Metro Weekly - 01-19-2017 - Trump Inauguration: Dear President Trump

CONTENTS
JANUARY 19, 2017
23
Volume 23 Issue 35
STATES OF HATE
From Alabama to Virginia, many states around the country are

pushing anti-LGBT laws for 2017
By John Riley
26
DEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP...

Letters from the LGBT community to the incoming 45th
President of the United States, Donald J. Trump
48
BRAIN POWER
Studios crack at The Hard Problem sparks rousing intellectual

debate with lukewarm dramatic results
By Andr Hereford
OVERTURE p.7
SPOTLIGHT: WINTERSTEPS p.9 OUT ON THE TOWN p.13
WADING INTO ROE p.14 COMMUNITY: SHABBAT FOR SOLIDARITY p.21
THE FEED: STATES OF HATE p.23 COVER STORY: DEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP p.26
GALLERY: JON ARGE p.47 STAGE: THE HARD PROBLEM p.48 MUSIC: THE XX p.50
NIGHTLIFE p.53 SCENE: FREDDIES BEACH BAR p.53
LAST WORD p.62
Real LGBT News and Entertainment since 1994
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Managing Editor Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editor Doug Rule
Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Gordon Ashenhurst,
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Patron Saint The Obama Administration Cover Illustration Incoming by Scott G. Brooks
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JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY
Overture
I
Hell to the Chief
NAUGURATION WEEKEND SHOULD BE A TIME OF CELEBRATION. BUT HOW DO YOU

CELebrate an incoming president who has the temperament of a schoolyard bully, with skin thinner
than a tomato, who tweets derisively at anyone and everyone, including celebrities and civil rights
leaders? How do you celebrate an incoming administration that appears eager to disrupt, dismantle and
disregard every shred of progress America has made over decades, not merely in the area of LGBT rights
but in all realms of life, from climate change to health care? How do you celebrate a leader who clearly
values self-interest above all else, who wont apologize or accept blame, and shows no interest in repairing
a nation he helped fracture with hateful, bigoted rhetoric?
How do you celebrate a leader who
appears to have more regard for the Russians
than his own government?
You dont. Nor, however, do you ignore it.
The next four years have taken on a significance unlike any other in modern history.
And not just for the LGBT community, but
for all Americans, including the supporters
of Trump who might find their self-delusion
dissipating faster than the froth on a cappuccino. I would love to be proven wrong
Donald J. Trump could turn out to be a
considered, thoughtful leader but I doubt
it. And so do many others.
For this issue, I asked both local and
national members of the LGBT community
and a few allies to express their feelings
about the incoming president in letter form.
The 32 responses were as varied in their sentiments as they were in their approach one
person even wrote his in the form of verse.
Its doubtful Trump will ever read any of
them, but I wish he would. He might learn
something. Some are angry, some are bitter,
some are fearful, and rightfully so. But others offer the incoming president cautious
guidance and advice that he would do well
to heed. Only Trump can prove us wrong.
But were he truly serious about accepting
the highest office in our land, he would have
revealed his tax returns or, at the very least,
divested himself fully of his company. A very
greedy bird has just landed in the ultimate
controlling perch, the valiant eagle replaced
by a vulture.
Ive lived in Washington through the
administrations of Ford, Carter, Reagan,
Bush One, Clinton, Bush Two and, of course,
Obama. I had hoped to live through a second Clinton administration, and not a shred
of doubt remains in my mind that Hillary
would have made an amazing, historic, healing president, one who wouldnt take such
obvious glee in tearing apart an already ruptured country.
Hillary may not have been able to instantly heal all of Americas wounds, but she
would have made an immediate effort,
which is more than Trump and his merry
band, including Kellyanne Conway, Reince
Priebus, Sean Spicer and Mike Pence, all
masters of delusion and spin-filled distraction, have done. Their argument their
rationale is merely that they won. The
rest of us need to get over losing. As for the
media, were all fake news, were all crooked. Unless your name is Rush. Or Laura. Or
Breitbart.
There is an antidote to this reality TV
virus called Trump: Democracy. And if it
works, everything will (eventually) turn out
okay. Because real Americans dont cower
or kowtow. Real Americans emblazon their
words of protest with meaning, purpose and
resolve. Real Americans believe in the greater good, and not just the one percent.
The next four years are going to see
Democracy enter a battlefield the likes of
which will test it to its fullest extent. It will
be, at times, hell.
But if its hell that Trump wants, then its
hell Trump will get.
Randy Shulman
Editor-in-Chief
Spotlight
Wintersteps
SERGEY APASOV
AUNCHED A DECADE AGO, DISSONANCE DANCE,

billed as D.C.s only African-American-managed contemporary ballet company, regularly features works by
emerging contemporary choreographers. Through the companys New Voices of Dance program, first announced last
summer, choreographers are provided support to develop and
premiere new works.
The first NVD Selectees former company dancer Kamali
Hill and Kareem Goodwin of Philadelphia will make their
debut as choreographers this weekend in Wintersteps, a pro-
gram that also features works by French choreographer Davy

Brun and Philadelphias Ryan Tuerk, plus several new pieces by
founder Shawn Short.
NVD is getting buzz and interest, Short says. We are getting applicants from all across the United States. Most have
come from established dancers seeking to become choreographers who hopes the program might become one answer to a
question that has long vexed Short: How can you gain experience as a choreographer if you dont have access to the tools to
grow? Doug Rule
Dissonance Dance Theatre presents Wintersteps Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m.,
in the Jack Guidone Theater at Joy of Motion Dance Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $15 to $25.
Call 202-362-3042 or visit ddtdc.org.
Spotlight
PILOBOLUS
Washington Performing Arts and

CityDance co-present the return of the
popular, Connecticut-based athletic
dance troupe and the D.C. premiere of
Shadowland, an innovative, evening-length
multimedia piece following the dreamlike
world of a young girl. As seen in a performance last month on Late Night with
Stephen Colbert, the dancers use their bodies to form shapes projected as shadows
on screens in front of them, and all set
to a rhythmic original score by American
composer David Poe. Saturday, Jan. 28, at
8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. GW
Lisner, The George Washington University,
730 21st St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $45.
Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.org.
BSO SUPERPOPS:
A TRIBUTE TO OL BLUE EYES
Vocalists Ann Hampton Callaway, Tony DeSare and Frankie

Moreno join the BSO in a tribute to Frank Sinatra led by Jack
Everly. Thursday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore,
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Also Friday, Jan. 27, and
Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m, and Sunday, Jan. 29, at 3 p.m. Joseph
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets
are $33 to $99. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.
CRYSTAL BOWERSOX
A few years ago, the runner-up on the ninth

season of American Idol was all set to make
her Broadway debut, playing the role of the
pioneering female country star in Always, Patsy
Cline. But the show has failed to secure a proper
theater on the Great White Way, so the bisexual
singer-songwriter continues to tour as a solo artist that is, when shes not speaking to children
about her experience of living with diabetes for
Lilly Diabetes. Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. The
Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna.
Tickets are $26 to $28. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or
visit wolftrap.org.
10
Spotlight
THE FOUNDER
Michael Keaton stars as Ray Kroc

in a drama directed by John Lee
Hancock telling the true story of
the Illinois salesman who turned
a small Southern California burger joint run by Mac and Dick
McDonald (John Carroll Lynch
and Nick Offerman) into the
worldwide burger behemoth
known for its Golden Arches.
Opens Friday, Jan. 20. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.
STEPHANIE MILLERS SEXY LIBERAL COMEDY TOUR
Now More Than Ever...Outrageous Political Comedy is the promise of this night
of stand-up led by a comedian known from SiriusXMs Progress channel and
the Progressive Voices app. A day after Trumps inauguration, Stephanie Miller
will perform a set alongside real-life best friends and Afro-Saxons Frances and
Angela, collectively known as Frangela, who have been seen everywhere from
Millers talk show to The Oprah Show to the film Hes Just Not That Into You, and
John Fugelsang, a regular on Bill Mahers talk shows and host of Tell Me Everything
on SiriusXMs Insight. Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman
Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $60 to $85, or $150 for VIP with postshow Meet & Greet. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.
THE PANCAKES AND BOOZE

ART SHOW
An import from Los Angeles, this unusual

underground art show features the work
of over 100 emerging artists plus live body
painting, live music, a live art battle and a free
pancake bar. Pancakes and Booze is a traveling, Andy Warhol-styled event that former
Hollywood cameraman Tom Kirlin started in
2009 and has since brought to over 20 cities,
including D.C. twice a year. When I was in
college, the only place that was open after a
night of drinking was IHOP, Kirlin told Metro
Weekly in 2015. I always had this silly idea to
make a pancake restaurant with a full bar. So
with the art show, I just merged the two ideas
together. Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. Big
Chief, 2002 Fenwick St. NE. Cover is $5. Call
202-465-4241 or visit pancakesandbooze.com.
11
BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART
Out On The Town
JOHN WATERS KIDDIE FLAMINGOS
Few people could have imagined that John Waters lovable 1988 film Hairspray would become a hit Broadway musical
and subsequent hit musical film. No one in their right mind would pick his startlingly tasteless Pink Flamingos to be next
up for a similar resurgence though you cant say Baltimores king of camp isnt trying, albeit modestly. In 2014 he filmed
children reading a cleverly modified, G-rated version of the 1972 cult classic. The 74-minute film features kids mostly his
friends children wearing wigs and costumes that evoke the legendary performances of Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey
and others. Waters has even suggested the new version is in some ways more perverse than the original. Closes Sunday,
Jan. 22. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore. Call 443-573-1700 or visit artbma.org.
Compiled by Doug Rule
FILM
TONI ERDMANN
Germanys official entry for Best

Foreign Language Film at this
years Academy Awards. Maren
Ades sweet, lighthearted film
follows an eccentric, fun-loving
father who dons a wacky disguise
as a last-ditch effort to make his
daughter a workaholic corporate
executive lighten up and enjoy
life more. Sandra Huller and Peter
Simonischek star in this fully subtitled film. Opens Friday, Jan. 20.
Landmarks E Street Cinema, 555
11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or
visit landmarktheatres.com.
XXX: THE RETURN OF

XANDER CAGE
Vin Diesel returns to the big screen

as the daredevil operator last
seen over a decade ago. Samuel L.
Jackson also returns in a supporting
role in this battle of four criminals
who control the worlds military

satellites. Opens Friday, Jan. 20.
Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.
STAGE
CHARM
HHHHH
Until the day 33-year old trans
woman Ariella (Nyla Rose) enters
her first etiquette class at The
Center, an inner-city organization
for homeless and LGBT youth, shes
never met a self-described tranny
as refined and put-together as her
new instructor, Darleena Andrews.
Inspired by real-life trans activist
Mama Gloria Allen, Darleena quickly sets about introducing her class to
the indispensable quality of charm.
In so doing, she begins to teach
them a vital lesson in how to treat
others and, most essentially, themselves with respect and kindness.
Given the profound message about
the significance of transgender visibility in Philip Dawkinss impactful,
often hilarious drama, its of immea-
surable benefit to director Natsu

Onoda Powers production that she
chose to cast the utterly charming genderfluid BEllana Duquesne
in the role of Darleena. Duquesne
inhabits the part with tremendous
grace and fierceness, brandishing
the requisite charisma to win over
her charges onstage and in the audience. To Jan. 29. Atlas Performing
Arts Center, Lang Theatre, 1333 H
St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call
202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org. (Andr Hereford)
COPENHAGEN
Theater J presents Michael Frayns

Tony-winning play about the historic 1941 meeting between German
physicist Werner Heisenberg and
Danish physicist Niels Bohr, friends
and colleagues who found themselves working for opposing sides
in the war to develop the atom
bomb. Eleanor Holdridge directs
Tim Getman, Michael Russotto
and Sherri Edelen. To Jan. 29. The
Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater,
Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW.
Tickets are $19.13 to $64.13. Call

202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.
CYMBELINE
One of the later-era, lesser-regarded plays in Shakespeares

oeuvre, Cymbeline is also one few
theater companies stage. Theatre
Prometheus production puts a lesbian love story at the plays center,
as well as casting more women in
its roles. To Jan. 29. Anacostia Arts
Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE.
Tickets are $20. Call 202-631-6291
or visit theatreprometheus.org.
LIZZIE THE MUSICAL
Yes, that Lizzie, the little Borden

girl who was tried for brutally murdering her parents with an axe in
Massachusetts in 1892 though later
acquitted. Pinky Swear Productions
revives the tale in a riot grrrl-steeped
show created by Steven CheslikDeMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan
Stevens Hewitt. A feminist tale of
sex, rage and murder that shows how
little agency women had in Bordens
time. To Feb. 5. Anacostia Playhouse,
13
2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are

$35. Call 202-241-2539 or visit pinkyswear-productions.com.
MACK, BETH
JENNY GRAHAM
Developed through a program of

Arlingtons Rose Theatre Co., Helen
Hayes-nominated playwright Chris
Stezin (What Dogs Do) offers a spin
on Shakespeares ultimate power
couple, retooled for the cyber age.
Matt Ripa directs a world premiere
production of this sharp modern
twist on the classic tale of greed and
unbridled ambition as told through
a 10-person cast featuring Jennifer
J. Hopkins and Andrew Kelleras as
a high-achieving couple in a present-day tech business. Previews
begin Saturday, Jan. 21, with opening night Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m.
Runs to Feb. 11. Keegan Theatre,
1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are
$45 to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or
visit keegantheatre.com.
SOMEONE IS GOING TO COME
WADING INTO ROE
Arenas latest production looks at the iconic case that reshaped

the legality of abortion
ITH TRUMP WINNING, IT SHIFTED THE PLAY, SAYS DIRECTOR

Bill Rauch. Hes discussing Lisa Loomers Roe, which has undergone a
few changes for its run at Arena Stage in order to better reflect the current landscape.
But while the script has been tweaked slightly due to the incoming Trump
administration and a Republican Party more focused than ever on negatively
impacting womens health care, Roe remains firmly focused on Roe v. Wade and the
two key figures behind the landmark 1973 lawsuit.
[Loomer] didnt want to do a play that primarily dramatized the Supreme Court
case, Rauch says. She really wanted to focus on the lives of the women at the heart
of the case both Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who argued Roe v. Wade in front
of the Supreme Court when she was only 26 years old, and Norma McCorvey, who
was the plaintiff who went by the pseudonym Jane Roe. She was just fascinated by
these two women and their stories, and how their stories converge and then diverge,
and how much it became kind of a metaphor for American society.
There are sweet and touching moments in Roe, particularly in the depiction
of McCorveys long-term relationship with Connie Gonzales. That relationship
is really the emotional center of the play in many ways, Rauch says. Eventually,
McCorvey was born again and renounced her sexuality. As a gay man myself,
thats one of the most challenging parts of her story, Rauch says.
There are other challenges involved with a play on such a hot button issue as
abortion. It was very important to Lisa that the play include multiple points of
view, Rauch says. And I think shes done a really remarkable job of bringing in
really disparate points of view. Really remarkable. And people who see the play are
always surprised by the multiplicity of viewpoints in it.
Theyre also surprised by how entertaining it is, he adds. Lisa has a wonderful
ear for comedy. As serious and urgent as the issue is, I think its a surprisingly entertaining show. Doug Rule
Roe runs to Feb. 19 in Arenas Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $55 to
$110. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.
14
Scena Theatre presents an emotionally powerful drama featuring two-time Helen Hayes Award
winner Nanna Ingvarsson, David
Bryan Jackson, and Joseph Carlson.
Robert McNamara directs Jon
Fosses poetic play about passion,
paranoia and jealousy, as a strange
couple moves into an isolated, rundown house to be left alone, never
fully believing theyll get their wish.
To Feb. 5. Atlas Performing Arts
Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are
$20 to $35, or $10 in previews. Call
202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
THE GABRIELS TRILOGY
Richard Nelsons The Apple Family

Plays was a compelling portrait
of a fictitious, politically engaged,
bipartisan upstate New York family,
viewed in real time at family gatherings during election periods in
the Obama era. Nelson has revived
the concept with a different family
from the same middle-class neighborhood, viewed at three stages in
2016 in the run-up to the forthcoming Trump era. The Kennedy
Center presents the original, heralded New York cast performing
the three plays, Hungry, What
Did You Expect? and Women of a
Certain Age, in repertory to Jan. 22.
Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 each
show, or $120 for full-day weekend
marathons. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org.
MUSIC
AARON TVEIT
In 2010, he portrayed Peter

Orlovsky, the partner of poet Allen
Ginsberg (James Franco) in Rob
Epstein and Jeffrey Friedmans
Howl. Yet Aaron Tveit is far better known for musical theater, on
Broadway (Next to Normal, Catch
Me If You Can) and on screen
(Danny Zuko in Foxs Grease Live!,
Les Miserables). No doubt Tveit will
Cliburn
International
Piano
Competition, joins Strathmores
resident orchestra for a program
led by Piotr Gajewski also including Dvoraks Symphony No. 8 in
G Major. Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8
p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 29, at 3 p.m.
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $34 to $78. Call 301-5815100 or visit strathmore.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUGARLOAF CRAFTS FESTIVAL
NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
SUGARLOAF CRAFTS FESTIVAL IN CHANTILLY
The annual Sugarloaf Crafts Festival is considered one of the top craft experiences in the
country, attracting about 170,000 visitors to Marylands Montgomery County Fairgrounds
every October. But in the past few years the festival has grown into a touring entity and
returns for a biannual event at Virginias Dulles Expo Center, with more than 250 artisans from around the country offering one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts in various media
including functional and decorative pottery, sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, leather,
wood, metal, furniture, home accessories and photography. Gourmet food samples, live
music and interactive childrens entertainment will also be on tap. Friday, Jan. 27, and
Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dulles
Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center Drive, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $8 per
day online only, or $10 per day at the door. Call 800-210-9900 or visit sugarloafcrafts.com.
sing songs from those during the

pop cabaret hes developing for his
Wolf Trap debut. Saturday, Jan. 21,
at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 22, at
7 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap,
1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are
$40 to $55. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or
visit wolftrap.org.
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
Johannes Debus makes his debut

conducting the BSO and pianist
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. The program features Rossinis Overture to
The Barber of Seville, Beethovens
Piano Concerto No. 2, and Brahms
Symphony No. 1 often dubbed
Beethovens 10th. Friday, Jan. 20,
at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3
p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony
Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore.
Also Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $33 to $99. Call 410-7838000 or visit bsomusic.org.
CHAISE LOUNGE
The D.C.-based jazz and swing band

has been a staple at hip bars around
16
the area, along with more storied

venues such as the Kennedy Center
and Blues Alley, as well performing with Natalie Cole and Dizzy
Gillespie. Chaise Lounge will bring
swing standards as well as original
tunes, including those from its most
recent album Gin Fizz Fandango.
Friday, Jan. 27,, at 8 p.m. Amp by
Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave.
North Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to
$35. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.
CHRIS URQUIAGA
A native of Silver Spring, the

budding Latin pop singer-songwriter recently signed to Akons
KonLive Distribution record label,
which helped nurture the career
of Lady Gaga. Urquiaga is also
part of Strathmores 2017 Artist
in Residence mentoring program
and will kick off the A.I.R. series
of solo concerts. Wednesday, Jan.
25, 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.
IRVING BERLIN:
A SIMPLE MELODY
Though less well-known than fellow musical theater/American

