Metro Weekly - 05-26-16 - Don Lemon - Black Pride

8/16/2019 Metro Weekly - 05-26-16 - Don Lemon - Black Pride

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8 MAY 26, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr

SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSGordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Fallon Forbush,Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVERivendell Media Co.

212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Dennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTEd Bradley

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYCourtesy of CNN

METRO WEEKLY1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150Washington, DC 20006

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All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be

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8

MAY 26, 2016Volume 23 / Issue 4

NEWS 10

GIANT ERROR by Fallon Forbush

14 COURTING CONSERVATIVES

by John Riley

15 SHAKESPEARE, CONSTELLATION AND

GALA CLEAN UP AT THE HELEN HAYES

by Doug Rule

16 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SCENE 21 CAPITAL TRANS PRIDE 2016 AT THE

R EEVES MUNICIPAL BUILDING photography by Ward Morrison

FEATURES 22 DON LEMON

Interview by Randy Shulman

31 PRIDEFUL

DC B LACK P RIDE OFFERS A TIME TO REUNITE

AND CELEBRATE WITH OLD ACQUAINTANCES

by John Riley

OUT ON THE TOWN 34 T HE O BJECT LESSON

by Doug Rule

36 W HEN J ANUARY F EELS LIKE S UMMER

by Doug Rule

NIGHTLIFE 45 GREEN LANTERN

photography by Ward Morrison

54 LAST WORD


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Giant Error A lesbian security guard allegedly threw a trans woman out of a D.C. grocery store restroom

Belcher

THAT LESBIAN WOMAN ATTACKED ME JUST

for using a restroom that I have equal rights to use,”says Ebony Belcher.

The women’s restroom in question was at a

Northeast D.C. Giant grocery store, where Belcher claims she

was assaulted last week by the on-duty security guard, FrancineBernice Jones. Jones was standing at the door and greetedBelcher as she entered the store. Belcher then asked a Giant

employee for directions to the restroom. A minute or two afterentering, the door sprang open and she heard someone shouting.

“I know you’re a he-she,” she heard Jones say. “I know you

hear me. You’re not supposed to be in the women’s restroom.They didn’t pass the law yet. You know you did wrong to have

ya’ll coming in here using the restroom when they didn’t passthe law.”

At first, Belcher didn’t realize Jones was yelling at her.“Ma’am, are you serious?” she asked as she exited the stall. “Are

you talking to me?”

P H O T O P R O V I D E D B Y E B O N Y B E L C H E R

“You know who I’m talking to, you man...you faggot,” Jones

responded.

Belcher told Jones that she was “legally a female” and hadan ID.

“I don’t give a shit about that,” Jones said. “I know you’re a

man. Look at you — you look like you’re dying anyway.”The verbal assault became physical when Belcher tried to

leave the restroom.

“I couldn’t even get passed her because she started doingthis like football, side-to-side move,” Belcher says. “Then she

grabbed me by my arm, swung me around and started pushing

me out of the store.”All the while, she claims a Giant employee was calling her

obscene names.“It was awful and really hurt my feelings,” 32-year-old

Belcher, says. “I’ve been transgender since I was 14 years oldand I have never had that problem ever in my life.”

The attack was made worse by her attacker identifying her-

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comClinton Campaign refuses to fill out trans questionnaireCharlotte has lost $285 million because of anti-LGBT law

by Fallon Forbush


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11METROWEEKLY.COM MAY 26, 2016


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LGBTNews

12

self as a lesbian.

“While she was at the door of the restroom, she keptacknowledging herself as being in the LGBT community,”

Belcher says. “I said, ‘If you are in the community, you should

have some compassion for people like myself using the rest-room.’ She was like, ‘I don’t give a shit. I know who you are.’ I

told her she was evil.”Belcher suffers from Parkinson’s disease, a progressive dis-

order of the nervous system that affects movement, which madethe experience even more traumatic.

“When she assaulted me, that’s when I got nervous and Istarted tremoring,” Belcher says. “When she was pushing me

out of the door, I almost fell.”

Once she was outside of the store, she called the police andasked the operator if her experience was illegal. She was told

that she “had every right” to use the women’s restroom.“I was going to leave, but then I thought about it,” Belcher

says. “She’s going to jail because she had no right to put herhands on me.”

Sgt. Jessica Hawkins, the leader of the police department’s

LGBT Liaison Unit, who is a transgender woman, was one of theofficers who responded to Belcher’s 9-1-1 call. “She was really

heartfelt and sympathetic towards me,” Belcher says. “Shetold me to keep my head up and that no one should have ever

stopped me from using the restroom.”Jones was arrested and appeared the following day in the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia on a charge of simpleassault. A misdemeanor, it carries a maximum of 180 days in jail

and a fine of up to $1,000. She plead not guilty and will appear

for a status hearing on July 21. Belcher believes that she wasassaulted because of her gender identity and expression — and

the U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating whether the assaultwill be elevated to a hate crime.

“[A potential hate crime] is being investigated and it is beingreviewed here,” says Bill Miller, spokesperson for the U.S.

Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.“It was indicated in the report as a suspected hate crime,so the prosecution can explore an enhanced penalty,” Dustin

Sternbeck, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan PoliceDepartment, confirms.

Metro Weekly asked to speak with Jones, but received noresponse from her attorney, Joel Robert Davidson. Ned Kodeck,

the attorney for Wolf Professional Security, which employedJones, ignored multiple phone calls and emails.

Stephanie Mahdi, chairperson of the DC Center’s Anti-

Violence Project, works with the DC Bias Crimes Task Force,a group of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, the U.S.

Attorney’s Office and local community organizations that moni-tor hate crimes against the LGBT community to ensure the

crimes are being prosecuted effectively. If the crime is enhanced,the task force plans to provide a community impact statement to

the court when the judge considers Jones’ punishment.

“It pretty much says how this crime has affected the LGBTcommunity, the impact it has had on the residents, and it also

gives a recommendation to the judge on how to convict theoffender in a way that let’s the community know that the city is

taking hate crime seriously,” Mahdi says.Mahdi doesn’t know what the exact recommendations would

be, but says the task force will be following up with police toensure the case is handled properly — if it’s going to be charged

as a hate-bias crime. “Every case is going to be different,” she

says. “We take into account the type of crime, the impact to the

community and the offender.”

Support for Jones’ plea of innocence is not looking strong,even from Giant’s perspective.

“Giant has a longstanding commitment to creating a diverseand inclusive environment in which all associates and all cus-

tomers are treated fairly and with respect at all times,” Ahold

USA, parent company of Giant Food of Maryland, said in astatement to Metro Weekly. “We view the choice of restroom as

a personal matter, and if any customer feels uncomfortable at

any point shopping in our stores for any reason, we encouragethem to speak to a member of store management, who have boththe experience and the discretion to address all issues. Clearly,

in this case, a third party security guard appears to have actedinappropriately, and we apologize unreservedly.”

Ahold USA is “considering all of its options” and may discon-

tinue using Wolf Professional Security as a security provider,spokesperson Christopher Brand says.

The District has had public accommodations laws pro-tecting people from discrimination based on gender identity

and expression for a decade. “This situation underscores theneed for more education and the repercussions of the rheto-

ric and vitriol that we’ve seen by a lot of elected officials and

law enforcement individuals,” says Joanna Cifredo, racial andeconomic justice policy analyst for the National Center for

Transgender Equality, which is headquartered in D.C.Cifredo affirms that all trans people have that right to access

bathrooms that match their gender identities and expressions,not just in D.C. but in all locations in the U.S.

