washingtonblade.com, volume 47, issue 11, march 11, 2016

8/19/2019 Washingtonblade.com, Volume 47, Issue 11, March 11, 2016

1/48

Gay linguist escapes horrorsof Iraq, settles in D.C.

By MICHAEL K. [email protected]

Sham Hasan, a gay former linguist for the U.S. Army, vividlyrecalls the day he learned the U.S. government had granted hima visa that would allow him to leave Iraq.

It was March 25, 2014, when he received a phone call fromthe U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Hasan on the same day learnedthe U.N. Refugee Agency was going to help him leave Iraq.

These two phone calls were the culmination of a process thatbegan more than three years earlier. Hasan during an interviewwith the Washington Blade at a Dupont Circle coffee shop wasquick to praise the International Refugee Assistance Project

for helping him navigate the bureaucratic process and lengthysecurity and background checks that delayed his visa application.

“The day that I got the call I literally stopped functioning

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

PAGE 10

OH, CANADA

Justin Trudeau sayshe’ll march in Prideparade. Will Obama?

PAGES 24-28

OUR FAMILIES

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INCLUSION WINS

At last, gay marcherswill take to streets inNYC’s St. Pat’s parade.

M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E 4 7 I S S U E 1 1 • 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

TED CRUZ avoided same-sex marriage at CPAC, but insteadtalked about religious liberty.WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Talk of ‘religious liberty’supplants overt anti-gay attacks

By CHRIS [email protected]

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — If you need evidencethat the defense of “religious liberty” has supplantedovert anti-LGBT rhetoric in the Republican Party,look no further than remarks from GOP presidentialcandidates last weekend.

“Religious liberty,” which is considered code tomean enabling anti-LGBT discrimination, completelysubsumed any explicit talk by the candidates ofopposition to LGBT rights or same-sex marriage duringthe 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference.

In defense of holding off on conrming areplacement for the late U.S. Associate Justice AntoninScalia to the Supreme Court until a new president iselected, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said religious libertywould be in jeopardy if President Obama is allowed

CONTINUES ON PAGE 13SHAM HASAN (right) in Iraq when he wor ked for the U.S. Army as a linguist.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HASAN


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02 • MARCH 11 , 2016 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


3/48

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4/48

Trump Hotel won’t displace D.C. Pride festival A decision by the D.C. government to keep one lane open on Pennsylvania Avenue,

N.W., at all times near the soon-to-be-opened Trump Hotel to allow for hotel valetservice has prompted the annual Cherry Blossom Festival to move to a new locationnear the Southwest waterfront.

But the president of D.C.’s Capital Pride Festival said the one-lane requirement willnot impact that event, which has become the largest single gathering of LGBT peopleand their supporters in the mid-Atlantic region each June.

“This will not be an issue for Capital Pride,” said Bernie Delia, the organization’spresident. “We occupy the space on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., from 3rd Street, N.W.to 7th Street, N.W,” he said. “The concern of the Trump Hotel is valet service for thehotel. We are blocks away.”

The Trump Hotel is being built within the historic Old Post Offi ce Building at 12th andPennsylvania Avenue, N.W. It is scheduled to open in September.

The Japan-American Society of Washington, which sponsors the Cherry Blossomstreet festival, says it decided to move that event because the elimination of one lanewould no longer provide enough space for all of its vendors and exhibit booths.

According to the Washington Post, Cherry Blossom festival organizers decided tomove their event this year, even though it takes place months before the Trump Hotelis scheduled to open.

Delia said Capital Pride was informed that the section of Pennsylvania Avenue whereits street festival and two stages where entertainers perform would include all si x lanes— the full width of the street.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Trump wins D.C. GOP straw poll

Presidential candidate Donald Trump came in rst place March 2, in a straw pollconducted at the D.C. Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Douglas Dinner.

A statement released by the D.C. Republican Committee says Trump received 31

percent of the vote, with GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio coming in secondwith 28 percent. GOP presidential contender Ted Cruz received 16 percent, John Kasichreceived 14 percent and Ben Carson received 5 percent.

D.C. GOP Chair Jose Cunningham said in the statement that “hundreds” of D.C.Republicans who attended the annual dinner at the Lowes Madison Hotel voted in thestraw poll.

Cunningham noted that “thousands of D.C. registered Republicans” will have achance to vote for the Republican presidential candidate of their choice and how manydelegates from D.C. they receive at a March 12 convention also to be held at the LowesMadison.

Republicans participating in the convention will also vote to select who the city’s 16delegates and 16 alternate delegates will be who will attend the Republican NationalConvention in July.

At least seven gay candidates who are members of the local D.C. Log Cabin Republicansgroup are among 160 candidates competing for the delegate and alternate positions.“You see a similar race developing in the District that we’ve witnessed in virtually all

the states so far,” Cunningham said in referring to the D.C. GOP’s March 12 presidentialpreference vote.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

D.C. Police LGBT unit‘greatly diminished’

The chair of the D.C. Anti-Violence Project, which formerly was called Gaysand Lesbians Opposing Violence or GLOV, told a City Council hearing on March 2that the presence of the police department’s LGBT Liaison Unit has been “greatlydiminished” in recent years.

D.C. AVP Chair Stephania Mahdi presented the group’s concerns over thecurrent direction of the LGBT Liaison Unit in testimony before a police oversighthearing conducted by the D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary.

“In January 2016 the D.C. police department made the problematic decisionto end the LGBT Liaison Unit’s midnight shift,” Mahdi told the committee. “Themidnight shift has often been the unit’s busiest time period; higher rates ofviolent crime and domestic violence occurs during late-night hours,” she said.

“The unit has also seen a sharp reduction in its full-time staff,” she continued.“Furthermore, liaison offi cers are being tasked to unrelated patrol duties for amajority of their shift. One could deduce that offi cer response time and focus onLGBT-related calls for service has been greatly diminished,” she said.

Added Mahdi in her testimony: “The truth of the matter is the LGBT communitydoes not feel the same level of support from the Liaison Unit that they havereceived in previous years.”

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who also testied before the committee, said

LGBT Liaison Unit affi liate offi cers have been responding to calls for LGBT-relatedmatters during the midnight shift and at other times. The affi liate offi cers areassigned to each of the department’s seven police districts.

Lanier also said that the full-time LGBT Liaison Unit offi cers are on call atall times and have responded to LGBT-related calls during the midnight shift.During the past year Lanier has said the department was facing a shortage ofoffi cers due to a “retirement bubble” and she has had to reassign offi cers invarious specialized units to street patrol duties during part of their daily shifts.

LGBT activists, including offi cials with the DC AVP, have expressed concernsthat the LGBT affi liate offi cers may not have received the training needed toenable them to carry out liaison unit duties. Activists have said the departmentmay also have cut back on the number of offi cers taking a longstanding LGBTcultural competency course.

“The department’s support of a robust dedicated li aison unit, carefully vettedand trained liaison offi cers, support of the LGBT cultural competency course,and nally the restoration of the LGBT Liaison Unit’s midnight shift” are actionsthe department should take in the coming months, Mahdi said.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

04 • MARCH 11, 2016 LOCAL NEWS

The Trump Hotel is being built within the historic Old Post Offi ce Building at 12th andPennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

D.C. Police Chief CATHY LANIER said LGBT Liaison Unit affi liate offi cers have beenresponding to calls for LGBT-related matters during the midnight shif t and at othertimes.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY


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Emotional forum tacklesHIV, homelessness

By STEVE CHARING

More than 100 members of theBaltimore’s LGBT community and alliesattended an emotional mayoral forumhosted by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexualand Transgender Community Center ofBaltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB)on March 8. The event, which took placeat the University of Baltimore’s H. MebaneTurner Learning Commons, featured adozen mayoral candidates out of the29 vying for the offi ce held by outgoingMayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Democratic candidates whoparticipated included: Elizabeth Embry,chief of the Maryland Attorney General’sOffi ce criminal division; Patrick Gutierrez,former operations manager; DeRayMckesson, a gay civil rights activist;Council member Nick Mosby; State Sen.Catherine Pugh; Council member CarlStokes; academic researcher Cindy Walsh;and engineer Calvin Allen Young III.

