CONTENTS

JUNE 7, 2018 Volume 25 Issue 1

18 SUCCESS STORY
Michael Urie likens playing Bud Frump in How to Succeed
in Business to “a big bowl of ice cream.”

By Randy Shulman

QUEER EYE!
Antoni, Bobby, Jonathan, Karamo, and Tan on how their
Netflix hit is going even further in Season Two.

Interview by Randy Shulman

50
71 WHERE THE GAYS ARE
Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach is more LGBTQ-friendly than
ever, and is the absolute epitome of a gay beach getaway.

SPOTLIGHT: TROYE SIVAN p.11 OUT ON THE TOWN p.16 SUCCESS STORY: MICHAEL URIE p.18
By Doug Rule

DRAG COACH: RICK HAMMERLY p.22 THE FEED: FRESH-BAKED BIGOTRY p.31
COMMUNITY: PARADE OF LOVE p.34 SCENE: BLACK PRIDE 2018 p.39
AN ELEMENTAL PRIDE p.42 COVER STORY: QUEER EYE! P.50
GALLERY: THE COSTUMES OF CAMELOT p.61 FILM: OCEAN’S 8 p.67
TRAVEL: REHOBOTH BEACH p.71 STAGE: BOTTICELLI IN THE FIRE p.75
STAGE: THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS p.75 NIGHTLIFE p.83
SCENE: WHITMAN-WALKER’S WOMXN’S PRIDE KICKOFF p.83 LISTINGS p.84
SCENE: BEAR HAPPY HOUR p.91 LAST WORD p.94

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
Patron Saint Gianni Versace Cover Photography Austin Hargrave / Netflix

Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830
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4 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight

Capital Pride Concert with Troye Sivan

I
T’S NOT EVERY YEAR AN OPENLY GAY ARTIST HEAD-
lines Capital Pride, but 2018 may be the start of a trend. On
Sunday, June 10, the 22-year-old international star Troye
Sivan will perform his appealing brand of electro-pop as the
culminating live act on the festival’s main Capitol Concert Stage,
after a full afternoon slate that also includes budding Canadian
starlet Alessia Cara. A confident, R&B-steeped pop singer-song-
writer known for doing things a little differently, Cara is sure to
perform her hit “Wild Things,” whose alternative-embracing
lyrics make it a credible LGBTQ anthem.
Other festival headliners include pop mainstay Keri Hilson,
trans dance-pop act Kim Petras, and Asia O’Hara from RuPaul’s
Drag Race. Although set times have not been released by Pride
organizers, the headliners will take the stage toward the end
of the day, after additional acts including New York pop/soul
singer Max, covers act the Boy Band Project, the return of the
Michelle Raymond Band (now known as Michi), the Gay Men’s
Chorus of Washington, and a whole slew of drag queens rep-
resenting leading LGBTQ bars — from Freddie’s Follies, to the
Ladies of Town, to Kristina Kelly and the Cobalt Cast. And say
hello to Miss Gay America 2018, Deva Station. The day wouldn’t
be complete without D.C.’s grand dame of drag, Ziegfeld’s Ella
Fitzgerald.
For more variety, wander three blocks to the Monument
Stage, at Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW, with its
eclectic performance lineup overseen by emcee Ophelia Bottoms.
The Dupont Stage, meanwhile, at Sixth Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue NW, offers continuous dance music from leading local
DJs including Alex DB, Andre Gutarra, Mike Reimer, and
Strikestone.
Making sure everyone gets on and off the Capitol stage in a
timely fashion falls to emcees Jerry Houston of Hot 99.5 FM and
Pride Radio and local drag legend Destiny B. Childs. DJ Twin
provides music in between acts. Everything comes to a close
as the sun sets around 8 p.m., as Washington-native DJ Tracy
Young steps up for another Capitol Sunset Dance Party, enticing
Pride-goers to dance in the street in full view of the U.S. Capitol.
A truly only-in-D.C. kind of awe-inspiring affair. —Doug Rule

The Capital Pride Festival opens to the public at Noon. The Monument and Dance stages also start at Noon.
The Concert begins at 1 p.m. Troye Sivan goes on sometime approximately between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The concert is followed by the Capital Pride Sunset Dance Party at 8 p.m. Visit capitalpride.org for full details.

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 11

 Spotlight

DAVID AMOROSO:
FRIDA Y LOS MACHOS
Two of this local painter’s favorite topics are the
focus of a solo exhibition of his works at the Hill
Center: Frida Kahlo, and his friends, primarily
laborers. The latter are based on photos Amoroso
took, which the artist surrounds and envelopes
with retro wallpaper patterns, with designs cov-
ering the subjects’ bodies the way tattoos might.
On display to June 23. Hill Center at the Old Naval
Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Call 202-549-
4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

CAT PEOPLE
A landmark in the horror genre, this 1942 black-and-white
classic from Jacques Tourneur was based on a short story by
producer Val Lewton about a young woman who believes her-
self a descendant of a race of people who turn into big cats when
sexually aroused or deeply angered. Simone Simon offered a
“superbly acted” performance as the star in a film a TV Guide
critic went on to laud as a testament “to the power of sugges-
tion and the priority of imagination over budget in the creation
of great cinema.” This is the film that scared Metro Weekly
editor Randy Shulman’s mother so much as a child, it instilled
a lifetime extreme fear of cats in her. The film screens as part
of the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema.
Wednesday, June 13, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m., 2301 M St. NW.
Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $12.50. Call
202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

JOSANNE FRANCIS
The nationally renowned Francis was the first steelpan soloist
in history invited to give a recital at Carnegie Hall in 2014, the
same year she also appeared as a guest musician on — of all
things — Bravo’s Top Chef. The artistic director of the Cultural
Academy for Excellence, a music-based enrichment program
in Prince George’s County, Francis is also currently serving
as an Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore this season. Next
week, she performs the first of two solo concerts as part of a
series showcasing the program’s sonically diverse 2018 class.
JONATHAN TIMMES

Wednesday, June 13, at 7:30 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore,

10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $17. Call
301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

12 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
LEIF
Songbyrd Music House, the small, subterranean venue in Adams
Morgan, offers an enticing reason to venture up the hill for Pridegoers
after the Parade: A concert by the gay rapper with the hyperarticulate
flow. Born Khalif Diouf in Manhattan, Le1f was initially focused on
becoming a dancer, channeling those roots into his music videos and
live performance. Saturday, June 9. Doors at 10:30 p.m. 2477 18th St.
NW. Tickets are $18 to $20. Call 202-450-2917 or visit songbyrddc.com.

BARRY MANILOW
He writes the songs that make the
whole world come out? A year
after finally, officially announcing
his gayhood, Manilow will come
to the area this weekend for two
concerts at Wolf Trap. Danish-
American jazz/soul saxophonist

COURTESY OF WOLF TRAP

Michael Lington opens. Friday,
June 8, and Saturday, June 9, at 8
p.m. The Filene Center, 1551 Trap
Road, Vienna. Tickets are $45 to
$125. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.

THE NANCE
The “nance” — as in Nancy boy, or effeminate homo-
sexual — was a stock character in burlesque and
vaudeville shows in 1930s New York, when it might
have been popular to play gay on stage, for laughs,
but certainly not to be gay in reality. The play The
Nance shines a light on that honest-to-goodness chap-
ter in history that even few gay people know about.
Alexandria’s Little Theatre offers the first area pro-
duction of the entertaining and informative comedy,
a three-time Tony winner from Douglas Carter Beane
(Little Dog Laughed, Xanadu) that starred Nathan
Lane on Broadway in 2013. Chuck Dluhy takes on
the title role at this community theater in Old Town,
directed by Frank D. Shutts II. To June 23. 600 Wolfe
MATT LIPTAK

St., Alexandria. Tickets are $19 to $23. Call 703-683-

0496 or visit thelittletheater.com.

14 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Out On The Town

Cupckae, Blanco and Shamir

MYKKI BLANCO, CUPCAKKE ANDSHAMIR

The Rock and Roll Hotel presents concerts by three queer-centric, hip, and hip-hop-rooted artists, one per night over Pride
weekend. The sharp-tongued, genderqueer Blanco, a native of Orange County, Calif., is up first, on Friday, June 8. He’s
followed by Cupcakke, another provocative young rapper, who will perform a sold-out show on Saturday, June 9. Last but
not least, on Sunday, June 10, comes the D.C. return of Las Vegas native Shamir “On The Regular” Bailey for a concert sure
to send off Pride in frantic, fun, genre-hopping fashion. Doors for all shows at 7 p.m. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE.
Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door each. Call 202-388-ROCK or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.

Compiled by Doug Rule
PRIDE 2018
CAPTURING FIRE:
QUEER POETRY SUMMIT & SLAM
The focus of this DC Center festi-
val is on performance-based short-
form slams, a form of American
political theater in which poets
typically share personal stories and
touch on important issues through
their original, impactful composi-
tions, competing for a title as deter-
mined by a panel of judges. Led
by Artistic Director Regie Cabico,
this year’s eighth annual event also
serves to launch Capturing Fire
Press and the release of its debut
publication, Stoked Words: An
Anthology of Queer Poetry from the
Capturing Fire Slam. Poets will read
from the anthology as part of the
Opening Ceremony & Reception on
Friday, June 8, at 7 p.m., immedi-
ately followed by a semi-final poet-
ry slam at 9:30 p.m. Readings of
poems by queer writers published
in Beltway Poetry Quarterly, led by
its editor Kim Roberts, kick off Day
Two of the festival at 10 a.m., fol-
lowed by workshops for queer peo-
ple of color led by J. Mase the III
— one exploring the use of poetry
as a healing tool, the other offering
tips to make writing a sustainable,
even profitable, pursuit. Also on
offer is a panel discussion exam-
ining the role of the queer poet as
educator, as well as two showcas-
es of monologues and performance
poetry brought to life on stage by
Cabico, Drew Pisarra, Chris Brown,
and Charlie Petch among others.
There will also be two open mics for
queer poets of color and those over
40, before ending with two final
rounds to determine the Capturing
Fire Slam Champion 2018. Woolly
Mammoth Rehearsal Hall, 641 D St.
NW. Tickets are free, reservations
required. Call 202-393-3939 or visit
capfireslam.org.
DISTRICT OF PRIDE: LGBTQ
PERFORMANCE ARTISTS
SHOWCASE
The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ
Affairs, along with the DC
Commission on the Arts and
Humanities, Capital Pride, and
Sleepy Lee of Makers Lab, pres-
ent a post-Pride showcase cele-
brating the city’s “premier LGBTQ
performance artists.” The lineup
includes BOOMscat, the CooLots,
Pretty Boi Drag, Destiny B. Childs,
Leigh Crenshaw, Regie Cabico,
Charity Joyce Blackwell, Ophelia
Zayna Hart, Dana Nearing, Batala
Washington, and Pyroxotic. Pretty
Boi’s Pretty Rik E will host, and Matt
Bailer will supply the tunes. Friday,
June 15. Doors at 7 p.m. Lincoln
Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets
are free, with RSVP required and
seating on a first-come, first-served
basis. Call 202-888-0050 or visit
districtofpride.eventbrite.com.
NATIONAL PRIDE SHABBAT
Rabbis Shira Stutman of Sixth
& I and Laurie Green of Bet
Mishpachah, with musician Aaron
Shneyer and members of GLOE at
the Edlavitch DCJCC, lead an inclu-
sive service celebrating the diver-
sity of the LGBTQ community on
the night before the Capital Pride
Parade. The festivities begin with
a happy hour at 6:15 p.m., followed
by a Joyous Shabbat service at
7:15 p.m., and then a home-cooked
kosher dinner followed by Pride-
inspired trivia. Friday, June 8. Sixth
& I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St.
NW. The service is free, but dinner
is $15 in advance, or $30 day of.
Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthan-
di.org/pride.
THAT’S SO GAY:
A LOCAL PRIDE COMEDY SHOW
Lousy Humans presents a night
of stand-up from local comics
Violet Gray, Chelsea Shorte, Curt
Mariah, Leigh Crenshaw, and the
presenting organization’s comedi-
an-in-chief Valerie Paschall, plus
Michael Furr and Sam Kelly, all
based in Baltimore, and Richmond-
based Mary Jane French. Friday,
June 8. Doors at 9 p.m. Black Cat
Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets
are $10. Call 202-667-4490 or visit
blackcatdc.com.
FILM
LGBTQ FILMS AT AFI DOCS
This year’s documentary film fes-
tival will screen 92 films of vary-
ing length, including two fea-
ture-length LGBTQ-themed ones:
The Gospel of Eureka, a touching,
upbeat look from directors Michael
Palmieri and Donal Mosher of a
tiny Arkansas town in which a
gay bar with a lively drag scene
coexists peacefully with a church
that’s home to a popular live-action
Passion Play, screening Thursday,
June 14, at 8:45 p.m., at the AFI
Silver in Silver Spring, and Friday,
June 15, at 9 p.m., at Landmark’s
E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW;
and the world premiere of Natalie
Metzger and Michael Rohrbaugh’s
Alone in the Game, a look at the
pressures a new generation of
queer and transgender athletes are

16 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Urie almost got his chance at Frump — the nemesis to win-
dow washer-turned-corporate exec J. Pierrepont Finch — in the
2011 Broadway revival starring Daniel Radcliffe. “They hired me.
And then, through a series of very sad circumstances which I
won’t go into, I ended up not getting to keep the job. It was like a
showbiz tragedy.” Christopher Hankey took on the role, but Urie
finally got his chance in 2012, replacing Hankey at the same time
Nick Jonas stepped in as Finch.
“I can’t ever remember being that purely happy doing a job,”
he glows. “There have been other jobs that have meant more to
me or been more challenging, but doing this show is just like a
big bowl of ice cream!”
Urie is feasting on another helping of that ice cream, as the
hit-packed, Pulitzer Prize-winning Frank Loesser musical plays
this weekend as part of the Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center
Stage, a magnificent new series that has already mounted electri-
fying semi-staged concerts of Chess and In the Heights. Directed
by Marc Bruni, How to Succeed features Urie as Frump, Betsy
Wolfe as Rosemary Pilkington, Nova Payton as Miss Jones, John
Michael Higgins as Biggley, and Pitch Perfect’s Skylar Astin as
Finch.
“He’s got such great energy,” Urie, last seen here at the
Shakespeare Theatre in a powerful take on Hamlet, says of Astin.
“He sings so well and he’s got great comic sensibility and is filled
with ideas. He’s perfect for the role.”
In addition to his quick stint in How to Succeed, Urie is busy

SUCCESS STORY
Michael Urie likens playing Bud Frump in How to
Succeed in Business to “a big bowl of ice cream.”
prepping for the Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch
Song Trilogy, part of a sudden resurgence of seminal LGBTQ
plays on Broadway that includes Boys in the Band, starring
Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Matt Bomer, and Angels in
America, starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane.

W
HEN THE SCRIBES WRITE THE ULTIMATE
history of Broadway, one thing will become crystal
clear: Michael Urie was destined to play Bud Frump.
“When I was 16, my sister and I went to the Dallas Summer
Musicals production of How to Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying,” says the effervescent 37-year-old during a break
from rehearsal. “It was the national tour that starred Ralph
Macchio as Finch and Roger Bart as Frump. It was seminal for
me. It totally changed the way I looked at theater. I loved it more
than anything. I thought, ‘This is a musical I could be in!’”
“It seems to be something in the ethos,” he says of the per-
fectly-timed trio. “I feel in some ways it’s a victory lap for the
LGBTQ community. But it may be a call to arms for the rights
that are being stripped away by the current Administration — a
reminder of what we could lose. That could be it.” He pauses.
“I think it could also be coincidence.” —Randy Shulman
Broadway Center Stage: How to Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying runs through Sunday, June 10 in the Kennedy
Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $59-$175. Call 202-467-
4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

putting on competitive sports to
become more open and welcoming,
on Friday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m., at
E Street. Tickets are $15 each; $50
for the opening night film. Call 301-
495-6720 or visit afi.com/afidocs.
THE HELLO GIRLS
The National Archives Museum
screens director James Theres’
new documentary in the mold of
Hidden Figures, in this case focused
on the slighted history of America’s
first female soldiers. In 1918, the
U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223
American women to France to work
the latest technology, the telephone
switchboard. These courageous
women battled enemy fire in a war
zone as they endeavored to keep
U.S. Army commanders connect-
ed with troops on the front lines.
And yet, when they returned home,
the U.S. government refused to
recognize them as soldiers — and
only did so some 60 years later,
after the women persisted. After
the screening, Theres and histori-
an and author Mitchell Yockelson
will discuss and answer questions
about The Hello Girls, which fea-
tures archival film and photo-
graphs from the Archives. Friday,
June 15, at noon. The William G.
McGowan Theater, Constitution
Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets
NW. Free, with reservations rec-
ommended; first-come, first-seated.
Call 202-357-5000 or visit archives-
foundation.org.
THE ROCKY HORROR
PICTURE SHOW
Landmark’s E Street Cinema
offers its monthly run of Richard
O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the
longest-running midnight movie in
history. Landmark’s showings come
with a live shadow cast from the
Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s
even more interactive than usual.
Friday, June 8, and Saturday, June
9, at midnight. Landmark’s E Street
Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-
452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.
com.
STAGE
CHARLOTTE’S WEB
Virginia’s Creative Cauldron pres-
ents Charles Strouse’s beguiling
adaption of E.B. White’s classic tale,
with a book by Joseph Robinette.
Matt Conner directs a cast led by
Will Stevenson as Wilbur and Abby
Middleton as Charlotte. To June 17.
ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South
Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Call
703-436-9948 or visit creativecaul-
dron.org.
FLOOD CITY
Set amid the Great Flood of
Pennsylvania in 1889 as well as
the drying up of the state’s steel
industry a century later, Gabrielle
Reisman’s hopeful dark comedy
traverses time and space to look at
the impacts disasters and corporate
irresponsibility have on a commu-
nity. Flood City shines a light on the
community’s resilience in the wake
of the unimaginable. Jenna Duncan
directs the Theater Alliance pro-
duction. To June 17. Anacostia
Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE.
Call 202-241-2539 or visit theater-
alliance.com.
GIRLFRIEND
In 1993, Matthew Sweet toured as
an opening act for newly out lesbian
rocker Melissa Etheridge. Sweet’s
power-pop tunes — including 1991