“The national dialogue around bathrooms and the policing ofbathrooms and who’s allowed to be in which bathroom definite-

ly adds to a general confusion and a very hostile environment

for trans people,” she says. “D.C.’s law affirms that right, but itis a right that all trans people have across the country. North

Carolina’s law is more unique because it goes against federallaws and that’s why the Department of Justice sued the state.”

Other grocery chains within the greater Washington areatold Metro Weekly that they welcome diverse communities.

“Whole Foods Market prides itself on creating an inclusive

shopping experience where everyone feels welcome,” AnnieCull, spokesperson for Whole Foods Market, said in an email.

“We encourage our team members and shoppers to use therestroom facility that meets their needs.”

Family restrooms are available in 60 percent of WegmansFood Markets, including all new locations and in remodeled

stores when there is enough space, Jo Natale, a spokesper-son for the grocery chain, said in an email. “We do not have a

bathroom policy and don’t intend to implement one,” she said.

“Honestly, it has not been an issue in our stores. If someonewere to bring a concern to our attention, we would apply com-

mon sense and courtesy to address their concern.”There is now pressure from the community for Giant to fol-

low suit.“[Giant] needs to do more work in furthering equality,” DC

Center’s Mahdi says. “Giant does not have a publicly-available

non-discrimination policy.” If Giant — or any of the grocerystores — were to make a sincere effort, they would hire from the

trans community, she says.Belcher planned on going to the District’s Trans Pride cel-

ebration last weekend, but the attack changed that. “Since thathappened, I have been really depressed,” she says. “I’ve been

crying and I’ve been down. I’ve been so out of it and not wantingto do anything. It’s been a hard week for me.” l

MAY 26, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM


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LGBTNews


AS HE WRAPS UP HIS INEVITABLE CROWNING ASthe Republican Party’s presidential nominee, Donald

Trump has one goal: unify the party. Trump, whocaused the current fracture in the GOP with his anti-

establishment candidacy, needs to unite the party around himbefore this fall’s election — and he’s doing so by placating ele-

ments of the party that have yet to embrace him.

Placation was paramount when Trump released a list ofpotential nominees to fill Antonin Scalia’s Supreme Court seat.

“I think that this list reflects not just conservatism, but extremeconservatism,” says Kyle Barry, the director of justice programs

of the Alliance for Justice Action Campaign, a liberal judicialwatchdog group. He notes that Trump released the names only

after consulting with two influential conservative organizations,

The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society.In short, Trump’s “wish list” of Supreme Court candidates

was an early Christmas present to the establishment wing of theRepublican Party that has often been so critical of him and his

political ideology.Several of Trump’s picks have roots in Republican Party

politics. Colorado Supreme Court Justice Allison Eid previously

clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, butalso served as a speechwriter for Bill Bennett, Ronald Reagan’s

Secretary of Education. Raymond Gruender, of the 8th U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals, was the Missouri state political direc-

tor for the 1996 presidential campaign of former Sen. Bob Dole.Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett served as a former

advisor to President George W. Bush during his time as gover-nor of Texas, and was the deputy attorney general under former

AG (now governor) Greg Abbott. Utah Supreme Court Justice

Thomas Lee is the brother of Sen. Mike Lee and the son ofReagan’s former Solicitor General, Rex Lee.

But perhaps most concerning to the nation’s LGBT commu-nity should be the inclusion of the names of Justices William

Pryor, of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Diana Sykes,of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, who were both nominated

to their current positions by President George W. Bush. Sykes,in particular, has rankled LGBT groups and liberal allies for her

decision in the case of Christian Legal Society v. Walker, in which

she forced Southern Illinois University to officially recognize anorganization that had discriminated against gay students, and

had prevented them from joining as voting members or servingin leadership positions.

According to Barry, not only was the outcome of the caseconcerning, but so was Sykes’ reasoning behind her decision.

“She equated out-of-touch views about LGBTQ equality,

and, in particular, she drew what we call a ‘spurious distinction’

between policies that discriminate on sexual conduct, versusdiscriminating on the basis of orientation,” Barry says. “That’s a

distinction that the Supreme Court subsequently rejected.”The inclusion of Sykes’ name among the list of potential

nominees has sparked outrage from some LGBT groups.“Donald Trump has vowed to appoint Supreme Court

Justices who would overturn nationwide marriage equality, and

his support for a nominee like Diane Sykes is more evidence thateverything we have fought for under President Obama hangs in

the balance in November,” says Jay Brown, the communicationsdirector for the Human Rights Campaign.

Beyond LGBT rights, Sykes has ruled on other cases thatcould have broader implications, such as Korte v. Sebelius,

where she opined that the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptionmandate “substantially burdens” the religious practice of close-

ly-held corporations whose owners object to contraception — a

view later endorsed by the Supreme Court in the Hobby Lobby

case. LGBT advocates have warned that a broad interpretation

of Hobby Lobby could result in an employer deciding not tocover other prescriptions or medical treatments to which they

object, such as denying coverage for pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP) to a gay man.

In terms of Judge Pryor’s record, he did once join a unani-

mous decision in the case of Glenn v. Brumby, finding that theGeorgia General Assembly had discriminated against a trans-

gender woman who was fired from her job after announcingher transition. However, Barry notes that Pryor has a record of

voting to uphold Georgia’s voter ID law, and has issued otheropinions that are more skeptical of those who claim they have

been discriminated against. That has potential implicationsnot only for cases that might come before the Supreme Court

regarding racial justice, but women’s rights and LGBT workers’

rights as well.While he acknowledges that not all 11 nominees share iden-

tical positions or have made similar rulings, taken as a whole,confirmation of any of Trump’s nominees would likely move the

court in a significantly conservative direction.“Don Willett of Texas has some opinions suggesting that he

would be in favor of revising the Lochner era of constitutional

law from the early 20th century, when, essentially, the SupremeCourt prevented government from regulating business what-

soever,” Barry says. “That was an era when any kind of socialwelfare programs, any kind of workplace protections, including

child labor laws, minimum wage laws, and even environmentalprotections were essentially unconstitutional.

“I think views like that are further to the right, even fromwhat we’ve seen from recent Republican appointees.” l

Courting Conservatives Donald Trump’s Supreme Court “wish list” would swing the court in a

hard-right direction

By John Riley


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nominees from more non-union productions, was, Constellation

Theatre Company’s Avenue Q. Artistic director Allison ArkellStockman earned Outstanding Director in the Helen category

for her work helming the gay-friendly puppet musical, and theproduction scooped up another seven awards out of 14 total

nominations, including Outstanding Ensemble and three ofthe four main acting awards. The big winner in the Helen cat-

egory for plays was Yerma, winning six including Outstanding

Play, Outstanding Director (Jose Luis Arellano Garcia) and

Outstanding Lead Actress (Mabel Del Pozo).There were 236 total nominees drawn from 79 produc-

tions at 35 theaters at this year’s event, held at the Lincoln

Theatre in a ceremony that was relatively smooth-running andlow-key. Other notable winners were: Happenstance Theater,

which garnered three awards in the Helen category, includ-

ing Outstanding Ensemble, for its ensemble-devised produc-tion Impossible! A Happenstance Circus; the Kennedy Center-

hosted musical Once as Outstanding Visiting Production andOutstanding Performing, Visiting Production (Dani de Waal);

playwriting collective the Welders, which won the John AnielloAward for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company; and

Cabaret, which garnered Outstanding Ensemble in a musical in

the Hayes category as well as Outstanding Lead Actress (BarrettWilbert Weed as Sally Bowles). These were two of only three

awards for Signature Theatre despite 18 nominations, including10 for its critically praised production of West Side Story, which

garnered its conductor Jon Kalbfleisch a win for OutstandingMusical Direction. l

Foore on the nominees, including more details and links toreviews, visit metroweekly.com/arts. To see the full list of winners

and nominees, visit theatrewashington.org.