Former Mayor Shelia Dixon, a Democratand who is perceived as the frontrunner,did not attend.

Other participants who will compete inthe general election only include: GreenParty candidate and activist Joshua Harrisas well as unaffi liated candidates dispute

resolution manager Nicholas Caminiti,state employee LaVern Murray andactivist Andre Powell.

None of the ve Republican candidatesattended.

The candidates, following openingstatements, elded pre-determinedquestions regarding their records onadvancing LGBT rights, what they woulddo to stop police proling and violenceagainst LGBT people, particularlytransgender people of color, whatthey would do to support homelessLGBT youth, and what they would

do to ensure equal education andemployment opportunities for LGBTpeople, particularly youth, seniors andtransgender people of color.

In addition to responding to those

questions, the candidates explainedother matters relating to governance,such as the need for new leadership foropportunity, education and the ills ofcrime and poverty

Each candidate offered their personalcommitment to LGBT equality withsome more familiar with the issues thanothers. Stokes said he has a long historywith LGBT rights. “I am not a friend ofthe community but am a part of thecommunity,” he said.

Sen. Pugh cited several legislativeinitiatives she led, including group lifeinsurance policies for domestic partnersand co-sponsoring the Religious Freedomand Civil Rights Protection Act.

Walsh said she has fought for equalprotection for many years. “We havegay rights but not equal protection,” sheexplained.

On the other hand, both Caminiti andMurray indicated that while they supportfull equality for all, they admit to nothaving much experience with LGBT issues.

The forum was interrupted by activistAkil Patterson who questioned why noneof the candidates have addressed theHIV/AIDS crisis among young black gayand bisexual men. Lynda Dee, founderof AIDS Action Baltimore criticized thecurrent and past administrations for notovertly publicizing HIV/AIDS in Baltimoreand demanded that each candidatepledge to use a public information

campaign to call attention to HIV/AIDS.Another audience member, Kinji Scott,

who is running for City Council, said, “Wehave to do something about HIV in theAfrican-American community.”

Mosby responded to Patterson’squestion by pointing out the issue ispreventable and treatable. “We must takethe trajectory of young African-Americanmen seriously,” he said.

Harris added that there was $6million being held up by the city’s HealthDepartment earmarked for the RyanWhite program, which recently had to folddue to lack of funding. He also said thatsexual orientation and gender identityought to be taught in schools as part ofthe sex education curriculum.

The candidates elded questions fromthe audience on a variety of matters.Longtime activist Monica Yorkman, atrans woman, emotionally describedbeing fearful of police because of herexperiences of being harassed by policeand how she, as a homeless person, hadbeen afraid to go to a homeless sheltereven more so now as a 62-year-oldtransgender person of color.

Many candidates decried lack ofmanagement and accountability in thecurrent city government. “This city iscorrupt,” Stokes said. When asked whatissue left behind by the current mayorthat she would like to tackle, Embrypointed to “so little accountability.”

Jabari Lyles, president of the GLCCBwas pleased with the forum.

“The candidates provided enoughinsight to their platform to where ourcommunity can make an informed

decision at election time,” Lyles told theBlade. “We have 29 candidates runningfor mayor. Only one will win but based ontonight, we should have 28 leaders thatcan still be held accountable.”

Baltimore mayoral candidates talk LGBT issues

Daigle would be

rst out gay to joinchamber if elected

By MICHAEL K. [email protected]

A gay man has announced hiscandidacy for the Delaware House ofRepresentatives.

Joe Daigle led his campaign paperworkon Feb. 11. The North Wilmington residentwho hopes to represent Delaware’s 7th

Representative District offi cially kicked offhis campaign on March 1.“It started like a lot of things from

a personal place, from a point of self-reection,” Daigle told the WashingtonBlade on Tuesday during a telephone

interview as he discussed his campaign. “Iam extremely passionate about building

community.”The 7th Representative District includesClaymont, Arden and portions of NorthWilmington.

Daigle, 27, will face former state Rep.David Brady and Ashbourne Hills CivicAssociation President Robert Cameronin the Democratic primary on Sept. 13.The three men are hoping to succeedstate Rep. Bryon Short (D-Newark), who isrunning for Congress.

Daigle would be the rst openly LGBTperson elected to the Delaware House ifhe were to win in November. State Sen.Karen Peterson (D-Stanton) came out in2013 as she spoke in support of a same-sex marriage bill before it passed in theDelaware Senate.

Daigle, who currently works for JPMorgan

Chase, was a member of the Newark ArtsAlliance board of directors. He stepped

down as president of the Barbara GittingsDelaware Stonewall Democrats last monthin order to run for the state House.

Daigle and his husband, Dan Cole, arethe rst same-sex couple who had notpreviously entered into a civil union tolegally marry in the state. Then-DelawareAttorney General Beau Biden was amongthose who spoke at their wedding thattook place on July 1, 2013, the day thestate’s same-sex marriage law took effect.

“This was one of the most excitingmoments of my life,” Daigle told the Bladeshortly after he and Cole exchanged vowsin the Marian Cruger Coffi n Gardens atthe Gibraltar Mansion in Wilmington. “Iam so happy to be married to Dan.”

Biden, who was the son of VicePresident Biden, died of brain cancer last

May at the age of 46.“His passing was extremely tragic,” said

Daigle. “It was hard for everyone in thecommunity and it was equally hard forus. It’s a huge loss for Delaware not onlybecause he was a great advocate and aleader, but he was such a genuine guy.”

Daigle on Tuesday also discussed thepresidential campaign.

“Our national attention onsensationalism is scary,” he told the Blade.“It’s very scary that we continue to reducepolitics, leadership and communityto buzzwords and staring down othergroups of people.”

Daigle said he is “still personally thinkingabout” whether to endorse formerSecretary of State Hillary Clinton or U.S.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president.

“I’ve been a fan of both Bernie andHillary for years,” Daigle told the Blade.

Gay man seeks Delaware House seat

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

06 • MARCH 11, 2016 LOCAL NEWS

CATHERINE PUGH (standing) addresses thecrowd at Tuesday’s forum.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY STEVE CHARING


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Anti-gay resolutionsurvives 39-hour libuster


After a 39-hour libuster from MissouriDemocrats attempting to thwart areligious freedom resolution seen toenable anti-LGBT discrimination, thestate Senate approved the measure earlyWednesday by a 21-11 vote.

The measure, Senate Joint Resolution39, now heads to the Missouri House,where majority approval in that chamberwould send the initiative to ballot forvoters to ratify on Election Day.

The resolution, sponsored by StateSen. Bob Onder, is a religious freedommeasure seen to enable anti-LGBTdiscrimination in Missouri followingthe U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favorof same-sex marriage nationwide. Itwould allow religious organizations andindividuals to deny services to same-sexcouples out of religious objections.

Steph Perkins, executive director of theMissouri statewide LGBT group PROMO,was among those who decried passage ofthe measure in the Senate.

