washingtonblade.com, volume 46, issue 5, january 29, 2016

8/20/2019 Washingtonblade.com, Volume 46, Issue 5, January 29, 2016

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Polls show tight contestsas caucuses near

By CHRIS [email protected]

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Blade’s Chris Johnsonwill be in Iowa next week to report on the

caucuses. Visit washingtonblade.com forupdated coverage.

With the first contest in the 2016presidential election just days awayin Iowa, Democratic and Republicancandidates continue to rack upendorsements, but the outcome willlikely remain a nail-biter to the end.

The Iowa caucuses, the first contestin the presidential primary, will takeplace on Monday at 7 p.m. Instead of aprimary in which voters cast their ballotin private, they’ll gather at caucus sites

to make their voices heard.Sam Lau, a spokesperson for the

Iowa Democratic Party, said caucusattendance is diffi cult to predict, but“we have seen passionate, fired upDemocrats in all corners of the state.”

“Iowans know that being first-in-the-nation is an honor, and they take theirresponsibility as the first voices in theprimary process seriously,” Lau said.“For the past year, Democrats havebeen meeting our candidates up close,asking them thoughtful questions, andlearning more about their visions for ourstate and our country. We are confidentthat the enthusiasm and energy we seefrom Democrats on caucus night willhelp lead us to victories up and downthe ballot in November.”

The Iowa Republican Party didn’t

CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

J A N U A R Y 2 9 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E 4 7 I S S U E 0 5 • A M E R I C A ’ S G A Y N E W S S O U R C E • W A S H I N G T O N B L A D E . C O M

The Iowa caucuses are Monday with polls showing Democrats HILLARY CLINTON and

BERNIE SANDERS in a close race, while DONALD TRUMP and TED CRUZ are also close.WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTOS BY DAMIEN SALAS (CLINTON), MICHAEL KEY (SANDERS & CRUZ) & LEE WHITMAN (TRUMP)

Unsolved murder of gay manraises questions about police response

By LOU CHIBBARO [email protected]

An ongoing mystery surrounding the May 2014 murder of a gay man in atown just outside Philadelphia has raised questions about whether the FBI andthe U.S. Justice Department should intervene in a case that friends of the victimbelieve could be a hate crime.

Dino Dizdarevic, 25, a chemical engineer who lived with his boyfriend inPhiladelphia, was found on the morning of May 1, 2014 strangled and beaten todeath in an alley behind a row of houses in Chester, Pa., according to Chester police.

His body was found one day after he told his roommate and boyfriend NickMcBee that he met a man on the gay dating and hookup site Adam4Adam andplanned to visit him in Chester for a few hours before returning home that night.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

Hundreds took part in a Dupont Circle snowball fightafter last week’s record-breaking snowstorm.

More photos at washingtonblade.com

A mystery inPhiladelphia

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS


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Jacobson re-elected as D.C. school board president Gay education advocate and former Dupont Circle ANC commissioner Jack Jacobson

was re-elected unanimously by his colleagues on Jan. 20 as president of the D.C. StateBoard of Education for a second one-year term.

Jacobson won election as a member of the board in 2012 as its Ward 2 representative.One year ago, when elected for the first time as board president, he became the city’shighest-ranking openly gay elected offi cial.

Also re-elected to the position of vice president of the State Board of Education wasKaren Williams of Ward 7.

“Together with our talented colleagues, we look forward to serving as your voice inthe District on education-related matters,” Jacobson said in a statement.

He noted in his statement that the board this year expects to finalize an update to

the D.C. public school system’s health education standards, which, among other things,include requirements that students as early as the third grade be taught about sexualorientation and gender identity.

“Since joining the board, my number one goal has been providing the District’sstudents with more rigorous skills-based health education to help them make healthychoices on issues ranging from nutrition to sexual consent, drug use to suicide andmore,” Jacobson said in his statement. “As board president, I look forward to seeing thisthrough to its conclusion.”

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Ex-employee sues Whitman-Walker

A former employee has accused Whitman-Walker Health in a lawsuit filed on Jan. 15 ofillegally firing him in retaliation for his complaint that he was subjected to a hazardousworkplace “contaminated with paint fumes and other toxic materials.”

Omar Mendez Rivas, who was hired by Whitman-Walker in April 2015 as a staffaccountant/grant biller, charges in his lawsuit that the organization terminated hisemployment on the same day he informed supervisors he had filed a complaint againstWhitman-Walker with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The lawsuit, which seeks $200,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, alsocharges Whitman-Walker with violating the D.C. Human Rights Act by discriminatingagainst him in the firing based on his race, national origin and gender.

“One week prior to termination, Plaintiff filed a complaint with OSHA in regards tobuilding violations and uses of toxic paint in a confined space during working hours,without warning or without protection against harmful fumes and materials used – thisresulted in Plaintiff getting severely ill with headaches, dizziness, nausea and respiratory

diffi culties,” the lawsuit charges.In a Jan. 22 motion calling for the U.S. District Court for D.C. to dismiss the case,

Whitman-Walker argues that each of Rivas’s allegations “fail as a matter of law” becausethey fail to “state a claim upon which relief can be granted.”

The motion also says that Rivas was “terminated at the conclusion of his three-monthintroductory period,” and under D.C. rules related to employment “an at-will employeemay be discharged at any time and for any reason, or for no reason at all.”

Whitman-Walker spokesperson Shawn Jain told the Blade Rivas had been workingat the organization’s Elizabeth Taylor Building at 14th and R Streets, N.W. He saidWhitman-Walker has a policy of not commenting on the reason why employees leavethe organization.

“We continue to dispute the claims made by Omar Mendez-Rivas,” said Jain, whoadded that OSHA conducted its own investigation and has not issued any safety

violations based on Rivas’s claims regarding paint fumes.A page on the OSHA website for a case listed as “Whitman-Walker Elizabeth Taylor

Medical Center – Inspection Information” says the case was opened on July 31, 2015and closed on Sept. 10, 2015. No findings of a violation in OSHA regulations are listedon the page.

OSHA spokesperson Leni Fortson said the fact that no violations are listed indicates nonewere found by OSHA inspectors who visited the building in response to the complaint.

Jonathan Dailey, the attorney representing Rivas, said he was told by OSHA whilepreparing the lawsuit that the case was ongoing. But he said he won’t dispute what OSHAis now saying and will correct the lawsuit’s assertion that the probe was continuing.

He said the lawsuit was never dependent on an OSHA finding of a violation. “This is awrongful termination case,” he said. “This is based on common law a wrongful dischargepublic policy exception, which is recognized under D.C. law as a cause of action.”

The lawsuit says Whitman-Walker has responded by saying the termination was notdue to Rivas’s OSHA complaint but it has refused to give a reason for the termination.“At no point after his hire and prior to his termination did defendant complain about

his work performance, other than praise,” the lawsuit says.The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Raymond Kent Fordyce dies at 72Worked eight years at Lambda Rising

Raymond Kent Fordyce died Dec. 24at Hospice House in South Carolina fromemphysema, according to his niece,Kathryn Burke. He was 72 and was aformer Washington resident known inthe local gay community for his work atLambda Rising.

Raymond “Kent” was born on Aug.28, 1943, in Cheswick, Pa., son of thelate Kent and Leila Swann Fordyce.Also deceased are his partner of 26years, Francis Kenney; sister, JoanKay Fordyce; and brother, Edward C.Fordyce. Surviving are several niecesand nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, a great-great niece, andcousins in the U.S. and Germany.

Fordyce was a 1962 graduate ofWaynesburg High School in Waynesburg,Pa., and received his bachelor of arts in1968 at Waynesburg College, where he studied English literature and Europeanand American history. He then moved to New Haven, Conn., and worked asassistant trade book manager for the Yale Co-Op and later became manager ofthe Atticus Bookstore and Café at the Yale British Art Center.

In 1983, he moved to Washington and worked as a book buyer for LambdaRising, an LGBT bookstore. During his eight years at Lambda Rising, he becameknown for his ability to anticipate popular books.

