion
can be used to justify discriminating against LGBTQ
people. The Supreme Court declined to hear a legal challenge to
a Mississippi law that allows individuals, businesses, and state
employees to refuse service to LGBTQ people by citing their reli-
gious beliefs opposing homosexuality, transgenderism, or same-
sex marriage. Many advocates feared that high court’s refusal
to hear the case would send a message of effectively condoning
discrimination.
Perhaps more troubling were the results of a survey by GLAAD
finding that the number of Americans who support LGBTQ
rights declined for the first time in the history of the survey.
Fewer than half of all respondents said they felt “very” or even
“somewhat” comfortable with LGBTQ people.
Despite President Trump pen-
ning a letter to the LOG CABIN
REPUBLICANS affirming his “com-
mitment” to equality and prais-
ing the organization for its work,
Trump-appointed judges, includ-
ing several with questionable or
outright hostile records on LGBTQ
rights, continued to be confirmed
at a breakneck pace. And it wasn’t
just judges: Trump continued to
stock his administration with anti-
LGBTQ appointees, such as former
Kansas Senator and Governor SAM
BROWNBACK, who was nominated
as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious
Freedom. Senators split on the anti-gay Brownback’s nomina-
tion, forcing Vice President MIKE PENCE to cast the tie-breaking
vote.
The Department of Health and Human Services stoked anger
when it announced the creation of a new “CONSCIENCE AND
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM” division within its Office for Civil Rights.
Along with the creation of the new division, HHS announced it
would protect the rights of religious healthcare workers who
want to refuse treatment to LGBTQ people. Yup, 2018 was the
year of religious discrimination.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, following a successful 2017 election,
the number of out LGBTQ lawmakers in the General Assembly
nearly doubled with the swearing in of DAWN ADAMS, the first
elected lesbian delegate, and DANICA ROEM, the commonwealth’s
first elected transgender delegate, who also made history as the
first out transgender woman in the country to be seated in a state
legislature.
In entertainment, The CW made history with superhero
show BLACK LIGHTNING, which featured network TV’s first ever
black lesbian superhero. And the end of the month brought four
Academy Award nominations for gay coming-of-age drama CALL
ME BY YOUR NAME — it would eventually win for Best Adapted
Screenplay. Chilean transgender drama A FANTASTIC WOMAN,
which starred transgender actress DANIELA VEGA, was nomi-
nated for — and eventually won — Best Foreign Language Film,
becoming the first trans-focused narrative film to win an Oscar.
And transgender director YANCE FORD was nominated for Best
Documentary for Strong Island. Though he didn’t take home the
Oscar, Ford became the first trans director to ever be nominated.
FEBRUARY
N EMBOLDENED TRUMP CONTINUED PUSHING
for a ban on transgender personnel in the U.S. military,
and the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE promptly
fell in line, announcing its support for the policy and calling
being transgender “a disqualifying psychological and physical”
condition. Days later, Trump refused to join other North and
South American nations in signing a statement supporting mar-
riage equality and transgender rights. Despite that, GREGORY
T. ANGELO, president of Log Cabin Republicans, defended his
assertion that Trump is the most pro-LGBTQ Republican pres-
ident ever.
Education Secretary BETSY DEVOS continued enforcing the
Trump administration’s interpretation that Title IX’s provisions
against sex discrimination do not apply to transgender students.
And in a further blow, the Education Department announced
that it would be ignoring discrim-
ination complaints from transgen-
der students who had been barred
from using restrooms that match
their gender identity.
Thankfully, the courts once
against stymied some of the Trump
administration’s efforts to erase
transgender protections from law.
In Missouri, a federal court ruled
that JESSICA HICKLIN, a transgen-
GAGE SKIDMORE
der inmate, was entitled to receive
hormone therapy under the Eighth
Amendment prohibition on “cruel
and unusual punishment.” That
same month, the 2ND U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ruled
that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does protect gay people
who have been fired because of their sexual orientation from
discrimination.
In South Carolina, Republicans introduced a bill that would
redefine same-sex marriage as “parody marriage” and remove all
protections and benefits associated with marriage. And TRUMP.
DATING, a hookup site for Trump supporters, was found to ban
gay members, but allow married people to join, tout their mar-
ried status, and commit infidelity.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., as conservatives from all
over the globe gathered for the 2018 CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL
ACTION CONFERENCE, a group of transgender Republicans made
a stand and called for greater inclusion within the conservative
movement. Futile? Perhaps. Powerful and brave? Absolutely.
The Winter Olympics took place in PyeongChang, South
Korea, and drew attention and praise after NBC aired a kiss
between Olympian GUS KENWORTHY and his partner MATTHEW
WILKAS. It came after Fox News Executive Editor JOHN MOODY
wrote a Washington Post column arguing the U.S. team was too
gay and too diverse to win any medals. Moody ultimately lost his
job following the backlash.
MARCH
H
UNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, INCLUD-
ing several pro-LGBTQ groups, traveled to Washington
for the MARCH FOR OUR LIVES, a rally calling for gun
control organized in the wake of the tragic school shooting at
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 23
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Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Later
that month, Parkland student and gun reform activist DAVID
HOGG successfully harnessed the power of social media to pres-
sure sponsors of Fox News host LAURA INGRAHAM’s show to pull
their advertising, after she mocked him for being rejected from
certain colleges. Ingraham was later forced to apologize for her
comments on social media.
In Illinois, Republican gubernatorial candidate JEANNE IVES
nearly knocked off incumbent GOV. BRUCE RAUNER in the pri-
mary, bolstered in part by her appeal to social conservatives.
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES
Ives gained recognition after one of her campaign ads featured a
man pretending to be a trans-
gender woman, and attacked
Rauner on pro-LGBTQ legis-
lation he had signed into law.
The NFL earned itself
a black eye for inappropri-
ate questions directed to
draft prospects at the NFL
Combine. DERRIUS GUICE, a
running back from Louisiana
State University (who was
eventually drafted by the
Washington Redskins), told
media that he had been asked
if he was gay or if his mother
was a prostitute by scouts at March for Our Lives
the combine.
The COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION was criti-
cized by several music executives, country music performers,
and managers after it named former presidential candidate and
Arkansas Gov. MIKE HUCKABEE to its board. The backlash against
notorious homophobe Huckabee, whose political and public life
has been dominated by anti-LGBTQ comments and activism,
was so intense and rapid that he was forced to resign his post
the following day.
LGBTQ people enjoyed several victories in March, with the
6TH U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ruling that a Michigan
funeral home had unlawfully discriminated against employee
AIMEE STEPHENS after it fired her for transitioning on the job. In
Maryland, a federal judge found that the TALBOT COUNTY BOARD
OF EDUCATION had violated a transgender student’s rights when
it barred him from the boys’ restroom. Another federal judge in
Idaho ordered the state to begin allowing transgender people to
change their name and gender on birth certificates. In Texas, the
state DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE was forced to settle a
lawsuit brought by a transgender inmate who was raped and
attacked while in prison.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense JIM MATTIS issued a revised
policy outlining how the Department of Defense plans to move
forward with efforts to ban transgender people from serving in
the military. Under the “new” plan, which the administration
billed as significantly different from Trump’s 2017 proposed ban,
transgender people will only be allowed to serve if they do not
transition and adhere to military standards based on their bio-
logical sex at birth. But, as we’ll later see, courts disagreed with
Mattis’ framing of the new plan.
We also had a strong sign of how the 2018 midterms would
play out when, Pennsylvania Democrat CONOR LAMB, who was
backed by Pittsburgh-area LGBTQ groups, won a special elec-
tion to Congress. Meanwhile, in New York, bisexual actress
CYNTHIA NIXON announced her candidacy for governor, chal-
lenging longtime LGBTQ ally ANDREW CUOMO.
26 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
APRIL
S
PRING BROUGHT YET MORE ANTI-LGBTQ MOVE-
ments from “friend” to the LGBTQ community Donald
Trump. Two more high-level officials with a history
of LGBTQ opposition were confirmed: former Oklahoma
Congressman JIM BRIDENSTINE was named administrator of
NASA, and former congressman and CIA chief MIKE POMPEO
was confirmed as Secretary of State after Trump fired Rex
Tillerson on Twitter. LGBTQ advocates vainly tried to raise
questions about both men’s
records — and New Jersey Sen.
CORY BOOKER fiercely grilling
Pompeo about whether he still
believed being gay is a “perver-
sion” during his hearing — but
both were easily confirmed by the
Republican-controlled Senate.
President Trump did score one
LGBTQ victory when RICHARD
GRENELL, his first openly gay
appointee, was finally confirmed
as U.S. Ambassador to Germany
RANDY SHULMAN
despite having his confirmation
blocked and slow-walked by
Democrats. However, a blow was
dealt to the administration’s push
for a transgender military ban when the AMERICAN MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION reiterated an earlier claim that there is no “medi-
cally valid” reason to bar transgender service members from the
U.S. military, and accused Defense Secretary Mattis of misrep-
resenting the science surrounding transgender health care. Less
than two weeks later — as we teased in March — Washington
State federal judge MARSHA PECHMAN ruled that the new “Mattis
plan” was not substantially different from ban proposed by
President Trump in 2017.
Transgender people also won another victory in ANCHORAGE,
ALASKA, when voters rejected an initiative that would have
barred transgender people from using facilities matching their
gender identity.
A reminder of the anti-LGBTQ laws and statues in many
states, Texas man JAMES MILLER successfully used a “gay panic”
defense to avoid jail time after killing his neighbor, Daniel
Spencer. Miller claimed Spencer came on to him and refused
to take no for an answer, and received 10 years probation