Songbook giants George and
Ira Gershwin and Cole Porter,
Irving Berlin wrote several of
Ethel Mermans biggest standards
(including Theres No Business
Like Show Business), the unofficial second National Anthem God
Bless America, the Bing Crosby
holiday classic White Christmas,
plus Cheek to Cheek, Puttin On
The Ritz, Ive Got My Love To
Keep Me Warm the list goes on
and on. Abel Lopez leads a cast of
six in this latest InSeries cabaret,
written by Bari Biern. Weekends to
Jan. 28. Source Theatre, 1835 14th
St. NW. Tickets are $22 to $42. Call
202-204-7763 or visit inseries.org.
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC
Few openings in the piano concerto repertoire equal the mounting

tension in the work that established Rachmaninoffs fame, his
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor.
The 26-year-old Chinese Haochen
Zhang, 2009 winner of the Van
Gianandrea Noseda, the NSOs

forthcoming music director, leads
an Inauguration-pegged Portraits
of America program, including Stravinskys arrangement
of the The Star-Spangled Banner,
John Williams music from the
movies Lincoln and JFK, Aaron
Coplands Lincoln Portrait with
live narration by Phylicia Rashad,
Leonard Bernsteins Fanfare for the
Inauguration of JFK, and George
Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue, featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker.
Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m., and
Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. Kennedy
Center Concert Hall. Tickets are
$15 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or
THE FOUR BITCHIN BABES
Hormonal Imbalance v2.5: A Mood

Swinging Musical Revue features
highlights from more than 25 years
of a comedic music ensemble featuring Sally Fingerett, comedic
singer Deirdre Flint and former
The Hags singer Debi Smith, plus
as revolving fourth member either
Nancy Moran or the founding Babe
Megon McDonough. In an interview with Metro Weekly a few years
ago, Smith summed up the Babes
songwriting and performing: We
look at life, as its happening, usually in a comedic way [and] through
a wacky viewfinder. Saturday, Jan.
28, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701
Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria.
or visit birchmere.com.
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS

FEAT. NICKI BLUHM
A five-piece band that originated nearly a decade ago in

Massachusetts among students
at the Berklee College of Music
returns to the area a year after the
release of latest album Ladies &
Gentleman. Friday, Jan. 27. Doors
at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW.
or visit 930.com.
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
Washington Performing Arts presents the return of the great orchestra from the City of Brotherly Love
under the baton of its new out music
director Yannick Nezet-Seguin
in a performance of Stravinskys
Petrouchka and Chopins Piano
Concerto No. 1 featuring guest Louis
Lortie. The Philadelphia Orchestra
seems to have found its ideal music

director, a New York Times critic
raved after a recent performance.
Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. Kennedy
Center Concert Hall. Tickets are
$40 to $110. Call 202-467-4600 or
THE SHEATLES
This Friday, Jan. 20, popular lesbian

all-covers party-rock band Wicked
Jezabel performs at one of its regular haunts in Falls Church. But next
Friday, Jan. 27, many of the same
women along with a few others
will take to the venue to introduce
a new covers band, an all-female
tribute to the Beatles. Friday, Jan.
27, at 9:30 p.m. JVs Restaurant,
6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church.
or visit jvsrestaurant.com.
DANCE
JANE FRANKLIN DANCE
KIMBERLY BARTOSIK/DAELA
New York-based Kimberly Bartosik

directs a group of dancers in
Ecsteriority4 (Part 2), a work examining power and desire through
brief, intense encounters where
each impulse is fully and boldly executed. Performance contains some
violent imagery. Saturday, Jan. 21,
at 8 p.m, and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 4
p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE.
Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 202269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HAMILTON
The Big Meow is a work specially

adapted for young audiences from
the childrens book by Baltimores
Elizabeth Spires about an orange
tabby taunted by neighborhood
felines for his outsized roar. Emily
Crews, Carrie Monger, Matthew
Rock, Amy Scaringe, Brynna Shank,
and Rebecca Weiss perform the
work featuring music by local composers Mark Sylvester and Jonathan
Matis, with a surf guitar medley
arranged by John Kamen and
Mark Merella. Saturday, Jan. 28,
at 3 p.m. Theatre on the Run, 3700
South Four Mile Run Dr. Arlington.
Tickets are $13 in advance, or $15 at
the door. Call 703-933-1111 or visit
janefranklin.com.
BETTYE LAVETTE
The great, hard-living soul singer Bettye Lavette has been incredibly forthcoming
about her many dalliances with women, including in her recent memoir A Woman
Like Me. The New York Times touted her as second only to Aretha Franklin among
her generations greatest and Lavette is finally getting the credit she deserved
when she started in the business decades ago. She continues to tour in support of last
years Grammy-nominated album Worthy. Wednesday, Jan. 25. Doors at 6:30 p.m.
The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $45. Call 202-787-1000 or visit
thehamiltondc.com.
SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
Based in New York, this group seeks

to breathe new life into traditional Chinese culture, blending beauty, energy and grace. Dancers in
dazzling costumes move in seamless, flowing patterns, while a live
orchestra and thunderous drums
shake the stage against stunning,
otherworldly backdrops. Shen Yun
Performing Arts returns to the
Kennedy Center for a 2017 version
of its Experience a Divine Culture,
presented by Falun Dafa Association
of Washington, D.C. Remaining
performances are Thursday, Jan.
19, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21,
at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday,
Jan. 22, at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center
Opera House. Tickets are $70 to

$250. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
COMEDY
HAL SPARKS
Best known as Michael from

Showtimes Queer as Folk, these
days Hal Sparks dabbles in various
media, from starring on the Disney
XD cable channels Lab Rats, to performing as lead singer and guitarist
for rock trio Zero 1, to guest-hosting
and starring on progressive radio
stations nationwide. He returns to
the area less than a year after his
last visit and will no doubt weigh

in on Donald Trumps swearing
in, which occurs before his run
of shows. Friday, June 20, and
Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 and 10 p.m.,
at Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse,
2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington.
or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.
READINGS
DAVID WOLPE
Named by Newsweek as the most

influential rabbi in America, the
Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple in
Los Angeles comes to Washington
to engage in a one-on-one dialogue

with Tyler Cowen, presented by the
Mercatus Center at George Mason
University. Author of Making
Loss Matter: Creating Meaning
in Difficult Times and author of a
weekly column for Time, David
Wolpe will discuss his work and
worldviews with Cowen, an economics professor at Mason who
also writes for Bloomberg View
and the economics blog Marginal
Revolution. Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7
p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.
600 I St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call
202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.
17
JOHAB SILVA:
PROFILING: I WANT ORDER
The history of labor practices and

concepts of modern-day slavery in
various guises is the focus of site-responsive installations and sculptures on display for the 14th Annual
DC Artist Solo Exhibition. A native
of Brazil, Johab Silva has lived and
worked in D.C. for nearly a decade
and is currently pursuing his masters degree at the Corcoran. Silva
uses found objects, charcoal, coffee,
sound, sugar, and cotton as his primary source materials to explore
themes of appropriation, materiality, space and memories. Closes
Saturday, Jan. 21. Transformer,
1404 P St. NW. Call 202-483-1102
or visit transformerdc.org.
PERVERSION THERAPY
Malone
THE ANTI-BALL W/ANTIBALAS & FRIENDS
Every night during the week of President Donald Trumps inauguration, the Black Cat
hosts what its calling a series of Counter-Inaugural Events dubbed You Cant Grab
This Pussy. The series culminates in a Planned Parenthood-benefiting concert featuring
the funky Afrobeat band Antibalas supporting a lineup that includes Kyp Malone of TV on
the Radio, Kimya Dawson, Trixie Whitley, Holly Miranda, Elenna Canlas and Domenica
Fossati of Underground Systems, Jeffrey Lewis, Kat Wright, Dia Luna and Stuart Bogie
of Superhuman Happiness, Miles Francis, and Teen. Saturday, Jan. 21. Doors at 10 p.m.
Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.
JIM RENDON
Upside: The New Science of PostTraumatic Growth explores recent

developments in the science of
how people recover from traumatic experiences, showing how many
survivors thrive not in spite of but
rather because of trying experiences.
Jim Rendon is a freelance journalist
in Silicon Valley who has written
for the New York Times Magazine,
Smart Money and Rolling Stone.
Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m. East
City Bookshop, 645 Pennsylvania
Ave. SE. Call 202-290-1636 or visit
eastcitybookshop.com.
JOHN AVLON
Washingtons
Farewell:
The
Founding Fathers Warning to
Future Generations focuses on the
message that George Washington
wrote as he ended his second term
as president, which The Daily Beast
editor-in-chief and CNN political analyst argues is still relevant
today. A substantive restatement of
the countrys founding principles,
Washington reminded citizens and
future leaders to beware partisanship, debt and foreign wars and
advocated for religious pluralism
and education and independence,
not isolation. Thursday, Jan. 26,
at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015
18
Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.
SMITHSONIAN DISCUSSION:
MYTHS, MEMORY AND
THE WILD WEST
The Smithsonians American

History museum offers another
American History (After Hours)
program, this one exploring the
story of Buffalo Bills Wild West
and its impact on American culture. A panel discussion includes
curators Cecile R. Ganteaume of the
National Museum of the American
Indian and Ryan Lintelman of the
National Museum of American
History, plus Michelle Delaney,
author of Buffalo Bills Wild West
Warriors, and Jeremy Johnston
of the Buffalo Bill Museum. The
evening includes an interactive
reception with themed appetizers,
rarely seen objects brought out of
storage, and custom drinks and
whiskey tastings by Wigle Whiskey.
Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m.
Coulter Performance Plaza National
Museum of American History, 14th
St. and Constitution Ave. NW.
Tickets, including food and drink,
are $40. Call 202-633-1000 or visit
americanhistory.si.edu.
STEPHEN MACKEY
Dream. Build. Believe recounts the

impulse decision of Stephen and
Shannon Mackey, with no background in farming, to purchase an
abandoned cattle ranch in Northern
Virginia, start a family, and create
Notaviva Vineyards, the worlds
first winery to pair wine with
music. Its now nearly a decade old.
Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m.
Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut
Ave. NW. Call 202-387-1400 or visit
kramers.com.
EXHIBITS
FIRST FOLIO! SHAKESPEARES
AMERICAN TOUR
After a 400th anniversary yearlong tour through spots in all 50
states and Puerto Rico, the Folger
Shakespeare Librarys rare, prized
collected editions of Shakespeares
plays is now home in the largest-ever display of First Folios 18
of them in a single venue. The
exhibit documents the journey and
the programming in various site visits. Closes Jan. 22. The Great Hall
at 201 East Capitol St. SE. Call 202544-7077 or visit folger.edu.
Through paintings, performance

objects and multimedia installations, Perversion Therapy is intended as a celebration of queer bliss
and domestic deviance in direct
response to the anti-LGBT history and attitudes espoused by the
president-elect and members of his
cabinet specifically, conversion
therapy. The exhibit features works
by interdisciplinary artists Eames
Armstrong and John Moletress.
Through Feb. 4. Mead Theatre Lab
at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. Tickets
are $15 to $30. Call 202-733-6321 or
visit culturaldc.org.
QUEER INTERIORS
Through an initiative commissioning installations and public programs related to its broad
Imagining Home exhibit, the
Baltimore Museum of Art brought
together video and film artist
Rahne Alexander and interdisciplinary artist/organizer Jaimes
Mayhew with Chase Brexton
Health Cares LGBT Health
Resource Center. Queer Interiors
features a larger-than-life bed and
furnishings, personal artifacts and
a multimedia wall display known
as the Baltimore LGBTQI+ Home
Movie Quilt, which pays homage
to Baltimore album quilts and the
AIDS Memorial Quilt by presenting a growing, crowd-sourced portrait of the citys queer communities. Through Aug. 31, 2017. The
Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art
Museum Dr. Baltimore. Call 443573-1700 or visit artbma.org.
THE GREAT INKA ROAD:

ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE
One of the monumental engineering achievements in history, the

Great Inka Road is a network of
more than 20,000 miles, crossing
mountains and tropical lowlands,
rivers and deserts, linking the Inca
capital Cusco with the farthest
reaches of its empire and it still
serves Andean communities today
in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Argentina and Chile. This exhibition explores the legacy of the Inka
Empire and technological feat of

the road, recognized by the United
Nations as a World Heritage site in
2014. Through April 2018. National
Museum of the American Indian,
Independence Avenue at 4th Street
SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit
nmai.si.edu.
TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTISTS MARCOS RAMREZ ERRE AND DAVID TAYLOR
The Smithsonians Freer|Sackler

Museums of Asian Art toasts the
rich heritage of Afghanistan with
stunning ceramics, jewelry, jali,
rugs and more made by young artisans working in a former slum in the
countrys capital. Subtitled Artists
Transforming Afghanistan, the
exhibition is named after a decadeold British nonprofit that has helped
revive Afghanistans proud cultural
legacy by turning Murad Khani in
Old Kabul into a vibrant cultural
and economic center. Through Jan.
29. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050
Independence Ave. SW. Call 202633-4800 or visiting asia.si.edu.
ABOVE & BEYOND

HOME + REMODELING SHOW
Spun off five years ago from the

Capital Remodel + Garden Show,
this annual January show offers
several chances for attendees to
solicit advice and services from
experts in the field most notably via the free, first-come, firstserve component called Ask An
Expert. Speakers this year include
Tyler Wisler, a design expert regularly seen on TV home shows
and a Pinterest Pinfluencer in
Home Decor and Mens Fashion,
Alison Victoria, the first female
host of Crashers DIY Network and
HGTV, Serena Appiah, 2016 Home
+ Garden Trendsetter of the Year
by show organizer Marketplace
Events. Homeowners come to the
show because there are experts
under one roof all weekend long,
Marketplace Events spokesperson
Liz Benkovich told Metro Weekly
two years ago. The exhibitors are
all kinds of companies that have to
do with remodeling, decorating and
home improvement. They range
from windows and doors to flooring
to siding to roofing, and contractors
for closet organization, or if you
have an insect issue. For consumers,
its a timesaver. And a really good
opportunity to see whats new, to
get new ideas. Friday, Jan. 19, and
Saturday, Jan. 20, from 10 a.m. to
9 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. Dulles Expo Center,
4320 Chantilly Shopping Center,
Chantilly, Va. Tickets are $10. Call
888-248-9751 or visit homeandremodelingshow.com.
JOHN CLEESE AND MONTY

PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL
The living comedy legend stops

by Strathmore for a screening of
the 1975 cult classic film from the
DELIMITATIONS
Organized in conjunction with the Goethe-Institut and its exhibit 2,000 Miles: Divided
Land, Common Humanity featuring multimedia narratives and satellite imagery of the
U.S.-Mexico border, this exhibit presented by the Embassy of Mexico documents a
2,400-mile-long, site-specific art installation tracing the border that existed between
Mexico and the United States in 1821. Today that boundary, developed two decades
before Mexico ceded a large chunk of territory including much of what became the
American West, only exists on paper in the form of documents and antique maps. By
making that border visible through their installation, artists Marcos Ramrez Erre and
David Taylor show what Mexico lost and highlight the fact that the U.S. and Mexico
have a complicated but shared history and common interests. They suggest that erecting
a border wall, for instance, would threaten that. Through Jan. 28. Mexican Cultural
Institute, 2829 16th St. NW. Visit instituteofmexicodc.org.
comedy troupe he co-founded.