18 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY


CHARLES ROSS:
ONE-MAN STAR WARS TRILOGY
Over the years this nerdy comedian has patented a brand
of irreverent, succinct parodies of popular science fic-
tion/fantasy franchises, everything from One Man Lord
of the Rings to the more recent One Man Dark Knight.
These CliffsNotes-esque theatrical shows include plen-
ty of pop culture references and side-jokes to broaden
the appeal beyond their core fan bases. Ross returns
to the Birchmere with one of his originals, whittling
down the first three movies in the Star Wars franchise,
including The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Saturday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.,
Alexandria. Tickets are $35. Call 703-549-7500 or visit
birchmere.com.
alt-rock album Girlfriend — contin-
ue their LGBTQ appeal and connec-
tion, soundtracking a gay coming-
of-age theatrical tale set in ’90s-
era small-town Nebraska. Lukas
James Miller and Jimmy Mavrikes
star as a college-bound jock and
his first boyfriend. Directed by
Matt Gardiner. Extended to June
17. The Ark, 4200 Campbell Ave.,
Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit
sigtheatre.org
20 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
SAINT JOAN
HHHHH
The Bedlam production brings
an engaging, immersive energy to
George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan,
innovative for its fun and infor-
mality — suggesting the lively vibe
of a dramatic reading more than a
fully staged performance. It feels
fresh and loved, as if the ensemble
couldn’t be happier in sharing what
they have discovered. But for any-
one not mad for Shaw, at more than
three hours there is a point at which
COMMUNITY
STAGE
even good intentions are not quite
enough. It is not just the sitting for
long periods in the Folger’s enthu-
siastic aircon, it is the challenge LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE
of turning Shaw’s wordy, cerebral Spotlighters presents a series of
script, with its innumerable charac- monologues written by the late
ters and pontifications, into some- Nora Ephron with her sister Delia
thing compelling and cathartic. Ephron, based on a book by Ilene
The problem here begins with the Beckerman. A hit Off Broadway at
tiny cast, who must by necessity the turn of this decade, the stories
take on multiple roles. Director in the work largely revolve around
Eric Tucker, the visionary behind the theme of women and fashion.
last season’s phenomenal Sense and And yet, as Nora once described
Sensibility, choreographs it boldly the book, “It is not about fashion;
for tongue-in-cheek bravado, but it is about what clothes really are
the comic sensibility is too varied to us, those moments when we are
among the players. After a fashion, constantly trying to find our iden-
it all begins to feel rather too much tity through them.” Weekends to
like an endless party trick. To June June 10. Spotlighters Theatre, 817
10. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. Paul St., Baltimore. Tickets are
Street SE. Tickets are $35 to $79. $18 to $22. Call 410-752-1225 or
Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger. visit spotlighters.org.
edu. (Kate Wingfield)
SOUL THE STAX MUSICAL
MUSIC
Kwame Kwei-Armah concludes
AUDRA MCDONALD
his tenure as artistic director of
WITH THE BSO, NSO
Baltimore Center Stage with a
Broadway’s most showered per-
world-premiere musical about
former in history — winner of a
the storied Memphis-based label
whopping six Tony Awards — per-
Stax Records, which created the
forms favorites from the shows
very foundation of American
she’s starred in — everything from
Soul Music through its star ros-
Carousel, Ragtime and Porgy and
ter. Stax launched the careers of
Bess on Broadway, to The Sound
Otis Redding, the Staple Singers,
of Music on TV and Disney’s live
Isaac Hayes, Wilson Pickett, and
action Beauty and The Beast. And
Booker T & the MG’s. Matthew
she does it not once, but twice in
Benjamin wrote the book for what
mid-June, accompanied by the
is essentially a jukebox musical
area’s two leading orchestras. First
featuring a huge 21-member cast.
up, it’s the Baltimore Symphony
Choreography by Chase Brock.
Orchestra led by Andy Einhorn.
To June 10. 700 North Calvert St.,
Thursday, June 14, at 8 p.m. Joseph
Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to $79.
Call 410-332-0033 or visit center-
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212
Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets
stage.org.
are $40 to $80. Call 410-783-8000
or visit bsomusic.org. The next
THE REMAINS
week, McDonald takes a bow with
A comedy about the tragedy of lov-
the National Symphony Orchestra
ing starring Maulik Pancholy (30
again with Einhorn conducting.
Rock) as one half of a gay couple
celebrating a 10th anniversary and
Tuesday, June 19, at 8 p.m. Kennedy
Center Concert Hall. Tickets are
revealing the truth of their seeming-
$29 to $119. Call 202-467-4600 or
ly perfect relationship. David Muse
visit kennedy-center.org.
directs a world premiere by Ken
Urban. To June 17. Studio Theatre,
DC JAZZFEST
14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-
Billed as the fastest-growing jazz
3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
festival in the U.S., as well as the
largest and most diverse music fes-
THE SCO
TRAYF
tival in D.C., the DC Jazz Festival
returns with over 100 performanc-
Theater J presents a world pre-
es at venues around town, from
miere of Lindsay Joelle’s play set
Sixth and I Historic Synagogue to
in 1990’s New York, named for the
the Kennedy Center. On Thursday,
Yiddish word for “non-kosher” or
June 7, the new City Winery
“forbidden.” Trayf predominantly
kicks off a string of shows over
focuses on the double life of 19-year-
the next week with urban jazz
old Zalmy: a loyal foot soldier for
harmonicist Frederic Yonnet
his rabbi and Orthodox Jewish
and the Washington Renaissance
community by day, a freewheeling,
Orchestra Octet, followed on suc-
roller-skating, secular club kid at
cessive days by Patricia Barber
night. Derek Goldman directs Josh
Trio, the Bad Plus, and Raul Midon,
Adams, Madeline Joey Rose, Tyler
among others. Meanwhile, the
Herman, and Drew Kopas. In pre-
Hamilton kicks off a run of shows
views. To June 24. The Aaron and
with Delfeayo Marsalis on Friday,
Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch
June 8, with additional concerts
DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets
to come from Regina Carter and
are $39 to $69. Call 202-777-3210 or
Terence Blanchard featuring the
visit theaterj.org.
 E-Collective. Yet signature events
at this year’s festival, presented
by EventsDC, all take place next
weekend — and all at locations in
the Southwest Waterfront, includ-
ing the Pearl Street Warehouse and
Hyatt House. Mark G. Meadows,
Ivan Lins & Friends, Akua Allrich,
and Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah
will perform on outdoor stag-
es set up on the Wharf’s piers on
Saturday, June 16, a day featuring
a triple-bill headline performance
at the Anthem with Leslie Odom
Jr., R+R=Now (Robert Glasper
Supergroup), and Maceo Parker.
On Sunday, June 17, Rochelle
Rice, Melissa Aldana, Ancestral
Memories featuring Yosvany Terry
& Baptiste Trotignon, and the
Fabrizio Bosso Quartet will take
to the District and Transit piers to
KALEY ETZKORN

bring DC JazzFest on the Wharf

to a close — with the overall fes-
tival culminating in two concerts
elsewhere: Lisa Fischer & Grand
Banton at Blues Alley, and All That
Jazz with Donvonte McCoy Quintet
at Eighteenth Street Lounge. Call
855-332-7767 or visit dcjazzfest.org.

DRAG COACH
FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Delaware’s Firefly becomes more
of a draw with each passing year.
Spread out over a scenic, woodsy
In The Legend of Georgia McBride, Rick Hammerly plays 100 acres at Dover Downs, Firefly
offers non-musical diversions,
“a fixer” in high heels and a wig. including camping spaces, a path-

R
way with nighttime video and light
ICK HAMMERLY IS NO STRANGER TO WORKING THE STAGE displays, food trucks and bars — this
in a frock and heels. After all, he won a Helen Hayes Award for his turn year including Eminem’s “Mom’s
Spaghetti” and Shake Shack — and
in Signature’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and pulled on another dress in a pop-up brewery from Delaware’s
Shakespeare Theatre’s gender-bending Taming of the Shrew. But those drag excur- own Dogfish. But the chief focus is
sions only just prepared him for stepping into the sequined shoes of the fictional and on catching many of music’s latest
and greatest. Eminem, Kendrick
fabulous Miss Tracy Mills in Round House Theatre’s season-closing production of Lamar, Arctic Monkeys, The
The Legend of Georgia McBride. Killers, and Chromeo are headlin-
“This is probably the most difficult show I’ve ever done...for a myriad of rea- ers this year. Other notable acts
sons,” says Hammerly. “It’s a big show. I’m onstage a lot. I’m in drag for the entire in the lineup include, per day:
Hippie Sabotage, Chicano Batman,
show. There are numerous wig and costume changes, so when you’re not onstage and Everything Everything join-
you’re backstage ripping things off, having things put on. All of the drag numbers are ing Chromeo on Thursday, June
choreographed — they’re not just walk-around-hand-me-a-dollar-bill. 14; Foster The People, Logic, Big
Gigantic, Jimmy Eat World, and
“This show is kicking my ass!” Lizzo joining Arctic Monkeys on
Hammerly, whose most recent directorial effort for Factory 449, Lela & Co. Friday, June 14; Lil Wayne, Martin
earned critical praise, won’t reveal which hit tunes those numbers are choreo- Garrix, Portugal. The Man, Vance
graphed to until Matthew Lopez’s comedy, directed by Tom Story, finally opens. Joy, and Middle Kids joining
Eminem and the Killers on Saturday,
“It’s supposed to be a secret,” he teases. “But I will tell you, it was an incredibly fun June 15; and Odesza, Sza, Alt-J,
process, because they’re not written into the script.” MGMT, Kamasi Washington, Betty
Hammerly’s character, the indomitable Tracy Mills, guides a naïve, straight Elvis Who, Alice Merton, and Morgxn
joining Lamar on closing day
impersonator through his emergence as drag diva Georgia McBride. He describes Sunday, June 17. The Woodlands
Mills as “a fixer. If there’s a problem, she’s gonna fix it. If somebody’s down-and- of Dover International Speedway,
out, she’s gonna help them be included. She’s a gal who’s been around the block. 1131 N. Dupont Highway, Dover,
She’s been through it, [yet] she finds the good in everything, and she wants the best Del. Passes start at $129 for a single
day or $349 for a four-day pass. Call
for everybody. But she’s also a business woman who’s not really gonna sell herself 855-281-4898 or visit fireflyfestival.
short at this point in life. She feels she’s deserving of happiness, and a little security. com.
“And she’s funny. She’s got this kind of glow about her, and this willingness to
HEATHER MAE W/CRYS
be hopeful, which I love, which I wish I could be a little more like. I kind of love MATTHEWS, OLIVIA MANCINI
her.” —André Hereford Sometimes touted as “the queer
Adele,” Mae is a power-piped sing-
The Legend of Georgia McBride runs to July 1 at Round House Theatre, 4545 East- er-songwriter whose earnest and
affirming folk/pop music, as cap-
West Highway, in Bethesda, Md. Tickets are $36 to $51. Call 240-644-1100, or visit tured on five-song EP I Am Enough,
RoundHouseTheatre.org.