“We agree that religion is a fundamentalright, which is why it is protected in theFirst Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

and in our existing Human Rights Act,”Perkins said. “We are not arguing thatclergy and churches should be deniedtheir freedom of religion. But thosesame religious beliefs cannot be usedas a reason to deny someone the sameservices that are offered to the rest ofthe public by private businesses. Andthat is exactly what SJR 39 aims to do.Businesses and organizations havealready been rightly concerned aboutthe consequences of this bill and areoutspoken in their opposition.”

The lawmakers leading the libustereffort were State Senate Minority Leader Joseph Keaveny, State Sen. JamilahNasheed, State Sen. Jill Schupp and StateSen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal.

The 39-hour libuster of the measurestarted Monday shortly after 4 p.m.Central Time. According to media outlets,Republicans used a rare procedural moveto shut down debate and force a vote onthe measure.

Jeffrey Mittman, executive director ofACLU of Missouri, expressed indignationover the Missouri Senate’s approval of themeasure, saying Republicans used a “rareprocedural move” to shut down debate.

“Discrimination has no place in our stateand we are resolved to continue to ghtthis bill in the House,” Mittman said. “We

salute the senators who courageouslylibustered this hateful bill for a record-breaking 39 hours, and were willing tokeep standing, even as the numbers wereagainst them. The country is watching andwe will continue to ght until we’ve landedon the right side of history.”

The law has four parts aimed at allowingreligious people and organizations to denywedding services to same-sex couples.

• It prohibits the state from imposinga penalty on a religious organization

that acts in accordance with a sincerereligious belief concerning same-sexmarriage, which includes the refusal toperform a same-sex marriage ceremonyor allowing a same sex wedding ceremonyto be performed on the religiousorganization’s property. (A religiousorganization under the resolution isconstrued broadly to include religioussocieties, corporations, schools, socialservice providers and hospitals.) • It barsthe state from penalizing an individualwho declines, due to sincere religious

beliefs, to provide goods of expressionalor artistic creation for a same-sexwedding ceremony. • It explicitly doesn’tprevent the state from providing lawfulmarriage licenses or other maritalbenets. Under the resolution, hospitalscouldn’t refuse to treat a marriage asvalid for the purposes of a spouse’sright to visitation or to make health caredecisions. • It allows individuals protectedunder this resolution to use the law asa claim or defense in a legal proceedingregardless of whether the state is a partyin the dispute.

The resolution explicitly prohibits thestate from forcing clergy to offi ciate same-sex marriages, but they’re already allowedto opt out of such ceremonies under theFirst Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Missouri Senate approves‘religious freedom’ measureDe Blasio issues bathroom exec order

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio on March 7 issued an executive orderthat requires city agencies to allow theiremployees and members of the public touse restrooms consistent with their genderidentity.

“Today’s order makes it clear that New YorkCity fully supports the right of every NewYorker to use the single-sex facility consistentwith their gender identity,” said de Blasio in apress release. “New York City is the birthplaceof the ght for LGBT rights, and we continueto lead in that ght so every New Yorker canlive with dignity.”

The press release notes the New YorkCity Commission on Human Rights recentlyannounced that employers, housing providersor those who provide public accommodationscan face prosecution under the city’s HumanRights Law if they deny someone access to a restroom based on their genderidentity. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order that effectively prohibits anti-trans discrimination in New York State took effect in January.

Gay New York City Council members Corey Johnson and Rosie Mendez areamong those who attended the ceremony during which de Blasio signed his order.

NGLCC partners with Major League Baseball

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball announced a rst-of-its-kind partnershipwith the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce that is designed tohelp certied businesses become its offi cial suppliers.

NGLCC President Justin Nelson discussed the partnership in an exclusiveinterview with Fortune.

“We take great pride in the fact that this not only puts us closer to MajorLeague Baseball and the ability to bring innovative suppliers to their operation,but also that we get to work with incredible advocates and athletes like BillyBean,” said Nelson.

Bean told Fortune the partnership “allows our community to get morecoverage and exposure on the programs that [business owners are] workingvery, very hard to expand.”

Fortune reported the partnership will be formally announced this week atMLB’s business diversity summit in Phoenix.

News of the partnership comes days after NGLCC offi cially launched its late stinternational affi liate in the Dominican Republic.

NFL prospect asked about sexual orientation

ATLANTA — A former member of the Ohio State football team last week saida coach with the Atlanta Falcons asked him whether he is gay.

“The Falcons coach, one of the coaches, was like, ‘So do you like men?’” said EliApple on March 4 during an interview with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. “Itwas like the rst thing he asked me. It was weird. I was just like, ‘no.’ He was like,‘if you’re going to come to Atlanta, sometimes that’s how it is around here, you’regoing to have to get used to it.’”

“I guess he was joking but they just ask most of these questions to see howyou’re going to react,” added Apple.

Apple said the coach — who he did not identify — asked the question duringa meeting at the National Football League’s combine.

The Associated Press reported that Marquand Manuel, a secondary coach forthe team, is the one who asked Apple the question.

Falcons head c oach Dan Quinn in a statement said he was “really disappointed.”“I have spoken to the coach that interviewed Eli Apple and explained to him

how inappropriate and unprofessional this was,” said Quinn, according toComcast SportsNet Philadelphia. “I have reiterated this to the entire coachingstaff and I want to apologize to Eli for this even coming up. This is not what theAtlanta Falcons are about and it is not how we are going to conduct ourselves.”

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

08 • MARCH 11, 2016 NATIONAL NEWS

Missouri Gov. JAY NIXON opposes the anti-gay measure.

PHOTO BY BERNARD POLLACK; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

‘New York City fully supports theright of every New Yorker to usethe single-sex facility consistentwith their gender identity,’ saidNew York Mayor BILL DE BLASIO.PHOTO BY KEVIN CASE; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA


9/48


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Will Obama follow his lead?


Canadian Prime Minister JustinTrudeau won some new LGBT fansfollowing his recent pledge to march inan upcoming Pride parade — somethingPresident Obama hasn’t committed todoing, despite his strong support forLGBT rights.

Ahead of Trudeau’s state visit toWashington this week, the WashingtonBlade asked during the White Housenews brieng if Obama would be openduring his nal year in offi ce to marchingin a Pride parade, such as the upcomingCapital Pride parade in June in D.C..

White House Press Secretary JoshEarnest was non-committal in hisresponse: “I have not heard of apresidential commitment like that. Myguess is it would not be the rst time thathe’s marched in a Pride parade.”

When the Blade interjected by sayingObama hasn’t marched in a parade

during his eight years in offi ce, Earnestreplied, “Probably as president, but notthe rst time that has done that.”

“I don’t have any scheduling updates foryou at this point, but if this is somethingthe president chooses to do, we’lldenitely let you know,” Earnest said.

The Blade is unaware of any timeObama has marched in a Pride parade

either during his presidency or duringhis previous roles as a U.S. senator or astate senator in Illinois. If Obama were tomarch in a Pride parade, he would be therst sitting U.S. president to do so.

Obama and rst lady Michelle Obamaare scheduled on Thursday to welcomeTrudeau and his wife Gregoire Trudeau tothe White House for an offi cial visit with astate dinner.

Last month, Trudeau announced hewould take part in the Toronto PrideParade, which is set to take place on July 3.Marching in the event will make Trudeauthe rst Canadian prime minister tomarch in a Pride parade.

Bernie Delia, board president of theCapital Pride Alliance, said he’d welcomeObama’s participation in either the paradeor festival for D.C.’s Capital Pride in June.