Following the screening is a discussion of Cleeses life and career plus
an audience Q&A, where the event
listing notes Cleese seeks absurd
and/or ridiculous questions only,
please. Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $55 to $165, or $250
for VIP with premium seating and
access to a special meet and greet.
Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.
LILLIAN HELLMAN FESTIVAL

FREE PROGRAMMING
Leading up to its production of

Watch on the Rhine, Arena Stage
offers free programming designed
to explore and celebrate iconic playwright, author and political activist Lillian Hellman. The
offerings include: Taffety Punk

Theatre Companys reading of
Toys in the Attic, Hellmans last
full-length original play, a semi-autobiographical look at a post-Great
Depression-era New Orleans
family, on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 8
p.m.; a screening of the 1977 film
Julia starring Jane Fonda, Vanessa
Redgrave and Jason Robards adapted from Hellmans Pentimento: A
Book of Portraits by Alvin Sargent
and directed by Fred Zinneman,
on Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m.; a reading by Howard University students
of The Childrens Hour, Hellmans
best-known and most-produced
work, a drama set in an all-womens boarding school, on Saturday,
Jan. 28, at 8 p.m.; and a panel discussion, Beyond Gender: Inspiring
Generations of Female Writers,
featuring contemporary female
playwrights inspired by Hellman,

on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 4 p.m. The
Kogod Cradle in the Mead Center
for American Theater, 1101 6th
St. SW. Free but reservations are
required. Call 202-488-3300 or visit
arenastage.org.
THE ANTI-INAUGURATION
Naomi Klein, Keeanga-Yamahtta

Taylor and Anand Gopal lead yet
another anti-Trump event, this one
hosted at the Lincoln on the night
of the inauguration and presented
by Jacobin Magazine, Haymarket
Books and Verso Books. Other
speakers to be announced. Friday,
Jan. 20. Doors at 7 p.m. Lincoln
Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets
are free, but seats available on a
first-come, first-served basis. Call
202-328-6000 or visit thelincolndc.
com. l
19
Community
THURSDAY, January 19
The DC Center holds a meeting of its POLY DISCUSSION
GROUP, for people interested
in polyamory, non-monogamy
or other non-traditional relationships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
ANDROMEDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing and HIV

services (by appointment). 9
a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center,
1400 Decatur St. NW. To
arrange an appointment, call
202-291-4707, or visit andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
STUDIOPORTOSABBIA
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

practice session at Takoma
Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300
Van Buren St. NW. For more
information, visit swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS run-
SHABBAT FOR SOLIDARITY

An Inauguration Weekend event brings together people
targeted by hostile groups
OR JOSEF PALERMO, THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN NOT ONLY

marked the rise of the alt-right, but highlighted some of the most divisive and
inflammatory rhetoric in politics, a great deal of it tinged with anti-Semitism.
There was a lot of concern around images seen on social media, says the director of
the Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and Engagement at the Edlavitch Jewish
Community Center of Washington, D.C. There was a lot of coded language that was
used to refer to globalists that many in the Jewish community felt were targeted
towards our community.
Wanting to address that rhetoric, GLOE and local LGBT synagogue Bet Mishpachah
decided to host a panel discussion focusing on how anti-Semitism intersects with
homophobia and transphobia, followed by a progressive, egalitarian service and a networking reception where people can make new contacts in the hope of creating strong
alliances for upcoming social justice fights.
Capitalizing on Bet Mishpachahs regular Friday night services, as well as the sheer
number of people expected to visit D.C. for Trumps inauguration and the Womens
March on Washington next weekend, the two groups extended invitations to other
groups who felt marginalized or targeted by inflammatory rhetoric during the past year,
including Latino and immigrant communities, Muslims, African-Americans and people
with disabilities.
The idea behind this program was to find solidarity with other communities at a
time when theres...bigotry all around us, says Palermo. This is meant to provide an
outlet for people to come together and overcome, and not let this type of hate speech
pull us apart any further. John Riley
The LGBT Inauguration Shabbat: Strengthening One Another is from 7 to 10 p.m. on
Friday, Jan. 20 at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C., 1529
16th St. NW. Visit betmish.org.
ning/walking/social club
welcomes runners of all ability
levels for exercise in a fun and
supportive environment, with
socializing afterward. Route
distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at
7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay

and lesbian square-dancing
group features mainstream
through advanced square
dancing at the National City
Christian Church, 5 Thomas
Circle NW, 7-9:30 p.m. Casual
dress. 301-257-0517, dclambdasquares.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice. The team is always

looking for new members. All
welcome. 7:30-9:30 p.m. King
Greenleaf Recreation Center,
201 N St. SW. For more information, visit scandalsrfc.org or
dcscandals@gmail.com.
The DULLES TRIANGLES

Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour at
Sheraton in Reston. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise
Valley Drive, second-floor bar.
For more information, visit
dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at WhitmanWalker Health. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at

1525 14th St. NW, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
at the Elizabeth Taylor Medical
Center, 1701 14th St. NW, and 8
a.m-5 p.m. at the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave.
SE. For an appointment call
202-745-7000 or visit whitman-walker.org.
21
IDENTITY offers free and confidential HIV testing at two separate

locations. Walk-ins accepted from
2-6 p.m., by appointment for all
other hours. 414 East Diamond
Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. or 7676
New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411,
Takoma Park, Md. To set up an
appointment or for more information, call Gaithersburg, 301-3009978, or Takoma Park, 301-4222398.
METROHEALTH CENTER
offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an
appointment, call 202-638-0750.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5
p.m., by appointment and walk-in,

for youth 21 and younger. Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155 or testing@smyal.org.
Us Helping Us hosts a NARCOTICS

ANONYMOUS MEETING. The
group is independent of UHU.
6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. For more information, call
202-446-1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ
women, 13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m.

SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7th St.
SE. For more information, call 202567-3163, or email catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
FRIDAY, January 20
ADVENTURING outdoors group
hikes 9 miles on the rugged

Potomac Heritage Trail, followed
by the easier C&O Canal towpath.
Bring sturdy boots, beverages,
lunch and a $2 trip fee. Meet at
10 a.m. inside the Rosslyn Metro
Station by the station attendants
kiosk. For more information, contact Jerry, 703-920-6871 or email
jerryrcowden@gmail.com.
Bet Mishpachah and the Kurlander

Program for GLTBQ Outreach
and Engagement (GLOE)
invite the public to an LGBTQ
INAUGURATION SHABBAT:
STRENGTHENING ONE
ANOTHER. The event will feature
a panel discussion on the recent

rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and
how it intersects with homophobia
and transphobia, followed by a
progressive, egalitarian Shabbat
service and post-service reception.
Panel discussion starts at 7 p.m.,
service at 8 p.m., and reception at 9
p.m. Edlavitch Jewish Community
Center of Washington, D.C. 1529
16th St. NW. For more information,
visit ejccdc.org.
22
GAY DISTRICT, a group for
GBTQQI men between the ages of

18-35, meets on the first and third
Fridays of each month. Dinner or
social outing to follow the meeting.
8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information,
visit gaydistrict.org.
Volunteers are needed to help

with the CASA RUBYS MONTHLY
DINNER. Held on the third Friday
of each month, in conjunction
with The DC Center, the event
provides a hot meal to those individuals being housed at Casa Ruby.
Homemade or store bought meals
welcome. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Casa
Ruby, 3530 Georgia Ave. NW. For
more information, contact lamar@
thedccenter.org.
SATURDAY, January 21
The DC Centers HARM
REDUCTION GROUP meets
monthly on the third Saturday of
each month. 3-4 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The DC Center hosts a meeting
of KHUSH DC, a support group
for LGBTQ South Asians. 1:303:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, email
board@khushdc.org.
SUNDAY, January 22
Weekly Events
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive
and radically inclusive church
holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217
Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895,
betheldc.org.
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 runners of all ability levels for exercise

in a fun and supportive environment, 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 information, visit dcfrontrunners.org.
FAIRLINGTON UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH is an open,
inclusive church. All welcome,
including the LGBTQ community. Member of the Reconciling
Ministries Network. Services at
9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King
Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-6718557. For more info, visit fairlingtonumc.org.
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.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT

GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be

meeting once a month. For information on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
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. lincolntemple.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led
by Rev. Emma Chattin. Childrens

Sunday School, 11 a.m. 10383
Democracy Lane, Fairfax. 703-6910930, mccnova.com.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN

CHURCH, inclusive church with
GLBT fellowship, offers gospel

worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional
worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle
NW. 202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.
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, saintstephensdc.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING
invites LGBTQ families and individuals of all creeds and cultures to

join the church. Services 9:15 and
11:15 a.m. 10309 New Hampshire
Ave. uucss.org.
The DC Center hosts COFFEE
DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT

COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000
14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay
mens evening affinity group for

GBT black men. Light refreshments
provided. 7-9 p.m. 3636 Georgia
Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
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 information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504
or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit
wetskins.org.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH
HIV/AIDS Support Group for

newly diagnosed individuals,
meets 7 p.m. Registration required.
202-939-7671, hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.
TUESDAY, January 24
Queer-identifying women who
have survived violent or traumatic
experiences and are looking for
support are invited to take part
in a bi-weekly QUEER WOMEN
WORKING THROUGH TRAUMA

GROUP at The DC Center.
Participants are encouraged to

do an intake assessment with
moderator and social worker Sam
Goodwin. 6-7 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, email Sam at samantha@
thedccenter.org.
The DC Centers GENDERQUEER
DC support and discussion group
for people who identify outside the
gender binary, meets on the fourth
Tuesday of every month. 7-8:30
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
WEDNESDAY, January 25
Weekly Events
The DC Center hosts a monthly

meeting of its HIV PREVENTION
WORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB
MONDAY, January 23
holds a practice session at Dunbar

Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N
St. NW. For more information, visit
swimdcac.org.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at

Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave.
NW. For more information, email
getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-
ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite

200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.
meet for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30

p.m. Dignity Center, 721 8th St., SE
(across from Marine Barracks). No
reservations needed, all welcome.
Call 202-841-0279 if you need a
partner. l
Submit your community event for
consideration at least 10 days prior
to the Thursday publication you
would like it to appear. Email to calendar@metroweekly.com.
theFeed
STATES OF HATE
From Alabama to Virginia, many states around the country are pushing anti-LGBT
laws for 2017 By John Riley
S THE NATIONAL PRESS FIXATES ON EVERY

action, statement, and tweet from the nations
incoming 45th president, much of their coverage is unsurprisingly Washington-centric. Donald Trumps
administration and his propensity to pick fights with
anyone who opposes him is going to continue to generate
headlines, not least because of his vows to swiftly attempt to
undo much of what was achieved under the Obama administration, LGBT rights included.
But as Trump continues to consume news broadcasts
and column inches, activists would do well to cut through
the noise and start focusing lower down the political ladder.
Specifically, the states, as its there that LGBT rights are
most under attack especially in states where Republicans
control all three branches of government, or where antiLGBT lawmakers have the numbers to override a governors veto.
Already, lawmakers in a number of states have introduced bills that would undermine same-sex marriages,
limit transgender peoples access to restrooms, or protect
those who wish to discriminate against LGBT people. We
wont know the full damage until spring (when all state filing deadlines will have been reached), but in the meantime
weve collated every state where LGBT rights are at risk
and what activists need to be focusing on.
ALABAMA
Alabama will consider two anti-LGBT bills this year. The

first allows child adoption or foster placement agencies to
discriminate against same-sex parents. If a placement agency did discriminate, the government would be prevented
from taking retaliatory action, such as denying it certain
tax breaks, revoking its license, or ending any contracts
between itself and the agency.
The second is a bathroom bill that has received attention
for a provision some critics say calls for bathroom police.
It mandates that establishments providing multi-user,
sex-segregated bathrooms must ensure that only people of
a specific gender are using them. The bill allows establishments to hire an attendant stationed at the door of each
rest room to monitor the appropriate use of the rest room
and answer any questions or concerns posed by users.
Businesses or entities that do not enforce the law can
be fined up to $2,000, followed by $3,500 fines for each
subsequent instance of noncompliance. Additionally, the
bill allows those users who feel aggrieved by the lack of
enforcement to sue that business or entity for damages,
essentially incentivizing complaints against pro-transgender businesses.
IOWA
Following the 2010 elections, Iowa had a Democraticcontrolled Senate that served as a bulwark against unfettered Republican control of state government. When
the Senate finally flipped in 2016, due in part to Donald
Trumps strong performance in the state, Iowa became a
place where LGBT rights could soon be under threat.
Thus far, Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, executive director of
LGBT rights group One Iowa, says no anti-LGBT pieces of
legislation have been introduced. However, some lawmakers have raised the prospect of a religious freedom law.
It remains hypothetical for now, but with no Democratic
majority to keep Republicans in check, theres little to stop
Iowa from becoming hostile to LGBT people.
KENTUCKY
Similar to Iowa, Kentuckys House of Representatives

flipped from Democratic to Republican this year. As such,
many observers figured that Republican House leaders
would push for anti-LGBT bills identical to ones that
passed the Republican-controlled Senate last year.
To everyones surprise, it was Democratic State Rep.
Rick Nelson, the Democrats losing candidate for state
treasurer, who took aim at the LGBT community. In total,
Nelson has introduced three bills targeting LGBT rights.
One is a bathroom bill in the mold of North Carolinas
controversial HB 2 law, and a second bathroom bill dealing with schoolchildren, requiring them to use only those
facilities that match their assigned sex at birth.
Nelsons third bill would override protections in local
town, city, or county ordinances by allowing people with
sincerely held religious beliefs to deny services to LGBT
people such as baking a cake for a same-sex wedding.
Chris Hartman, the director of the Kentucky Fairness
Campaign, says Nelsons proposals would inflict harm
on Kentuckys economy, threatening the loss of major
conventions or even the chance to host NCAA college
basketball championship games. If Kentucky lawmakers
want to remain focused on improving our commonwealths
economy, this is exactly the legislation they should avoid,
Hartman says.
MISSOURI
Elections certainly do have consequences in Missouri,

where Republicans took back control of the governors
office after eight years.
Last year, during session, we saw a constitutional
amendment to allow businesses to deny services to samesex couples for weddings, says Steph Perkins, executive
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director of PROMO, Missouris statewide LGBT advocacy
organization. This year, were seeing pieces of that bigger
bill in a number of different bills. For example, were seeing
bills that would expand the definition of what a religious
exemption is, so that its not just churches or religious organizations that are exempt, but private businesses that are
owned by religious organizations, such as Christian bookstores or Catholic hospitals.
PROMO will be fighting
against two bathroom bills,
one dealing with public
buildings and the other with
public schools, which restrict
transgender people to using
facilities that match their biological sex at birth.
When a student is
restricted to the bathroom
of their birth certificate or
their chromosomes or their
anatomy at birth, as this bill
suggests, it not only means
that the student will be singled out and potentially
targeted, but it means that
a student may not be able
to go to school anymore,
says Perkins. If theyre not
allowed to go to the bathroom, they simply cannot be
at a place for eight hours.
And they certainly cannot
be at a place for longer, and
participate in extracurricular
activities like debate club or
sports, things we know that
make a really well-rounded
human being.
TENNESSEE
Lawmakers
in several states
have introduced
bills that would
undermine samesex marriages,
limit transgender
peoples access
to restrooms,
and protect
those who wish
to discriminate
against LGBT
people.
Tennessees major antiLGBT legislation this year is

Senate Bill 1, an expansion
of a law allowing counselors
and therapists to refuse treatment to LGBT clients and
others who do not conform
to their religious or moral
principles.
But it appears some lawmakers werent satisfied
with last years victory. Now,
theyre trying to strengthen the law by forcing mental
health practitioners to go against the American Counseling
Associations code of ethics. If passed, the bill would require
the board to essentially rewrite a new code of ethics from
scratch with the proviso that counselors must still be able
to refuse to treat clients whose sexual orientation or gender
identity they find objectionable.
Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee
Equality Project, says the bill is an example of how the far-
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right is continuing to look for ways to keep our community

at arms length.
In addition to the expanded counseling bill, Sanders
says lawmakers have proposed bills to use the natural
and ordinary definitions of husband, wife, father,
and mother in the state code, which would have the
effect of refusing to recognize the marriages, adoptions,
or parental rights of samesex couples raising children.
Sanders also expects a bathroom bill restricting transgender peoples access to
public restrooms and changing facilities before the end
of the filing deadline.
Sanders believes the bills
are tests to see what gains
traction, in the hope of eventually obtaining a decision
from the U.S. Supreme Court
with justices appointed
by President Trump that
would carve out special religious exemptions for social
conservatives.
I think ultimately what
theyre looking to do is find
cases that can get some of
these issues back before the
court, says Sanders. I think
they know its a long shot,
but I think they also know
in order to do that, they have
to start experimenting now
with issues that may be able
to get back before the court
once they have a more favorable slate of justices.
TEXAS
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan

Patrick wants to impose
restrictions on the transgender community in terms of
what bathroom they can use.
In fact, he wants it so much
hes supporting a bill that
will achieve just that. It prohibits local governments in
Texas from passing nondiscrimination ordinances that
provide public accommodations or restroom protections to transgender individuals.
Private businesses are allowed to set their own policies, and
those that choose to force transgender people to use the
restroom of their biological sex at birth cannot be denied
government contracts, special tax breaks, or subject to any
fines or penalties.
Two other bills in Texas seek to further restrict the types
of protections that cities like Dallas, Fort Worth or Austin
can extend to certain classes of people. The intent is to gut
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any local LGBT protections. Such protections are a necessity, as
Texas state law does not prohibit discrimination against LGBT
people.
Chuck Smith, the CEO of Equality Texas, says there is talk
that Texas lawmakers may introduce yet another bill that would
revise the states Religious Freedom Restoration Act to allow for
discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Our existing RFRA was passed when it was actually about
protecting religious freedoms. So in that sense, its about not
allowing government to interfere with an individuals practice of
their faith, says Smith. What these news laws are trying to do
is allow one person to use their religious beliefs against another
individual. So its this misuse and retooling of what RFRAs were
intended for in the first place.
Another bill getting a lot of press in Texas is a measure that
would require teachers and school administrators to notify
parents if their children request special accommodations or
ask to be treated as a gender different from their biological sex.
Whereas before parents had to ask for such information, this bill
would penalize school employees who do not proactively report
that information to parents. Smith and other advocates say the
bill would essentially force teachers to out LGBT students to
their parents against their will.
VIRGINIA
In Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has warned that he will

veto any measure that seeks to restrict LGBT rights. Yet some
Old Dominion lawmakers seem intent on testing the governors
willingness to follow through on his threat.
Between them, Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas) and Del.
Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) have introduced four anti-LGBT bills,

including an HB 2-style bathroom bill dubbed the Physical
Privacy Act by right-wing propagandists, one that would allow
government contractors to discriminate against LGBT people
in hiring, a third that would relegate transgender people to
facilities matching their biological sex at birth and leave them
unable to sue for discrimination, and a fourth that would provide
overly broad protections to any person including churches,
religious organizations or businesses who wished to exempt
themselves from participating in the solemnization of same-sex
marriages.
I think that these bills are cowardly in a lot of ways. I think
they are misguided in the least, and bigoted at the most, says
Blaise Davi, a transgender resident of Richmond. The existence
of queer and trans people and the ability for us to access the
same rights as anyone else does isnt affecting anyones freedom.
The economic and the subsequent emotional stability of queer
and trans people is not an infringement on someones religious
liberties.
The bathroom bill, should it pass under a future governor
once McAuliffe leaves office, would be profoundly dehumanizing for the transgender community. Davi objects to the argument that such measures are essential to protect women and
children from predators skulking about public restrooms.
Transgender people, were just trying to go to the bathroom.
Were just trying to get our business done and leave, Davi says.
Logistically, a bill like this makes planning events, going out
into the world as a transgender person, that much harder, an
extra hurdle. And its dehumanizing, stripping someone of a
certain level of dignity. So I think its a twofold effect here. l
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Dear President Trump...