after stabbing Spencer to death. The American Bar association
recommended back in 2013 that such defenses be eliminated
nationwide.
On the national stage, MSNBC host JOY REID came under
fire for past anti-LGBTQ comments she made when she was a
blogger in Florida. Reid publicly apologized for the posts, which
alleged that former governor (now congressman) CHARLIE CRIST
was a closeted gay man. More posts with anti-LGBTQ comments
emerged, but Reid denied writing them and alleged that her blog
had been hacked and manipulated.
MAY
S
AME-SEX COUPLES WERE DEALT A HANDFUL OF
defeats, most notably with the approval of bills in Kansas
and Oklahoma allowing child placement agencies to dis-
criminate against prospective parents by citing their religious
beliefs. Republican Governors JEFF COLYER and MARY FALLIN
signed the laws into effect, making them the eighth and ninth
states to adopt such a law.
And the hits kept coming back in D.C., when President
DONALD TRUMP issued an executive order establishing a faith-
based initiative to protect people’s “religious liberty.” The
newly-formed office is intended to design exemptions to ensure
that people who wish to discriminate based on “sincerely held
religious beliefs” are not penalized or prevented from receiving
taxpayer money.
Good news arrived when the 3RD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
upheld a Pennsylvania school system’s policy allowing trans-
gender students to use facilities matching their gender identity.
Meanwhile, the MICHIGAN CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION ruled that
LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination by provisions
in the state’s civil rights law that prohibit sex-based discrimi-
nation.
NICK HARRISON, a sergeant in the D.C. Army National Guard,
filed a historic lawsuit challenging the Department of Defense’s
classification of HIV-positive individuals as “undeployable,”
after he was denied the opportunity to become a JAG officer.
And transgender advocates threatened a lawsuit as they called
for an investigation into the death of ROXSANA HERNANDEZ, a
transgender immigrant seeking asylum who died of dehydration
while in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
In the races for Congress, two California Republicans made
serious anti-LGBTQ missteps. JAZMINA SAAVEDRA, a congres-
sional challenger for a Democratic-held seat, went viral for all
the wrong reasons after she inexplicably filmed herself stalking
and harassing a transgender woman who was using the wom-
en’s restroom at a Denny’s restaurant in Los Angeles. And a
bit further south, Orange County Republican U.S. Rep. DANA
ROHRABACHER lost a key endorsement from a realtors group
after he said he believed realtors should be able to refuse to sell
houses to LGBTQ people and same-sex couples. Not exactly
great for business.
JUNE
P
RIDE MONTH — WHICH TRUMP REFUSED TO
officially recognize for the second year in a row — start-
ed out on a sad note for LGBTQ people after the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled in the MASTERPIECE CAKESHOP case that
the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had not taken seriously
enough the concerns of a baker who claimed his religious beliefs
prevented him from selling a wedding cake to a gay couple.
While the ruling was not sweeping, and did not completely
resolve the issue of religious exemptions, LGBTQ advocates
warned that the decision would be used to justify other attempts
at “religious liberty” discrimination.
That warning came true just a few weeks later, when lawyers
for BARRONELLE STUTZMAN, the owner of Arlene’s Flowers, of
Richland, Wash., filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to
hear their challenge to Washington State’s law prohibiting dis-
crimination in public accommodations to LGBTQ people.
Adding insult to injury, Justice ANTHONY KENNEDY, the
swing vote behind most of the court’s pro-LGBTQ decisions,
announced in June that he was retiring, giving President Trump
his second chance to appoint a judge to the nation’s highest
court.
On a bright note for LGBTQ youth, bans on conversion ther-
apy continued to enjoy success, passing in Hawaii, Delaware,
Maine and New Hampshire. Unfortunately, Maine’s Republican
governor, PAUL LEPAGE, made history by issuing the first guber-
natorial veto of a ban. Just over the border, in New Hampshire,
Republican Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU doubled down on his commit-
ment to LGBTQ equality, signing a bill providing protections
for transgender residents that had been defeated in previous
legislative sessions.
The popular D.C. restaurant CUBA LIBRE gained national infa-
my online after two of its employees discriminated against and
ridiculed CHARLOTTE CLYMER, a transgender HRC employee, for
using the women’s restroom. The restaurant ultimately apolo-
gized and promised to have staffers undergo cultural sensitivity
training after widespread outrage on social media.
Elsewhere in D.C., the LGBTQ community gained a new
nightlife spot when PITCHERS, an LGBTQ sports bar from
former JR.’s manager David Perruzza, opened on 18th Street.
Featuring multiple levels and bars, each designed to cater to
different aspects of the LGBTQ community, Perruzza told Metro
Weekly, “I don’t care what you identify as — I want everybody in
this bar. Pitchers is for everyone.”
FX’s POSE made history when it debuted this month, the
drama series set in late ’80s New York offering the largest cast
of openly transgender actors of any show in television. Further
history was made when writer and activist JANET MOCK became
the first transgender woman of color to both write and direct an
episode of a television show.
June ended on a sad note for D.C.’s LGBTQ community, as
TOWN DANCEBOUTIQUE closed its doors, following the sale of
the land it resided on. The city’s largest LGBTQ nightclub, it
became a landmark nightlife location in the ten years it was
open. As Metro Weekly editor-in-chief Randy Shulman wrote in
our feature honoring the club, “Town transported you out of the
city and into its own magical world, one filled with fabulous drag
queens and first-rate DJs, a place where people could feel good,
and exhale.” It is missed.
JULY
P
RESIDENT TRUMP ONCE AGAIN ANGERED LGBTQ
advocates — a recurring theme in 2018 — by tapping D.C.
Circuit Court of Appeals Judge BRETT KAVANAUGH to
replace Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh, a mem-
ber of the conservative Federalist Society who had previously
worked in the Bush White House, was quickly deemed unac-
ceptable by many civil rights groups due to the belief he would
be overly partisan and hostile to marginalized groups, including
the LGBTQ community.
Meanwhile, Republican Congressman ROBERT ADERHOLT
of Alabama introduced an amendment to an appropriations bill
that would create a right for child placement agencies through-
out the nation to reject same-sex couples based on the agency’s
professed religious beliefs.
At the state level, July seemed to be all about transgender
rights — both for and, unfortunately, against. An Arizona phar-
macy gained negative press after one of its employees refused
to fill a prescription for hormones for a transgender woman.
In Wisconsin, a federal judge ordered the state to reimburse or
provide coverage for gender confirmation surgery for two state
employees. A federal court in Florida ordered a Jacksonville-
area school district to allow a male transgender student to access
the boys’ restroom, writing that his presence “poses no threat
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 27
to the privacy or safety of any of his fellow students.” And in
Montana, a proposed referendum to institute a North Carolina-
style law restricting transgender access to public restrooms
failed to gather enough signatures to land on the ballot.
Former president JIMMY CARTER made headlines when he
said he believed that Jesus would have no problem with same-
sex marriages. “I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if
it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else,”
Carter said.
Speaking of presidents, former White House press secretary
SEAN SPICER shocked no one when he claimed in his book that
Trump’s support of LGBTQ people during the 2016 election was
fake news, and instead part of efforts to secure the party’s nom-
ination at the Republican convention by appealing to pro-gay
Republicans.
AUGUST
D
EMOCRATIC VOTERS IN VERMONT MADE
history by selecting businesswoman CHRISTINE
HALLQUIST for governor, making her the first transgen-
der person in the country to win a major-party nomination for
governor.
After the opening of Pitchers in June, David Perruzza
launched A LEAGUE OF HER OWN, a bar within the Pitchers
complex for all LGBTQ people, but particularly feminine pre-
senting queer women and non-binary people. “Queer women
don’t want to be told what to do,” ALOHO general manager Jo
McDaniel told Metro Weekly. “They don’t want to be told what
to wear, they don’t want to be told what the theme is. They
just want to have a space they can come into and do whatever
they want.”
Former Vice President JOE BIDEN announced the creation of
the “As You Are” initiative, which will collect personal stories
from LGBTQ youth and those closest to them to educate the
public about the importance of creating affirming and accepting
environments for LGBTQ young people.
On the flipside, Attorney General JEFF SESSIONS’ Justice
Department continued pushing for federal courts to refuse to
acknowledge LGBTQ protections under the Civil Rights Act.
Sessions was quickly aided by Republican governors or attorney
generals from 16 other states in asking the U.S. Supreme Court
to take up and overturn lower court decisions recognizing such
rights. Meanwhile, in Colorado, JACK PHILLIPS, the baker at
the center of the Masterpiece Cakeshop Supreme Court case,
found himself once again reported to the Colorado Civil Rights
Commission after refusing to bake a cake for a transgender
woman.
August brough two particularly disturbing stories. The first
took place in Oklahoma, where the superintendent of ACHILLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS cancelled classes after parents declared “open
hunting season” on a 12-year-old transgender girl. Parents and
adults issued threats ranging from castration to killing the girl
after she used the girls’ bathroom because she didn’t know the
location of her designated single-stall restroom in a new school
building. A GoFundMe page was eventually launched to help the
girl and her family relocate out of state.
Later in the month, news broke that nine-year-old Colorado
boy JAMEL MYLES had reportedly taken his own life after coming
out as gay to his classmates. Myles’ mother said that intense
bullying in the days after he came out led him to take his own
life, and it renewed calls from LGBTQ activists and celebrities to
better tackle anti-LGBTQ bullying.
28 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
SEPTEMBER
A
MERICANS, INCLUDING LGBTQ PEOPLE, WERE
glued to C-SPAN and cable news as Trump’s Supreme
Court pick Brett Kavanaugh testified before the full
Senate Judiciary Committee, after he was accused of sexual
assault by former acquaintance DR. CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD.
Ford provided a powerful, cogent, and respectful testimony to