“The president and his administrationhave been strong supporters of equalityfor members of the LGBT community,and he and Vice President Biden havematched their words with deeds andactions on a number of fronts, includingmarriage equality,” Delia said. “Wewelcome all people who share our core

beliefs to join us as we celebrate themany successes of the community and aswe prepare to undertake the work that isnot yet accomplished.”

Delia added that Obama’s scheduleand security requirements are twoissues that have likely prevented himfrom participating in Capital Pride.

Brett Hayhoe, co-president of theAustralia-based international Prideorganization InterPride, said he welcomesTrudeau’s decision to march in TorontoPride and would support a similar gesturefrom Obama.

“Throughout the entire time PresidentObama has been in offi ce, he has constantlyshown support for our community,including publicly declaring June each yearPride Month and having a leading hand insignicant legislative change to removediscriminatory government policy againstthe LGBTI community,” Hayhoe said.“Given this sincere support for all citizensof the USA, his participation at a Pridemarch or parade would be extremelywelcomed by the Pride community. Itwould indeed be a tting gesture in hisnal year of tenure.”

Trudeau commits to marching in Pride parade

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU said he would march in the Toronto Prideparade later this year.

PHOTO BY ALEX GUIBORD; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

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to appoint the successor.“We are one liberal justice away

from the Supreme Court ruling thatgovernment can take our religious libertyaway and force every one of us to violateour faith on penalty of prison or ne,”Cruz said.

Not explicitly mentioned by Cruz was hisopposition to the Supreme Court’s rulingin favor of same-sex marriage, a decisionin which Scalia dissented. The candidateraising fears of penalty or jail time soundslike the ve-day imprisonment of RowanCounty Clerk Kim Davis for enforcing a“no licenses” policy in her Kentucky offi ceafter the ruling.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) hit on theimportance of religious liberty during hisspeech before CPAC when talking aboutthe importance of faith in American life.

“To move forward in a better direction,it does mean re-embracing and followingthe First Amendment, for what thatstands for is not just the right to believeanything you want, but the right to liveout the teachings in every single aspectyour life,” Rubio said.

The candidate didn’t say anythingabout LGBT rights, but his words echo thedefense uttered by Barronelle Stutzman,a orist in Washington State penalizedunder the state’s civil rights law fordenying owers for a same-sex couple’swedding; Oregon bakers Aaron andMelissa Klein, who were ned $135,000after they turned away a lesbian coupleseeking a wedding cake; and MasterpieceBakeshop in Colorado, which was foundto have violated the state civil rights lawby denying a cake to a gay couple.

Donald Trump ended up skipping CPACto appear at campaign events ahead of the“Super Saturday” contests. However, duringa news conference after his victory speech,the candidate declined to answer a questionon his opposition to same-sex marriage,ordering the reporter who made theinquiry to “sit down.” Although Trump didn’tmention religious liberty, he didn’t utter theword marriage in his response.

“I’ve made it very strong; we have policyon it,” Trump said. “I’ve said it very, verystrongly. And I think you know it. And it’s alldone. How many times do I have to say it?”

The shift away from talking aboutsame-sex marriage in favor of religious

liberty as the general election approachesreects that the electorate at large wouldlikely be unreceptive to candidatesthat oppose LGBT rights. Although aReuters/Ipsos poll after the SupremeCourt ruling on same-sex marriage in2015 found 63 percent of Republicans areopposed to the ruling, a slim majority of51 percent of Americans as a whole saidthey support marriage equality.

The language of the candidates isconsistent with the 2012 autopsy reportfrom the Republican National Committee,which concluded opposition to gaypeople would be a turnoff to voters whoconsider support for LGBT rights a “gateway”issue in selecting a presidential candidate.

“For the GOP to appeal to youngervoters, we do not have to agree onevery issue, but we do need to makesure young people do not see the partyas totally intolerant of alternative pointsof view,” the report says. “Already, thereis a generational difference within theconservative movement about issuesinvolving the treatment and the rightsof gays — and for many younger voters,these issues are a gateway into whetherthe party is a place they want to be.”

But in the end, support for religious libertyas these candidates articulate it also seeks toundermine LGBT rights. Nearly 200 anti-LGBTbills have been introduced in state legislaturesthroughout the country, many of which seekto compromise LGBT rights in the name of“religious liberty.” Just this week, Democratsin the Missouri Legislature libustered astate constitutional amendment that wouldallow religious organizations and individualsto deny services to same-sex couples onreligious grounds.

Jimmy LaSalvia, a gay independentwho bolted the Republican Party, saidthe reality is debate on marriage equalityis over, but the party base is “living inthe past, so the language has turned toreligious liberty.”

“For most of America the debate aboutmarriage has moved beyond right versusleft to right versus wrong,” LaSalvia said.“The candidates talking about religiousliberty are just affi rming their voters’ right tobe wrong. Of course, if all you do is defendothers’ right to be wrong, then you remindvoters that you’re wrong too, so pretendingnot to talk about marriage in favor of talkingabout religious liberty still reminds votersthat the candidates are wrong on marriage.”

GOP dropping marriage attacks in favor of ‘religious freedom’

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

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as a human being,” he said. “I never, everthought that I would leave Iraq after athree-and-a-half-year battle with the U.S.government to get my visa.”

Hasan told the Blade that he clenched thepackage in which his passport and visa wereheld as he left the embassy, noting he was“so scared to get hurt or go near a suicidebomber that might explode at any minute.”He soon left Baghdad and returned to his“safer harbor” in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Hasan on May 11, 2014, ew from theIraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah to the

Jordanian capital of Amman. He traveledfrom there to Chicago the next day.

“I was in a state of mind where I couldn’tprocess that I was in America,” Hasantold the Blade, recalling the moment hearrived in the U.S. “I was like crazy. I waslike someone who really lost his mind.I couldn’t think of anything else. I wasthinking about my freedom.”

Hasan, 29, was born and raised inBaghdad. His parents are Kurdish, but theytoo were born and raised in the Iraqi capital.

Hasan had just completed his secondyear at Al-Mustansiriya University’sCollege of Arts in Baghdad in 2006 whenmembers of the Madhi Army, a Shiitemilitia group known as Jaysh al-Mahdi inArabic, kidnapped him and his uncle.

Hasan told the Blade that the militantskilled his uncle — a member of a Kurdishpolitical party they accused of workingwith U.S. forces to obtain information

about insurgents.He said the militants forced him toconfess his homosexuality “as a sin.”Hasan told the Blade he was releasednearly 10 hours after they kidnapped him.

“I was on the list to be killed,” Hasantold the Blade. “They wanted to getinformation out of me because of myuncle’s affi liation.”

Hasan said that his uncle’s wife a fewdays later received a phone call fromsomeone who “made her listen” to versesof the Quran that indicate a person has

died. He told the Blade his uncle’s bodyhas never been found, but his familysuspects the militants beheaded him.

“He’s still missing,” said Hasan.Hasan said he and his entire family ed

to Kurdistan after the kidnapping.He told the Blade that he didn’t return

to school for a year because he wastraumatized. Hasan said he was alsorecovering from shrapnel-related injuriesto his right knee that he suffered whenthe militants threw a grenade at him.

“I was literally sick,” he said. “I was livingon medication.”

Hasan eventually re-enrolled in college.He graduated and began working for anAmerican company that was providingsecurity to the U.S. Embassy insideBaghdad’s Green Zone.

Hasan said he provided “linguisticservices” for two months, but quicklybecame unhappy because of the securityrestrictions.

“I was literally in an offi ce that wassurrounded by two walls,” he said.

Hasan decided to transfer to a largeU.S. military base in the city of Basra insouthern Iraq. It was there that he toldthe Blade he met “the real Sham,” whowas a medic.