He later worked for the Parks and History Association where he was a buyerfor all 26 Parks and History Association shops in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. Healso worked as a bookseller at Reiter’s Scientific Books for several years beforeretiring. After retiring, he enjoyed daily social gatherings and “cookie time” atthe Promenade with fellow residents. He valued the cultural diversity of AdamsMorgan, where he lived for more than 30 years.

In May 2015, due to a decline in his health, he moved to Anderson, S.C., to

live closer to his niece and her husband. He became a resident of BrookdaleAnderson Retirement Community where he continued his love of reading. Hefound new interests and camaraderie with other residents.

He was an avid reader, and had a great appreciation for science fiction and historyand movies of the same genre. He had a dry sense of humor, was quick witted andloved telling colorful stories. He created eccentric art sculptures and sent whimsicalletters and cards. He was a beloved uncle and great friend to many and will bedeeply missed by his family and friends, both old and new, his niece said.

A spring service is planned in Pennsylvania. E-mail to [email protected] for details.

JOEY DiGUGLIELMO

obituaryRobert D. Goddard, 54

Robert D. Goddard died Jan. 13 in Martinsburg, W.Va., of chronic obstructivepulmonary disease according to Wayne Beudro, his partner of 33 years.

Goddard was born July 8, 1961 aboard his father’s Navy ship in Portsmouth,N.H. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a long-time resident of Washington.He was co-owner of PREP Escorts, his partner said.

“Bob loved computers, cooking, food, cats, dogs, Harry Potter, books by TerryPratchett and Spike Milligan poems,” Beudro said.

He is survived by Beudro and friends David, Brneda, Kellie, Denzell, Larry and

Paul and foster parents Bill and Linda and their children, Billy and Tommy.His ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial donationsmay be made in his name to Food & Friends.

JOEY DiGUGLIELMO

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

04 • JANUARY 29, 2016 LOCAL NEWS

RAYMOND KENT FORDYCE

PHOTO COURTESY OF BURKE


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6/40

Gay D.C. teacher acquitted of sexual assault

A D.C. Superior Court judge on Thursday found a former D.C. special educationteacher who’s gay not guilty of charges that he sexually assaulted on two occasions a

9-year-old male student at Minor Elementary School on Capitol Hill.Following a two-week non-jury trial, Judge Robert Morin found Leroy Damien Ware,34, not guilty on two counts each of misdemeanor sexual assault of a child or minor andmisdemeanor sex abuse.

In delivering the verdict from the bench in oral remarks, Morin said police andprosecutors failed to show that Ware had intentionally interacted with the boy in a way

that constituted sexual assault, according to gay activist Martin Moulton, who attendedthe trial.

Moulton, who did not know Ware prior to the trial, said the not-guilty verdict cameabout a week after a 10-year-old boy and classmate of the alleged victim took thewitness stand and gave dramatic testimony saying the alleged victim had made anti-gayremarks about Ware and said he planned to do something against Ware.

“Most notably, during the trial, a 10-year-old male peer of the supposed ‘victim’gave extensive testimony on behalf of his teacher, Mr. Ware, about what was in facta blatantly homophobic attack from a notoriously unruly and troubled child who hadimpudently pulled his pants down during class,” Moulton told the Blade.

“On the witness stand, this child’s testimony demonstrated convincing and remarkablewisdom, compassion, and sensitivity to all of the adult issues involved,” said Moulton,who noted that the 10-year-old told others that he has a gay uncle and doesn’t think it’sright to treat gay people in an unfair way.

William Miller, a spokesperson for the Offi ce of the U.S. Attorney, which prosecutedthe case against Ware, said the offi ce would have no comment on the case or theacquittal.

A D.C. police arrest affi davit filed in court Feb. 5, 2015 says police learned of thesexual assault allegation from the alleged victim’s mother, who helped arrange for theboy to talk to police investigators. The affi davit says the alleged victim, who is referredto as the complainant in the case, told police Ware “touched my private parts” once in aclassroom and another time in a computer lab.

Charging documents say the alleged touching took place sometime between Octoberand December of 2014.

According to the affi davit, Ware told investigators in a “non-custodial interview” onFeb. 2, 2015, that he inadvertently touched the complainant’s penis while “attemptingto remove the complainant’s hands from inside his pants” during a session at the

computer lab. It says the second incident occurred in a classroom when Ware allegedlytouched the boy on his buttocks.

Moulton said that Ware testified at the trial that the touching incidents occurred whenthe student was acting inappropriately in class and in the computer lab. In the interactionat the computer lab, Ware test ified it appeared that the boy was masturbating with hishand inside his own pants, and Ware approached him and removed the boy’s handfrom his pants, Moulton recounted.

During a trial session on Jan. 14, in which a Blade reporter was present, Ware’s defenseattorney, Chantaye Redmon-Reid, played an audio recording of the police interview ofWare and argued that one or more detectives repeatedly “badgered” Ware into sayingthings that were not true.

Redmon-Reid said police investigators “lied” to Ware during the interview by claimingthey had obtained DNA evidence showing Ware sexually assaulted the 9-year-old.

Moulton said police subsequently acknowledged fabricating the DNA claim but havesaid doing so is a legally permissible technique for interrogating suspects in a criminalcase.

“Judge Morin was very critical of MPD detectives’ tactics in deceiving the teacher andessentially badgering him until they obtained the story they wanted to hear,” Moultonsaid.

Morin called the claim about DNA evidence a “legal” but “concerning tactic in view ofthe court,” which “was not productive,” Moulton recounted.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Va. Senate panel approves anti-bias bills

Members of a Virginia Senate committee on Monday approved two anti-discriminationbills.

Senate Bill 12, which would ban anti-LGBT discrimination against state employees,passed in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee by a 9-4 margin.

State Sens. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico County)introduced the bill that would codify into law Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s 2014 executiveorder banning discrimination against state employees based on their sexual orientationand gender identity.

Ebbin voted for SB 12 alongside state Sens. Mamie Locke (D-Hampton), J. ChapmanPetersen (D-Fairfax City), George Barker (D-Fairfax County), Jill Holtzman Vogel(R-Winchester), Jennifer Wexton (D-Loudoun County), Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County),

Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William County) and David Suetterlein (R-Roanoke).State Sens. Frank Ruff, (R-Mecklenburg County) Richard Stuart (R-Stafford County),

Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsvylvania County) and Thomas Garrett (R-Buckingham County)voted against SB 12. State Sen. William DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach) abstained.

The committee on Monday also approved Senate Bill 67, which would add sexualorientation and gender identity to the Virginia Fair Housing Act.

The measure, which Wexton introduced, passed by a 10-4 vote margin.MICHAEL K. LAVERS

4th Circuit hearstransgender student lawsuit

A federal appeals court on Wednesday was slated to hear the case of atransgender student who is challenging a Virginia school district’s controversialrestroom policy.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond is hearing oral argumentsin a lawsuit that Gavin Grimm filed against the Gloucester County School Boardover its policy that prevents him from using the boys’ restroom or locker rooms.

Grimm, who is a student at Gloucester County High School, alleges the policyis unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. He alsoclaims it violates Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 that prohibitsschools that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex.

Joshua Block of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual andTransgender Project, who represents Grimm, on Monday told reporters duringa conference call that his client has legally changed his name and gender markeron his identification. Block said Grimm “has effectively been banished to analternative bathroom that continues to stigmatize him everyday.”

“Right now I feel humiliated and dysphoric every time I’m forced to use aseparate restroom facility just so I can carry out a basic function of human life,”said Grimm.

The Gloucester County School Board in 2014 approved the controversial policy

that requires students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond totheir “biological gender.”

U.S. District Judge Robert Doumar last July said the policy does not violate TitleIX. He also dismissed Grimm’s request for an injunction that would have allowedhim to use the boys’ restroom as his case works its way through the courts.

The Justice Department has argued in the Grimm case that Title IX requiresschool districts to allow trans students to use the restroom that correspondswith their gender identity.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in a landmark 2012 rulingsaid employment discrimination based on gender identity amounts to sexdiscrimination under federal law. Then-Attorney General Eric Holder two yearslater said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans workplace discriminationbased on gender identity.