Shakespeare, Constellationand GALA clean up at the

Helen HayesSalome, Avenue Q and Yerma are the evening’s

biggest winning shows

METROWEEKLY.COM MAY 26, 2016

By Doug Rule

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY WAS THE BIGwinner at last night’s Helen Hayes Awards, snagging 12

wins. Half of them were for Yael Farber’s feminist adapta-tion of the biblical story Salome, including one of the night’s top

prizes, Outstanding Play in the Hayes category.Shakespeare also earned three wins for its production of

the classic musical Kiss Me, Kate, including two for support-

ing actors Clyde Alves and Robyn Hurder, lovers in real life aswell as in the show. But the prize for Outstanding Musical went

to Dear Evan Hansen, which debuted at Arena Stage last sum-mer and is currently running Off Broadway. Director Michael

Greif was deemed Outstanding Director, with both awards inthe union-heavy Hayes category of the two-tiered system that

presenting organization theatreWashington launched last year.

While a little confusing, the system was designed to create amore equitable playing field — as well as doubling the number

of awards given out.The runaway musical success in the Helen category, featuring


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DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9

a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT and

questioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SATURDAY, MAY 28CHRYSALIS arts & culture groupsponsors a walking tour of about 1.25

miles to visit downtown sites asso-ciated with “The Great Agnostic,”Robert Ingersoll, while he lived inD.C. in the 1870s and 1880s. Free.Tour begins at 10 a.m. in front ofthe National Theater at 1321 EStreet NW, ends at Franklin Square.Optional lunch in Dupont Circle fol-lows. Craig, 202-462-0535. [email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-

ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth

Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

FRIDAY, MAY 27GAMMA, a confidential supportgroup for men who are gay, bisexual,questioning and who are married orinvolved with a woman, meets onthe second and fourth Fridays of themonth. GAMMA also offers addition-al meeting times and places for menin Northern Virginia and Maryland.7:30-9:30 p.m. St. Thomas’ ParishEpiscopal Church, 1772 Church St.

NW. For more information, visitGAMMAinDC.org.

LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

The DC Center holds its CENTERAGING MONTHLY LUNCH socialfor members of D.C.’s senior com-munity. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org or call 202-682-2245.

WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, asocial discussion and activity group forLBT women, meets at The DC Centeron the second and fourth Fridays ofeach month. Group social activity tofollow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-

transculturalhealth.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 26The DC ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT (DC AVP), the group dedicated tocombating anti-LGBT hate crimes,holds its monthly meeting at The DCCenter. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visit

thedccenter.org.

The LATINO LGBT TASK FORCE holds its monthly meeting at The DCCenter. 6-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, con-tact Brant Miller, [email protected] or 202-682-2245.

WEEKLY EVENTS

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

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth Taylor

Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg, 301-300-9978, orTakoma Park, 301-422-2398.

Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.

Event information should be sent by email to [email protected].

Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarBET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includingothers interested in Brazilian culture,

meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club welcomes all levels forexercise in a fun and supportive envi-ronment, socializing afterward. Meet9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for awalk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfront-runners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket Recreation

Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.

SUNDAY, MAY 29ADVENTURING outdoors group takesa strenuous circuit hike of 9.6 miles,with about 1600 feet of elevationgain, to visit Hoover Camp, PresidentHerbert Hoover’s mountain retreat,in the heart of Shenandoah NationalPark. Bring plenty of beverages, lunch,

sturdy boots, bug spray, sunscreenand about $20 for fees, plus whatever you care to spend on dinner at BigMeadows Lodge afterwards. Carpoolat 8:30 a.m. from the East FallsChurch Metro Kiss & Ride lot; returnafter dark. Craig, 202-462-0535.adventuring.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULSMEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., HighMass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave.NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.


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BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressiveand radically inclusive church holdsservices at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.

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

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman CatholicMass for the LGBT community. 6p.m., St. Margaret’s Church, 1820Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.Sign interpreted. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes allto 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.

FRIENDS MEETING OFWASHINGTON meets for worship,10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,Quaker House Living Room (next toMeeting House on Decatur Place),2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbi-

ans and gays. Handicapped accessiblefrom Phelps Place gate. Hearingassistance. quakersdc.org.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-nity for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.hopeucc.org.

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORTGROUP for gay men living in the DCmetro area. This group will be meet-ing once a month. For information onlocation and time, visit H2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONALTEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST for an inclusive, loving andprogressive faith community everySunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.lincolntemple.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATION invites all to Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is

available at both services. WelcomingLGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. EmmaChattin. Children’s Sunday School, 11a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.703-691-0930, mccnova.com.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-

7373, mccdc.com.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIANCHURCH, inclusive church withGLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,a Christ-centered, interracial, wel-coming-and-affirming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-

554-4330, riversidedc.org.

ST. STEPHEN AND THEINCARNATION, an “interracial,multi-ethnic Christian Community”offers services in English, 8 a.m. and10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OFARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming congregation, offersservices at 10 a.m. Virginia RainbowUU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.uucava.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTCHURCH OF SILVER SPRING invites LGBTQ families and individu-als of all creeds and cultures to jointhe church. Services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m.10309 New Hampshire Ave. uucss.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONALMEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-ing and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service groupmeets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.

MONDAY, MAY 30WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].

HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKERHEALTH. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-


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ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

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

703-789-4467.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,

410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-

[email protected].

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 gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636

Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATERPOLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m.Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with at

least basic swimming ability alwayswelcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTHHIV/AIDS Support Group for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, MAY 31The DC Anti-Violence Project

(DC AVP) hosts a VIOLENCEPREVENTION AND SURVIVOR

SUPPORT SUMMIT at The DCCenter. 5:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly din-ner in Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30p.m. [email protected], afwashington.net.

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

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-

ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.thedccenter.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414 EastDiamond Ave., and in Takoma Park,7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411.Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointments

other hours, call Gaithersburg at301-300-9978 or Takoma Park at 301-

422-2398.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.


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METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. call

Dick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 andolder. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.NW. 202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 170114th St. NW. Patients are seen onwalk-in basis. No-cost screening forHIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chla-mydia. Hepatitis and herpes testingavailable for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’sgay-literature group, discusses“These Things Happen,” by RichardKramer. 7:30 p.m. Cleveland ParkLibrary, 3310 Connecticut Ave.NW. All are welcome. bookmendc. blogspot.com.

Francis L. Cardozo EducationCampus will hold its second annual

CARDOZO LGBTQ PRIDE EVENT.The event will feature booths from a variety of local LGBT organizations,and will take place during lunch peri-ods. Open to youth ages 11-21. 11:40

a.m.-1:50 p.m. 1200 Clifton St. NW.For more information, visit cardo-zohs.com.