“He was like, ‘Sham, you speak verygood English and the U.S. Army needsyour services more than here,’” Hasantold the Blade, recalling the conversationhe had with his chosen namesake. “‘Beinghere with this company is doing nothing

and we really need you.’”“So he was like, ‘Why don’t you try tond a way to join the Army as a linguist,’”he added.

Hasan said he approached a companythat hired Iraqis to work as linguists withthe U.S. Army. He passed the test and thecompany hired him.

“They asked me what name I wouldlike to choose to keep my identity safe inIraq,” Hasan told the Blade. “I chose Shambecause Sham inspired me.”

Hasan three days later arrived at ImamAli Air Base near the predominantly Shiitecity of Nasariyah.

‘Impossible to live in Iraq’

Hasan was working with U.S. militaryoffi cials who were supervising the Iraqiarmy. He said he found out about aprogram in 2010 that offers immigrantvisas to Iraqi and Afghan linguists andtranslators who worked with the U.S.military in their respective countries.

“They were telling me about thisspecial visa program for those whoprovide faithful services and risk theirlives to work with the U.S. Army and theU.S. government,” Hasan told the Blade.“I was like, alright it doesn’t hurt to go

to America. I already lost my life backin Baghdad because of my uncle andbecause the group who kidnapped me.They were pretty much sure that I wasgay and they beat the hell out of me.”

“It was really impossible to live in Iraqafter being gay and right now I’m beingviewed as an indel,” he said.

He told the Blade t hat the offi cerswith whom he worked wrote letters ofrecommendation in support of his visaapplication. In the meantime, Hasan wasworking with their Iraqi counterparts.

“They were trying to enforce a goodrelationship between the base and theneighboring villages around the area,” hesaid. “We used to get shot at with mortars

every single day. They were losing lives.”Hasan said the offi cers with whomhe worked began going out on patrolsa few months later to look for bombsand rockets and to speak with localresidents. He told the Blade that a manat a checkpoint walked out of his car,approached him and spit in his face.

“He called me a traitor,” said Hasan.“He’s like, ‘You’re an asshole. Why do youwork for them? Why do you facilitate theirmission?’”

“By then I realized there was no way I

could stay in Iraq,” he said.Hasan arrived in South Bend, Ind.,shortly after his arrival in the U.S. in 2014.

He told the Blade that he knew peoplein D.C., but didn’t want to make theresettlement process more complicated.

“I was like, ‘Please just get me out ofIraq and I will be ne there,’” said Hasan.“They told me that I’m going to SouthBend, Ind. I had no idea what South Bendis, what Indiana is.”

Hasan said the resettlement agencywas not “ready to have me” when hearrived in Indiana. He told the Blade thatan employee of a local church agreed toallow him to live with him and his familyfor four months.

“Imagine I arrive there and here is thistypical American image in my head: A

Midwestern family, blond, blue eyes, verywhite, beautiful car, the lawn is mowedreally well,” said Hasan. “It was like I wasliving in a movie that I used to watch onTV when I was back home with my family.”

Hasan told the Blade he woke up thenext morning and saw a deer and a rabbitin front of his host family’s home.

“I was like ‘ohmigod, if that was in Iraq,people would have killed them,’” he said.

Hasan while in Indiana had a secondsurgery on his injured knee. He thendecided that he wanted to move to alarger city.

“That really broke their hearts, but I nevertold them that I am gay,” said Hasan. “I wasreally concerned about my homosexualityand did not really want to ruin that.”

“When I arrived in America I still hadmy Middle East mindset, like how peopleview me as a homosexual. It didn’t matterif I was in America, I was still in that typeof mentality.”

Hasan eventually came out to his host

family.“They texted me back, they said Sham

we love you no matter who you are,” hetold the Blade. “That was such a hugerelief to me.”

With his host family’s support, Hasanmoved to D.C. in September 2014 after aformer sergeant with whom he had workedin Iraq and his roommates “offered him acouch” in their home. He told the Bladethat his rst gay experience came shortlyafterwards when he visited Nellie’s.

“I was so overwhelmed,” said Hasan. “I

just wanted to sleep with everyone. I meanimagine coming from Iraq as a gay person,how would you react. I was like, ‘ohmigod Iam in a room that is full of gays.’”

Hasan began working with Dog TagBakery, a Georgetown business thatsupports veterans.

Hasan last March met PFLAG Directorof Operations David Manuel. The twonow live together with their two cats,Babylon and Ishtar, who are named inhonor of Hasan’s homeland.

“I never, ever thought that I would leaveIraq,” Hasan told the Blade as he discussedhis relationship. “I thought about deathmore than I thought about life.”

Anti-immigrantrhetoric ‘shameful’

Hasan spoke with the Blade two daysbefore a suicide bombing at a securitycheckpoint in the city of Hillah for whichthe so-called Islamic State claimedresponsibility killed more than 40 people.The interview also took place against thebackdrop of anti-immigrant rhetoric thatRepublican presidential candidates haveused on the campaign trail.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01From Iraq to Nellie’s: gay linguist recounts journey

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NEWS MARCH 11, 2016 • 13

SHAM HASAN (right) with his partner, DAVID MANUEL , and their cats Babel and Ishtar.PHOTO COURTESY OF HASAN


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Advocates push for parentage rights in Md.

FreeState Legal/Equality Maryland, a Baltimore-based statewide civil rightsorganization, announced on Feb. 29 that it had led seven friend-of-the-court briefs (also known as “amicus” briefs) in the Maryland Court of Appealslast Thursday that will determine whether Maryland will provide equal legalrecognition to families headed by same-sex couples. The initiative was joined bya diverse array of more than 45 organizations and legal scholars in support ofFreeState Legal/Equality Maryland’s appeal on behalf of Michael Conover in thecase, Conover v. Conover.

FreeState Legal/Equality Maryland represents Conover, a transgender manwho, before his gender transition, had a child with his same-sex partner,Brittany. At the time that their son was conceived by articial insemination ofBrittany, Maryland did not recognize marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The court will hear arguments in the case on April 5 in Annapolis. Moreinformation about the case, including copies of the seven amicus briefs and o therlegal lings in the case, is available at freestatelegal.org/conover-v-conover/.

STEVE CHARING

EEOC sues Md. company for discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission led a l awsuit in federal courtin Baltimore on March 1 against Maryland-based Pallet Companies on behalf ofYolanda Boone who alleged discrimination based on sexual orientation. Palletoperates as IFCO Systems North America.

The suit accuses the company of discriminating against Yolanda Boone, alesbian whose sexual orientation is known to her co-workers, “by subjecting herto harassment” resulting in her being red, and by retaliating against Boonewhen she complained about the harassment.

According to the lawsuit, Boone began working on the night shift threemonths after beginning her employment at IFCO in 2014. Her manager, CharlesLowery, who knew about her sexual orientation, began harassing Boone withsuch comments as, “I want to turn you back into a woman,” and “You wouldlook good in a dress,” the lawsuit contends. He also quoted biblical passages

stating that a man should be with a woman, not a woman with a woman andalso allegedly held his crotch while staring at Boone, according to the lawsuit.The EEOC seeks injunctive relief to prohibit IFCO from engaging in unlawful

sex discrimination in the future, as well as back pay, compensatory damagesand punitive damages for Boone.

STEVE CHARING

Town hall assesses past, points to future

Thirty community members attended a town hall meeting on March 2 held bythe Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore andCentral Maryland (GLCCB). The meeting focused on the GLCCB’s response to theissues raised by the community at last November’s town hall, updates on plansfor Baltimore Pride, changes at the Center, and upcoming events.