22 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY


PHOTO COURTESY OF MELROSE GEORGETOWN HOTEL
PINK PANTHER PRIDE COCKTAIL
All weekend long, the Jardenea Lounge in the Melrose Georgetown Hotel will be serv-
ing up a Cosmopolitan with watermelon-infused vodka as a way to toast Capital Pride.
The libation joins the regular Spring Cocktails menu of drinks, all priced at $12, ranging
from the Melrose with Absolut, pomegranate and lemon juices, simple syrup, and egg
whites, to the Bourbon Milk Punch with Maker’s Mark, Bailey’s Alamande, cream, and
vanilla-cinnamon simple syrup, to the Sangriatini with vodka, pineapple juice, triple sec,
and fruit-infused cabernet sauvignon. Thursday, June 7, through Sunday, June 10. 2430
Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Call 202-955-6400 or visit melrosehoteldc.com.
is very much in the mold of Mary
“Same Love” Lambert. A Phazefest
veteran, Mae headlines a concert of
locally based artists with opening
sets from Matthews, a black, lesbi-
an artist known for soul-searching
acoustic folk, and Mancini, a sen-
sitive indie-pop singer-songwriter
who has been a prominent figure
on the local scene for years. Sunday,
June 10. Doors at 8 p.m. Black Cat
Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets
are $20. Call 202-667-4490 or visit
blackcatdc.com.
JOURNEY & DEF LEPPARD
Hyped in its official press release
as “promising to be the Tour of the
Year,” this double-bill show fea-
tures two of the biggest baby-boom-
er legacy acts. According to the
official release, Journey from San
Francisco and Def Leppard from
Sheffield, England, have transcend-
ed their generation, time, and place
to register as “two of the world’s
greatest rock bands.” They are, in
fact, two of the world’s biggest-sell-
ing musical acts of all time — as
measured in total album sales. Led
by founding vocalist Joe Elliott
with original bassist Rick Savage
and longtime drummer Rick Allen,
the British five-piece — respon-
sible for hits including “Rock of
Ages,” “Photograph,” and that big
24 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
sticky-sweet suggestive stomper,
“Pour Some Sugar On Me” — will
open half of the shows and close
the remainder as a way to keeps
things fresh on its second outing
with Journey after a similar 2006
co-headlining trek. Neal Schon,
lead guitarist and singer, is the only
original member of the American
five-piece, with Arnel Pineda, lead
singer for the last decade, on duty
to perform the band’s most popu-
lar soaring anthems originally per-
formed by Steve Perry — includ-
ing “Faithfully,” “Open Arms,” and
of course that big ditty still heard
often enough, you don’t believe
you could ever forget it, try as you
might. Friday, June 8, at 7 p.m. Jiffy
Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive,
Bristow, Va. Also Saturday, June
16, at 7 p.m. Royal Farms Arena,
201 West Baltimore St., Baltimore.
Tickets are $129 to $1870 before
taxes and fees, or $71 to $89 for
most lawn seats at Jiffy Lube Live.
Call 703-754-6400 or visit livena-
tion.com.
JAZZ IN THE GARDEN:
US ARMY BLUES SWAMP ROMP
A summertime staple, the National
Gallery of Art offers free outdoor
concerts immediately after work
every Friday through late August.
Bands offering a range of jazz styles,
from swing to Latin to ska, per-
form amidst the museum’s collec-
tion of large-scale sculptural works
while patrons enjoy food and drink,
including beer, wine, and sangria,
as sold by the Pavilion Cafe and
outdoor grill. The 2018 series con-
tinues with ska/rock/reggae band
the Slackers, on June 8, followed
by the Michael Thomas Quintet on
June 15, presented in collaboration
with DC JazzFest (see separate list-
ing). Evenings from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Sculpture Garden, between 7th and
9th Streets NW. Call 202-289-3360
or visit nga.gov.
MATTHEW SWEET
Next week, you could bask twice
in the music of this ’90s-minted
indie-rocker. For starters, there’s
Girlfriend, currently at Signature
Theatre, a play about two teenage
boys in Nebraska who fall in love to
Sweet’s tunes. A second outing fea-
tures the rocker himself, performing
live from his repertoire, including
selections from Girlfriend as well as
from his latest album Tomorrow’s
Daughter. Wednesday, June 13,
at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701
Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.
Tickets are $35. Call 703-549-7500
or visit birchmere.com.
MIDDLE KIDS
A relatively new Australian pow-
er-pop/rock trio, led by dramat-
ic singer/guitarist Hannah Joy,
Middle Kids seems destined for
greater success on account of its
striking, anthemic blend of indie-
rock and alt-country that calls to
mind contemporary acts Lucius
and First Aid Kit, among others.
And all of that frames clever, bitter-
sweet lyrics. Duncan Fellows opens.
Friday, June 15. Doors at 7 p.m.
Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE.
Tickets are $15. Call 202-388-ROCK
or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.
OLD TIME BANJO FESTIVAL
This 12th Annual Mike Seeger
Commemorative event features
Dom Flemons, formerly of the black
bluegrass band, Evie Ladin, the Ken
& Brad Kolodner Group with Rachel
Eddie, the married couple Cathy
Fink and Marcy Marxer perform-
ing with Sam Gleaves, and Greg
Adams. Sunday, June 17, at 7:30
p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount
Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets
are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or
visit birchmere.com.
THE AIRMEN OF NOTE
Every Saturday night over the
summer, National Harbor hosts
free concerts by military bands in
a “Salute the Sunset” series. The
second Saturday in June comes the
second of three performances this
season by the premier jazz ensem-
ble of the US Air Force. Saturday,
June 9, at 7 p.m. Plaza Stage, 150
National Plaza, Oxon Hill, Md. Free.
Call 877-628-5427 or visit national-
harbor.com.
VANCE JOY
A supporting act for Taylor Swift,
this chipper folk-popper from
Down Under returns to D.C. for
a headlining show at the Anthem.
Mondo Cozmo, the folk/rock alias of
Philadelphia-bred Josh Ostrander,
opens. Tuesday, June 12. Doors at 6
p.m. 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are
$55 to $95. Call 202-888-0020 or
visit theanthemdc.com.
WICKED JEZABEL
Pauline Anson-Dross’ popular les-
bian all-covers party-rock band
Wicked Jezabel has been rocking —
as well as raising money for various
good causes — all over the region for
a decade now, originally under the
name The Outskirts of Town. The
ladies return to Freddie’s Beach
Bar for a special concert kicking off
Pride weekend. Friday, June 8, at 8
p.m. 555 South 23rd St., Arlington.
Tickets are $10. Call 703-685-0555
or visit freddiesbeachbar.com.
DANCE
DANA TAI SOON BURGESS
DANCE COMPANY: PORTRAITS
This local company presents three
new dances created at the National
 NATIONAL COLLEGE
DANCE FESTIVAL 2018
The American College Dance
Association returns to the Kennedy
Center for another annual show-
case of some of the finest dance
works created at and selected by
30 participating dance schools and
universities. Presented in three dis-
tinct programs, each offered twice,
one per night, the choreography
represents a breadth of styles and
content created by guest artists, fac-
ulty, and students. Thursday, June
7, through Saturday, June 9, at 2
p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center
Terrace Theater. Tickets are $30
each program. Call 202-467-4600
or visit kennedy-center.org.
READINGS
BOOKS IN BLOOM FESTIVAL
Over 3,000 people attended last
year’s inaugural, day-long book
festival up in Columbia. Presented
by the Downtown Columbia
Partnership of Maryland, Books
in Bloom offers readings, panel
discussions, a children’s author
tent, and a pop-up bookstore by
Politics & Prose. This year’s line-
up of celebrated authors includes:
Jennifer Palmieri, the Director
of Communications for Hillary
Clinton’s 2016 campaign and author
of Dear Madam President: An Open
Letter to the Women Who Will Run
The World; Nathan Bomey, a USA
Today reporter and author of After
The Fact: The Erosion of Truth and
the Inevitable Rise of Donald Trump;
Vikram Sunderam, the James Beard
HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM Award-winning chef and co-author
of the Rasika: Taste of India cook-
DEEP SUGAR WITH ULTRA NATE book; Amanda Lucidon, former
As its toast to Capital Pride, U Street Music Hall offers official White House photographer
back-to-back nights with two of the most revered under- for First Lady Michelle Obama and
author of Chasing Light; Edwidge
ground dance parties on the queer club scene. On Friday, Danticat, the Haitian-American
June 8, the focus is on the queer origins of dirty disco novelist whose works include the
and driving house, both new and old, as spun by Jackie Oprah’s Book Club selection Breath,
House, Jason Kendig, and Bezier of the San Francisco Eyes, Memory; Elliot Ackerman,
DJ collective Honey Soundsystem, with opening sets
National Book Award finalist for
the novel Dark at the Crossing; and
from Brooklyn’s Octo Octa, with Octo Octa and D.C.’s Bonnie Siegler, prominent New
York graphic designer and author of
own Outputmessage. The next night, Saturday, June 9,
Signs of Resistance: A Visual History
Uhall brings back Ultra Nate, the “Free” club singer, for of Protest in America. Sunday,
another Pride edition of the deep/soul house party she
June 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
throws with Lisa Moody and based in Baltimore. The Downtown Columbia Lakefront,
Pride Deep Sugar also features sets by Wayne Davis, 10221 Wincopin Circle. Free. Call
410-964-4984 or visit dtcpartner-
Andy Grant, and Katrina Mir, plus a live performance by ship.com/booksinbloom.
Dawn Tallman. Doors both nights at 10:30 p.m. 1115A U
St. NW. Tickets for Honey are $12 in advance, or $20 at FRANK LOWE: RAISED BY
UNICORNS: STORIES FROM
the door, and $10 for Sugar. Call 202-588-1880 or visit PEOPLE WITH LGBTQ+ PARENTS
ustreetmusichall.com.
Little of the attention devoted to
the issue of gay parenting in recent
decades has focused on the expe-
riences of the children raised by
Portrait Gallery during its name- June 15, and Saturday, June 16, at
same-sex couples. This ground-
sake’s residency as the Smithsonian 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace
breaking anthology put together by
Institution’s first official choreog- Theater. Tickets are $30 to $75.
Lowe, known by his popular social
rapher. The works, I Am Vertical, Call 202-467-4600 or visit kenne-
media handle @GayAtHomeDad,
After 1001 Nights, and Confluence, dy-center.org.
presents a range of their stories,
exemplify Burgess’ poetic, emotion-
diverse in age, orientation, and
al style of choreography. Friday,
experience. One intriguing thread
26 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
running throughout a number of
them is the fact that these straight
allies desire to stay connected to the
community even after they reach
adulthood and fly their LGBTQ
coop. Sunday, June 17, at 5 p.m.
Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut
Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit
politics-prose.com.
GREG SMITHSIMON: CAUSE...
AND HOW IT DOESN’T ALWAYS
EQUAL EFFECT
As a people, we tend to oversimplify
the notion of cause and effect, to the
point that we aren’t able to uncover
the kind of insight needed to tackle
major issues, everything from racial
discrimination to the cycle of pover-
ty. Smithsimon, a Brooklyn College
sociology professor, argues that we
stumble because we often don’t look
for or can’t even see a problem’s true
causes — because we’re hard-wired
to overlook them. He combines phi-
losophy, the science of perception,
and social research to offer a new
way to explore social problems and
ask “Why” in a way that could help
avoid these oversights and mistakes,
with the potential to help us begin
to make effective social change.
Smithsimon will read and discuss
his new book with Randa Serhan,
an assistant sociology professor at
American University. Wednesday,
June 13, at 6:30 p.m. Kramerbooks,
1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call
202-387-1400 or visit kramers.com.
OUT/SPOKEN: A LOCAL QUEER
POETRY SHOWCASE
The narratives of queer, trans, and
two-spirit people take center stage
in this poetry event. A.M. Pressman,
Tyler Vile, and Xemi The Two-
Spirit are the featured poets at one
of three Pride-centric offerings at
the Black Cat. Saturday, June 9.
Doors at 7 p.m. Backstage, 1811 14th
St. NW. Free. Call 202-667-4490 or
visit blackcatdc.com.
MUSEUMS
& GALLERIES
CLARA CORNELIUS: C
ASEURA OBSCURA
An installation of screen-printed
banners bursting with color, pat-
tern, and energy fills the tiny out-
door space that has become known
as Takoma Park’s Pump House
Pop-Up Gallery. Pyramid Atlantic
Arts Center created the gallery with
funding from the city government.
The works in the exhibition are a
combination of photographic and
cut paper patterns, assembled in
such a way as to transform what
might be considered ordinary
images and objects into something
magical. Opening Reception is
Sunday, June 10, from 2 to 4 p.m.
On display through Aug. 18. Hilltop
Road between Maple and Geneva
Avenues, Takoma Park. Call 301-
 reproductions of the 19th-century
convention, have gained immense
original in a way that intentionally
new opportunities for self-expres-
disrupts, messes up, and confuses.
sion and discovery. To Oct. 10. The
The end result is a work that invites
Graphic Arts Galleries, Ground
reconsideration of how narratives
Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building,
about American history have been
10 First St. SE. Call 202-707-8000
shaped and contested. To Nov. 12.
or visit loc.gov/concerts.
Independence Avenue and Seventh
Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or
JEFFREY EVERETT: ARCHITEXT
visit hirshhorn.si.edu.
The local graphic designer and
illustrator has worked with some
QUEERING SOUND:
of the biggest names in rock, con-
DUST JACKET
cocting vividly designed concert
The annual experimental music
posters. Strathmore presents an
concert took place the first weekend
exhibition combining Everett’s
this month, but this year’s edition
signature style, inspired by tradi-
also spawned a month-long exhi-
tional printmaking, with his inter-
bition influenced and inspired by
ests in architecture and cinema,
Man Ray’s photograph of Marcel
as evidenced in digital art prints
Duchamp’s The Great Glass cov-
highlighting iconic buildings, struc-
ered in dust motes, Élevage de
tures, and quotes from cult classic
Poussière. Works reinterpreting or
films in custom-designed typogra-
subverting lyrics, sound, and musi-
phy. To June 10. The Mansion at
cal ephemera from an assortment of
Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike,
LGBTQ artists and allies — includ-
North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100
ing Metro Weekly’s Todd Franson —
or visit strathmore.org.
will be on display, with a percentage
of sales benefiting the host venue
KATIE PUMPHREY: FIVE MORE
and a queer charity TBA. Exhibition
MINUTES, PART I AND II
runs to June 30. Rhizome DC, 6950
Through large-scale paintings and
Maple St. NW. Tickets are $10. Visit
installations, the Baltimore artist
rhizomedc.org.
explores the tension between calm
and chaos — specifically, the anx-
THE ARTISTIC TABLE
iety, excitement, panic, and even
Marjorie Merriweather Post’s gift
monotony that comes from just five
for bringing art to everyday din-
more minutes of doing something.
ing inspired the latest exhibition at
Through mid-July, Pumphrey’s
Post’s former estate Hillwood, fea-
works on the theme will be on
turing table settings from a handful
display in both Georgetown and
of contemporary interior designers.
Alexandria as part of a two-part
Timothy Corrigan, Barry Dixon,
exhibition at two galleries. Part I is
Charlotte Moss, Alex Papachristidis,
on display to July 21, ending with a
P. Gaye Tapp, Hutton Wilkinson,
closing reception. Susan Calloway
and Josh Hildreth look to Post and
Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
her finest table settings to curate
GINA YASHERE Call 202-965-4601 or visit calloway-
a feast for the eyes. The exhibi-
art.com. Part II opens Thursday,
Born in London to Nigerian parents, the lesbian June 7. Opening Reception is
tion includes a selection of historic
tablewares from Hillwood’s collec-
comedian followed in the footsteps of John Oliver Sunday, June 10, from 4 to 6 p.m.
tion along with the designer’s own
to become the current British Correspondent for Closing Reception is July 22, from
contemporary treasures. To June
2 to 4 p.m. The Athenaeum, 201
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. A Top 10 final- Prince St., Alexandria. Call 703-
10. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean
ist on Last Comic Standing, the first Brit to appear Ave. NW. Suggested donation
548-0035 or visit nvfaa.org. For
is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit
on Def Comedy Jam, and a recurring guest on additional events and details about
HillwoodMuseum.org.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (as “Madame the two-part exhibition, visit katie-
pumphrey.com/fivemoreminutes.
Yashere: The Surly Psychic”), among her other THOM HALLER:
credits, Yashere returns to her stand-up roots in a PILLOWS AND PRINTS
MARK BRADFORD:
Miss Pixie’s offers an exhibition of
run of shows marking her headlining debut at the PICKETT’S CHARGE
pillows and prints featuring quirky,
Referred to as the most signif-
DC improv. Chicago-based comedian/storyteller icant living American painter by
playful pop culture images, all dig-
Kellye Howard opens. Friday, June 8, at 7:30 and ital art collages made by a D.C.-
the Hirshhorn, this gay African-
based artist who is in the process
9:45 p.m., Saturday, June 9, at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., American artist certainly works on a
of launching the site popnpillows.
and Sunday, June 10, at 7 p.m. DC Improv, 1140 scale commensurate with that kind
com. In all, there are 47 artworks
of stature. Take, for example, his
Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $17 to $22, plus huge, 400-foot installation created
— 25 pillows and 22 prints — and
all priced under $100. On display
a two-item minimum per ticket. Call 202-296-7008 for his debut at the Smithsonian’s
through June 30. 1626 14th St. NW.
or visit dcimprov.com. modern art museum as well as in
Call 202-232-8171 or visit misspix-
D.C. A timely, commissioned “cyclo-
ies.com.
rama” of eight large, site-specific
608-9101 or visit pyramidatlanti- tle-known contributions made by collages, Bradford was inspired by
cartcenter.org. North American women to the art Paul Philippoteaux’s same-named
forms of illustration and cartooning. masterpiece depicting the loss of
DRAWN TO PURPOSE: Spanning the late-1800s to the pres- the Confederate Army at the Battle
AMERICAN WOMEN ent, Drawn To Purpose highlights of Gettysburg. Covering the curved
ILLUSTRATORS AND the gradual broadening in both the walls of the Hirshhorn’s third level
CARTOONISTS private and public spheres of wom- inner circle, the work presents
Drawing from its rich collections, en’s roles and interests, demon- 360-degrees of abstracted historical
the Library of Congress exhibition strating that women, once con- narrative using Bradford’s signature
brings to light remarkable but lit- strained by social conditions and practice of collage, juxtaposed with

28 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

UNSEEN:
OUR PAST IN A NEW LIGHT
Works by Ken Gonzales-Day and
Titus Kaphar are featured in the
first contemporary exhibition of
the National Portrait Gallery’s 50th
anniversary season, and a provoc-
ative one at that. Nearly 60 works
highlight how people of color —
from Native Americans to African
Americans, Asian Americans to
Latino Americans — are missing in
historical portraiture. Still worse,
their contributions to the nation’s
past were rendered equally invisi-
ble. Kaphar sets out to right those
slights by recreating well-known
paintings and including those tradi-
tionally left out, through his series
of 17 paintings plus one sculpture.
Gonzales-Day, meanwhile, explores
how ideas of racial difference,
otherness, and national identity
have taken shape historically and
visually through nearly 40 photo-
graphs, including works from his
“Erased Lynchings” series focused
on the American West as well as
his “Profiled” series. The bilingual
English/Spanish exhibition is on
display through Jan. 6, 2019. 8th
and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-
8300 or visit npg.si.edu.
BRUNCH FUN
KLEZMER BRUNCH WITH SETH
KIBEL & FRIENDS
The Washington Jewish Music
Festival presents a popular series
featuring a rotating roster of area
musicians performing while patrons
enjoy a buffet-style kosher brunch.
Featuring Seth Kibel on clarinet,
saxophone, and flute, Russian gui-
tarist and singer Vladimir Fridman,
and double-bass player Bob Abbott.
Kibel promises “a mixture of
klezmer and Yiddish favorites, as
well as some Jewish jazz, and occa-
sionally some other repertoire just
for variety’s sake.” Sunday, June
10, at 11 a.m. Community Hall at
the Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St.
NW. Tickets are $16.88 for the con-
cert only, or $33.75 for concert with
brunch. Call 202-777-3247 or visit
wjmf.org.
LA BOUM
Launched seven years ago at
L’Enfant Cafe, the incredibly popu-
lar boozy brunch/day party known
as La Boum has only gotten bigger
and boum-ier in recent years — even
earning a nod as one of Bravo TV’s
“Top 5 Raging Brunches in the U.S.”
The self-billed “revolutionary-style
brunch” welcomes patrons of all
genders and sexual orientations
for a multi-course dinner and four
hours of drinking, dancing to a DJ,
and doing “everything they weren’t
allowed to do under pure paren-
tal supervision as young adults.”
Yet you have to be very grown-up
and plan ahead in particular for
Saturday brunch. Abigail, 1730 M
St. NW. Tickets are $32.50 to $35
per person, plus 20-percent gratuity
and drinks. Call 240-286-4286 or
visit laboumbrunch.com.
PRETTYBOIPRIDE:
BRUNCH EDITION
Reviving the art of drag kings in
D.C., Pretty Boi Drag, co-founded
by former DC King Pretty Rik E,
presents an all-inclusive roster of
performers the day of the Pride
Parade, and mere steps away from
kickoff. DJ Tezrah
Saturday, June 9, noon to 3 p.m.
Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St.
NW. Tickets are $20 in advance, or
$25 at the door, not including food
and drink. Call 202-293-1887 or visit
prettyboidrag.com.
SIR SUNDAYS AT SAX
Penn Quarter’s Moulin Rouge-
inspired restaurant Sax offers move-
ment-based spectacles, including
aerial stunts, hip-hop group rou-
tines, pole performances, and bur-
lesque, to add excitement beyond
the food. And male burlesque is
the showcase every Sunday during
brunch, as a group of male pro-
fessional dancers, aerialists, and
bodybuilders perform full-length ROBERT W. FIESELER: TINDERBOX
shows, accompanied by unlimited The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the
mimosas delivered by by table ser- Rise of Gay Liberation, reads the subtitle to this book,
vice studs. Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2
p.m. Sax Restaurant & Lounge, 734
focused on the largest mass murder of LGBTQ people
11th St. NW. Tickets are $50 to $65 in the U.S. before Orlando’s Pulse nightclub shooting in
including appetizers and unlimited 2016. In 1973, an arson fire killed 32 people at a gay bar
mimosas. Call 202-737-0101 or visit
in New Orleans, yet the tragedy was barely talked about
sirmaleburlesque.com.
or reported on, largely due to the pervasive homophobia
of the time. Instead, what resulted was shaming of the
NIGHTLIFE survivors, some of whom were fired for having been in a
BOOTY REX PRIDE PARTY gay bar, and denying the Catholic victims proper burial
The “Officially Unofficial Official rights. And then there was the woefully inadequate,
Queer Pride Party of the summer” cursory police investigation and the fact that the cause
happens this Friday, June 8, when
all three floors of the Rock and is still listed as undetermined. Fieseler, a Boston-based
Roll Hotel become a preserve to freelance journalist, draws on original research and
hear music from the Anthology of interviews with people who have never previously spo-
Booty DJ Crew — Kristy la Rat,
Mothershiester, Natty Boom — and
ken on the record to recreate what happened and help
the She Rex DJs — Junebullet, shine a new light on this early milestone in the struggle
C.rush, Alex DB. Alesia Michelle for LGBTQ visibility and rights. Wednesday, June 13, at
and DJ Zombie serve as emcees. 7 p.m. Politics and Prose at the Wharf, 70 District Square
Friday, June 8. Doors at 9 p.m.
Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. SW. Call 202-488-3867 or visit politics-prose.com.
Tickets are $15. Call 202-388-ROCK
or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.
MIXTAPE ABOVE and Bear Trap. Performances this
weekend include collaborations
Now in its 10th — and final — year, with additional improvisers from
the party started by Shea Van Horn AND BEYOND the live art competition known as
and Matt Bailer returns to the 9:30 Super Art Fight. Artists with the
Club for its annual Capital Pride ROAD SHOW: INTERPLAY kids-oriented PuppetCo. are fea-
party with Bailer sharing the decks The Washington Improv Theater tured in shows over Memorial Day.
with DJs Tezrah and Keenan Orr. presents a mix of vignettes featuring Weekends to June 17. District of
Saturday, June 9. Doors at 10 p.m. different ensembles, with each plot Columbia Arts Center (DCAC),
9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets developed on-the-fly, spurred by a 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $15
are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit single audience suggestion. With in advance, or $20 at the door. Call
930.com. Interplay, WIT’s own improvisers 202-462-7833 or visit witdc.org. l
create mash-up performances with
special guests from the worlds of
music, puppetry, poetry, dance, and
more — a new artistic collaboration
creating interdisciplinary hybrids
every week. Each night offers a
different mix of WIT ensembles,
including Hellcat, Martinez, Nox!,
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 29
 theFeed
FRESH-BAKED BIGOTRY
The Supreme Court’s anti-gay baker decision underscores need for explicit
LGBTQ legal protections. By John Riley
O
N MONDAY MORNING, THE SUPREME COURT
handed down its long-awaited opinion in the case
of Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, a
Colorado baker who used his religious beliefs to justify
refusing Charlie Craig and David Mullins when they sought
him out for a wedding cake. In a 7-2 decision, the court
found that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission may have
acted in a prejudicial manner against Phillips when it ruled
he violated state civil rights law. As such, the justices felt
Phillips had not received a fair hearing, and reversed the
commission’s finding.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who penned the majority
opinion, particularly focused on comments made by a com-
missioner after the case that appeared to indicate a belief
that people have used “freedom of religion” as an attempt
to justify discrimination, slavery, and even the Holocaust.
Kennedy, a conservative Catholic, took umbrage at the com-
missioner’s remarks, saying this train of thought showed a
hostility to those with sincere religious beliefs and may have
biased the commission’s decision.
“The neutral and respectful consideration to which
Phillips was entitled was compromised here,” Justice
Kennedy wrote for the majority. “The Civil Rights
Commission’s treatment of his case has some elements of
a clear and impermissible hostility toward the sincere reli-
gious beliefs that motivated his objection.”
In a concurring opinion, Justices Elena Kagan and
Stephen Breyer argued that they believe the commissioners
were motivated to some extent by biases. But they also note
that an impartial decision could have been reached that
would have established that same-sex couples have the right
to be protected from discrimination.
Kagan and Breyer pointed out that the Colorado Civil
Rights Commission had reached a different conclusion
in three other cases where William Jack had visited local
bakeries and asked them to make “cakes with images that
conveyed disapproval of same-sex marriage, along with
religious text.” The liberal justices argued that that the three
bakers in the Jack cases did not violate the law when they
refused to make the cakes.
“Jack requested them to make a cake (one denigrating
gay people and same-sex marriage) that they would not
have made for any customer,” Kagan wrote. “In refusing that
request, the bakers did not single out Jack because of his
religion, but instead treated him in the same way they would
have treated anyone else — just as CADA requires.
“By contrast, the same-sex couple in this case requested
a wedding cake that Phillips would have made for an oppo-
site-sex couple. In refusing that request, Phillips contra-
vened CADA’s demand that customers receive ‘the full and
equal enjoyment’ of public accommodations irrespective of
their sexual orientation,” she said, adding, “For that reason,
Colorado can treat a baker who discriminates based on sexu-
al orientation differently from a baker who does not discrim-
inate on that or any other prohibited ground.”
For equality organizations and their allies, the Supreme
Court’s ruling only continues a legal vacuum in which anti-
LGBTQ organizations and individuals will feel empowered
to continue using religious freedom as a license to discrimi-
nate against the LGBTQ community.
“The Court [has] offered dangerous encouragement to
those who would deny civil rights to LGBT people and
people living with HIV,” Rachel B. Tiven, the CEO of
Lambda Legal, said in a statement, adding, “Religious free-
dom under our Constitution has always meant the right to
believe whatever you wish but not to act on your beliefs in
ways that harm others. The Court today alarmingly fails to
heed that distinction. Lambda Legal will continue to fight
the establishment of evangelical Christianity as the official
government religion. We will fiercely resist the coming
effort that will seek to turn this ruling into a broad license
to discriminate.”
Michael Keegan, the president of People for the American
Way, said in a statement that the Court’s narrow ruling
hadn’t given the Religious Right “a decision that would
transform religious liberty from a shield to protect our indi-
vidual rights into a sword that would allow them to attack
the rights of LGBTQ people.”
“But while the Court refused the invitation to create a
new right to discriminate, it also failed to take a clear stand
against the discrimination that millions of people still face,
including the gay couple in this case,” Keegan said. “The
simple truth is that everyone should be able to live their lives
without being afraid that they’ll be refused service because
of who they are or who they love. It’s time for our nation’s
laws and courts to catch up to the public in recognizing that
basic principle.”
Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD,
also predicted future attacks on LGBTQ equality, saying:
“Today’s decision emboldens the anti-LGBTQ Alliance
Defending Freedom and the Trump Administration in their
persistent push to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ
people under the misnomer of religious freedom. LGBTQ
people will continuously be vulnerable until the liberty
and justice for all tenants of the Constitution apply to all
Americans, including LGBTQ people.”
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the nation’s only
LGBTQ senator, released a statement via Twitter endorsing
the Equality Act as the solution the country needs to resolve
the First Amendment issues left in limbo by the court’s
decision.
“While I wish the court had provided clarity to LGBTQ
people simply seeking to access goods and services in an
open marketplace, I’m pleased that the justices explicit-
ly acknowledged the right of LGBTQ Americans to live
free from discrimination,” Baldwin said in her statement.
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 31
 theFeed
“However, this ruling may be used by some to further discrim-
ination, and underscores the need for Congress to pass the
Equality Act, clear and comprehensive federal legislation to ban
discrimination against LGBTQ people and protect the freedom
of full equality for every American.”
U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-Mass.), the chairman of
the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force echoed
Baldwin’s sentiments, but expressed concern over the leeway
the decision might give to those wishing to discriminate against
LGBTQ people.
“Allowing exemptions to our civil rights ignores the painful
lessons of our nation’s past. Today’s Supreme Court ruling sends
a dangerous signal to those across the country who wish to use
religious freedom as a sword rather than a shield,” Kennedy said
in his statement. “Most critically, today’s decision underscores
the urgent need for nationwide non-discrimination protections
to ensure no one who calls America home is denied services,
opportunity or basic dignity simply because of who they are.”
Log Cabin Republicans noted that the Court had essentially
chosen to “hit the pause button” when it came to navigating a
balance between religious freedom and LGBTQ equality.
“There will be many on the left who will say that this ruling
opens the door to rampant discrimination, and many on the right
who will declare that this is a major milestone for advocates
of religious liberty — but neither will be correct,” Log Cabin
President Gregory T. Angelo said in a statement.
“The fact that Justices appointed by Presidents Clinton and
Obama sided with Masterpiece Cakeshop should be an indi-
cation that there is more nuance to this decision than meets
the eye,” Angelo said, referring to Kagan and Breyer’s concur-
ring opinion. “In writing for the majority of the Court, Justice
32 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Anthony Kennedy declared the ‘outcome of cases like this in
other circumstances must await further elaboration in the
courts’; we look forward to that day.”
But Angelo said the decision primarily points to the “glaring
absence of federal LGBT non-discrimination legislation.” The
organization has previously spoken of the importance of a Utah-
like compromise, in which religious organizations and people
with sincere beliefs aren’t forced to violate their faith, but that
ensures LGBTQ people are protected from various forms of dis-
crimination, including in public accommodations. The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was instrumental in sup-
porting the legislation in heavily Mormon Utah, and pushing for
its eventual passage.
Amit Paley, the CEO and executive director of the Trevor
Project, a suicide prevention organization which helps at-risk
LGBTQ teens, reiterated that discrimination against LGBTQ
people, and LGBTQ youth in particular, is both “wrong and
un-American.”
“LGBTQ adults and youth should be able to live their lives
freely and proudly, without discrimination. When business open
their doors to the public, they should be open to all, regardless of
their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Paley said in a state-
ment, adding, “It is wrong to allow pediatricians to turn away
child patients, just because they are transgender. It is wrong to
allow schools to expel students, just because they are gay or les-
bian. It is wrong to allow stores to turn away teen-age customers
because they are bisexual or queer.
“We also want to make clear that you can be LGBTQ and a
person of faith. We call on faith communities across the country
to remind LGBTQ youth that they are not alone, and they should
feel welcome and affirmed to join them in practicing their faith.” l
 Community
FRIDAY, June 8 SMYAL offers free HIV Testing,
3-6 p.m., by appointment
DC Front Runners presents and walk-in, for youth 21 and
its 6TH ANNUAL PRIDE 5K younger. Youth Center, 410 7th
FUN RUN at Congressional St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-