The DC Center hosts a FREEDOMFROM SMOKING event for thosewishing to quit smoking cigarettes.7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIALBRIDGE CLUB meets for SocialBridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center,721 8th St SE (across from MarineBarracks). No reservations and part-ner needed. All welcome. 301-345-1571for more information.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.For more information, call FaustoFernandez, 703-732-5174.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call

202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-gram for job entrants and seekers,meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more

info, www.centercareers.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, socialclub for mature gay men, hostsweekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,Windows Bar above Dupont ItalianKitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316. l


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21SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

scene

scan this tag

with your

smartphone

for bonus scene

pics online!

Capital Trans Pride2016 at the ReevesMunicipal building

Saturday, May 21

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WARD MORRISON


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A RE YOU TRYING TO GET ME INTO TROUBLE?”

Don Lemon laughs heartily as he responds to a ques-

tion about whether CNN colleague Anderson Cooper is as

good looking in person as he is on television.“I will say this,” Lemon says, after a breath. “Anderson and I

share the same floor. We’re right across the hall. We’re mirrorimages of each other. If he walks out and stands in his door and I

stand in mine, we look right at each other. Anderson is a very smartguy. Very nice guy. And on top of that he’s very handsome as well.”

Lemon himself is no slouch in the looks department. But ashost of CNN Tonight, attractiveness only goes so far. Lemon

brings smarts to his show, which tackles current affairs — these

days, mostly the gonzo presidential campaign — with the atmo-sphere of a guided free-for-all. More often than not, Lemon

expresses a visible sense of bemusement at the tirades his guests

engage in. Yet he invariably retains full control, often refusingto let the various pundits, politicians and celebrities issue carteblanche proclamations or artfully dodge the facts.

“Last night, I had someone on who kept giving me the talk-

ing points about why Donald Trump would not release his taxreturns,” says Lemon. “He said, ‘Well, he’s been given advice by

his attorneys.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s not an answer, because the IRSsays there’s nothing to prevent you from releasing tax returns.’

‘Well, his counsel says that it’s not in his best interests.’ AndI said, ‘That’s still not an answer.... Even if he doesn’t want to

release those years, there are the years that are not being auditedthat he can release.’ And I kept pressing him. My guests just look

at me, and smile or laugh, because they realize I’m not going to

let them get away with it.”Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the congenial,

good-natured journalist worked for several years at NBC’s New York operation, which included appearances on Today and NBC Nightly News, before moving over to CNN in 2006. His2011 memoir, Transparent, chronicles his life in the newsroom,

but also digs deep into the personal, delving into sexual abuse

encountered as a child, and serving as a launching pad for thethen 45-year-old to come out to the public. Lemon made the

decision to go public because he felt it would give his audiencebetter insight and perspective into who he is. Over the course

of an hour-long phone interview, he notes that the rise of socialmedia and the public’s thirst for knowing every detail about a

celebrity’s life have forced well-known broadcast journalists toappear more human.

“People know that we have personal lives,” he says. “I don’t

have to be a ‘Flat Stanley’ — this guy in a suit that you projectwhatever you want to on. You’d think, ‘Oh, there’s Don Lemon. He

must have two and a half kids and a really beautiful wife,’ right? ”I no longer have to be a one-dimensional cardboard cutout on

television,” he continues, adding that he now has the “freedomto be multidimensional, to just be more authentic.”

Like anyone with national platform, Lemon has had his share

of controversial moments. He drew derision when he asked anexpert if the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 was a

result of a black hole. He was heavily criticized by the Black com-munity for his coverage of the racially charged riots in Ferguson,

Missouri, following the death of Michael Brown. Setting thescene at the riots, he noted that “obviously there’s a smell of

marijuana here as well,” and was pilloried for meeting with

Darren Wilson, in an attempt to obtain a first exclusive interviewwith the officer who shot and killed Brown. He takes the criti-

cism in stride, retreating when necessary (he apologized for anoff-the-cuff comment made to a victim of Bill Cosby’s), but more

often than not holding his ground. He is part of the new breed of journalist — one with an opinion on just about everything and yet

one who proffers it only to elicit all points of views from everypossible angle. Even if that angle includes black holes.

“I’ve had to develop a very thick skin in this business, espe-

cially being....” he trails off. “If you look around, you will seethat I’m the only person like me in Prime Time, a Black man

who happens to be gay — so I get it from everybody. It’s tough.

It ain’t easy.”Lemon makes it look easy, however. And he’s got the honors

to prove it, among them an Emmy and a prestigious Edward R.

Murrow. In 2009, Ebony magazine heralded him as one of the

150 most influential African-Americans in the nation.Lemon is a broadcast news celebrity. And with celebrity comes

a certain loss of privacy — yet he’s found ways, especially as a gayman living in Manhattan — to keep his private life just that. He

laughs when jokingly asked if he has ever had a Grindr account.“I don’t have one!” he says, before turning reflective on the topic.

“Listen,” he continues. “This is funny that I’m talking aboutit, because I actually talked to my PR person at CNN about

joining Tinder. I happen to be a single man right now. And you

know, it used to be not acceptable to date online. But right nowit’s very acceptable, and I’m like, ‘You know, maybe I’m miss-

ing out because everybody has a social media meeting app fordating. “But, you know, at the end of the day, I think personal

interaction is more important than seeing a headless torso. Ibelieve in love and romance. I would rather awkwardly flirt with

someone at a bar, at the gym, at the library, on the subway, on the

street, in the store. I’d rather do it the old-fashioned way thanhaving to use a social media app.”

Welcome to the values of Don Lemon.

METRO WEEKLY: Let’s kick off with the craziness that’s defining this year’s election. What’s it like to be covering it? Can you even put

it into words?

DON LEMON: This is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen. We

thought 2008 was interesting with the first Black president pos-

sibly being elected, but I’ve never seen anything like this beforein politics. It’s thrilling because you never know where it’s going

to go. I feel honored and privileged to be able to be at this level,to be able to interview these people, and to be able to offer the

American voter perspective.MW: Much has been written about the fact that the media took

Donald Trump for granted — “Oh, he’ll never make it that far,

he’ll self-implode” — and yet he just kept making it further until hebecame pretty much unstoppable.

LEMON: I want you to take note of this. Out of all of the people whostarted covering this, I took it completely serious from the begin-

The Values of Don LemonHe’s been lauded. He’s been criticized. He’s been held to a different standard than other network anchors.

But through it all, CNN’s Don Lemon just wants to be “the best person to tell the story.”

Interview by Randy Shulman


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24/56


ning. I said last summer that Donald Trump was probably goingto be the Republican nominee. I gave my reasons why and people

laughed at me. I never discounted or underestimated Donald

Trump. Here’s why: Donald Trump is used to the shark-infestedmedia waters of New York. This is the toughest media market in

the country, not only locally, but nationally and internationally.So he’s used to manipulating the media in his own way. If you

have someone who is able to do that as the biggest reality star inthe world, I don’t think you should discount that. And if someone

says they’re running for president, I take them at their word.

Trump was touching upon something that people had not quitetuned into yet, because I had interviewed him a couple times. I

would be on the elevator, I’d be on the treadmill, I’d be gettingout of the subway, I’d be walking down the street, I’d be in a

restaurant and people would come up to me and go, “Hey, I sawyour interview with Donald Trump.” And they’d look over both

their shoulders and then whisper, “I kind of like him. I don’t agreewith everything he says, but you know what? I might vote for him,

because we need someone like him.” I kept hearing that and hear-

ing that and hearing that, so I knew he was onto something.MW: I don’t mind saying that the prospect of a Trump presidency

horrifies me.