Wednesday’s hearing marked the first time a federal appeals court hasconsidered whether Title IX requires schools to allow trans students to usefacilities that are consistent with their gender identity. Visit washingtonblade.com for updated news.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

06 • JANUARY 29, 2016 LOCAL NEWS

GAVIN GRIMM is challenging a Virginiaschool district’s controversial restroompolicy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRIMM


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Former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO MARTIN SHKRELI has been subpoenaed toappear before a congressional committee.

PHOTO BY RICH HOWELLS; COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

House committee subpoenas Martin Shkreli

WASHINGTON — Former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli has beensubpoenaed to appear before a congressional committee that is investigatingdrug price increases.

The Associated Press reported the House Committee on Oversight andGovernment Reform subpoenaed Shkreli on Jan. 11. The hearing was to havetaken place earlier this week, but the blizzard that paralyzed the East Coastforced its postponement.

Shkreli last fall sparked outrage when he announced Turing Pharmaceuticalshad raised the cost of Daraprim — a drug used to treat an infection that cancause brain damage in people with AIDS and babies — more than 5,000 percent.

Federal authorities in December charged Shkreli with securities fraud inconnection with a hedge fund and separate pharmaceuticals company hefounded. Shkreli subsequently resigned from Turing Pharmaceuticals.

Va. lawmaker compares homosexuality to cancer

RICHMOND, Va. — A member of the Virginia Senate on Jan. 26 comparedhomosexuality to cancer.

“If I have a child who has cancer, there’s a chance we can cure that cancerwith chemo therapy rather than watch that child suffer,” said state Sen. CharlesCarrico (R-Galax) during a subcommittee hearing on a bill that would ban so-called conversion therapy in Virginia. “It is a form of therapy, the chemo therapy,and to know it goes in remission and find out the child has cancer again, that isa parents’ decision to try and help the child.”

GayRVA reported Carrico made the comments before the subcommittee

voted to “pass by indefinitely” the bill.State Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington) has introduced a similar measure in theRepublican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates.

Chicago man charged with killing boyfriend

CHICAGO — Prosecutors say a man stabbed his boyfriend to death after anargument about their relationship.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Clifton Hooker has been charged withfirst-degree murder in connection with Alphonzo Guinyard’s death.

Prosecutors contend Guinyard arrived at Hooker’s home in Chicago’s EastGarfield Park neighborhood around 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 24.

The two men, who had been dating since 2014, began to argue after Hookerdemanded to see Guinyard’s phone because he thought he was cheating onhim. Prosecutors say the two men began to fight, and Hooker stabbed Guinyardin the back with a knife.

A judge on Jan. 26 ordered Hooker held on a $1 million bond.

LGBT activists from Jerusalem forced to

flee reception

By MICHAEL K. [email protected]

A melee broke out at last week’sCreating Change conference in Chicagoafter a group of protesters disruptedand shut down a presentation featuring

Jerusalem-based activists from an LGBTcommunity center.

Sarah Kala-Meir and Tom Canning of

the Jerusalem Open House for Pride andTolerance were scheduled to speak at areception sponsored by A Wider Bridge.They left the room through a back dooras protesters began shouting, fearing fortheir safety.

Those who protested the receptionheld signs with slogans that expressedtheir opposition to “pinkwashing,” whichthey describe as the promotion of Israel’sLGBT rights record in an attempt to deflectattention away from its controversialpolicies toward the Palestinians. A video

that the Windy City Times shot showsprotesters chanting “Palestine will be free,from the river to the sea” as they marchedtoward the reception. That slogan hasbeen used by those who support thedestruction of the Jewish state.

A second video of the Creating ChangeConference protest the Windy City Timescaptured shows someone placing aPalestinian flag over the head of a manwho was trying to enter the reception.The protesters began chanting “shame onyou!” after he ripped it down and beganyelling into the crowd.

National LGBTQ Task Force ExecutiveDirector Rea Carey in a statementnoted her organization, which producesCreating Change, “acted to defuse thesituation to the best of our ability.” She

said security personnel at the ChicagoHilton where the conference took placecalled the police “without consulting us.”

“We are deeply concerned about how theevents of the evening unfolded,” said Carey.

Tony Varona, a professor at AmericanUniversity in D.C. who is a former memberof the HRC board of directors, attendedthe reception.

He told the Blade on Monday that heheard “verbal attacks” from some of theprotesters “about how the organizersand the attendees had blood on ourhands, how we were celebrating overdead bodies, didn’t care about peopleof color, etc., etc., and that Israel had to

be destroyed.” Varona said he did notpersonally hear any protesters use anti-Semitic slurs, but “heard that others did.”

“I was sickened by the anti-Semiticunder- and overtones throughout theprotest,” he said.

Varona, who has attended a number ofCreating Change Conferences since thefirst one took place 28 years ago, over theweekend posted to his Facebook page anopen letter to Carey.

“Until and unless the Task Forceaddresses the harm(s) done, course-

corrects and distances itself from theanti-Semitism, bullying, and censorshipsoaking this conference, I am afraid Ican no longer support the Task Force inany manner nor attend another CreatingChange,” wrote Varona.

Nancy K. Kaufman, CEO of the NationalCouncil of Jewish Women, in a statementsaid her organization is “outraged by theharassment and censorship inflicted onthe Israelis who were invited to speak” atthe Creating Change Conference.

“I want to make this crystal clear:The National LGBTQ Task Forcewholeheartedly condemns anti-Semitismand anti-Semitic statements made at anyTask Force event, including our CreatingChange Conference,” Carey said in astatement Monday.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NATIONAL NEWS JA NU AR Y 29 , 20 16 • 07

Protesters on Jan. 23 shut down a reception featuring two LGBT activists fro m Israel.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY THAYER/GAY LIBERATION NETWORK

Anti-Semitic protestmars Creating Change


8/40

Some say leading LGBTrights group ‘representsthe 1 percent’


Sen. Bernard Sanders retracted hiscomments about the Human RightsCampaign days after he made them,but labeling the nation’s leadingLGBT advocacy group as part ofthe “establishment” last week struck achord with some LGBT critics.

Some said Sanders was correct inlabeling as “establishment” the HumanRights Campaign, an LGBT groupknown for black-tie fundraising dinners,lauding corporations with pro-LGBTrecords in its Corporate Equality Index,close ties to Democratic Party leaders

and support for Republicans who backLGBT rights (even when their Democraticopponents are stronger on LGBT issues).

The day after Sanders made thecomments, Chad Griffi n, president ofthe Human Rights Campaign, was inDavos, Switzerland, to attend the WorldEconomic Forum where Vice President

Joseph Biden spoke in support ofinternational LGBT rights.

Andrew Miller, a member of the NewYork-based grassroots group Queer Nation,said Sanders’ comments were accurate.

“I’m surprised Chad Griffi n wasn’tflattered that Bernie Sanders labeled HRC‘part of the political establishment,’” Millersaid. “Griffi n, who has just returned fromthe World Economic Forum in Davos,Switzerland, certainly runs the organizationas if that’s what they aspire to. It’s gratifyingthat at least one American politicianunderstood — at least for a moment —that HRC represents the 1 percent, not themajority of the LGBT community nor thevalues of LGBT Americans.”

On Monday during an interview on

MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show,” Sanderscalled the Human Rights Campaign — aswell as the women’s health group PlannedParenthood — part of the “establishment”in response to a question about thosegroups endorsing Hillary Clinton during theincreasingly competitive Democratic primary.

“What we are doing in this campaign,and it just blows my mind every day,because I see it clearly, we’re taking on,not only Wall Street, and the economicestablishment, we’re taking on thepolitical establishment,” Sanders said.“So, I have friends and supporters inthe Human Rights Fund, in PlannedParenthood. But, you know what, HillaryClinton has been around there for a very,very long time, and some of these groupsare, in fact, part of the establishment.”

Sanders’ comments echoed remarks hiscampaign spokesperson Michael Briggsmade to the Washington Blade immediatelyafter the Human Rights Campaignannounced it had endorsed Clinton.Dismissing the endorsement as consistentwith establishment organizations, Briggssaid the decision “cannot possibly be basedon the facts and the record” of Sanders’support for LGBT rights.