TODD FRANSON / FILE PHOTO

Cemetery. A Finish Line Party ing@smyal.org.
follows the race, featuring live
entertainment, beer, a live DJ, SATURDAY, June 9
and awards. 7-10 p.m. 1801 E St.
SE. For more information, visit Capital Pride and the Human
dcfrpriderun.com. Rights Campaign present the
“CRACK OF NOON” PRIDE
GAMMA is a confidential, vol- BRUNCH, featuring tasting
untary, peer-support group stations and complimentary

PARADE OF LOVE
for men who are gay, bisexual, mimosas and vodka drinks.
questioning and who are now Attendees get a chance to meet
or who have been in a relation- and dine with the Pride Parade
ship with a woman. 7:30-9:30 grand marshals, Heroes Gala
p.m. Luther Place Memorial honorees, and special guests
Church, 1226 Vermont Ave The Capital Pride Parade brings marchers and including Elena Delle Donne,
NW. GAMMA meetings are
also held in Vienna, Va., and in
spectators together for an afternoon of fun, the Washington Mystics All-
Star and a member of Team
Frederick, Md. For more infor- friendship, and floats. USA’s 2016 Olympic Gold Medal

I
mation, visit gammaindc.org. team. Performances by Kisha
F YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO THE PRIDE PARADE, “Deja’Vu” Allure. 11:30 a.m.-2:30
Join the local Jewish com- just the energy of the crowd is overwhelming,” says p.m. 1640 Rhode Island Ave.
munity, Bet Mishpachah, NW. For more information, visit
GLOE, and Sixth & I for the Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride capitalpride.org.
6TH ANNUAL IN THE CITY Alliance. “There’s such a diverse group of participants
SHABBAT, featuring a Pride- from all age ranges and aspects of our community.” Capital Pride hosts the
themed happy hour, shabbat ANNUAL CAPITAL PRIDE
service, and dinner. 600 I
Starting at 4:30 p.m., a steady stream of marchers,
PARADE, which weaves
St. NW. For more informa- floats, and trucks — representing hundreds of commu- through D.C.’s Dupont Circle
tion, visit capitalpride.org or nity organizations, unions, companies, and local restau- and Logan neighborhoods.
sixthandi.org. rants and bars — will traverse a 1.5-mile long route Cheer on floats and marching
contingents featuring your
The DC Center hosts a month- through D.C.’s West End, Dupont Circle, and Logan favorite entertainers, business-
ly meeting of its TRANS Circle. Some participants dance or lip sync atop floats, es, and community organiza-
AND NON-BINARY LATINX while others hold banners or throw out beads, candy, tions. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Parade
SUPPORT GROUP. 6-7:30 p.m. starts at P and 22nd Streets NW
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
and prizes to the throngs lining the street.
and ends at 14th and R Streets
For more information, visit Human rights activist Judy Shepard, the mother of NW. For more information,
thedccenter.org. Matthew Shepard, will serve as Grand Marshal along visit capitalpride.org.
with her husband, Dennis. She says events like Pride are
WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES Capital Pride presents its annu-
(AND THIRTIES), a social dis- important to remind people that LGBTQ people exist al PRIDE BLOCK PARTY, fea-
cussion and activity group for and are still fighting for recognition and equality. turing live entertainment, food,
queer women, meets at Local “I think it is really important right now, especially refreshments, and dancing.
16 for a PRIDE HAPPY HOUR. 4-10 p.m. 15th St. NW, between
7:30-11 p.m. 1602 U St. NW. For
since the current administration is trying to turn back the
P and Church Streets NW. For
more information, visit thed- clock on progress for the gay community, and, in fact, all more information, visit capital-
ccenter.org or facebook.com/ marginalized communities,” says Shepard. “Of the Pride pride.org.
groups/womenintheir20s. events we’ve been to, the most wonderful thing is the joy
Capital Pride and Capital Trans
Weekly Events
on everybody’s faces, being around their friends and their Pride present the CAPITAL
equals, their co-workers, their families, and celebrating TRANS PRIDE POOL PARTY at
ANDROMEDA who they are.... It’s the sheer joy that comes from bring the Penthouse Pool Club at VIDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH together with like-minded people.” —John Riley Fitness. You must RSVP 24 hours
offers free HIV testing and HIV in advance. Tickets available via
services (by appointment). 9 seetickets.us. 6:30-11 p.m. 1612 U
a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center, The Capital Pride Parade kicks off on Saturday, June St. SE. For more information, visit
1400 Decatur St. NW. To 9, at 4:30 p.m. at 22nd and P Streets, NW and ending capitalpride.org.
arrange an appointment, call
202-291-4707, or visit androm-
at 14th and R Streets, NW. For more information and a Capital Pride and DC Black
edatransculturalhealth.org. parade route map, visit capitalpride.org. Pride present the DC BLACK
PRIDE POOL PARTY at VIDA
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds Fitness at the Yards. Cover is
a practice session at Howard $10. 7-10 p.m. 1212 4th St. SE.
METROHEALTH CENTER Road NW. Contact Tamara, 202-
University. 6:30-8 p.m. Burr For more information, visit
offers free, rapid HIV testing. 319-0422, layc-dc.org.
Gymnasium, 2400 6th St. NW. capitalpride.org.
Appointment needed. 1012 14th
For more information, visit
St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an SMYAL’S REC NIGHT provides
swimdcac.org. OutWrite presents OUR
appointment, call 202-638-0750. a social atmosphere for LGBT
QUEER MOTHER EARTH: AN
and questioning youth, featur-
HIV TESTING at Whitman- ECOJUSTICE AND CLIMATE
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT- ing dance parties, vogue nights,
Walker Health. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. CHANGE READING AT THE
affirming social group for ages movies and games. For more
at 1525 14th St. NW. For an POTTER HOUSE. Featuring
11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia info, email catherine.chu@
appointment call 202-745-7000 readings from several authors
smyal.org.
or visit whitman-walker.org.

34 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 and a discussion of the importance
of environmental activism within
the LGBTQ community. 2 p.m. 1658
Columbia Rd. NW. For more infor-
mation, visit outwritedc.org.
SUNDAY, June 10
Capital Pride and Hot 99.5 pres-
ent the annual CAPITAL PRIDE
FESTIVAL AND CONCERT. The
festival features live entertainment,
food, beer gardens, family-friendly
activities, and tabling by all the
major social, political, sports, and
community organizations in the
greater D.C. area. Performances by
Alessia Cara, Troye Sivan, MAX,
Keri Hilson, Kim Petras, Asia Hara
and more! Entry is free, though
donations are encouraged to help
fund next year’s Pride events. Noon
to 7 p.m. Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
between 7th and 3rd Streets. For
more information, visit capital-
pride.org.
Sephora Stands presents
BOLD BEAUTY FOR THE
TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY,
a free beauty class with special
tips from trans-sensitive instruc-
tors. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sephora in
Montgomery Mall, 7101 Democracy
Blvd., Bethesda, Md. For more
information and to sign up, visit
sephora.com.
Weekly Events
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
celebrates Low Mass at 8:30
a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300
Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,
allsoulsdc.org.
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive
and radically inclusive church
holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217
Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895,
betheldc.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a
practice session at Wilson Aquatic
Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr.
NW. 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 will be a distance run of 8, 10
or 12 miles. Meet at 9 a.m. at 23rd
& P Streets NW. For more informa-
tion, visit dcfrontrunners.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman
Catholic Mass for the LGBT
community. All welcome. Sign
interpreted. 6 p.m. St. Margaret’s
Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave.
NW. For more info, visit dignity-
washington.org.
36 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
FAIRLINGTON UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH is an open,
inclusive church. All welcome,
including the LGBTQ commu-
nity. Member of the Reconciling
Ministries Network. Services at
9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King
Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-671-
8557. For more info, visit fairling-
tonumc.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
welcomes all to 10:30 a.m. service,
945 G St. NW. firstuccdc.org or
202-628-4317.
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,
Quaker House Living Room (next
to Meeting House on Decatur
Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome
to lesbians and gays. Handicapped
accessible from Phelps Place gate.
Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF
CHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-
nity for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130
Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.
hopeucc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT
GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be
meeting once a month. For infor-
mation on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL
DEVELOPMENT, God-centered
new age church & learning center.
Sunday Services and Workshops
event. 5419 Sherier Place NW. isd-
dc.org.
Join LINCOLN
CONGREGATIONAL TEMPLE –
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST for
an inclusive, loving and progressive
faith community every Sunday. 11
a.m. 1701 11th Street NW, near R in
Shaw/Logan neighborhood. lincol-
ntemple.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF
REFORMATION invites all to
Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m.
Childcare is available at both ser-
vices. Welcoming LGBT people for
25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE.
reformationdc.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led
by Rev. Emma Chattin. Children’s
Sunday School, 11 a.m. 10383
Democracy Lane, Fairfax. 703-691-
0930, mccnova.com.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpret-
ed) and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday
School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW.
202-638-7373, mccdc.com.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN
CHURCH, inclusive church with
GLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-
ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-
ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.
202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,
a Christ-centered, interracial,
welcoming-and-affirming church,
offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St.
SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THE
INCARNATION, an “interra-
cial, multi-ethnic Christian
Community” offers services in
English, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and
in Spanish at 5:15 p.m. 1525 Newton
St. NW. 202-232-0900, saintste-
phensdc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF
ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcom-
ing-and-affirming congregation,
offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia
Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444
Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING
invites LGBTQ families and indi-
viduals of all creeds and cultures to
join the church. Services 9:15 and
11:15 a.m. 10309 New Hampshire
Ave. uucss.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL
MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-
ing and inclusive church. GLBT
Interweave social/service group
meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,
Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.
NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, June 11
The YOUTH WORKING GROUP
of The DC Center holds a monthly
meeting to discuss upcoming pro-
gramming options. Light snacks
will be provided. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thed-
ccenter.org.
TUESDAY, June 12
The DC Center holds a monthly
meeting of its COMING OUT
DISCUSSION GROUP for those
navigating issues associated with
coming out and personal identity.
7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
The DC Center’s TRANS
SUPPORT GROUP provides a
space to talk for transgender people
and those who identify outside of
the gender binary. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
WEDNESDAY, June 13
BIG GAY BOOK GROUP meets
at East City Bookshop, near the
Eastern Market Metro, to discuss
Armistead Maupin’s memoir
Logical Family. 6:45 p.m. 645
Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Suite 100.
For more information and to RSVP,
email biggaybookgroup@hotmail.
com.
Capital Pride presents the 35TH
ANNUAL CAPITAL PRIDE
INTERFAITH SERVICE, bringing
together LGBTQ people from var-
ious faith backgrounds and a num-
ber of LGBTQ-affirming congre-
gations. 7:30-9 p.m. Metropolitan
Community Church of DC, 474
Ridge St. NW. Visit capitalpride.
org or contact Eric Eldritch, 202-
309-5486.
Join The DC Center for the 5TH
ANNUAL DC BIKE PARTY PRIDE
RIDE. The ride starts at Dupont
Circle and ends at Bar Roubaix
in Columbia Heights. 8-9:45 p.m.
Dupont Circle NW. For more infor-
mation, visit dcbikeparty.com.
The DC Center holds a GET
EMPOWERED! Workshop on
how to defend yourself if you are
verbally or physically harassed.
Open to women, transgender, and
gender-nonconforming people ages
16 and up. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. To register, or
for more information, visit defen-
dyourself.org/find-a-class.
The TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL
BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social
Bridge at the Dignity Center, across
from the Marine Barracks. No
partner needed. 7:30 p.m. 721 8th
St. SE. Call 301-345-1571 for more
information.
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.
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.
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
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 37
Scene
DC Black Pride Festival at Fort Dupont Park- Monday, May 28
Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 39

40 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
 An Elemental Pride
Capital Pride provides welcoming spaces for people to celebrate
their unique identities — and does it free of charge.

By John Riley
Photography by Julian Vankim

W
HEN ASHLEY SMITH ATTENDED HIS FIRST PRIDE larger community. “When you look at that particular theme, you
in Atlanta in 1998, the 22-year-old from Louisville, really are saying, ‘Our LGBTQ community has so many different
Kentucky, was stunned at the idea of gay people living aspects of us,’” says Smith. “All of us come from several different
openly and celebrating their identities. lanes, we come together as one community, as one team, as one
“I was scared at some point, because I felt that growing up Pride organization, and that’s where we came up with ‘Elements
as a preacher’s kid, and understanding that the gay life was of Us.’”
something that wasn’t supposed to be accepted, I was just like, In the past, Capital Pride has been criticized for a lack of
‘Oh, my gosh, I didn’t realize there was all of this,’” he says. “The visible diversity, in terms of the makeup of its board and people
other part for me was that I also saw my first exposure to the in decision-making positions. But Bos and Smith point to actions
gay community at a time period where I still saw people dying taken to foster diversity within the Capital Pride Alliance, such
because of AIDS. My fear was, that was as increasing the number of board posi-
the life that I was going to end up being tions to 22 and encouraging people of
in as well.” color, women, and transgender people
Despite his mixed emotions, that first “We’re very to take leadership roles, either as board
dip into Pride led to his eventual accep- members, volunteers, or producers of var-
tance of his own identity. “My first Pride
experience was shocking more than any-
proud that we’re ious Pride events.
“When you look at our volunteer pool,
thing else. [But] I was glad that I was
able to go so I could at least say that I
still able to when you look at the work we did to bring
new folks to the board, when you look at
understand, and that allowed me to gradu-
ally get to a place where I felt comfortable [provide a Pride how we are empowering our volunteer
core of leaders, I think you’ll see the com-
with who I am.”
When he reflects on his journey, the experience] — mitment we have to continue to push and
do better and do more,” says Bos, whose

AND OFFER IT
newly elected president of Capital Pride involvement with Capital Pride dates back
Alliance appreciates how Pride cele- to 2000, when he marched as part of the
brations enable LGBTQ people to live District of Columbia Aquatics Club. “To
authentically. “I think that Pride for me is
about seeing the community come togeth-
FOR FREE.” have not just a visible diversity, but also
diversity in thoughts and ideas.”
er,” he says. “It’s a space where people are — Ashley Smith Smith notes that the Capital Pride
celebrating, friends are joined together.” Alliance has intentionally reached out
Prior to accepting his current posi- to organizers of other Prides, including
tion, Smith served as president and vice president of the D.C. Capital Trans Pride, Black Pride, Latinx Pride, and Silver Pride,
Coalition of Black LGBT People and as a member of the boards to discuss potential partnerships. The organization is also look-
of directors for both the Human Rights Campaign and The DC ing at ways to engage and partner with local organizations to
Center. carry out other community events throughout the year, not
Throughout the years, he had marched with the HRC con- just during Pride season. Looking to the future, Smith hopes to
tingent in the Capital Pride Parade, but had very little direct expand Pride’s reach to communities where its presence has
involvement in the planning of the annual celebration. That been lacking, such as east of the Anacostia River.
changed when he befriended Ryan Bos, executive director of the Last year, the organization No Justice No Pride disrupted
Capital Pride Alliance. After seeing what Bos had to deal with the Capital Pride Parade to protest the lack of visible diversity
as part of planning for Pride, Smith was inspired to add his own on Capital Pride’s board, as well as the corporate nature of the
efforts to the cause. event, the inclusion of police, and the participation of companies
“I wanted to contribute to the diversity within the organiza- that have funded causes they see as detrimental to segments of
tion, making spaces for individuals and voices that may not have the LGBTQ community and communities of color.
been heard in the past. I saw it as an opportunity to share with NJNP issued a list of demands to Capital Pride on how best
the community the positive work that Capital Pride is doing. I to fix their concerns in future years. Among those were a call for
want to help the organization to continue to grow and develop paid managerial positions for a transgender person, and a Native
ways to reach out and bridge the gaps in our community that we American two-spirit individual, who would be tasked with
have.” providing feedback on how to keep Pride inclusive for those
This year’s Pride theme, “Elements of Us,” was chosen after marginalized communities. But Smith says that’s not a realistic
consulting with a group of Capital Pride volunteers, producers, option for an organization whose primary purpose is to raise the
staff, and board members, who also provided feedback from the millions of dollars needed to carry out multiple Pride events.