LEMON: [ Laughs. ] Listen, that’s not to say that I support him or

agree with him. That’s not my job as a journalist — I’m not forany candidate. I’m just here to be the best one to tell the story.

But I’m also here to give you reality. And I saw the reality from

the very beginning that many people were not able to see becausethey were blinded by their ideology. If they were a staunch con-

servative who believed in traditional conservative values, theydidn’t like Donald Trump. If they were a progressive, liberal or

someone who supported Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, theydid not believe in Donald Trump. I can understand when people

are horrified by it. I’m not saying that it’s right or whatever. It’s just the reality.

MW: The reality now is that there are polls out where he’s beating

Hillary.

LEMON: I know. How do you feel about that? [ Laughs. ]MW: Not happy. I’m not going to get into my feelings about this,but it’s nuts.LEMON: Yeah, up is down, and down is up. We thought thatthere would be a contested Republican Convention. No con-

tested Republican Convention now. But possibly a contested

Democratic Convention. Isn’t that something?MW: Something is the word for it. One thing I enjoy about your show

is you often press quite hard if somebody is dodging. I find that espe-cially galling with most broadcast journalists and Trump. He’ll dodge

a question, and after a few feeble attempts at trying to get him toanswer, they simply back off and go to another question. It bugs me.

LEMON: I’m not afraid of pressing him, but also it is television— it’s not a prize fight. You can press as much as you want and

sometimes people will never answer your question, and all you

can do is point out that they’re not answering your question. Ican’t get up from the chair if I happen to be in a face-to-face with

Donald Trump and go over and shake him and say, “Answer myquestion!” It just doesn’t work that way. So you can press and

press as much as you can, to the point where you say, “Okay, Iguess you’re not going to answer my question,” or through your

questioning, you show that they’re not answering. I think the

viewer is smart enough to realize when someone is obfuscatingor just avoiding the answer.MW: Trump is astonishingly thin-skinned. He said at one point thathe wanted to be able to sue the media. If he becomes president, is the

media’s coverage of the presidency going to be altered by that attitude?

LEMON: I don’t know. I know that he has sued Bill Maher, butone must remember that Hillary Clinton has not been so friendly

with the media as well. She’s kept the media roped off in a bull-

pen. The Obama administration has not been that forthcomingwith the media. I don’t think any politician really likes the media.

I don’t think Donald Trump is an exception. The interestingthing — and the thing that you must give him credit for — is that

he says it out loud. Most of the other people will not say it outloud. They’ll just blackball you where they won’t do interviews

with you, but they won’t say it publicly. He is the one that just

says it out loud, like, “I don’t like them. I’m not doing an inter-view with them.” I would prefer a Donald Trump approach to

someone who blacklists you, and you don’t know why and neverhear from them. I want to know.MW: Trump made a point about the taxes, saying that before thedays of Nixon, the media didn’t pry into candidates’ lives this way.

Is he right to some extent? Has our culture gotten to the pointwhere it is almost too much? Are we so fixated and overloaded on

every little last detail about a person, tearing them apart, that the

issues get cast aside?

LEMON: I’m of two minds about this. We’ve always pried in the

lives of people who wanted to be president. We just couldn’tdo it to the extent that we can do it now. If the technology was

available at any point in history, I think we would have done thesame thing. I actually think it’s quite important to vet our politi-

cal candidates, especially the people who are going to be leaders

of the free world.Now, having said that, we should not put them in a position

where we know almost everyone is excluded from being presi-dent, because we all are human, we all make mistakes, we all do

things that we’re not proud of. And I think we should take thatinto account and allow people to be human and to have flaws. I

don’t really care unless you are using it in some way that hurtsthe public. Whatever it is that happens to be your particular flaw

or fault or predilection, I don’t think that that should preclude

you from being president. I think we should say, “Listen, this

person is human. So let’s allow them that. This person has a past.Let’s allow them that.”Donald Trump was not running for president at the time of

some of his particular dalliances. The New York Times made anissue of how he treated women. In the workplace, it’s a different

story. You should be held to a higher standard, especially if you

are the boss, but if you are a young man who is in the middle ofa divorce or who is single and you are out trying to woo a model,

I mean, what’s wrong? That’s what happens. Everyone tries towoo someone. Everyone wants companionship. Everyone wants

to be with someone who is attractive. If you’re a single personand you’re going out with a different woman every night of

the week, that’s your business. That’s the freedom of being anAmerican. And if you happen to be a billionaire and you throw

a party at your home, of course you’re going to have models

there. I don’t hold that against him. And I don’t think that shouldpreclude anybody from being President of the United States. It

doesn’t mean you’re going to be someone who governs poorlybecause you have made personal mistakes in your past.MW: Do you think tigers can change their stripes?

LEMON: Simple answer, I do. Listen, I think you sometimes have

an epiphany in life and realize that you need to change. I think

age does that. Wisdom cannot be taught. And I always say that,for me, wisdom is the most important attribute that you can

have, because it’s earned — it’s earned through time on theplanet. There is nothing that teaches you like time on the planet.MW: How old are you?


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LEMON: I am five-zero. I turned this year. Milestone.MW: That’s what the Internet says, but you can’t always believe

the Internet.

LEMON: Well, I’m 30 then. [ Laughs. ]MW: I thought you were about 35.

LEMON: Good, then write that. “Looks 35, but is older.” You knowwhat? Most people say I look younger in person than I do on tele-

vision. That’s just genetics. I had nothing to do with it. I think ithelps that I try not to take anything personally and try not to let

anything bother me for too long. I don’t hang onto things. I just

keep moving. I don’t look back. I know it sounds like a cliché, butI believe age is nothing but a number. I don’t feel any older than

I felt when I was in my 20s or 30s. I feel wiser and I feel free. Ifeel like I’m a truly emancipated person. Maybe that’s it. Maybe

people see that — I think it’s all just sort of energy.MW: Well, whatever you’ve got going there is working for you. You

came out in 2011, in your memoir.LEMON: Randy, I had been out. I have not been in since my 20s. I

just didn’t talk about it publicly. My co-workers knew. My boss-

es certainly knew. It was an opensecret. I just didn’t talk about it in

public. And then I decided there’sa certain degree of deception in

silence. I thought it was importantfor people to be able to see that

even their news guy is gay.MW: Has it changed anything for

you in the years since?

LEMON: Yes. I have no secrets. Imean, I would like to have some

privacy. It’s weird, but the longeryou’re on TV, especially in Prime Time, people recognize you. I

walk down the street and people are like, “Can I get a picture?”It’s a little off-putting. But I have no secrets. I have nothing to

hide from anybody. I am who I am. You know who I am. You

know what I am. It makes me that much more transparent and

honest on television, because I have the same rules for myselfthat I have for the people I interview, for my guests. If you’regoing to come on television and have a national or international

platform, then you need to be honest and straightforward withthe American people, and with people who are watching. So I

have a freedom that I don’t know if many people have, especially

in this position. That has been part of my success in the lastcouple of years — being able to come out and be open and honest.

Here I am. Accept me for all of who I am or you don’t have to. Idon’t really care.MW: Does being out make covering gay issues more personal for you?