One of the chief criticisms of theHuman Rights Campaign is the view

that it has been historically reluctant toinsist on the inclusion of transgenderpeople in the LGBT movement. In 2007,HRC ignited a firestorm by declining tooppose a version of the EmploymentNon-Discrimination Act that prohibiteddiscrimination only on the basis of sexualorientation and omitted gender identity.

In 2014, Griffi n apologized to thetransgender community at the SouthernComfort Conference, which serves asan annual gathering for transgenderadvocates. The Human Rights Campaign

has since emerged as a stronger voice fortransgender people and has promotedtransgender advocates likes BlossomBrown and Jazz Jennings.

Rebecca Juro, a New Jersey-basedtransgender advocate and Sanderssupporter, said she thinks Sanderscalling the Human Rights Campaign“establishment” is a “net-gain” for theprogressive movement and thetransgender community.

“Especially those who are a little older,my age, believe the HRC is exactly that,they are the establishment,” Juro said.“They’ve constantly resisted change,they’ve consistently resisted goingbeyond the rich, white gay level ofsupport. They had to basically be forcedinto it, embarrassed into it by journalists,

columnists and protests. So, I thinkespecially within the trans community, Ithink calling HRC ‘establishment’ will help[Sanders] a lot because that’s exactly theway transgender people see HRC.”

But Sanders’ characterization ofHRC and Planned Parenthood as“establishment” was short-lived. At anevent in Burlington, Iowa, Clinton said shewas “somewhat confused” by Sanderscalling those groups “establishment,”adding “I wish it were.” Both the Human

Rights Campaign and Planned Parenthoodsaid on Twitter they were “disappointed”in Sanders for his remarks.

On Thursday, Sanders walked backhis comments, denying he ever said theHuman Rights Campaign and PlannedParenthood were establishment groups.According to Sanders, he intended toconvey the confusion of grassrootssupporters who were wondering whythose groups were backing Clinton whenSanders has a 100 percent supportivevoting record on LGBT and abortion

rights issues.“They are standing up and fighting theimportant fights that have to be fought,”Sanders said of both groups.

Michael Petrelis, a gay San Francisco-based blogger who has been critical ofHRC, said “much truth was spoken” bySanders in his initial comments.

“As a longtime observer and critic of theHRC for its too-close ties and reluctanceto criticize Democratic politicians, Iwish the senator had not rescinded hisremarks,” Petrelis said. “With HRC bossChad Griffi n again in Davos, Switzerland,for the World Economic Forum, and thegroup’s sucking up to Goldman Sachs andhedge fund billionaire Paul Singer amongtoo many examples of HRC maintaininggood establishment ties, it’s clear they l ike

hobnobbing with the 1 percent. Despitethe controversy of Bernie’s comments, I’dstill vote for him in a primary election.”

JoDee Winterhof, the Human RightsCampaign’s senior vice president forpolicy and political affairs, respondedto assertions that Sanders was right incalling her organization “establishment”by defending its endorsement of Clinton.

“While we’ve heard from passionatesupporters of other pro-equality candidatesin this race, HRC’s board of directors votedunanimously to endorse Hillary Clintonbecause of her strong record on LGBTequality as a senator and Secretary of State,her robust LGBT policy platform, and herability to win in November,” Winterhof said.“The leading candidates on the Republicanside have threatened to not only blockprogress — but to revoke, repeal, andoverturn the gains made during PresidentObama’s two terms in offi ce. The stakescouldn’t be higher in this election, we can’t

afford to sit on the sidelines, and we believethat Hillary Clinton is the champion weneed to fight for us as president.”

There’s evidence Sanders’ initial“establishment” remarks may have hurthim politically in the Democratic primaryas the race tightens.

Gabriel Debenedetti, a reporterfor Politico, on Twitter said the day afterSanders called the Human Rights Campaignand Planned Parenthood “establishment”was one of the Clinton campaign’s top10 online fundraising days, which was

confirmed to the Washington Blade by aClinton campaign source.

But Briggs said “donations went up” forthe Sanders campaign immediately afterthe “establishment” remarks and criticismof the candidate. “It’s hard to pinpoint aparticular cause because there’s so muchenthusiasm and energy out there for lotsof reasons, but generally speaking oursupporters don’t like it when they thinkBernie’s being unfairly attacked,” Briggssaid. Richard Socarides, a gay New York-based Democratic activist who supports

Clinton, was critical of Sanders’ initial“establishment” remarks as well as thecandidate’s clarification. “I think his viewis anyone who doesn’t support him isthe establishment,” Socarides said. “I’mnot sure he really took it back as muchas amended it to apply to the leaders ofthose groups.”

Despite the controversy over Sanders’comments, polls this week showedhe has the lead in the early primary statesof Iowa and New Hampshire. In NewHampshore, a CNN/WMUR poll foundSanders leading Clinton by 27 points, 60percent to 33 percent. In Iowa, A CNN/ORC poll found Sanders has an eight-point lead over Clinton among likelyDemocratic presidential caucus-goers, 51percent to 43 percent.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

08 • JANUARY 29, 2016 NATIONAL NEWS

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) described HRC as ‘establishment’but later walked back the remark.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

‘Establishment’ criticism of HRC strikes a chord


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Pope reiterates opposition to same-sex marriage

Pope Francis last week reiterated his opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couples.

ANSA, an Italian news agency, on Jan. 22 reported that Francis spoke to theRoman Rota, a Vatican court that primarily handles marriage annulments. Thepontiff reportedly said in his speech that a report on the family that Catholicbishops released last October “told the world that there can be no confusionbetween the family as willed by God, and every other type of union.”

“The church continues to propose marriage in its essentials — offspring,good of the couple, unity, indissolubility, sacramentality — not as ideal only for

a few — notwithstanding modern models centered on the ephemeral and thetransient — but as a reality that can be experienced by all the baptized faithful,”said Francis, according to ANSA.

Francis made his comments ahead of Thursday’s expected vote in the ItalianSenate on a bill that would allow gays and lesbians to enter into civil unions andextend second-parent adoption rights to same-sex couples.

Arcigay, an Italian LGBT advocacy group, on Saturday organized dozens ofprotests across the country in support of the bill.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the Maryland-based New WaysMinistry, wrote on his blog that Francis’ “clear statement against marriageequality in the midst of a political debate about civil unions in Italy...is verydisappointing.” Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, agroup for LGBT Catholics, expressed a similar sentiment.

“This statement from the pope is sure to dishearten many who believedhe was open to new thinking about committed, loving relationships betweenlesbian and gay people,” she said in a statement.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who came out in 2014, on Jan. 22 met with Francis. Thepontiff last September met with Yayo Grassi, a gay man he taught in his native inArgentina in the 1960s, during his visit to D.C.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Mexican court strikes down state marriage ban

The Mexican Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down the state of Jalisco’ssame-sex marriage ban.

The justices in their 11-0 ruling said the portion of the Jalisco Civil Code thatdefines marriage as between a man and a woman amounts to discriminationbased on sexual orientation under the Mexican constitution.

Milenio, a Mexican newspaper, quoted Chief Justice Luis María AguilarMorales as saying the Jalisco Congress “has the freedom to legislate” the issue ofmarriage rights for same-sex couples. He stressed, however, it “cannot do it” ina way that “affects people’s human rights.”

Guadalajara, which is the second largest city in Mexico, is located in Jalisco.The resort city of Puerto Vallarta, which is a popular destination for gays andlesbians from the U.S., is also in the state.

Media reports indicate the Mexican Supreme Court “for practical purposes”has legalized same-sex marriage in Jalisco.

The ruling will formally take effect once it is published.“For us it is a very good step forward,” Leonardo Espinosa, president of

Cohesión de Diversidades para la Sustentabilidad, a Guadalajara-based LGBTadvocacy group known by the acronym CODISE, told the Washington Blade onTuesday during a telephone interview.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

POPE FRANCIS has reiterated his opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couplesahead of an expected vote on an Italian civil unions bill.