Senators, and her words led to thousands of similar #MeToo
stories from sexual assault survivors across the nation. In
contrast, Kavanaugh cried, whined, shouted, and belligerently
interrupted Democratic senators who sought to question him,
while Republican lawmakers closed ranks, arguing that Ford
was mistaken. Kavanaugh was eventually confirmed on a hugely
controversial, largely party-line vote.
In Congress, Democrats and pro-LGBTQ Republicans suc-
cessfully removed the ADERHOLT AMENDMENT allowing dis-
crimination against same-sex couples from an appropriations
bill. Meanwhile, a federal court in Colorado chastised the State
Department for its refusal to issue a passport to DANA ZZYYM, an
intersex LGBTQ rights activist, that reflected Zzyym’s correct
gender identity.
September could also rightly be called the “Month of
Litigation,” as several LGBTQ-related cases made their way
through the courts. In Michigan, an appeals court revived a
lawsuit brought by a cisgender woman against PLANET FITNESS
for terminating her membership after she made a scene over the
presence of a transgender female in the women’s locker room.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana, the city of Lafayette and the local
public library were sued by anti-LGBTQ activists in an attempt
to stop an ongoing “Drag Queen Story Time” event from taking
place — because apparently they’d nothing else to get outraged
about. In Washington State, HELEN THORNTON, a lesbian, sued
the Social Security Administration for denying her survivor’s
benefits, which she was unable to take advantage of because
marriage equality had not yet been legalized when her partner of
27 years died in 2006 — opening a valid debate about the impact
of marriage equality bans on LGBTQ widows and the legal rec-
ognition of longterm relationships. It was the first of three such
lawsuits that would be filed before year-end.
In California, Gov. JERRY BROWN signed into law a landmark
bill that allows transgender youth in foster care to be able to
access gender-affirming health care under the state’s Medicaid
system.
And in the D.C. area, two longtime organizations, HOPE DC, an
HIV support and social group, and WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH,
the most prominent provider of LGBTQ-affirming and HIV care,
celebrated their 30th and 40th anniversaries, respectively. The
D.C. Council also passed a law that allows the local DMV to issue
non-binary identification cards and licenses, something that was
implemented via executive order last year but had not yet been
made permanent.
OCTOBER
I
N OCTOBER, A MONTH BEFORE THE MIDTERMS,
Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT said he would stop actively push-
ing for an anti-transgender bathroom bill in the state — a
shift from his previous support of such legislation.
There was outrage in the D.C. area and beyond after a
transgender student at STAFFORD COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL in
Virginia was barred from sheltering with other students during
a mass shooter drill. After debating where would be safest for
the student to shelter — during a drill designed to mimic the
response to an active shooter — teachers ultimately told her to
sit alone in the locker room hallway.
At the international level, the Trump administration stopped
issuing visas to the same-sex unmarried partners of foreign dip-
lomats, officials, and UNITED NATIONS employees. A memo was
circulated at U.N. headquarters in New York, in which same-sex
partners were told to legally marry before the end of the year,
potentially outing them in their home nations, or risk expulsion
from the United States.
The Trump administration also sought to redefine gender
as based on biological sex at birth, in order to prevent the gov-
ernment from recognizing transgender people’s identities or
declaring them eligible for certain federal programs — effec-
tively erasing transgender people from the federal government.
The administration also began weighing a request from South
Carolina Gov. HENRY MCMASTER for a waiver that would allow
state adoption agencies to continue receiving federal funds while
discriminating against same-sex couples.
The U.S. Senate continued to confirm Trump’s anti-LGBTQ
federal nominees, including ERIC DREIBAND to head the Justice
Department’s Civil Rights Division. LGBTQ groups raised objec-
tions to another nominee, ALLISON JONES RUSHING, who was
nominated for a seat to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals,
due to Rushing’s anti-equality activism and ties to Alliance
Defending Freedom. But Trump earned praise from the Log
Cabin Republicans after he nominated gay conservative PATRICK
BUMATAY for a seat on the liberal-leaning 9th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals.
October also marked a somber remembrance, when the
Washington National Cathedral held a memorial service for
MATTHEW SHEPARD to mark the 20th anniversary of his death
and the interment of his ashes in the cathedral’s crypt, which
houses the remains of several other notable historical figures.
Shepard’s parents, Denis and Judy, also donated several of his
personal artifacts to the Smithsonian, where they will teach
visitors about the consequences of intolerance and anti-LGBTQ
violence.
NOVEMBER
P
RESIDENT TRUMP RECEIVED HIS WORST NEWS IN
November, when Democrats won 40 seats to take control
of the U.S. House of Representatives, effectively cutting
his legislative agenda off at the knees come January. Despite
efforts by Trump to tout his effectiveness in helping Republicans
maintain control of the Senate, a “blue wave” swept out many
members of Congress and nearly 400 Republicans holding low-
er-level state or local office.
A “Rainbow Wave” also swept the nation, bringing a a num-
ber of “firsts.” SHARICE DAVIDS became the first out LGBTQ
Native American member of Congress. ANGIE CRAIG became the
first out lesbian elected to Congress from Minnesota. KATIE HILL
became the first out lesbian elected to Congress from California.
And CHRIS PAPPAS became the first openly gay person elected
to Congress from New Hampshire. Their combined victories
helped double the number of LGBTQ members of the House
of Representatives. Meanwhile, the Senate LGBTQ Caucus also
doubled, as out lesbian Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN was re-elected and
KYRSTEN SINEMA of Arizona became the first out bisexual mem-
ber elected to the U.S. Senate. Victory Fund estimated that more
than 600 LGBTQ people had sought elective office in 2018, with
244 winning their races.
The day after the election, Attorney General Jeff Sessions
resigned his post at President Trump’s request — not that
it meant much for the LGBTQ community. Trump merely
swapped anti-LGBTQ Sessions with anti-LGBTQ former GOP
politician and U.S. attorney MATT WHITAKER.
Away from the election, a few curious and concerning stories
cropped up this month. In Boston, police arrested a teenager
who was accused of threatening to “kill everyone” at two local
gay bars. In New Jersey, RIDER UNIVERSITY drew attention after
officials decided to remove CHICK-FIL-A from a list of potential
new restaurants to open on campus — and specifically because
of the company’s perceived anti-LGBTQ history. And in enter-
tainment news, singer Shawn Mendes admitted that the anxiety
and stress caused by constant speculation and rumors about his
sexuality had left him feeling the need to “prove” he’s not gay by
staging dates with women.
The fight over LGBTQ rights continued in the courts this
month, with anti-LGBTQ Alliance Defending Freedom peti-
tioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their appeal of the 3rd
Circuit’s decision upholding the right of the BOYERTOWN AREA
SCHOOL DISTRICT to allow transgender students to use facilities
matching their gender identity. Lawyers for ADF are also rep-
resenting BRUSH & NIB, a calligraphy business in Phoenix that
wants to challenge the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance pro-
hibiting discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.
DECEMBER
A
S THE YEAR DREW TO A CLOSE, PRESIDENT TRUMP
caved to the whims of congressional Republicans and
demanded the removal of language requiring protec-
tions for LGBTQ people from a final trade deal with Mexico and
Canada. The president also angered HIV advocates when he
suspended research looking into a cure for the virus because it
involved the use of fetal tissue.
Federal courts continued to block the president’s anti-trans-
gender military ban, even as the Trump administration peti-
tioned the Supreme Court to lift the various injunctions prevent-
ing the Pentagon from implementing the “Mattis Plan.”
In Idaho, a federal judge ordered the state Department of
Corrections to allow a Native American transgender woman to
obtain gender confirmation surgery. And in Virginia, the WEST
POINT SCHOOL BOARD unanimously voted to fire a teacher for
insubordination after he repeatedly refused orders by his superiors
to use male pronouns when referring to a transgender student.
New Jersey Sen. CORY BOOKER finally put to bed longstand-
ing rumors surrounding his sexuality. The single 49-year-old, a
tireless ally and advocate for LGBTQ rights, told a Philadelphia
newspaper “I’m heterosexual,” but noted that his sexuality made
no difference to his politics or ability to do his job.
And a warm note to end on: the Library of Congress select-
ed ANG LEE’s landmark, Oscar-winning, 2005 film BROKEBACK
MOUNTAIN for inclusion in the Library’s National Film Registry.
The movie, about two cowboys falling in love in the wilds of
Wyoming, was deemed worthy of preservation due to its “cul-
tural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s film
heritage.” l
Rhuaridh Marr contributed to this report.
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 29
“
Highlights from features and cover stories
appearing in the pages of Metro Weekly
Interviews by Andre Hereford, John Riley,
The Year in Quotes
“Live music, period, is in danger. I’m such a fighter by spirit
that once I sense that, I’m out for blood. I’m going to carry that
damn banner as long as it takes, until they bury me in my piano.”
—American Pops Orchestra Founder and Musical Director LUKE
FRAZIER (“Frazier’s Edge,” 1/04)
“Leather is a fetish, but there’s also a fashion side to it. It’s
very expensive. And let me tell you, you have to stay a certain
size once you get a piece of leather clothing made, because if
not, there it goes.” —Centaur PATRICK GRADY (“The Secrets of
MAL,” 1/11)
“We are seeing threats to democracy, the ascension of a racist
white supremacist and religiously conservative point of view,
and the use of institutions in the government to allow for reli-
gion to be used as an excuse to discriminate against the LGBTQ
community.” —NGLTF Executive Director REA CAREY (“Agent
of Change,” 1/25)
“Anybody can stand there and say ‘Yeah, I love the LGBT com-
munity,’ but if your actions don’t actually support your words,
then your words are just words. It does not make you a friend.”
—MONIQUE GEORGE (“Faces of Change,” 2/1)
“I tell people, ‘I’m Republican.’ I have no shame about that. And
there’s this giant gasp. It’s like you’re a traitor to the gays.” —
SASHA BARANOV (“Faces of Change,” 2/1)
“In show business we can lose jobs for not playing along. Not just