LEMON: No, it makes me better at it. Listen. It is personal. I

am a person of color. When issues of color and race comeup, I understand as an American and a viewer and a journal-

ist in a better way than many people who may not have that

same understanding. I am a man who happens to be gay. So Iunderstand LGBTQ issues in a way that many Americans do

understand them and some Americans don’t. And that offersme a better insight and perspective.MW: But if you have a guest on who’s virulently anti-gay, you haveto keep it in check.

LEMON: I do. I get a lot of heat for it, but I do keep it in check,

because we are all Americans and under our Constitution weall deserve equal protection. Just because you may feel a certain

way politically, or feel a certain way with your religion, it doesn’tgive you the right to discriminate against anybody else. Those

views are your views. That’s the only perspective that you have

to really keep as a journalist. And I know that.MW: Do you think homophobic guests are now more careful about

how they approach the topic on your show?

LEMON: Yes, yes.MW: Is that bad?

LEMON: No, because I think they should be careful. I think weshould always be thinking about how we are treating other

people and we should always be mindful and respectful of whatother people may be dealing with. When someone comes on my

show, they’re going to have to do their research. They’re going

to be on point about issues that have to deal with LGBT issues orissues of race, because they understand I have a certain perspec-

tive and background that I think makes me a bit more insightfulon those issues. I’m definitely going to challenge them.MW: In the early years, did you face any challenges at work dueto your sexuality or your race? Are there any incidents you can

think of?

LEMON: Probably. I think that I have faced more overt discrimi-

nation for being a man of color than I have for being a gay man.

From the larger culture, I’ve had to deal with homophobia from

all races, which is an interesting thing for someone in my posi-tion. People expect me, because I’m Black and I’m gay, to auto-

matically be liberal and to have certain points of view. People of

color expect me to have certain points of view at all times. And

gay people expect me to have certain points of view at all times.In a way that other journalists don’t have to face. No one asksWolf Blitzer or Jake Tapper or, for that matter, Anderson, to be

the spokesperson for all Jewish people or all white people or allgay people. For some reason, as a man of color who happens to

be gay, people expect me to be the spokesperson for all people of

color and for all gay people and then the two combined. That’sreally an unfair expectation to hold on a person.

At the end of the day, I am a journalist who happens to beBlack, who happens to be gay, and who happens not to be nei-

ther liberal nor conservative. I don’t really take a political bent. Idon’t believe in political parties. That’s hard for people to under-

stand. Just because you have a D in front or behind your name,doesn’t mean that I should vote for you just because. If you don’t

share my values, then I’m not going to vote for you. I don’t care

what political party you’re from. If you’re a horrible homophobeor if you’re Islamophobic or if you’re a xenophobe, any of those

things, I’m not voting for you. I don’t care what your politicalparty is. I don’t vote for people because they’re a certain letter.

I think that each one of the political parties we have can doa better job serving all Americans, especially people of color,

especially LGBT. I think sometimes, especially when it comes

to the Democratic Party that we — people of color or the LGBTcommunity — will throw votes behind them just because. I

think that we should be looking at all people — Republican,Democrat, Independent — as to who we’re going to vote for

and stop relying on two political parties so much. I don’t really

“No one asks Wolf or Jake or Anderson to be the spokesperson forall Jewish people or white or gay people. But

people expect me to be the spokesperson

for all people of color and for all gay people.

That’s really an unfair expectation.”


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understand that and never have.MW: What are your values?

LEMON: It depends on what you’re talking about. This sounds

cliché, but I really do believe that all people, no matter our back-ground, no matter our race, no matter our religion, no matter

what our sexual orientation is, whether we’re trans or straight orgay or bi or questioning or cis or Jewish or whatever, we should

all be treated equally. That should never be questioned underour Constitution.

And whatever your religion is — because religion at the high-

est degree teaches you to turn the other cheek, to be good toyour fellow man — we should never question who gets rights

and who doesn’t get rights, and who should be able to get mar-ried. We should all be treated equal. If we lived in a different

country, that’s a different thing, because their constitution maynot be based on the type of democracy or principles that our

Constitution was based on. So that’s what I believe.I also believe that if you’re a liberal, then you should be able

to listen to conservatives. You should be able to have conserva-

tive friends. You should be able to argue with conservatives. Youshould not ban them or not allow them to speak. And I believe

the same thing if you’re a conservative. I have friends who areliberals, who are conservatives, who are atheist, who are very

religious, who are Jewish. If I had a dinner party and I invitedevery single friend I knew, you wouldn’t know where I stood on

religious values or values of sexuality or values of politics. You

wouldn’t know because I invite everyone into my life. Those aremy principles. Those are my values. Everyone is included.MW: Good values.

LEMON: Let me tell you: When we meet people who are not like

us or who we may disagree with, instead of judging them orshutting them out, we should become curious about why they

feel the way they feel. And that will change your entire perspec-tive. Be curious about someone. Why does this person feel this

way? Who is this person? Maybe they don’t understand a certain

thing. Maybe you can teach them something. Maybe, at the end

of the day, you won’t be able to, but the best thing to do is to becurious about them rather than be judgmental.When I grew up, the Klan would hand out literature on the

corner of my high school, okay? It was a small town in Louisianacalled Baker, Louisiana. My best friend, John DuPree lived out

in the country. And the next lot over was the Grand Dragon of

the KKK. And when my mom found out they lived so close, shewouldn’t allow me to go over to his home anymore and she said,

“He’s going to have to come here.” I remember going to a partyat Central High School, which was in a neighboring community,

getting out of the car and some guy standing at the door with agun saying, “Don’t even get out of the car, nigger.” As a journal-

ist, I would want to talk to those people. Doesn’t mean that Iwant to be friends with them. It doesn’t mean that I want them

in my life, but I certainly want to hear from them. It’s the devil

you know. I would like to know where people stand, as I saidearlier in the conversation, than to not know.

I got so much flak from certain people for wanting to inter-view Darren Wilson and for meeting with him in Ferguson. It

was the oddest thing. I did not understand why members of myown community wanted to limit me as a journalist by not allow-

ing me the opportunity. Every journalist in the country wanted

that interview, but for some reason, they said that I should notdo the interview and I was a traitor for wanting to do the inter-

view. It’s absurd.MW: Does it bother you when a community you’re part of criticizes you?

LEMON: What bothers me is what I call the “Black Box,” that in

order to be an authentic Black person, one must live and operatewithin certain parameters. And that is limiting. Why would you

ever want to limit someone to a certain way of being? You want

to expand. That is a mentality I don’t quite understand. Maybeit’s rooted in slavery. I have no idea, but I don’t believe in the

“Black Box.” I don’t believe in being limited by the larger com-munity. And I don’t believe in being limited by people of color

as well. That is a limitation on their part, not my part. So I don’tview it as a criticism of me. I view it as a limitation on the parts

of the people who are doing the criticizing.MW: The face of our television news is overwhelmingly white andmale. Are our news channels not addressing diversity well enough?

LEMON: Are you trying to get me in trouble?MW: No, but it’s a valid question.

LEMON: I’ll give you an honest answer. No, I don’t think we’readdressing diversity as we should. Diversity is very important.