Letters from the LGBT community to the incoming
45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump
Submitted by
A. Cornelius Baker, Aisha Moodie-Mills, Alexa Rodriguez, Alicia Garza, Andre Hereford, BaNaka,
Bernie Delia, Cathy Renna, Chris Allen, Clarence Fluker, Dana Beyer, Danielle Moodie-Mills,
David Mariner, David von Storch, Emil de Cou, Eric D. Schaeffer, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf, Holly Goldmann,
Jeffrey Manabat, John Guggenmos, Jose Carrasquillo, June Crenshaw, Kate Kendell,
Congressman Mark Pocan, Mike Daisey, Mitchell Gold, Nicholas Benton, Rayceen Pendarvis,
Rae Carey, Schuyler Bailar, Serge Seiden and Sterling Washington
Dear President Trump,

Since the 1700s, my family, both European and African, free
and slave, has worked to build this great nation we treasure. As
tradesmen and servants in the towns and fields of South Carolina
and Georgia, as farmers and merchants in the hills of Alabama,
and as laborers, teachers, nurses, and protectors of our safety
in Florida, New York and across this country, they have left us
a loving inheritance of opportunity and purpose. And like my
great-grandfather, Ocie Baker, a century ago during World War
I, they have served this nation in wars before and after. The great
moment that we observe on your inauguration has been bought
by their great faith and sacrifice even at times of despair by many
of my ancestors for their own freedom.
The experience of my family and that of LGBT people, is
what gives me great hope of the progress that lies ahead for the
United States. Despite what has been often a brutal history for
racial and sexual minorities, the magnificent achievements of
the 20th century to end legal segregation, enact voting rights for
all people, and to advance the civil rights of Americans regardless of gender, race, creed or sexual orientation in courts, legislatures and society remind us that the winding arc of America
bends toward justice.
As you are sworn in as the 45th President of the United
States, hundreds of us will be in Dallas for the 2017 National
African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS
and other Health Disparities. The men and women gathered to
organize our efforts to end the HIV epidemic and improve the
health of black gay men, know too well the horrible deaths and
sickness that has resulted from this epidemic during the past
four decades and the
indifference of our government in its beginning. They also
know the accomplishments in defeating HIV that the creative
leadership of our communities have willed into being around
the globe. On Inauguration Day, like all others, people around
the world are at work honoring the 35 million dead from AIDS
and to make prevention, care and treatment available to anyone
in need. In its response to HIV, the LGBT community has left a
lasting legacy of courage, determination and generosity.
Through all our suffering and times of oppression, Black
people and Gay people have given more than they have received
26
and made America stronger in so doing. In standing against the

tyranny of oppression, they have given this country its moral
voice in the world along with so much of its art and music and
culture.
In this time when division threatens the very future of the
country we have inherited, my prayer is that you will come
to know well the grace, strength and resilience of our people
and hear the words of Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes as
America sings for justice, dignity and equality.
A. CORNELIUS BAKER
Citizen
@acorneliusbaker

As leader of the nation for the next four years, it is imperative
you declare unequivocal support for LGBT equality, and vow to
protect and expand our rights while in office. The vast majority
of Americans now support equal rights for LGBT people, regardless of party or ideology, race or religion. The widespread acceptance is what makes your appointees especially disturbing, given
their almost universal hostility to our community and equality. I
urge you direct your Cabinet to maintain agency policies inclusive of LGBT people, and to include our community in policy and
decision-making.
Your appointees must emulate the example of LGBT elected
officials from across the nation, who make the values of inclusion, fairness and justice the foundation of their policy decisions.
LGBT elected officials understand the diversity of America,
because our community cuts across demographics we are
women, people of color, immigrants, Jewish and Muslim. They
understand true leadership is working to improve the lives of
all Americans, and that diversity and inclusion is what makes
America great.
It is these LGBT elected leaders who will hold your administration accountable for embodying those values of inclusion,
fairness and justice. LGBT elected officials are unified and
energized like never before, and they promise to support you
in efforts to promote equality, or to be your most vocal opponents if you attempt to derail our progress. They will certainly
be a strong voice for our community regardless of the path you
choose.
Mr. President, our movement for equality is a moral one, and
the legacy of your administration will be determined in part by
your positions on our issues. Leave behind the rhetoric of the
campaign and focus on bettering the lives of all Americans.
AISHA C. MOODIE-MILLS
President & CEO

Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute
@AishaMoodMills

Mi nombre es Alexa Rodriguez, no soy mexicana, pero si soy
salvadorea. No s si usted encuentre la diferencia. De igual
manera quiero que sepa que soy una mujer Transgnero Latina,
VIH positiva, soy inmigrante y cruce la frontera como muchas de
britnico en la guerra de independencia, la primera guerra colonial de independencia exitosa. 14 La actual Constitucin de los
Estados Unidos fue adoptada el 17 de septiembre de 1787.
Yo como muchas de mi familia LGBTQ, pero la ms vulnerable mis hermanxs Transgnero latinas inmigrantes venimos a
buscar la libertad que no tenemos en nuestros pases, las personas Transgnero que nacieron en este pas, buscamos respeto de
la comunidad Hetero-Cisgenero. Mi llamado para usted que al
entrar a la casa blanca tenga en cuanta que nosotrxs las personas
transgeneros somos profesionales que aportamos mucho a la
sociedad.
El presidente Obama trabajo de la mano con muchxs de nuestrxs hermanxs sobre todo con Raffi Freedman-Gurspan (Former
Senior Associate Director of Public Engagement at The White
House Former Outreach and Recruitment Director, Presidential
Personnel Office at The White House) Hay mucho por hacer
por nuestra comunidad y es su obligacin mantener la seguridad
de todxs lxs ciudadanos de US, sin importar la raza el color o la
nacionalidad. Tenemos los mismo derechos que cualquier otro
ser humano. Hay que caminar hacia adelante dejando atrs el
racismo y el odio, aprenda a usar de buana manera sus privilegios como hombre blanco y sobre todo como presidente de los
USA. Luche pos ser ejemplo no la
vergenza en la casa blanca.
LGBT elected officials

promise to support you in
efforts to promote equality,
or to be YOUR MOST
VOCAL OPPONENTS IF YOU
ATTEMPT TO DERAIL OUR
PROGRESS.
Translation
My name is Alexa Rodriguez

and I am an HIV-positive TransLatina woman. I may not be
Mexican, but I am Salvadoran,
and just like many of my TransLatina sisters, I am an immigrant
who crossed the southern U.S.
border, fleeing the violence of
our homelands. My country, like
many other countries in Central
and Latin America, have and continue to be affected by the actions
of the United States Government.
Here is a little history lesson
for you before you speak about
immigrants again: For thousands
and thousands of years, indigenous peoples inhabited what is
now United States territory. This
American Indian population was
Aisha Moodie-Mills
drastically reduced after its first
contact with European colonizers, being devastated by wars and
mis hermanas Translatinas. Huyendo de la violencia de nuestros disease. The United States was founded by 13 British colonies
pases de origen, mi pas como muchos influenciados y afectados along the Atlantic coast. On the fourth of July, 1776, these colpor la influencia de los estados unidos.
onies produced the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming
U poco de Historia para usted antes de que nuevamente hable their right to self-determination and the establishment of a
de las personas inmigrantes: Los pueblos indgenas llevan miles cooperative union. These rebel states defeated the British in the
de aos habitando lo que hoy es el territorio continental de los Revolutionary War the first successful colonial war of indeEstados Unidos. Esta poblacin amerindia fue reducida por las pendence. The actual United States constitution was adopted on
enfermedades y la guerra despus del primer contacto con los the 17th of September, 1787.
europeos. Estados Unidos fue fundado por trece colonias britniI, like many within my LGBTQ family and especially as the
cas, situadas a lo largo de la costa atlntica. El 4 de julio de 1776, most vulnerable members of this group, Trans Latina immiemitieron la Declaracin de Independencia, que proclam su grants, came to the United States in the search of liberty that
derecho a la libre autodeterminacin y el establecimiento de una we did not have in our own countries. Transgender people
unin cooperativa. Los estados rebeldes derrotaron al Imperio who were born in this country seek the respect of the straight,
28
cisgender hegemony. Now as you enter the White House I ask

you to keep in mind that my Trans Latina community is full of
professionals who contribute a lot to society.
President Obama worked with many of our sisters and brothers in the community, most notably Raffi Freedman-Gurspan
(Former Senior Associate Director of Public Engagement at
The White House, Former Outreach and Recruitment Director,
Presidential Personnel Office at The White House). There is
much to be done for our community and it is your obligation,
your duty to maintain the security of all the people living in the
United States, regardless of race, color, gender identity, religion,
sexual orientation or nationality. We have the same rights as
any other human being. Moving forward, it is important to leave
behind racism and hate and to learn to use your privileges as a
white man and as president of the United States. Please fight on
behalf of my community to be an example, and not an embarrassment, in the White House.
ALEXA RODRIGUEZ
funeral because we wanted to make sure that your brand of

hate didnt keep us from enjoying the same rights that others
in America enjoy. We stood in limbo for years while our rights
were debated by the courts.
Ultimately, we won. We organized, stayed focused, and
fought for the future that we all deserve.
When I look at your administration, all I see is this nation
moving backwards. A good ol boys club, hanging on to the vestiges of a past that is forever in the past. A party that is afraid
of change. An endless sea of old white men with a sprinkling of
older white women and little to no people of color. I know that
you have no intention of making America great the America
you referred to was not great. You will make America make
money for you and your friends, and lets just be honest that this
is what you truly care about. You represent Americas past, but
you surely do not represent Americas future. And I, for one, will
fight like hell to make sure we have a future to look forward to.
Sincerely,
Director
The Trans-Latina Coalition DMV
@Alexafaustino
ALICIA GARZA
Co-creator of the Black Lives Matter network, an organiza

tion you and people associated with you, like Rudy Giuliani
and David Clarke, have hinted that you would like to desig
nate as a domestic terrorist organization.
@aliciagarza

Like many others, I too was shocked and saddened when you
claimed victory on November 8, 2016. I was and am extremely
critical of Hillary Clinton, yet I
chose to vote for her because you
and your administration pose a
greater threat to humanity than
Hillary Clinton ever could.
Unfortunately, I was correct.
I worry about the world that my
children will inherit with you at
the helm. I blame the GOP for
supporting you and attempting
to legitimize you, and for lacking
the integrity needed to stand up
and call this and you out for what
it is and what you are a threat
to the promise of the America
all of you claim to care so much
about.
When Mike Pence defends
your attacks on a civil rights leader, or when Paul Ryan praises
your use of social media when
you use those tools to shame,
bully, threaten and intimidate, it
shows me that the problem is
much bigger than a difference
in values the problem is a lack
of integrity and basic human
decency. Fortunately, they will
be remembered for being on the wrong side of history, when
faced with the opportunity to show the rest of the nation how
they would lead and who they would exercise leadership for.
Ive been held hostage by your kind of values before like
with what happened with Proposition 8 in California in 2008.
My partner and I got legally married the day of my grandfathers
I know that you have no

intention of making America
great the America you
referred to was not great. YOU
WILL MAKE AMERICA MAKE
MONEY FOR YOU AND YOUR
FRIENDS.
Alicia Garza

Welcome to Washington, D.C.!
Not too long ago I also made the move from New York and
its a transition that takes some getting used to. You havent
made it clear how much time you intend to spend here but Im
29
sure youll come to understand, if youre not already familiar,

that theres Washington, the town where youve come to work,
where Mitch and Ryan are kings of the hill, and your new hotel
sits a couple left turns from the West Wing. Then theres D.C.,
where Muriel works, the Metro doesnt always, the Redskins
rule, and you can turn right on red (usually).
Washington mostly didnt expect you, D.C. overwhelmingly
didnt vote for you, but we all need for you to try to be a decent
president. Operating from within an occasionally unsupportive
environment should not feel new to you, as youve maintained a
notoriously love-hate relationship with New Yorkers, who also
overwhelmingly did not vote for you. Advancing the interests of
yourself and your family against currents or tides of resistance
has been your m.o. for decades, and I respect that.
What definitely is new to you is holding an elected office that
demands you advance the interests of people who arent your
family, dont work for you and might have little to nothing in
common with you. As a public servant, you must be an advocate
Americans need your compassion right now, those who voted

for you and especially the ones who cant stand you. It wont be
easy.
I wish you well.
ANDR HEREFORD
Writer

Hey, gurl, hey! BaNaka here! I just wanted to reach out and
give you a few helpful tips to make your move to Washington as
smooth as possible. Ya know, just a courtesy from one superficial celebrity to another.
Lets begin! Social Media. As a Drag Queen, my scathing wit, sharp tongue and ability to be
incredibly petty has taken me far and
garnered the love and respect from
dozens of dozens of inebriated fans.
However, President Trump, you are
no drag queen, despite the many similarities in makeup wiggery and taste
level. When addressing social media (or
anyone else for that matter, you need
to present a sense of professionalism,
statesmanship and at least some semblance of sanity. Basically, you need to
be Presidential. Think more Ronald
Reagan, less Archie Bunker.
Look I get it, as a drag queen, I
get the pleasure of yelling at everyone
indiscriminately its fun and it burns
calories! From the price of duct tape
to the winner of RuPauls Drag Race, I
BaNaka
have an opinion on everything and have
no issue letting it be known and thats
okay, because Im a drag queen. You sir, however, are now the
keeper of the highest office in the land.
Gurl, you need to pick your fights! Leave Miss Streep alone!
Besides being a darling and an icon she is not your concern!
Youve got bigger fish to fry! You gotta keep an eye on your good
Judys like Miss Russia, Miss China and Madame North Korea.
If they are anything like my contemporaries, they are some
shady ladies! They will try and snatch your wig and your gig in
the blink of an eye. Focus, Queen! You are now our symbol of
excellence! You got the crown, you won the pageant (No Tea,
No Shade, but we all know that Pag was rigged anyway), now
its time to act the part. You are working the main stage, honey!
Please hold yourself to a higher standard (get off Twitter), and
remember to smile, be polite and dont burn the country down in
your first 100 days. Good Luck & Dont F*ck It Up!
You gotta keep an eye on your

good Judys like Miss Russia,
Miss China and Madame North
Korea. THEY WILL TRY AND
SNATCH YOUR WIG AND YOUR
GIG IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
for, and champion of, Americans who cant stand you. Thats
rough, but it comes with the job that you campaigned for and
won. Are you up to that? Can you be so magnanimous? Do you
have that much compassion in you?
I watched and listened to you during this past campaign, and
I didnt see it. Ive been paying attention to you as a public figure
for much of my adult life, and Ive never seen it.
I dont see it in a man who brags about grabbing women by
their genitals.
I dont see it in a man who defends publicly mocking one
person by claiming that he mocks and insults all kinds of people.
I dont see it in a man who spends any amount of time tweeting about his so-called enemies.
I dont see it in your cabinet picks, and certainly not in your
choice of running mate.
You do seem to understand the value of compassion. In your
speech to the Republican National Convention, you vowed to
build an administration that is considerate to everyone, adding,
But my greatest compassion will be for our own struggling
citizens.
Fine when will we see that? How long will citizens struggling against poverty, inequality and discrimination have to
wait as you publicly demean your detractors, before they see
you focus on uplifting us all? Not too long, I hope, because all
30
Xoxo,
BANAKA
Duchess of Protocol
@BaNakaDev
P.S. Im available for weddings, birthday parties, bar mitz
vahs and State Dinners.
Throughout history, from ancient times to the present, members

of the LGBT community have proudly and honorably participated in every facet of public and private life, serving the wider
community and sharing our many talents. For much of that time,
we did so while hiding our true identity, without the benefit
of any societal support, and often under the threat of outright
hostility. Happily, over the last fifty years, we have moved from
being shunned and invisible to being out and able to joyously
and openly share who we are with family and friends. Every
year, often in June during Pride
month, we take that celebration
of the dignity we feel every day
and share it with the larger community.
Although these events now
have a more festive tone to them
because of the great advances that
have occurred, nonetheless, the
protests against intolerance from
which they originated, remain at
the heart of the annual commemorations, even up to today.
During your recent presidential campaign, you said that while
in office you intend to protect the
members of the LGBT community from foreign threats specifically aimed at LGBT people. That is
certainly a worthwhile goal. We
hope that you will also protect us
domestically from those in our
country who would either harm
us outright through violence or
by passing discriminatory laws
aimed at making LGBT people
second-class citizens and thus depriving us of the basic rights
enjoyed by the majority of Americans.
The many and diverse members of the LGBT community
have survived and thrived in times of great difficulty and
danger. We derive strength from that diversity and acknowledge
that our struggle is informed by and joined with others in the
civil rights community. We have withstood daunting challenges
with intense determination. We possess, individually and collectively, the power to persevere and endure in the face of adversity. We appreciate those who have taken up our cause, become
allies, and ultimately helped us.
Because there is work still to be done, we ask you to support
our journey to full equality. Nevertheless, we will continue to
move forward weve done it before and we will do it again.
Not only is equal treatment under the law our right as American
citizens, but we have come too far and made too much progress
to ever turn back now. Stand with us.
To be honest, even using that title made me queasy, but on