PHOTO BY JEFFREY BRUNO; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Omits mention of EqualityAct at Town Hall event


Martin O’Malley renewed hiscommitment to fight for LGBT rights at thefederal level on Monday night, althoughhe omitted any mention of federal non-discrimination legislation known as theEquality Act.

The Democratic presidential candidate

made the remarks during a town hall atDrake University in Des Moines, Iowa,in response to a question from BrianCarlson, who asked O’Malley what he’ddo to advance LGBT rights at the federallevel in the aftermath of the U.S. SupremeCourt ruling for same-sex marriage.

“I believe that the genius of thisAmerican experiment of ours is that inevery generation you take actions toinclude more people more fully in theeconomic, the social and the political life ofour country,” O’Malley responded. “That’s

the broader arc of American history. Wehave yet to arrive at a perfect union, butevery generation we had the opportunityto make it a more perfect union.”

O’Malley touted his accomplishmentson LGBT rights as governor of Maryland,which included signing marriage equalityand transgender civil rights into law. Theaudience at the town hall gave O’Malleysignificant applause after he mentionedthose achievements.

“It’s interesting, you know, the commonground we found to get things thesedone was this: It’s really about our kids,”O’Malley continued. “It’s about all ourkids. There was some people in Marylandwho said we might not be able to passmarriage equality and we made theargument all about the truth that there

is dignity in every child’s home, and every

child’s home needs to be protected withdignity under the law.”

O’Malley said one of the most powerfulshared beliefs is “the dignity of every ofperson,” which he said has motivated him inaddition to “the common good that we share.”

“I will do everything in my power to moveus forward as a nation and make us moreinclusive in every possible way I can acrossthe board because that’s what makes usstronger as a country,” O’Malley concluded.

O’Malley never explicitly mentioned hissupport for the comprehensive federal

non-discrimination legislation known asthe Equality Act even though he was thefirst presidential candidate to publiclysupport the legislation,

Hillary Clinton interlaced her remarksat the town hall with words in supportof LGBT rights, even though she wasn’tdirectly asked a question about theissue. Clinton said she has fought against“homophobic inequality” and pledgedan administration that would work on“advancing gay rights.”

Chad Griffi n, president of the Human

Rights Campaign, was present at thetown hall and praised Clinton on Twitterin the aftermath for her performance. Hisorganization endorsed Clinton last week.

@HillaryClinton proved again tonightthat she’s the leader who’ll win inNovember & be the champion for equalitywe need in the White House

— Chad Griffi n (@ChadHGriffi n) January26, 2016

Bernard Sanders didn’t mention LGBTrights during the town hall, but he was askedabout earlier comment in which he calledthe Human Rights Campaign and PlannedParenthood. Without explicitly mentioningthe Human Rights Campaign, Sandersrepeated his retraction, saying he supportsPlanned Parenthood and would seek toexpand federal funds for the organization.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NEWS JA NU AR Y 29 , 20 16 • 09

Former Maryland Gov. MARTIN O’MALLEY renewed his commitment to support LGBT rights ata town hall.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

O’Malley renews pledgeto advance LGBT rights


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respond to the Washington Blade’srequest for comment on expectations forturnout in the GOP caucuses.

Polls show a tight race between HillaryClinton and Bernard Sanders on theDemocratic side and Donald Trump andTed Cruz on the Republican side.

One poll published by Quinnipiac Universityon Tuesday found among likely Republicancaucus participants Trump has a narrow leadover Cruz, 31 percent to 29 percent, followedby Marco Rubio at 15 percent.

The Republican candidates will have theirlast chance on national TV to make theircase to Iowa caucus-goers during a debateset for Thursday. On Wednesday, Trumpignited a firestorm when he announcedhe was boycotting the debate because hedoesn’t think he’ll be treated fairly by FoxNews anchor Megyn Kelly, with whom hetangled after the first debate.

Another poll from Quinnipiac onWednesday found on the Democraticside Sanders holds a slight lead of 49percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers, followed by Hillary Clinton at 45percent and Martin O’Malley at 4 percent.

Peter Brown, assistant director of theQuinnipiac University Poll, noted thesimilarities in the challenge Clinton facesin Iowa to what she faced eight years agoin the primary against Barack Obama,who would go on to win the state.

“Is this deja vu all over again?” Brown

said. “Who would have thunk it whenthe campaign began? Secretary HillaryClinton struggling to keep up with Sen.Bernie Sanders in the final week beforethe Iowa caucus. It must make her thinkof eight years ago when her failure inIowa cost her the presidency.”

The poll found Sanders has strongsupport among men, who support himover Clinton 63 to 32 percent; and likelycaucus participants ages 18 to 44, whoback him over Clinton 78 to 21 percent.

In an attempt to nudge voters one way

or the other, endorsements continued toroll in for the candidates.Cruz, who’s the darling of social

conservatives and has receivedendorsements from the anti-LGBTNational Organization for Marriage andBob Vander Plaats of the Family Leader,scored additional support on Wednesdayfrom Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council.

On Twitter, Perkins declared he’spersonally endorsing Cruz because theTexas Republican is “the leader to pullAmerica out of the political and culturaltailspin that President Obama’s policieshave put us in.”

“I believe @tedcruz is the leader to pullAmerica out of the political and culturaltailspin that President Obama’s policies

have put us in,” Perkins Tweeted on Jan.27.

Also endorsing Cruz this week wasformer Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who ranagainst against him for the Republicannomination, but dropped out of therace. “You’ll have with Ted Cruz thatsame result of, senators and others inthe Washington establishment that aremad at him, find him to be hard to workwith, they will find a way to work with him

because they know he means what hesays he means,” Perry told Politico. ButTrump bolstered his social conservativebonafides by receiving the endorsementof Jerry Falwell, Jr., president of LibertyUniversity, an evangelical school with ananti-LGBT reputation. On Twitter, Trumpbragged about the endorsement, callinghim “one of the most respected religiousleaders in our nation.” As ThinkProgresspoints out, the real estate magnate alsorefers to Falwell as a reverend, but Falwelldoesn’t hold that title, unlike his late

father who founded Liberty University.“Great honor- Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr.of Liberty University, one of the mostrespected religious leaders in our nation,has just endorsed me! — Donald J. Trump(@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2016”

Trump also chided Cruz for beingendorsed by the Vander Plaats, accusingthe social conservative of asking for$100,000 “for himself” at a joint eventwith both him and Trump. Vander Plaatstweeted back that was not true and Trumpwas responsible for charging $100,000.

“This plays to Trump’s judgment andtemperament,” Vander Plaats told TheDes Moines Register in response. “He willburn anybody.”

Over the weekend, the Des MoinesRegister issued two endorsements in the

presidential race. One on the Republicanside and one on the Democratic side. Forthe Republican caucuses, the newspaperendorsed Rubio, but nonetheless took adig at him for holding anti-LGBT views.

“He wants to fight the battles of thepast, such as the Supreme Court same-sex marriage ruling,” the Register writes.“We hope Marco Rubio and his partytake a different path, one that can leadto the opportunity and optimism he so

eloquently articulates.”On the Democratic side, the Des Moines

Register endorsed Clinton, saying “no othercandidate can match the depth or breadthof her knowledge and experience.” Thecandidate also received the endorsementfrom the Boston Globe over the weekend.

One high-profile Democrat whohasn’t yet made an endorsement inthe presidential race is Sen. ElizabethWarren (D-Mass.). Although every otherDemocratic woman in the U.S. Senatepublicly backs Clinton, Warren gave a

speech on money and politics on theSenate floor last week hinting she maysupport Sanders.

“A new presidential election is upon us,”Warren said. “The first votes will be cast inIowa in just 11 days. Anyone who shrugsand claims it is too hard has crawled intobed with the billionaires who want to runthis country like some private club.”