And if you look over the political coverage, especially this lastelection cycle, the issues that we’ve been talking about — Black

Lives Matter, police brutality, income inequality, immigration,

all of those things — all of the candidates addressing those things,before Ben Carson got out, were white men and two white

women. And then you have all the people who are doing theinterviewing and the moderating, all white. [ Editor’s note: Lemon

did participate as a questioner in CNN’s Flint Democratic Debate. ]So are we addressing it? No. Is it a difficult conversation? Yes.

People who make the decisions about who gets to do that, might

they have blind spots? Yes. Do they want to hear it? Maybe not, Idon’t know. Is it something we need to address? Absolutely. And

I would be the first person to raise my hand and start the conver-sation about how we address it because it’s high time that we do.MW: This is our Black Pride issue. Have you ever been to a BlackPride celebration?

LEMON: Yes. I lived in Atlanta for a long time and gay Black Prideis a big event there.

MW: What do you recall about it?

LEMON: Rarely does one see a large group of gay Black people,

especially Black men and women together as one. It’s reallyrefreshing to be able to see that, especially when you considerhow closeted many of us have had to be for many years because of

religious or societal reasons. So that’s refreshing. But my memoryis just of standing in one of the Peach Tree streets, avenues, bou-

levards in Atlanta and the overwhelming majority of the people

being there being Black and gay rather than of the larger culture. Very often I’m the only Black person in the crowd when I go to

many places, so that is refreshing to me. That’s just my memory.MW: How should the Black LGBT community celebrate its Pride?

LEMON: I think they should celebrate their beauty. Black gaysshould celebrate how much influence they have on the culture.

If you look at the culture, you look at popular television, you lookat many magazines and at fashion — let’s just be honest, a lot of

it, if not most of it, stems from Black gay people. We should be

proud of that and we should own it more. We should monetizeit more. We should build wealth more and we shouldn’t hide

from it. I think we should also make an investment in the futureby coming out and refusing to be in the closet and on the DL.

Be proud to be gay and Black and stand up for it. It is a virtue inmany ways — and it’s not something that one should be ashamed

of. I’m very proud of being a Black gay man in America. l

CNN Tonight with Don Lemon airs nightly on CNN at 10 p.m.

EST. His memoir, Transparent (Farrah Gray Publishing, 2011), isavailable at Amazon.com. Follow him on Twitter at @donlemon

and @CNNtonight.


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A

S THE TRUISM GOES, “MIGHTY OAKS FROMlittle acorns grow.” That’s certainly the case

with DC Black Pride, which started out in 1991with fewer than 800 attendees on a small patch

of land in Northwest Washington.“The very first DC Black Pride happened across the street

from Howard University, at Banneker Field, back in the

early ’90s,” says Victoria Kirby York, a DC Black Pride awardrecipient. “It was created to help raise awareness and funds

and resources to fight back against the HIV/AIDS virus and

epidemic.” Yet from its humble beginnings, DC Black Pride has

grown exponentially, with similar events being held in fourother countries and nearly 30 other U.S. cities. DC’s event

attracts thousands of revelers to the city each Memorial DayWeekend. At 26 years old, it’s safe to say it’s a permanent fix-

ture of the local LGBT scene.

“The essence and heart of DC Black Pride is being resilientand being able to persevere in the face of incredible chal-

lenges and stigma,” Kirby York says.It’s that same perseverance against daunting odds that is a

trademark of Kirby’s work on behalf of the LGBT community.As national campaigns director for the National LGBTQ Task

Force, she was nominated and honored earlier this week withBlack Pride’s Leadership Award.

Other award honorees included Aisha Moodie-Mills of

the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute, local attorneyDarrin Glymph, HIV/AIDS Activist Guy Anthony, DC Black

Pride volunteer Jason Lyric, and Mayor Muriel Bowser, whohas hired more LGBT people to high-level management posi-

P rideful DC Black Pride offers a time to reunite and celebrate with old acquaintancesBy John Riley Photos from the 2015 DC Black Pride Festival by Ward Morrison


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MAY 26 - JUNE 2, 2016

SPOTLIGHT

ANJAL CHANDE ATSMITHSONIAN’S CROSSLINES:CULTURE LAB As part of a celebration of its multi-genre convening “Crosslines: ACulture Lab on Intersectionality,”the Smithsonian presents an originaldance piece by contemporary Indiandance artist Anjal Chande. A com-mission of the Smithsonian AsianPacific Center, Out of the Shadows: A Colored Solidarity is a contempo-rary bharatanatyam dance work that

spotlights two feminist figures, basedon the research of Nico Slate: Indianactivist Kamaladevi Chattopadhyayand often-overlooked American queeractivist Pauli Murray, who exempli-fies the cross-pollination betweenIndia’s independence movement and America’s civil rights movement fromthe late 19th century to the 1960s. Alltold, more than 40 artists and scholarswill offer performances, lectures andactivities presenting new perspectiveson identity, including internationallyrenowned painter Roger Shimomuraand local artists SuperWaxx and NoKings Collective. Crosslines runsSaturday, May 28, and Sunday, May

29, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Arts andIndustries Building, 900 Jefferson Dr.SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit smith-sonianapa.org.

CAPTURING FIRE: QUEERSPOKEN WORD SUMMIT & SLAMSince its inception in 2010, CapturingFire is still “the only event of its kind.”Organizer and producer Regie Cabicointends the three-day spoken wordand poetry festival, presented by theDC Center, to be a refuge and retreatfor LGBT poets. “We’re performing innon-queer venues all the time — barsand coffeehouses,” Cabico told MetroWeekly last year. “I just wanted to cre-

ate a kind of Underground Railroadfor queer poets to better know andsupport each other.” The focus ofCapturing Fire is on the performance- based short-form style known as slam,“a form of American political the-ater” in which poets typically sharepersonal stories and touch on impor-tant issues through their originalcompositions, which are specificallydesigned to have impact — principallyto persuade a panel of judges votingfor best poet, but also to inspire orconnect with other poets or audiencemembers. Friday, June 3, throughSunday, June 5, with the actual slamset for Saturday, June 4, starting at

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Compiled by Doug Rule


StuffedGeoff Sobelle’s one-man show at Studio Theatre is an immersive

adventure in unpacking

HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT THEIR STUFF IS SHIT, AND YOUR SHIT IS STUFF?”

The late George Carlin’s famous routine riffing on one man’s trash being anoth-

er’s treasure helped shape Geoff Sobelle’s one-man show, The Object Lesson. It wasalso subtly inspired by another comedian, George Carl, whom Sobelle refers to as “the master

of the physical gag.” Yet his stage show, whimsically focused on our attachment to “stuff,” is not a comedy.

“There are some really funny things that happen in it, and a lot of physical comedy,” Sobelle

says, “but it is not a laugh a minute or a light comedy.”Sobelle calls it “a meditation on the everyday objects that we have in our lives that we often

overlook or don’t think much about” — from clothing we’ll never wear again but refuse tothrow out, to household items that could be useful but go unused. The 90-minute Object Lesson

begins as an immersive experience. “You’re not walking into a theater, you’re walking into a

kind of storage facility [with] boxes stacked to the ceiling.” Theatergoers are encouraged torummage through open boxes and pull out objects that tickle their fancy. Eventually Sobelleemerges to wander among the audience and gradually assembles a set, unpacking pieces box by

box. He then sits in the middle of the room and leads a rather informal discussion.