sexually, but laughing at a joke that a superior makes.... I hope
what the #MeToo movement does after it clears out all the pred-
ators, is that it makes show business — and all of society — treat
each other with respect, no matter what position you’re in. Then
it can then really become about what the work is and not about
power playing.” —Actor MICHAEL URIE (“Boys in the Bard,” 2/8)
“I felt really strongly while I was making the film, and even
more strongly about now that the film that’s out in the world,
that there is no such thing as a perfect victim unless that victim
happens to be black.” —Director YANCE FORD (“Searching for
Justice,” 2/15)
30 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
throughout 2018.
Doug Rule, and Randy Shulman
“My mother kept going ‘What’s wrong?’ And then she got my
father on the phone. So finally, I said, ‘Well, mom and dad, I’m
gay.’ And my dad said, ‘Well, I knew that, but what’s wrong?’ I
was blown away.” —Atlas Executive Director DOUGLAS YEUELL
(“Chasing the Arts,” 2/22)
“Human connection, beauty, struggle, challenge.... If we, as a
society, start to abandon that, that feels like such a tragic loss. It
feels like a larger kind of cultural shift in our society that makes
me question our humanity.” —Dance Place Artistic Director
CHRISTOPHER K. MORGAN (“Perpetual Movement,” 3/1)
“All caps, please: WHO IN THE HELL NEEDS AN ASSAULT
RIFLE? What private citizen in this country needs an assault
rifle? No one.” —Country singer SUZY BOGGUSS (“Pure
Country,” 3/1)
“They have perpetuated the idea that journalists — well-re-
spected, Peabody, Pulitzer, award-winning journalists — are
writing fake news. And that is an untenable situation. Never
before in history of our great republic has there ever been such
an attack on a free press.” —Icon LYNDA CARTER (“Wonderful
Woman,” 3/15)
“When there is confusion and oppression, it affects all human
beings regardless of nationality. It’s a human issue, it’s a global
problem. It really extends past borders.” —Singer KD LANG (“The
Voice,” 3/22)
“We had a presidential candidate who claimed he was for the
LGBTQ community, and then he started wanting to take away
those rights, and give religious freedom. You already had reli-
gious freedom. Nobody’s stopping you from being religious.”
—Actor JOHN BARROWMAN (“Super Geek,” 3/29)
“There were other gay kids in my town, but there weren’t any
other mediums, so when it came to being ridiculed, I was a tar-
get.” —Medium TYLER HENRY (“Medium at Large,” 4/12)
“I think sometimes there is still the underestimating of gifted
people of color and of members of the LGBTQIA community. I
think there can still be a sense that we are somehow less than.”
—Director KENT GASH (“Friends of Dorothy,” 4/19)
“You don’t understand the effect a song like ‘At Seventeen’ has
on people until decades later. It’s astonishing to get an email
from a 12-year-old who has
no friends and says, ‘I couldn’t
believe that somebody under-
stands.’ It’s humbling. It’s a joy
to sing that song. People say,
‘Aren’t you tired of it?’ And I
go, ‘Fuck, no.’ I mean, what a
privilege.” —Singer JANIS IAN
(“Folk Wisdom,” 4/26)
“When I hear about transgen-
der people serving in the mili-
tary, it feels like these are civil
rights that we won. When I
say we, I mean we as a human
race. Then we’ve seen, in the
past couple of months, that it
can be rolled back. So I get to
places where I start to feel like,
‘Oh God, is everything in jeop-
ardy?’” —Actor SAMIRA WILEY
(“Samira’s Tale,” 5/3)
“Everybody has got to find a
way to settle back in and still
be able to be flirtatious in the
right settings, because that’s
the nature of life. That’s dif-
ferent from grabbing or grop-
ing somebody or, god forbid,
raping them.” —Icon SANDRA
BERNHARD (5/10)
“I remember seeing The Real
World. Pedro [Zamora] was
the gay representation, and he
died. That was what it felt like
to be gay in 1991 in Nebraska. If
you were gay, you were going
to die of AIDS.” —Playwright
TODD ALMOND
Romance,” 5/17)
(“Sweet
“When I didn’t get chosen to
go on in [the RuPaul’s Drag
Race All Stars 3 finale], yes, I
was devastated in the moment.
You can see it on my face. But
I’m gonna remain a queen
even without a crown, because
that’s what I was when I came
in the door.” —Drag Queen
SHANGELA (“All Star,” 5/24)
“I don’t go around people
that’s against folks because of their color or their sexual
preference. The people I run with, we’re all-inclusive. I
won’t waste my life being around people who aren’t like
that.” —Singer PAUL THORN (“Gospel Joy,” 5/24)
“Even though we have federal gay marriage, we’re still fighting
for the right to be treated equally. Now the issue is that we can
get married, but do they have to make us a wedding cake? We’re
always fighting that fight on
some level.” —Actor MAULIK
PANCHOLY (“Romancing the
Stage,” 5/31)
“People ask me how come I
know gay sex so well. Well, it
doesn’t take anything to fig-
ure it out, for God’s sakes.” —
Call Me By Your Name author
ANDRÉ ACIMAN, who is straight
(“Novel Ideas, 5/31)
“I was a queer kid and fighting
for my own identity in the mid-
dle of AIDS. Every connection
was charged. Every one night
stand had weird poetry in it,
of life and death.” —Actor/
Director JOHN CAMERON
MITCHELL (5/31)
“When people accuse the
show of being homonor-
mative, I think that a lot of
those people need to, loving-
ly, dislodge the stick in their
ass, because there are bigger
JULIAN VANKIM
problems facing our commu-
nity.” —Queer Eye personality
JONATHAN VAN NESS (6/7)
“For years, we were fighting
“I don’t get called in for roles for corporations just to show
up...to support their LGBT
that don’t have the word gay employees.” —Capital Pride
Alliance Executive Director
written in the bio.... And very RYAN BOS (“An Elemental
often these days, people are Pride,” 6/7)
very interested in seeing het- “Activism showed up at my
doorstep. I did not go looking
erosexual men play gay roles. for it. I just wanted to be a big
ol’ famous rock star. In just
So that category is becoming making my choice to come out
and be truthful, I became an
less and less populated by activist.” —Rock star MELISSA
gay people.” ETHERIDGE (“Pot, Pops, and
Politics,” 6/21)
—Actor RYAN SPAHN (pictured with his
“Traditionally, people have
husband, Michael Urie, foreground, thought of nightclubs as being
“Boys in the Bard,” 2/8) the problem of a neighbor-
hood, a thing that brings a lot
of negativity. But I don’t think
people think of us that way. I do think it’s gonna be a different
neighborhood without our energy here.” —Town Danceboutique
co-owner ED BAILEY (“Our Town,” 6/28)
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 31
“I have been at Town since the beginning, and it has been more There’s no reason for you to take that one extra drink. That $5 is
than just a job for me. The people I have worked with and met not worth it to me as a bar owner. I’d rather lose $3 on a bottle
through my time there have become some of my best friends. I of water than gain $5 by getting somebody drunk.” —Pitchers
am sad to see it go — it’s probably the only way they could ever owner DAVE PERRUZZA (“Dave Perruzza’s Home Run,” 8/23)
get rid of me.” —KEVIN ROWE (“Town Forum,” 6/28)
“I want to make sure we’re labeling ALOHO as a lesbian and
“I’ve always been really careful about talking about my pri- queer bar. That’s why the first line on the sign at the staircase
vate life because I don’t like says, ‘This is a space for people
reading somebody else’s inter- who have not found their space
pretation about my life from a anywhere else.’” — A League of
phone interview where we don’t Her Own Manager JO MCDANIEL
know each other. I’m not hiding (“A New League,” 8/23)
anything. I’m just not announc-
ing anything.” —Country sing- “I think it’s really limiting to say,
er SHELBY LYNNE (“Keeping It ‘You can only play who you are.
Semi-Private,” 7/19) That goes against what it means
to be a creative artist. But one
“At least in our time, in the ’40s, way that would help is to have
families were intact. I was five directors and producers make a
years old when we were taken real effort to...have [more trans-
away. The thought of being sep- gender actors audition], because
arated from my parents never you have to find the best person.
occurred. We were all together And if the best person doesn’t
as a family. And now, not only happen to be transgender, that’s
is that irrationality and cruelty the nature of the business.” —
being repeated, but it’s reaching Actor GLENN CLOSE (“Wifely
a new low with children being Devotion,” 8/23)
torn away from their parents....
This is a new low, a new depth “It took us two years to get
that we’ve gone to because of this pregnant. We had an egg
fake president.” —Icon GEORGE donor. We had a separate sur-
TAKEI (“Timeless Takei,” 7/26) rogate. I jacked off in a cup and
they put it in a test tube with
“Conversion therapy is not only JULIAN VANKIM
an egg and shook it around.
not able to actually change some- It’s the romance of creation.”
one, it’s statistically proven that —Actor CLAYBOURNE ELDER
it ups the rates of suicide. It (“The Passions of Claybourne
takes people and turns them Elder,” 8/30)
into self-abusing people, and
I think that speaks for itself.” “I know what it’s like to live in poverty. “[Coming out to my mother]
—Actor CHLOË GRACE MORETZ I know what it’s like to be a sexual abuse was similar to working up the
(“The Education of Chloë Grace survivor. I know what it’s like to be a nerve to say, ‘Hey I don’t want
Moretz,” 8/9) to be a doctor, I want to be an
queer person living in an environment architect instead.’ I was more
“I feel fearful for our democracy, that is anything but friendly to queer fearful of disappointing her that
I feel fearful for our country. But people. And I HAVE A LOT OF ANGER.” she wasn’t going to have a doctor
I try very, very hard to navigate son, than she wasn’t going to
this world with an open heart —HRC’s CHARLOTTE CLYMER have a straight son.” —Trading
and believe that mutual respect (“Fighting Back,” 7/12) Spaces’ VERN YIP (“Designing
and the ability to talk to one Life,” 9/20)
another is paramount. I’m not
willing to turn away from that “I remember seeing an election
creed.” —Singer MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER (“Almost Home,” 8/9) night exit poll that said public trust in government was in the
low double digits. That is a part of the reason why Trump won
“You can be HIV-positive and serve in law enforcement, the — if you don’t trust government, then what does it matter who’s
foreign services, healthcare, food service. So if we’re saying leading it?” —Former Obama LGBTQ liaison GAUTAM RAGHAVAN
discrimination is not allowed in any of those places, why are we (“The West Winger,” 9/27)
allowing discrimination to continue in the military?” —SGT. NICK
HARRISON (“Let Them Serve,” 8/16) “As a person who has friends who are straight or not a minority,
it is difficult when I want to talk about things I face on a daily
“The point of a bar is to meet friends and have a good time. You basis. Because of the privilege they’ve been allotted in their
don’t have to go to a bar to get drunk. For me, people that go life, they don’t really understand where I’m coming from.” —
to a bar to get drunk have a problem. Go to a bar and have fun. Performer TODRICK HALL (“In Todrick We Trust,” 10/4)