On Tuesday, 10 gay and lesbianmembers of the New York StateLegislature and the New York CityCouncil endorsed Clinton: State Sen.Brad Hoylman; Assembly membersHarry Bronson, Deborah Glick, DanielO’Donnell, Matthew Titone; and Councilmembers Daniel Dromm, Corey Johnson,Rosie Mendez, James Vacca and JimmyVan Bramer. (Vacca came out as gay just

last week on Twitter.)“Secretary Clinton is going to be an

amazing president and I’m extremelyhonored to be a delegate to theconvention that will nominate her for theposition,” Vacca said. “As a proud gay man,I’m especially enamored with SecretaryClinton’s long record of support for theLGBTQ community. She has been fightingfor civil rights for all communities herentire life. I look forward to her continued

advocacy from the Oval Offi ce.”On Monday, Clinton offi cially received

the endorsement from the Human RightsCampaign, the nation’s largest LGBTgroup, at an event in Des Moines, with theorganization’s president, Chad Griffi n, aswell as staff and supporters.

JoDee Winterhof, the Human RightsCampaign’s senior vice president forpolicy and political affairs, said in astatement to the Washington Blade theorganization has staff and volunteers inIowa organizing members and educating

the state “about what’s at stake in 2016.”“In the last few days we’ve seenincredible enthusiasm for Hillary Clintonamong the HRC community in Iowa, andit’s clear that a vast majority of peoplewho support LGBT equality understandwhat’s at stake this year,” Winterhofsaid. “The LGBT community and thosewho support LGBT equality have havea chance to play a decisive role in thiselection and we have to do everything inour power to seize that opportunity andcontinue moving equality forward.”

After Iowa, the next contest inthe presidential election is the NewHampshire primary on Feb. 9. BothTrump and Sanders have significant leadsin the polls in their respective parties inthat state.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Races tighten as Iowa prepares for caucuses

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

10 • JANUARY 29, 2016 NATIONAL NEWS

The Des Moines Register endorsedSen. MARCO RUBIO for the Republicannomination, despite his anti-gay views.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY LEE WHITMAN


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McBee, who currently lives in Arlington,Va., told the Washington Blade that manynews media outlets that published storiesabout the murder shortly after it occurredincorrectly reported that Dizdarevic metthe man he traveled to Chester to see onGrindr, another social media hookup app.

“It was Adam4Adam, not Grindr,”McBee said.

McBee and two mutual friends ofthe couple told the Blade that theyand Dizdarevic’s family in Kentucky areconcerned that more than a year and a halfafter the murder Chester police don’t appearto be adequately investigating the case.

The friends have joined McBee inquestioning a decision by Chester policeand the local District Attorney not toinvestigate the murder as a hate crime.McBee and the friends say the brutalityof the beating that disfigured Dizdarevic’sface beyond recognition is a sign of a

possible hate crime.The Matthew Shepard and James

Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of2009, among other things, gives the U.S.

Justice Department and the FBI authorityto step in and investigate hate crimesunder certain circumstances when locallaw enforcement agencies don’t have theresources to adequately investigate orwho decline to investigate such crimes.

Legal experts contacted by the Bladehave said the Dizdarevic case raises aquestion that federal offi cials have yet

to definitively answer: Can the Shepard-Byrd hate crimes law be invoked in a casewhere it’s unclear whether the offense isa hate crime and a local law enforcementagency may not be adequatelyinvestigating to find out if it is or isn’t?

Jon Davidson, national legal director forthe Lambda Legal Defense and EducationFund, an LGBT litigation group, said onekey requirement for invoking the Shepard-Byrd Act is that a crime must be linkedin some way to interstate commerce ora “channel, facility or instrumentality of

interstate commerce” in connection withcriminal conduct.“Meeting on the Internet, talking via

cell phone, and texting might meet thisrequirement, but I believe only if it couldbe shown that the perpetrator was settingup the meeting via these devices in orderto commit the crime,” Davison said.

Patricia Hartman, a spokesperson forthe Offi ce of the U.S. Attorney for theEastern District of Pennsylvania, whichwould become involved in the case if theShepard-Byrd law were to be invoked, saidshe could neither confirm nor deny thatthe offi ce is involved in the investigation.

“Our policy is we cannot comment on acase until a charge is brought,” she said.

Two of Dizdarevic’s friends, Kentuckyresident Thomas Carrier and Philadelphia

resident Mike Hollinshead, workedwith McBee to tap into Dizdarevic’sAdam4Adam account. They quickly

identified and tracked down the name,address and phone number of the manDizdarevic met on the hookup site andturned over the information to police theday after Dizdarevic traveled to Chester.

“I called and left two messages to ask ifthey got the information I found and wasgiven to them,” said Carrier. “They neverreturned my calls.”

Louisville, Ky., resident Drew Owen,another friend of McBee and Dizdarevic,said Dizdarevic’s mother and sister toldhim police have not returned their calls

seeking to find out where things stand inthe investigation.

Among other things, McBee andthe friends and family are concernedthat the Delaware County, Pa., DistrictAttorney with jurisdiction over Chesterlaw enforcement matters disclosed thispast November that his offi ce and Chesterpolice have been unable to tap intoDizdarevic’s Android smartphone, whichMcBee and Hollinshead helped track downnear the site of the murder. Police pointout that the phone is password protected

and McBee doesn’t know the password.McBee and the friends believeDizdarevic exchanged text messages andspoke to the man he traveled to Chesterto meet on his phone, and the phonelikely has information that could revealwhether the man should be considered asuspect in the case.

The District Attorney, John Whelan,told the television program Crime WatchDaily, which reported on the Dizdareviccase on Nov. 19, 2015, that his offi ce hasaccess to “sophisticated technology to tryto resolve issues with phones, to try towork with pass codes.” He said his offi cealso had access to an FBI-run facility inVirginia that provides help to local lawenforcement agencies in cell phonerelated matters.

But he didn’t say whether he or Chesterpolice actually sought out that help. Whelandidn’t respond to a call from the Bladeseeking more details about his offi ce’sefforts to tap into Dizdarevic’s phone.

“I can imagine they don’t have thecapability of doing something of thatnature,” Owen said. “But I guarantee theyknow somebody who can. Why haven’tthey done that?”

At the time Dizdarevic’s body wasfound police could find no identificationdocuments such as a wallet or driver’slicense and listed him as a “John Doe,”McBee said he was told.

The unidentified body was found oneday after Dizdarevic told McBee that hemet a man on Adam4Adam and plannedto visit him in Chester for a few hoursbefore returning home that night.

McBee, who told the Washington Bladethe two had an open relationship, saidDizdarevic had a flight scheduled the

next morning to Louisville, Ky., wherehe planned to visit his parents. Friendshave said Dizdarevic grew up in centralKentucky when his family settled therein the 1990s as refugees from war-tornBosnia-Herzegovina.

When Dizdarevic didn’t return homeon the night of his visit to Chester andhis mother told McBee he was noton his scheduled flight that arrived inLouisville the next morning, McBee knewsomething was terribly wrong. He said heimmediately attempted to file a missing

person’s report with Philadelphia police,but was told he would have to wait 72hours to do so because he wasn’t offi ciallyrelated to Dizdarevic.

Friends investigatedbefore police

Not wanting to wait that long before

doing something to find his boyfriend,McBee said he contacted Hollinshead,who used information McBee gave him

about Dizdarevic’s Adam4Adam accountand began tracking online the personDizdarevic arranged to visit.

Meanwhile, almost at the same time,Carrier, the friend from Louisville, beganhis own online search into the Adam4Adaminteraction between Dizdarevic and theman in Chester, also using informationprovided by McBee. Carrier said heobtained through McBee Dizdarevic’sAdam4Adam password to enable him togain access to Dizdarevic’s account.

He quickly discovered that Dizdarevic andthe man exchanged phone numbers. Eachof their photos had been posted on theAdam4Adam site enabling Carrier to retrievethe man’s photo, Carrier told the Blade. Hesaid he then did a search on Facebook usingthe name the man used on his Adam4Adam

account and found someone with the samename on Facebook.

According to Carrier, the man’sFacebook page showed him with awoman and children, leading Carrier tobelieve that the woman was his wife orgirlfriend and the children were their kids.

“On Facebook he looked like a straightperson,” said Carrier.