January 20 it will indeed be part of American history and our
reality. I believe you have done nothing to earn it and have only
increasingly demonstrated a dangerous and un-American set of
principles, values and intentions.
I am not a gambler, but I imagine I am feeling what someone
in one of your failed casinos felt when rolling the dice or watching the roulette wheel spin uncertainty, fear, bracing for loss
because in your gut you believe the house always wins.
Since the election you

and your surrogates have
continued to demonstrate
that A VOTE FOR YOU WAS
NOT DISSIMILAR TO A
HATE CRIME.
Sincerely,
BERNIE DELIA
President of the Board of Directors

Capital Pride Alliance, Inc.
Cathy Renna
Since the election you and your surrogates have continued

to demonstrate that a vote for you was not dissimilar to a hate
crime. My relatives on my fathers side in Italy were stunned
and fearful when the results came in. Should have learned
from our mistake electing Berlusconi, they joked. But there is
another Italian leader you are much more similar to, and we
should heed the history lesson of their past. My father grew up
in Italy when Mussolini was in power. As we know, he ruled the
country constitutionally as Prime Minister from 1922 to 1925,
then dropped all pretense of democracy and set up a legal dictatorship. Now, I wouldnt compare you to Hitler. Yet. So if the
shoe fits, it would be a Dolce and Gabbana. Because when people
talk about a potential constitutional crisis, this is what I believe
they are alluding to.
But this is something you will never achieve. Because I
believe in the core values of America and our constitution and
we, as a nation, would never let this happen. Like Congressman
John Lewis, the civil rights hero and icon you dismissively berated when he called your presidency illegitimate, we will march.
We will resist. We will stand up and say no, not in our America.
My daughter is about the same age as Barron. What kind of
world will she grow up in? Will it be one that considers her less
than your child? Not if I can help it.
In his second inaugural speech, Barack Obama said, We, the
people, declare today that the most evident of truths, that all of
us are created equal, is the star that guides us still, just as it guidJANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY
31
ed our forbearers to Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall. I am

not alone in being guided by that star that our great President of
the last eight years alluded to, a star that will get us through this
next period of American history like no other, one that will test
us but also one we will face undaunted.
CATHY RENNA
LGBTQ Activist
Principal, Target Cue
@cathyrenna

Congratulations on becoming the 45th President of the United
States of America!
anything else. Continue to enforce the executive order that bans

LGBT discrimination with federal contractors, and work with
Congress to pass similar a nationwide bill.
As an accomplished dealmaker, lead Congress toward fixing our healthcare system to actually become affordable for all
Americans. Find common ground to create more jobs, enact
fair regulations that protect Americans but dont strangle small
businesses, and craft a tax code that encourages businesses to
stay and leaves more money in our pockets. Guide our leaders to
break the gridlock in Washington, modernize our military with
21st century technologies to combat new and growing cyber
threats, and accomplish what leaders from both sides have been
unable to do and reign in our astounding national debt.
On the world stage, make smart deals that continue to promote our ideals, collaborate with our allies so that power vacuums dont form and allow extremists to advance and grow, and
achieve peace at home and abroad by projecting strength and
tactful diplomacy.
There are many of us supporting you starting on day one,
but others will need more convincing. Overwhelm our country
with such great leadership so that
when you leave office, the world
will anxiously await your guidance in your biggest best seller
of all time: The Art of Governing.
OVERWHELM OUR COUNTRY

WITH SUCH GREAT LEADERSHIP
so that when you leave office, the
world will anxiously await your
guidance in your biggest
best seller of all time:
The Art of Governing.
Chris Allen
Against the odds, many polls, and obstacles from every direction, you stunned the world by rewriting (and retweeting) the
old campaign book with new tactics, a keen grasp and understanding of effective, modern communications, and strategic
voter targeting. While your victory on November 8th was historic and monumental, a much greater task of bringing our divided
country together lies ahead. Your business acumen and mastery
of deal-making are great strengths to help you achieve this for
our country and all Americans.
As a Republican, continue to set an example for other
Republicans regarding their views on LGBT issues as you did
in your convention speech in Cleveland when you said, As
your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our
LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful
foreign ideology. Supporting our community and making sexual
orientation a non-issue within the GOP is the direction our party
needs and is consistent with our partys principles of limited
government and individual liberty.
As a businessman, continue to remind states that anti-LGBT
laws are bad for business as you did when North Carolina passed
HB2. Lead by example, as you did in your personal businesses,
by hiring and appointing the best qualified people regardless of
32
Good luck and best wishes,

CHRIS ALLEN
President
DC Log Cabin Republicans
@DCLogCabin
You will hear us. You will hear the

voices of millions of Americans
who oppose your narrow worldview, shallow rhetoric and
proposed policies that benefit those who have the most, while
hurting the most vulnerable. Our voices will not be made silent.
We are not afraid.
We are resilient. We are empowered. We are determined.
We stand in truth. We stand on the right side of history. We
stand on the backs of those who stood before us. We stand as
a beautiful representation of the diversity of our already great
nation.
We know that you thought you could dissuade us. We know
you thought you could divide us. We know that you thought
shadows would prevail. You thought wrong.
There is no such thing as Trumps America. There is only
the United States of America. Your single election didnt wipe
out hundreds of years of our history and its progress. Your election only reminded us that we must be remain forever vigilant.
We will continue to push ahead and embrace the idea that our
democracy can only work at its best when every citizen is genuinely heard, understood and engaged. Americans who believe
in true equality, freedom, liberty and opportunity for all, have
much work to do. And we are up to the task.
We will organize. We will demonstrate. We will litigate. We
will agitate. In city halls, in state capitals, in the Capitol Building

and in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, you will hear us. We
will rise as one.
WE the people will preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States.
Your Fellow Countryman,
CLARENCE J. FLUKER
in poor shape dont push your luck. Take your cake and go
home and enjoy it. Dont struggle for the approbation of those,
Democrats and Republicans alike, who are in on the con. Youll
never get it. Dont destroy the work of millions to satisfy your
own ego. If you do, youll soon find the pleasure is an empty
one. Salvage the joy of your revenge, and save this country that
helped you become the man you are today from a descent into
hate and misery.
DANA BEYER, M.D.
Former Obama Appointee

@CJFluker
Executive Director
Gender Rights Maryland
@DanaBeyerMD

Were all aware that few expected you to win on Election Day.
One could say that the only one more surprised than the rest of
us is you. You havent prepared for the job, arguably the most
important in the world. Youve undertaken no efforts to divest,
to put your business holdings, if any were viable, in a blind trust.
You didnt bone up on foreign or domestic
policy, leaving that for the running mate.
Youve treated this leveraged buyout, hostile takeover as a reality show.
You have no qualifications for the job,
as youve hardly read anything for the past
sixty years. Your character hasnt changed,
as remarked by those who knew you in military school. Youve no experience in government, working in coalitions, or building
support for policy. Youve never served
your country, or given back anything to
the system that allowed you to become a
celebrity. You are a rupture in the history of presidential qualifications and the
expectations of the citizenry the president
is supposed to lead.
Given that youve now taken the celebrity culture as far as it can go, and given that
there are tens of millions of people in this
country alone who are counting on being
able to continue to live their lives with an
understanding of the rules theyve played
by throughout their lives, I respectfully ask
that you resign your position.
All our intelligence agencies have seriously called your patriotism into question, as your actions and
those of your advisers may very well amount to treason. You
cannot escape the taint of that treason, just as Hillary could
not escape the taint of corruption with which whats left of the
Republican Party saddled her beginning in 1992.
During the past seventy years, when the United States was
much more united than today, this country struggled to become
a more perfect union, and tens of millions of people found hope
in being themselves and working to live to their full potential.
Women, African-Americans, the LGBT community, immigrants
from Latin America, Africa and Asia all have worked to
become a part of the tapestry of American society, just as your
forebears did. They deserve the opportunity to continue their
lives in peace and with hope.
Please spare us the coming constitutional crisis and global
chaos. You won a dirty election, but you won. Youre an old man

As a black lesbian American, who is the grateful child of immigrants that sacrificed and struggled to leave their homeland of
Jamaica in the 1970s, to rebuild their dreams in this great nation,
You are a rupture in the

history of presidential
qualifications. Given that
youve now taken the celebrity
culture as far as it can go, I
RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU
RESIGN YOUR POSITION.
Dana Beyer
I remain incredibly disturbed by your thoughtless words against

the communities I am proud to represent.
Sir, your unfounded and dangerous comments about immigrants in this nation as well as the black community are unbecoming of any person that seeks to be the president for ALL
Americans. Immigrants and people of color built this country
off of their backs and did so under the domestic terrorism of
slavery, Jim Crow and now the indentured servitude that too
many new immigrants to this country must face as they battle
unrelenting racism and xenophobia.
This countrys creed of We the People will not be undone
by one man or one administration that seeks to roll back progress
because they believe that people that dont look like them, love
like them, or worship like them are less than. This country is
already great because of its diversity, acceptance and willingness
to strive towards our highest ideal of becoming a more perfect
33
union. We cant find perfection in discrimination, hostility and

hatred that is not who America is at its core.
Know this, sir: I will work tirelessly over the next four years
to ensure the safety and freedom for all people the documented and the undocumented, the straight and the LGBTQ, the
Muslim and the Jew we are America and we are great because
we believe in our fundamental ability to progress in the face of
of us, including myself, come from a small town and know the
struggles they face first hand. Others follow one of the finest
American traditions coming from other countries to seek new
opportunities, much like my own mother did more than fifty
years ago.
I have never felt more of an American than I have living right
here in Washington, D.C. Not because of the monuments, or the
Congress, but because of the
people my neighbors. My
Washington, D.C. is where
Ben Ali, a Muslim immigrant from Trinidad, came
with virtually nothing and
over time built Bens Chili
Bowl, one of our citys most
iconic restaurants. This city
is a place where homeless
LGBTQ youth arrive from
other parts of the country with little more than a
bus receipt, and have the
opportunity to rebuild their
lives thanks to the work
of folks like Ruby Corado
at Casa Ruby. My city is a
place where undocumented
residents can get a limited
purpose drivers license,
David von Storch
where asylum seekers and
refugees find sanctuary, and
where transgender residents can get gender-affirming care. Most importantly,
Washington, D.C. is a place where we strive to live together in
peace.
We are not perfect, but it is here, working with the local
community where I feel we are closest to that perfect union
where everybody yes, everybody has a right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. This is the daily work of our fine
city, and frankly for me and for countless others, this is what
makes America great. I might add, we do it all without a vote
in Congress (its called taxation without representation and its
not fair).
I hope you take the opportunity to learn from your new
neighbors, but if not, please know that we will not be divided. I
consider an attack on any one of our fine citizens an attack on all
of us, and I know other community leaders feel exactly the same
way. We dont know if you will go through with pushing for a
Muslim registry. We dont know if you will go through with your
threats to start deporting undocumented residents on Day One
of your Presidency. We dont know how many of the executive
orders protecting individuals from discrimination will be rolled
back. What I do know is that we will resist. I know the bubble
I live in is growing bigger every single day. And I know that ultimately, we will win.
YOUVE SHOWN US WHO YOU ARE

BY THE COMPANY THAT YOU KEEP.
You are no friend of ours, and anyone
who says otherwise is buying the
orange fools gold you are peddling in
the form of $26 cocktails at your new
Trump Hotel.
evil. We will continue to make certain that America remains the

beacon on the hill and symbol of democracy by continuing to
fight tirelessly for our inalienable rights.
I urge you sir, to read more and tweet less. Education is at
the core of any great nation and those that close their minds
to the wonders of the world and the great people of all colors,
religions, and groups that make it go around will petrify in their
close-mindedness and become obsolete. If you choose to work
with us, we will find ways to work with you. If you continue on
the path that you outlined during the campaign than know that
you will face opposition at every turn.
The choice is yours to make, sir.
Sincerely,
DANIELLE MOODIE-MILLS
Advocate, Writer and Strategist

Politini Media
@DeeTwoCents

Soon you will be living (part time?) in Washington, D.C., where
Hillary Clinton won more than 90% of the vote, and where, not
surprisingly, you will not find many fans. There are those who
would suggest, of course, that Washington, D.C., is just another
urban bubble, ignorant of the realities of small town America.
I can assure you, however, that this is not the case. Many
34
DAVID MARINER
Executive Director
The DC Center
@DavidMarinerDC
own, landed in the most powerful seat in the land.
Trying to figure out where you really stand on LGBT issues, or

any issue for that matter, is a vexing process.
You say on 60 Minutes, for example, that marriage equality
is settled law, yet every name you have mentioned as a possible
nominee to the Supreme Court views our community as perverted and deserving of no rights to anything except perhaps
to conversion therapy paid for with funds diverted from HIV
treatment programs.
Your Cabinet choices almost to a man (there are a few
women Senator Mitch McConnells wife was a smarmy homage to that shining example
of cooperation and character
that now presides over the
U.S. Senate) abhor according
any rights to our community
or respecting those rights we
have fought for far too long
to achieve. So while youre
busy tweeting the nonsense
that has earned you the distinction as the most unpopular incoming President in
modern U.S. history, your
Cabinet will no doubt be creating and implementing policies that are likely at every
corner to attack us, marginalize us and and demean
who we are as human beings.
As such I dont believe anything you say, except for
some reason I cant quite
explain, I do believe that
your 3 a.m. tweets reflect
the inner-workings of your
third-grade bullys soul.
So, while I could go on
and on pleading for you to
stand up for what youve said about those LGBT rights you
believe are fair and just, I wont bother. Youve shown us who
you are by the company that you keep. You are no friend of ours,
Mr. Trump, and anyone who says otherwise is buying the orange
fools gold that you are peddling in the form of $26 cocktails at
your new Trump Hotel in my hometown.
Every single day when I get out of bed, I will do my best not to
get distracted by your childish prattling and insidious gas lighting. At times my better angels will try to find something positive
in the words you read from the TelePrompTer that Kellyanne
Conway so artfully crafts. Yet while you and the Republicans in
control of Congress drink from that false cup of mandate that
makes you drunk with power and hubris, the seeds of our discontent have been firmly sown.
I do have just one request. Please dont come to Adams
Morgan, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Shaw, NE, SW, SE or
anywhere adjacent. We will try to be civil but its a really big ask.
When you go out, Id recommend Georgetown. Its not Mar a
Largo, but its the best we can offer.
Enjoy your stay in our town. We are ever-hopeful that in no
time you will return full-time to your gilded tower of excess in
New York in whose escalators you descended from the heavens
to burnish your brand and somehow, through no fault of your
Welcome to D.C.!
DAVID VON STORCH
President, UA Companies
VIDA Fitness, Bang Salon,
Capitol City Brewing Co.
@davidvons
The day after you won the

election, your spirit was in the
man who approached my partner
and me as we walked down the
street holding hands, AS HE
PANTOMIMED GUNNING US
DOWN WITH A SEMI-AUTOMATIC
WEAPON.
Rabbi Gil Steinlauf

I am a musician. Music is what I know best and may be the only
thing I know well. Music saved me during a difficult and even
dangerous time in the early years of my life. Orange County,
California was not the easiest place to grow up gay in the 1970s.
Being adrift, like many during their teens, I was especially sensitive to nearly daily taunting, name-calling, and ridicule because
I was a mixed-race, gay youth.
After spending years trying to hide my true self from others
(and even me) I came across my own personal life preserver,
and a very unlikely one at that my high school band room.
With my fellow nerds and geeks I finally found my voice and
acceptance and, most of all, I found music. Although the taunting never stopped outside of the band room, it seemed to sting
less knowing that I could find refuge in music. Those years of
refuge, supported by my wonderful teachers and friends, have
never left me.
I have been lucky enough to have made a life in music and
throughout my career the most fulfilling experiences I have had
as a conductor have been to bring music to young people and,
above all, to the most vulnerable around us, including other
racial and sexual minorities. Music cannot put food on the table
35
or employ thousands of people, but I know from first-hand

experience that music has a positive influence on the lives of all
Americans. Music is at the center of every milestone event, be it
a birthday, a wedding, national mourning, or a spiritual gathering. Music, even in its most basic form (e.g., the birthday song
or Now I know my ABCs), can entertain millions. Music can
also give a voice to the voiceless, and, in my case, save a life by
providing a refuge to a developing young, gay musician.
Every time I speak to young people about the power, joy and
fun of music, I tell them that they or anyone can have a
voice. We need to become a singing nation, and less a shouting
one, once again. In the words of James Johnson, lift every voice
and sing. And if by doing so we save one vulnerable child or a
forgotten, lonely soul we are that much closer to fulfilling that
glorious promise to become a more perfect union. Vilification
and vitriol have no place in the arts, just as they have no place in
American life.
To date, it seems that mere words have not unified this
great country. Perhaps it time to give the arts a chance.
EMIL DE COU
Music Director
Pacific Northwest Ballet
emil@pnb.org

Over the course of decades in America, the one thing that has
brought a divided country together has been the arts.
The arts are a vessel that brings ideas to life, introducing each
a melting pot of immigrants founded with the principle of free

speech.
As President Kennedy said, I see little of more importance
to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of
our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision
wherever it takes him.
ERIC SCHAEFFER
Artistic Director/Co-Founder
Signature Theatre

As a Jew, as a rabbi, as a gay man, I have something to say to you:
you dont know me, but I know you. We have met, in fact, many
times. We have met in this lifetime, and across countless generations. In my lifetime, I have heard your hateful words and felt
your contempt in the expressions of bullies and mean-spirited
children who taunted me and beat me and called me faggot
in the hallways and classrooms of my junior high school. The
day after you won the election, your spirit was in the man who
approached my partner and me as we walked down the street
holding hands, as he pantomimed gunning us down with a
semi-automatic weapon.
My Jewish people know you so very well. In fact, we tell
the story of you at our Passover seders. In the Haggadah, we
read how you rise up in each and every generation either to
destroy us literally, or to destroy everything that we stand for.
And what is it that we stand for? You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him...You shall
not ill-treat any widow or
orphan... (Exodus 22:21-22).
The stranger, the widow, the
orphan these represent all
the people in society who are
vulnerable, who do not have
privilege. In our time, that
list extends to black people,
to LGBTQ people, to Muslims
and to immigrants, to Jews,
to women, to the disabled.
I know you so well, Mr.
Trump, because in every generation, you hate and seek
to destroy us for exactly the
same reason: deep down, you
are afraid of us. We threaten
John Guggenmos
everything that you understand about yourself. For you,
life is a nightmare where you
cannot feel the nearness of
Divine love, no matter how
much wealth and acclaim and privilege you hoard, no matter
how many of us you attack for the momentary relief of feeling
powerful at the expense of the less powerful.
But I also know one more thing about you, Mr. Trump. In
every generation, you may rise up to extraordinary power. You
may wreak terrible destruction. But you always fall. Always. You
see, the power of Divine love lives with us strangers, orphans
and widows. And that Divine love is the only real power there
As Ive watched the footage of you

mocking the reporter, again and
again, I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE
HAPPENED IF PRESIDENT OBAMA
HAD OPENLY MOCKED A DISABLED
REPORTER DURING HIS CAMPAIGN?
of us to different, and sometimes challenging, points of view.