The updates included steps to expand diversity in staff and on the board;building community trust; the search for a new building to house the GLCCB’sexpanding calendar of programs; and amendments to the bylaws to abolish theposition of executive director in favor of direct management of center staff by theboard president and executive committee. In addition, plans were announced toreinstitute voting membership in the GLCCB that had existed during more thantwo and a half decades from the center’s founding to encourage communityinvestment in the center.

Pride updates included the appointment of a faith coordinator for Pride, whoserves as a liaison to the local LGBT-supportive faith community; raising fundsto pay outstanding debts from last year as well as this year’s festival permit;and the Pride 2016 budget. Moreover, a series of focus groups will be held withseveral LGBT community constituencies to assess how the center can bettermeet their needs.

WILLIAM J. REDMOND-PALMER

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

14 • MARCH 11, 2016 BALTIMORE NEWSIN MEMORIAM

RONALD EDWIN SHELTONRonald Edwin Shelton (70) passed away on February 19, 2016following complications from lung cancer. At his death he wascomforted and surrounded by his partner of eight years andfriends who will all miss the charm, happiness, and fun thatRon brought to everyone who knew him.

Ron had a long career in nance and banking in Washington,DC having held positions at the United Virginia Bank, RiggsNational Bank, and the Adams National Bank. He retired asManager of Collections from the World Bank-IMF Staff CreditUnion in 2013 after more than 23 years with that institution.

Ron was well-known for his love of lm, music, opera, danceand theater. As a boy in his home town of Templeville,Maryland, he would create theaters out of cardboard, preparecoming attractions on the billboards and prepare sets for histheatrical creations. Through sheer determination, he made his cardboard dreams a reality when hegrew up and moved to Washington, DC in the early 70’s.

As a close friend of the Washington Post Theater Critic, the late Richard L. Coe and his wife, Christine,Ron attended theater tryouts and opening nights in most of the theaters along the Eastern Seaboard.He was known by theater c ritics, performers, publicists, and producers as well as the bartenders nearthe theaters! A “Gin Martini” or an “Old Fashion” and a Playbill were all he needed for a greatevening at the theater, preferably third row center in the orchestra, on the aisle.

Eventually, according to him, he saw more Shakespeare plays than were produced at the GlobeTheater, attended more opening nights than some theater critics, and met more theater personalitiesthan he ever imagined possible as a young boy. Ron loved to describe his lunches with Helen Hayes ,drinks with Rock Hudson, discussions about Vivien Leigh with Sir Laurence Olivier, sitting at the feetof Sophia Loren at a cocktail party, gossiping with Christopher Plummer, discovering that Eva MarieSaint was a charming dinner companion, realizing that Carol Channing’s husband started every oneof her standing ovations and imitating Ms. Channing’s “spontaneous curtain call dialogue” whichhe learned from seeing her in more than a dozen of performances of “Hello Dolly.” He shared hisstories and gossip as well as his enthusiasm for the theater with everyone. He was responsible formany of us becoming theater lovers. How could we not, as he made it so much fun!

Ron’s love of theater extended to his own life. While he never performed on stage, he was in thetruest sense of the word “an entertainer.” He loved to make people laugh, saying it was his destinysince his Mother picked his middle name, Edwin, after her favorite entertainer Ed Wynn!

Part of Ron’s charm was that he knew how to make people feel special. At the Banana Café’s loungehe noticed that the pianist’s 80 year old Polish grandmother, who spoke no English, was sitting in acorner obviously bored. Ron said, “I’m going to ask her to dance.” Friends thought he was crazy butwithin minutes, the two of them were dancing around the oor—he was waltzing and she appearedto be doing a polka but with a huge smile on her face. Ron made her evening and everyone else’sas well just by seeing the effect he had on her. Of course, when the song ended, she didn’t sit down,but wanted to keep dancing. It was hilarious to watch Ron try to communicate in sign language thathe needed to go to the bathroom. She relented and returned to her seat but continued smiling athim the entire evening.

Ron was, indeed, a magical person and a wonderful friend. He often quoted lines of poetry byWordsworth, which he knew as dialogue that Natalie Wood spoke to Warren Beaty in the movie,“Splendor in the Grass.” They seem particularly appropriate now:

Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass; of glory in the ower;

We will grieve not, rather nd Strength in what remains behind

Ron has left us with many wonderful and sweet memories, as well as people loved and lives touchedby his kind spirit. No one can do more in a life well lived. Now we must nd the strength to acceptwhat he has left behind.

Ron is survived by a loving partner and his sister, Doris Brittingham (Robert), of Smyrna, Delaware aswell as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, March 12th, at Faries Funeral Home, 29 South MainStreet, Smyrna, Delaware with visitation at 1:00 p.m. to be followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm.A service will follow at the cemetery in Templeville, Maryland, which is approximately 15 miles southof Smyrna. Afterwards, family and friends will then gather at The Inn–Chesapeake Bay Beach Club,180 Pier One Road, Stevensville Maryland, to celebrate the life of Ronald E. Shelton.


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WASHIN GTO NBL ADE.C OM

VIEWPOINT MARCH 11, 2016 • 19

The pursuit of happiness can be a real struggle formany gay men. And we can throw so many barriers

in each other’s way.

Am I too old for houseparties and fast dancing?By BROCK THOMPSON

Next week I enter the last year of my30s. And I have to say, I’ve really enjoyedthe past decade. Think of your 30s asyour 20s, but with more money and a bitmore sense. And I’d like to think I’m hap-pier now, too.

Nevertheless, I nd getting older a bithard, especially knowing that in the gaycommunity, age is not something we puta premium on. In many ways we’re sur-rounded by those with severe Peter PanSyndrome — boys that refuse to growup. As a community we cherish vigor andsix-pack abs. While I generally think I havethe vigor part covered, I have stopped try-ing for the six-pack and settled for just “anab” of sorts.

What brought all this worry about ag-ing on exactly? Last Saturday I went toa house party celebrating the birthdayof a friend of mine. Granted, he’s a littleyounger than I am, but wiser and more

mature than most. I was chatting to an-other guest there, a bit of a twink no morethan 21, and after introducing myself hebasically said to me, “nice to meet you,but I’m not taking on any new Facebookfriends right now.”

Yeah.

Probably a good idea. Don’t get mewrong, I certainly wasn’t going to sendhim a friend request, and talking to himany further may very well have triggeredan Amber Alert. But I began to think —am I too old for this? Am I embarrassingmyself by being here? All those thoughtsakin to the rst time I saw my dad fastdance at a family wedding. Is this wholething getting a bit unseemly?

But then again, who cares?

The pursuit of happiness can be a realstruggle for many gay men. And we canthrow so many barriers in each other’sway. Older gay men are too quickly la-beled creepy trolls with little to offer. (Anddon’t point out the fact that I freely usedthe word “twink” above. It’s different.)

Some suggest that as a communitywe lost far too many in the past to AIDSthat we simply don’t have enough strongvoices or role models to look to on howto grow up with style and dignity. Thatmay very well be part of it. But ndingand keeping happiness as one ages mustbe its own formula. As long as you aren’thurting yourself or others, keep movingforward in your life, ditch the fear of miss-ing out, and just live. As writer William

Dameron pointed out upon his 50 th birth-day, we have spent a great deal of timeconvincing others that being gay isn’t achoice, we should also remember thatgetting older isn’t a choice either. If we asa community start accepting all of that,maybe we’ll all be a bit happier. And whileI may not be aging perfectly, I’m perfectlyaware of it. And I will continue the formu-la of daily moisturizer, cultivating friendsfrom every generation, activity, and keep-ing at bay anyone who makes you feelbad about yourself.