When asked about the informationthat Dizdarevic’s friends provided police,Chester police Det. Joseph McFate, thelead investigator in the case, told theBlade he could not comment on specificdetails of the investigation.

“It’s still open and active,” he said. “I cantell you that we’re tracking down everylead that we can possibly come across.Hopefully, we’re going to get someclosure soon,” he said.

The Blade could not find the Facebookpage in question and could not verify theman’s identity. The police also did not

verify the man’s name, so the Blade is notreporting it here.

Owen, the friend from Louisville,said members of Dizdarevic’s family inKentucky told him police at one pointtold them they interviewed the man inChester and said he was “cooperative”but claimed he never hooked up withDizdarevic at the time Dizdarevic traveledto Chester.

“All they’re saying is he’s cooperative,”Owen said. “That’s all they’ve ever said.And then the issue just kind of went silent.

I didn’t hear much after that,” he said.“I was under the assumption that they

think they did their due diligence and he’sfine, he wasn’t a suspect,” Owen said.

McBee and Hollinshead told CrimeWatch Daily they used a GPS appassociated with Dizdarevic’s Adam4Adamaccount to retrace Dizdarevic’s trip theybelieve he took by taxicab to Chester inhis effort to meet the man. The two drovetwice to Chester and came upon a locationwithin 100 feet or so where Dizdarevicappears to have traveled to meet him.

On their second trip to Chester a localresident informed them that police founda body a few days earlier in a nearbylocation. That prompted them to godirectly to the Chester police department,where police arranged for McBee toidentify Dizdarevic’s body through theclothing police found that he apparentlywas wearing at the time of the murder.

“I had to – they showed me his clothes,”McBee said in the Crime Watch Dailyinterview while crying.

“Dino gave me a new life,” he said laterin the TV interview. “He gave me hopeand I move forward because I know that’swhat he would want me to do,” he said.“And his life matters. And we’re nevergoing to give up. We’re never going tostop looking for who did this to him.”

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NATIONAL NEWS JA NU AR Y 29 , 20 16 • 11

Gay murder raises questions about federal hate crimes law CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

DINO DIZDAREVIC, 25, was found strangledand beaten to death near Philadelphia in2014.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK


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Life terms for killer of two Baltimore gay menQuinton Decarlo Bass, who was

convicted in the 2012 killings oftwo Mount Vernon gay men, wassentenced to two life sentences plus45 years by Circuit Judge TimothyDoory on Jan. 21, according to theBaltimore Sun. Alex Ulrich and LarryPeterson were gunned down outsidethe latter’s bed and breakfast, whichis next to the Belvedere Hotel.

Ulrich, 40, died from gunshotwounds he received on Aug. 10, 2012.Peterson, who was a well-known andhighly regarded figure throughoutthe Mount Vernon neighborhood,died in May 2014 at the age of 56following multiple surgeries andrehabilitation as a result of shots tohis torso. Though both men were gay, police ruled out the murders as a hatecrime and determined it to be a botched robbery.

Three weeks after the shooting, police told the Blade that Bass, a 28-year-old drifter from Raleigh, N.C., was arrested on gun charges on Aug. 31, 2012.Offi cers took Bass, who had a criminal record, into custody after they found himand four others drinking alcohol in East Mount Vernon Park. Bass was carrying

a handgun.“I hope this sentence gives the family some measure of peace for their loss

and the citizens of the city confidence that justice will be sought for those whochoose to prey on innocent men and women in this city,” Assistant State’sAttorney Tonya LaPolla said in a statement.

Frederick Center celebrates Mardi Gras

The Frederick Center will celebrate Mardi Gras with its second annualfundraising carnival on Feb. 6. This year’s carnival will have, according toorganizers, a “Brazilian flair” with Brazilian hors d’oeuvres on the menu alongwith an open bar. There will be Brazilian dancing as well as drag as part of the

entertainment. DJ Urban Cowboy will provide the music.The event takes place from 7 p.m.-12 a.m. at the Hampton Inn, 5311

Buckeystown Pike, in Frederick. Attendees are urged to wear elegant atti re withcolorful costumes and masks.

Those aged 21 and over are invited and hotel discounts are available. For aroom, contact the Hampton Inn at 301-698-2500. Mention “carnival” for the rateof $89 + tax.

The Frederick Center is a four-year-old nonprofit corporation dedicated tosupport, educate, link, organize, and provide outreach to LGBTQ community ofcentral Maryland.

Tickets are $65 each with tables of eight discounted at $455.

LGBTQ Latino group launches meetings

Fresh off a successful initial community meeting earlier in the month whereapproximately 30 attended, the new LGBTQ Latino group will begin a seriesof monthly support meetings. The group has been named IRIS Baltimore.According to one of the group founders, Lillian Amaya, the Spanish translationof rainbow is “arcoiris.” They applied the second half of the word, IRIS, which isalso an acronym for Individuality, Respect, Integrity, and Sexuality.

IRIS Baltimore was formed to address the needs of the LGBTQ Latinocommunity, which is primarily located in the Highlandtown area. Communitymembers face intersectional barriers, such as not being able to speak English,immigration status, acceptance in culture and isolation.

The first support group meeting for Baltimore’s LGBT Latino community willtake place on Feb. 19 from 6-8 p.m. at 3734 Eastern Ave. in Baltimore. They willoccur on the third Friday of each month.

For more information about IRIS Baltimore, call 410-241-9824 or [email protected].

STEVE CHARING

ALEX ULRICH and Larry Peterson wereshot to death in Baltimore’s MountVernon neighborhood.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BALTIMORE POLICE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

12 • JANUARY 29, 2016 BALTIMORE NEWS

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Bullying a factor in youth development: studyPITTSBURGH — When compared with their heterosexual peers, sexual-minority

youth score lower on key indicators of positive youth development and thosedisparities may be due in part to more bullying of these adolescents, University ofPittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers have found.

The findings, funded partly by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), arepublished online and scheduled for an upcoming issue of the American Journalof Public Health.

“This research quantifies how bullying hinders sexual-minority youths’ accessto the essential building blocks of health and well-being,” said lead author RobertW.S. Coulter, M.P.H., a doctoral student in Pitt Public Health’s Department ofBehavioral and Community Health Sciences. “Anti-bullying policies at schoolsare necessary but insuffi cient. Multifaceted interventions in all arenas, including

schools, families and communities, should focus on building more acceptingand supportive environments for sexual-minority youth.”

Coulter and his colleagues used data from a survey of 1,870 adolescents at U.S.schools and after-school programs in 45 states that measured positive youthdevelopment using the “Five Cs” model, which assesses competence, confidence,connection, character and caring/compassion. Higher levels of the Five Cs areassociated with positive contributions to society, and lower levels are linked to myriadrisky behaviors, including cigarette smoking, alcohol use and younger sexual initiation.

The survey also asked participants whether they had been bullied severaltimes in the past several months. Of the participants, 127 (6.8 percent) wereidentified as sexual-minority youth, meaning they reported having both-genderattractions or same-gender attractions only. Nearly 24 percent of them reportedbeing a victim of bullying, compared with 12 percent of the heterosexual youths.

‘Ex-gay’ therapy ban introduced in HawaiiHONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers have introduced a bill banning “ex-gay”

therapy, the Associated Press reports.The proposed law, which was introduced in both the Senate and the House,

says being gay is not a disorder. Supporters of the ban on “conversion therapy”say it would protect LGBT teens from serious harm caused when parents forcethem into therapy to become straight, the AP reports.

The bill would make it illegal for teachers or professional counselors to tryto change someone’s sexual orientation. It would also ban advertising thatpromotes changing sexual orientation.

California, Oregon, New Jersey and Illinois have passed similar laws.

Lesbians still need pap smears: researchersSYDNEY, Australia — An assumption that lesbians do not need pap smears is

putting their health at risk, researchers at the University of Sydney report.Researchers said lesbians are generally tested less often for sexually transmitted

infections than bisexual or queer women. They said the findings highlighted theimportance of targeting health campaigns to specific groups within the LGBTcommunity, rather than to that community as a whole, the Guardian reports.