32 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

“You have to think in the worst possible scenario when people
have a racist, misogynistic, anti-gay everything mindset. You
just want to stop them now. There just comes a time when the
human’s mindset has to change — it has to grow and change
and do better for other people.” —Actor LILY TOMLIN (“Life
According to Lily,” 10/11)
“HIV has always been perceived as a ‘death sentence.’ People
don’t understand that the new treatments are less toxic, that
they help to prolong life, and there are individuals living with
HIV that are living longer than individuals without HIV.” —Us
Helping Us Executive Director DEMARC HICKSON (“The Politics
of Prevention,” 11/29)

“[Oscar Wilde] realized that he was going to be the martyr for “People ask, ‘Do we need gay theater anymore? Do we need
the gay movement. He said at one point, ‘The road is going to Jewish theater anymore?’ I think that’s like asking, ‘Why do we
be long and smeared with the blood of martyrs.’ It has been, and need stories?’” —Director ERIC ROSEN (“Rosen’s Turn,” 12/6)

it still will be, but it’s remarkable how far we’ve come.” —Actor
RUPERT EVERETT (“Born to be Wilde,” 10/18)
“I used to be a big NFL fan, but I stopped watching after the
whole Colin Kaepernick thing.... I’m with Colin, and when I
see how a league can just try to silence somebody who is trying
to speak out against police brutality, and they just silence this
brother, and take away his job and all, then I can’t support that
league.” —Icon WANDA SYKES (“Outspoken,” 10/25)
“
“We have a traitor in the White House and it’s alarming. Even
if I didn’t have children, I would be worried about what we’re
leaving to the next generation.” —Country singer CHELY WRIGHT
(“Chely Wright’s Second Act,” 12/13)
Read all of these interviews and features in full at
metroweekly.com. l

“He raped me, and then told me that he raped a 14-year old boy
in his congregation. In doing so, he seemed to confirm the very
bigoted stuff that I’d always heard growing up: all gay men are
pedophiles or perverts.” —Boy Erased author GARRARD CONLEY
(“Unerasable,” 11/8)

“So many people that I meet say, ‘You’re the first trans person
I’ve ever met.’ I’m also like, but am I? Maybe not. Who knows?
Being upfront and vocal and very out is very important to me.” —
Republic Restoratives Managing Partner WHIT KATHNER (“Social
Spirits,” 11/15)

DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 33

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Movies

Despite his famous talk-to-the-animals

Water Bored
mental abilities, this Arthur is more prone
to using brute force in his adventures.
Momoa certainly has the build of a bruis-
er who would gladly beat the pulp out
A buff leading man, surface charm, and spectacular visuals can’t save of some eight-legged behemoth, and he
James Wan’s Aquaman from drowning. By André Hereford hits the film’s preponderance of superhero
poses like a champ.

D
But, even though he looks great fresh
OLPH LUNDGREN IS JUST KILLING IT THESE DAYS. THE TOWERING out of water, and his hair never doesn’t
Swede nearly swipes the sentimental heart of Creed II in his return as boxer look wet, Momoa doesn’t put much weight
Ivan Drago, and he brings a similar world-weary gravitas to his minor role as behind the portrayal. Arthur is meant to
King Nereus in DC’s visually dazzling but still disappointing superhero adventure, be on a path for greatness as a regular
Aquaman (HHHHH). guy who could be the ruler of Atlantis, a
Presumably, very few Creed fans were lining up just to ride the Lundgren revival, leader of armies. Momoa might nail the
and even fewer will head into Aquaman pining to see what Nereus thinks about uniting everyman end of the spectrum, with copi-
the disparate kingdoms of the seven seas. Yet Lundgren’s performance stands out as ous beer guzzling and manly hair flipping,
one of the more three-dimensional aspects of this flat hero-becoming-a-hero, quasi-or- but he doesn’t invest this dude with much
igin story, directed by James Wan (The Conjuring). regal leadership potential. Other than his
The big guy in the title — half-man, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry — doesn’t have sense of decency, Arthur seems no more
much of interest to say in his first solo screen outing since being introduced in Batman distinguished as a future king than his
v. Superman, and outshining his teammates in last year’s dismal Justice League. Played main rival for the throne, his duplicitous
with a glower and a smile by Game of Thrones vet Jason Momoa, Arthur narrates half-brother King Orm (Patrick Wilson),
his own tale, which begins with the rainswept meeting of his parents, Maine light- the present ruler of Atlantis.
house keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) and Queen of Atlantis Atlanna (Nicole Orm is just one of many foes Arthur
Kidman). Tom finds Atlanna wounded on the rocks, nurses her to health, and they fall must battle in a lengthy succession of
in love. trials that should prove Arthur’s worth
Their unlikely union produces Arthur, who, sadly, is separated from his mother at as a hero. More often, what’s on display
an early age when she’s forced to return to her kingdom beneath the sea. She leaves, in is Arthur’s talent for getting into and out
part, to keep Arthur safe from Atlanteans who’d view the biracial heir to the undersea of a good brawl. And he brawls a lot. He’s
throne as a “half-breed mongrel” marked for death. swinging punches in bars, on submarines,
The script, by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, hints at a deep while soaring through the air or slicing
concern for bridging divides, but all the talk about how Arthur can bring two worlds through the Hidden Sea at the earth’s
together rings hollow since no one on the surface knows or cares about Atlantis. And core. Wan keeps the action fast-paced and
quite a few humans would be thrilled to learn they actually were hybrid sea creatures front-and-center, but the CGI environ-
capable of breathing underwater and controlling other marine life telepathically. continues on page 36

34 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

CAROL ROSEGG
Stage

“message” and it never quite works. As

Trying Trifecta
admirable as Ives’ sentiments may be, by
the time we get to The Profit, the evening
has devolved into a rather dull teachable
moment delivering a lesson we’ve all had a
few times too many. A darker and far more
David Ives’ The Panties, The Partner and The Profit offers bold ideas, interesting theme — that we are all “alone”
but a dearth of laughs. By Kate Wingfield — is toyed with, but never explored.
The problems start with The Panties.