42 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Bos (L) and Smith

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 43


“From a budgetary standpoint, there’s only an allotment of
so much that you can do for paid staff members,” he says. “Our
board is not a paid position. Most boards of this nature are not
paid positions.”
Regarding corporate sponsorship, Bos says that part of the
aim of accepting corporate dollars is to ensure that Capital
Pride doesn’t have entrance fees to events like the Capital Pride
Festival and Concert.
“No city is helping sponsor any Pride,” says Smith. “No gov-
ernment agency throughout any part of the country. You have
to understand that all of this stuff we do is to ensure that we are
able to provide that Pride experience for people. Yes, it costs a
lot, but one of the things we’re very proud of is the fact that we’re
44 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
still able to do it — and offer it for free.”
To critics who suggest that the celebra-
tion simply be scaled back to achieve sav-
ings, Bos responds: “There are those who
don’t necessarily want a huge-scale Pride
event on Pennsylvania Avenue. That’s okay.
But there are those that do, and we want to
be able to provide that.”
He also notes that Capital Pride charges
businesses and nonprofits wishing to partic-
ipate in Pride events on a graduated scale,
based on their ability to pay and their size.
That pricing enables Capital Pride to raise
money that can be used to obtain permits,
book talent for the concert, provide tenting
for booths at the festival, and provide pri-
vate security to ensure attendees’ safety.
In a way, criticism of Capital Pride’s cor-
porate nature is considered ironic, because,
in years past, when the celebration was
smaller and confined to the field behind
Francis-Stevens School, organizers once
dreamed of one day gaining visible support
from the business community.
“For years, we were fighting for corpo-
rations just to show up, for them to support
their LGBT employees,” Bos says. “That
support has come through what some
groups call their Pride groups, or their
employer resource groups, where they are
saying, ‘I want to show pride that I work
here, but I also want us to participate so
that we can push for further change within
our own companies and corporations and
businesses.’”
Smith adds that corporate participation
in Pride events allows LGBTQ employees to
celebrate part of their identity — their occu-
pation — and the fact that they are valued by
their employers regardless of their sexual
orientation or gender identity.
“It’s very important for us to understand
that every organization in this country, for
the most part, has members of our com-
munity,” he says. “Is it not right for those
LGBTQ members of those organizations to
have the ability to show their pride in who
they are?”
In response to criticism of allowing
defense contractors to participate in Pride,
or accepting money from companies that support oil pipelines,
private prisons, or donate to anti-LGBTQ politicans and causes,
Bos and Smith determine whether a corporation can participate
on a case-by-case basis, after consulting with the board, vol-
unteers, and the broader community, if they express concerns
about a particular company.
In the event of another parade disruption this year,
Capital Pride has been working with the Metropolitan Police
Department, local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and
the Mayor’s Task Force to develop a contingency plan for
re-routing the parade and providing a space for those wishing
to celebrate.
Despite the challenges and the criticisms, both Bos and Smith
 “For years, we
were fighting
for corporations
just to show
up, for them
to SUPPORT
THEIR LGBT
EMPLOYEES.”
— Ryan Bos

nity is something he continues to

marvel at. He also attributes that
shift to the prevalence of Pride
events that have allowed the het-
erosexual community to see and
relate to the humanity of LGBTQ
people.
“I’m glad that we are at the
place where we can start to really
live that authentically and have
the freedoms we did not have back
say their involvement in Pride has given them a greater appreci- then,” he says. “I’m able to live free.... I’m not afraid, I’m not
ation for the affirming environment it provides to the members shocked anymore.
of the LGBTQ community. “I think as a spectator, you don’t nec- “We were at an event the other day where a young lady was
essarily pay attention to the stories of that 70-year-old who just getting an award. She’s seven years old, and identifies as trans,
came out and is going to their first Pride, and what that means and she’s proud of who she is. I couldn’t have even fathomed
to them,” says Bos. “Or how that 7-year-old, going to their first identifying as gay when I was that age, and just to see that, and to
Pride, what that means to them. see that Pride, in many ways, has allowed people to be educated
“I’m fortunate, whether it be working with Pride, working in and aware, and families to be more open. To see that little child
higher education, to have a very supportive world around me,” who is there, and is like, ‘Oh my god, now I know that I can be
Bos adds. “Working with Pride reminds me that it’s not that free,’ is heartwarming and inspirational.” l
experience for everybody.”
For Smith, who approached his very first Pride with trepida- For more information about this weekend’s Capital Pride events,
tion, the marked change in attitudes toward the LGBTQ commu- visit capitalpride.org.

46 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

Queer E
AUSTIN HARGRAVE-NETFLIX

50 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Antoni, Bobby, Jonathan, Karamo, and
Tan on how their Netflix hit is going even
further in Season Two.

Interview by Randy Shulman

W
HEN NETFLIX FIRST ANNOUNCED
they were rebooting Queer Eye, eyebrows
were raised. What possible reason could
there be, in the era of Trump, of reviving a show
about five gay men giving straight guys makeovers?
The skeptics, it turns out, were wrong.
When the first season of the new Queer Eye
debuted in February, it became an instant cultural
phenomenon. As it transpired, five gay men spending
time getting to know and improving the lives of peo-
ple in the time of Trump was exactly what we need-
ed. Gone was any of the superficiality of the original
Bravo series. In its place came respect, conversa-
tion, contemplation, and the reality TV equivalent of
intensive therapy. Queer Eye was no longer about giv-
ing a straight guy a new look and some sophistication.
It was about making each participant the best, most
confident version of themselves.
Aiding these efforts are a new Fab Five, a diverse
mix of gay men whose chemistry and talents are part
of why Queer Eye, which airs its second season on
Netflix on June 15, has been such a success. Antoni
Porowski, who worked for original Fab Five member
Ted Allen, handles food. Bobby Berk is in charge
of design. Jonathan Van Ness is the new grooming
expert. Karamo Brown tackles culture. And Tan
France replaces Carson Kressley as fashion guru.
As a sign of the difference in this new iteration,
take Brown, who replaces Jai Rodriguez as “culture
expert.” Whereas Rodriguez was occasionally crit-
icized for his lack of input, Brown, a social worker
and psychotherapist, has forged an integral role that
blends counselor with personal coach. Or, as he puts
it, “it wouldn’t lend to me saying, ‘Go to the museum,
or here’s some Broadway tickets.’
“Some people say, ‘I don’t understand what
Karamo does,’ because you can’t always see what

Eye!
I do,” he continues. “What I do is usually through
conversations, it’s through art therapy. So those
things, to the untrained eye, seem like, well this week
he’s a dating expert and the next week he’s planning
a wedding? No, everything that I do through the
activity is to help them figure out why they had a fear
before, so they can get over that and heal that
and then move on. Because at the end of the
day you can change your outwards, but it you
haven’t changed your heart, your mind, your way
of thinking, and dealt with those issues, then the
change won’t sustain.”
Healing is a big part of the new Queer Eye. An
early example came in the first season with Neal
Reddy, an introvert who hid behind his beard and
remained isolated in his apartment when not at
work. By the end of the week, he was a different man
— inside and out.
“We went from meeting a guy at the start of the
week who couldn’t even make eye contact — it wasn’t