Researchers analyzed data from a survey of 379 women aged between 17 and 30taken during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2010 and 2012. The survey,which asks lesbian, bisexual and queer women about their health, sexual identity, sexualrelationships and sexual practices, has been conducted every two years since 1996.

While queer women — those who did not identify as lesbian or bisexual in thesurvey — had the highest rates of illicit drug use, experiences of sexual coercionand anti-LGBTQ discrimination, they were the group most proactive about theirhealth, the researchers found.

While 58.3 percent of bisexual women reported being tested for sexuallytransmitted infections at least once, only 52.9 percent of lesbian womenreported the same, the lowest of the three groups, the Guardian reports.

Only 65.2 percent of lesbian women had ever received a pap smear, comparedwith 70.8 percent of bisexual women and 79.4 percent of queer women, thestudy, led by Rada Germanos from the University of Sydney’s school of medicineand published in the journal LGBT health also found.

Pap smears are used to detect cervical cancer, spread by the human papillomavirus(HPV). There are more than 100 different types of HPV and some types, if left untreated,can cause cervical cancer. Most people with HPV don’t have symptoms and while the

virus can go away on its own, it can persist and cause harm.While women most commonly acquire HPV through sex with a man, it can can

also be transmitted through genital skin-to-skin contact, or sex toys, making papsmears important for LGBTQ women as well, researchers advise.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

HEALTH NEWS JANUARY 29, 2016 • 13

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14/40

Challenging exclusion in themovie industry

If most of the people you interact withlook and talk and believe the same as

you, you risk being blind to the talents ofthose who do not. If you are a gay whiteman, for example, and have not sufferedprofessionally because of your color orgender, you might still deny being privi-leged.

Take the controversy over this year’sOscar nominations in the acting anddirecting categories being all white, de-spite several acclaimed films and perfor-mances by African Americans. Leadersof the Academy of Motion Picture Artsand Sciences were mortified. Last year’s

hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was revived,and some called for an Oscars boycott.Oscars host Chris Rock has resistedcalls to quit. Meanwhile, acting nomineeCharlotte Rampling and two-time win-

ner Michael Caine spoke as if their ownsuccess were based purely on merit andthe protesters were simply not good

enough. Objections were raised to racialquotas, despite no one having demand-ed quotas.

Last year’s most successful films byblack directors are “Straight Outta Comp-ton” and “Creed,” which grossed $161 mil-lion and $108 million respectively in theAmerican market, and received critical ac-claim for their compelling storytelling andperformances. It is easy to dismiss criti-cism of award nominations as subjective,but that begs the question of why the vot-ing membership in the Academy skews so

heavily to older white males, and why sofew jobs in the industry go to people ofcolor.

Compton was nominated only for itswhite screenwriters, and Creed only forsupporting actor Sylvester Stallone. It ishard to miss the quality of the directorsand stars of these films unless you viewthem through a prism of disdain. DirectorRyan Coogler and Actor Michael B. Jordanof Creed have delivered consummate,compelling work in this as in their first fea-ture film, 2013’s “Fruitvale Station.” I lack

the space to convey their excellence andthe promise they hold for future movies.Others overlooked include Compton di-rector F. Gary Gray and actors Idris Elba(“Beasts of No Nation”), Will Smith (“Con-

cussion”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The HatefulEight”) and Tessa Thompson (“Creed”).

Getting greenlighted may be more

important than winning awards, but theold “Twice as Good” rule burdens blackfilmmakers too. Awards help artists gainattention and support for their futureprojects. Without mainstream funding,the vital voice of a Ryan Coogler would belimited to independent, low-budget films.Considering the millions that pour intothe industry from filmgoers of color, theprofessional barriers make no sense.

Another of my favorite 2015 movies isTodd Haynes’s “Carol,” based on a novelby Patricia Highsmith, which portrays a

forbidden 1950s lesbian love affair with-out relegating the protagonists to theranks of the damaged and doomed. Itglows despite Haynes being denied a di-recting nomination. Lily Tomlin’s perfor-mance in “Grandma” was also snubbed,as were Mya Taylor’s in “Tangerine” andIan McKellen’s in “Mr. Holmes.”

James Baldwin, in a 1965 CambridgeUniversity debate with William F. Buckley,spoke of the disillusionment suffered bychildren of color born in America’s “glit-tering republic”:

“It comes as a great shock aroundthe age of 5, or 6, or 7, to discover thatthe flag to which you have pledged al-legiance, along with everybody else, hasnot pledged allegiance to you. It comes asa great shock to discover that Gary Coo-per killing off the Indians, when you wererooting for Gary Cooper, that the Indianswere you.”

Baldwin’s incisive, impassioned testi-mony, which long ago stirred the writerin me, brings to mind struggles that arepassed down generations. My great-est satisfaction as an activist lies in thechanged expectations of today’s children,made possible by countless thousands ofus who came before them. The expecta-tion that you can grow up to marry andhave your family valued, regardless ofwhom you love, is powerful beyond mea-sure.

To a child of color stirred by the artand the craft of moviemaking: surpriseyourself with storytelling that is not cir-cumscribed by others. Dare to bend thearc of the moral universe by the light ofyour own spirit. Enrich our vocabulary.

Demand to be seen. Your communities,born and chosen, are your stakeholders.We need you more than we know.

Copyright © 2016 by Richard J. Rosendall.

All rights reserved.

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14 • JA NU AR Y 29 , 20 16 VIEWPOINT

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

V O L U M E 4 7 I S S U E 0 5

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.Reach him at [email protected].

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Seed of the glittering Republic


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VIEWPOINT JA NU AR Y 29 , 20 16 • 15

There’s clearly much work to be done ineducating younger advocates on the historyof Israel, the Holocaust and the plight of

LGBT people in the Middle East.

Creating Shame: Anti-Israel protest misguided, ofensiveTask Force should revamp itsconference, apologize to attendees

While the East Coast was coping withthis weekend’s blizzard, another stormwas raging in Chicago at the site of theNational LGBTQ Task Force’s annual Cre-ating Change conference.

About 200 protesters forced the can-cellation of a presentation by A WiderBridge, an organization seeking to bol-

ster “LGBTQ connections with Israel.”It was to have featured remarks fromSarah Kala-Meir and Tom Canning, lead-ers of Jerusalem Open House for Prideand Tolerance, an LGBT community cen-ter. Protesters held signs that read, “Nopride in apartheid,” to draw attention tothe Israeli government’s treatment of thePalestinians. They also spoke out againstefforts to promote Israel’s LGBT rights re-cord, which they regard as “pinkwashing,”or distracting attention from the plight ofthe Palestinians.

Kala-Meir, executive director of Jeru-salem Open House, told the Blade thatthe protesters began shouting at herand Canning. She said they left the roomthrough a back door. “We did not feel safein that environment,” she added.

Tony Varona, associate dean for facultyand academic affairs at American Univer-sity Washington College of Law, attendedthe event.

“The protestors stormed the doors,shut down the event, and basicallyblocked those of us who wanted to leavefrom exiting,” Varona wrote on Facebook.“I was able to squeeze past the crowdblocking the hallway and exit through aback doorway and stairwell but after onlyconsiderable effort and, frankly, what canonly be described as harassment.” Healso claims that Task Force staff watchedhelplessly from the sidelines as this sorryscene unfolded.

The ugly incident began last week whenthe Task Force initially cancelled the pan-el featuring A Wider Bridge after someLGBT critics accused Israel of engagingin “apartheid” and “pinkwashing.” Task

Force Executive Director Rea Carey laterreversed that decision and reinstatedthe presentation, after pro-Israeli crit-ics pounced. That set the stage for whattranspired Friday.

Staff from the Windy City Times postedvideos to YouTube of the protest. Protest-ers can be heard chanting, “Palestine willbe free from the river to the sea.”

It’s not clear whether they understoodthe context of what they were chantingor if they were merely caught up in themoment. That genocidal chant is an overt

call for the destruction of Israel, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.Arthur Slepian, executive director of AWider Bridge, told the Windy City Timeshe felt there was “

washingtonblade.com, volume 46, issue 5, january 29, 2016

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