Y
Despite the delicious premise of good
OU CAN’T FAULT A WONDERFUL PLAYWRIGHT FOR TRYING A BOLD Catholic wife Louise Mask (a guilelessly
idea. Still, admiring the effort isn’t the same as enjoying it. The truth is that charismatic Kimberly Gilbert) acciden-
David Ives’ message-filled The Panties, The Partner and The Profit (HHHHH) is tally dropping her knickers in the mid-
nowhere near as fun and fruity as his inspired adaptations of classical French comedies, dle of a crowd and attracting a couple
and it feels rather dull by comparison. Frankly, it’s hard not to wish he’d just dispensed of ardent suitors, the “madcap” comedy
with the social commentary and gone for the scathing asides and comic gold instead. never quite works and the takeaways are
It’s not as if he is adhering slavishly to the original works — a series of German anything but original. If there is more to
Expressionist plays by early 20th century German playwright Carl Sternheim. this than acknowledging the half-lives of
Although Ives also follows a family through the generations as means to make traditional women in the 1950s married to
socio-political comment, he diverges into a new era, a new country and a new format, men like Louise’s husband Joseph (played
turning three of the plays into linked mini-dramas, played in succession and sans inter- large by Carson Elrod with a whiff of
mission. Ives’ family begins with an American couple in 1950s tenement Boston, moves Jackie Gleason), it’s hard to fathom. And
through a late ’80s afternoon in the office of a young Wolf of Wall Street, and ends although Ives’ suggestion that some unex-
somewhere in the future with sibling rivalry and reunion in the cavernous interior of pected characters might be gay could have
an Ocean-view manse. been hilarious in a true comedy of man-
If this fun reimagining sounds like the perfect fodder for Ives’ unique brand of ners, in this telling, with its heavy display
irreverent wit, such frivolity is not to be. Although there is humor and a sardonic eye of Louise’s thwarted life, it feels facile,
— which director Michael Kahn orchestrates with much flair — Ives tempers all with almost surreal, and adds little.
a deep and abiding commitment to his own, updated take on Sternheim’s commentary. As The Partner arrives with the late
He is eager to comment on the state of humanity as it continues to evolve, at least in 1980s, the Masks’ adult son Christian
the West, but the plays feel trapped between trying to be funny and trying to send a (played with appropriately sweaty energy

DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 35


CAROL ROSEGG
by Kevin Isola) is on the cusp of a Wall Street partnership and
must prove his pedigree to board member William Hamilton
(played with relish by Tony Roach). But when Christian tries to
cut ties with sugar-mama Sybil Rittenhouse (a comically super-
charged Julia Coffey), she threatens to reveal his humble begin-
nings and the shenanigans begin.
The Panties, The Partner and The Profit plays through Jan. 6 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre,
450 7th Street NW. Tickets are $44 to $118. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.
continued from page 34
ments, and some of the extraordinary creatures, are so cartoon-
ishly drawn as to seriously undermine the kinetic effect.
Worse are the cartoonishly drawn live-action characters, like
Aquaman’s other featured nemesis Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-
Mateen II). In his full, bug-headed scuba suit, Manta looks as
badass as ever, but, in or out of his helmet, Mateen doesn’t lend
much personality to the character’s weak revenge arc, or to
lines like “I am a scavenger of the high seas.” It takes panache
to pull off a line like that, or to turn a role like Arthur’s exposi-
Aquaman is rated PG-13, and opens everywhere Friday, December 21. Visit fandango.com.
36 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
The farce ramps up when the Mask
parents make an appearance, with
Gilbert and Elrod finally delivering
on their comic potential. But although
the Wall Street vignette is funnier and
the commentary delivered with more
flamboyance and wit, the takeaways
on class and appearances are still
ho-hum.
The temperature changes again
in The Profit, with a third-generation
Mask, the incredibly rich and vacuous
Louise (Gilbert) spending her days in
a cushy Bluetooth world. Life soon
begins to unravel thanks to elder sis-
ter Ursula (Turna Mete) who is now
an ardent follower of the anti-mate-
rialist guru Jack Reeve (Roach) and
some ominous natural disasters. When
a neighbor, Rabbi Mandelshtam (Isola)
and local tramp, Joe Jones (a pitch-per-
fect Elrod), turn up looking for shelter,
the group begins to realize that, one way or another, life will
never be the same. Unfortunately, as with the other plays, the life
lesson is no more or less original than anything else here.
It’s hard to diss a playwright brave enough to riff on German
Expressionism. It’s just too bad he didn’t throw off a bit more
ballast. l
tion-spouting love interest Mera (Amber Heard) into more than
mere window dressing.
The strong-willed daughter of Lundgren’s King Nereus,
Mera seems to exist here only to tell Arthur where he needs to
go, or what he needs to do, find, or kill next. She does get in on
the action, and occasionally comes to the rescue, but, again, the
spark of life that might help the character leap off the screen is
lacking in Heard’s spiritless turn. Brilliantly colorful in surface
appearance, Mera is, like much of the movie, bereft of compel-
ling depth. l
C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY
Stage

Swamp Things
happens to be lesbian, and Elliott Bales
as the senior senator from Texas, John
McDowell — are fast on their feet as well.
In each scene, many of which boil down
to honey-dripping duels pitting Millsap
Studio Theatre’s dark comedy Kings spins its own credible version of against Kate, Lauren, or McDowell, the
down-and-dirty politics. By André Hereford combatants switch on a dime from offense
to defense and back again, with the actors

S
never missing a beat.
ARAH BURGESS’ DARK COMEDY KINGS MAKES A SNAPPY ADDITION Neither do the helpful hands who
to the growing canon of fiction that pulls back the curtain on how the sau- switch up scenic designer Luciana
sage gets stuffed in Washington, D.C. The play, which originally debuted last Stecconi’s handsome sets as they shift
February at New York’s Public Theater, would seem smart and insightful just based from that Chili’s to a Vail resort to a
on Burgess’ writing, even if the plot didn’t also presage the midterm victories of out- lobbyist-owned townhouse in Alexandria.
sider candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kyrsten Sinema. Yet the story’s Burgess, a native of Alexandria, captures
prescience is matched at Studio Theatre by a cast and pacing that are tight as a drum. the landscape and lingo of those creatures
Joining the likes of Veep and Vice in depicting the mightiest halls of government as who roam the Hill and grease each other
lava pits crawling with vipers, Kings (HHHHH), tautly directed by Marti Lyons, spins up over beers at Bullfeathers.
its own credible version of down-and-dirty politics. Set amongst the lobbyists whose The script’s wit and plotting are pleas-
deep-pocketed clients influence, and in some cases dictate, public policy, the characters ingly precise, probing corruption on every
stalk the halls of conference hotels and fundraising retreats. side of a Congress that’s starkly divided by
The play’s central character, newly elected Congresswoman Sydney Millsap party but not by their susceptibility to spe-
(Nehassaiu deGannes), even meets with a lobbyist at a Northern Virginia Chili’s, but cial interest dollars. While Kate promotes
that’s because Millsap does things differently. The first woman and first person of a portfolio of medical associations, Lauren
color to represent Texas’ 24th District, as she’s constantly reminded, Millsap is new reps banking and finance interests, and
to D.C. and to politics, and unversed in the slippery tactics of lobbyists like Kate (Kelly McDowell simply looks out for himself.
McCrann). Only Congresswoman Millsap rep-
But the congresswoman catches on quick. She has to think fast on her feet to stay resents any genuine ideals about fair gov-
steps ahead of the adversaries and allies, often indistinguishable, who would try to ernance, and the play doesn’t go easy on
dictate her policies. her by any means. Through her rapid
The cast — rounded out by Laura C. Harris as Kate’s venal lobbyist pal Lauren, who education in the cutthroat nature of D.C.

DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 37

 politics, Kings relays a moving human story about what pitfalls
await anyone who dares enter the Capitol feeling precious about
their principles.
Thankfully, as played by deGannes, Millsap is none too pre-
cious herself. The newbie politician has a disarming habit of
using bluntness to unmask people’s hidden motives, and she’s
good at it. In deGannes’ turn, Millsap isn’t just tenacious but
she’s crafty — without seeming calculating like either Kate or
Lauren.
McCrann’s well-rounded performance as Kate does locate a
pocket of genuine hope and altruism in the lobbying vet’s deplet-
ed moral makeup. Labeled derisively as the queen of medical
associations for her clientele of podiatrists, ophthalmologists,
and drug purveyors, Kate seems capable of putting those inter-
ests aside for a cause that might not be driven by making her
clients richer.
She’s a character of a real-life sort talked about so often on
cable news panels these days: the wayward political soul who
just maybe with the right persuasion can be relied upon to put
principle before profit, altruism before avarice, the people before
the powerful. Beneath the cynicism, double-crosses, and biting
repartee, Kings dares to dream that it’s not too late for Kate to do
good, or for all those who believe an outsider can make a differ-
ence in Washington. l

Kings runs through January 1, at the Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $55.
Call 202-332-3300 or visit StudioTheatre.org.

he strolls into the home office of psycholo-

gist Ella (Kimberly Schraf), as all-knowing
as ever yet desperately seeking answers.
The confident center of the universe, God
somehow feels lost. He’s thinking of end-
ing it all, which, as he warns Ella, would
be catastrophic not just for him but for all
life on earth.
Ella, raising an autistic teenager
(Cameron Sean McCoy), is plagued by
doubts of her own, and isn’t really a believ-
er in God. Still, of all the psychologists in
the world, she might be ideally suited for
the challenge of helping God rediscover
his purpose.
Whatever that is, he thinks he’ll find it
by examining his relationship to mankind,
which seems more than a little reductive
for the divine creator of the cosmos and all
things. Even more reductive, the play and
STAN BAROUH

Ella ignore millennia of history in God’s

relationship to humanity to focus entirely
on events covered in the Old Testament.
Engaged more in Bible study than
a therapy session, Ella and God debate

Bible Study
Adam, Eve, Moses, Noah, Abraham, and
Cain and Abel as factual history. What
might be a compelling thought exercise
for Sunday school teachers and devotees
Anat Gov’s Oh, God ultimately wastes a promising premise of the gospels won’t have much effect on
by sticking solely to the Old Testament.By André Hereford the less theologically inclined. And the
thinly-drawn psychological drama doesn’t

S
make up the difference.
O, GOD WALKS INTO A THERAPIST’S OFFICE.... Except for the play’s depiction of rais-
It could be the beginning of a profound drama, a brilliant comedy, or at least ing a child with mental challenges, Oh, God
a well-told joke. But instead, the metaphysical hypothetical that’s proffered in feels impervious to real life in post-Biblical
Anat Gov’s Oh, God results in a pedestrian riff on the Lord’s mysterious ways, Old times. Perhaps Gov’s allegorical approach
Testament edition. to putting God on the couch has traveled
A popular success in productions from Jerusalem to Boston, Oh, God (HHHHH), well internationally precisely because it
now at Mosaic Theater, establishes an intriguing concept of God in human form, doesn’t commit to offering opinions on
embodied by Mitchell Hebért as a dashing daddy figure dressed all in black. Projecting anything in creation more controversial
a vibe somewhere between professorial and The Most Interesting Man in the World, than the serpent in the Garden of Eden. l

Oh, God runs through January 13 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $65.
Call 202-399-7993, ext. 2 or visit MosaicTheater.org.