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 51

an act for the camera. He could not make eye contact with us
comfortably. He didn’t like to be touched,” says France. “By the
end of the week he was fully engaged. He came in for hugs. And
that was because of how much work and effort and time we put
in that week.”
And things will keep getting better in season two. After Queer
Eye’s first season brought us AJ Brown, who came out to his
stepmother in an emotional scene at the end of his transforma-
tion, the forthcoming season ups the diversity, kicking off with
Queer Eye’s first female participant, Tammye, while a later epi-
sode will feature the show’s first transgender participant, Skyler.
We spoke to the Fab Five to find out about the show’s increas-
ing diversity, just what to expect from season two, and how they
would deal with making over a certain orange being currently
(and unfortunately) occupying the White House.
METRO WEEKLY: Why do you think the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye
has been so successful?
BOBBY BERK: Right now, people are looking for something pos-
itive. There’s so much negativity in the news and the media,
on your social media page, and at the water cooler, that I think
people are gravitating towards anything that gives them hope
and makes them feel good and shows that there is still a good
side to humanity. To see people who are on the far left side of
the spectrum walking into people’s homes who are clearly on
the far right of the spectrum, and finding a commonality, cre-
ating a friendship, and being able to put politics aside — that’s
“The first Queer Eye was more stereotypical.
I don’t think straight America was ready to
see gay people as anything other than gay
stereotypes. IT WOULD HAVE MADE THEM
UNCOMFORTABLE.” —Bobby
really giving people hope right now. I think that’s one of the key
reasons to its success.
ANTONI POROWSKI: Timing wise, it’s come at a really interesting
point where there’s a lot of divisiveness. And it’s a show that
really just focuses on kindness, a show that just focuses on pure-
ly helping people. There’s an innocence and a gentleness to it.
It’s about lifting each other up and trying to help each other out.
And we do that on and off the camera.
TAN FRANCE: It’s because we are so open about who we are as the
“Fab Five.” We’re having real meaningful interactions with the
heroes that we help. It’s the first version of a reality show that
feels really real.
MW: How do you feel Queer Eye differs from the original?
TAN: Without the original, this show wouldn’t have been possi-
ble. When the original show was around, America was ready for
a certain kind of gay representation, but I don’t think they were
willing or ready to understand every facet of our community,
and that we are just like everybody else. I think that it made
sense to them that we were there to make things pretty.
I don’t think the original cast had the luxury of being able to
52 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
talk about their personal lives. Cut to 15 years later, things have
changed. Some rights have changed within in the U.S. We’re able
to talk about our partners. We are able to get married. We’re
able to adopt children. We’re able to talk about those things very
openly. We’re having conversations that people want to hear.
BOBBY: Not to diminish the original show at all, because it defi-
nitely had its time and its place. I think it did so much for the
gay community — I think it did so much for everyone, teaching
people self-love, taking care of yourself. I hate to use the word
normalizing, but it normalized gay people in the mainstream.
I think America was fine seeing gays on television because
they were decorators, and they were hairdressers, and they were
cooks, they were going to the theater. But if they had, God forbid,
talked about their husbands or their children or their families,
[many viewers] wouldn’t have been okay with that. We really
wanted to take Queer Eye to a different level. We wanted people
to really get to know us, to get to know our lives. Karamo, people
know that he’s a single father of two, people know that Tan and
I have both been married [to our partners] for over a decade, and
that we are just like everybody else. We really wanted people to
see that gay people aren’t just stereotypical characters that you
see on TV. We’re real people just like anybody else.
MW: What would you say to members of the LGBTQ community
who say you only offer a stereotyped view of gay culture?
BOBBY: The thing that I say to the LGBTQ community who say
we only represent a stereotypical version of gays is: Have you
watched the show?! Because we literally represent every color of
the rainbow. There’s nothing stereotypical about any of us. I just
challenge them to really step back and rethink what they think is
stereotypical, because every single one of us, we’re just being us.
A lot of times Jonathan gets flack that he is a stereotypical
gay. He’s not. He’s just him. He’s not trying to be anything other
than exactly who he was born to be — loud and over the top and
lovely and innocent and curious. He’s just being him. And he’s
having a blast doing it. So, for the people who say that we’re
stereotypical, I just think they’re wrong. I think the first Queer
Eye was maybe a little bit more stereotypical — I don’t think it
could have been anything else at the time. I don’t think straight
America was ready to see gay people as anything other than gay
stereotypes. It would have made them uncomfortable.
JONATHAN VAN NESS: I’ve heard that question several times, and
it always feels kind of pointed and directed at me because I am
more feminine and not afraid to express my femininity. Karamo
is a man of color who I don’t think has any affectation to his
voice in, say, how I do. I mean, he will queen out with the best
of them, but visually, he’s not someone who carries himself the
way I do. Nor Tan, nor Bobby. We represent a diverse group of
CORTESY OF NETFLIX
men who are all really passionate about what they do. I think,
lovingly, when people accuse the show of being homonormative,
I think that a lot of those people need to, lovingly, dislodge the
stick in their ass, because there are bigger problems facing our
community.
KARAMO BROWN: First of all, any representation is something
that helps us as a community. You might not see yourself in one
of us as the five members of the cast, but someone else does see
themselves. And for me, it’s important that they feel validated
and seem visible. And if you don’t see yourself, we encourage you
to reach out to us and we will try to use whatever power we have
to make sure that, if there’s future seasons, we can help you to
feel visible. Because at the end of the day, we are members of the
community too, and we are not stereotypes, we’re authentically
ourselves.
TAN: As far as I’m aware this is the most diverse, the most repre-
sentative cast on a show like this. We’ve made massive strides in
making sure that more of the gay community is represented. We
have to remember there’s only five of us, so we can’t represent
every member of our community with just five men. I like to
believe we’re making a positive difference and a positive change.
I think that it’s a common misconception that a show like this
represents people who are just trying to make things pretty.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that my category is fashion,
but I do so much more on the show than just put somebody in
a floral shirt. It’s about real human connection. We have very,
very open honest conversations. And I think we tackle a lot more
than just making things pretty. It’s definitely not just a makeover
show. I like to believe that we’re representing the gay commu-
nity very well. I like to believe that I’m representing the Middle
Eastern community, immigrant community, and the British
community very well.
MW: What can we expect from season two?
BOBBY: One of the biggest things people are going to notice with
episode one is that we help our first woman. It was such a great
place to start. Tammye was one of the most warm, loving people
you could ever meet. We went in to help her, and in turn she
helped us. It was a beautiful moment for a lot of us.
Another Queer Eye first is that we helped a trans guy. Not
only are we proud of being able to help him like we’ve helped
other people, but we were also able to use this episode to — I
don’t want to say educate, because I don’t want to sound preachy
— shine a light on the struggles that our trans brothers and sis-
ters go through. Honestly, the living hell that a lot of them go
through trying to figure out who they are. And when they do
finally figure out who they are, to go through what they have
to go through to become the person they were born to be. A lot
of times that includes having your back turned on you by your
entire family and your friends and everyone in your life who
said they loved you. I hope we’re able to shine a light on that
struggle and, in turn, maybe help that struggle get a little easier.
Because with knowledge comes power, and when people have
more knowledge about a situation, they are less scared of it and
more accepting of it.
KARAMO: Our first female hero is going to be identifiable across
so many different people. She is empathic and loving. Most
people would perceive her as a southern black woman who
would probably not support the LGBT community because she
is ingrained in religion, but it shows that at the end of the day,
religion for her — and what it should be for most people, in my
opinion — should be about love and support. And so I think peo-
ple are going to be touched by her story.
With our trans episode, it shows, first of all, the breadth of
experience that LGBT people have within our own communi-
ty. Not all gay men understand the trans experience, and you
see that within the five of us. I, for instance, have worked at an
LGBT center as a social worker, so it was very involved with
the trans community and have many trans friends. But on the
opposite side you have Tan, who has not ever had a personal
relationship with someone in the trans community. I think to see
that allows people to say, “Oh, it’s okay to ask questions and it’s
okay to approach the trans community from a way that is loving
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 53
 “For all the negative comments I have
received from random strangers who
didn’t have the courage to say it to
my face, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO
TOLD ME THEY APPRECIATED MY
STRENGTH, MY PRIDE.” —Karamo
and respectful.” To say, “I want to learn more and please, under-
stand I’m not trying to offend you, I just want to know so that I
can understand where my ignorance, where my point of view is
coming from, so that I can help and be there for you.” I think it’s
going to teach a lot of people.
JONATHAN: I was really, really, really fortunate to have a lot of
trans friends and clients in my life, over the last nine years of
living in Los Angeles. So for me, meeting Skyler, meeting a trans
man, wasn’t unique. It was unique working with a trans client on
an international television show, and wanting to make sure that
I approached Skyler’s episode with enough respect. I mean, it’s
really vulnerable when you’re going into a situation like Queer
Eye as the hero, and I wanted to make sure that he felt comfort-
able. He was already going through a vulnerable situation in his
transition. Skyler is such an incredible person. We’re so excited
to share his story.
ANTONI: Sometimes heroes come about and we deal with certain
topics that we can relate to, like Neal Reddy from season one
— he’s someone who has openly struggled with depression and
with being really down and being stuck in a rut. That’s some-
thing that I can relate to in a very personal, intimate way.
Then there’s someone like Skyler, who I didn’t think I could
relate to any less. There’s so much I didn’t know about the trans-
gender community and what that life is. We get to come in and
have people like Karamo and Jonathan, who are more versed,
teach us and impart their wisdom on us. Then you have people
like Tan and I who don’t necessarily know as much, and we get
to ask the questions and be curious students. It’s about knowing
when we can be the expert and when we can be there to learn.
With Tammye, it was a really good example of us really show-
ing up and being a service to her. I wasn’t gonna teach her how
to prepare food for two hundred people for her homecoming. I
was going to take her recipe, and while she was getting ready
with Tan, make that pasta salad made entirely out of condiments
and make her life a little easier, so she has one thing less to worry
about.
What so interesting, and what never gets old, is that the
heroes all have such different stories. I think it’s a testament to
the incredible casting [the producers] have done. They picked
such interesting individuals that we can all relate to, even if we
have very different upbringings or socioeconomic status or cul-
tural background. The universality of our feelings is always the
same and that shines through in every single episode.
TAN: I think it’s great that we’re tackling the trans community
and women. I didn’t want it to just be men. I think that could
have become really stale, really quickly. I think it’s important
to show that we aren’t saying that gay men know better than
everybody else when it comes to these five categories. I think it’s
important that we show that everybody could do with a bit of
54 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
extra love and support. An opportunity to talk about how they
feel and what they want for their hopes and dreams and to better
their lives. I think that it’s important that we continue on this
way and that we make the show as diverse as possible so that we
are being as inclusive as possible.
MW: What’s your favorite part of transforming a participant?
ANTONI: Selfishly, if I make something that’s good and if they
take a bite of it and get excited by it. There’s so much joy that
comes from me making something and then having someone be
like “that’s freaking delicious,” whether it’s simple or wheth-
er it’s complex. In a more emotional way, there is something
pretty incredible about having somebody walk into their new
home. That’s the place where they’re going to be spending every
single night. We spend a lot of time there. It’s where we sleep.
It’s where we raise our families. It’s where we interact with
our loved ones. Your home is your sanctuary. That’s where you
spend so much of your time. It’s where life happens. For them to
come and be like, “Oh, my gosh, I’m gonna get to sit on this couch
every night and watch this beautiful TV and look at all these
beautiful little accessories that Bobby’s design team has left for
me?” — that part is really amazing.
JONATHAN: I’m always so excited to see their house. It’s like
Bobby has just done the “Extreme Home Makeover: Queer Eye
Edition.” That’s the part that makes me cry.
BOBBY: For me, it’s finding the personal things that I know will
matter to them, the personal mementos and the moments. I find
out tidbits about them, and I’m most proud of being able to incor-
porate things that really make it feel like they’re home. When we
leave, they don’t feel like they’re in the home of a stranger. They
feel like they’re in their home that’s just been elevated.
KARAMO: It’s having them have these emotional cathartic cries.
For me, as a former social worker and psychotherapist, I love
seeing people have breakthroughs in their life. So that was my
role on the show was to say, “How can we help you get past the
fears, anxiety that you have, interrupt that so you can grow into a
new way?” Seeing someone cry can sound, you know, a little like,
“Uh, why do you wanna see someone cry?” But it’s not that — a
cry is a physical representation of them having a breakthrough of
getting to a next level in their lives. I love seeing that.
TAN: I think it’s really powerful to put somebody in something
for them to see themselves in a way they’ve never seen them-
selves before. They stand a different way. It’s so cheesy, but they
really do seem so much more confident. I see it when they look at
themselves in the mirror. That’s a lovely feeling for me.
MW: Have you experienced any homophobia filming the show?
ANTONI: Not really. There is a certain level of discomfort that
comes with seeing a Trump banner and what that stands for and
what that person represents or seeings guns. Especially being
Canadian, where we have very strict gun control laws. That part
 “When people accuse the show of being
homonormative, I think that a lot of
those people need to, lovingly, dislodge
the stick in their ass, BECAUSE THERE
ARE BIGGER PROBLEMS FACING OUR
COMMUNITY.” —Jonathan
definitely makes me a little uncomfortable, but we always felt
safe under production’s helm.
KARAMO: I did. It wasn’t from any of the participants or our
heroes, but we were in the south, and I’m a gay black man who is
very proud of who I am and proud of all my intersexualities and
some people don’t appreciate the pridefulness that I have and
that I exude. And there would be comments as we walk down
the street or in restaurants. But for all the negative comments
that I might have received from random strangers who didn’t
have the courage to say it to my face, there were people who
were very courageous who told me that they appreciated my
strength, that they appreciated my pride. And these are people
who are not just in the LGBT community — these are our allies,
these are straight men and women of all different races, ages,
that would just say thank you for you being you because it’s giv-
ing me the courage to be me.
MW: On a personal note, what was your coming out like?
TAN: I came out when I was 17. I think it’s always difficult for
a person to come out whether you’re younger or older. But I
couldn’t really hide who I was because I felt so strongly about
who I was. I was very confidently a gay boy at the time. I came
out to my family and my friends. Thankfully, they were open
and receptive and loving and understanding. It was a positive
experience.
ANTONI: I didn’t really have one. I dated mostly women. I’ve had
two real relationships with guys. I dated a guy and then I was
back with women. Now I’ve been in a relationship with a man
for several years. So, for me, it’s always sort of been more of a
dynamic thing. I’ve always considered myself a little more along
the spectrum and not defining myself in any type of category.
I get asked about being bisexual a lot, but any label makes me
uncomfortable because I feel like it limits me. I just don’t want
to be limited. My taste in books and music and art changes all
the time, even though of course I have my favorites. Maybe with
who I’m attracted to, who knows what’s gonna happen in the
future? I’d just rather keep it as something secondary.
BOBBY: I left home at 15, before I came out. I grew up in a very
small, religious town in a religious family. Coming out wasn’t
really an option. But also, for me, staying in the closet was also not
an option. I was kind of at the point in my life to where I couldn’t
wear a mask any longer. I couldn’t live my life completely isolated
from everyone. There wasn’t really one person in the world that
really, truly knew who I was. And there wasn’t one person in the
world that I could really, truly be open with. That creates a very
lonely life. I couldn’t do it anymore. It was all or nothing. Either I
left and came out or I stayed and probably didn’t continue living
too much longer. It was a life decision for me.
JONATHAN: I came out early. I started getting asked the question
if I was gay in like sixth or seventh grade. I’m a very bad actor,
56 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
also physically incapable of not sounding like a thorough homo-
sexual. [Laughs.] It was unavoidable, that coming out moment
for me. My dad had very straight conversations with me about
sexual health, and my mom was really worried for my soul. I
remember my mom got me a book called “Openly Gay, Openly
Christian.” She really didn’t want me to go the fiery pits of hell.
So as long as I could figure out how to stay in Jesus’ grace, I think
my mom was feeling good about it.
KARAMO: I don’t call it coming out. I call it “letting in.” The term
coming out says that I am telling you something and giving you
the power to accept or deny me. When you’re letting someone in,
if they don’t respect you or deny what you’re letting them into,
that’s fine. We all have aspects of our lives that we let people in.
So, some people I don’t talk about being a father with, but there’s
other people, I let into that part of my life. There’s some people
I don’t talk about my sexuality with, not because I’m ashamed,
it’s just cause I don’t need to talk about my sex life or intimate
relationships with you. And it gives me the power to know that
it’s okay to choose who I let into my life instead of feeling this
pressure that I have to tell everyone who I am about every aspect
of me.
It’s unrealistic as human beings and it doesn’t support
healthy behavior or healthy motives in life. Also, this narrative
of a closet is damaging to me. I’ve never lived in a closet — and
if there was a closet, there better be a leprechaun and a pot of
gold in there for all the BS that I’ve been through. But there isn’t
a closet, there’s only been me and myself and my wellbeing and
my mental health. I let people into my life who I think are going
to support my well being and my mental health.
MW: How does it feel to be household names?
BOBBY: It feels kind of crazy honestly and kind of still not real. I
still try to stay very grounded. I still spend just as much time at
home with my husband as I can with our close friends of years. I
wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true, because I don’t think I ever
really set out to become a household name, but it’s definitely a
nice thing.
JONATHAN: Jokingly, it makes me feel like Britney Spears, like,
how she must have felt in 2002 when she was blowing up. This
whole experience has been so exciting and so surreal. I can’t
believe it, as someone who’s been a hairdresser for as long as
I have. I definitely didn’t think that I would ever experience
things in this way, being on this side of things, especially because
I’ve had so many clients who are really successful. I’ve
been on press tours with the cast of Game of Thrones as a
groomer. But to be in this role, that is crazy! I feel so grateful
and humbled all the time.
I’m also really protective of my spirit. I don’t wanna lose
myself. I don’t wanna take it for granted. I just wanna enjoy
it and just stay present and humble — I don’t want to lose the
 “It’s a show that focuses on kindness, a
show that focuses on purely helping people.
There’s an innocence and a gentleness to it.
IT’S ABOUT LIFTING EACH OTHER UP AND
TRYING TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT.” —Antoni
spirit of the person that got me here. So I focus a lot on trying to
maintain that schedule. Like going to the gym and doing some
of those self-care things that I’ve always done. I’ve also noticed
that as the show becomes more successful, the relationships that
I had with my friends and family before the show feel even more
important because I think your relationships and the love that
you have for the people in your life is what keeps you grounded
through ups and downs.
KARAMO: Can I tell you? It’s humbling, and out of all the guys,
I get people consistently crying on my shoulder and telling me
their life stories and luckily because of my training, I’m able to
manage it and I know how to handle it. But it’s a big honor and
I don’t take it lightly. I just hope that this is the first major step
in my career of being able to help and heal the world. I think we
all need to do more to try to help create a bridge that we can all
walk along and see how alike we are and how it’s us together not
us versus them.
TAN: It’s nice to be recognized for good work, for positive work.
If I was a character on a show, I think it would feel very differ-
ent. And sometimes it is strange when I get lifted in the street by
a big straight man — that’s always bizarre.
MW: What makes you proud?
ANTONI: That’s a good question. I think my definition of what
pride is to me has certainly shifted over the past year of my life.
I’m probably the most conservative in boundaries of my Queer
Eye brothers with the exception of Tan, maybe. Pride for me
is the ability to be the truest and most honest version of myself
without the consequence of being judged or criticized or hurt
or persecuted for it. I realize that’s not a liberty that a lot of
LGBTQIA+ youth have out there in the world, and I try to be
really cognizant of that.
I have one great memory of my first Pride I went to in Montreal
and I remember we were walking and it was my first relationship
with a guy. I was really uncomfortable. Didn’t really know what I
was doing. I wasn’t sure if I was being true to myself or not, just
totally doubting myself. I saw this heterosexual couple, a guy, a
girl, and their two kids, standing waving rainbow flags and there
was something that really struck me — the responsibility that we
have even if you don’t belong to a certain group that’s being mar-
ginalized or that’s a lower, smaller representation. We all have a
responsibility to stick up for one another.
BOBBY: What makes me proud is how we’ve been able to
use our platform and the voice that we’ve been given to help
change the world. One of the most beautiful messages that I’ve
received from social media was from a pastor of a church who
told me that growing up he was taught that homosexuality was
wrong and that we were deviants and we were abominations
and pedophiles and we were going to hell. And that in his
church that is exactly what he preaches and that gays choose
to be gay, and they choose to be sinners and abominations.
And then watching season one, he changed his entire view
of homosexuality, and that he would no longer be preach-
ing the type of hate he had preached in his church, and he
58 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
would now be preaching love and acceptance.
JONATHAN: The people in our community make me so proud
every day. The messages I get on Instagram and the outpouring
of love and support from other queer men and LGBT people in
our community that are just so excited to support us, and to be a
part of this conversation. Love and support that we receive and
that I’ve seen blows me away to, like, cry with pride. Like, daily.
Our people make us feel proud in how strong all of us are.
TAN: What makes me proud is doing all I can to be myself and to
represent myself, my people and my people well. What makes
me most proud is being a good partner to my husband.
MW: How would you “Queer Eye” President Trump?
BOBBY: Honestly, I think it would be hard. The wonderful thing
about everyone that we have had the absolute pleasure to work
with is that no matter what their political views were, they were
open. They were open to hearing someone else’s point of view.
They were open to listening. They were open to maybe realizing
that they might have been wrong about something. I don’t think
Trump — and I say Trump and not the P word, because I won’t —
is open. I think he feels he is one hundred percent justified in the
craziness that he does. I don’t know if there’s any hope for him.
JONATHAN: The biggest problem with that question is that when
we do the “Queer Eye” with someone, the participant is willing
to be there. They might not be excited to be there, but they’re
willing. I think Donald Trump thinks he looks amazing. I think
he loves a spray tan. I think he’s feeling great about his fitness. I
think he thinks that he is looking and doing amazing. And so if
he’s feeling great about it, I guess that’s all that really matters. I
only give my opinion to those who feel like they want it. And I
know he doesn’t want it, so he can rock that tan all day long as
far as I’m concerned.
ANTONI: I’m gonna pass on that one because I don’t give Trump
any energy.
KARAMO: I’ve actually just come back from the White House and
I worked with Mike Pence and Karen Pence’s chief of staff in
their office. What was really special about that moment was real-
izing that I had a perception because of certain things that I’ve
seen in the media, that they would not be open to conversation.
And during that time, they were very open, and had really great
conversations, and were open to me talking about my experience
as a black man and as a gay man and how that related to the arts
and art therapy. If I were to meet with Donald Trump, I would
be optimistic that the same would happen.
TAN: I’m going to keep this simple: I’m not going to address his
clothing because that’s not what I would want to do with him. I
would want to spend the same amount of time we do with our
heroes, which is five days. I would want to spend time getting to
know him and, actually more so, that he get to know me, so by
the end of the week he can tell me if people like me are still not
welcome in modern America. l
Season Two of Queer Eye will be available for streaming on Netflix
starting Friday, June 15. Visit netflix.com.
 Gallery

Ken Clark as King Arthur, Alexandra Silber as Guenevere, and Nick Fitzer as Lancelot

The Costumes of Camelot

Photographed Exclusively for Metro Weekly by Scott Suchman

A
MONG THE FIRST THINGS DIRECTOR ALAN PAUL
instructed his designers for Camelot, which tells the
story of the ill-fated love triangle between King Arthur,
his queen, Guenevere, and his first knight, Lancelot, was “How
can we look at this musical with fresh eyes? How can the visuals
not actually weigh it down?”
Among those designers was Ana Kuzmanic, whose costumes
for the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production fully cap-
ture the essence of the musical’s medieval trappings while mix-
ing in a contemporary feel. “The costumes are only loosely based
on period clothing,” says Kuzmanic. “We landed on a mixture of
styles that hopefully works.”
Kuzmanic paid specific attention to color. “If you look at King
Arthur’s wardrobe, for example, the dominant color is red, obvi-

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 61

 Patrick Vaill as Mordred Ted van Griethysen as Merlyn

ously for royalty. I decided to use red

to also show a connection between
Arthur and his son, Mordred.
Mordred’s coat is a brighter, sleeker
red than what Arthur wears at that
point in the show. That is to show
the aspirations that Mordred might
have and his growing strength, as
opposed to Arthur getting older and
more tired.”
For the buoyant “Lusty Month of
May,” sung by the queen’s Ladies-
in-Waiting, Kuzmanic aimed for an
eye-popping explosion of color. “In
the opening of the show, we have
Arthur and Guenevere in kind of
black and white. In that scene, she
actually refers to Camelot as dreary
and dark. And so it was deliberate
that for ‘Lusty Month of May’ that
we see these incredible colors on
stage. I took inspiration for the color
palette from the shades of field flow-
ers and from when the sun’s rays go
through the petals of the flowers,
how they are transparent and lay-
ered at the same time.”
The designer wanted to keep
the military aspects of Lancelot, the
show’s romantic centerpiece, at the
fore. “When he’s not in armor, I
Ladies in Waiting: L-R, starting with the back row: Jennifer Cordiner, Chadaé, designed a gambeson, which is a
Casey Wenger-Schulman, Melissa Wimbush, Veronica Burt, Bridget Riley period doublet, that has a lot of intri-

62 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Floyd King as Pellinore

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 63

 Knights of the Round Table: L-R, starting with the back row. Michael Bingham, Ben Gunderson, Frankie Shin, Paul Victor, Julio Cantano-Yee, Mark Banik, Brandon Bieber

cate detail in the way we stitched and padded the even that doublet to invoke military uniforms, so
leather. We used a variety of leathers and suedes that’s why the color is blue. Because he’s kind of
in combination to give it detail. But I wanted a perfect soldier.” — Randy Shulman

Camelot runs through July 8 at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $44 to $118.
Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

64 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

BARRY WETCHER.
BARRY WETCHER. Movies

Ocean isn’t swimming in suspense, and the

Eight is Enough
holes in the plot, and in Deb’s plan, tear
here and there at the fabric of an other-
wise satisfying caper. The gang’s camara-
derie mostly is what stitches it all together.
Sandra, Cate, and company make a well-choreographed splash at the Bullock can do breezy in her sleep, but
Met Gala with the flashy Ocean’s 8. By André Hereford she strikes a somewhat serious pose here
as a determined operator who keeps her

A
eyes squarely on the prize. Blanchett’s Lou
SNAPPY, ALL-STAR CAPER WITH A CENTERPIECE HEIST SET AT THE is more elusive, a tantalizing mystery that
Met’s famed annual celebrity circus, Ocean’s 8 (HHHHH) has the stars, glam, the script wisely doesn’t try to solve.
bling and fashion luxuriously covered. Ever since Frank and the Rat Pack The movie actually might spend more
stormed Vegas in the 1960 original, the Ocean’s movies have been as much about hang- time on Deb’s first recruit, fashion design-
ing out with Hollywood buds as they’ve been about staging the snazziest heist. Director er Rose Weil, played by a totally turned-on
Gary Ross (The Hunger Games), who co-wrote with Olivia Milch, doesn’t interfere Helena Bonham Carter, who makes excel-
with the series’ cool vibe, serving up a worthy successor to Steven Soderbergh’s three lent use of the screen time. An eccentric
Ocean’s moneymakers from the 2000s. cross between Vivienne Westwood and,
Is this one a reboot, a sequel, a spinoff? All three it would seem, as Sandra Bullock well, Helena Bonham Carter, Weil is the
assumes the role of criminal mastermind Debbie Ocean, sister of now-deceased crim- gang’s key to getting a dress, and that
inal mastermind Danny Ocean, dashingly played by George Clooney in Soderbergh’s Cartier necklace, onto their chosen mark
trilogy. at the party, film starlet Daphne Kluger.
“I didn’t want that life. I never wanted that life,” Debbie insists, as she’s paroled As Kluger, Anne Hathaway tends to
from prison with $45 in her pocket. Yeah, right, Debbie. The film swiftly reunites overplay the character’s diva actress ten-
Debbie with her longtime partner-in-crime Lou (Cate Blanchett), and they assemble dencies, but generally delivers an assured
a crack team to carry out the audacious jewelry heist Deb spent her entire five-year take on the sort of celebrity obnoxiousness
prison sentence plotting. the movie is lampooning. Daphne seems
Debbie and Lou easily fall back into a saucy yin and yang, and the film itself moves one-hundred percent credible as a guest
with a fluid, rocking rhythm. It might lack the breezy wit that’s a touchstone of most at the Met ball, alongside attendees Gigi
Soderbergh comedies, but there are some choice laughs, and inside jokes for film buffs, Hadid and Kim Kardashian-West.
fashion queens, Anna Wintour stans, and Ocean’s fans. At the center of all the star-power, the
Ocean’s 8 does have a fine touch in one noticeable regard. The movie only hints ensemble of eight just clicks — from Mindy
that Debbie and Lou were partners in more than crime before Deb went to prison. But Kaling, as the team’s expert jeweler Amita,
whatever the depth of their attachment, their bond was severed when Debbie teamed to Rihanna, as spliff-smoking, dreadlocked
up with swindling gallery owner Claude Becker (Richard Armitage). Now, Debbie hacker Nine Ball (because every screen
decrees, no guys in her gang. Still, Claude will figure in her master plan to steal a six- team needs a hacker these days). The pop
pound diamond Cartier necklace off the neck of a movie star at the Met soirée. star isn’t charged with much more than
That necklace is one photogenic highlight of a film abundant in haute couture eye glowering sarcastically when Nine Ball
candy. The clothes, the accessories, the hair product (probably no more than was used isn’t focused on her computer screen, but
when Clooney, Pitt, and Damon were starring in these things) are lavish. And so are the she shares the screen naturally with this
Met Gala cameos, with everyone from Vogue queen Wintour to tennis queens Serena cast of Oscar and Emmy winners.
Williams and Maria Sharapova sashaying through the party. Bullock even gets to joke The film also indulges that vicarious
around in German with Heidi Klum. thrill for the audience of hanging out with
The heist is nicely orchestrated, but not tested with much danger or tension. This the rich and famous. Blurring the line

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 67

 BARRY WETCHER.
between fantasy movie stars and real-life celebrities has been a
hallmark of this franchise since well before Julia Roberts played
Tess Ocean pretending to be Julia Roberts in Ocean’s Twelve.
Ocean’s 8 is a good heist flick and comedy, but more so it’s a
first-rate fairy tale of crashing one of the world’s most exclusive
famous people parties.
The fantasy reaches its apotheosis not by depicting the
perfect crime, or the joy of wrapping your hands around 150
million dollars’ worth of diamonds, but when it finally gives the
audience what it really wants: a chance to strut through the Met
Gala, swinging from Sandra to Cate to the baddest woman in the
building, Rihanna, resplendent in red. l

Ocean’s 8 is rated PG-13, and opens in theaters everywhere on

Friday, June 8. Visit fandango.com.