And as I close, this article became lessabout how to age gracefully, but maybeabout reminding those to respect grace-fully those that age. In many ways, I hopeto be my dad at that family wedding.Someone who has aged with style andmanaged to keep his honor and his kind-ness, too. And he doesn’t put much stockinto what people think. He says having agay son helped him out there.

And keeps on dancing. Especially atfamily weddings.

BROCK THOMPSON is a D.C.-based freelancewriter.

VIEWPOINT

O ensive portrayal showshow far we still have to goBy SUZI CHASE

Among the controversies surroundinglast week’s Oscars, debate raged abouta skit in which comedian Tracy Morganspoofed Eddie Redmayne’s performanceas a pioneering transgender woman in“The Danish Girl.” Morgan is picturedwearing delicate feminine garments,stroking his smooth skin while waxingecstatic in a feminine voice about eatinga Danish pastry and starring in his rstdramatic role.

Most reaction has been positive. USAToday’s Erin Jensen declared it to be “ourfavorite.” TMZ called it a “brilliant skit”and according to Landon Haaf at our localABC affi liate WUSA channel 9, it deservesan Oscar.

A few isolated voices expressedqualms. MTV’s Marcus Patrick Ellsworthexamined what it “really asks us to laughat,” concluding it “asks us to giggle at thesight of Morgan in a dress.” Kelli Busey ofPlanet Transgender goes further, labelingthe performance “transface” and calling it“offensive on so many levels.”

Calling out offensive humor may be thehardest line activists walk. Nobody wantsto be accused of inability to take a joke,or worse, political correctness. Morgan’sskit had a social justice message of itsown, compounding that problem. He’slampooning the plight of minority actors,long relegated to stereotypical roles. It’san important issue, deserving of seri-ous redress. Even pointing out the skit’sshortcomings feels like participating inthe oppression.

But it does have shortcomings.Morgan’s transgender portrayal rein-

forces and amplies three of the mostpernicious prejudices held about us. Hisself-caresses portray transness as fetish-istic, an out-of-control sexual urge, ratherthan the need to express a gender iden-tity. The man-in-a-dress image visuallycategorizes trans women as male. And hisfurtive motions play into the common no-

tion of transgender people as deceitful.While trans people would like to be ca-pable of laughing at ourselves, this skitsimply cannot be divorced from its na-tional context. We are only a few monthsremoved from seeing Houston’s anti-biasHERO law defeated amid fears of mas-culine trans women using female-only

bathroom facilities. Last week, a law for-bidding transgender students from us-ing correct restrooms narrowly missedenactment in South Dakota. And in NorthCarolina, calls mount for a special legisla-tive session to reverse Charlotte’s recentanti-discrimination ordinance, yes, overthe possibility of trans women using la-dies’ restrooms.

Media must counter, not compounddecades of unfavorable portrayals. Theseportrayals matter. When voters and legis-lators support draconian bathroom rulesor reject civil rights protections, they relyon internalized images of transgenderpeople. Does their mind’s eye show com-petent professionals like accomplishedauthor Jennifer Finney Boylan, computerchip pioneer Lynn Conway, or technol-ogy visionary Martine Rothblatt? Or dothey visualize Morgan’s unsettling perfor-mance?

Am I saying we should prohibit humorinvolving transgender people? Of coursenot. But a thick line separates humoraround transgender people from hu-mor in which a trans person is the joke.Anyone familiar with Sophie LaBelle’s hi-larious Assigned Male webcomic knowstransgender humor can be funny without

offending. But it’s harder. As long as it’sacceptable to draw easy laughs by put-ting a man onscreen in drag, writers willsee no incentive to accept the challengeof creating humor that doesn’t rely on de-grading images.

The saddest takeaway from the reac-tion to Morgan’s “Danish Girl” sketch isthat it still is acceptable to denigrate theimage of transgender people in the nameof humor. That Morgan and ABC were notconcerned whether it offended us under-scores how far we still have to go beforewe command the respect and deferencegiven to other marginalized groups.

True, the general audience has noproblem with it. But the prerogative todetermine whether a given portrayal isoffensive to trans people rests with usand only us. Cisgender performers, writ-ers, producers and media executives canhave no conception of how tired we are

of seeing ourselves drawn that way. Thefact that they were not even interested inwhat offense we might take shows howmuch work still lies ahead.

Tracy Morgan’s transphobic Oscar spoof

Gay. And approaching 40.

SUZI CHASE is a freelance writer based inMaryland.


20/48

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

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

20 • MARCH 11, 2016 VIEWPOINT

The danger of losing oursocial lters

So apparently the Republican nomina-tion for president hinges on the size ofDonald Trump’s penis. I am sorry this iseven a topic. Surely almost any other pe-nis is of more interest than Mr. Trump’s. Imean, please, put that thing away.

Trump actually boasted last week thathe could have gotten Mitt Romney to fel-late him. (“I could’ve said, ‘Mitt, drop to

your knees,’ and he would’ve dropped tohis knees.”) I suppose I might considerone of Romney’s sons, assuming he’dstop trying to convert me long enoughto be of use. Or Ben Carson, except hisvoice would rapidly put me to sleep, and

where’s the fun in that? See how fast wecan descend into locker room talk?

Some people say “Little Marco” Ru-bio is a closet case. If that is true, his re-cent behavior has been so dreadful thatwe should all deny him sex. There wasa precedent for this in the 1990s, whensomeone unhappy with Bill Clinton urgedlesbians to deny sex to his cabinet offi -cers Janet Reno and Donna Shalala.

I think we had better stop this unseemlyspeculation before we get to also-rans likeMike Huckabee and Carly Fiorina. Imaginewaking up from a drunken binge in Vegasand nding one of them lying next to you,propped up on an elbow and leering atyou expectantly. I’m sorry, I said stop.

The provocation for this juvenile joust-ing traces back before Rubio’s campaign-trail antics to Graydon Carter of VanityFair, who once called Trump a “short-n-gered vulgarian.” Trump never disputedthe second part.

Let me end this bawdy banter by re-calling the moment in the Benghazi hear-ing when a Republican congresswomandemanded to know if Secretary Clintonspent the fateful night alone. When Hill-ary burst out laughing at that ridiculous

question, I fell in love as instantly as I dida half century ago when I watched a de-ant young boxer say that the heavyweightchampion of the world should be prettylike him. Granted, it’s a different kind oflove, a chaste, public-spirited love whereno nasty bits factor into it.

I bet you would have said, had some-one asked you a month or two ago, thatour national discourse could not get anyworse. Please stop saying that. It onlytempts the gods! But this degraded situ-ation is the result of letting demagoguesget away with branding every social cour-tesy and civil gesture as a crime of “politi-cal correctness.” That phrase is a reliablesignal that an ugly sentiment is coming.The virtue of honesty is raised in its de-fense. Not honesty in the sense of show-ing a humble regard for the truth, but inthe sense of sharing whatever brutishthought pops into your head.

The conduct of the Republican prima-

ries makes “Lord of the Flies” look like awell-ordered society. But however longthe GOP’s nihilist orgy continues, wewill still live in a diverse society whosepeaceful functioning requires mutual re-spect. If we elect the crude blowhard who

leads the Republican eld, thoughtful, in-formed national policy will be replaced bya demagogue’s whim. Is it really so awfulhaving a black president or a gay familydown the block that it makes sense tospray gasoline all over and light a match?