As a child Sobelle was enamored with “silent film clowns,” from Charlie Chaplin to BusterKeaton. His career to date has been focused on creating works with Philadelphia’s legendary

Pig Iron Theatre Company. Yet he’s already developing another solo show as a follow-up toObject Lesson, focusing on the distinction between the concepts of house and home.

“It’s about all of the people who may have lived in the house before you did, and the peoplethat are going to come afterward,” he says. “Whose ‘home’ is it?” —Doug Rule

The Object Lesson runs now to June 5. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are$45 to $55. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

A L L I E D E A R I E


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6 p.m. at Busboys & Poets, 2021 14thSt. NW. Festival runs at several ven-ues. An AllPass is $75, with tickets toSaturday’s Semi-Final and Final Slam$20 each or $30 together. Call 202-682-2245 or visit capfireslam.org.

CYNDI LAUPER, BOY GEORGEThe pairing of these two flamboy-ant ‘80s pop hitmakers — as queer-friendly and just-plain queer as theycome — makes so much sense, it’s

a wonder it hadn’t happened before.Lauper tours in support of yet another venture outside of pop after 2010’s Memphis Blues, this time the classiccountry Detour; George’s latest releasewas the 2013 solo set This Is What I Do. Wednesday, June 1, at 8 p.m.The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $40to $95. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visitwolftrap.org.

IRELAND 100: CELEBRATINGA CENTURY OF IRISH ARTS &CULTUREThe Kennedy Center presents a majorfestival commemorating the 100th

anniversary of the 1916 Easter Risingthat led to Ireland’s independence.Curated by Alicia Adams, the center’s vice president of international pro-gramming and dance, some of Ireland’s best contemporary musicians, dancersand theater companies will be on tap,as well as other events, from a litera-ture series to documentary screeningsto installations. Upcoming highlightsinclude: a full-length duet between Riverdance dancer/co-choreographerJean Butler and composing cellist NeilMartin, on Thursday, May 26, andFriday, May 27, at 7 p.m.; engagementswith famed Olivier Award-winningactor and director Fiona Shaw, the

festival’s Artist-in-Residence, includ-ing a performance of texts by W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson with musi-cian Liz Knowles on Tuesday, May 31,and a discussion about Shakespeare’sworks and legacy, on Friday, June3; several literature panels featuringIreland’s best living writers, includ-ing Colm Toibin ( Brooklyn ) and EavanBoland ( A Woman Without A Country )in a joint conversation on Wednesday,June 1, and National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann inconversation with Washington Post’sRon Charles on Friday, June 3; and“An Evening with Ireland’s ForemostIrish Language Artists,” includ-

ing poets Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill andLouis de Paor, award-winning piperRonan Browne, and traditional singerIarla O’Lionaird of The Gloaming,on Thursday, June 2. Festival runsto June 5. Call 202-467-4600 or visitkennedy-center.org.

NATIONAL ZOO: WASHEDASHORE: ART TO SAVE THE SEA All summer long, the National Zoohosts an exhibit of colorful marineanimal sculptures, each made fromplastic debris collected from beachesrepresenting the more than 315 bil-lion pounds of plastic in oceanstoday — underscoring the need for

S T A N

B A R O U H


Staging Diversity Mosaic Theater offers a romantic comedy with minority and LGBT characters

(L to R) Shravan Amin as Indira and Lynette Rathnam as Nirmala

IN CORI THOMAS’S MULTI-RACIAL ROMANTIC COMEDY WHEN JANUARY

Feels Like Summer, we meet a sanitation worker, two young fast food employeesand two Indian immigrant siblings, one of whom is preparing for gender tran-

sition. “It’s about characters that you ordinarily don’t see on stage,” says the play’sdirector, Serge Seiden. “And how through serendipity, they find themselves together

in various pairings and find love.”The LGBT community is represented beyond the transgender character, though

Seiden understandably hesitates to spell it out in more detail, noting that the play“has a very surprising, heartwarming and delightful ending.”

It’s the kind of play that the Mosaic Theater Company is already making its stock-

in-trade after an almost unprecedented level of success in just its first year. “We’rereally trying to make the plays about the community in which we live — and I mean

the broader community,” says Seiden, managing director and producer of the com-pany, which was founded by artistic director Ari Roth. Selecting works by minority

playwrights, assembling a diverse board of trustees, and recruiting students fromGallaudet, Howard and Bowie State for its apprentice program are all part of the

ways Mosaic is “very intentionally [being] diverse and inclusive,” says Seiden.

Though he’s directed plays at companies all around town, Seiden has been mostclosely associated with Studio Theatre, where he worked the past 25 years. But last

year Roth made Seiden an offer he couldn’t refuse, from the new challenges of serv-ing in a CEO-style position, to Mosaic’s commitment to putting on shows tackling

social justice issues. That connects back to the Maine native’s earliest days in D.C.,when he earned a Helen Hayes nomination as an actor in 1988’s A Dance Against

Darkness: Living With AIDS, staged by former company D.C. Cabaret. A musicalbased on interviews with local people, Seiden calls it “theater with a purpose.” He’s

hoping to repeat that at Mosaic.

“People really appreciate having their stories told on stage with empathy, insteadof fear and derision,” he says. — Doug Rule

When January Feels Like Summer runs to June 12 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $40 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or mosaictheater.org.


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TRANSMISSION A three-year-old D.C.-based play-writing collective, and one of this year’s Helen Hayes Award winnersas Outstanding Emerging TheatreCompany, the Welders offers its latestproduction, an immersive, participa-tory “performance play” written andperformed by Gwydion Suilebhan.Devised for a small audience of 20people, all seated in 1930s armchairsclustered around period radios,

Transmission focuses on the viral evo-lution of culture, from the radio age tothe present day. Touted as part-jazz,part-science lecture and part-”ritualinvocation”, the show investigateswhat it means to be inundated in ouralways-connected, always-sharingculture, which demands skepticismand inquisitiveness. Remaining per-formances Thursday, May 26, andSaturday, May 27, at 8 p.m.. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St.NE. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

MUSIC

BALTIMORE SYMPHONYORCHESTRAJack Everly conducts the BSO anda full cast of Broadway vocalists inan encore SuperPops productionof Hairspray In Concert with JohnWaters. The ever-eccentric Watersserves as entertaining narrator in asemi-staged concert, directed and cho-reographed by Jennifer Ladner andfeaturing Laura Marie Rondinella asTracy Turnblad, Paul Vogt as EdnaTurnblad, George Wendt as WilburTurnblad, Julie Kavanagh as PennyPingleton, NaTasha Yvette Williamsas Motormouth Maybelle, Matthew

Scott as Link Larkin, and Kristen Scottas Amber von Tussle, among others.The Baltimore School for the ArtsSingers serve as the chorus. Thursday,June 2, at 8 p.m. Music Center atStrathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,North Bethesda. Also Friday, June 3,at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 4, at 3 p.m.and 8 p.m., Sunday, June 5, at 3 p.m.Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall,1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Ticketsare $43 to $110. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

BRANDY CLARK A great, lesbian country singer-song-writer, Clark has established herselfas a preeminent Nashville songwriter,writing smart, sophisticated songs,many of which have become majorhits — from “Mama’s Broken Heart”for Miranda Lambert to the twangy,gay-affirming anthem “Follow Your Arrow” for Kacey Musgraves. Three years ago, Clark released her tremen-dous, and tremendously entertaining,album

Metro Weekly - 05-26-16 - Don Lemon - Black Pride

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