68 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Travel

Blue Moon

Where
an-owned establishments MURPH’S BEEF
& ALE and JAVA JUKEBOX (37169 Rehoboth
Ave. Ext.), which regularly hosts women’s
parties featuring DJ Nan.

the Gays Are

Back towards the beach is Rehoboth’s
one true new bar for 2018: DIEGO’S
HIDEAWAY (37298 Rehoboth Ave. Ext.).
Darryl and Joe Ciarlante-Zuber, former
Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach is more LGBTQ-friendly than ever, owners of DOS LOCOS (208 Rehoboth
and is the absolute epitome of a gay beach getaway. By Doug Rule Ave.), bought and renovated the business
that had been operating as the Double L,

T
which had fallen on hard times — it didn’t
HE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE LOWER DELAWARE’S even open until halfway through the sea-
Rehoboth Beach has pretty much stayed the same over the years, give or take son last year. While no longer an explicitly
a bar or biergarten. And the consistency has made it the go-to destination of leather/fetish venue, the brighter, tropi-
choice for LGBTQ Washington. Forget Ocean City Maryland or the Jersey Shore — this cal-minded Diego’s nevertheless will con-
is where the gays are. tinue the fetish-oriented party Gear It UP
It all starts with POODLE BEACH (1103 South Boardwalk), where the boardwalk ends. Fridays, as well as Philadelphia-based DJ
Poodle is still the main gay stretch of sand — though actual poodles and their owners, Steve Durkin’s popular Saturday event
tend to congregate at NORTH SHORE BEACH (15099 Cape Henlopen Dr., Lewes), way ManDance — billed as “the biggest gay
past the other end of town. AQUA GRILL (57 Baltimore Ave.) has long been the place to dance party in Rehoboth.” (That is, obvi-
see-and-be-seen after the beach thanks to its large outdoor patio right on the gayest ously excepting for Sundance, the annual
block in town — not to mention its crew of shirtless bartenders. Several years ago, the Labor Day fundraiser.)
PURPLE PARROT GRILL (134 Rehoboth Ave.) significantly expanded its footprint, taking Of course, one gay venue has always
over the space behind it to create another open-air venue. And the leafy, lush backyard towered above the rest. The centrally
BIERGARTEN is a perfectly beachy and inviting retreat complete with palm trees, sand, located BLUE MOON (35 Baltimore Ave.)
and picnic tables. remains grand central for gay Rehoboth
A block away is divey mainstay the (FROG) POND (3 South First St.), popular with in so many ways. It offers the best variety
locals, live music fans, lesbians, and bears, the latter for the monthly FURst Friday in live performance, particularly drag —
Happy Hour. Meanwhile, just outside of Rehoboth proper are a few recently estab- national stars Sherry Vine, Miss Richfield
lished venues popular with the local LGBTQ community, including neighboring lesbi- 1981, and Dixie Longate will appear this

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 71


summer, in addition to the Blue Moon Divas. And among those
former pop stars and disco divas who should have been a bigger
deal, few can top the Moon’s resident belter Pamela Stanley,
who performs every night and sometimes twice on Sunday.
Nobody has been “Coming Out Of Hiding” as much as she.
Even after 37 years, the Moon, under the watch of Executive
Chef Lion Gardner, is still a top contender for best place to eat
in restaurant-rich Rehoboth. Several other longtime fixtures also
remain top-flight considerations — from influential, 44-year-old
gourmet BACK PORCH CAFE (59 Rehoboth Ave.), to fine-dining
EDEN (23 Baltimore Ave.) and its more affordable offshoot JAM
(21 Baltimore Ave.), to the oft-overlooked CONFUCIUS CHINESE
CUISINE (57 Wilmington Ave.). Among upscale seafood options,
For more information on Rehoboth Beach and the beaches of Delaware, visit visitdelaware.com.
72 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
one newer spot worth its catch is Dogfish Brewery’s casual-chic
CHESAPEAKE & MAINE (316 Rehoboth Ave.). Meanwhile, one
notable gay-owned restaurant set to open later in the season is
THE PINES (56 Baltimore Ave.), a casual eatery in the former Java
Beach/Hobos space, across Baltimore Avenue from Aqua, and
coming from Tyler Townsend and Bob Suppies.
All in all, Rehoboth remains largely unchanged, and certainly
recognizable to anyone who’s ever spent any significant time at
the resort in recent decades. It’s still as gay as you remember it
— if not a little gayer — and certainly more lesbian and queer in
general. It’s also more appreciably LGBTQ-friendly now — in no
small part because of the work of Steve Elkins, who co-founded the
pro-LGBTQ organization CAMP REHOBOTH (camprehoboth.com)
in 1991 at the height of anti-gay sentiment, conveyed in a popular
bumper sticker at the time: “Keep Rehoboth a Family Town.”
The unofficial mayor — and certainly the gay mayor — of
Rehoboth, the 67-year-old Elkins died of lymphoma in March,
leaving behind his longtime husband and CAMP co-founder
Murray Archibald. Among other advances in making Rehoboth
LGBTQ-friendly, Elkins was instrumental in landing the
REHOBOTH BEACH CONVENTION CENTER (229 Rehoboth Ave.)
for Sundance — at the time, 1994, getting approval from a
city-owned facility for a party where many gay men would be
shirtless and dancing suggestively was so controversial as to be
all-but unthinkable. Although full details, including the party’s
DJ, have not been revealed, the 31st Sundance is set for Labor
Day Weekend with a return to the Convention Center, newly
reopened after a two-year renovation. That’s one small sign of
continued progress — and of Elkins’ continuing legacy. l
SCOTT SUCHMAN
Stage

But there is no sense here of the concen-

tration, frustration and elation that must

Different Strokes
have filled his many hours at the canvas,
nor how he shared it with his workshop
students. And he would have been master
of far more than his libido: he would have
Woolly’s Botticelli in the Fire offers both too much and too little been engaged with the work of his prede-
in reimagining the Renaissance painter. By Kate Wingfield cessors and contemporaries; fascinated by
his tools, palette and craft; steeped in the

A
history of art; deeply knowledgeable of
REIMAGINING OF RENAISSANCE PAINTER SANDRO BOTTICELLI AND mythology, symbolism and beyond.
the events which led him to throw his paintings on the fire after embracing the Watching this Botticelli circle, but
teachings of a populist preacher, Botticelli in the Fire (HHHHH) offers both never quite touch, his paintings and brush-
too much and too little. Historical accounts haven’t revealed much of the man behind es (other than in anger) while smirking
such fifteenth century masterpieces as The Birth of Venus and Primavera, and it leaves over the endless references to his party-
Botticelli’s story wide open for interpretation. If playwright Jordan Tannahill wants to ing, gives the impression of a man playing
make him as gay as the day is long, why not? He might well have been. If he layers eras at being a painter.
like transparencies — twenty-first century loft-dwelling urbanites meshing with Medici And his relationship with the only stu-
Florence — again, why not? Such are the imaginative flights that make for fascinatingly dent shown, a young Leonardo da Vinci
original theater. (James Crichton), barely registers. They
But if Tannahill delivers joyful irreverence and playfulness in these overarching have no real conversations about life, no
choices, when it comes to their execution, the hand gets overly heavy. Put simply, chemistry, no credible daily banter. By the
Botticelli and company are conceived as full-on urban camp, complete with calling time Leonardo makes his passion play, it
each other “girl” and — especially in Botticelli’s case — playing to the audience with feels contrived, not exciting. If the sug-
that rather all-too-familiar bitchy kind of sass. It may be witty and downright funny at gestion here is that Botticelli’s attentions
times, but it all feels a bit... ’90s. inspired Leonardo, endangered him, and
Being bored rather than shocked by a flamboyantly gay character may be a victory then saved him — well, okay, but good
for societal acceptance, but it doesn’t make for a compelling play. Botticelli may react luck convincing an art historian (and the
and declare and flounce, but other than one or two brief moments of reflection (and Jon less said about their final toe-curlingly
Hudson Odom’s riveting presence), there is little here to convince. awful peanut butter moment, the better).
Prime example is his supposed profession. If there is endless expository on what a Equally skimmed is Botticelli’s supposedly
profound partier Botticelli is, surely his working hours must have been equally intense. immense friendship with Poggio di Chullu

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 75


SCOTT SUCHMAN
(played with appropriate boisterousness by Earl T. Kim).
The focus of the piece is further crowded by the injection of
a heavy dose of nudity, simulated sex, and a fantasy sequence
with a dirty monologue, courtesy of Medici aristocrat Clarice
Orsini. There is no doubt that at least one retired English teacher
will still be impressed by a “bravely” displayed ass-cheek, faked
orgasms, or references to Pornhub categories, but for the rest of
us it’s all one big yawn — and it almost always breaks the fiction.
If there is one exception, it is the supremely artful staging
and light play during the unfolding moment when Botticelli and
Leonardo consummate their love. It does absolutely nothing to
show their chemistry or bond, but it does provide a wonderful
origin myth for Leonardo’s understanding of anatomy.
Botticelli in the Fire runs to June 24 at Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $89.
Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.
76 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Yet Tannahill seems to have had deeper goals. At the begin-
ning, Botticelli lays down a gauntlet: the universal fear of death.
He later sets the stage for deeper contemplation with dire choic-
es, pyres, and dungeons. But there is never a true reckoning of
the initial premise. When Botticelli’s mother Madre Maria takes
him in her arms to bathe him (in his moment of personal crisis),
it is intimate and extraordinary because almost nothing beats
an evoking Dawn Ursula, here as Maria. But if Maria tells us
intriguing details of his early (sexual) life, Botticelli himself stays
almost silent. What a prize moment to give something more of
his inner life. And when an imprisoned Leonardo monologues
his despair, the moment is dulled, not just by his obtuseness, but
by the fact that we barely know him. Such are the chances to
touch a nerve, but they are missed.
Still, if the depth is lacking, there is plenty to watch. Odom
brings an incendiary fire to his portrayal, sparking with confi-
dence, anger, warmth, and humor. It’s goes a long way to deliver
some texture to a character who needed more from his creator.
Playing it boldly with an attractively annoyed edge, Alyssa
Wilmoth Keegan delivers a charismatic Orsini, the Medici
woman on whom Botticelli models his Venus. As a credible mod-
ern incarnation of Lorenzo de’ Medici, Cody Nickell is enjoyably
abrasive and mercurial. Finally, as Girolamo Savonarola, the
preacher who presses Botticelli into following his creed, Craig
Wallace offers an interesting blend of the personable and com-
manding.
Approach Botticelli in the Fire as Tannahill’s idyll and not an
exploration, and you will be entertained, if not moved. l
CHRISTOPHER MEULLER
Stage

Does any tune here have the electric

urgency of “Cabaret,” or the sizzle of “All

Scottsboro Sensation
That Jazz?” Probably not — a few of the
songs sound like reworked Chicago rags.
But music director Brian P. Whitted leads
Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys gives a dark slice of American an able eight-piece orchestra that produc-
history that old razzle-dazzle. By André Hereford es a tight and bouncy take on the score.
The band sounds hot.

T
And in terms of sizzle and urgency,
HE CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE IN AMERICA APPEARS TO HAVE the production’s provocative imagery and
shifted radically since the 2010 Broadway debut of Kander and Ebb’s The powerful performances more than com-
Scottsboro Boys (HHHHH). The Tony-nominated musical — about nine black pensate. The second act’s “You Can’t Do
adolescents who were arrested and thrown in jail based on the false rape accusation Me” shares a dark twinkle with Chicago’s
of two young white women — closed a year before the world woke up to the death of “Mr. Cellophane,” but this plea to be seen
Trayvon Martin. and to matter seems to plunge the knife in
The show came years before the cultural vocabulary expanded to include names like deeper. Sung by one of the boys, Haywood
Philando Castile or Heather Heyer, or phrases like Charleston church shooting, and Patterson (Lamont Walker II), on behalf of
#drivingwhileblack, #nappingwhileblack, #grillingwhileblack, and so on. himself and, indirectly, jailed and lynched
Just keeping up with that conversation can feel exhausting. But surely audiences black innocents throughout the South, it’s
now might be better equipped to engage with The Scottsboro Boys. Our increasingly a plea that Emmett Till and many others
cruel world has provided illuminating context for understanding this sad, but true never got to sing.
story. Walker’s Haywood, the most promi-
Signature’s production of Kander & Ebb’s mordantly funny swan song registers nently featured among the nine accused,
the striking impression that even though the show feels fresh as a daisy, in actuality, is the linchpin of a talented ensemble. In
today’s conversation on race hasn’t progressed much since 2010 — or even 1931, when him, this show has a compelling star who
the musical is set. These days, black guys get shot for waving cellphones, and arrested should find plenty of future roles to keep
for sitting at Starbucks, so what in that regard has changed since Scottsboro? him busy, especially once precision catch-
Perhaps the tone and tenor of the discourse are sharper, and The Scottsboro Boys is es up to star quality. His performance is
a masterful display of bending tone almost to the point it snaps the show in half — but gripping, but of course Walker just can’t
somehow it all holds together. The sly book by David Thompson (Steel Pier) and the do it alone. Malik Akil brings the right atti-
buoyant music and lyrics by Kander and Ebb tap-dance on a line between entertaining tude in his double role as accused Charlie
and hammy, without sacrificing any of the work’s challenging frankness. Weems, and accuser Victoria Price. As the
Joe Calarco’s robust staging captures the audience-pleasing spirit of minstrelsy and accused Clarence Norris, Darrell Purcell,
vaudeville performance, used to sweeten the taste of barbed, bitter commentary. And Jr. provides a passionate voice of defiance.
the outstanding cast delivers both the broad, comic song-and-dance, and the heart- Stephen Scott Wormley and Chaz
heavy historical drama. Alexander Coffin essay a variety of roles

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 79

 Choreographer Jared
Grimes puts the entire cast
through their paces with vig-
orous dancing, based on Susan
Stroman’s work from the orig-
inal. The Scottsboro Boys tap,
slide, and high kick across two
levels of scenic designer Daniel
Conway’s set, dazzlingly fol-
lowed by designer Sherrice
Mojgani’s graceful lighting.
The Scottsboro Boys is as
much toe-tapping fun as any
dark satire about a tragic and
true miscarriage of justice has
any right to be. And Calarco’s
production makes the feeling
sink in that these black lives
mattered — with no explicit
sloganeering being necessary
in order to get the message
C. STANLEY

across.
The humor is downright
macabre at times, but if that’s
with quick-stepping aplomb as the mischievous troupers, Mr. what it takes to keep constructive conversation going, then the
Bones and Mr. Tambo, who carry out the show’s performance writers of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” were the right men for the
within a performance alongside Christopher Bloch’s well-cali- job. Laughing in the face of racial injustice, in this case, is better
brated Interlocutor. than looking the other way. l

The Scottsboro Boys runs to July 1 at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, Va.
Tickets are $40 to $103. Call 703-820-9771, or visit sigtheatre.org.