They help us begin conversations and understanding about different people, different ideas and different ways of thinking altogether. They provide a safe place where no one is judged while
thoughts and ideas are exchanged. Songs can move us, words can
change us and music notes can stir our soul.
I hope the next four years we can use art to heal, accept different points of view and grow as a country that continues to be
36
is. And that love will give us strength to organize, to stand tall
and proud, and to resist you.
Sorry to break this news to you, Mr. Trump. Sorry that your
power and privilege shuts your eyes and covers your ears to the
truth. But we have been around the block with you for thousands
of years, and it always ends the same way. Enjoy your power
grab and your rampage of hate yet again. And when Love
and Justice vanquishes your regime of intolerance once more, I
only ask that you try to remember, once and for all, that it was
never us whom you needed to fear. It was your own hardened
heart feeling powerless and closed off to the world that you
projected onto us and called enemy.
But whether or not you are capable of learning this lesson,
we are here. We are stronger than you can imagine. And we are
ready for you.
have used your wife to do the same. (If your record repeats
itself, will she still be your wife in four years?)
Im asking you to think before you talk, and to get the hell off
Twitter. Youve made this country a joke. Were the laughing
stock of the world.
I know youre a smart man, but you have no filter. And thats
your weakness. Can you keep America great? I dont think its
broken. Listen to experienced politicians from all the parties,
and change your cabinet. We shouldnt be working against each
other we need to work together to keep this country great.
Everything is so black and white with you. You cant treat
policies and politics like you treat Rosie ODonnell. This isnt a
tabloid paper anymore welcome to the real world. The joke is
over, and the jokes will be on you.
HOLLY GOLDMANN
Executive Producer
Capital Trans Pride
@holly_goldmann
Sincerely,
GIL STEINLAUF
Senior Rabbi
Adas Israel Congregation, Washington, D.C.
@gsteinlauf
Rabbi Steinlaufs words here represent his views only, and he
does not speak on behalf of Adas Israel Congregation.

Im a Trans woman from New York City who has lived in D.C.
the past 19 years. I never felt you were a serious candidate
for POTUS. So, initially, I
didnt pay it much attention.
I should have. I never disliked or despised you. But
you were always in the center of some tabloid fodder.
Coming of age in the
early 90s, I recall you being
critical of President Clinton
for not making LGBT rights
easy in the workplace. You
said you didnt care what
someone was, as long as they
did a good job. You defended an outed Canadian Trans
contestant in one of your
pageants a few years back.
And you even commented
that the bathroom bills
were a joke at a press conference with your family.
Pardon my impoliteness,
but you have diarrhea of the
mouth. And Im not sure I trust your decisions. Your cabinet
appointees are a joke literally looking like a rogues gallery. I
truly worry about war and international relations. I worry about
my international friends who live in the states, both documented
and undocumented, and I worry about the rights of minorities,
who as a group are quickly becoming the majority.
I try to see the good in you. But youve thrown your ridiculous
choice for VP under the bus to cover for your antics. And you
As an improbably-formed drag a cappella comedy troupe birthed

at the height of the devastating AIDS crisis, The Kinsey Sicks
witnessed the right wings willingness to ignore and devalue us,
rob an entire community of our rights, and use fear as a political
weapon.
We see it coming again, and we hope that you can hear us. In
fact, in the spirit of the listening thats been encouraged between
the left and the right, we invite you to our next show, Things You
This election has changed the

way I look at my neighbors,
family and friends. I AM
SUSPICIOUS OF WHO WOULD
HAVE VOTED AGAINST MY VERY
EXISTENCE.
June Crenshaw
Shouldnt Say, and see how much we do listen, that we actually
share your lack of filter, taste, and shame. Unlike you, however,
weve been using and will continue to use those qualities to
transform outrage into our art: ribald humor, wicked satire, and
over-the-top drag, all in glorious four-part harmony.
Okay, we admit that you and those who love you will probably not like the show, but we sincerely believe that, as the
President of all of us, you should listen to what we and our comJANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY
37
munity have to say. And, if afterwards, you still dont like it, we
encourage you to denounce us on Twitter, as there is no higher
honor (and besides, we can use the sales).
Enjoy the show! Just remember: no refunds.
icy road. It was painful at best, but you could take a note from
George Bush, your fellow Republican, and try to be a humble and
dignified public servant. I didnt believe in George Bushs vision
of America, but I respected the office and the man.
Your campaign, possibly aided by the Russians and WikiLeaks
Sincerely,
was incredibly rough, and the country is deeply polarized and
divided as a result. While I acknowledge you were elected
JEFF MANABAT
President, you lost the popular majority by three million votes
aka Trixie
and won by less than one percent in a handful of states in the
For The Kinsey Sicks
electoral college. So dont act as if you won. The majority of
Americas Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet
Americans dont agree with you.
Nevertheless, Mr. Trump, you will be president of all
Americans not just the minority that voted for you. You
will be president to my Muslim spouse and Muslim in-laws,
and all the Muslim Americans;
and the black lives movement and
the entire Community of color; to
Colin Kaepernick, who you said
looked like a third grader on the
playground while he peacefully
showed his right to peaceful protest; to the transgendered community who needs protection in every
state in the country to have basic
bathroom rights and freedom from
harassment in employment, fair
housing and healthcare; to all the
small business owners you screwed
and refused to pay for work they
did for you; to everyone you ever
boldly harassed with a lawsuit; to
all the people that you could have
Congressman Mark Pocan
helped by actually donating money
to charity instead of lying about it
including your own foundation; to
Khiz and Ghazala Khan, the POWs,
to Senator John McCain and all the suffers from PTSD; to the
families of disabled and to Serge Kovaleski, and to every women
This letter has been incredibly difficult for me to write. I wanted of sexual assault and every woman you called a dog, pig, slob,
to write something positive and inspirational, and that somehow Miss Piggy or rated as a four and to the other women you openly
were all in this together. But I didnt vote for you and I dont mocked, from Rosie ODonnell and Elizabeth Warren to Ruth
feel as hopeful with the prospect of change that youve con- Bader Ginsburg and Hillary Clinton.
veyed is coming. A great number of injustices will occur because
Youll also be the President to President Obama, even though
youve given license to them. I wish you understood the genuine for years you pursued the birther rhetoric. And to all the
concerns of millions of Americans are serious and what youve Mexican Americans you demonized and their children and to all
shown us is a dangerous tendency to disregard the truth, bend of the immigrants and naturalized citizens. Youll be President
the rules, and encroach on our personal freedoms instead of to our rich history of immigration, the institution of freedom of
protecting them. History is a massive steamroller that crushes in the press and to the truth itself.
agonizing slow motion, and this is happening to everyone even
Youre the fresh outsider and will now hold the same office
the winners of this political season, though they dont yet see it.
as Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, FDR, JFK,
I watched in your first press conference how you couldnt Johnson, and Obama. Congratulations. Youre the President.
resist making fun of Senator Lindsey Graham one last time. Two
Now act like it and serve us well.
days prior, you couldnt resist taking a swipe at Meryl Streep.
Further, saying, For the 100th time, I never mocked a disabled
Sincerely,
reporter all I can say, Mr. Trump, is that all of our eyes didnt
JOHN GUGGENMOS
suddenly stop working, and we did see what you desperately
wish didnt happen. As Ive watched the footage of you mockAmerican, Small Business Owner, George Washington
ing the reporter, again and again, I wonder what would have
and University of Wyoming alumni, ANC commissioner,
happened if President Obama had openly mocked a disabled
Son to Republican parents Lloyd & Carolyn Guggenmos,
reporter during his campaign? What would you have done then?
proud Hillary supporter, not congressionally represented
As I watched that press conference, I thought back to how
District of Columbia resident, proudly serving the gay night
Tucker Carlson once described George Bushs public speaking
life community of Washington, D.C. for 27 years
skills, as painful as watching a drunk old man walk across a very
@johnguggenmos
I will continue to advocate

every day for full equality
and I sincerely hope you will
keep true to your word and
JOIN ME IN THIS FIGHT.
38

Kellyanne Conway recently said that those that did not vote
for you (the majority of Americans) should try to see whats in
your heart. The irony of her request is, of course, that ever since
you declared your candidacy,
whats in your heart has been
evidently clear.
Im assuming all the stuff
you stated during the campaign and after your election
has come straight from that
heart. But soon you will be the
POTUS and I wonder about the
following: How discriminatory will your administration be
against the LGBT community?
Will you go along with Right
Wing Republicans in Congress
and sign into law the First
Amendment Defense Act, thus
enshrining discrimination into
our constitution and adversely affecting the lives of every
LGBT person in our country?
Will your Justice Department
and the judges you appoint try
to take away the rights that we
have gained?
Those rights, incidentally, are not special rights, as some continue to label them.
Deportations, wall building, Muslim ban and draconian registries will affect thousands of our LGBT brothers and sisters. And
repealing the Affordable Care Act is an outright act of cruelty
against the most vulnerable.
In regards to these issues Im actually curious to see whats
in your heart.
Despite this, your presidency will probably have the least

impact on my life and well-being. You see, sir, my fear is not
for me. It is for our most vulnerable population. I am outraged
and dismayed by the harm that will be caused to our LGBTQ
youth, especially our LGBTQ homeless youth. I am afraid for
Im hoping that the gravity of

your new position sinks in, that
you find compassion in your heart
and mind, and that YOU CHANGE
YOUR APPROACH AND STOP
SETTING AN EXAMPLE THAT
EMPOWERS BULLIES.
JOSE CARRASQUILLO
Freelance Theatre Director and Educator

Sixty nine days ago, you were elected to become our next president. Since then, I have experienced a lot of feelings, but the
main one has been that of dismay. This election has changed the
way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious
of who would have voted against my very existence. I am scared
and unsettled. I dont know what to expect or what to do to
ensure my safety or well-being.
My trust in the very process that I have participated with
since I was 18 doesnt feel reliable or trustworthy. The really
horrible thing about my situation, Mr. President, is that I am
probably one of the privileged ones. Yes, I am black and lesbian. Yes, your campaign rhetoric targeted me as a woman, as a
person of color and as an LGBTQ person. Yes, your hateful and
hurtful platform directly undermined the work around equality,
diversity and inclusion that I have personally been dedicated to
for many, years. Your cabinet selections have shown that you
are committed to doing harm to a large portion of the American
population.
Mitchell Gold
our undocumented sisters and brothers especially our undocumented LGBTQ sisters and brothers.
I am afraid for the many black and brown kids that have to
live in a country that currently doesnt honor or respect their
existence. I have so many friends and family with little or no
hope in the system, with little or no hope in their future. I am
so worried about how to continue to make progress towards full
equality for us all. It feels as though this election has taken away
my ability to be effective in my community.
You know, Mr. President, I have to be honest. I am not being
completely forthright. Although everything I have shared is true,
its not the complete story. My fear is also for me. I have been
sent into a tailspin and I dont know what to do to stop the panic
within me. I have been stunned and silenced for sixty nine days,
and that scares me more than anything you can threw at me. My
silence has shown me just how vulnerable I really am and it has
been shocking to me. I am holding my breath and bracing for the
worst. Fortunately, I cant stay in the position for much longer.
In fact, sixty nine days has been too long.
Mr. President, I dont want to fight you for the next four
years. I dont want to be on heightened alert or scrutinize every
word you say or every action you take. But, sir, that is exactly
what I plan to do.
JUNE CRENSHAW
Interim Executive Director

The Wanda Alston Foundation
@junecrenshaw
39

As you embark upon the next four years, you have an opportunity that no other President has had to put an end to our nations
toxic culture war over LGBT people.
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples
have the same freedom to marry as other Americans. That ruling
was the culmination of decades of struggle by LGBT people to
win equality and respect for our families and our lives. Today,
across our country, same-sex couples can protect their families,
LGBT young people can grow up without the devastating stigma
of being treated as outlaws or outcasts, and businesses no longer
have to waste time and money navigating a confusing patchwork of conflicting state laws treating gay and straight families
differently.
Increasingly, however, those gains are under a senseless
and destructive attack. In virtually every red state, a vociferous
minority of state officials and legislators are seeking to reignite
a culture war over LGBT people by introducing so-called bathroom bills and sweeping exemptions to anti-discrimination
laws that prey on unsupported fears about LGBT people.
This backlash has already caused significant economic and
social harm. In North Carolina alone, the enactment of a radical
anti-LGBT law has roiled the state, leading to multiple lawsuits,
ways yourself, perhaps you can understand something of the

fear and despair this backlash is generating for LGBT people. In
a way that may be unique in our nations history, you have the
power to reach across partisan lines and put these issues behind
us, once and for all.
By opposing divisive anti-LGBT bills, you can bring the backlash against LGBT equality in state legislatures to an end. By
embracing policies that support LGBT youth, you can save lives
and keep them in their families and schools. And by insisting
upon fair treatment of LGBT people, you can model a truly new
era in our nations politics and ensure a legacy that will endure.
KATE KENDELL
Executive Director
National Center for Lesbian Rights
@katekendell

The LGBT community has made great strides under President
Obama, but your incoming Administrations radically conservative advisers and the Republican Partys anti-LGBT platform
gives me grave concerns that
this progress will be undermined. During your presidential campaign, you stated you
were a supporter of LGBT
rights. As an openly gay
Member of Congress, I urge
you to live up to your claim to
be a president for all people,
including LGBT Americans.
There are many individuals in the LGBT community
who fear that their rights will
be taken away under your
Administration. Their fears
are warranted. You, yourself,
have made some troublesome
promises to roll back gains
our community has made.
You have vowed to abolish all
of President Obamas executive orders, including one
that protects LGBT federal
workers from discrimination and another that allows
transgender students to use
the bathroom according to
their gender identity. You
Nicholas Benton
have also previously pledged
to sign the First Amendment
Defense Act into law, which
would allow healthcare providers, businesses, landlords, and
others the right to legally discriminate against LGBT people
under the guise of religious freedom. Not to mention, you have
selected individuals with horrible records on LGBT rights to
serve in your Administration.
Vice President Mike Pence signed a bill into law that allowed
businesses to refuse service to LGBT people as governor of
Indiana in 2015. Your nominee for Attorney General, Senator
You appear to be
advancing a hostile
takeover of our core
democratic institutions by a
foreign power that prefers
authoritarian tyranny. As
such, you, sir, are A GRAVE
DANGER TO THIS NATION.
millions of dollars of lost revenue as businesses cancel contracts
and relocate new ventures, and the loss of countless opportunities for increased understanding between LGBT people and
their families, friends, neighbors and coworkers. We cannot
afford to see this turmoil spread to other states. And yet, already
in 2017, legislators in multiple states have introduced similarly
divisive anti-LGBT bills, with no end in sight.
As someone who has long been deemed an outsider in many
40
Jeff Sessions, has opposed every major piece of legislation to

expand LGBT rights that has come before him in Congress.
Potential Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has a long family
history of donating money to anti-LGBT groups including one
that supports conversion therapy. Lastly, your Chief Strategist
Steve Bannon, as the former head of Breitbart News has published headlines tying the LGBT community to ISIS.
The LGBT community has fought difficult battles for equal
rights and our struggle for equality continues. LGBT men and
women can now openly serve in the military, same-sex couples
can legally marry, and federal contractors can no longer discriminate against LGBT employees. This progress should not
be undone.
Together, we must fight to make sure employers cannot discriminate against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation or
gender identity. This injustice extends to the majority of states
in our nation, and the absence of a federal law makes the LGBT
community incredibly vulnerable. This is just one of many equality issues we need to address.
I will continue to advocate
every day for full equality and I
sincerely hope you will keep true
to your word and join me in this
fight.
Sincerely,
MARK POCAN
U.S. Representative for the

Second District of Wisconsin
@RepMarkPocan
Donald:
And when that happens we will celebrate. There will be

parties and we will make a joyous noise. I have never celebrated
someone elses death, but I will celebrate yours. And in time, I
promise you, I and many others will dance on your grave.
This is not a threat dont send your goons for me. I wish you
well. Live as long as you wish.
We will outlast you.
MIKE DAISEY
Author and Working Artist

@mdaisey

Its honestly hard for me to live with the fact that you are now
the highest-ranking official in America and will wield great
Maybe I could help you

with some outreach in
the community. My rates
are very reasonable if you
would like me to HOST
AN LGBTQ SOIREE AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
I dont see any reason to address

you with names and honorifics
that youve never earned and
dont deserve. Your family name
is a lie, made up as your family
immigrated to America. It has
never occurred to me to strip
someone of the office in my
speech, but you have crossed the
bar and I wont grant you it here.
All that is left is Donald.
Youre a coward and a crook.
We all know that already its
been amply documented. Youve bragged about sexually assaulting women weve all listened to you. Youre a small and
pathetic man who gets off on bullying we watched you in
debates and press conferences. You have succeeded in amplifying your voice so loudly for so many years that there is no period
of adjustment we all already know your worth, and we have
rejected you.
The majority of voters rejected you. The majority of
Americans dont want you. This city is overwhelmingly embarrassed by your presence. None of us respect you. Youll never
make us kneel. We will never treat you as our leader.
You have lived a long life. But no matter how long you live,
were watching you. And one day, no matter how rich you are or
how much you tweet, you assuredly will die, just as we all will.
Rayceen Pendarvis
power over the lives of victims of bullying. Im hoping that the

gravity of your new position sinks in, that you find compassion
in your heart and mind, and that you change your approach and
stop setting an example that empowers bullies.
In the rural area where I live, and where the company
I cofounded employs more than 600 people at our factory
alone, Ive seen first-hand the pain bullies cause, from taunting
meeker-looking folks on the street to abuse in the home to the
words anti-LGBT clergy use to coerce innocent LGBT kids into
attempting the impossible task of changing the way they were
created. Because of this, for over a decade Ive worked to end
bullying of LGBT people through Faith in America, the nonprofit
I co-founded to educate people about the harm religious-based
bigotry causes.
41
Through Faith in America, and the many, many smart and

caring people who support us, weve made incredible progress
that benefits all Americanshelping to create true comfort for all
at home, in the workplace, and in the world. Highlights of FIAs
work include educating at the Southern Baptist Convention,
guiding clergy of many faiths in understanding the extreme
harm they cause so that they reject misguided religious teachings, developing our LGBT Mental Health Project, and working
with the Family Acceptance Project.
I wont stand by and watch our country take even one step
back from the gains weve made. LGBT people of all ages have
experienced so much pain through lack of understanding or
being thought of as an issue instead of individuals. My hope
is to meet with you and Vice President Pence to get a very
special book I edited into your hands one Ive shared with
many in politics, religion, and education. Entitled CRISIS: What
Everyone Should Know About Growing Up Gay, it shares all-tootrue heart-wrenching stories of those abused and rejected sim-
okay, but in limited doses.