It is a short step from saying anythingto doing anything, as when Trump en-courages his crowds to beat up protest-ers. Since he and his rivals so loudly touttheir Christianity, let me point out thattheir Savior says, “Whatever you do to theleast of these, you do to me,” not “Knock-est thou the crap out of someone.” If bothmessages mean the same to you, youshould be neither president nor pastor.

The Lords of Misrule, as we might dubthe Party of Lincoln in its evident deaththroes, have overstayed their welcome.It is time for them to stagger home andsleep it off, and for the poor bastardson the morning shift to hose down thestreet and prepare for a new day. Better

we all sober up now than wait until afterthe election, when we could groggily sur-vey the wreckage and say, “Did I really dothat?”

Copyright © 2016 by Richard J. Rosendall.All rights reserved.

Keep it zippered

INSIDE LGBT WASHINGTON

GOP stands to lose Senate, evenHouse, if Trump is nominee

Never thought I’d say this, but I feel forthe Republican Party. Over the years therehave been many Republican candidates forpresident who were anathema to me, butnever before have there been more whoare anathema to other Republicans.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recentlysaid about Republicans’ choices, “Nomi-nating Donald Trump or Ted Cruz couldprove fatal for this party. It’s like beingshot or poisoned. What does it really mat-ter?” More recently Mitt Romney, the lastRepublican presidential nominee said, “Ifwe Republicans choose Donald Trump as

our nominee, the prospects for a safe andprosperous future are greatly diminished.”He added “Think of Donald Trump’s per-sonal qualities: The bullying, the greed, theshowing off, the misogyny, the absurd thirdgrade theatrics. You know, we have longreferred to him as ‘The Donald.’ He’s theonly person in the entire country to whomwe have added an article before his name,and it was not because he had attributes weadmired.”

Members of the Log Cabin Republicans inD.C. are running as delegates to the Repub-lican National Convention on an uncom-mitted slate. They clearly have a hard timesupporting any of the candidates who col-lectively are a disaster on LGBT issues.

Huffi ngton Post reported, “Senator BenSasse (R-Neb.) who is in his rst term, putup a lengthy Facebook post Sunday night,going after the Republican Party frontrun-ner for the fact that his “relentless focusis on dividing Americans and talking likehe’s running for king.” Former New JerseyRepublican Gov. Christie Todd Whitmansaid, “While I certainly don’t want four moreyears of another Clinton administration ormore years of the Obama administration, Iwould take that over the kind of damage I

think Donald Trump could do to this coun-try, to its reputation, to the people of thiscountry.”

I don’t remember this kind of dissensionwithin the Republican Party in the past andif it occurred it was behind closed doors.There is a palpable fear in Republicans Iknow who believe if Trump is the nomineethe Republican Party will not only lose theWhite House and the Senate but possiblyeven the House. According to a New YorkTimes report on Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell (R- Ken.), “Mr. McConnellhas begun preparing senators for the pros-pect of a Trump nomination, assuring themthat, if it threatened to harm them in thegeneral election, they could run negativeads about Mr. Trump to create space be-tween him and Republican senators seek-ing re-election. Mr. McConnell has raisedthe possibility of treating Mr. Trump’s lossas a given and describing a Republican Sen-ate to voters as a necessary check on a Pres-ident Hillary Clinton, according to senatorsat the lunches. He has reminded colleaguesof his own 1996 re-election campaign, whenhe won comfortably amid President BillClinton’s easy re-election. Of Mr. Trump, Mr.McConnell has said, ‘We’ll drop him like a

hot rock,’ according to his colleagues.”Although I hope this will lead to the elec-

tion of Clinton, the country is always betteroff when there are two rational political par-ties that discuss and debate the issues ofthe day intelligently, with respect for eachother and the people they are trying to rep-resent. Trump is neither respectful nor dis-playing any signs of intelligence. His rantingagainst Mexicans and Muslims; his anti-LG-BT, racist and misogynist rhetoric, all usedto denigrate anyone who disagrees withhim is pathetic. His use of foul languageand innuendo typical of a schoolyard bullyshould embarrass all who hear it.

There is much discussion about who is toblame for the condition of the RepublicanParty today. Some believe it is the rise ofthe Tea Party; others blame the racism in-cited by attacks on President Obama. Someblame the party elders for doing nothingand stonewalling all legislative efforts tomove the country forward.

It will most likely take years, and somequestion if it can ever be accomplished, tobring the party back to a point where ra-tional conservatives and moderates whomade up the GOP in the past can onceagain take it back.

The Republican Party in turmoil

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rightsand Democratic Party activist. He writes regularlyfor the Blade.


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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

22 • MARCH 11, 2016 V I E W P O I N T

We can all do something to help

In 1987, the Names Project displayed theAIDS Memorial Quilt for the rst time on theNational Mall here in the District of Colum-bia during the National March on Washing-ton for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Like many, Iwas overwhelmed by what I saw and I knewsomething special and scary was happeningat the same time.

The Quilt began its 20-city national tour

the next year to honor the many lives ofindividuals who had died from AIDS. Of themore than 9,000 national volunteers, I wasone of them when the Quilt made a tourstop in Birmingham. It’s been 25 years since

the planting of that HIV advocacy seed to “dosomething.” Over these last two decades I’vedone a few things. Some incredible younggirls who’ve lived with HIV from birth haveallowed me to mentor and grow with them.As executive director of a local non-prot, Ihave helped children and families use the

healing arts to improve their lives. I am mostproud of helping to create a hospital-basedinfectious disease clinic that cares for peopleliving with HIV by treating them with the dig-nity, respect and compassion they deserve.

Along this journey I’ve been privileged

to meet incredible activists like Pat Nalls,who’ve touched my heart, informed mywork and sometimes downright tongue-whipped me for getting it wrong. I wouldn’tchange a thing. My pathway in this work also

introduced me to an accomplished CDC-trained epidemiologist and one of the n-est infectious disease physicians I know. Dr.Lisa Fitzpatrick, who with her vision, literallychanged the trajectory of my work in HIV.From hospital operations, to research trials,to meeting Alicia Keys to working with fed-

eral partners, the impact has been limitlessand so are the opportunities to continue“doing something.”

While my daily work doesn’t involve directservice or patient interaction, I consider thiswork to be a natural and necessary exten-

sion of all that I’ve learned in my profession-al and personal experience related to HIV.Nowadays I spend my time getting messag-es out to the community that HIV TreatmentWorks and how we can get to an AIDS-free

generation. This is information for anyonebut for my sisters in particular, I want you tobe in the know about these three things atleast.

HIV TREATMENT WORKS is a CDC cam-paign featuring people from across theUnited States who are living with HIV talkingabout how sticking with care and treatmenthelps them stay healthy, protect others, andlive longer, healthier lives.

Meet Angie who inspires me to keep tell-ing these stories of regular extraordinarypeople living well with HIV. It is possible!

PrEP IS FOR WOMEN TOO . PrEP standsfor Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It means takingmedicine before being exposed to somethingto prevent yourself from getting a disease orcondition. When we talk about PrEP in con-nection to HIV and women, we are referringto the idea of HIV-negative women taking HIVdrugs to reduce their risk of becoming infect-ed with HIV if they are exposed to it.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE HIV POSITIVE

TO ‘DO SOMETHING’ We all need a littlehelp from our friends. Martin Luther King Jr. said it plain and simple, “Everyone can begreat because everyone can serve.” Let’s begreat together.

Helping us get to an AIDS-free generation

KHADIJAH TRIBBLE is a longtime D.C. LGBTactivist. She runs Ground Game, a p ublic affairsand management consulting rm.

Martin Luther King Jr. said it plain and simple,‘Everyone can be great because

everyone can serve.’

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