80 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by
Ward Morrison

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 83


DrinksDragDJsEtc...
Thursday,
June 7
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at 3pm •
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines up
to 50% off • $5 Pitchers
of Miller Lite all night long
• $3 Well Drinks in Nest
until 11pm, $3 in Tavern
all day • RuPaul’s Drag
Race Viewing, hosted
by Washington Heights,
Whimsy Thrift and Anita
Minute, 7-10pm, in the
Nest • Underwear Night,
9pm-2am • For men in
underwear, all well drinks
84 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Scene
Pride Womxn’s Kickoff Celebration at Big Chief
Saturday, June 2 • Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene
GREEN LANTERN SHAW’S TAVERN TRADE ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Happy Hour, 4-9pm Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Doors open 5pm • Huge All male, nude dancers •
• Shirtless Thursday, Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, Happy Hour: Any drink Open Dancers Audition •
10-11pm • Men in $5 House Wines, $5 Rail normally served in a Urban House Music by DJ
$2, 9pm-12am • Best
Underwear Contest at
Underwear Drink Free, Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas cocktail glass served in a Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+
Midnight • Code enforced
12-12:30am • DJs
BacK2bACk
and Select Appetizers
• All-You-Can-Eat Ribs,
huge glass for the same
price, 5-10pm • Beer and
in Code Bar after 9pm •
$24.95, 5-10pm • $4 wine only $4 • RuPaul’s
College Night Thursdays,
9pm-2am • EDM Dance
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
Heineken and Corona
all night
Drag Race Season 10
Viewing Party, hosted by
Friday,
Party, 10pm-2am • Free
admission to the Tavern •
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), Salvadora Dali • Music June 8
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of THE DIRTY GOOSE by Tommy Cornelis, Bil
Admission to the Nest is
Beer $15 • All Leagues Half-Off Happy Hour, Todd, and The Barber 9 1/2
free until 10:30pm • After
Night 5-9pm • Pride Kick Off Streisand • Performances Open at 3pm • Happy
10:30pm, $5 Cover for
Party with DJ Farrah by Miss Sippi Galore, Chaz Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
21 and up, $10 Cover for
NUMBER NINE Flosscett and Alex Love, Sonique, Seraphim, and 5-9pm • Friday Night
18-20 • thebaltimoreea-
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any 8pm-close • Rooftop open Miss LaBella Mafia Videos, with DJ Chord
gle.com
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover all night Bezerra, 9:30pm • $5
• RuPaul’s Drag Race UPROAR Absolut and $5 Jim Beam
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Viewing Party, hosted by TOWN 639 Florida Ave. NW • Expanded craft beer
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Ba’Naka, 8pm La Fiesta: 12th Annual DC Drag Fever Night, 8pm-2am selection • No Cover
Karaoke, 9pm
Latinx Pride Official Dance • Hosted by Desiree Dik
PITCHERS Party “Belleza Latinx,” with Special Guest Miami BALTIMORE EAGLE
FURBALL
2317 18th St. NW 9pm-2am • Featuring DJ Palace Drag Queen T.Lo Doors open at 2pm •
@The DC Eagle
Sports Team Night, Joe El Especialista from El Ivy • $7 Deep Eddy Vodka, Bears & Bellies Friday Bear
3701 Benning Rd. NE
7pm-2am • Entry only Zol • $10 Cover — Tickets all flavors, all night • Golf Night • $10 Cover • Pay
Joe Fiore presents Furball
allowed with a DC sports available via eventbrite. Bag, Bicycle, and Firefly an extra $5, and get 5 free
DC Pride, 10pm • Music by
team-affiliated shirt • com Music Festival Tickets well drinks • Elyx Vodka
Michel MIzrahi and Mike
facebook.com/PitchersDC Raffle • DJ Milko spins and Any Red Bull Flavor for
Babbitt
until 2am $7 all day long • thebalti-
moreeagle.com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Echostage
2135 Queens Chapel
Rd. NE
Earth, Wind, Glitter, & Fire:
Official Capital Pride Party,
9pm-close • Theme: The
Elements/Captain Planet/
Periodic Table • Photo
Booths, Glitter Beards,
Live Visuals by Robin Bell
• Featuring DJ Alex Lo,
Naomi Smalls, DJ Kitty
Glitter, Allie X, Marquis
Clanton • Visit glitterpoop.
eventbrite.com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Flash
645 Florida Ave. NW
Pride Celebration Thursday
Kickoff Party, 9pm-4am
• DJ TWiN and DJ Sean
Morris on the main floor,
9pm-4am • WesstheDJ
on the rooftop, 9pm-2am
• Tickets available via
eventbrite.com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@The Living Room
1008 Vermont Ave. NW
La Fantasy Productions
and Hilton Wolman Events
present Salvation Cha
Cha Pride, 10pm-5am •
Featuring DJ Abel Aguilera
• Tickets available via
ChaChaPride.com
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Wicked Jezebel, 8pm •
$10 Cover
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Svedka, all flavors, all
night long • Rough House
Pride Party • Featuring DJ
Lemz, DJ Mouthfeel, and
the Barber Streisand •
Hosted by Jane Saw and
Salvadora Dali • $10 Cover
(includes clothes check)
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Open 3pm • Beat the
Clock Happy Hour — $2
(5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4
(7-8pm) • Buckets of
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 85
Beer $15 • Pride Kickoff
Party with DJ Matt Bailer,
sponsored by Tito’s Vodka
• Giveaways and Photo
Booth
NUMBER NINE
Open 3pm • Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
• No Cover • Friday Night
Videos, with DJ Chord
Bezerra, 9:30pm • $5
Absolut and $5 Jim Beam
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Ladies Tea: Ladies Only
Party, 7-9pm • General
admission, 9pm-close •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
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
THE DIRTY GOOSE
913 U St. NW
Half-Off Happy Hour,
5-9pm • DJ Farrah
Flosscett, 8pm-close •
Rooftop open all night
TOWN
Doors open at 9pm for
Drag Show, 11pm to gen-
eral public • Drag Show
starts at 9:30pm • Hosted
by Lena Lett and featuring
Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-Lee,
Riley Knoxx, Sasha Adams,
and Ba’Naka • $30 Cover
for Drag Show — Tickets
MUST be purchased
through Flavorus.com •
DJ Wess upstairs, DJs
BacK2bACk downstairs fol-
lowing the show • GoGo
Boys after 11pm • Special
86 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
appearance by CockyBoys
adult film stars Boomer
Banks, Taylor Reign, and
Sean Ford • For those 21
and over, $12 • For those
18-20, $15
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a
cocktail glass served in a
huge glass for the same
price, 5-10pm • Beer and
wine only $4 • Music by
Diyanna Monet, 8pm •
Music by Jeff Prior and
Khelan Bhatia, 10pm •
Show at midnight, hosted
by Kunj and featuring
AndroJennie, Geneva
Confection, Lilith Wisteria,
and BlasFemme
U STREET MUSIC HALL
1115 U St. NW
Doors open at 10:30pm • 5
Rail Drinks until midnight •
$8 Frozen Slushy Cocktails
all night • $3 Beck’s cans
until midnight • DJ perfor-
mances including Honey
Soundsystem, Octo Octa,
and Outputmessage • $12
in advance, $20 at door •
All door proceeds benefit
HIPS, Inc.
UPROAR
639 Florida Ave. NW
Doors open 5pm •
Complimentary Fireball
“Tastings,” 8-10pm
• Miami DJ Bo Bear,
9pm-2am
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,
June 9
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
9pm-close • Expanded
craft beer selection •
No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at noon
• Happy Hour, 3-9pm
• Leather and Fetish
Saturdays, Code Bar,
8pm-2am • Code enforced
after 9pm in the Code
Bar • Retro Saturdays
Dance Party in the Nest,
9:30pm-2am • $5 Cover
• Drink Specials in the
Nest • Long Island Leather
Saturdays — $5 Long
Islands all day • thebalti-
moreeagle.com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Tropicalia
2001 14th St. NW
WERQ presents IGNITE,
3:30-9am • Featuring
DJs Kenneth Rivera and
Serving Ovahness
CAPITAL PRIDE
@The Park at Fourteenth
920 14th St. NW
Daryl Wilson Promotions
presents Pride: The Day
Party, 1-5pm • Tickets
available via eventbrite.
com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@15th St. NW between P
and Church Streets
Capital Pride Block Party,
4-10pm • DJ Rosie, DJ
Honey, and others • Logan
Beverage Garden, Food
Trucks
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Biergarten Haus
1335 H St. NW
FUSE: Capital Pride
Women’s Main Event,
9pm-3am • DJ Jai Sincere
and DJ Honey • $15 Cover
CAPITAL PRIDE
@UMAYA DC
733 10th St. NW
Cherry presents Saturday
Night Pride, 9pm-3am
• Featuring DJ Pagano
and DJ Paulo Fragoso
• Performances by
Maddelynn Hatter, CT
Hedden, Jared Bradford,
David Emmanuel, Trevor
Northman, Alan Michaels
• Tickets available via
eventbrite.com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@The DC Eagle
3701 Benning Rd. NE
Distrkt C: Sin, the Official
Men’s Party, 10pm-6am •
Featuring the Perry Twins
and Deanne • Performance
by Suzanne Palmer
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 • Pride 2018:
Tea Dance • Featuring DJ
Jerrbear • No Cover •
JOX: Special Pride Edition,
9pm-close • Featuring
DJs C-Dubz and Chaim •
$5 Cover (includes clothes
check)
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-close • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • DJ Tag Team,
featuring DJs Vodkatrina
and Sidekick, 8pm-close
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 12pm • Music
by DJ Jack Rayburn,
5-10pm • Music by DJs
BacK2bACk, 10pm-close
• $5 Absolut and $5 Jim
Beam Bourbon, 10pm-close
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Doors open, Noon-3am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
SHAW’S TAVERN
Pre-Parade Brunch with
DJ Jill, 10am-3pm • $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
THE DIRTY GOOSE
913 U St. NW
Open 1pm • Pre-Parade
Party, 1-4pm • DJ Alex
Love, 4-8pm • DJ Farrah
Flosscett, 8pm-close •
Rooftop open all night •
Free Deep Eddy, 9:30-10pm
and 10:30-11pm
TOWN
Meet and Greet with
BenDeLaCreme from
RuPaul’s Drag Race,
Season 6 and All Stars 3,
7:30pm • Doors open at
7:30pm for the Meet and
Greet, 9pm for Drag Show,
and 11pm to general
public • Drag Show starts
at 9:30pm • Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-Lee,
Riley Knoxx and Ba’Naka •
Upstairs: DJs Drew G and
Ed Bailey • Downstairs:
Music and video by DJ
Wess • $15 Cover from
10pm-midnight, $12 after
midnight • Visit TownDC.
com • 21+
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 • DJ
Devon Trotter, 8pm • DJ
Jacq Jill, 10pm • DJ Kris
Sutton, 12am • Show
at midnight, featuring
Pussy Noir, Jane Saw,
BratWorst, and Jaxknife
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 87
 U STREET MUSIC HALL
1115 U St. NW
Doors open 10:30pm • $5
Rail Drinks until midnight •
$8 Frozen Slushy Cocktails
all night • $3 Beck’s cans
until midnight • DJ per-
formances including Ultra
Naté, Lisa Moody, Wayne
Davis, Andy Grant, Katrina
Mir and a live performance
by Dawn Tallman • $10 in
advance at at the door •
Ages 18-20: Advance ticket
required, via ticketfly.com
UPROAR
639 Florida Ave. NW
Rooftop Drag Brunch,
featuring Desiree Dik,
Miami Palace Queen T.Lo
Iv, and Gia D’Witches,
12-3pm • $15 Man-mosas
• Shirtless Saturday Happy
Hour, 8-11pm • $4 Rails,
$4 Bud Light, and $4 Jim
Beam or Jose Cuervo
shots • Complimentary
Jim Beam “Tastings” from
8-10pm • VJ Travis Island,
9pm-2am
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Pride Celebration and
Dance Party, 9pm • Guest
dancers • Music by DJ
Steve Henderson • Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show,
featuring Ella Fitzgerald
• Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:45am •
Cover 21+
Sunday,
June 10
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
9pm-close • Multiple TVs
showing movies, shows,
88 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
sports • Expanded craft
beer selection • No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at noon •
Lizzie Beaumont and
Betty Whitecastle present
Queens Who Brunch,
12-2pm • $34 per person
includes All You Can
Eat • Free pitcher of
Mimosas per 4 admissions
• Reservations highly
suggested and can be
made online beforehand
• Sunday Fun-Day, 4-9pm
• From 2-8pm, buy a cup
for $5 and fill it with any
Absolut Flavor and Mixer
for $3 each time (excluding
energy drink mixers) •
thebaltimoreeagle.com
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Flash
645 Florida Ave. NW
Cherry Fund presents
ACTION!: The Capital Pride
Official Afterhours Party,
3:30-9:30am • Featuring
Nina Flowers and Cindel
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Capitol Stage —
Pennsylvania Avenue NW
and 3rd Street NW
Capital Pride Sunset Dance
Party, 8-10pm • Free and
Open to the Public • DJ
Tracy Young
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Ultrabar
911 F St. NW
Distrkt C: Repent,
8pm-2am • Featuring
DJs Alex Cabot and Oscar
Velazquez, DJ Matt Bailer,
StrikeStone!, Devon
Trotter, and NightFlight
DJs O. Martinez and Wade
Hammes
CAPITAL PRIDE
@Cobalt
1639 R St. NW
The Capital Pride Official
Closing Party, 9pm-2am •
DJ Power Infinity • Tickets
available via cherryfund.
org
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Champagne Brunch Buffet,
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 •
Candyland Underwear
Party, 9pm-close •
Featuring DJ Tryfe •
$10 Cover • $5 and $8
Drink Specials • Karaoke
with Kevin downstairs,
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-close • Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • Anthem:
Non-Stop Divas Tea Dance,
with DJ Sean McCaffrey,
5-10pm • No Cover
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Doors open, Noon-2am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
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, 7pm
• For reservations, email
shawsdinnerdragshow@
gmail.com
THE DIRTY GOOSE
913 U St. NW
Open 1pm • Sunday Pride
Edition with DJ Farrah
Flosscett, 3-8pm • $3 Bud
Lights and $5 Deep Eddy •
$7 Deep Eddy and Red Bull
Slingers • Rooftop open
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 • Glam Box
& Church present Sunday
Best, 8pm • Walk-Off
Contest, 11pm • Music
by WesstheDJ, Jesse
Jackson, JoAnn Fabrixx,
and Lemz • Performances
by Bombalicious Eklaver
and Geneva Confection •
Hosted by Pussy Noir and
Tammy
UPROAR
639 Florida Ave. NW
Bud Light Beer Bust, 4-8pm
• $17 gets unlimited Bud
Light • Featuring DJ Mike
Babbitt • Complimentary
Belvedere “Tasting” from
4-8pm
Monday,
June 11
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at 3pm •
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines up
to 50% off • Micro Brew
Draft/Bottle Mondays —
$4 all day • SIN: Service
Industry Night, 11pm-2am
• First Well Drink or
Domestic Beer Free • 10%
off your Food Order all day
• thebaltimoreeagle.com
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 • Singing with the
Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke
Night with the Sisters
of Perpetual Indulgence,
9:30pm-close
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
Beer $15 • Paint Nite, 7pm
• PokerFace Poker, 8pm •
Dart Boards • Ping Pong
Madness, featuring 2 Ping-
Pong Tables
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
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 •
Shaw ’Nuff Trivia, with
Jeremy, 7:30pm
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,
June 12
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at 3pm •
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines
up to 50% off • $6 Any
Flavor Martinis and $7
Manhattans (call liquors) •
thebaltimoreeagle.com
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco
Tuesday • Poker Night —
7pm and 9pm games •
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm
• $3 rail cocktails and
domestic beers all night
long
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
Beer $15 • Drag Bingo
with Sasha Adams and
Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm •
Karaoke, 9pm-close
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Doors open, 5pm-2am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
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 •
Half-Priced Burgers and
Pizzas all night with $5
House Wines and $5 Sam
Adams
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
Wednesday,
June 13
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
No Cover
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
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
2317 18th St. NW
Doors open, 5pm-2am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
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,
June 14
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines up
to 50% off • $5 Pitchers
of Miller Lite all night long
• $3 Well Drinks in Nest
until 11pm, $3 in Tavern
all day • Special Thrifty
Minute Thursday Pride
Kick-Off Drag Show in the
Nest, 7:30pm • Release:
House Music Pride Party
in the Main Bar, presented
by Jerry Haley, 8pm
• Hip-Hop LUST Party
in the Nest, 9:30pm •
Talon Art Gallery above
Eagle Leathers holds a
special Pride Art Show •
Admission to the Nest is
free until 10:30pm • After
10:30pm, $5 Cover for
21 and up, $10 Cover for
18-20 • thebaltimoreea-
gle.com
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) • Buckets of
Beer $15 • All Leagues
Night
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 • Gourmet
Symphony Event, 6pm •
$4 Corona and Heineken
all night
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers •
Open Dancers Audition •
Urban House Music by DJ
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+
Friday,
June 15
9 1/2
Open at 5pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
5-9pm • Friday Night
Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating
DJs • Expanded craft beer
selection • No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at noon •
LUST: The Official Leather/
Fetish/Bear Dance Party,
9pm • Elyx Vodka and Any
Red Bull Flavor for $7 all
day long • thebaltimoreea-
gle.com
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
$5 Svedka, all flavors all
night long • HybridNine:
Stripped, A Jock and
Harness Party, 10pm-close
• Music by DJ Ryan
Doubleyou • No Cover
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Open 3pm • Guest DJs •
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
Beer $15
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Doors open, 5pm-3am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
TOWN
Patio open 6pm • DC Bear
Crue Happy Hour, 6-11pm
• $3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3 Bud
Bottles • Free Pizza, 7pm
JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
• No cover before 9:30pm SHAW’S TAVERN
• 21+ • Drag Show starts $15 Bottomless Mimosas,
at 10:30pm • Hosted by 10am-3pm • Happy Hour,
Lena Lett and featuring 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite,
Miss Tatianna, Shi- $4 Blue Moon, $5 House
Queeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx Wines, $5 Rail Drinks •
and Ba’Naka • DJ Wess Half-Priced Pizzas and
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk Select Appetizers
downstairs following the
show • GoGo Boys after TOWN
11pm • Doors open at Doors open 10pm • Drag
10pm • For those 21 and Show starts at 10:30pm •
over, $12 • For those Hosted by Lena Lett and
18-20, $15 • Club: 18+ • featuring Tatianna, Shi-
Patio: 21+ Queeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and Ba’Naka • $15 Cover
from 10pm-midnight, $12
after midnight • 21+
Saturday, ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
June 16 Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am
• Guest dancers • Ladies
BALTIMORE EAGLE of Illusion Drag Show
Doors open at noon • with host Ella Fitzgerald
Pride Block Party all day • Doors at 9pm, Shows
long • 5 DJs, Bar on the at 11:30pm and 1:45am
Street, and lots of give- • DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s
aways • Win VIP Passes • DJ Steve Henderson in
for Free Admission to the Secrets • Cover 21+
Eagle all year long • Long
Island Leather Saturdays
— only $5 all day long •
Sunday,
thebaltimoreeagle.com
GREEN LANTERN June 17
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all BALTIMORE EAGLE
night long • The Bear Doors open at noon •
Cave, 9pm-close • Retro Lizzie Beaumont and
to Electro Music, by DJ Betty Whitecastle present
Popperz Queens Who Brunch,
12-2pm • $34 per person
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR includes All You Can Eat
Drag Brunch, hosted • Free pitcher of Mimosas
by Chanel Devereaux, per 4 admissions •
10:30am-12:30pm and Reservations highly sug-
1-3pm • House Rail Drinks,
Zing Zang Bloody Marys,
gested and can be made
online beforehand • Pride
Nellie Beer and Mimosas, Closing Beer and Liquor
$4, 11am-close • Buckets Bust, 4-9pm • Special
of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs Prizes all day long • Get
a special Pride Tank Top
PITCHERS • Free VIP Pass gets you
2317 18th St. NW admission all day • thebal-
Doors open, 12pm-3am timoreeagle.com l
89
Scene
Bear Happy Hour at Town - Friday, June 1
Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 91

92 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
 LastWord.
People say the queerest things

“May we end up with a world where everyone

can live and love equally
”
and no one has to be afraid to say how they feel.

— TAYLOR SWIFT, in a speech on stage during the Chicago stop on her Reputation tour, celebrating Pride Month. “This month and
every month I want to send my love and respect to everybody who has been brave enough to be honest about how they feel, to
live their lives as they are, as they feel they should be, as they identify. This is a month where I think we need to celebrate how far
we’ve come, but I think we also need to acknowledge how far we have left to go,” the singer added.

“Our society has come to the recognition that

gay persons and gay couples
cannot be treated as social outcasts
”
or as inferior in dignity and worth.

— JUSTICE ANTHONY KENNEDY, writing in his majority opinion after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an anti-gay baker who
discriminated against a same-sex couple. The Court ruled that the baker had been unfairly treated by Colorado’s Civil Rights
Commission, but did not state that he had a license to discriminate. Instead, Kennedy noted that,
while religious freedom is protected, “the laws and the Constitution can, and in some instances must,
protect [gay people] in the exercise of their civil rights.”

“And yet, they still refuse to recognize Pride month for LGBTQ Americans.
Why are Trump and Pence so insistent on
erasing us?”
— HRC, in a tweet blasting the Trump administration for refusing to issue a proclamation acknowledging June as LGBTQ Pride
Month. For the second year in a row, only the State Department issued a statement celebrating Pride Month and affirming “its
commitment to protecting and defending the human rights of all, including LGBTI persons.”

“The findings provide clear evidence that

cognitive ability is an important precursor of
prejudice against same-sex couples.”
— FRANCISCO PERALES, of the University of Queensland, Australia, who led a study which determined that those who oppose
gay rights are less intelligent than those who support equality. The study asked almost 12,000 people to complete three tests to
determine cognitive ability, then asked them whether they supported equality for same-sex couples. A correlation was found
between homophobia and poor performance in the intelligence tests.

“He said ‘You need to move these,

you need to move these you fucking queer,
’”
or I’m going to move them myself.

— CODY HOOTMAN, a member of QC Pride, who witnessed East Davenport, Iowa, restaurant owner John Wisor’s homophobic tirade
after two porta-potties were installed near his business for the upcoming Pride Fest. Hootman continued: “We said we were not
going to move the toilets, and he said, ‘Yes, you are, you fucking queers!’” Local LGBTQ people are now
boycotting Wisor’s restaurant, 11th Street Precinct Bar and Grill.

94 JUNE 7, 2018 • METROWEEKLY