MITCHELL GOLD
Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings
@MGBWHome
Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair
Faith in America
@faithinamerica
Like the courageous civil rights champion U.S. Rep. John Lewis,
I do not consider your presidency to be legitimate. As Rep.
Lewis, the great ally of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated
this week, the overwhelming evidence
confirmed by U.S. intelligence agencies of
interference by a foreign power hostile to
the U.S. in favor of your election last fall
has severely flawed that outcome.
Moreover, the manner of your seeking
the presidency and your ongoing behavior
since being declared the winner underscore this grievous concern. Still sadly,
most of your Republican colleagues in
Congress have shamefully embraced this
sorry development to already advance
legislation that will eliminate health care
coverage for 22 million Americans.
Since the election of President Obama,
our first African-American president, in
2008, you and your Republican allies,
along with the so-called Alt-Right radical white supremacist fringe, have worked
tirelessly to erode President Obamas
power and influence through brazen and
callous appeals to racism, the very lowest
and most degraded of dispositions, antithetical to the moral standards required
to preserve our precious and tenuous
democracy.
You spearheaded a high-profile
birther movement to discredit the president by the same means that AfricanAmericans have been unfairly disenfranchised throughout history. Your behavior
was as shameful then as it is now. But it is
about far more than your personal immo Rae Carey
rality. Indeed, you appear to be advancing
a hostile takeover of our core democratic
institutions by a foreign power that preply for being themselves. I believe it can help take you both from fers authoritarian tyranny. As such, you, sir, are a grave danger
using the Presidency as a bully pulpit to making it a platform that to this nation.
With the American revolution and miraculous success craftempowers everyone.
If you will change and be a President for ALL the people, ing a Constitutional democracy that has endured stormy times
a guiding light of empathy and wisdom, and an upholder of to survive two centuries and two score years later, the abiding
the separation of church and state, then Im certain I can animating spirit of America has been an openly-embraced defertolerate the gaudy style of your NYC residence and various ence to the benefit of all in equal measure. Our founding mothers
properties. Id even be willing to help you make them better. and fathers, emboldened as they were by the universal aspiraAnd help with the White House. Design tip: shiny brass is tions of the Great Enlightenment of their century, were keenly
While your tweets

are headline news, we
view them as harmful
distraction away from
what really matters:
FREEDOM, JUSTICE
AND EQUITY FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THIS
NATION.
42
attuned to this sensibility, and written between all the lines of

their brave actions and words has been an almost otherworldly
optimism that informed their testaments to the shared and equal
values of all human beings, most recently extended to my LGBT
brothers and sisters. There is no America without such an animating generosity of spirit guiding her.
This spirit is the polar opposite of a disposition seeking
advantage over others by exploitation through politics or business as you represent.
NICHOLAS F. BENTON
cash and credit cards.

I want to welcome you, your family, and everyone who will
be moving to our city while you are president. I too have been
known to be a risk taker and a trouble maker, so we might get
along wonderfully. Much like you, I also like the Twitter, so as
the kids say, hit me up in the DMs.
RAYCEEN PENDARVIS
Emcee, Entertainer, Activist

@RayceenHRH
Publisher & Editor

The Falls Church News Press
Author
Extraordinary Hearts: Reclaiming the Central Role of Gay
Sensibility in the Progress of Civilization

My name is Rayceen Pendarvis. Since Im known as the Goddess
of D.C., and you are going to be living and working here, I
thought it would be appropriate for us to be properly introduced.
I was never on Celebrity Apprentice, nor have I hosted or attended any of your events. Perhaps this will soon change. I know how
to get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and I have some beautiful
frocks I could wear for a state dinner, the Easter Egg roll, or a
casual stroll through the Rose Garden.
I am a lifelong Washingtonian. I was here before gentrifying,
when D.C. was truly Chocolate City and was much different
than it is now. Ive seen presidential administrations, mayors,
councilmembers, and various scandals come and go. I saw my
city enact marriage equality long before the Supreme Court
ruled on it. Ive known many members of the armed services
who worked at the Pentagon and various military bases in the
region who lived their lives in fear before the repeal of Dont
Ask, Dont Tell. Ive seen marches, rallies, and riots. My city has
a rich history and is constantly changing. From Lincoln Heights
to Georgetown, from Takoma to Anacostia, there is so much
taking place in this vibrant city, I couldnt even begin telling you.
I hope that you and members of your administration can
appreciate this city and all of its diversity. There are people from
many nations, who have various religions and philosophical
views, differing incomes and educational backgrounds, and are
of every hue. Washingtonians use various terms to define their
sexual orientations, and some of us are transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, or, like me, are gender-blenders.
I have had the honor of hosting some of our wonderful
annual LGBTQ events in the city, including Capital Pride, DC
Black Pride, OutWrite LGBT Book Festival, Reel Affirmations
International LGBTQ Film Festival, and more. I host The Ask
Rayceen Show, a free monthly event which returns on March
1 at our new venue, the HRC Equality Center. (Did I mention
my other moniker is Queen of the Shameless Plug?) Maybe I
could help you with some outreach in the community. My rates
are very reasonable if you would like me host an LGBTQ soiree
at the White House.
I am also a nail technician, so when Melania is in town, I
could help her find the perfect color for whatever the occasion
requires. Im located in a lovely nook at VSL Hair Design which
can accommodate members of her Secret Service detail. I accept
We are LGBTQ people and we are resilient.

Having lived in Washington, D.C. since 1989, Im used to the
passing of the presidential baton from one party to another with
opposing policy arguments and the requisite bipartisan banter.
Ive watched the ever-increasing polarization of American political parties, but your actions during the campaign and in these
days leading up to Inauguration have demarcated an altogether
different era. And while your tweets are headline news, we view
them as harmful distraction away from what really matters: freedom, justice and equity for the people of this nation.
LGBTQ people and our families are part of every community in this nation and we are standing together. We stand with
non-LGBTQ people. We resist your attempts through words or
actions to dehumanize any of us, to discriminate against any of
us just because of who we are. We have each others backs an
attack on any community is an attack on us all. If Muslims are
attacked, we stand together. If Black people are attacked, we
stand together. If Jews are attacked, we stand together. If transgender people, or immigrants, or women are attacked, we stand
together. If government workers are attacked, we stand together. If people with disabilities are attacked, we stand together.
Welcome to Washington. We are watching.
REA CAREY
Executive Director
National LGBTQ Task Force
@rea_carey

You probably dont know who I am,
But I stand for everything that scares the shit out of you.
My mother is an immigrant,
I am a mixed-race child,
My best friend is a gay woman,
And I am a transgender man.
You probably think this means I am the opposite of you,
The antithesis.
But I, too, am a son,
A brother.
I, too, have a mother, a father.
You have fought your entire life to be a leader,
To stand tall and proud of yourself and what you believe in.
So have I.
43
I spent the morning wondering what I would do if your

administration
Took away My Rights.
Would I still be able to go to school?
To compete on my swim team as a transgender athlete?
To go to the bathroom in peace?
Maybe.
But maybe not.
Still, I know that we,
The beaten down, the marginalized
The people of color, the LGBTQ community, women, disabled
people,
Muslims, immigrants
The list goes on,
We have fought for decades, centuries, even,
For our right to live peacefully and truthfully.
From emancipation,
To womens suffrage,
To Martin Luther King, Jr.,
To the Stonewall Riots,
And the marriage equality act,
We have always, somehow, lived through to today.
And each and every one of us is living proof that our survival is
possible.
We are here today.
And we will be here tomorrow.
So lets work on making America Great.
Not Again,
Because there is no part of American history
To which any black person would want to return,
In which any queer person would care to live,
During which any woman would feel free,
So, not Again.
But simply: Make America Great.
Because, Mr. President,
You have the power to change the world.
And you have already started.
And it is up to you
To lead this country to greatness.
Because we will never stop fighting for our Life, our Liberty
and our pursuit of Happiness.

We will never step down.
We are headstrong and proud,
Just like you.
So we will not hide.
This is not a time
To be small,
To turn our heads in shame or cower in fear.
This, Mr. President of the United States of America,
Is a time when to stand tall and united, in our stubborn pride,
And grow together.
SCHUYLER BAILAR
First Mens NCAA D1 Transgender Athlete

Harvard University
@pinkmantaray on Instagram
@sb_pinkmantaray on Twitter

In 1985 I wrote a college paper on the theater of politics
by examining the 1980 televised presidential debate between
Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. As a Political Science Major
who was also studying acting, I wanted to understand how our
political system was becoming increasingly performative with
television as the medium. Many of us at the time were horrified
that a B-movie actor could harness the power of television as
well as Mr. Reagan. Given the power that television had in 1980,
it should come as no surprise that a reality TV show and social
media celebrity has become President. Unfortunately, this all
feels eerily familiar.
But Reagan was old-school. His use of TV was all about acting about projecting a warm, trustworthy personality through
the cameras to our screens. He was just good at that role. You
have turned the election and now our entire public life into
a reality TV show. No acting necessary.
During the primaries any candidate who played by the traditional rules was eliminated from the show, and we ate it up with
a spoon. As President-elect youve had to introduce the latest
round of contestants cabinet appointments, each one clearly
cast for the entertainment value of their confirmation hearings.
As a theater director, Ive
marveled at your ability
to control the focus and
keep us entertained. Like
a good reality TV show,
were disgusted, but we
just cant stop watching.
But how long can you
as the ringmaster keep
this circus going? And
what happens at the end?
Whats the season finale youre planning? And
meanwhile, what damage will you inflict on
Schuyler Bailar
real people while were
all distracted by the highwire act?
For me, and many of
my peers, Reagans warm,
I stand for everything

that SCARES THE
SHIT OUT OF YOU.
44
trustworthy TV persona was vile mask that refused to address

a deadly epidemic, broke unions, gave tax cuts to the rich, and
spent billions on the military. Our TV addiction had real and
deadly consequences.
As a theater practitioner, Im always telling myself that the
reason live theater never dies out completely is something to
do with community. As isolated and screen-addicted as we are,
we still need community. We will always enjoy being together
in a dark room as actors tell a story. It goes back to our human
origins. Ive got 11 people staying at my house for the Womens
March coming from all over. This weekend well be renewing
real community bonds in protest that will eventually overtake the Reality TV nation weve temporarily become.
Sadly, I cant blame you, Mr. Trump. Youre just a bit of casting genius. Youre the flavor of the month. Well soon tire of you.
And our real bonds of community will remain. But again, what
damage will you inflict as the wheel of fortune turns on you?
Tune in next week to find out.
that we have inherited for future generations and thank the

President for his actions. Its worth noting that as he achieved
these historic environmental protections, the economy grew and
unemployment fell, despite detractors claims that going green
would kill the economy and jobs.
With respect to killing jobs, the Republican-controlled
Congress would undermine Americans health and destroy myriad jobs if it repeals the Affordable Care Act. You support such
an effort, even though your party has no viable plan to replace it.
According to a December 2016 Kaiser Family Foundation poll,
more Americans support expanding the ACA or leaving it as is
than support repeal or scaling it back. Listen to the people by
expanding it or at least leaving it alone!
You will soon learn that campaigning is easier than governing. As your presidency begins, I pray that you heed Dr. Kings
words from a 1964 speech at Oberlin College: Its always the
right time to do the right thing. As President, you will have
countless opportunities to do the right thing.
Your campaign and transition have overwhelmingly played
Sincerely,
SERGE SEIDEN
Theater Maker
Washington, D.C.
Ive marveled at your ability

to control the focus and keep
us entertained. LIKE A GOOD
REALITY TV SHOW, WERE
DISGUSTED, BUT WE JUST
CANT STOP WATCHING.
Im writing to you as the nation

reflects on the legacy of an
American hero the Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and
am aware of the stark contrast
that your upcoming presidency
presents. After all, your campaign rejected so much of Kings
vision for America by appealing
to the unwarranted fears many
Americans hold about immigrants, multiculturalism, and the
nations recent gains towards
equality.
The optimist in me would love
to be pleasantly surprised by your
presidency because it means the country would continue moving towards progress. Specifically, Id like to see your Justice
Department pursue federal hate crimes charges against domestic terrorists who violate Americans civil rights under the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention
Act. Both of President Obamas Attorneys General took this seriously, which I as a Black gay man truly appreciated. By contrast,
Senator Sessions, your pick for Attorney General, voted against
the act. Leadership is important and nominating Sessions sends
the message that bigotry is once again acceptable in America.
Also, your flip-flopping on climate change has been nauseating. By contrast, the outgoing President has been a leader
on this issue. When faced with a Congress that refused to act
on this most critical of issues, President Obama ratified the
Paris Climate Accord, established a Task Force on Climate
Preparedness and Resilience, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and
issued executive orders that would protect the environment. As
a person of faith, I believe in protecting the natural resources
Serge Seiden
to the worst of our nature, but you can change that. It would
be wise to do so. Remember, your Electoral College victory and
popular vote loss have galvanized progressives, and we will
pressure our representatives to vote according to Americas
interests, not yours. Moreover, there are enough Democrats,
Independents, and Republican allies in the Senate to thwart the
worst of your agenda.
STERLING WASHINGTON
Consultant, Musician
Former Director, Mayors Office of GLBT Affairs
@straws73
The opinions expressed in the above letters are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their
organizations and this magazine, its staff and contributors.
45
Gallery
Jon Arge
Hand-cut Color-Aid paper assemblages, clockwise from top left:

Aloha - 10 x 10 x 1, Johnnie Ganems - 8 x 8 x 1/2
Chockablock! - (detail) 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 1, The Prescription Shop Pharmacy - 8 x 8 x 1/2
Arge gladly accepts commisions
facebook.com/JonArge
47
TERESA WOOD
Stage
Brain Power
Studios crack at The Hard Problem sparks rousing intellectual debate

with lukewarm dramatic results By Andr Hereford
COMPELLING EXERCISE IN SCIENTIFIC AND MORAL DEBATE

that finds time for theories about hedge funds, human behavior, even the
Optogenetics of mice, Tom Stoppards The Hard Problem (
) just
barely develops meaningful emotional stakes in its story of Hilary (Tessa Klein), a
young neuropsychology researcher pursuing the nature of consciousness. Perhaps its
only appropriate that a drama concerned with parsing what scientists refer to as the
hard problem that is, how to distinguish between the brain and the mind would
lean towards a certain coolness.
To be sure, profound emotions are at play, as Hilary, in line for a position at the
vaunted Krohl Institute for Brain Science, struggles with deep self-doubt and insecurity, haunted by a devastating event from her past.
The action opens on Hilary mid-argument with her rakish university colleague,
Spike (Kyle Cameron), as they playfully debate game theory via the Prisoners Dilemma.
An avowed materialist, Spike argues the rational side between self-serving betrayal and
altruistic devotion, while Hilary posits that relationships, past history, and feelings
ultimately determine action. During the discussion, Hilary happens to be seated on her
bed, and Spike happens to admit his ulterior motives in agreeing to assist her with her
research. Thus, from the start, director Matt Torneys staging serves Stoppards clever
use of the couple to illustrate the dichotomies in question.
In Studio Theatres well-acted production, Klein and Cameron banter warmly as
48
Hilary and Spike, thoroughly credible as

scientists and university colleagues who
become friends then lovers, in spite of, or
perhaps because of, their many, thorny
differences in opinion about the greater mysteries of life and death. But their
relationship isnt the story here. Hilary is
hired at Krohl, soon becoming a favorite of
her boss, Leo (a marvelous Martin Giles).
Leo runs the Krohl Institutes neuropsychology division, apparently the
least favored of the various science, technology and financial concerns overseen
by venture capitalist Jerry Krohl (David
Andrew MacDonald). Leo will challenge
Hilary to deliver something sexy for
their division, some earthshaking research
to advance their field and arrest Jerrys
attention from his funds and investments,
which are suddenly flailing as the impending financial crisis mounts.
Oh right its the early to mid-aughts
here in Hilarys world. Although one can
understand Stoppards intention in combining what he originally conceived as two
separate plays one about the so-called
TERESA WOOD
hard problem, the other about the

financial crisis ultimately, the
juxtaposition adds an undercurrent of anger and topicality, but
not much else. The notion that
financial markets, as sensitive and
volatile as any living thing, exhibit
no biases or preferences, certainly
fits here. Markets dont respond
to feeling, they just are. But yet
again, markets arent the story.
The play is most gripping in
its portrayal of the intricacies
and intrigues of conducting and
publishing research in an environment where good science can
suffer due to the sort of petty jealousies, overreaching ambitions
and flat-out duplicitousness that
fuel seasons and seasons of royal
court dramas.
However, there are no heads
on the actual chopping block, no
real danger lurking in the shadows. Yes, Hilarys painful past rears its head bringing her more
doubt and sorrow, and Kleins performance enacting the depth
of that sorrow feels raw and real, as does her blossoming relationship with a new research assistant, Bo (Nancy Sun, in a
well-modulated turn). So why do the proceedings lack any prevailing sense that, whatever happens, Hilary will wind up any
less okay than how she started? At least audiences will have the
hard problem to consider on their way out the door. l
To Feb. 19 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
49
LAURA COULSON
Music
A Place in the Sun
For their third album, famously introverted The xx embraces a brighter,

more daring sound By Sean Maunier
HE XX HAS ALWAYS PRESENTED A BIT OF A PARADOX. THEIR CEREBRAL

brand of electronica often seems best suited to wandering an empty, unfamiliar city in the early hours of the morning, and yet the London-based trio have
nonetheless found themselves selling out huge venues and even headlining summer
festivals. Not bad for a band better known for playing with silence and space than turning out club-ready pop hits.
I See You (HHHHH) is the bands first release since 2012, and the intervening years
have not been wasted. Theyve retained much of the hazy dream-pop quality of their
self-titled debut, while largely avoiding the pitfalls that marred their second album.
Rather than retreating even further into their brooding, atmospheric aesthetic, The xx
have instead opened up, with more adventurous production and a refreshing willingness to tweak and experiment with their style.
Their more energetic sound probably owes much to Jamie Smiths 2015 solo dance
album In Colour, but while the group has borrowed from their frontmans brief diversion into EDM, they have done so selectively. The albums tracks are still allowed
to unfold gradually and deliberately, albeit with more bounce. Also notable is the
foregrounding of of Romy Madley Croft, who now sings with a self-assurance that
matches that of her childhood friend and co-vocalist Oliver Sim. While her breathy,
50
almost whispered vocals all but defined

the bands first two albums, her lyrics for I
See You soar rather than drift, most strikingly on the plaintive Brave For You.
The subtle yet expansive sound that
marked their earlier albums is still there,
but on I See You, it is brighter, bolder,
and far more energetic. The horn section
that announces the opener, Dangerous,
is the first sign that this is a decidedly
more extroverted band than the one we
saw on their 2010 debut. With its sharp
hooks and grinding, glitchy bass lines,
Dangerous is a tough act to follow, but
the blaring horns give way almost effortlessly to the bright piano, synth and steelpan of Say Something Loving. On both
tracks, Madley Croft and Sim play off each
other to great effect, going back and forth,
trading quips and finishing each others
thoughts with hairline precision and a
chemistry rare in pop. Their lyrics are
more personal than ever before, hinting
at both vocalists experiences with loss,
grief, heartbreak and addiction. Smiths
expertly layered arrangements lend

the album a palpable intensity that
creeps up slowly in the background,
building and unfolding so organically its easy to miss until it has completely washed over the song. Their
songs remain tinged with shades of
yearning and regret, but this time
around there is also a sense of confidence, even defiance.
As always, Smiths production is
precise and meticulous the band
is arguably as well-known for their
perfectionism as for their introversion. A few tracks in, however, the
album noticeably begins to lag and
meander with Performance and
Replica. While Smith received
praise for his ability to blend disparate elements together to create
a sense of nostalgic abandon on In Colour, he does not replicate
his success the second time around. Some of the elements that
imparted a warmth and familiarity to Smiths dance music sound
out of place on I See You. On Hold, for instance, is anchored by
a Hall & Oates sample that comes across as an awkward afterthought tacked onto an otherwise decent single.
Despite losing their footing somewhat during the albums
midsection, The xx still delivers enough solid songwriting
to keep I See You interesting. The

final two tracks are especially good.
I Dare You is suffused with a
tense and uneasy intimacy, and sees
Madley Croft and Sim at their very
best. Test Me, meanwhile, is a
sparse and haunting closer whose
instrumentals nod back to the
albums first track. No longer triumphant this time, the single horn
is grim, uncertain, and lingers in
the background. As the instrumentals distort, dissipate and eventually
fade out, an album that came in loud
and brash literally goes out with a
whine, as if to remind us that they
are not ready to give up on the dark
just yet.
For all this albums innovation, it
would be wrong to say that The xx
have reinvented themselves. While they remain a cautious and
reserved group at their core, they have matured and acquired a
confidence that has allowed them to push their own boundaries
and explore new directions, all while retaining the sultry, nocturnal sound that has defined them up to this point.
Despite its imperfections, I See You manages to find the elusive space between introversion and stark, honest emotion, a
space The xx seems born to occupy. l
I See You is available for sale at Amazon.com and on most streaming services, including Spotify.
51
NightLife
Photography by
Ward Morrison
53
Scene
DrinksDragDJsEtc...
Thursday,
January 19
Prize Doors open 10pm,

21+ $5 Cover or free
with college ID
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
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm Strip
Down Thursdays Happy
Hour Shirtless guys
drink $2 off all drinks,
8-10pm Jock or underwear gets $2 off all drinks,
10pm-2am Free Shot of
Captain Morgan Cannon
Blast at 10pm No Cover
21+
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: Tops Down $6
Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3
Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm
Stonewall Darts Party
Locker Room Thursday
Nights $3 Rail Drinks,
10pm-midnight, $5 Red
Bull and Frozen Virgin
Drinks DJs Sean Morris
and MadScience Best
Package Contest at midnight, hosted by BaNaka &
Kristina Kelly $200 Cash
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless
Thursday, 10-11pm DJs
BacK2bACk
Freddies Beach Bar - Saturday, January 7

Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 Rails and House Wines
& Half-Priced Pizzas $4
Heineken and Coronas,
5pm-close
TOWN
Love Trumps Hate Rainbow
Bash, 9pm Featuring
DJ Keenan Orr and DJ
Tim Jackson $10 Cover
21+
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
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
9pm Cover 21+
Friday,
January 20
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Friday
Night Videos with DJ
Chord Bezerra, 9:30pm
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail and
Domestic, $21 Call &
Imports, 6-9pm Gays
Against Guns GAG Ball,
10pm $6 Grey Goose
all night Two 30-minute open bars featuring
Grey Goose, 11-11:30pm
and 1-1:30am DJ
MadScience upstairs and
DJ Keenan Orr $10 cover
10pm-close 21+
GREEN LANTERN
Smirnoff, all flavors, all
night long Friday Night
Videos: George Michael
Tribute, 9pm-2am
Featuring VJ Tre 21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm
off everything MAKK,
Mid-Atlantic Kennel Korps,
on Club Bar Trainer
Social and Puppy Mosh
DJ Theo Storm spinning in
the Exile, 10pm-3am 21+
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover Friday Night
Piano with Chris, 7:30pm
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat the Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
SHAWS TAVERN
Inauguration Day Brunch,
11am-3pm Happy Hour,
4-7pm $3 Miller Lite, $4
Blue Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines & Half-Priced
Pizzas
55
TOWN
Patio open 6pm DC Bear
Crue Happy Hour, 6-11pm
$3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3 Bud
Bottles Free Pizza, 7pm
No cover before 9:30pm
21+ Drag Show starts
at 10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Miss Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs following the
show GoGo Boys after
11pm Doors open at
10pm For those 21 and
over, $12 For those
18-20, $15 Club: 18+
Patio: 21+
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show
with host Ella Fitzgerald
Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:30am
DJ Don T. in Secrets
Cover 21+
56
Saturday,
January 21
9 1/2
drink, 2-9pm $5 Absolut
& Titos, $3 Miller Lite
after 9pm Expanded craft
beer selection No Cover
various DJs
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch
at Level One, 11am-2pm
and 2-4pm Featuring
Kristina Kelly and the
Ladies of Illusion
Bottomless Mimosas and
Bloody Marys Happy
Hour: Tops Down $6 Top
Shelf, Bottoms Up $3
Ladies Night: Million
Women March Party, 10pm
Doors open 10pm $5
Cover 21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm
Happy Hour, 8-10pm
$2 off everything Daryl
Wilson presents Delta
2.0, 10:30pm-5am, 3rd
Floor Exile $10 Cover
Tickets available at the
door 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Drag Queen Broadway
Brunch, 10am-3pm
Starring Freddies
Broadway Babes Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Freddies
Follies Drag Show, hosted
by Miss Destiny B. Childs,
8-10pm Karaoke,
10pm-close
GREEN LANTERN
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long 495 Bears
presents Bears Can Dance,
9pm-close No Cover
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
2-9pm $5 Absolut and
$5 Bulleit Bourbon
THIRSTY, with DJ Chord
Bezerra, 9:30pm
SHAWS TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm
& Half-Priced Pizzas
TOWN
DC Rawhides host Town
& Country: Two-Step, Line
Dancing, Waltz and West
Coast Swing, $5 Cover to
stay all night Doors open
6:30pm, Lessons 7-8pm,
Open dance 8-10:30pm
#ThanksObama: Music of
the Obama Years, featuring
DJ Wess, upstairs DJs
BacK2bACk spin music and
video downstairs Drag
Show starts at 10:30pm
Hosted by Lena Lett and
featuring Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and BaNaka Cover $12
21+
TRADE
Doors open 2pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show
with host Ella Fitzgerald
Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:30am
DJ Don T. in Ziegfelds
DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets Cover 21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at noon
off everything $2 Bud
and Bud Light Draughts
all day and night The
DC Eagle Pizza Party (no
anchovies) Free slice of
pizza with each drink while
supplies last No Cover
21+
Sunday,
January 22
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Champagne Brunch
Buffet, 10am-3pm Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Karaoke,
8pm-1am
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
No H8 Photo Shoot
Homowood Karaoke,
hosted by Robert Bise,
10pm-close 21+
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Mamas Trailer Park
Karaoke downstairs,
9:30pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am-3pm
$20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World with
Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 2-9pm No
Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm
& Half-Priced Pizzas
TRADE
Doors open 2pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
9pm Cover 21+
Monday,
January 23
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Monday Nights A Drag,
featuring Kristina Kelly
Doors open at 10pm
Showtime at 11:30pm
$3 Skyy Cocktails, $8 Skyy
and Red Bull $8 Long
Islands No Cover, 18+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm
off everything Endless
Happy Hour prices to anyone in a DC Eagle T-Shirt
Monday Madness: Free
Pool All Night and Day
$1 Bud and Bud Light
Draughts all night No
Cover 21+
57
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Singles Night Karaoke,
8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long
Open Mic Night Karaoke,
9:30pm-close
JR.S
Showtunes Songs &
Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ James $3 Draft Pints,
8pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Texas Holdem
Poker, 8pm Dart Boards
NUMBER NINE
SHAWS TAVERN
MLK Day Brunch with
Bottomless Mimosas,
11am-3pm Happy Hour,
4-7pm $3 Miller Lite, $4
Blue Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines and HalfPriced Pizzas Trivia with
Jeremy, 7:30pm
58
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
Tuesday,
January 24
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
DJ Honey Happy Hour:
Tops Down $6 Top Shelf,
Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud
Light, 4-9pm SIN Service
Industry Night, 10pm-close
$1 Rail Drinks all night
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
Wednesday,
January 25
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Karaoke and
Drag Bingo
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

SmartAss Trivia Night, 8pm
and 9pm Prizes include
bar tabs and tickets to
shows at the 9:30 Club
$15 Buckets of Beer for
SmartAss Teams only
Bring a new team member
and each get a free $10
Dinner
NUMBER NINE
After 9pm, $3 Absolut,
Bulleit & Stella
SHAWS TAVERN
Half Priced Burgers &
Pizzas, 5pm-close $5
House Wines & Sam
Adams Drafts, 5pm-close
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
COBALT/30 DEGREES
$4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors
and Miller Lite all night
Wednesday Night Karaoke,
hosted by India Larelle
Houston, 10pm No Cover
21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6
Burgers Drag Bingo
Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm
Bingo prizes Karaoke,
10pm-1am
NUMBER NINE
SHAWS TAVERN
and Half-Priced Pizzas
Piano Bar with Jill, downstairs, 8pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with
military ID DJ Don
T. in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
Thursday,
January 26
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
DJ Wess
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: Tops Down
$6 Top Shelf, Bottoms
Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light,
4-9pm Stonewall Darts
After Party Locker Room
Thursday Nights $3 Rail
Drinks, 10pm-midnight, $5
Red Bull and Frozen Virgin
Drinks DJs Sean Morris
and MadScience Best
Package Contest at midnight, hosted by BaNaka &
59
Kristina Kelly $200 Cash

Prize Doors open 10pm,
21+ $5 Cover or free
with college ID
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm Strip
Down Thursdays Happy
Hour Shirtless guys
drink $2 off all drinks,
8-10pm Jock or underwear gets $2 off all drinks,
10pm-2am Free Shot of
Captain Morgan Cannon
Blast at 10pm No Cover
21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless
Thursday, 10-11pm DJs
BacK2bACk
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
60
NUMBER NINE
SHAWS TAVERN
& Half-Priced Pizzas $4
Heineken and Coronas,
5pm-close Paint Nite,
Second Floor, 7pm
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Thursday DJ
9pm Cover 21+ l
LastWord.
People say the queerest things
Progress is never completely linear.

But it is hard to walk back on some of these things.
Secretary of the Army ERIC FANNING, speaking with CBS News about the future of LGBT inclusion in the army under the
Trump administration. Fanning referenced Dont Ask, Dont Tell, noting that fears about ending it didnt come to pass.
Nothing changed today because my neighbor, my son, my shipmate, whatever it is, came out, he said.
At a moment when civil rights are threatened,

we are deeply grateful to this president
for a decision that may very well have saved this womans life.
MARA KEISLING, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, thanking President Obama for commuting
the 35-year prison sentence of transgender woman Chelsea Manning. Manning, a former Army private,
was convicted of leaking classified information on the civilian casualties of war to Wikileaks.
Log Cabin Republicans has always condemned

Mannings actions,
and consistently stood against efforts by the left to elevate Manning as a paragon of the LGBT community.
GREGORY T. ANGELO, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, in a statement reacting to the commutation of Chelsea Mannings
sentence. Chelsea Manning is no hero, Angelo said, and the commutation of her sentence is appalling.
The LGBT Community was mostly responsible for birthing my career and
I am deeply indebted to you.
Singer and actress JENNIFER HOLLIDAY, in an open letter on The Wrap explaining her decision not to perform at Donald Trumps
inauguration. Holliday said she did not realize that many of her fans, including the LGBT community, were still reeling
from the results of the election. You have loved me faithfully and...provided me with work even though my
star had long since faded, she wrote.
I fully embrace equality,
and I believe in the innate value of every single human being.
BETSY DEVOS, President-elect Trumps nominee for Secretary of Education, responding to a question from Sen. Al Franken
(D-Minn.) about donations made by her family to anti-LGBT groups that push the practice of conversion therapy. All students,
no matter their age, should be able to attend a school and feel safe, and be free of discrimination, she added.
62

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CONTENTS

JANUARY 19, 2017

From Alabama to Virginia, many states around the country are

DEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP...

Studios crack at The Hard Problem sparks rousing intellectual

2017 Jansi LLC.

JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY

Hell to the Chief

NAUGURATION WEEKEND SHOULD BE A TIME OF CELEBRATION. BUT HOW DO YOU

JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY

AUNCHED A DECADE AGO, DISSONANCE DANCE,

gram that also features works by French choreographer Davy

Washington Performing Arts and

Vocalists Ann Hampton Callaway, Tony DeSare and Frankie

A few years ago, the runner-up on the ninth

JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY

Michael Keaton stars as Ray Kroc

STEPHANIE MILLERS SEXY LIBERAL COMEDY TOUR

THE PANCAKES AND BOOZE

An import from Los Angeles, this unusual

JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART

Out On The Town

JOHN WATERS KIDDIE FLAMINGOS

Compiled by Doug Rule

Germanys official entry for Best

XXX: THE RETURN OF

Vin Diesel returns to the big screen

who control the worlds military

surable benefit to director Natsu

Theater J presents Michael Frayns

Tickets are $19.13 to $64.13. Call

One of the later-era, lesser-regarded plays in Shakespeares

LIZZIE THE MUSICAL

Yes, that Lizzie, the little Borden

JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY

2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are

Developed through a program of

SOMEONE IS GOING TO COME

WADING INTO ROE

Arenas latest production looks at the iconic case that reshaped

ITH TRUMP WINNING, IT SHIFTED THE PLAY, SAYS DIRECTOR

JANUARY 19, 2017 METROWEEKLY

THE GABRIELS TRILOGY

Richard Nelsons The Apple Family

In 2010, he portrayed Peter

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the area, along with more storied

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