38 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by
Ward Morrison

DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 39

Scene Duplex Diner’s Janky Sweater Party - Friday, Dec. 14 - Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc... TRADE GREEN LANTERN until 9pm • Video Games at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm
Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour, 4-9pm • • Foosball • Live televised and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in
Happy Hour: Any drink $3 Rail and Domestic • sports • Full dining menu Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+
normally served in a cock- $5 Svedka, all flavors all till 9pm • Special Late
Thursday, of Beer all night • Sports
Leagues Night
tail glass served in a huge night long • Rough House: Night menu till 2am • Visit
December 20 glass for the same price, Hands On, Lights Off, pitchersbardc.com
NUMBER NINE
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
10pm-close • Featuring DJ
Lemz • $5 Cover (includes SHAW’S TAVERN
Saturday,
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-2am • Happy
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
clothes check) Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 December 22
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
Hour: $2 off everything
All male, nude dancers • NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR $5 House Wines, $5 Rail A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
until 9pm • Video Games PITCHERS
Open Dancers Audition • Open 3pm • Beat the Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas Open 2pm-3am • Video
• Live televised sports Open 5pm-2am • Happy
Urban House Music by DJ Clock Happy Hour — $2 and Select Appetizers • Games • Live televised
Hour: $2 off everything
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+ (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 Live Music with Jukebox sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR until 9pm • Video Games
(7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, Ginger, 9pm
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • • Foosball • Live televised
$15 • Weekend Kickoff FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Karaoke, 9pm sports • Full dining menu
Dance Party, with Nellie’s TRADE Saturday Breakfast Buffet,
till 9pm • Special Late
GREEN LANTERN Night menu till 11pm • Friday, DJs spinning bubbly pop
music all night
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
10am-3pm • $14.99 with
one glass of champagne
Happy Hour, 4-9pm Visit pitchersbardc.com
• Shirtless Thursday, December 21 normally served in a cock- or coffee, soda or juice •
NUMBER NINE tail glass served in a huge Additional champagne $2
10-11pm • Men in SHAW’S TAVERN
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm • Happy Hour: glass for the same price, per glass • World Tavern
Underwear Drink Free, Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Open 5pm-3am • Happy 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm 5-10pm • Beer and wine Poker Tournament, 1-3pm
12-12:30am • DJs Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
Hour: $2 off everything • No Cover • Friday Night only $4 • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
BacK2bACk $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
until 9pm • Video Games Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
• Live televised sports Rotating DJs, 9:30pm ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Show, hosted by Miss
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR and Select Appetizers • All
Men of Secrets, 9pm • Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm
Beat the Clock Happy Hour You Can Eat Ribs, 5-10pm,
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR PITCHERS Guest dancers • Rotating • Karaoke, 10pm-close
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $24.95 • $4 Corona and
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Open 5pm-3am • Happy DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva
$4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets Heineken all night
Karaoke, 9pm Hour: $2 off everything Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors

40 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY


GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long • JOX: The
GL Underwear Party,
9pm-close • Featuring
DJs C-Dubs and Chaim •
$5 Cover (clothes check
included) • 21+
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-3am • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5
Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close
• Jawbreaker: Music
NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Compiled by Doug Rule
JOX: THE GL UNDERWEAR PARTY
It’s not the only recurring underwear party at the Green Lantern — where, to be frank,
men get nearly naked nearly every weekend, sometimes more. Yet the monthly Jox
event has been a popular stripdown staple for years at the fetish bar, tucked away in
a Scott Circle alley. Certainly few others can claim to have enticed as many men to
strip as has Jox’s David Merrill, the veteran local DJ and sex/fetish party promoter. At
the next Jox, DJs C-Dubz and Chaim will tag-team spin grooves to set and soundtrack
the sexy vibe. This Saturday, Dec. 22, starting at 9 p.m. upstairs at the Green Lantern,
1335 Green Court NW. Cover is $5, including free clothes check. Call 202-347-4533 or
visit facebook.com/GreenLanternDC.
DIRTY GOOSE: MIRACLE ON U ST
Peppermint Bark Martinis are only $7 this Friday, Dec. 21, when the gay U Street spot
will serve the minty cocktail that bites back as part of a promotion that gives back.
Dirty Goose will give 10 percent of all proceeds from sales of the holiday martini — as
well as $5 drinks made with Tito’s vodka — to SMYAL, in support of the organization’s
work in helping LGBTQ youth. The evening of boozy benevolence kicks off at 5 p.m.
Those drinking do-gooders still standing at 9 p.m. will be enlisted to give a little more
via DJ Alex Love’s fun-raising appeal to dance. Dirty Goose, 913 U St. NW. Call 202-
of the ‘90s and 2000s, 629-1462 or visit thedirtygoose.com.
featuring DJs BacK2bACk,
9:30pm
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS: UGLY SWEATER CHRISTMAS PARTY
PITCHERS Black Pride veteran promoter Daryl Wilson returns to Southwest’s massive LGBTQ
Open Noon-3am • Video entertainment complex to throw another festive fiesta for frisky fellas. This party’s star
Games • Foosball • Live
attraction is a hunky adult entertainer known by the name Mega Body, not to mention
televised sports • Full
dining menu till 9pm • the 20 all-nude male “Santa helpers” who will dash, dance, prance, and... well, other
Special Late Night menu things to get things moving. Also on tap: music from house DJ Sedrick and hip-hop DJ
till 2am • Visit pitchers- Tim Nice, a free X-mas Gift Raffle, and a $250 cash prize for the best (read: most horrif-
bardc.com ic) holiday jumper worn that evening. Friday, Dec. 21, starting at 10 p.m. at Ziegfeld’s/
SHAW’S TAVERN
Secrets, 1024 Half St. SW. Call 202-863-0607 or visit ziegfelds.com.
Brunch with $15
Bottomless Mimosas, XX+ CROSTINO: CUDDLES & COCOA
10am-3pm • Happy Hour, You can Netflix & Chill in private any night of the week, but this Friday, Dec. 21, you
5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Blue Moon, $5 House
can do a variation of it with a group of strangers in public, in the designated “queer
Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • womxn’s lounge/bar” and safe space on the second floor of Shaw’s Italian restaurant,
Half-Priced Pizzas and Al Crostino. Several holiday movies will screen over the course of the evening, while
Select Appetizers the bar will serve hot chocolate plus spiked eggnog, along with Christmas cookies,
s’mores, and other holiday favorites. XX+ will also furnish pillows, but guests are
encouraged to bring blankets, bean bags, and other creature comforts — not to men-
tion good cheer. The party starts at 5 p.m. at 1926 9th St. NW. No cover. Call 202-797-
0523 or visit facebook.com/xxcrostino.
DRINK COMPANY P.U.B.: MIRACLE ON 7TH STREET
The enormously popular event that launched the Drink Company’s Pop-Up Bar in three
connected spaces in Shaw returns for a fourth year of over-the-top holiday cheer and
cocktails. Forget Rudolph and the reindeers, pandas are the stars this year, from life-
sized statues of pandas playing in the snow, to local artist Andrew Funk’s mural of a
panda eating a jelly doughnut above the Hanukkah bar, to the Santa Bei-Bei cocktail
(a refreshing mix of tequila, lime, and vanilla agave soda) served in the cutest ceramic
panda mug. One of the smallest of six individually decorated rooms is transformed into
a golden geodesic dome meant to feel like the inside of a New Year’s Eve ball, while
another features a mistletoe photo booth. As you slowly make your way through the
sure-to-be crowded complex, you’ll see thousands of ornaments and jingle bells and
all manner of whimsical holiday displays and decorations — right down to the barware
used to serve many of the 14 specialty craft concoctions (priced from $9 to $14), with
standouts including the hot Santa’s S#!t List, featuring scotch, Nutella hot chocolate,
and a marshmallow, the Mortimer Duke mix of gin, aperol, and orange cream soda,
and the super-strength Nog Shot. There’s also a separate list with regular and seasonal
beer options, wine, “spirit free” drinks, and snacks including Cracker Jack boxes and
Keebler Elf Fudge cookies. Nightly, starting at 5 p.m. To Dec. 31. 1843 7th St. NW.
Call 202-316-9396 or visit popupbardc.com. l
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 41
 TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am
• Guest dancers • Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show
with host Ella Fitzgerald
• Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:45am
• DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s
• DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets • Cover 21+
Sunday,
December 23
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 2pm-12am • $4
Smirnoff and Domestic
Cans • Video Games •
Live televised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Ella’s Sunday Drag Brunch,
10am-3pm • $24.99 with
four glasses of champagne
or mimosas, 1 Bloody
Mary, or coffee, soda or
juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
• Karaoke, 9pm-close
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
Karaoke with Kevin down-
stairs, 9:30pm-close
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-1am • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
42 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
9pm-close • Multiple TVs
showing movies, shows,
sports • Expanded craft
beer selection • Pop
Goes the World with Wes
Della Volla at 9:30pm •
No Cover
PITCHERS
Open Noon-2am • $4
Smirnoff, includes flavored,
$4 Coors Light or $4 Miller
Lites, 2-9pm • Video
Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full din-
ing menu till 9pm • Visit
pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers
• Dinner-n-Drag, with
Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm
• For reservations, email
shawsdinnerdragshow@
gmail.com
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a
cocktail glass served in a
huge glass for the same
price, 2-10pm • Beer and
wine only $4 • Church:
A Church-themed Dance
Party, 9pm • House Music
and Pop-up performances
with special guest hosts
and performers • Music
by WesstheDJ, Jesse
Jackson, and special
guests
Monday,
December 24
MERRY
CHRISTMAS EVE!
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Singles Night • Half-Priced
Pasta Dishes • Poker Night
— 7pm and 9pm games •
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3
rail cocktails and domestic
beers all night long
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Closed
NUMBER NINE
Closed
SHAW’S TAVERN
Open for Lunch, Closed
for Dinner
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Tuesday,
December 25
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Closed
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Christmas Day Dinner:
Ham and Turkey with
traditional sides for $16, or
Half-Priced Pasta, 4-11pm
• Happy Hour Specials,
4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
A Green Lantern Christmas,
9pm-2am • $3 rail cock-
tails and domestic beers
all night long
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Closed
NUMBER NINE
Closed
PITCHERS
Closed
SHAW’S TAVERN
Closed
TRADE
Doors open 7pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
7-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Wednesday,
December 26
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-12am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Live televised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6
Burgers • Beach Blanket
Drag Bingo Night, hosted
by Ms. Regina Jozet
Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes
• Karaoke, 10pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm •
Bear Yoga with Greg Leo,
6:30-7:30pm • $10 per
class • $3 rail cocktails
and domestic beers all
night long
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night,
8-10pm • Prizes include
bar tabs and tickets to
shows at the 9:30 Club •
$15 Buckets of Beer for
SmartAss Teams only •
Absolutely Snatched Drag
Show, hosted by Brooklyn
Heights, 9pm • Tickets
available at nelliessports-
bar.com
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
PITCHERS
Open 5pm-12am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Foosball • Live televised
sports • Full dining menu
till 9pm • Special Late
Night menu till 11pm •
Visit pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Piano Bar with Jill, 8pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Thursday,
December 27
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-2am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Live televised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
• Shirtless Thursday,
10-11pm • Men in
Underwear Drink Free,
12-12:30am • DJs
BacK2bACk
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets
of Beer all night • Sports
Leagues Night
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
PITCHERS
Open 5pm-2am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Foosball • Live televised
sports • Full dining menu
till 9pm • Special Late
Night menu till 11pm •
Visit pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers • All
You Can Eat Ribs, 5-10pm,
$24.95 • $4 Corona and
Heineken all night
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers •
Open Dancers Audition •
Urban House Music by DJ
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+
DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 43
 Playlist
Friday,
DJ Wess December 28
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 5pm-3am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
Santa’s Comin’ Down the • Live televised sports
Chimney
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Confidence Man Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Karaoke, 9pm
Freak You Right
GREEN LANTERN
Lee Foss & Eli Brown Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3
Rail and Domestic • $5
Svedka, all flavors all night
Tell You No Lie
long • The Soul of the
Floorplan Streets: Retro R&B Party,
10pm-close • Featuring DJ
Jerrbear • No Cover
Lipstick & Perfume
DJ S.K.T NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Open 3pm • Beat the
Clock Happy Hour — $2
Push Pull (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4
OFFAIAH (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer,
$15 • Weekend Kickoff
Dance Party, with Nellie’s
Elevator (Lift Me Up) DJs spinning bubbly pop
DJ Pierre, Todd Terry, Vonny & music all night
Clyde NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm • Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
Voulez-Vous
• No Cover • Friday Night
A-Track Bootleg Piano with Chris, 7:30pm •
ABBA Rotating DJs, 9:30pm
PITCHERS
Joy to the World Open 5pm-3am • Happy
Celebration Mix Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
Mariah Carey • Foosball • Live televised
sports • Full dining menu
till 9pm • Special Late
Space Kitten Night menu till 2am • Visit
Black Sausage pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Nothing Breaks Like a Heart Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
Wess is best known for his and Select Appetizers
past DJ residencies at Town
TRADE
Danceboutique and Velvet Doors open 5pm • Huge
Nation. You can catch Wess this Happy Hour: Any drink
Friday, Dec. 21, guest DJing at normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
Rough House at Green Lantern glass for the same price,
and on Sunday, Dec. 23, at a 5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Special Holiday-themed
Church at Trade.
44 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm •
Guest dancers • Rotating
DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva
Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors
at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm
and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in
Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+
Saturday,
December 29
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 2pm-3am • Video
Games • Live televised
sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Saturday Breakfast Buffet,
10am-3pm • $14.99 with
one glass of champagne
or coffee, soda or juice •
Additional champagne $2
per glass • World Tavern
Poker Tournament, 1-3pm
• Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Freddie’s Follies Drag
Show, hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm
• Karaoke, 10pm-close
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long • The Imperial
Court of Washington
presents An Underwear
Dance Party, 10pm-close •
$5 Cover
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-3am • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5
Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close
• Rotating DJs, 9:30pm
PITCHERS
Open Noon-3am • Video
Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full
dining menu till 9pm •
Special Late Night menu
till 2am • Visit pitchers-
bardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with $15
Bottomless Mimosas,
10am-3pm • Happy Hour,
5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Blue Moon, $5 House
Wines, $5 Rail Drinks •
Half-Priced Pizzas and
Select Appetizers
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am
• Guest dancers • Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show
with host Ella Fitzgerald
• Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:45am
• DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s
• DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets • Cover 21+
Sunday,
December 30
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Open 2pm-12am • $4
Smirnoff and Domestic
Cans • Video Games •
Live televised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Ella’s Sunday Drag Brunch,
10am-3pm • $24.99 with
four glasses of champagne
or mimosas, 1 Bloody
Mary, or coffee, soda or
juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
• Gayborhood Piano
Night, 5-8pm • Karaoke,
9pm-close
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
Karaoke with Kevin down-
stairs, 9:30pm-close
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-1am • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
9pm-close • Multiple TVs
showing movies, shows,
sports • Expanded craft
beer selection • Pop
Goes the World with Wes
Della Volla at 9:30pm •
No Cover
PITCHERS
Open Noon-2am • $4
Smirnoff, includes flavored,
$4 Coors Light or $4 Miller
Lites, 2-9pm • Video
Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full din-
ing menu till 9pm • Visit
pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm •
Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers
• Dinner-n-Drag, with
Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm
• For reservations, email
shawsdinnerdragshow@
gmail.com
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Scene Bare at Cobalt - Saturday, December 15 - Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 45

 LastWord.
People say the queerest things

“She’s smart. Driven. Beautiful.

But her path has been anything but ordinary.”
— Miss Universe 2018 co-host ASHLEY GRAHAM, in a video tribute to Spanish contestant Angela Ponce, who made history as the first
transgender woman to participate in the competition. Graham said that Ponce, who finished outside the top 25,
was “everything you’d expect from the reigning Miss Universe.”

“[We] believe that trans women are women and that

trans people belong in our community.”
— Six lesbian-focused publications — DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg, and Lez Spread The Word — in a statement
condemning “writers and editors who seek to foster division and hate” in the LGBTQ community. “We do not think supporting
trans women erases our lesbian identities; rather we are enriched by trans friends and lovers,
parents, children, colleagues and siblings.”

“He kept raising his voice and saying,

‘Why are you in this bathroom?
You shouldn’t be here.’”
— MICHAEL CRITCHFIELD, a transgender sophomore at Liberty High School in West Virginia, speaking to the Huffington Post after
assistant principal Lee Livengood allegedly followed him into the boys bathroom and began harassing him. Critchfield said that
Livengood told him to use the urinal, and that if he couldn’t, “then you shouldn’t be in here.”

“It boggles my mind.”

— Texas State Rep. JOE MOODY (D), speaking to Courthouse News about Republican lawmakers’ refusal to repeal Texas’ unconsti-
tutional sodomy law, which remains on the books despite the Supreme Court nullifying it in a 2003 decision. “This isn’t making a
statement about how you feel about the LGBTQ community,” Moody said. “This is simply cleaning up
a criminal statute that is unconstitutional.”

“He wants to make a very new,

very accessible show.
He had a bit of anger of the world and the status of things.
”
— RUSSELL T DAVIES, creator of TV show Queer As Folk, speaking to The Guardian about Canadian writer-director Stephen Dunn’s
plans for a reboot of the show on Bravo. Davies — who created the British original in 1999, which was remade for American audi-
ences in 2000 and ran for five seasons on Showtime — will executive produce the reboot, and said Dunn “didn’t come to the meet-
ing saying I think this [show] is really commercial. He came in genuinely as a gay man talking about gay rights, the state of the
world, the anger that is out there and the joy.”

46 DECEMBER 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY