Volume 44, Issue 35 - August 30, 2013

AUGUST 30 2013 VOLUME 44 I SSUE 35 U OUR COMMUNI TY, OUR STORI ES SI NCE 1969 U WASHI NGTONBLADE.
COM
with guest editor brendon ayanbadejo
02 AUGUST 30, 2013 WASHl NGTONBLADE. COM
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WASHI NGTONBLADE. COM AUGUST] U
Dr. Kings oration 50 years
ago helped us create a
better world
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
At least a dozen civil rights leaders and
public ofcials speaking at the Lincoln
Memorial on Saturday to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March
on Washington joined ve gay and
lesbian speakers in embracing LGBT
equality.
Martin Luther King III, one of the
lead organizers of the 50th Anniversary
March on Washington; U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder; U.S. House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); NAACP
President and CEO Benjamin Jealous;
and Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights President Wade Henderson were
among those expressing the theme that
LGBT rights are part of the broader civil
rights movement.
With tens of thousands of people
assembled before her on the Lincoln
Memorial steps and the National Mall,
lesbian activist Donna Payne expanded
on that theme.
In times like this today I stand
proudly with you as an African-American
lesbian representing the Human Rights
Campaign, Payne told the gathering.
I am proud because the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender community
and the African-American community
are working together toward justice for
all.
Payne added, There have been
many attempts to tell you that we cant
get along because we are so different.
Dont believe that hype. I come from
a mother and father that sat at the
tables at Woolworth stores ghting for
freedom from Jim Crow laws.
Payne, HRC Associate Director of
Field Outreach, was referring to black
civil rights activists who staged sit-in
protests in the early 1960s at segregated
restaurants and other businesses in the
South that restricted blacks to colored
only areas.
The majority in my family are lifetime
members of the NAACP, she said. This
commitment doesnt stop because Im
a lesbian. I am part of the fabric that
weaves our destiny together, she said.
Freedom is not about one civil rights
group but its about all of our civil rights
for everyone.
A second rally at the Lincoln Memorial
on Wednesday in connection with the
50th Anniversary March on Washington
events, was scheduled to include
speeches by Presidents Barack Obama,
Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter. Also
scheduled to speak was lesbian activist
Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay,
Lesbian & Straight Education Network
(GLSEN). Visit washingtonblade.com for
full coverage.
Rev. MacArthur Flournoy, HRC
director of Faith Partnership and
Mobilization, told the Lincoln Memorial
rally that LGBT people are also part of
the faith-based arm of the civil rights
movement.
Today I stand up as a black gay man
ordained in the church in love with God
lled with faith, he said. So we at the
Human Rights Campaign we join our
faith with your faith. We look for an end
to discrimination in all its forms. No
more religious bigotry. No more racist
bigotry. No more violence bigotry.
Sharon Lettman-Hicks, executive
director of the National Black Justice
Coalition, an LGBT rights organization,
and Payne of HRC were added as
speakers at Saturdays Lincoln Memorial
event after the initial list of speakers had
been released.
Every day I educate, advocate and
celebrate the contributions of the black
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
community because if any of my
brothers and sisters are not equal and
free none of us are truly equal and free,
said Lettman-Hicks, a straight, longtime
advocate for LGBT rights.
Lettman-Hicks was among a number
of the rally speakers who talked about
Bayard Rustin, a gay man who served
as one of the lead organizers of the
1963 March on Washington and one of
Martin Luther King Jr.s top advisers.
Rustin was a radical visionary, a black
gay activist for freedom and justice
during a time when the conditions
of both of these identities were
perilous, she said. Rustin was as
unapologetically black as he was gay
and by his very presence challenged
the evils of homophobia and racism
throughout his life.
Adrian Shanker, president of the
statewide LGBT rights group Equality
Pennsylvania, identied himself as a
gay Pennsylvanian reecting on the
historic march 50 years ago, a march
organized by another gay Pennsylvanian
named Bayard Rustin.
Shanker said he was proud to speak
at an event with distinguished civil rights
leaders who paved the paths that allow
us to stand here today more equal than
yesterday, but with so much farther to
go before the dream Dr. King shared will
be realized.
He noted that in Pennsylvania LGBT
people can still be red from their jobs
because of their sexual orientation or
gender identity. In his home state the
governor recently signed a voter ID law
intended to suppress our votes, and
LGBT youth face school bullying every
day, he said.
In Pennsylvania my legal marriage to
my husband Brandon is not recognized
by my government, said Shanker, who
called on states and the U.S. Congress
to pass laws to eliminate the remaining
discriminatory practices faced by LGBT
people across the country.
Two out lesbians and LGBT rights
advocates that spoke at the Lincoln
Memorial rally Randi Weingarten,
president of the American Federation of
Teachers; and Mary Kay Henry, president
of the Service Employees International
Union (SEIU), stressed the importance
of organized labor in the U.S. civil rights
movement.
Dr. Kings oration 50 years ago helped
us create a better world, although we
do not yet have the world that Dr. King
dreamed of, Weingarten said. So this
must not be a commemoration. This
must be a continuation of that righteous
ght to achieve racial and economic
opportunity at the voting booth, in our
schools, in our workplaces and in our
communities.
She added, Fifty years ago another
gay person, Bayard Rustin, had to be
in the shadows. But today, I speak as
a teacher, a worker, a labor activist and
a gay person deeply committed to my
faithThis is who we must be, not only
a country that believes in equality but a
country that acts on that belief. So lets
take a lesson from King. Lets unite
Henry didnt specically mention
LGBT rights but called for the broad civil
rights and economic opportunities that
she said were the hallmark of Martin
Luther King Jr.s advocacy work.
As we rededicate ourselves to the
goals of the 1963 marchers imagined
50 years ago we stand for freedom,
she said. We stand for jobs. We stand
for equality. And the visionaries of this
march proclaimed that we were going
to ght the twin evils of racism and
economic inequality.
Holder, like many of the non-LGBT
speakers, noted that LGBT people and
other minorities have become a part of
the mainline civil rights movement since
the time of the 1963 march.
As we gather today, 50 years later,
their march now our march
goes on, Holder told the rally at the
Lincoln Memorial. And our focus has
broadened to include the cause of
women, Latinos, of Asian Americans,
of lesbians, of gays, of people with
disabilities, and of countless others
across the country who still yearn
for equality, opportunity, and fair
treatment.
Martin Luther King III said the civil
rights movement has become stronger
as it has become broader and more
diverse, with the diversity reected in
different minorities and different faiths.
Yes, we all need to love each other,
black and white, old and young, red
and brown, gay and straight, Christian,
Muslim and Jew and all of Gods children
loving one another, he told the rally.
washingtonblade.com
04 AUGUST 30, 2013 LOCAL NEWS
National March on Washington anniversary events unIolded all week on the National Mall.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY JON WOOTEN
March on Washington speakers call for LGBT equality
Editors note: Due to the special
sports-themed issue of this weeks
Blade, our usual news sections are
abbreviated. Sports coverage begins
on Page 15. Visit washingtonblade.
com for updated news, including full
coverage of March on Washington
anniversary events. Well return to our
usual wonky selves next week.
WASHI NGTONBLADE. COM AUGUST] Ux
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U.S. code denes spouse as
opposite-sex, despite DOMA
ruling
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
Gay married couples are still barred
from receiving veterans spousal benets
at this time despite the court ruling against
the Defense of Marriage Act, according to
a letter from the Department of Veterans
Affairs that was obtained Tuesday by the
Washington Blade.
In a letter dated Aug. 14, Secretary
of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki says
gay veterans are currently unable to
receive the federal benets of marriage
because of Title 38, a portion of the U.S.
code governing veterans benets that
denes spouse in opposite-sex terms
independent of DOMA.
Certain provisions in title 38, United
States Code, dene spouse and
surviving spouse to refer only to a
person of the opposite-sex, the letter
states. Under these provisions, a same-
sex marriage recognized by a State would
not confer spousal status for purposes of
eligibility of VA benets. Although the title
38 denition of spouse and surviving
spouse are similar to the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) provision at issue
in United States v. Windsor, no court
has yet held the title 38 denitions to be
unconstitutional.
Shinsekis letter continues to say that the
Department of Veterans Affairs is working
with the Department of Justice to assess
the impact of the Windsor decision on the
continued constitutional viability of Title
38s and VAs obligations with respect to
those statutes.
No decisions on benets have been
made at this point, said Josh Taylor, a VA
spokesperson. Were working with DOJ
to assess Title 38 after the ruling and no
conclusions have been drawn from that yet.
However, the letter does indicate
that a gay couple that marries in one
state, travels to another that doesnt
recognize the union wont be able to
receive veterans benets if they apply
for them there.
You also inquired about VAs ability to
recognize a marriage based on its validity
in the state of celebration, without
regard to the laws of state of residence,
Shinseki says. A same-sex spouse
whose marriage to a Veteran was valid in
the state where the parties resided at the
time they entered the marriage would
not meet the denition under [Title 38]
for purposes of VA benets.
Michael Cole-Schwartz, a
spokesperson for the Human Rights
Campaign, said an update to the law is
needed to ensure full equality even in
the aftermath of the DOMA ruling.
The end of section 3 of DOMA
unfortunately does not mean all married
same-sex couples are fully equal in the
eyes of the federal government no
matter where they live, Cole-Schwartz
said. We believe there is more work the
administration can do to faithfully interpret
the Windsor ruling in an expansive manner
but as we have said before, Congressional
action is needed to ensure all married
couples are treated equally in all ways.
Some of the spousal benets
allocated under Title 38 are disability
benets, survivor benets and joint
burial at a veterans cemetery. U.S.
Attorney General Eric Holder
announced last year that Title 38s
restriction of benets to opposite-sex
couples is unconstitutional and the
Obama administration wont defend the
law in court against challenges seeking
benets for same-sex couples.
Veterans benets remain unavailable to gay couples
3 jurisdictions now issuing
licenses to gay couples
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A district judge in New Mexico issued a
ruling this week instituting marriage equality
in the states largest county, bringing the
total number of counties with same-sex
marriage in New Mexico to three.
Along with a 25-page decision, Judge
Alan Malott issued a writ of mandamus
requiring clerks in Bernalillo and Santa
Fe counties to distribute marriage
licenses to gay couples.
Immediately upon receipt of the
Writ, Defendants Oliver and Salazar, as
the County Clerks of Bernalillo and Santa
Fe County, New Mexico, respectively,
shall comply with and shall perform their
non-discretionary statutory duty to issue
a Marriage License upon application
from each couple otherwise qualied
without regard to the couples sexual
orientation or the gender of its
members, Malott writes in the order.
In a statement on her
website, Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie
Toulouse Oliver announced her ofce
will comply with an order and was set to
begin issuing marriage licenses to gay
couples starting Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Im very happy and proud to nally
be issuing marriage licenses to same-sex
couples in Bernalillo County, Toulouse
Oliver said. Furthermore, I am beyond
relieved to have some judicial guidance
in this matter that immediately resolves
the conict that existed between state
law and our state constitution. Marriage
is a fundamental civil right that should be
acknowledged and respected at all levels
of government. Judge Malotts ruling today
has made it clear that the fundamental
assumption of that civil right outweighs
other technicalities and concerns.
The decision means Bernalillo County
will join Santa Fe, where County
Clerk Geraldine Salazar had already
begun issuing marriage licenses to gay
couples on her accord, as well as Dona
Ana County, where the clerk had done
the same, in having marriage equality.
Notably, the judge comes to the
same conclusion as a resolution passed
by Santa Fe City Council proposed by
Mayor David Coss: marriage equality
is available under current law in New
Mexico because of the gender-neutral
construction of the law.
Malott writes in his order that the
state law governing marriage doesnt
dene or limit the denition of couple
to a heterosexual pair of contractually
capable people nor those of same-sex
orientation from that term.
Although he acknowledges others
may construe the law to prohibit
same-sex marriage, Malott writes
that equal protection under the state
constitution makes such a prohibition
unconstitutional.
Additionally, the judge cites the
U.S. Supreme Courts decision against
the Defense of Marriage Act as legal
precedent among other cases in his
reasoning to bring same-sex marriage
to Bernalillo County.
Gay and lesbian citizens of New
Mexico have endured a long history of
discrimination, the order states. Denial of
the right to marry continues this unfortunate,
intolerable pattern and establishes
irreparable injury on Plaintiffs part.
The lawsuit was brought to the judge
by the American Civil Liberties Union,
the National Center for Lesbian Rights,
the ACLU of New Mexico and local
attorneys on behalf of six gay couples.
Kate Kendell, executive director
of the National Center for Lesbian
Rights, called the decision a powerful
reminder of the national momentum in
favor of marriage equality.
We are joyful for our client couples
and for every same-sex couple in New
Mexico, Kendell said. The freedom to
marry is about love, commitment, family
and security. These are universal values
and they are center stage today.
Among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit
are Jen Roper and Angelique Neuman,
who have been together for more than
21 years. Late last year, Roper was
diagnosed with an aggressive brain
tumor and was told she had 18 months
to live. Unwilling to wait for marriage
equality to come to New Mexico
at a later date, the couple led an
emergency appeal.
After the Santa Fe County clerk
began issuing marriage licenses on
her own accord, the couple obtained a
marriage license on Friday and married
at a cancer center during a break from a
chemotherapy infusion.
Attorney General Gary King has
already issued an opinion afrming that
New Mexico law does prohibit same-sex
marriage, but also that this prohibition is
unconstitutional and he wouldnt defend
the law in court. King has said he wouldnt
stop counties from distributing marriage
licenses to same-sex couples.
Republican state lawmakers, notably
State Sen. William Sharer, have said
theyll le their own lawsuit to appeal
the decisions and prevent same-sex
marriages from occurring.
Homosexual couples, by their very
existence, self-identify as not having the
procreative value that is one of the vital
components of marriage, Sharer writes
on his website.
Judge brings marriage equality to N.M. county
washingtonblade.com
08 AUGUST 30, 2013 NEWS
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
TRACEY (left) and MAGGIE COOPER-HARRIS
have sued to receive veterans benets that
were denied under Title 38.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
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Declines invitation to attend
Russian lm festival
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
Actor Wentworth Miller last week
came out as gay in a letter to organizers
of a Russian lm festival.
Miller, who appeared in the series
Prison Break and two Mariah Carey
videos, referred to his sexual orientation
in his decision to decline an invitation
to be the guest of honor at the St.
Petersburg International Film Festival
that will take place from Sept. 13-22. He
also cited Russias LGBT rights record in
his letter to festival organizers.
I am deeply troubled by the current
attitude toward and treatment of
gay men and women by the Russian
government, Miller wrote in a letter
that GLAAD released. The situation
is in no way acceptable, and I cannot
in good conscience participate in
a celebratory occasion hosted by a
country where people like myself are
being systematically denied their basic
right to live and love openly.
Millers announcement comes against
the backdrop of growing outrage over
Russias LGBT rights record ahead of
the 2014 Winter Olympics that will take
place in Sochi in February.
President Vladimir Putin in June signed
a broadly worded law that bans gay
propaganda to minors. A second statute
that prohibits same-sex couples and
anyone from a country that allows gays
and lesbians to tie the knot from adopting
Russian children took effect last month.
Russian chess champion Gary
Kasparov and playwright Harvey
Fierstein are among those who have
called for a boycott of the Sochi games.
Andy Cohen last week told E! News
he turned down a request to co-host
the 2013 Miss Universe pageant that will
take place in Moscow in November over
concerns about Russias LGBT rights
record.
Wentworths bold show of support
sends a powerful message to LGBT
Russians, who are facing extreme
violence and persecution: you are not
alone, GLAAD spokesperson Wilson
Cruz said. As people from across the
globe continue to speak out against
Russias horric law, more celebrities
and corporations should follow his
courageous lead in openly condemning
Russias anti-LGBT law.
We really wanted Wentworth Miller to
come to our festival and we are very upset
by his refusal, a festival spokesperson
told the Washington Blade. It is his
choice that deserves respect.
The spokesperson added the
festival is really sad that politics may
inuence cinematography.
Our festival is about art, not about
politics, the spokesperson told the Blade.
Actor Wentworth Miller comes out as gay
Seyfarth Shaw has pro-LGBT
reputation and perfect HRC score
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A Chicago-based law rm known as
Seyfarth Shaw is representing oil-and-
gas giant Exxon Mobil against charges
of alleged anti-gay bias in hiring
practices, according to the LGBT group
Freedom to Work.
Tico Almeida, president of Freedom
to Work, told the Washington Blade the
Chicago ofce of Seyfarth Shaw elected
this month to represent Exxon Mobil
in the lawsuit, which was led by his
organization and is pending before the
Illinois Department of Human Rights.
I believe that even the most disgusting
criminals should have access to counsel
when they violate the law, and Exxons
shareholders will now pay big bucks for
Seyfarths lawyers, who are probably
some of the most expensive corporate
defense lawyers in the country, Almeida
said. But I dont think theres any need
for Seyfarth to run up their billable hours
since Freedom to Work would like to
settle the case today.
Seyfarth Shaw is a massive
international law rm and employs
more than 800 attorneys throughout the
world. It bills itself on its website as a
national platform and an international
gateway that helps businesses in
litigation, employment, corporate, real
estate and employee benets.
Freedom to Work led the lawsuit
against Exxon Mobil in May after
conducting a test in which it sent two
ctitious resumes for a job opening at
the company in Illinois. One was from
a more qualied applicant who outed
herself as LGBT on her resume; the
other was a less qualied applicant who
gave no indications about her sexual
orientation or gender identity. The less
qualied non-LGBT applicant received
multiple callbacks, the more qualied
LGBT applicant received nothing.
The organization led a complaint
against the company on the basis that
it had violated Illinois state law, which
prohibits employment discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation.
Legal precedent within Illinois and the
U.S. Supreme Court allows for paired-
resume testing as a basis to le an
employment discrimination lawsuit
against a company.
Almeida said that Exxon Mobil could
settle the case by adopting a policy
prohibiting discrimination against LGBT
workers.
In fact, one settlement option
would be for Exxon to copy and paste
Seyfarths own LGBT workplace policies,
which have previously earned the
lawrm a 100 percent LGBT rating from
the HRC, Almeida said. Exxon could
also copy and paste the Chevron LGBT
workplace policy, and we would accept
that as part of the settlement.
The Chicago ofce of Seyfarth Shaw
didnt respond to multiple requests this
week to conrm that it has decided to
represent Exxon Mobil or explain why it
has decided to represent the company.
William Holbrook, an Exxon Mobil
spokesperson, had no comment on
whether his company selected Seyfarth
Shaw to defend it against the Freedom
to Work lawsuit.
Mike Coffey, a spokesperson for the
Illinois Department of Human Resources,
wouldnt conrm that Seyfarth Shaw is
participating in the lawsuit, but afrmed
the case is under investigation.
Seyfarth Shaw is known for adopting
pro-LGBT policies. It has a 100 percent
rating on the Human Rights Campaigns
Corporate Equality Index. In addition
to having an LGBT non-discrimination
policy, the law rm offers same-
sex partner benets, transgender
health coverage and was among the
companies that signed a legal brief
before the U.S. Supreme Court against
the Defense of Marriage Act.
In a statement from 2011, Seyfarth
Shaw Chair J. Stephen Poor touted
receiving a perfect score on the HRC
report for the fourth consecutive year.
We are proud to earn this
recognition and to have maintained
the perfect score for the fourth year in
a row, demonstrating that we dont just
talk the talk, Poor said at the time.
We know that diversity is important to
clients, and its equally important to us.
Michael Cole-Schwartz, a Human
Rights Campaign spokesperson, said his
organization would dock a hypothetical
law rm for representing Exxon Mobil
in a case alleging anti-gay bias at the
company.
Yes, we would and have done
so in the past, Cole-Schwartz said.
The rm Foley & Lardner was docked
15 points previously for their work
representing organizations trying to
stop marriage equality (engagements
which have since ended and they are
no longer docked), although it should
be noted the rm has also had a long
history of pro bono support for LGBT
causes.
Starting with the 2012 report, Cole-
Schwartz said HRC raised the possible
point deduction from -15 to -25. One
of the criteria on which companies are
judged in the report is responsible
citizenship or having no known activity
that would undermine LGBT equality.
Informed by the Washington Blade
that Seyfarth Shaw was the law rm
defending Exxon Mobil, Cole-Schwartz
said the situation is currently under
evaluation. HRC has previously praised
Freedom to Works lawsuit against the
company.
Chicago rm to defend Exxon Mobil in gay bias case
washingtonblade.com
10 AUGUST 30, 2013 NATl ONAL NEWS
SeyIarth Shaw is representing Exxon Mobil
in a lawsuit alleging anti-gay bias against the
company.
FHOTO OF EXXON SlGN BY lLDAR SAGDEJEV, FHOTO OF MOBlL
SlGN BY TERENCE ONG, COURTESY WlKlMEDlA COMMONS.
WENTWORTH MILLER starred in the series
'Frison Break.'
FHOTO BY WATCHWlTHKRlSTlN VlA WlKlMEDlA COMMONS
A walk to end shame
Slutwalk Baltimore and Baltimore United
Against Sexual Violence have partnered
with organizations in Munich (Bavaria,
Germany), Ottawa (Ontario, Canada),
Belleville (Ontario, Canada), Winnipeg
(Manitoba, Canada), Tucson, and Chicago
for this day to take a stand against slut
shaming, victim blaming, rape culture
and the general vilication of sexuality on
Sept. 7. The walk (rain or shine) will begin
at 10 a.m. at the Power Plant and end at
Baltimore City Hall.
In January 2011, an ofcer in the
Toronto police department allegedly
said, Women should avoid dressing
like sluts in order not to be victimized.
That story started the movement.
SlutWalk has become a worldwide
movement, working to end victim-
blaming and slut-shaming and to raise
awareness about sexual assault and
change cultural attitudes (rape culture) so
we can end sexual assault, Rachel Perry-
Crook, the director of SlutWalk Baltimore
told the Blade. As the survivor of sexual
assault and a victim of slut-shaming, I know
the detrimental effects it can have on a
person. I took over SlutWalk Baltimore
in 2012 because I need to help create a
world where no one else is made to feel
as I did.
Added Lucas McCahill, lead organizer
of the American Humanist Associations
LGBTQ Humanist Council of Baltimore,
SlutWalk also stands up for those in the
LGBTQ community who have been the
victims of what is called, corrective rape
whereby a person sexually assaults a
member of the LGBTQ community to, x
them.
The organizers are still accepting
speakers for the event. For more
information, email baltimore.slutwalk@
gmail.com.
PWs to host drag benet
PWs Sports Bar and Grill, Howard
Countys only gay bar, will host a crab
feast on Sept. 21 to benet one of its
favorite drag performers, Miss Anastacia
Amor. The purpose is to raise money so
that Amor can travel and compete in the
Miss Gay America contest to be held in
St. Louis, from Oct. 9-13.
Miss Gay America is important to me
because this is the system that has helped
me grow as a person and entertainer,
constantly striving to be a symbol of
excellence, Amor told the Blade.
The crab feast will take place from
12-6 p.m. Tables and tents will be set
up outside to enjoy the festivities and
there will be a DJ. PWs is located at
9855 Washington Blvd. N., Laurel, Md.
For $35 in advance ($40 at the door),
it will be an all-the-crabs-you-can-eat
event plus all the draft beer you can
drink. Tickets may be purchased at
pwssportsbar.ticketleap.com.
Forum to address HIV
among black gays
With nearly 30,000 Marylanders living
with HIV/AIDS, Baltimore Black Pride,
Inc. along with members of the Maryland
Prevention and Health Promotion
Administration, local health departments
and community based-organizations have
created an alliance to address specically
HIV infections among MSM (men who
have sex with men) in the state. This
community is targeted because a 2009
report indicated that MSM made up 46
percent of all new HIV diagnoses.
We recognize that faith-based organizations
have done much of the important work
needed to increase HIV awareness, education
and testing in the general community, said
Carlton R. Smith, President of Baltimore Black
Pride in a statement. However, a specific
reach is needed to the African-American gay
and bisexual, and/or same gender-loving
community.
Baltimore Black Pride, Inc. will convene an
open forum with spiritual leaders and the
community of Baltimore City on Sept. 27 called
Am I My Brothers Keeper? Special guest
moderator will be radio talk show host Anthony
McCarthy. The forum will take place 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the Eubie Blake National Jazz & Cultural
Center, 847 N. Howard St., Baltimore. Light
breakfast and lunch will be provided. Admission
is free and open to the public.
For more information, email
bmoreblackpride@yahoo.com.
STEVE CHARING
washingtonblade.com
BALTI MORE NEWS DI GEST AUGUST 30, 2013 11
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Alaska considering new policy for LGBT partners
JUNEAU, Alaska The Alaska State Personnel Board is considering including
same-sex partners of state employees in the denition of immediate family for
purposes of leave, according to an Associated Press report last week.
A proposed change in rules also would allow state employees to take leave due to
a serious health condition of a same-sex partner. Same-sex marriage is not legal in
Alaska because of a state constitutional amendment. Nancy Sutch, a deputy director
within the state Division of Personnel and Labor Relations, said by email that the
proposed change in rules stems from a recent review of a 2005 Alaska Supreme
Court decision, the AP reported.
That decision, in a case over health insurance and other benets, found it is unconstitutional
to offer valuable benets to the spouses of public employees but not to same-sex domestic
partners. Sutch told the AP the proposed regulations will set out requirements that are similar
to those for insurance coverage, which have been in effect since 2006.
Fuller descriptions of the proposed changes were not immediately available, the
AP article said. Same-sex partners of state employees currently can qualify to be on
their insurance, provided certain requirements are met.
Preview issue of new gay health journal online
NEW YORK A preview issue is now available of a new gay health journal called
LGBT Health, a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to promoting health care
among sexual minorities, LGBT Weekly, a gay media company, reported this week.
The journal provides a forum for members of the research, medical and advocacy
communities to present and discuss the latest research ndings and critical issues
related to all aspects of the health and health care of sexual orientation and gender
identity minorities, the article said. LGBT Health will be published online and in a
print edition. The preview issue is online now.
Empire State Pride releases LGBT health report
NEW YORK Empire State Pride Agenda, New Yorks statewide LGBT advocacy
group, has released a report on health disparities faced by gay residents there, LGBT
Weekly reported last week.
Reporting data collected by the New York City Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, the report found key health shortcomings related to safety and violence
(nearly one in ve lesbian and gay students have missed school because they
felt unsafe in the last 30 days), weight issues (black LGBT youth have lower rates
of physical activity than their white and straight counterparts), mental health (LGB
youth are more likely to attempt suicide), smoking and asthma (almost half of LGB
youth smoke compared to 17.1 percent of their straight counterparts), access to care
(LGB adults in poverty are much less likely to access health care than their straight
counterparts with similar limited resources) and more.
The full report is available online at prideagenda.org.
HIV researchers use Grindr to
recruit participants for vaccine trial
PHILADELPHIA Researchers in Pennsylvania are using Grindr to recruit
gay and bi men into a clinical trial for an HIV vaccine, the Philadelphia Inquirer
reported last week.
Using a bounty of online techniques Facebook, e-mail, Craiglist and
more researchers found Grindr to be the most effective, the article
said. The project is HVTN 505 at the University of Pennsylvanias HIV/AIDS
Prevention Research Division
Recruiters for HVTN 505 cherry-picked times with peak trafc and for a total
of 22 days since the fall, ads worth $9,400 were blasted to all users within 30
miles of the Penn clinic, the Inquirer reported.
Two types of ads appeared on Grindr: a pop-up ad that covered the entire
screen when the app was rst opened, and a banner ad at the bottom of the
screen that rotated out after 30 seconds.
Grindr directed 18,000 visits to the trials website. More than 300 of those
people who tapped the See More option registered online. After screening
questions over the phone, 16 Grindr users ended up in Penns study of nearly
200 people the highest enrollment rate of all social media used, the
Inquirer article said.
In April, the National Institutes of Health discontinued HVTN 505 because
preliminary data indicated the vaccine didnt prevent HIV infection or reduce
viral load. But that didnt deter participants. Many who participated asked
where they might sign up for another vaccine trial. Two trials at Penn are
recruiting participants for other HIV vaccines; six more trials have completed
enrollment. None has used Grindr, but the app is being employed in a trial
testing the pill Truvada, which has shown promise in preventing HIV when
taken daily, the Inquirer reported.
washingtonblade.com
12 AUGUST 30, 2013 HEALTH NEWS
Researchers are using Grindr to recruit gay and bi men Ior an HlV vaccine trial.
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40 years after Stonewall, no
out player in major league
baseball, football, hockey
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

LGBT sports enthusiasts were thrilled
earlier this year when professional
basketball player Jason Collins and
pro soccer player Robbie Rogers came
out as gay, becoming the rst two out
gay men to emerge as current players
in the professional leagues for the two
sports.
Around the same time, Brittney
Griner, the top-rated 2013 college
basketball player in the Womens
National Basketball Association
(WNBA) draft, came out as a lesbian.
Her coming out made no difference
to the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team,
which quickly signed her on as a player.
The decision by Collins, Rogers,
and Griner to disclose their sexual
orientation followed coming out
stories last year of another womens pro
basketball player, Seimone Augustus,
and a womens pro soccer player,
Megan Rapinoe.
While these developments are viewed
as encouraging signs by LGBT sports
fans and activists, they come at a time
when no open gays have ever emerged
as players in three of the nations most
popular professional sports baseball,
football and ice hockey. And though
the NBAs Collins came out four months
ago, he remains a free agent. (See
related story, Page 38)
No male professional golfer has ever
come out as gay anywhere in the world
and just one pro tennis player who is
male has ever come out, according
to Cyd Zeigler, editor and publisher
of OutSports, a widely read online
publication covering LGBT people in
sports.
People call it the last closet. And I
think thats what it is, Zeigler told the
Blade in discussing the lack of LGBT
people in professional sports. I think
homophobia for decades has been
more entrenched in sports than it has
in most other areas in our culture, he
said.
It starts when these kids are young.
And theyre ve years old and 10 years
old and playing sports and the coach
calls them a faggot and tells them not
to be a sissy and this idea that being
a faggot is less than being a man, he
said. It starts there.
Zeigler and other experts in the eld
of gays in sports say they are optimistic
that cultural and political changes
that opened the way for LGBT rights
advances in recent years, including
the approval of same-sex marriage in
a growing number of states, will soon
spill over into the realm of professional
sports.
Forty-three years after the Stonewall
riots in New York sparked the modern
LGBT rights movement, LGBT activists
say they are hopeful that baseball,
football and hockey along with other
professional sports will soon join the
ranks of other professions in becoming
more welcoming for LGBT people.
Zeigler said nearly all professional
sports leagues have policies that
ban discrimination based on sexual
orientation along with other categories
such as race, religion and ethnicity.
Earlier this year, at the request of
New York State Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman, the National Football
League and Major League Baseball
agreed to strengthen their non-
discrimination policies pertaining to
sexual orientation.
In a statement released in April,
Schneiderman said he pushed for the
strengthened policies after his ofce
learned of complaints by at least three
prospective NFL players that they were
asked questions about their sexual
orientation at the leagues recruitment
scouting meeting held in February in
Indianapolis.
According to one prospective
player, representatives of NFL
teams asked prospects if they had
a girlfriend, were married, or liked
girls, a statement released in April by
Schneidermans ofce says.
The statement and a follow-up
statement released in July says both
the NFL and Major League Baseball
adopted their initial non-discrimination
policies on sexual orientation in
2011 as part of collective bargaining
agreements with the NFL and MLB and
their respective players associations,
which act as player unions. (See page
64 for an op-ed by DeMaurice Smith,
executive director of the NFL Players
Association.)
The statements say that in response
to Schneidermans request, the NFL
and MLB agreed to adopt a workplace
code of conduct specically addressing
sexual orientation discrimination and
to post the policy document in all team
locker rooms among other places.
Both on the eld and away from
it, Major League Baseball has a zero-
tolerance policy for harassment
and discrimination based on sexual
orientation, MLB Commissioner Bud
Selig said in a statement related to the
code of conduct document.
It couldnt immediately be
determined whether the new non-
discrimination policies would
encourage gay baseball or football
players to come out. But experts
familiar with LGBT people in sports
say factors other than homophobia
and anti-LGBT bias may be playing a
role in discouraging LGBT people from
coming out in professional sports.
I think the athletes themselves are
ready to have an openly gay teammate,
said Patricia Grifn, Professor Emerita
in Social Justice Education at the
University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Grifn, a former swimming coach
and author of the book Strong
Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and
Homophobia in Sports, told the Blade
that concern over media attention may
be keeping some LGBT athletes from
coming out.
I think one of the things that keeps
athletes in the closet is not necessarily
that theyre afraid of the homophobia
of their teammates, but that its still
such a news story, especially for the
men, Grifn said. You have to be
prepared to deal with all of the media
attention. And I think there are a lot of
gay athletes and thats not what they
want to do, she said.
They would like to be out. They want
to be out. But they dont want to have
to deal with the attending media crush
as well as probably requests from every
gay organization in the world to be a
spokesperson and so on, she said.
Zeigler said he, too, believes
reasons other than anti-LGBT bias
have prompted many LGBT athletes in
professional sports to stay in the closet.
He noted that in the NFL, the average
career often ends after three and a
half years. The average baseball and
hockey career is likely to be longer, but
most players are ready for retirement
by their late 30s, he said
These guys from high school are
working essentially full-time jobs and
going to school, he said. And a lot
of them say they dont have time to
explore their sexual orientation. Their
idea of coming out in the middle of the
pressure of trying to make a college
squad, trying to get playing time, trying
to make an NFL squad, trying to get a
good contract is not something that
appeals to them, he said.
So coming out is a complication, an
unnecessary complication for some of
them, said Zeigler.
u.s. professional sports
called the last closet
CONTI NUES ON PAGE 48
W A S H I N G T O N B L A D E
washingtonblade.com U august 30, 2013 U 15
BRITTNEY GRINER, seen here accepting the Wade Trophy, came out as a lesbian but didnt receive a
lot of media attention, even though she is recognized as the best woman basketball player to enter
the WNBA draft in 2013.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Looking back on inuential
coming out stories since 1975
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
This timeline reects the highlights
of professional U.S. athletes who
have come out in the most popular
American sports based on reports in
various news media outlets, including
OutSports. It is not a denitive list of
all athletes who have come out, but
experts consider those identied here
to have had an important impact in
paving the way for more LGBT athletes
to come out.

1975: David Kopay, an NFL player
with the Washington Redskins, San
Francisco 49ers and other teams,
comes out as gay shortly after retiring
from football. He becomes the rst
known NFL player, active or retired, to
openly discuss his sexual orientation
rst with the news media and later in
his 1977 bestselling book, The David
Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-
Revelation.

1976: Ophthalmologist and tennis
player Dr. Renee Richards is outed as
a transgender woman when the U.S.
Tennis Association refused to allow her
to play in the U.S. Open on grounds
that she was born as a male and could
not compete against women. She
challenged the denial in court and won
her case the following year, enabling her
to become the rst known transgender
person to play in a professional sport.

1981: Billie Jean King, the nationally
acclaimed tennis star, was outed by her
ex-partner Marilyn Barnett in a palimony
lawsuit. King said later that the disclosure
that she was a lesbian resulted in her
losing about $2 million in commercial
endorsements from companies that
dropped her immediately after learning
she was gay.

1981: Martina Navratilova, the
internationally acclaimed tennis star,
willingly disclosed that she is a lesbian
just months after the outing of Billie
Jean King. Navratilova became the
rst big name professional athlete
to come out of the closet during the
height of her playing career. Although
the tennis establishment for the most
part supported her she later told the
LGBT blog OutSports she lost as much
as $10 million in endorsements from
companies that spurned her because of
her sexual orientation.

1988: Major League Baseball
umpire Dave Pallone is red by
then Commissioner of Baseball Bart
Giamatti, who cites unsubstantiated
allegations that Pallone had sex with a
minor. Although authorities in Saratoga
Springs, N.Y., dropped an investigation
into the allegations and in Pallones view
exonerated him of any wrongdoing,
the umpire said Giamatti and other
baseball ofcials didnt want him in
baseball because hes gay. In his 1990
book Behind the Mask: My Double
Life in Baseball, Pallone says his ring
reinforced the perception that Major
League Baseball would not allow gay
players or umpires.

1992: Roy Simmons of the NFL, who
played for the New York Giants and
Washington Redskins in the 1980s,
came out as gay in a TV interview on
the Phil Donahue Show, several years
after his football career ended.
1993: Then former Major League
Baseball player Glen Burke came out
publicly in 1993 in interviews in Sport
magazine and NBCs Today show.
According to subsequent reports in the
media, Burke came out to his fellow
players and manager Tommy Lasorda
when he played for the Los Angeles
Dodgers in the 1970s. The Dodgers
traded him to the Oakland As reportedly
because top management feared news
of Burkes sexual orientation would
become public, leading to negative
publicity for the team. He is credited
with being the rst Major League
Baseball player to come out to an entire
team. Burke died of AIDS in 1995.
1996: Mufn Spencer-Devlin, a three-
time tournament winner on the Ladies
Professional Golf Association Tour in the
1980s, came out as a lesbian in a March
1996 article in Sports Illustrated, becoming
the rst female or male professional golfer
to come out while still playing.
1999: Major League Baseball player
Billy Bean publicly disclosed hes gay in
1999, four years after his baseball career
ended. He began his Major League
Baseball career in 1987 and played
for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles
Dodgers, and San Diego Padres. He
wrote about his life as a closeted gay
ball player in his 2003 book Going the
Other Way: Lessons from a Life In and
Out of Major League Baseball.
2002: Esera Tuaolo, a defensive
lineman for nine years in the NFL before
retiring in 1999, came out as gay in a
2002 interview on ESPN. He became
the third widely known NFL player to
come out shortly after retiring. Like the
other two David Kopay (1975) and Roy
Simmons (1992) Tuaolos post-career
coming out reinforced the longstanding
belief that no NFL player could come
out while still playing without facing dire
consequences.

2005: Sheryl Swoopes, a seven-
time Womens National Basketball
Association (WNBA) All-Star who was
chosen three times as the leagues most
valuable player, came out as a lesbian
in 2005 at the height of her career.
After being hailed as a role model for
lesbians in sports, Swoopes startled
LGBT basketball fans in 2010 when news
surfaced that she ended her relationship
with her female partner and announced
she was engaged to marry a man. She
has since retired from basketball and is
head coach for the womens basketball
team at Loyola University in Chicago.

2007: John Amaechi, a professional
basketball player who retired in
2003, came out as gay four years
later, becoming the rst player in the
National Basketball Association (NBA)
to come out, either during or after his
playing days. His coming out was timed
to coincide with the publication of his
autobiography, Man in the Middle.

2011: Rick Welts, president of the
Golden State Warriors, an NBA team,
came out as gay in a New York Times
interview in May 2011, becoming
the rst openly gay executive of the
NBA and any of the other top U.S.
professional sports. LGBT sports
enthusiasts say Welts status as an out
gay person in a high-level executive
post in the professional sports world set
a precedent for encouraging more pro
sports executives as well as players to
come out.

2012: Megan Rapinoe, a womens
U.S. professional soccer player with the
Seattle Reign team and who is credited
with helping the U.S. womens national
soccer team win a Gold Medal at the
2012 Summer Olympics in England,
came out as a lesbian in an interview
with Out magazine. The sports blog
SB Nation reported earlier this month
Reign team ofcials will allow the
internationally acclaimed soccer star to
play for the French soccer team Lyon for
the remainder of this year and next year,
with the expectation that she will return
to Seattle in June 2014.
2012: Seimone Augustus,
considered a WNBA superstar with
the Minnesota Lynx team, surfaced as
an out lesbian and strong advocate for
same-sex marriage when she backed
the campaign to oppose a 2012 ballot
measure in Minnesota to ban same-
sex marriage in the state constitution.
After the defeat of the ballot measure,
Augustus announced plans to marry her
partner Lataya Varner in a Minnesota
ceremony.

2013: Robbie Rogers, an American
professional soccer player, startled the
soccer establishment in February of this
year by announcing he is gay and was
retiring from soccer at age 25, ending
his tenure as a member of Englands
championship team Leads United. In
May, Rogers changed his mind and was
quickly snatched up by the Los Angeles
Galaxy, making him the rst openly gay
professional mens soccer player in the
U.S. having the status of an active player.
a timeline of progress
in u.s. sports
16 U august 30, 2013 U washingtonblade.com
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Tennis, football, diving and
much more on tap
By WILL OWEN
As the summer cools down, many
LGBT sports leagues are just heating
up. From Flag Football to Diving, Team
D.C. has a wide array of LGBT sports
opportunities this fall.
The Federal Triangles, D.C.s
LGBT soccer organization, kicks off its
Rehoboth Beach Classic tournament
over Labor Day weekend today (Friday)
through Sunday. Participants are still
needed. Members can register for
$87.26 and non-members for $97.49 at
federaltriangles.org.
The Triangles have indoor and
outdoor coed, womens and mens
teams over the fall. The Turkey Bowl,
an annual tournament for all skill levels,
is held each year the Saturday before
Thanksgiving, with a potluck dinner
party afterward.
Membership dues are $50 each year. Visit
federaltriangles.org to become a member
and nd other ways to get involved.
The Capital Tennis Association has
a fall league that runs from Sept. 17
through Dec. 29. The Capital Classic XXI
Tournament is Sept. 13-15, with doubles
and singles tournaments at the Rock Creek
Tennis Center (16
th
and Kennedy streets,
N.W.) and the East Potomac Center (1090
Ohio Dr., S.W.). Registration ranges from
$70-130. For more information and to
register, visit capital-tennis.org.
The Capital Tennis Association has six
leagues that play weekly and three remain
open, including Saturday Singles at Hains
Point (972 Ohio Dr., S.W.), Saturday Faixfax
Doubles and Sunday Fairfax Singles (9860
Lee Hwy., Fairfax, Va.). All skill levels are
encouraged. Registration ranges from
$165-330. Visit capital-tennis.org for more
information and to register.
The Washington Wetskins water
polo team hosts its annual Columbus
Day Classic tournament on Oct. 12 at the
Takoma Aquatic Center (300 Van Buren
St., N.W.). Teams can register for $100
before Sept. 17, or for $450 afterward.
The Wetskins practice each week on
Monday and Wednesday nights at the
Takoma Aquatic Center. New members
can register monthly for $30, quarterly
for $90 or annually for $300. For more
information on the tournament and to
register, visit wetskins.org.
The D.C. Gay Flag Football League
kicks off its seventh season on Sept. 7.
The teams play every Sunday from 10
a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Carter Barron Fields (16
th

and Kennedy streets, N.W.) and on Friday
nights at Randall Field (820 South Capitol
St., S.W.). All skill levels are welcome.
The game schedule for the fall is TBA.
Registration is full, but those interested can
be put on a waitlist. For more information
and to be waitlisted, visit dcgf.org.
The Chesapeake and Potomac
Softball league starts its fall season
on Sept. 7, with registration through
Sept. 2. The group plays every Saturday
through Oct. 12, with teams playing at
10 or 11 a.m., or noon or 1 p.m., at the
Tucker Road Complex (1771 Rucker Rd.,
Fort Washington, Md.). Registration is
$30. For more details and to register,
visit capssoftball.leagueapps.com.
The Lambda Links Golf Club
continues membership through Oct. 31.
The league hosts two fall tournaments,
including the Club Championship on
Sept. 7 and the Oct. 27 Halloween
Tournament, with times and locations to
be announced.
Lambda Links play at a variety of
courses in the area, such as the Poolesville
Golf Course (16601 West Willard Rd.,
Poolesville, Md.). Membership is $20
after Aug. 15. All skill levels are welcome,
but members are expected to have
played 18-hole rounds of golf and know
golf etiquette. For more information
and to register, visit lambdalinks.org.
The Lambda Divers, an LGBT scuba
diving group, host a diving trip to Curacao,
an island in the Caribbean, from Sept. 21-
28. The trip is part of the International
Gay and Lesbian Diving Jamboree, and
requires a minimum deposit of $515.
Two-year membership dues for
Lambda Divers range from $30-67.50.
To register and for more information
on the Curacao trip and the group, visit
lambdadivers.org.
The D.C. Front Runners start back up
their regular fall Saturday fun run on Sept.
7 from 10 a.m.-noon at 23 and P Streets,
N.W. The Fun Run is their most popular
weekly run, and includes 3-, 4- or 6-mile runs
through scenic Rock Creek Park.
The Front Runners will also be
participating in the Arlington Police, Fire
and Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K run on Sept.
7 at the Crystal City Double Tree Hotel (300
Army Navy Dr., Arlington, Va.) at 6 p.m.
The 9-11 Memorial 5K draws over 25,000
participants each year, and raises up to
$400,000 for 9-11-related charities, like
the American Red Cross and Wounded
Warrior Project. Registration is $40.
The group will have a lot of races
during the fall and participate in many
more marathons in locations all over D.C.
and as far as Baltimore and Philadelphia.
For more information and to register for
events, visit dcfrontrunners.org.
The Washington Renegades rugby
league start their season on Sept. 7,
which lasts through Nov. 23. Practices
are held every Tuesday and Thursday at
6:45 p.m. at Cardozo High School (1300
Clifton St., N.W.).
Matches will take place each
Saturday, with times and locations TBD.
Membership for fall recruits is $50,
and full-year membership is $100. For
more information and to register, visit
dcrugby.com.
d.c. athletes gearing
up for busy fall
The D.C. GAY FLAG FOOTBALL League starts its new season Sept. 7.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
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WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTOS BY MICHAEL KEY
Seeks to encourage
inclusion, empower athletes
By WILL OWEN
Team D.C., the Washington areas
largest LGBT athletics organization,
has a mission beyond organizing
sports leagues and events for D.C.s
LGBT community. With its student-
athlete scholarships, handed out
annually to four to six outstanding
LGBT athletes in the region, Team
D.C. helps empower gay youth and
encourage inclusion.
By doing things like [the
scholarships], I think we help push the
conversation forward to be inclusive
of LGBT athletes, and LGBT athletes
themselves know they are supported
and not alone, said Brent Minor,
executive director of Team D.C. The
scholarship program has given us
more to be about than just organizing
participation in the Gay Games. This
helps to establish a stronger and a fuller
identity for Team D.C.
Team D.C.s scholarships provide
up to $2,000 for graduating high
school seniors who reside in the D.C.
metropolitan area and identify as LGBT.
Recipients are chosen based not only on
athletic success, but also on academic
excellence and their promise of serving
as positive role models for other LGBT
youth.
A diverse committee of educators and
parents of LGBT student-athlete college
graduates decide which students
in the area fulll the scholarships
criteria. Although the scholarships
are exclusively for LGBT youth, Team
D.C. does not require the recipients to
publicly disclose their sexual orientation
or gender identity.
People think all gay youths are
coming out now, but thats denitely
not true, Minor says. This program is
not outing anybody at all. Were happy
to respect their desire to not be out. It
adds extra difculty to talk about not
just openly gay students, but openly
gay athletes.
Team D.C. awarded four local LGBT
student-athletes scholarships this year,
including Laura Ventura and Sarah
Kerndt.
Ventura, a Silver Spring, Md., native
who identies as pansexual, received
the Team D.C. scholarship for her
talent as a rower on the crew team at
Walter Johnson High School where
she recently graduated. Ventura had
positive experiences being out to
her teammates, despite sometimes
having to explain what pansexuality
attraction to people of all gender
identities and biological sexes is.
A lot of people on my team were
extremely accepting, or somewhere on
the LGBT spectrum themselves. I had
to explain [pansexuality], but after the
initial explanation that was it, Ventura
says. My team is a very close-knit team,
where we call each other family.
Ventura was heavily involved with
raising awareness of LGBT issues at
Walter Johnson, particularly as the
president of the schools Queer-Straight
Alliance.
We did a lot of events, she says. We
went to D.C. Pride together, saw a lot of
the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington
shows and did Day of Silence. We did
a lot of events not just with the club,
but with the whole school. I was really
excited to win the scholarship because I
felt like I had done a lot for my school in
trying to gain awareness on my team
and at the school in general. It shows
that what Ive done to teach acceptance
has been appreciated by the scholarship
committee.
Ventura is studying nursing at Pace
University in New York City next year,
which does not have a rowing team. She
plans to row for outside clubs in the city.
Sarah Kerndt is a lesbian from
Springeld, Va., who graduated earlier
this year from West Springeld High
School. Team D.C. awarded her with
a scholarship for her gift as a forward
on her high schools basketball team
and as a lacrosse goalie. Like Ventura,
she largely had positive experiences
being out on both teams and was able
to confront teammates who made
homophobic remarks.
There were only a couple of incidents
where somebody made a remark like
Thats so gay. I felt comfortable enough
around my teammates to approach
them about it, Kerndt says. I had other
teammates who would support me.
Basketball had always been Kerndts
sport, but during her junior year she
picked up lacrosse. Next year she
starts her college career at Christopher
Newport University in Newport News,
Va., and plans to play for the schools
lacrosse team rather than continuing
basketball.
Kerndt was initially waitlisted by
Christopher Newport, which was her
top-choice, but a chat between her
high school lacrosse coach and the
universitys lacrosse coach helped to
expedite a decision. She wants to play
college lacrosse not only because she
loves the sport, but also to honor her
coach who helped her out.
I started applying to colleges, and
from Christopher Newport I actually got
waitlisted. My coach told me she knew
the lacrosse coach there, and she told
me she could probably get me off the
waitlist and she did, Kerndt says. I
denitely love lacrosse, but I also want
to play it for my coach who helped me
out.
Kerndt was ecstatic to win the Team
D.C. scholarship because she says
it demonstrates the support LGBT
students can nd from their community
and allows her to tell younger students
about this support.
My rst reaction was freaking out
over it, because I guess, its amazing to
see that there are scholarships like Team
D.C. out there, Kerndt says. There is
a strong LGBT community out there to
support everybody, including athletes. I
was really honored to be accepted for
this who wouldnt be?
Kerndts sense of responsibility in
educating others and setting a good
example is precisely the goal of the
Team D.C. scholarship program.
Coaches and administrators are
often unaware that gays and lesbians
play sports, or that thats even an issue.
Sports are one of the last bastions where
LGBT participation is not particularly
encouraged, Minor says. The core
mission of Team D.C. is how to dispel
stereotypes. Its about educating
people about the LGBT community
and offering more opportunities to play
sports.
Applications for the 2014 Team D.C.
scholarships will start being accepted
on Sept. 1. Visit teamdc.org for more
information, or to apply for or donate to
the Team D.C. scholarship program.
team d.c. assists youth
with scholarships
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Provi di ng an i ncl usi ve, l ow- cost, and hi gh
FUN sports ENVI RONMENT si nce 2010
w w w . s t o n e w a l l s p o r t s . o r g
Permit process, lack of elds
often vex D.C. players
By KEVIN MAJOROS
D.C. is home to one of the largest
and most organized LGBT sports
communities in the world. The list of
LGBT sports teams has grown to more
than 30 clubs and the athlete base is
well over 3,000 members.
Those kinds of numbers would not be
possible without the leadership that is
demonstrated by members of each of
the clubs.
But the success of local organizers
doesnt mean they dont encounter
obstacles to growth. Some of the
challenges facing them include lack
of playing space, high costs for space,
accessibility and the local permit
process.
The permit process, especially for
a new team forming, can cause major
frustration for those not familiar with the
process. There are cross-jurisdictional
issues and some of the entities that may
present a challenge are the National
Park Service, the D.C. Department of
Parks and Recreation, the Department
of General Services Realty Ofce as well
as the facility or school that the space
sits on.
One person who knows the permit
process well is Alex Bearman, executive
director of District Sports who manages
leagues and playing space for 240
primarily straight soccer teams at 15
different locations in the area.
District Sports primarily uses playing
elds that are run by schools, which
means that their process includes being
approved by the athletic director, the
vice principal or the principal. There is
a lot of hand-holding, showing up and
talking, says Bearman. You can make
it through the permit process and then
be turned down by the facility because
there are just not enough incentives for
the facility to offer their space. There
is also the added cost of paying for a
maintenance man to be on site.
Nick Napolitano leads the permit
process for the Federal Triangles Soccer
Club and agrees that the schools do not
have enough incentives to risk having
their elds torn up by an adult sports
league.
You really have to establish a
relationship with the school principal
and prove that you will respect
the condition of their eld, says
Napolitano. In the past we have had to
enlist the help of D.C. Council member
Jim Graham just to get our foot in the
door. Even when you get to that point, it
is still hard to budget for the fees as they
can uctuate.
When the DC Gay Flag Football
League (DCGFFL) began, it targeted
the elds near the FDR Memorial as
their home base and came up with no
results during the permit process.
We ended up going through our
roster of players just to nd someone
who knew someone or at least knew
the process, says JJ Johnson, league
commissioner. Even after securing the
spot, we were still confronted by a park
ranger on the rst day.
The DCGFFL outgrew that eld almost
immediately and is now ensconced at
the Carter Barron Fields on Sundays.
The group considers themselves lucky
to have access to such a large amount
of space as they have grown to 276
players.
Carter Barron is federally owned,
administered by the National Park
Service, and permitted by the DC
Department of Parks and Recreation.
It was very confusing at rst, says
Johnson. We now show up at the
permit ofce several times a year just
to shake hands and chit chat. We want
them to know who we are and that we
are appreciative.
Martin Espinoza of Stonewall Kickball
agrees that the permit process can be
stressful as the kickball league faces
two permit renewals each year. They
generally have their calendar set up for
the upcoming season without knowing if
their permit will be renewed. To be safe,
league registration is always scheduled
after the permit approval date.
Currently, the kickball league plays
on Sundays at Stead Park Field. When
the club started in 2010, the city was not
allowing use of Stead Park on Sundays.
We were very fortunate, admits
Espinoza. The city made an exception
to allow us to play on Sundays.
Stonewall Kickball has seen incredible
growth since its inception with a current
member list of 550 players. Because
they were unable to secure a permit for
an additional night, they have spilled
over into the predominately straight DC
Kickball League, which holds the permit
for Thursday nights at Stead Park Field.
We are hoping to grow this season by
securing additional time on Sundays,
says Espinoza. Even though we arrive
at the permit ofce with all of our
paperwork on the rst day of renewal, it
is still a waiting game. Youth, senior and
city programs are looked at rst. Adult
sports come last.
Stonewall Kickball will face another
obstacle in 2014 when the $1.6 million
renovation of Stead Park Field will
begin. It is unclear at this time whether
they will have a place to play or not.
In March of 2013, a new LGBT sports
team joined the fray in the struggle
for playing space. The Washington
Scandals Rugby Club has not yet found
a eld to call home. Being new to the
process, they are running into the same
obstacles that seem to plague all new
sports teams.
We have been looking for space
on weeknights in the District and there
is nothing available for adult sports
groups, says Arc Riley of the Scandals.
The eld we are practicing on is so
small that half of our 40 players are
standing on the sidelines while the
other half practice.
The struggle with getting a response
from the Department of Parks and
Recreation has led the Scandals to
start looking for space in Montgomery
County for the winter months. We are
hoping to be back in the District by
spring, says a hopeful Riley.
Faced with a similar space shortage
back in the 1990s, New York City, along
with the Randalls Island Park Alliance
(RIPA) created a 273-acre sports and
recreational playground oating on the
East River.
Randalls Island boasts more than 60
sports elds, accommodating sports
such as soccer, baseball, softball,
lacrosse, eld hockey and rugby. Also
included on the island is a world-class
track stadium, a tennis center, golf
facilities as well as cultural and natural
areas.
Formerly used over the centuries for
a range of public facilities including a
boys home, a hospital, and a home for
Civil War veterans, the island was rst
designated as a park in 1936 by Franklin
Delano Roosevelt. By the early 1990s it
was in serious disrepair.
RIPA was formed in 1992 as a 501c3
non-prot organization to work with
New York and local communities to
transform the island. Today, Randalls
Island is New Yorks premier recreational
destination and home to dozens of
sports leagues for youth, adult, senior
and the LGBT sports communities.
The bottom line in the D.C. area is
that although the permit process can
be tedious, the lack of playing space is
the primary obstacle in accommodating
the ever-growing sports community.
The overwhelming success of the Long
Bridge Park sports complex in Arlington
in November 2011 is a perfect example
of the need for more sports space in the
area.
The possibility of 190 acres opening
up in the future at Metro accessible RFK
Stadium is giving many in the sports
community dreams of a dedicated
sports complex in Prince Georges
County.
RFK Sports Park anyone?
challenges of organizing
local sports leagues
New York City created a 273-acre sports and recreational playground oating on the East River.
Could D.C. nd similar space for its local amateur athletes?
PHOTO COURTESY NEW YORK CITY
PROOF # 1 ISSUE DATE: 8/30/13 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Jeryl Parade <jparade@washblade.com>
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Gay Rehoboth volleyball
enthusiast recalls 25 years
of drag event
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Drag volleyball in Rehoboth Beach
is a tradition on Labor Day weekend.
Always held that Sunday at 1 p.m. (Sept.
1 this year), it pits two teams of gay guys
in drag against each other in an event
organizers have insisted on keeping
just for fun.
And like the High Heel Race in D.C.,
the event which draws thousands of
spectators each year had modest
origins.
Forrest Park, 75, is one of the originals.
He says it started with simple and casual
pick-up volleyball games on Poodle
Beach at the end of the boardwalk.
An older gay man Park only knew as
Mother owned the net and gave it
to Park, the same net they used until it
wore out two years ago.
All the players nine on each team
have drag names, which they use with
each other throughout the summer, not
just during the drag game. Each team
picks a theme for the year. Parks team
has been everything from Navy Waves to
Hawaiian princesses to Dallas Cowboys
cheerleaders to Dorothys from Wizard
of Oz (they arranged to have a plane
y overhead during the game with a
banner that read Surrender Dorothy).
Parks team doesnt ofcially have
a name, but when they make other
random appearances, theyve called
themselves the Delmarva Divas, named
after the Delmarva Peninsula, which
includes Rehoboth Beach.
Its just sort of a celebration of the
end of the summer I guess you could
say, says Park, who retired at 57 from
the Smithsonian accounting ofce and
spent the last nearly 20 years visiting 73
different countries.
It started 26 years ago but since they
sat one year out Park remembers
gays had a bad name in town briey,
which inspired them to lay low so this
is the 25
th
anniversary. The rst game
was against a group of lesbians they
met on the beach. The opposing team
is now led by Ron Crognale. His group is
also in drag each year.
And as much fun as it is, Park says it
started to get out of hand with each
year getting more and more elaborate.
It got to the point that I was spending
the whole summer sewing costumes,
Park says. It started out we just played
a game and maybe some other little
thing, but then it started getting more
and more complicated. Thered be
a song, a routine, a dance number, a
sound system. I found I was wishing my
summers away just waiting for it to be
over with so I nally said, Im done. So
for the next 15 years, I just lmed it.
Brent Minor Barbara Anne on the
team knew Park and his partner,
Will, from Washington. He says theyve
known each other so long, we can
practically complete each others
sentences, a reality he says is endearing
but also kind of scary.
Its really surprising the way its grown
over the years, Minor says. The rst
year it was just completely a surprise.
It wasnt like we were trying to spring
this on people. We just said, Lets have
some fun, but now its progressed into
this extravaganza with routines and
cheers and stuff like that. Its a bit crazy.
Mark Kimble Myrna on the court
and also an original member says the
crowds that come to watch have added
a lot to the event.
So many people come out to watch
that we wanted to keep it going, he
says. A lot of it is to entertain the crowd
so we come up with stuff we think the
crowd will think is funny, a lot with skits
and stuff like that. But yes, it is actually
a volleyball game that can get pretty
competitive.
Nobody keeps track of who wins each
year. Park guesses his team has won
more years than the other but hes not
sure. And yes, there have been some
wardrobe malfunctions and wigs ying
off occasionally.
We just put them back on and keep
playing, Kimble says.
The players have purposefully
avoided using the event for charity,
despite occasional requests to do so
over the years.
Theres no money involved at all,
Park says. We just want to keep it fun.
bump, set, wig
A group shot at one of the previous drag volleyball matches.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENT MINOR
FORREST PARK on the beach in Rehoboth, site
of the annual drag volleyball match.
PHOTO BY JOHN BATOR
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Saturday, September 14 } 4 P.M. } RFK Stadium
S30 sideline seat. S5 savings plus a portion of
proceeds will be donated back to the community
METRO ROLLERS
CARA SUNDAY MIXED
TEN-PIN PRIDE
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN BOWLERS
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START TIME
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LEARN MORE AT WWW.CARABOWLING.ORG
anyone can have a ball!
the capital area rainbowlers association (cara) offers
bowling leagues to fit everyones needs. see below.
cara has leagues every day of the week, with different start times to accommodate your
schedule, at locations all across the metro area (and near you!), open to members of the lGbt
community and their straight/ally friends, and open to players of all skill levels.
Sexuality never part of our
scouting reports, says Nats
GM
By STEPHEN RUTGERS
srutgers@washblade.com
With support for LGBT athletes
growing, some cities teams do a better
job than others of walking the walk.
Baltimore Orioles fans, for example,
are still waiting for a team-sanctioned
LGBT appreciation night. The situation
is much better in D.C.
Professional soccer team DC United
was the rst D.C. team and rst Major
League Soccer (MLS) team to make a
You Can Play video in support of LGBT
players. In an interview, midelder John
Thorrington, told the Blade, MLS has
done a very good job in spreading a
very inclusive message and has become
more and more LGBT friendly. I believe
this has been a conscious effort that the
league and players are behind.
When asked if having a gay player on
DC United would change anything with
the team, especially in the locker room,
he said, a locker room is a place where
you make everyone feel included and
build team chemistry.
Midelder Chris Pontius added
in an interview with the Blade, it is
common knowledge that we would
accept a person for who they are. As a
player you accept them as they are as
a player. Both said anything other than
respect would not be tolerated by the
organization.
The Washington Nationals are a fan
favorite in the LGBT community and the
team supports one of the largest LGBT
sports nights in the country.
We look for players who have the
skills and athleticism to win baseball
games and the sexuality of a player is
never part of our scouting reports, Mike
Rizzo, Nationals president of baseball
operations and general manager, told
the Blade. In our eyes, teammates are
teammates and everyone has equal
standing here at Nationals Park.
Former Washington Wizards center
Jason Collins came out earlier this
year. There are dozens of interviews
and quotes from his former Wizard
teammates supporting him. The
Wizards sent the Blade a statement
from President Ernie Grunfeld that
read, We are extremely proud of Jason
and support his decision to live his
life proudly and openly. He has been
a leader on and off the court and an
outstanding teammate throughout
his NBA career. Those qualities will
continue to serve him both as a player
and as a positive role model for others
of all sexual orientation.
Ted Leonsis, founder and CEO of
Monumental Sports & Entertainment,
which owns the Capitals, told the
Blade in a statement that his company
supports the LGBT community.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
and its teams are committed to
fostering a supportive environment
for our players, fans, employees and
their families, Leonsis said in the
statement. Equality and diversity are
two important components in sports
culture and in life and the Capitals,
Wizards, Mystics and Verizon Center
each embrace an atmosphere where all
are welcome. We encourage players to
feel comfortable with their orientation
and are proud to stand in support of the
LGBT community.
Redskins quarterback Robert Grifn
III is one of the most popular players
in the NFL. In a recent interview with
GQ magazine, he said this about gay
players: Yeah, man. I think there are
[gay players] right now, and if theyre
looking for a window to just come out, I
mean, now is the window. The Redskins
organization did not return a request for
comment on its stance or preparations
for gay players.
d.c. teams ahead
of the pack on gay
support
D.C. is a leader when it comes to supporting gay fans. About 4,000 turned out for a recent Night
Out at the Nationals event.
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Ohh, Ahh!
Local soccer team takes on
L.A. Galaxy in televised match
By KEVIN MAJOROS
The Federal Triangles Soccer Club
(FTSC) and Team DC in conjunction with
D.C. United will host the fourth annual
United Night OUT at RFK Stadium as
D.C. United takes on L.A. Galaxy on
Sept. 14.
D.C. United has a history of supporting
the LGBT community. It was an early
and avid supporter of the FTSC when
they hosted the International Gay and
Lesbian Football Association World
Championships in 1997 and again in 2009.
I think our name sums it up, says
Doug Hicks, chief marketing ofcer of
D.C. United. United refers to what is in
our DNA. We are all united regardless
of socioeconomic status, ethnicity or
sexual identity.
In 2011, D.C. United released a much-
lauded It Gets Better video that
showed a few players taking some major
hits on the eld. They were the rst Major
League Soccer (MLS) team and rst
local professional team to participate in
the anti-bullying campaign founded by
Dan Savage.
In 2012, D.C. United lmed a video
for the You Can Play Project that was
launched that year within the National
Hockey League by Patrick Burke and his
father Brian Burke. United was again the
rst MLS and local professional team to
participate in the project.
D.C. United is donating a portion of
each ticket sale from the United Night
OUT to the You Can Play Project.
The You Can Play Project is dedicated
to ensuring equality, respect and safety
for all athletes, without regard to sexual
orientation. It is working to guarantee
that athletes are given a fair opportunity
to compete, judged by other athletes
and fans alike, only by what they
contribute to the sport or their teams
success.
It also aims to rid professional sports
of casual homophobia in the locker
rooms and spectator areas by focusing
only on an athletes skills, work ethic and
competitive spirit.
The United Night OUT event will kick
off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 with
a tailgate party in Lot 8 of RFK Stadium
where you can join fellow members of
the LGBT community for food on the
grill and beverages.
Group participation levels for United
Night OUT are:
Team Caprain (10 rickers)
recognition on the ofcial website and
one rafe ticket to win a United jersey.
Supporrer's CluL (25 rickers) live
link on the ofcial website, recognition
on the scrolling ticker at the stadium,
representation on the eld during the
pregame activities and two rafe tickets
to win a United jersey.
Communiry Farrners (50 rickers)
logo and live link on the ofcial website,
recognition on the scrolling ticker at
the stadium, representation on the eld
during the pregame activities, one spot
in the Superstar T-Shirt Toss (limited to
15 roups) anc lve ralle rickers ro win
a United jersey.
Tickets are available at Nellies Sports
Bar and at unitednightout.com for $30
and ticketholders will have access to
the Capital View Club from 3:30 p.m.
throughout the game.
The match between United and
Galaxy, live and in its entirety, will
be televised regionally by Comcast
SportsNet the result of a joint broadcast
created by the two teams and their
broadcast partners. A national
broadcast also remains on UniMas.
dc united to host
4th night out game
DC UNITED takes on L.A. Galaxy on Sept. 14.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY KEVIN MAJOROS
Status of gay player Robbie Rogers
unclear after injury
The L.A. Galaxy come to RFK
Stadium to take on D.C. United
on Sept. 14 in a match that
will begin at 4 p.m. Arguably,
the Galaxy is the most visible
and most talked about team
in Major League Soccer (MLS),
thanks in part to the six seasons
that David Beckham played for
them.
The Beckham Effect brought
Major League Soccer onto
the world stage and helped to
increase the popularity of soccer
in the United States. During
Beckhams six seasons with the
Galaxy, seven expansion teams
debuted in MLS, new stadiums
were built and attendance for
regular season and post-season
matches soared.
The Galaxy is the two-time
defending MLS Cup champion
from 2011 and 2012, and this
season they are in a tight battle
in the Western Conference
with seven other teams. The
prospects of the team making it
into the post-season tournament
are looking better over the past month as the chemistry between Galaxy stars
Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane has really begun to emerge.
Also on the 2013 roster of the L.A. Galaxy is midelder Robbie Rogers.
Rogers played one season of college soccer at the University of Maryland and
helpec leac rhe Terrapins ro rhe 2005 NCAA Championship.
Shortly thereafter, he began his professional soccer career, which included stints with
Orange County Blue Star, Heerenveen, Columbus Crew, Leeds United and Stevenage.
He retired from soccer in January 2013 and came out as gay in the following month.
In May, he signed with the L.A. Galaxy, becoming the rst openly gay male athlete to
join MLS or any of the ve major North America professional sports leagues.
Rogers has spent the 2013 season trying to return to form and keep his
spot on the 18-man roster in regular season play. He has made nine regular
season game appearances and six game starts. Last month, he injured his
rihr hamsrrin anc was our unril a 45minure appearance aainsr Feal
Madrid on Aug. 1 in the International Champions Cup.
On Aug. 20, Rogers earned a start in a CONCACAF Champions League
match against Cartagines where he injured his left hamstring. The extent of
the injury is still unclear at this time and it remains to be seen whether Rogers
will travel to D.C. with the L.A. Galaxy for the match against United on Sept. 14.
Rogers has been on a media blitz over the past several months appearing on
Anderson Cooper 360, Nightline, CNN, MTV and Chelsea Lately among others. Most
of the conversations have been about the struggles of being a closeted gay athlete.
So what do Los Angeles sports fans think about their gay soccer player?
One only has to look as far as the L.A. Galaxy blogs to nd that the subjects
most fans are talking about is their wish for Rogers to get healthy and stay
focused on the game rather than his media tour. Truth be told, they basically
said the same thing about Beckham during his tenure.
Will there be a Rogers Effect?
KEVIN MAJOROS
ROBBIE ROGERS came out earlier this year.
PHOTO BY NOAH SALZMAN
Swimmers take 11th
championship in Seattle
competition
By KEVIN MAJOROS
The District of Columbia Aquatics
Club (DCAC) recently returned
home to D.C. after competing in the
International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics
Championships (IGLA) in Seattle. Since
winning their rst IGLA world title in
1995, DCAC has been hard to beat,
racking up a total of 10 IGLA titles. The
championships are held each year with
every fourth year off during the year of
the Gay Games. The only teams that
have managed to defeat DCAC since
1995 are New York Aquatics, Paris
Aquatique and Team Florida.
We were happy to see New York
Aquatics step up and take the title in
2012, said swimmer Neill Williams after
DCAC came in second in Iceland. But we
will do what we can to win it back in 2013.
The DCAC team showed up in Seattle
with 69 swimmers in tow on Aug. 12 for
ve days of racing in 51 events. There
were 38 teams from around the world
competing at this years championships.
Over the past two decades, DCAC has
had a large core of strong swimmers who
have continued to swim fast into their 40s,
50s and 60s. This years meet in Seattle
saw the emergence of a new crew of
20 and 30-year-olds, to compliment the
older swimmers, including some strong
female swimmers. Points are scored by
age groups in ve-year increments. Each
age group competes in all 51 events and
each person is limited to ve individual
events and four relays.
After two days of racing, DCAC held a
small lead over New York Aquatics. On day
three, the records started to fall and the
strength of DCACs relays proved too much
for the New York team. The D.C. swimmers
pulled away in commanding fashion to win
their 11th IGLA championship in the large
team category. The Long Beach Grunions
won the medium team category and the
Philadelphia Fins won the small team
category.
Also on hand from D.C. for the
championships were 12 players from
the Washington Wetskins water polo
team. After several matches during the
week, the Wetskins captured 5th place
in the water polo competition. The
championship match was won by San
Francisco Tsumadre.
Other sports contested during the
week were synchronized swimming, open
water swimming and diving. The diving
events included a judging appearance
by Olympic diver, Kent Ferguson.
After all the pool events are concluded,
IGLA always wraps up with the ever popular
Pink Flamingo Follies. The event is a judged
pool deck and water performance set to
music and is generally lled with camp and
drama. The DCAC performance was set
in the Emerald City Starbucks and told the
story of Dorothy and Glinda falling in love
despite the attempt by the evil dominatrix
Wicked Witch of the West to take Dorothy
for herself. After getting married, the happy
couple rode off into the sunset on blow up
Orcas accompanied by their Speedo-clad
entourage. DCAC was awarded second
place for the performance.
Next year there will be no IGLA, but
DCAC will be in Cleveland for the Gay
Games.
My DCAC teammates showed
determination, endurance and
camaraderie during the week of IGLA.
Each race was a ght for the wall especially
seen during the relays when most
everyone posts times faster than their
individual swims. Also, a big thank you
goes out to the Washington Wetskins for
joining us in the swimming events to make
our presence even more formidable.
d.c. aquatics
win world title
Members of the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AQUATICS CLUB recently returned home from a
competition in Seattle.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY KEVIN MAJOROS
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Meet & Greet
OCTOBER 1 | 7-9 PM
with the men and women of DC Strokes Rowing Club,
fresh o international success at the 2013 World Outgames
How long have you been out and
who was the hardest person to tell?
Ive always known who I was.
However, I didnt always have the
vocabulary to describe myself. When
I was 14, I came out to my friends as
a gay female. The hardest person to
tell was my best friend at the time. In
the end I never told her. I let someone
else (who loved to spread other
peoples business) tell her for me.
When I was 18, I found out what being
a trans man meant. Then I came out
to myself. Honestly Id say coming out
to myself was harder than coming out
to anyone. I had these negative views
of trans people and what I thought
it meant and I hated that I t under
that label. Little did I know that
being trans is simply customizing my
identity to what I want it to be. Not my
parents, friends or society. Me. I get
to be who I choose to be and I love
everything about that. Oh yeah, and I
recently came out as a gay man!
Whos your LGBT hero?
Thats difcult. There are so many
people in the LGBT community who
have helped me get to where I am
today, and are still doing so as I write
down these answers. The rst people
who come to mind are:
L: Pat Grifn, Sue Rankin and Helen
Carroll
G: LZ Granderson and Cyd Zeigler
B: Anna Aagenes and Robin Ochs
T: Laverne Cox and CeCe McDonald
Whats Washingtons best
nightspot, past or present?
I love a crowd and I love to dance.
Town nightclub (on a Friday) has yet to
let me down.

Describe your dream wedding.
Marrying my best friend and love of
my life, all my friends being there and my
mother in attendance with love and support.

What non-LGBT issue are you
most passionate about?
Racial justice.

What historical outcome would
you change?
Slavery and all of the deaths that
occurred/are still occurring because
of the color value system we have
been taught to embrace.
Whats been the most memorable
pop culture moment of your
lifetime?
Seeing Usher at the Verizon Center.

On what do you insist?
Do what makes you happy. Life is
too short.
What was your last Facebook post
or Tweet?
I was in London for the rst time
working on a project so I asked this of
my Facebook friends: For those of
you who have been to London before
where exactly is the gayborhood? It
was well worth asking.
If your life were a book, what
would the title be?
Its Not a Guy Thing, Its a Kye
Thing

If science discovered a way to
change sexual orientation, what
would you do?
Continue to be the person I worked
so hard to love unconditionally a
black gay man.

What do you believe in beyond
the physical world?
I believe there is something greater
than us and this world we live in.
Whats your advice for LGBT
movement leaders?
Dont reinvent the wheel. Ive seen
many people go into this work, myself
included, making their lives harder than
it has to be. Many times, something that
we are thinking of doing has already been
done, or is being done right now. Look
to collaborate with others and take your
leadership and efforts to the next level.

What would you walk across hot
coals for?
I would walk across hot coals for
my family, a pint of Magnolias banana
pudding and Hugh Jackman.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
I dont know which is worse,
assuming that all trans people are
straight or that all trans people must
have surgery or take hormones to
complete the transition. Life is a
transition. We all transition. Not just
trans people. Remember that.

Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
Noahs Ark: Jumping the Broom.
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
Men opening doors for women.

What trophy or prize do you most
covet?
My siblings loving me as their brother
is a trophy and prize in itself. Without
their love I dont know what I would do.

What do you wish youd known at
18?
Everything I know now. College
would have been a lot different if I had
this focus and drive that I have at age
23.

Why Washington?
It was the farthest place from
Minnesota, and at the time I
thought it was cool to live right
down the street from the White
House, which gets old pretty fast.
I have grown to love it though. Its
not as fast as New York and not as
chill as Chicago. Its perfect.
The former GWU basketball player and
trans advocate answers 20 gay questions
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
When Kye Allums told his fellow players on the womens basketball
team at George Washington University during his sophomore year that he
wanted them to start using male pronouns and his new name it took a little
time for them to get it.
They laughed at rst, the 23-year-old St. Paul, Minn., native says. They
were like, Yeah, you woke up, now youre a boy, whatever, but when they
knew I was serious, they didnt understand it at all, but they started seeing
how it was affecting me. I was smiling then. In the end, they started to
switch because they could see using the appropriate name made me happy
and in the end they wanted to support me.
Allums says the issue of being male on a womens team didnt bother
me at all.
After graduating, Allums (imenough.org) parlayed his career into trans
advocacy work mostly visiting college campuses where he spreads his
belief that I am enough what I say, what I feel, that is enough. You
shouldnt have to tweak yourself to make somebody else happy. He splits
his time between New York and Washington when hes not traveling (which
he says was about 93 percent of the time in the last year). He just got back
from London and Scotland where he worked on a documentary about the
experiences of trans people around the world. He hopes to nish it with a
trip to the United Arab Emirates and Thailand in December.
Allums is single one of the downsides of constant travel, he says. He
enjoys writing, shopping for shoes, Netix and traveling in his down time.
QUEERY: KYE ALLUMS
Filling a void fostered by
bullying, harassment in schools
By KEVIN MAJOROS
Locker room fears, bullying and
anti-LGBT bias have prevented
many within the LGBT community,
especially in high school and college,
from even attempting to play sports.
In some cases, they have also chosen
not to be spectators because of
feeling unsafe.
There are likely thousands of LGBT
teenagers in America who are not
playing sports because they fear the
repercussions of joining a community
that is historically unwelcoming.
Research studies by the Gay, Lesbian
& Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
found that high school LGBT students
avoid locker rooms (39 percent), physical
education class (32.5 percent) and
the school sports eld (22.8 percent)
because of feeling unsafe.
LGBT sports advocacy groups have
been producing resource guides
for everyone involved in the sports
community in an attempt to educate.
Diversity training is now pretty much
inescapable from grade school sports
to professional sports.
Most of the athletes competing
in the LGBT sports community of
Washington, D.C. are post-college age
and are experiencing exactly what the
national LGBT sports advocacy groups
are trying to accomplish: They are
competing in a safe space and they are
ourishing.
Brandon Waggoner grew up in West
Texas and Tennessee. He never played
sports growing up but had the desire
as he taught himself how to throw a ball
when he was a teenager.
I never joined a team because I
was nervous about being in the locker
room, says Waggoner.
In college, through his dorm, he
began playing intramural sports as a
closeted gay man and was instantly
hooked. After arriving in D.C. he was
playing on a team with his employer
when he heard about a local gay ag
football team.
I had just come out and was
unfamiliar with the athletic capabilities
of gay people, says Waggoner. I
joined the team thinking I was going to
be a dominant player. Instead, I was the
one who was dominated.
Besides quarterbacking in the DC
Gay Flag Football League, Waggoner
has also played on the Washington
DC Gay Basketball League. Along with
his teammates, he has made it to the
playoffs in both leagues.
Alison Samuels went to a small
private high school in California and
played soccer and eld hockey. She
was the rst openly gay person at her
school and despite her efforts to t in
and create a comfortable environment,
she was asked by her teammates not to
use the locker room.
That happened in my junior year,
says Samuels. I continued to play
but the perception became that any
female friends I had were likely gay, so
I stopped having close female friends
and I refused to touch or hug my female
friends.
She tried the club soccer team at Mary
Washington University in her freshman
year but did not t in and decided to
stop playing sports. She eventually
found a safe environment on a club
rugby team in her junior year.
After moving to D.C. she saw a
Craigslist posting for the Federal
Triangles Soccer Club and joined the
team. It is a completely different
environment, says Samuels. More fun,
more relaxed and less stress.
Samuels is now president of the
Federal Triangles Soccer Club.
Brian Sparrow grew up on naval
bases including some time spent at
Guantanamo Bay. His father taught him
the basics of sports but his assignments
took him away on ships for up to nine
months at a time.
My mom would sign me up for
sports leagues, says Sparrow. But I
spent most of my time playing sports by
myself.
Sparrow was small for his age so
after his family settled in Maryland
he continued to play sports in his
neighborhood instead of joining
team sports. After coming out,
he discovered the LGBT sports
community in D.C.
Playing sports has dened me as a
gay man, says Sparrow. I really began
to ourish when I started joining the
LGBT sports leagues.
Sparrow has played with the Capital
Tennis Association, Chesapeake
and Potomac Softball, DC Gay Flag
Football League, Capital Punishment
Volleyball and the Washington, D.C.
Gay Basketball League.
These athletes and thousands like
them in leagues across the country
express a similar appreciation for LGBT-
specic programs that allow all athletes
to reap the many benets of playing
sports.
local athletes on
why they joined lgbt
sports teams
I never joined a team [growing up] because I
was nervous about being in the locker room,
said BRANDON WAGGONER, who went on
to serve as commissioner of the D.C. Gay Flag
Football League.
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LR12103
Many oppose Sochi boycott
despite Putins anti-gay laws
Growing outrage over Russias LGBT
rights record threatens to overshadow
place in the country in February.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in
June signed a broadly worded law
that bans gay propaganda to minors
under which individuals will face nes of
between 4,000 and 5,000 rubles ($124-
$155.) Government ofcials would face
nes of between 40,000 and 50,000 rubles
($1,241-$1,551,) while organizations could
face penalties of up to 1 million rubles
($31,000) or suspension of their activities
for up to 90 days.
Foreigners who violate the law would
face up to 15 days in jail and deportation
from the country.
A second law that Putin signed in July
bans same-sex couples and anyone from
a country in which gays and lesbians can
marry from adopting Russian children.
A 2012 statute requires LGBT advocacy
organizations and other groups that
receive funding from outside Russia to
register as foreign agents.
These laws have come into effect against
the backdrop of increased anti-LGBT
violence and discrimination in the country.
Two men near Volgograd in May
allegedly sodomized a man with
beer bottles before killing him after
he reportedly came out to them.
Authorities on the Kamchatka Peninsula
in Russias Far East said three men
stabbed and trampled a gay man to
death a few weeks later before they set
his car on re with his body inside.
Police in May arrested 30 LGBT rights
activists who tried to stage a Pride
celebration outside Moscow City Hall.
Authorities in June detained dozens of
LGBT advocates who sought to hold a
similar gathering in St. Petersburg
Ofcials in Murmansk in July arrested four
Dutch LGBT rights activists who were lming
a documentary about gay life in Russia.
Reports of ultra-nationalists torturing gay
Russian teenagers whom they met though
fake accounts they created on a Russian
social media network continue to emerge.
CALLS FOR BOYCOTT
Actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein
in July called for a boycott of the Sochi
games.
Author Dan Savage and LGBT rights
advocates Cleve Jones are among those
who have called for a boycott of Russian
vodka. Gay bars in Chicago, New York
and Seattle stopped serving Stoli and
other brands, but D.C. establishments
have not backed the boycott.
Andy Cohen on Aug. 14 told E! News
he turned down a request to co-host
the 2013 Miss Universe pageant that will
take place in Moscow in November, in
part, because he didnt feel right as a
gay man stepping foot into Russia.
Donald Trump, who co-owns the
pageant along with NBC Universal,
did not respond to the Washington
Blades request for comment on
Cohens decision. The Miss Universe
Organization said in an Aug. 20
statement it is deeply concerned over
the gay propaganda ban and anti-LGBT
violence in Russia.
Both the law, as well as the violence
experienced by the LGBT community
in Russia are diametrically opposed to
the core values of our company, the
statement read.
Gay Olympic diver Greg Louganis,
who was unable to compete in the
1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
because then-President Jimmy Carter
boycotted them over the Soviet Unions
invasion of Afghanistan the year before,
is among those who feel the U.S. should
compete in the Sochi games. President
Obama, retired tennis champion
Martina Navratilova and a coalition of
LGBT advocacy groups that include
Outsports.com and Athlete Ally also
oppose an Olympic boycott.
Retired tennis champion Billie Jean
King, who came out in 1981, told the
Blade on Monday she feels individual
athletes themselves should decide
whether to compete in Sochi.
They should get the vote, she said.
This is the Olympics. This is about the
athletes and the fans, so its a really hard
call.
Gay New Zealand speed skater Blake
Skjellerup in July announced he will
wear a Pride pin in Sochi if he qualies
for the Olympics.
Its been a positive reaction so far,
he told the Blade on Monday during an
interview from Calgary, Alberta, where
he continues to train. Outsports.com
and other LGBT sports groups and
others have backed a fund that seeks to
raise at least $15,000 to help Skjellerup
qualify for the games. Everybody is
behind the idea and are excited to see
that I am proud of who I am and that Im
going to show that in Sochi.
American runner Nick Symmonds
earlier this month criticized the gay
propaganda ban during an interview
with the Russian news agency RIA
Novosti after he competed in the mens
800 meter nal at the World Athletic
Championship in Moscow. High jumper
Emma Green Tregaro and sprinter Mao
Hjelmer, who are from Sweden, painted
their ngernails in rainbow colors as
they competed in the same event.
Figure skater Johnny Weir, whose
husband is of Russian descent, told
CBS News he is not afraid of being
arrested while at the Sochi games.
If it takes me getting arrested for
people to pay attention and for people
to lobby against this law, then Im willing
to take it, Weir told the network.
RUSSIA TO ENFORCE LAWS
Russian authorities have repeatedly
said authorities will enforce the gay
propaganda ban during the Sochi
games, in spite of repeated assurances
the International Olympic Committee
said it has received from the Kremlin that
the law would not impact athletes who
plan to compete in the Olympics. The
IOC told the Blade those who participate
in the games could face disqualication
or loss of their credentials if they publicly
criticize Russias gay propaganda ban
while in Sochi.
Green Tregaro wore red ngernail
polish during a high jump competition
at the World Athletic Championship
on Aug. 17 because Swedish athletic
ofcials reportedly asked her to change
their color.
The athletes are always going into
countries with laws different than his
or her own country, U.S. Olympic
Committee CEO Scott Blackmun told
RIA Novosti during an Aug. 14 interview.
Theyre going to agree with those laws
in some ways, theyre going to disagree
with those laws in other ways. Its our
strong desire that our athletes comply
with the laws of every nation that we
visit. This law is no different.
USOC spokesperson Patrick Sandusky
later sought to clarify Blackmuns
position on the gay propaganda law,
saying on his Twitter account on Aug. 16
that it is inconsistent with fundamental
Olympic principles. He said the
organization has also shared our view
with the IOC.
Skjellerup applauded the Canadian
Olympic Committees response to
the gay propaganda law and Russias
LGBT rights record. He also plans to
march with COC members during this
weekends Calgary Pride.
Canada is probably one of the
countries that is actually leading the
growth of support for their athletes and
[against] the atrocity that is going on in
Russia at the moment, Skjellerup told
the Blade.
Yelena Isinbayeva, an Olympic
pole vault champion, criticized Green
Tregaro and Hjelmer during an Aug.
15 press conference after she won her
third world title at the World Athletic
Championships. Isinbayeva also
defended the gay propaganda ban.
We are Russians. Maybe we are
different than European people, than
other people from different lands,
she said during the press conference.
We have our law that everyone has to
respect.
Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit
Red Wings defended Isinbayevas
comments.
Im an Orthodox and that says it all,
he said, according to Russian journalist
Igor Eronko.
russian crackdown threatens
to overshadow olympics
Outsports.com and other LGBT sports groups
have backed a fund that seeks to raise at least
$15,000 to help Gay New Zealand speed skater
BLAKE SKJELLERUP qualify for the games.
PHOTO BY JONI ANDERSON
Navratilova on getting booed
after coming out and why
the Sochi games must go on
Martina Navratilova broke more than
one glass ceiling during her career.
She won 18 Grand Slam singles
titles including nine womens singles
championships at Wimbledon during her
time on the tennis circuit that spanned
more than three decades from 1975 to
her ofcial retirement in 2006. Navratilova
also won 31 major womens doubles and
10 major mixed doubles titles.
She also made history in 1981 as one
of the rst professional athletes who
came out as gay.
Navratilova, 56, told the Washington
Blade during an interview that fans had
a mixed reaction to her decision to
publicly disclose her sexual orientation.
Id get some ovation from some, the
retired Czech-born tennis champion said,
noting she didnt receive endorsement
deals after she came out. From some
they would just not clap at all and some
would be whistling and booing.
Navratilova credited positive media
coverage over the last decade with improving
the way LGBT athletes are treated.
Back then it was people who cheered
me on that were looked at funny, so its
just totally come around, she said. I
didnt know how bad it was in the stands
until I met some people that were my
fans back in the day and theyre like,
you had no idea what people used to
say, so its nice to know that its kind of
full circle. People couldnt get away with
that stuff anymore.
Navratilova spoke to the Blade a few
weeks after former Washington Wizards
center Jason Collins came out as gay in
a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
His coming out will have a positive
impact on an untold amount of lives,
she said. Its just adding to the
groundswell of acceptance.
Collins representatives have declined
the Blades requests to interview him.
Collins described Navratilova as one
of my heroes during an interview with
ABC News George Stephanopoulos
shortly after he came out. He also said
she is one of his role models.
You never know how you affect
somebody in what way and it was
just really nice to know just by being
who I am made a difference a
positive difference in somebody else,
Navratilova said, noting she and Collins
have exchanged e-mails since he
came out. Its very empowering and
humbling at the same time.
Navratilova spoke to the Blade shortly
after Russian lawmakers unanimously
passed a bill by a 436-0 margin that
sought to ban the promotion of
homosexuality to minors. President
Vladimir Putin on June 30 signed the so-
called gay propaganda measure into law.
Putin also signed a bill that bans
foreign same-sex couples and those from
countries that allow same-sex marriage
from adopting Russian children. Groups
that receive funding from outside Russia
that do not register as foreign agents
under a 2012 law face a ne of up to
500,000 rubles (or $15,220.)
I feel like Putins just trying to go
against whatever the West is doing,
Navratilova said. If the West would
be bad about gays, he would have gay
marriage, but because the West is good
with the gays or getting better, he
goes the other way.
Navratilova is among the current
and former LGBT professional athletes
who oppose calls to boycott the 2014
Winter Olympics in Sochi over Russias
gay rights record. Others include
Olympic diver Greg Louganis, who was
unable to compete in the 1980 Summer
Olympics in Moscow because the U.S.
boycotted the games over the Soviet
Unions invasion of Afghanistan the year
before; gure skater Johnny Weir and
former George Washington University
basketball player Kye Allums.
Blake Skjellerup, a gay speed skater
from New Zealand, plans to wear a
rainbow pin during the Sochi games.
Navratilova said Russia shouldnt have
gotten the Olympics in the rst place, but
stressed she never believed in boycotts.
She referenced the gay advocacy
groups that boycotted Colorado after
voters in 1992 approved a constitutional
amendment that barred the state from
enacting anti-gay discrimination laws to
further prove her point.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck it down
in 1996 in the Romer v. Evans decision.
Its more effective to get in peoples
faces and prove them wrong rather than run
away, Navratilova said. To me a boycott
kind of runs away from the problem.
She was also a Tennis Channel
commentator during the mens nal at
the French Open in early June when
opponents of Frances same-sex marriage
law interrupted the match between
Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal and
David Ferrer. Navratilova said the shirtless
protester who ran onto the court with a
are in his hand near Nadal reminded her
of the man who stabbed Monica Seles
during a German tennis match in 1993.
Youre like holy shit, youre still not
safe on the tennis court, she said. On
top of that, its these asshole protesters
who have nothing better to do but
complain about gay people having the
same rights as they do.
coming full circle
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA came out in 1981 and
lost endorsement deals for her bold stance.
PHOTO COURTESY JOHN WRIGHT
BILLIE JEAN KING was outed in 1981 and
promptly lost all of her endorsements.
PHOTO BY ANDREW COPPA PHOTOGRAPHY
Billie Jean King looks back
Retired tennis champion Billie Jean
King this week said individual athletes
should decide whether to compete in
place in Sochi, Russia, early next year.
The athletes who have the most to
derive from it and the least to derive
from it if they dont go, I think they should
get the vote, she said in response to a
Washington Blade question about the
issue on a conference call during which
she discussed an episode of the PBS
series American Masters that proles
her that debuts on the network Sept. 10. This is the Olympics. This is about the
athletes and the fans, so its a really hard call.
King, who came out as a lesbian in 1981 after her relationship with her
secretary became public, spoke about calls to boycott the Sochi games as
outrage over a law that bans gay propaganda to minors in Russia and the
countrys overall LGBT rights record continues to grow.
King, 69, won 39 Grand Slam titles during her professional career that
spanned more than a decade from 1968 to 1983.
She founded the Womens Tennis Association in 1973, the same year she
defeated Bobby Riggs in a match that became known as the Battle of the
Sexes. King the same year founded the Womens Tennis Association, and in
1974 she co-founded the co-ed Mylan World TeamTennis league.
King came out as a lesbian after her relationship with her then-secretary
and hairdresser Marilyn Barnett became public when she led a palimony
lawsuit against her while she was still married to her husband.
The retired tennis champion told reporters during a conference call on
Monday she lost all her endorsements within 24 hours of publicly declaring
her homosexuality. King noted the companies that had once backed her
wrote me about how horrible a person I was.
The culture at the time was not accepting, at all, she said, noting she had
planned to retire in 1981, but delayed the decision two years because she lost
more than $2 million because of the lost endorsements. It was completely
different than it is now.
King added she feels gay Americans currently nd themselves at a tipping
point in terms of the LGBT rights movement, even though she noted more
than 30 states still lack transgender-specic employment protections.
If I went back to 1981, I cannot tell you how tough it was, King said. I
cant even imagine the pioneers before me and all the people that couldnt
come out that wanted to accomplish things not only for themselves, but for
others.
1974 she co-founded the co-ed Mylan World TeamTennis league.
King came out as a lesbian after her relationship with her then-secretary
and hairdresser Marilyn Barnett became public when she led a palimony
lawsuit against her while she was still married to her husband.
The retired tennis champion told reporters during a conference call on
Monday she lost all her endorsements within 24 hours of publicly declaring
her homosexuality. King noted the companies that had once backed her
wrote me about how horrible a person I was.
The culture at the time was not accepting, at all, she said, noting she had
planned to retire in 1981, but delayed the decision two years because she lost
more than $2 million because of the lost endorsements. It was completely
different than it is now.
King added she feels gay Americans currently nd themselves at a tipping
point in terms of the LGBT rights movement, even though she noted more
than 30 states still lack transgender-specic employment protections.
If I went back to 1981, I cannot tell you how tough it was, King said. I
cant even imagine the pioneers before me and all the people that couldnt
come out that wanted to accomplish things not only for themselves, but for
others.
C
M
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CM
MY
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USATF_US_Print_Final_July_29.pdf 1 7/31/13 11:32 AM
outsports next play
PHOTO: Mashup of Zeigler and Buzinski photos
CUTLINE:
10 years after debut, gay sports
site acquired by SB Nation
By PHIL REESE
preese@washblade.com
For more than 10 years, OutSports.
com has been a leader in sharing stories
from the amateur and professional
sports world with a decidedly gay point
of view.
OutSports denitely lls a needed
niche within the realm of sports, says
avid sports fan and gay man, Ken Nash.
If youre wanting news about the gay
boycott of Sochi or events like the Gay
Games, its the rst site people go to.
Three years before creating
OutSports.com, gay sports enthusiasts
and ag football players Cyd Zeigler
and Jim Buzinski met playing in the
Los Angeles league in the late 1990s.
They bemoaned the lack of an LGBT
voice in coverage of sports news, and
it dawned on them to ll the void
themselves.
Why dont we just do this thing
called a website, Buzinski told the
Blade, who said Zeigler came up with
the name OutSports when the pair
discovered gaysports.com was taken.
Once he said it, it was like oh, thats it,
and we never went back.
In March, OutSports which has
grown from a small site with pages
dedicated to the promotion of gay
sports into a reputable news source
that covers all aspects of LGBT issues
in sports was acquired by Vox
Media, a Washington, D.C.-based web
publishing company, and became part
of their agship site, SB Nation. Buzinski
and Zeigler maintain creative and
editorial control.
People were afraid that becoming
part of a mainstream publication would
mean that OutSports is going to be de-
gayed, and that has not been the case,
Zeigler told the Blade about SB Nation
a massive site of sports-related
community-driven editorial content.
The fact that a mainstream publication
wanted to acquire a very gay website
says a lot about where sports media is
today and where this company is today.
Buzinski and Zeigler began to
consider joining a larger organization
several years ago, and reached out to
several other LGBT publications, but
after the New York Times proled the
pair in April 2011, SB Nation reached
out to the two pioneering gay sports
bloggers.
Sports fans are coming out of the
closet en masse in the LGBT community
recently, and cities like Washington
D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and New
York have seen an explosion of amateur
LGBT leagues in every sport imaginable.
But when the duo met in 1998, gay
sports fans were less open about their
passion.
Its an area that older gay people
shunned for a variety of reasons, a lot of
it legitimate, Buzinski says about why
organized sports were not considered
a part of the LGBT identity in the early
years of the site.
It felt like you almost had to defend
yourself for being a sports fan. Because
people would talk about how bullying
the culture was, and you felt like I just
love the sport, I love the action, I love
the players, Buzinski continued. They
just didnt feel a part of it or accepted
except for sports like softball, which
has had gay teams forever but now
it seems that every city has dozens of
teams of active gay clubs. So I think at
the recreational level, people are saying,
Hey, we can be in any eld. Were not
restricted.
Buzinski and Zeigler say the Internet,
and sites like OutSports have helped
change the perception of organized
sports in the LGBT community, as well as
change the perception of LGBT athletes
in the community of athletics.
As a huge gay sports fan growing
up, [OutSports] seemed like one
of the only places where you could
actually nd sports news from an
LGBT perspective, and also nd other
openly gay sports fans, Change.org
senior campaign director and longtime
reader, Michael Jones, told the Blade.
I denitely think the site has had a
tremendous amount of inuence in
getting outlets like Sports Illustrated,
Sporting News, ESPN and more to
cover LGBT issues in sports.
Buzinski and Zeigler see the
partnership with SB Nation as a sign of
a changing landscape in sports media,
where a general sports audience is
more open to and interested in stories
of LGBT athletes, and gay sports fans
will continue to be de-ghettoized, as
Zeigler says.
I think having a partner like SB
Nation gives us more resources to do
things that weve not been able to do
until now, Buzinski says.
The vibe and feel of OutSports has
changed since it was acquired by SB
Nation, and it now has a much more
polished, Grantland-esque feel to it
than a charming and scrappy blog,
says Change.orgs Jones. But looks
aside, Ive still enjoyed the content, still
visit the site multiple times a week, and
still hope that the exposure stories on
OutSports get among the fans of SB
Nation open up LGBT sports coverage
to even greater numbers of readers,
particularly straight readers, who havent
been used to reading about the lives of
LGBT people in the sports world.
Zeigler says that as LGBT sports
issues change, OutSports will continue
to evolve at its new home.
We cover things differently than we
did 10 years ago, and ve years from
now well cover things differently, he
tells the Blade. With SB Nation, were
not just read by a mostly gay audience
anymore, were now read by a lot of
straight people.
That means the ability to expose a
mainstream audience to new issues, and
bring wider attention to ways athletics is
adapting to an era of the out and open
athlete.
Transgender people are
misunderstood, but transgender
athletes have the furthest to go [in
terms of acceptance in sports],
Zeigler says about one of the next
LGBT issues needing to be tackled.
I think we need education in terms
of what it means to transition in the
sports world.
Zeigler also sees casual homophobia
as a problem.
I think this is the No. 1 problem. I
think systemic homophobia is not really
the issue here, its the perception of
homophobia in sports, Zeigler says.
And heterosexism.
OutSports avoids trying to be all
things to everyone, but concentrates on
shedding light on issues of interest of
LGBT athletes and fans.
For more substantive game-by-
game analysis, I prefer ESPN but that
isnt what OutSports tries to be, sports
fan Ken Nash says.
CYD ZEIGLER (left) and JIM BUZINSKI have guided OutSports through 10 years of change, and see their acquisition by SB Nation as the next chapter in their
story.
PHOTOS COURTESY ZEIGLER AND BUZINSKI
JASON COLLINS came out as gay while a free agent and has yet to nd a team.
PHOTO COURTESY NBA PHOTOS
Will former Wizard nd a new
team after announcing hes gay?
More than four months after he
became the rst male athlete who
actively plays in a major American
sports professional league to come
out as gay, former Washington Wizards
center Jason Collins has yet to sign with
another team.
Both the Pistons and Nets have
passed on signing Collins, according
to a CBS News report. Collins averaged
one point and one rebound per game
last year while with the Celtics and
Wizards.
NBA training camps begin in late
September. ESPN reported that, An
informal survey of league executives
at Las Vegas Summer League suggests
that Collins, who remains a free agent,
stands a good chance to be in uniform
on opening night this fall as teams esh
out their rosters with 12th, 13th and 14th
men in the weeks leading up to training
camp.
Collins has repeatedly declined the
Washington Blades requests for an
interview since he announced hes
gay in an op-ed that Sports Illustrated
published in its May 6 edition, but he
has appeared at a number of LGBT-
specic events since then. These
include attending an LGBT fundraiser
for the Democratic National Committee
in New York City on May 29 that First
Lady Michelle Obama attended and
marching in Bostons annual Pride
parade in June with Massachusetts
Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy, III, with whom
he lived while they attended Stanford
University.
Collins, 34, introduced Seattle rappers
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at the MTV
Video Music Awards in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
on Aug. 25 before they performed their
song Same Love that advocates for
marriage rights for same-sex couples.
I was certain that my world would fall
apart if anyone knew, Collins wrote in
his Sports Illustrated op-ed. Yet when I
acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole
for the rst time.
NBA Commissioner David Stern,
Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld, D.C.
Mayor Vincent Gray, Kobe Bryant of
the Los Angeles Lakers, New York City
Council Speaker Christine Quinn and
Human Rights Campaign President
Chad Grifn are among those who
applauded Collins after he came out.
His coming out will have a positive
impact on an untold amount of lives,
retired tennis champion Martina
Navratilova, who came out in 1981,
told the Washington Blade during a
June interview. Its just adding to the
groundswell of acceptance.
President Obama also reached out to
Collins after he came out.
I told him I couldnt be prouder
of him, Obama told reporters after
Sports Illustrated posted Collins op-ed
to its website in late April. One of the
extraordinary measures of progress that
weve seen in this country has been the
recognition that the LGBT community
deserves full equality, not just partial
equality, not just tolerance, but a
recognition that theyre fully a part of
the American family.
collins remains
unsigned 4 months
after coming out
and warranties.
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KIRK WALKER left Oregon State University as the all-time winningest softball coach in the schools
history.
PHOTO COURTESY KIRK WALKER
Catching up with Kirk Walker, rst
out coach in Division I NCAA
By KEITH LORIA
When Kirk Walker and his partner
Randy Baltimore decided to adopt a
child in 2005, the process required the
couple to ll out public records, which
led to Walker making the important
decision to do what no other head
coach in Division I NCAA had ever
done come out to his team and the
world. (Since his announcement, Sherri
Murrell, head womens basketball coach
at Portland State, has also come out.)
For probably ve or six years before I
came out, I was denitely in a place where
I would not hide it and I wouldnt lie
about it, but I wasnt necessarily sharing
it and it wasnt a point of conversation,
he says. It certainly wasnt something I
shared with my team. In fact, my team
was a very big turning point for me in
terms of being more vocal.
Walker was in his 11
th
season as
head softball coach with Oregon State
University at the time and it was important
to him that his players learn he was gay
from him, rather than through the news
reports that were certain to follow.
I brought up the topic and I shared it
with them, he says. For the next year or
so, I was a little reluctant to do a lot of articles
and interviews, because I didnt want that to
be the rst thing listed on my resume, that I
was the gay coach, and that was partly my
ego. I wanted my record to stand from my
coaching world for who I was.
Eventually, Walker decided that he
was being selsh and that his attitude
was diminishing the impact he could
have, and proudly wore the label as
the coach who came out.
Last season, Walker was offered an
assistant coaching position for UCLAs
softball program and decided to make
the move. He was an alumnus of the
school and had previously served as a
coach for the Bruins from 1984-1994,
helping his alma mater to six NCAA
National Championships.
Walker left OSU as the Beavers all-
time winningest softball coach, with a
594-491 record, and led the team to 10
postseason appearances, including the
College World Series in 2006 and the
NCAA regionals in 2012.
Somewhat surprisingly, Walker
believes he is making a bigger impact
with LGBT students in his new role.
As the role of a head coach, I know
I was an example for people and they
were respectful and appreciative, but a
head coach is someone who is hard to
seek out and share personal issues, he
says. Now, being an assistant, I am in
a different role and I certainly see more
accessibility to me as a resource.
In April, Walker, in conjunction with
UCLA Athletics and UCLA Recreation, held
an event for Athlete Ally, an organization
that educates athletes, coaches and fans
on issues regarding sexual orientation
and sports. UCLA released a You
Can Play video, which encourages
acceptance and tolerance for gay athletes
in all levels of athletics, and UCLA head
football coach Jim Mora became the rst
current major college football coach to
encourage gay athletes to play for his
team.
CONTI NUES ON PAGE 51
out and
embracing it
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Bobbie Dittmeier combines dual
passions for sports, journalism
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A day at the ofce at MLB.com for
Bobbie Dittmeier is just about the same
for her as it is for other editors working to
produce news stories on developments
in Major League Baseball.
Upon coming to the New York ofce,
shell speak with the copy chief about
potential articles for the day with other
editors, who will then assign the stories
to reporters.
We have a lot of stories coming in
everyday, Dittmeier says. We have 30
different reporters plus other columnists,
part-timers and interns. We have a lot
of writers for our staff. We cover all 30
teams full time. So, theres a lot of copy
that comes into the desk every day.
The big news in recent weeks? The
biogenesis investigation, which has led
to the suspension of several players,
including New York Yankees shortstop
Alex Rodriguez.
Waiting for the news on Alex
Rodriguez is like waiting for your wife
to go into labor, she says. You got
the bags packed and the cars gassed,
and youre just going about your regular
routine waiting for the pager to go off.
And knowing that when the pager does
go off that the next 12 to 18 hours is
going to be crazy.
But Dittmeier, who spoke to the
Washington Blade earlier this month,
is unique among other editors and
baseball enthusiasts working at MLB.
com: Shes transgender and the only
openly LGBT person on staff at the site.
Dittmeier says being the only openly
transgender person on staff hasnt
been an issue on the job, which she
attributes to changing attitudes over
time and her own job performance.
I think the most signicant part of it
is that I have a lot of experience and I
do good work, if I may say so myself,
Dittmeier says. And I think that the
people I work for value that. They
certainly didnt want to throw me out of
the ofce for being transgender.
One exception to the acceptance
shes found was what Dittmeier calls a
blip among two individuals upon her
announcement she would transition.
Reluctant to go into detail, she characterizes
it as more of a misunderstanding and says
neither of those people works at MLB.com
any longer.
In 2007, after working for MLB.com
for six years, Dittmeier announced
she would would transition from male
to female. She had already married
and had a child. And it wasnt her rst
attempt; she made an earlier attempt at
transitioning in the 1990s.
It was really only after I had been
at MLB for a number of years that I felt
comfortable and condent enough that
transition wasnt going to put me on the
street, Dittmeier said. So, I felt I had
job security, I knew the people I worked
for, I knew that they knew I do a good
job, that Im good at what I do, so I
didnt think it would be that much of an
issue. So, I worked toward it for a couple
years, starting probably around 2005,
and then nally culminating in coming
out at work in 2007.
Dittmeier says she always kind of felt
something different about her when
she was growing up in Rhode Island
during her youth, but wasnt at the time
able to identify it because of a lack of
information.
I kind of gured it out in my teens,
but you dont act upon it because,
again, it was a different time, Dittmeier
says. You didnt know if you were going
to be ostracized from your family, you
didnt have the resources, you certainly
didnt have the Internet. Going to a
shrink was really frowned upon. You
certainly didnt talk about these things
with your parents.
At the same time growing up,
Dittmeier was an avid enthusiast of all
things baseball and newsprint. After
school, she would read the sports
columns in Newsday, a Pulitzer Prize-
winning paper that was distributed in
her hometown.
And it was an afternoon paper, so it
would come to the house during the day,
and I would come home from school,
and the rst thing I would do before I
went out to play ball was I would make
myself a sandwich and I would read the
newspaper, then I would go out and play
ball, Dittmeier says. So, I always loved
journalism. I always loved writing.
Dittmeier started in the business
of sports writing as a beat reporter
covering hockey and horseracing,
mostly in Westchester County just
outside of New York, and then in Albany
for a number of years. She wanted to
get involved in baseball, but didnt
have the opportunity. Landing the job
at MLB.com 12 years ago made that
dream come true.
One recent big news story hit close
to home. In July, Major League Baseball
announced that it had adopted an
employment non-discrimination policy
prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation. Dittmeier says
she didnt cover the story personally,
although MLB.com had a reporter, Paul
Hagan, covering it.
Personally, it doesnt impact me
at all, I dont think, Dittmeier says.
But Im certainly glad to see Major
League Baseball take it to that level and
respond like that. I think thats more for
clubhouses, players, the teams more
than me.
The policy doesnt cover gender
identity and New York doesnt have a
law prohibiting discrimination based
on gender identity, but Dittmeier isnt
discouraged.
Its not troubling for me personally,
Dittmeier says. It would be nice if they
took a look at that. But again, for me,
personally I dont think that Im at any
kind of risk as long as Im doing my job
well. If I dont do my job well, then Im
subject to changes just like everybody
else. If its not there, it would be nice if
they would include it, Im sure.
Asked about the prevalence of gay
players in Major League Baseball,
Dittmeier insists there are such
players who havent made their sexual
orientation or gender identity public yet.
There has to be, Dittmeier says.
I remember having a debate with
a hockey coach years and years ago
who insisted there were no gay players
anywhere in professional hockey, and I
told him I thought that was ridiculous.
If the number is 10 percent of the
population is gay, then there has to be.
But even with the MLBs non-
discrimination policy on sexual
orientation in place, Dittmeier says it
would take a player with exceptional
skills to come out as gay more talent
than what an average baseball player
normally has.
If you are hitting 300 and youre a
perennial all-star, and you happen to
be [gay, bi or trans], your chances of
successfully coming out are pretty good,
Dittmeier says. If youre going up and
down between Triple-A and the major
leagues, thats a tough one, because if it
comes down to a decision between that
player and someone else as to whether
theyre going to make the roster, then you
have to worry about someone, consciously
or unconsciously, choosing the other
player because of your sexual orientation.
Although hes not a baseball player,
the most notable coming out of a gay
athlete this year was former Washington
Wizards center Jason Collins. Its his
status as a veteran that Dittmeier says
made that coming out possible.
Hes 34 years old, Dittmeier
says. Hes a good ball player at this
point in his career. If, for some reason,
he discontinues to play, hes had a pretty
good career. So he doesnt have very
much to lose. When he was 23, 24, 25
years old, he certainly had a lot more to
lose than he does now. I think security is
really, really important.
Dittmeier says shes seen attitudes
change positively in recent decades,
and expects those to change even
further as time progresses particularly
for transgender people like herself.
I know most people dont know
someone who is transgender, but
certainly most people know someone
else whos LGBT, Dittmeier says. And
20 years ago, I dont think you could say
that. Once you know someone, either
someone in your life or someone you
get to know, someone they work with
or whatever, they understand it better. I
guess thats probably like anything in life.
meet the trans editor
covering major league baseball
BOBBIE DITTMEIER (left), pictured here with a friend, leads a large editorial team at MLB.com.
PHOTO COURTESY BOBBIE DITTMEIER
EVAN DARLING (left) and STEPHEN RHODES say NASCAR is not as leery of gays as one might suspect.
DARLING PHOTO COURTESY EVAN DARLING; RHODES PHOTO COURTESY STEPHEN RHODES
Gay NASCAR vets hope to
return to racing
By SANTIAGO MELLI-HUBER
To the casual observer, NASCAR may
seem conservative, but the sport has been
largely welcoming to LGBT professionals
in the industry. The main hurdle for drivers
of any demographic, including some
openly gay drivers, is nding sponsors.
Michael Myers, founder of
Queers4Gears, a website aimed at
gay and lesbian NASCAR fans, sees
NASCAR as warm and inclusive of the
LGBT community. He notes that Mathew
Pattison, a prominent ofcial in the Timing
and Scoring Department, is openly gay
and feels accepted by NASCAR. On his
website, Myers wrote in 2011 about an
incident in which a crew member with Red
Bull Racing (now Inniti Red Bull Racing),
Tweeted an inappropriate comment
about gay people. Within two days, the
crew member was red.
Stephen Rhodes, an out driver, is
currently working toward returning to the
NASCAR Camping World Track Series for
the 2014 season. Rhodes took a hiatus in
2010 to help his partner open a cafe.
Rhodes sexuality was common
knowledge in the garage for the
majority of his career and had little
impact. He did, however, experience
a single negative experience related
to his sexuality, but it is an anomaly he
chooses not to dwell on.
Having 15 years in this business and
having that one experience isnt going
to hold me back, he said, and I dont
want to entertain and bring it back up
because it is in the past.
There are at least 77 million NASCAR
fans, said Rhodes. And if I get one
percent of them and the LGBT community
behind them, Ill have a huge fan base.
His role in the sport could help pave
the way for future out drivers. Rhodes
sees himself as, following in Danica
[Patrick]s footsteps ... I look forward to
potentially being a spokesperson in the
business for [my] community and trying
to create some equality.
The NASCAR Diversity Affairs
department manages a Driver
Development Program, which aids the
careers of female and minority drivers.
The mission statement does not include
LGBT drivers. Representatives from
Diversity Affairs were unavailable for
comment.
Recently, Rhodes has spent time
putting together media packages for
sponsors and building his name in the
NASCAR community in anticipation of
the 2014 season.
He is encouraged by the leverage his
sexual orientation may provide, saying,
by being a driver that happens to be
gay and approaching LGBT-supportive
corporations, I think its going to pique
a little interest and set me apart from
many other drivers that are out there.
Like Rhodes, Evan Darling, an openly
gay Grand-Am Road Racing driver,
noticed positive reactions from those
around him when he came out in 2007.
Since then, however, he has lost sponsors,
though he points to the economic crash
of 2008 as a major factor.
Darling has not raced professionally
for a year and is seeking sponsors to re-
enter professional driving.
The demographic that I race in front
of is very conservative, Darling said.
And all those people have kids that,
whatever percentage are LGBT, get to
see someone doing something positive
in their community, in their little world. It
could really make a big difference.
Its a very expensive sport, Darling
said. I have to nd ... a good company
that wants to get in front of a new
demographic, a demographic they
dont generally market to.
Myers echoed his sentiments, saying,
The nding of sponsors these days for
racers is difcult whether youre Dale
Earnhardt Jr., Evan Darling, Justin Mullikin
(an out driver in the NASCAR Grand
National Sportsman division), or anyone
in these cash-strapped times. If a person
could drive a racecar and win, then theres
going to be an owner and a sponsor out
there that are going to want to be a part of
that.
Each year, Myers crosschecks
NASCAR sponsors with the Human
Rights Campaign Corporate Equality
Index. Most recently, he found that
many companies earned a perfect score
of 100, including Toyota, Ford, Best Buy,
Budweiser and Coca-Cola.
According to Myers, the companies
currently sponsoring NASCAR earned
an average score of 80 from HRC. He
notes that ExxonMobil brought down
the average. In 2013, the company
and warranties.
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Cleveland prepares for its
close-up after controversies
By PHIL REESE
The two quadrennial international
sports competitions taking place in 2014
the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia,
and the Gay Games in Cleveland
couldnt be setting more dissimilar tones.
Though it hasnt been without its own
controversies, next August, organizers
of the Cleveland Gay Games are
prepared to welcome the LGBT athletes
that Russia vows to muzzle.
Rob Smitherman, sports and
operations director for Clevelands Gay
Games 9, said that, even as much of the
western world begins to embrace LGBT
rights, the continued need for the Gay
Games couldnt be more obvious since
Russia and the IOC have begun warning
athletes not to attempt to test the
nations new anti-gay propaganda law.
People need a place to come to
feel that they are safe and to express
themselves fully, Smitherman said. To
be who they are, not feel like they have to
hide in any way. And its still important.
He said athletes from around the
world still contact him saying they
cant compete and be open anywhere
besides the Gay Games.
Even in the United States and
Europe, we still need this. For the kids
in small towns and states like Alabama.
Atlanta-based 10-year hockey veteran
Chuck Hagel who will be attending
for the rst time as an ofcial and a
participant with his group Gay Hockey
International said the games are
much different than other traditional,
non-sporting events because they are
inclusive of people of all ages, ability
levels, and even include a focus on non-
competing attendees.
This particular event is incredible
because it brings together athletes
of all different playing levels, different
types of sport, Hagel told the Blade,
adding that the games are perfect for
those who may have felt less included
or sidelined in other championship
events. Promoting athleticism and
camaraderie at all different age groups.
Smitherman touts the walkability of all
of the venues from the ofcial 30 host
hotels in Cleveland and Akron offering
registrants special rates through the
Games site. Early bird registration ends
Sept. 1, but Team D.C. announced in
its Facebook group a special discount
through Sept. 15 for Team D.C. members.
Team DC President Les Johnson who
attended the 2010 games in Cologne,
Germany with more than 100 other Team
D.C. participants as a bowler said that
for most athletes at the Gay Games,
competing is about personal best.
Its something that ordinary people
dont experience, Johnson said of
experiencing the festive and afrming
spirit of the Gay Games. Getting that
medal really means a lot because youre
competing against all of your peers
Cleveland is going to be totally
different because we can drive to
Cleveland, Johnson said, contrasting
it with Cologne. Johnson said Team DC
could bring more than 500 athletes.
Ten percent of the 11,000 expected
attendees have already registered.
Most competitive events are free for
spectators, making this an ideal getaway
for LGBT sports fans assuming there
are hotel rooms left.
People need to get a move on and
get registered, said Smitherman, who
has attended and played basketball in
four Gay Games.
Smitherman said participants should
be excited about the non-sporting
events too, with opening ceremonies
at the home of the Cavaliers basketball
team, Quicken Loans Arena, and closing
ceremonies taking place at the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame all within walking
distance of the hotels.
Pink Flamingo is an event that many
who attend Gay Games look forward to,
where aquatics teams compete for prizes
performing synchronized swimming
routines in outrageous costumes.
Its kind of a highlight of the games
every time, said Smitherman.
Besides ofcial Gay Games events,
Johnson said the games always feature a
multitude of unofcial parties every night
around town, and Smitherman said that
his group is working with local theaters
and galleries to offer even more cultural
opportunities. Additionally, the Gay
Games is partnering with the International
Gay Rodeo Association to bring an event
to Akron as part of the festivities.
Smitherman said the Gay Games 9
organizers are eager to move on after a
previous group, the Synergy Foundation,
had its license revoked by the Federation
of Gay Games, which the Washington
Blade reported on extensively.
Our organization is a gay
organization that has a really diverse
board. We have straight people on our
board, Smitherman tells the Blade,
saying while their involvement with
the Gay Games ended abruptly, had
it not been for Synergy Foundation,
Cleveland would not have won its bid for
the games against other the larger cities
competing, including Washington, D.C.
and Boston. Were way past the drama
of who should host the games.
Johnson said Russian athletes also
plan on taking part in the Gay Games.
Im not for boycotting personally,
but it does seem some kind of action
needs to take place, Johnson said
regarding the legal quagmire faced by
athletes, coaches, personnel, trainers
and fans heading to Sochi, where any
demonstration of support for LGBT
people could be penalized.
let the gay games begin
LES JOHNSON and Team D.C. expect to eld a strong contingent at next years Gay Games in
Cleveland.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY JONATHAN ELLIS
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opening doors of the last closet
CONTI NUED FROM PAGE 15
Robert McGarry, senior director of
education and youth programs for
the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education
Network (GLSEN), said his organization
is working with public schools and
teachers, including physical education
teachers, to curtail anti-LGBT bias
among youth.
What you see at the pro level really
starts in kindergarten and on the
playground on recess time, McGarry
said. The kind of exclusion of kids who
step outside of what society expects
of their gender fuels that. What fuels it
also is educators not addressing anti-
LGBT language and bias.
He said GLSEN retained Patricia
Grifn to develop a GLSEN sports
project called Changing the Game,
which is designed to address
homophobia and trans phobia in school
sports programs from kindergarten to
the 12th grade.
Weve been doing training across
the country with mostly high school
coaches and physical education
teachers who seem very receptive and
anxious to have this kind of training
because its not something that they
get in their preparation and they dont
really know what to do, he said. So
were trying to ll that gap.
Grifn said educational programs
like GLSENs sports project and the
changing attitudes throughout the
country on LGBT equality will soon
lead to more openly LGBT professional
sports players, including players in the
NFL and MLB.
I think one of these days theres
going to be a quarterback from some
college football team, Division 1, who
gets recruited up high in the draft
and hes going to come in to the
NFL as an out gay man, Grifn said.
I actually think thats more likely to
happen than having an established
star come out after hes been playing
for a while.
Added Grifn, They never knew
what it was like to be in, she said
of the up and coming young athletes.
They are out and thats how they
live their lives. That alone is going to
change the face of sports in the next
few years.
McGarry of GLSEN cautioned that
although it will help the cause of LGBT
people in sports if more big name stars
come out, that alone wont address the
underlying cause of homophobia in
sports.
Its a shame that everybody is sort of
waiting for the rst NFL player to come
out, he said. There are many people
who think thats going to be the great
solution to have a football player
come out of the closet. I think theres a
lot more work to be done.
D.C. Police Sgt. Brett Parson, the
gay former head of the departments
Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, is a
longtime amateur ice hockey player
and former referee with the National
Hockey League who says he witnessed
rsthand the culture of professional
hockey players.
While weve come a long way,
football, basketball, baseball, ice
hockey those sports still have the
machismo that inhibits people from
coming out and disclosing theyre gay
for fear of being ostracized, Parson
said.
I think were maybe not a generation
away but were still a few years away
before more people feel comfortable
doing that, he said.
Grifn said more womens
professional athletes have already
come out than male professional
athletes, but this often goes unnoticed
because historically the public and the
sports media pay more attention to
men in sports.
She noted that Brittney Griner didnt
receive a lot of media attention when
she came out this year, even though
she is recognized as the best woman
basketball player to enter the WNBA
draft in 2013.
Part of that is because its sort of
like a weird kind of sexism, where we
always think mens sports are more
important and we pay more attention
to mens sports, she said. So it makes
sense that if a gay man comes out in
mens sports we pay more attention.
According to Grifn, the less-noticed
coming out by Griner may be the
better path for all LGBT athletes going
forward.
With women its not such a surprise
because people assume that there
are lesbians in sports, she said. But
when she came out it wasnt like a
giant announcement. She was just very
matter of fact. Its who I am. Im proud
of who I am and, you know, lets move
on, said Grifn.
And I think thats going to be the
future of more athletes who come out
rather than having this be this giant,
traumatic announcement that they
make and feel like theyre risking their
career by coming out, she said.
The NFL and Major League Baseball adopted non-discrimination policies on sexual orientation in
2011 as part of collective bargaining agreements with the NFL and MLB and their respective players
associations.
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Nats, Ravens assert support
for gay employees
Professional sports teams continue
to make strides toward protecting their
gay employees from discrimination and
harassment in the workplace.
A spokesperson for the Washington
Nationals noted to the Washington
Blade the teams policies and
procedures are designed to support
the provisions of the D.C. Human
Rights Act that ban discrimination
based on more than a dozen factors that
include sexual orientation and gender
identity and expression. The Baltimore
Orioles have a zero-tolerance policy for
anti-gay harassment and discrimination
as outlined in Major League Baseballs
Workplace Code of Conduct.
Harassment and discrimination
based on sexual orientation are against
MLBs values and will not be tolerated
anywhere in the major or minor
leagues, the policy reads.
The Baltimore Ravens have also
adopted a policy that bans discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender
identity and expression.
The franchise repeatedly defended
then-linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejos
advocacy for marriage rights for same-
sex couples after state Del. Emmett
Burns (D-Baltimore County) urged
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti that
Ayanbadejo should concentrate on
football and steer clear of dividing
the fan base after he learned he had
donated two Ravens tickets as part of
a Marylanders for Marriage Equality
fundraiser.
Brendon is permitted to express
his viewpoints, team spokesperson
Patrick Gleason told the Blade before
the Ravens defeated the San Francisco
49ers in this years Super Bowl. The
Ravens have always supported his right
to free speech.
The Washington Wizards did not
respond to the Blades request for
comment, but the collective bargaining
agreement the NBA reached in 2011
includes sexual orientation in its anti-
discrimination policies. The league also
has those protections in place for its
employees.
The Washington Capitals did not
respond to the Blades request for
comment, but the National Hockey
Leagues anti-discrimination policy
has included sexual orientation
since 2005. The National Football
Leagues handbook states harassment
and discrimination based on sexual
orientation are contrary to our values.
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Sports Director Helen Carroll told
the Blade that more fans are asking
professional sports teams to adopt
LGBT-inclusive policies.
She said she feels Ayanbadejo, Chris
Kluwe of the Oakland Raiders and other
athletes who back marriage rights for
same-sex couples have contributed to
this increased support. Carroll added
societal shifts in support of LGBT rights
are also a factor.
It has put everything front and center
in a brand new light, she said.
teams make strides
in lgbt protections
The support of NFL players like CHRIS KLUWE has inspired fans to ask teams to extend bias
protections to LGBT players and staff.
PHOTO BY JOE BIELAWA
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sportcreative.biz | 202.680.2020
DESIGN FOR ATHLETES
TEAM WEBSITES, LOGO, APPAREL & MORE
Apparel company, NFL
Players Assoc. among groups
with pro-LGBT clothing lines
By RYAN ROSADO
There was a time when the
thought of professional sports
supporting the LGBT community
was unthinkable.
But those days are coming to an end
as major sports apparel companies and
professional sports associations are
coming together to raise awareness for
respect and acceptance of the LGBT
communitys presence in sports.
This display of support was most
evident in June when sports apparel
powerhouse Nike expanded its
#BeTrue Free Run 5.0 line. The #BeTrue
line aims to promote awareness of
LGBT respect and acceptance working
in tandem with Nikes LGBT partner,
the LGBT Sports Coalition, whose goal
is to end anti-LGBT discrimination in
sports by 2016. Net proceeds from
the lines purchases also go to the
Coalition.
Released in June 2012, the Nike
#BeTrue line saw further growth this
summer with an expansion including
more apparel items such as sandals,
graphic T-shirts, tanks and iPhone
cases. Nike has also amped up its
LGBT outreach efforts by gaining
an unofcial spokesperson for the
#BeTrue line, recent out pro-NBA
athlete Jason Collins. The basketball
star took to Twitter showing his support
for the Nike line by donning a #BeTrue
T-shirt while attending the Boston Pride
parade in June.
Although Collins hasnt ofcially
been announced as the #BeTrue
line spokesperson yet, a Nike
spokesperson recently said, Jason
is a Nike athlete. We are a company
committed to diversity and inclusion.
This statement comes just after
Collins recent endorsement contract
with Nike.
Another out athlete who recently
signed an endorsement deal with Nike is
Brittney Griner. The female NBA athlete
has recently been seen bedecked in
Nike gear.
The apex of Nikes recent outreach
efforts to support the LGBT sports
community this Pride season was
further reinforced through the second
annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit
held in Portland from June 12-15. The
event brought together a wide range
of college and professional athletes,
coaches, athletic administrators,
political gures, LGBT advocates and
journalists all in support of furthering
respect and acceptance of LGBT
athletes.
Also entering the sports marketing
LGBT movement is the NFL Players
Association. In June, the Association
launched a collection of Pride T-shirts
called the One Team Pride Shirts. The
Association is working with a nonprot
organization, Athlete Ally, in support
of its mission of promoting equality in
organized sports.
The T-shirts feature the names of nine
NFL straight allies in support of raising
awareness of respect and acceptance
of LGBT athletes including: Brendon
Ayanbadejo, Connor Barwin, Scott
Fujita, Steve Gleason, Chris Gocong,
Chris Kluwe, Donte Stallworth, Terrell
Suggs and Eric Winston.
The One Team Pride Shirts feature
black T-shirts with rainbow-colored
graphics. All net proceeds from sales of
the shirts go to Athlete Ally.
Another organization that shares
the same mission as Athlete Ally is the
You Can Play Project, which seeks to
challenge the culture of locker rooms
and spectator areas by focusing only
on an athletes skills, work ethic and
competitive goals.
To achieve this mission, the You
Can Play Project has produced a line
of apparel products that sport the
organizations logo with hoodies,
eeces, caps and bag tags.
The You Can Play Project has also
acquired straight LGBT allies in both
the professional sports arena and
celebrity arena such as various athletes
from the Bay Area (San Francisco 49ers
and Oakland Raiders) and hip-hop
duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. The
You Can Play Project supporters have
been featured in various public service
announcements vocalizing their support
in promoting the You Can Play Projects
goals.
These efforts are starting to make
business sense as well. According to a
recent Pew Research Center study of
LGBT consumers, 51 percent reported
refusing to purchase a product or
service due to lack of support for LGBT
rights.
inclusion? nike just does it
One of Nikes pro-gay T-shirts, part of its #BeTrue line.
PHOTO COURTESY NIKE
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CONTI NUED FROM PAGE 39
Coach Mora is fantastic and has
been since I was hired, Walker says.
I didnt doubt for one minute that he
wouldnt be on board with the video
we were producing and I certainly was
very pleased he was so honest about
how he felt, and I believe that was very
powerful.
Athletes from throughout the UCLA
program male and female were
on-board and Walker was impressed
with the younger generations
acceptance and support for teammates
and individuals who might be LGBT.
Walker was happy that NBA player
Jason Collins felt secure enough to
come out and doesnt believe that
moments like this are as big a deal as
many others do, calling it a safer climate
today.
I think anytime a high-prole person
identies as LGBT, especially in the
sports world, its important, but I often
said that there are many people in
the media and the LGBT community
who believe the rst pro athlete or
rst football player or rst basketball
player that came out would be an
earth-shattering moment, but I never
really ascribed to that, he says. I
think its fantastic, I think its great, but
I dont think an event like that means
everything has changed.
So, when contemplating why more
athletes arent following Collins lead,
Walker admits part of it is the perception
of the public and part the perception of
teammates. Still, he thinks the external
struggle is the greatest challenge.
For high-prole athletes, they worry,
Will I still be one of the guys? Will they
still value me as a teammate and want
me to be part of their family? and I think
thats a big roadblock, Walker says. I
think the dialogue and having more
conversations about LGBT athletes,
coaches and individuals has created an
opportunity in the locker room where
there are some vocal people who will
stand up and be supportive.
As the new UCLA softball season is
set to get underway, Walker is looking
forward to more excitement and success
from the team in his role as assistant to
coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
I have relished the opportunity to
be back in that role as an assistant
and its been great. I have no regrets
about making the move at this point
in my career, he says. My passion in
coaching is about changing lives and
building individuals into the best person
they can be moving into the real world.
KIRK WALKER on the eld at the University of California at Los Angeles, his current coaching post and
alma mater.
PHOTO COURTESY KIRK WALKER
catching up
with kirk walker
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Athlete Ally trains NBA players
to challenge anti-gay slurs
By PHIL REESE
The National Basketball Association
has had its share of notable anti-gay
scandals.
In April 2011, Los Angeles Lakers
star Kobe Bryant caused a stir and was
ned $100,000 when he was caught
on camera calling a referee a fucking
faggot. The incident forced Bryant
and the league to take a serious look at
homophobia in professional basketball.
Enter college wrestling three-time All
American, Hudson Taylor. Taylor holds
the records for most pins and wins in
the history of the University of Maryland,
and is ranked in the top ve pinners
in NCAA wrestling history. He is also
the founder and executive director of
Athlete Ally, an organization that seeks
to use straight allies to foster a culture
of inclusion in sports for LGBT athletes.
Bryant has since begun speaking out
against using homophobic language,
and took to Twitter to support NBA
player Jason Collins when the former
Washington Wizard came out in the
pages of Sports Illustrated. But Taylors
organization sees opportunity for a
greater impact in the major leagues than
merely supportive tweets from superstars.
Theres a denite recognition in
the sports world, beginning with the
NBA, that [athletics] shouldnt be
the last closet in America, baseball
commentator and Athlete Ally board
member, Sam Marchiano, told the
Blade.
In 2012, Athlete Ally announced it was
taking its college ally training program
to the NBA. The organization not only
seeks to train allies in how to become
more outspoken and challenge anti-gay
words in the locker room, but to train
allies to recruit and train more allies.
An alumnus of the 2012 NBA training
which Taylor himself leads with
groups of various sizes for NBA players,
personnel and coaches starting
power forward of the Denver Nuggets
and child of two moms, Kenneth
Faried became the rst Athlete Ally
ambassador in the league, and when
the standout rookie participated in
ESPN Magazines 2013 body issue, he
specically cited Jason Collins coming
out, and the courage of LGBT athletes
as his inspiration for posing nude.
Marchiano said that the trainings have
an impact on the organizational culture,
because many of the participants are
discussing LGBT inclusion in the context
of sports for the rst time.
You want everyone on your team
being true to themselves and being
who they are and you want to have
everybody on your team, anyone who
can help, Marchiano said.
Marchiano said that for some players,
there is already a great deal of comfort
with LGBT players, but for others
these discussions help them see LGBT
athletes and fans as integral to the team.
Once people start to talk about
the issue, and get comfortable, the
acceptance grows from there, Marchiano
says. You dont go backward.
For many LGBT sports fans, the
ultimate goal is to create a culture
of sports where every locker room
welcomes openly gay, bi and trans
athletes.
Athlete Ally has done a great
job building awareness around the
importance of being a straight ally
on the eld, which is tremendously
valuable for equality and inclusion in
sports, says Connor Gaughan, a sports
enthusiast and managing partner at
Collective Conscience. The next stage
is for organizations that focus on gay
and lesbian athletes to leverage the
work of [Athlete Ally] and collaborate
for more out players at every level of
sports.
NCAA wrestler Dylan Ryan is about to
start his junior year at Duke University,
and hes already built an Athlete Ally
program at his school. As one of
seven ofcial campus ambassadors
in a program covering 33 campuses
throughout the nation, he has begun
conducting trainings based on Hudson
Taylors approach. He said Dukes
wrestling team is already prepared to
welcome an openly gay member.
I can see the changes already, Ryan
told the Blade. I think weve made
positive steps.
Ryan who hopes Athlete Ally
expands to more campuses is
growing the program this year with
trainings for more teams, and recruiting
more freshmen athletes from the very
beginning of the year. Though he says
some mens teams still have some work
to do, the womens teams have been
enthusiastically supportive.
Womens teams have all already
openly come out to support us and
have come to different meetings
and contacted our development
coordinator, Ryan said.
teaching acceptance
to the pros
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Hudson Taylor on his
advocacy work and the
future for out athletes
By ROBERT KLEMKO
Hudson Taylor, a former University of
Maryland wrestler and current Columbia
University assistant wrestling coach, saw
the need in 2010 for a social advocacy
group pushing for LGBT equality in
sports. He founded Athlete Ally, a
nonprot organization focused on
ending homophobia and transphobia in
sports, three years ago.
We caught up with Taylor and got
his thoughts on the success of the
organization and the future for out
professional athletes.
ROBERT KLEMKO: When did Athlete
Ally explode from your part-time pursuit
to this nationally recognized organization?
HUDSON TAYLOR: We started
Athlete Ally in August 2010. The rst
year-and-a-half to two years was pretty
slow. We were growing at the college
level quite a bit. But the real expansion
came when Ravens linebacker Brendon
Ayanbadejo came on and we started
getting more athletes getting involved
last fall. After him, more and more
athletes started lending their voice
to LGBT acceptance in sports. In the
NFL, Scott Fujita and Chris Kluwe came
shortly after. Those are obviously three
prominent voices in the NFL and for
LGBT acceptance in sports.

KLEMKO: Did you recruit these guys,
or did they come to you?
TAYLOR: We recruited the majority of
the athletes we work with. We adopted a
shotgun approach: If we have an athlete
who speaks out for marriage equality or
they have a relative whos gay, we reach
out and say Are you interested in getting
involved? For all the guys whove signed
up weve gotten probably triple the
amount of nos. We also got a ton of our
athletes from Maryland connections;
Kristi Tolliver, Robbie Rogers and DQwell
Jackson included.
KLEMKO: Do you have a staff?
TAYLOR: Our board is very much
a working board. We have 13 board
members who are almost full time
working on Athlete Ally. Weve been
very fortunate to have a very dedicated
board. Then we have ve interns and
two college graduates that weve just
hired, and well be hiring more. What
weve found is there are a lot of college
kids who are eager to get involved.
KLEMKO: You went from recruiting
the voices to becoming an authority on
the topic. Whats the next step?
TAYLOR: When all of this started, I
realized theres never been a successful
social advocacy group for the minority
without the majority support. We knew
we needed the voices. Now our next
phase is really trending down to the
K-12 age group. Weve become the
ofcial partners of the NBA, working
with their incoming players, and we
have great reach in college, but the
cycle starts far sooner than college. So
when we think about these attitudes we
need to start educating when they rst
pick up a baseball or a football.

KLEMKO: Where are you with the
18-and-under demographic?
TAYLOR: We havent made any
partnerships with any school districts in
a really major way. Heres the plan:
Were currently creating a curriculum to
train college athletes to go back into
their high schools and middle schools
and train the younger generation. Those
guys are going to have more impact than
any of these guys could. Theres a certain
amount of cultural capital that athletes
have with the ability to change hearts and
minds in these difcult environments.
KLEMKO: Who reaches out to you
the most, personally?
TAYLOR: A lot of folks that Ive known
growing up have reached out to me
because either they are closeted or they
have friends or family who are closeted.
It became clear that a huge number
of people Ive known are affected by
homophobia in sports. There have been
closeted professional athletes who have
reached out, but were still at the very
beginning theres still a lot of fear and
uncertainty for the closeted gay athlete.
KLEMKO: For the athlete who wants
to help, but doesnt want to attach his
name to Athlete Ally, whats your advice?
TAYLOR: The biggest question is,
how do we explicitly go about creating
an inclusive environment to everyone?
Joining Athlete Ally is on one end of the
spectrum, but you can also as an athlete
pick ve words in your life to eliminate.
Say something to a teammate next time
you hear an anti-gay word in the locker
room. Thats a start.
KLEMKO: Is the bigger obstacle for
your mission in the front ofces, or in the
locker rooms?
TAYLOR: I think its really difcult to
make an overarching statement about
that. No two experiences are exactly
alike. Fears and apprehension that one
closeted athlete has can be completely
different from another. That said, the
average NBA career is 4.7 years. Its even
shorter for NFL players. So if coming out
is going to hurt an athletes belief that
they can make a team and stay in the
league, thats an obstacle. On the other
hand, you can have a really supportive
owner or franchise but if youre on a team
that is using anti-gay language every day,
a closeted athlete is not going to feel
safe to come out in that space.
KLEMKO: Jason Collins popped the
NBAs cherry. How do we get the ball
rolling in the NFL?
TAYLOR: Until we have a critical mass
of athletes speaking out, youre not
going to see more athletes coming out.
Some of the most vocal athletes have
been NFL players, but when you look at
how many guys have spoken out, its still
a very small percentage. Were going to
need more players, coaches and owners
speaking out for real change to happen.
from athlete to ally
ROBERT KLEMKO is a University of Maryland
graduate and a writer for TheMMQB.com,
Sports Illustrated magazines online NFL desti-
nation by Peter King.
HUDSON TAYLOR founded Athlete Ally in
August 2010.
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r e c r u i t e r @ n o v a w r f c . o r g
Gay former NFL player prepares
to take reins at You Can Play
By KEVIN MAJOROS
When Wade Davis came out of the
closet in June 2012, his story made national
headlines. The former NFL athlete who
played for the Washington Redskins, Seattle
Seahawks and Tennessee Titans as well as
two teams within NFL Europe made the
rounds on the media circuit to share his story.
At the time, Davis was working at
Hetrick-Martin in New York as the assistant
director of job readiness, where he helped
LGBT youth learn life skills. He also served
as an LGBT surrogate for President
Obama during the 2012 election.
Fourteen months later, Davis has
launched You Belong: LGBTQA Youth
Sports and Leadership Initiative with its
rst leadership camp recently held in
Chicago focusing on basketball.
The You Belong initiative was
founded by Davis and writer/activist
Darnell Moore and serves to provide
LBGTQA youth ages 14 to 24, access to
various sports through a series of four-
day comprehensive sports instruction
and leadership development clinics.
The goal is to create a safe space where
LGBTQA youth can become well-rounded
athletes, leaders and human beings.
In addition, Davis this month was
named the new executive director of
the You Can Play Project.
The Blade caught up with Davis a few
weeks after the completion of the rst
You Belong Leadership Camp held in
Chicago through July 28th.
Washington Blade: Congratulations on
the rst leadership camp. How did it go?
Wade Davis: It was life changing.
There is a lack of resources for LGBTQA
youth and it was great to be able to
share with these kids that they have
options going forward.
Blade: Who made up your group of
youths?
Davis: We had 40 in attendance that
ranged in age from 14 to 22. There was a
nice mix of LGBT and straight and most
of them were marginally housed. There
was a familiar bond as many of them
were facing the same struggles.
Blade: How did the kids nd out about
the Leadership Camp and what were they
offered over the course of the four days?
Davis: We worked with the City of
Chicago, the Mayors Ofce and the Center
on Halstead to nd youth who might
benet from the program. The program
was a series of workshops that focused on
team building, anti-bullying, safe space
and nutrition among other things. There
was also a series of speakers that spoke to
the kids over the course of the weekend.
WNBA player Tangela Smith, WNBA
& NBA consultant Donnie Arey, NBA
player and coach Bill Cartwright, NBA
players Jarron and Jason Collins, NFL
player Marques Sullivan, transgender
MMA ghter Fallon Fox, You Can Play
founder Patrick Burke and Go! Athletes
founder Anna Aegenes were all at the
camp to interact with the youth.
Blade: How did you come up with
that list of speakers?
Davis: Each one of them brought a
different perspective that the kids will be
able to use going forward. Bill Cartwright
who is 71 shared with them how he
felt different growing up because of his
height. Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney
of Choir Boy fame came in as the
closing speaker, which was a nice way to
share something with the kids outside of
sports. Over the course of the four days,
we ran through all the gamut of emotions.
We laughed, we cried, we danced.
Blade: What are the plans for the
camps going forward?
Davis: In 2014, we are planning to have
three Leadership Camps and the length
of them will probably be reduced to three
days. I am thinking football will be the
focus of one and track and eld the focus
of another one. We are hoping that the
third one will be directed at female youth
and at some point we would like to work
with trans-identied youth. The scheduling
is the difcult part as the camp has to be in
the off-season of the targeted sport so the
professional athletes can be involved.
Blade: Congratulations on the new
position at You Can Play.
Davis: Yes, I was not expecting there
to be this much attention. I think part of
it is that I will be one of the few African-
American gay men leading a national
LGBT organization.
Blade: This is a full-time paid position.
Are you leaving Hetrick-Martin?
Davis: My last day at Hetrick-Martin
will be on Sept. 6. I will still be based in
New York, so I fully intend to continue
stopping in to see the kids. There is so
much to learn from them.
Blade: How will your new position at You
Can Play affect your work at You Belong?
Davis: Both projects will continue on
their respective missions and I expect
them to work together cohesively. You
Can Play will offer access to professional
athletes for the You Belong Leadership
Camps. You Belong will offer a youth
audience to further the mission of You Can
Play. I think there will be great synergy.
Blade: I know from talking to you in
prior conversations that you are a huge
sports fan and love to compete. What
are you doing to stay in shape?
Davis: I am the captain of the national
travel team for the New York Gay Flag
Football League and generally use my
birthday at the end of July as my launching
pad to be in great shape for Gay Bowl in
October. I dont want to give anyone the
opportunity to say that they outplayed
the former professional football player.
Blade: Tell me about the book you
are writing.
Davis: It is called Interference and it is
the story of my journey so far. It has actually
evolved over the past year because of all
the changes in my path. Now it will include
educational tools for people who are
interested in getting involved in social justice.
It will be on the newsstands in late 2014.
wade davis launches
youth initiative
WADE DAVIS came out in 2012; he formerly
played for the Redskins.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY DAMIEN SALAS
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V O L U M E 4 4 I S S U E 3 5
an idea whose time has come
Spreading a message of love,
freedom and equality around
the world
By BRENDON AYANBADEJO
After winning the Super Bowl in Feb-
ruary, the entire Baltimore Ravens orga-
nization was invited on a White House
tour, which included a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to meet President Obama.
The older paintings in the White
House detailing everyday life depict
black servants and maids. Depending
on the dates, they were either workers
or, more likely, they were slaves. Even
our rst president knew slavery was
wrong. Our country, which was built
on the backs of slave labor, turned a
blind eye to this unconstitutional act. In
his will following the death of his wife
Martha, George Washington declared
his slaves free. It took another 60-plus
years before the majority of African
Americans tasted freedom by way of
the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan.
1, 1863, which didnt even apply to the
entire country just yet.
President Lincoln died for what he
believed in that every man is created
equal just as stated in the Constitution.
But 150 years later in 2013, we continue
to ght for the same things we fought
for in the Civil War the civil rights and
equal rights of every single American
man, woman and child. We will contin-
ue to spread our message of love, free-
dom and equality not only in the United
States but worldwide. (Civil rights mean-
ing the rights of citizens to political and
social freedom and equality. The key-
word being citizens meaning ALL
citizens.)
The government should not discrimi-
nate or segregate by color, age, gen-
der, ability, sexual orientation, gender
identity, religion, or a myriad of other
classications. In 2009, President-elect
Obama became a beacon of light shin-
ing as bright as Nelson Mandela did
upon his release from prison and elec-
tion to prime minister of the apartheid-
torn South Africa.
In 2016, we may see a-mother hero in
Hillary Rodham Clinton (pun intended),
who could become the most powerful
woman in the world since Hatshepsut
the (female) king of Egypts 18th dynasty
in 1870 B.C. some 3,883 years ago. This
is the evolution I see in the periphery
when we talk about equality, and when
we bend down on both knees to tell our
children to chase your dreams because
you can do anything you set your heart,
soul and mind to achieve, as we look
them in their eyes with truth and convic-
tion.
Now, how the hell did an athlete get
caught knee deep in this whole mess of
a deal that some people like to call gay
rights? For me it was quite easy because
there is no such thing as gay rights.
Theres just rights and no rights, and
today as you read this article, gay and
lesbian couples cannot legally marry in
37 states. In many of those same states,
you can be red from your job and even
evicted from your home for being part
of the LGBT community. There are more
than 1,000 benets of marriage under
the law that do not convey to the LGBT
community. We fought through wom-
ens suffrage, the Civil Rights move-
ment, anti-miscegenation laws and to-
day we continue to ght for the same
rights for our LGBT brothers and sisters
all over again.
As an athlete I realize that I have the
ability to traverse the territory between
sport and entertainment. I would much
rather improve peoples lives than en-
tertain, so I chose to start voicing my
views on issues that resonated with me
and my personal life. The Super Bowl
was witnessed by more than a billion
eyes and ears. The timing couldnt have
been better even though I have been
publicly campaigning for equality since
2009. What was a grassroots movement
is now one of the most relevant topics in
America and around the world.
There is nothing more powerful than
an idea whose time has come. As we
have seen in the United States, it is in-
evitable that we will one day have mar-
riage equality in every state and federal
marriage rights as well. This shouldnt
be up to popular vote or opinion, the
Constitution guarantees it, but if this
is the route we must take, domino by
domino, so be it, and we will look back
several years from now in amazement
that we ever had such barbaric laws and
practices in effect just as we look back
on segregation, slavery and other dra-
conian practices over the history of our
beloved country.
Reminders of how far we have come
are never more evident than when we
see the injustices in Russia and its lack
of acceptance and tolerance. Worse
yet is West Africa, where it can be
deadly to be a part of the LGBT com-
munity, as people are literally killed
simply for being gay. Changing Amer-
ica is the tip of the iceberg. Changing
the world in places like my fathers na-
tive Nigeria, where the acceptance of
ones homosexuality is as difcult as
cultivating a garden in a desert, poses
even greater challenges.
As the seeds were planted in America
years and years ago by heroes like Abra-
ham Lincoln, Branch Rickey, Billie Jean
King, Martina Navratilova, Billy Bean
and Greg Louganis, to name a handful,
we must plant the seeds in our deserts
abroad, in countries like Nigeria, Ghana,
Russia, Iran and all the other intolerant
nations so one day they too will be ac-
cepting of love, equality and the pursuit
of happiness.
Many people ask me, Why gay
rights? I simply reply that they are just
rights and because they would do the
same thing for me. Perhaps they already
have.
BRENDON AYANBADEJO is guest editor of the
Washington Blade. He played for the reigning
Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens and is
owner of OrangeTheory Fitness and a longtime
LGBT and human rights advocate.
VIEWPOINT
BRENDON AYANBADEJO took the helm of the Blade for this special issue from editor KEVIN NAFF.
The two appeared at a news conference in June. Ayanbadejo cover photo by Adam Bouska.
LGBT athletes have been relegated
to the closet for far too long
The world of sports has tradition-
ally been an intimidating, unwelcoming
place for LGBT people from locker
room taunts and high school bullying to
professional athletes who sling homo-
phobic slurs on the court.
But the times they are a-changin.
Today, professional teams and major
apparel companies market directly to gay
fans. More and more athletes are speaking
out in favor of inclusiveness and denounc-
ing homophobia. And one of the last bas-
tions of the closet is nally starting to fall,
with the news of Jason Collins coming out.
This special edition of the Blade is
more than a year in the making and
was edited by Super Bowl champion
Brendon Ayanbadejo. When I originally
pitched the idea for this issue last year,
we began the process of selecting the
perfect guest editor. Many names were
oated. But when the Baltimore Ravens
won the Super Bowl in February, we
knew there was only one choice. Bren-
don has been an outspoken LGBT rights
supporter since at least 2009, when he
publicly endorsed marriage equality. A
big thank you to him for his hard work
on this issue of the Blade and for his
voice in the movement.
It is a true sign of the times that we are
able to devote an entire issue to this top-
ic. Just 10 years ago, our energies were
focused on covering less happy news, like
the Bush administrations endless attacks
on our rights. With President Obamas
epic support and the historic legal victo-
ries weve seen, we can turn our attention
from time to time to less dire subjects.
So, why sports? American culture ele-
vates sports stars to heroic status. They are
role models for millions around the world.
That hyper-masculine culture has driven
many into the closet, but for a brave few,
including one of my personal heroes, Mar-
tina Navratilova, who is interviewed in this
issue. As our culture has evolved even
the U.S. military welcomes openly gay ser-
vice members professional sports has
still seemed slow to change. We need to
tell our stories in this realm so that a thou-
sand more like Navratilova and Collins will
nd the courage to come out. We need
the voices of our allies, like Brendon and
Chris Kluwe, so those closeted athletes
know they will nd a network of support
when they do come out. And kids should
have the same opportunity to excel and
compete, regardless of sexual orientation
or gender identity.
The cultural changes weve seen
over the past ve years have been truly
breathtaking and unimaginable to many.
But the work is not nished. There re-
main far too many barriers to equality.
Opening up the world of collegiate and
professional sports to out LGBT athletes
should be near the top of our collective
to-do list. Enjoy this special issue and
thanks again to Brendon and to all of the
contributors for their work and visibility.
As our culture has evolved even the U.S. military
welcomes openly gay service members
professional sports has still seemed slow to change.
changing the world of professional sports
KEVIN NAFF is editor of Washington Blade and
can be reached at knaff@washblade.com.
VIEWPOINT
athletes leading our cultural awakening
VIEWPOINT
Nation evolving faster on LGBT
rights with mainstream support
By RUSSELL SIMMONS
One of the greatest obstacles stand-
ing between us and our ability to evolve
is our tendency to behave like sheep. For
far too long, many people in our nation
have followed the herd of hatred against
our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. I could
never understand one persons desire to
keep another person from living a life full
of joy and happiness, but for decades I
have witnessed this kind of oppression
across this country. That is why I am a
proud gay rights activist, as I have always
believed that the rights I take for grant-
ed are worthless unless I ght for those
same rights for others.
So I have stood hand-in-hand with the
LGBTQ community ghting for equality,
freedom and the right for a peaceful
existence and although the lights have
been out for quite some time, a match
has been lit that now burns bright.
One of the proudest days of my life
was when marriage equality was passed
in New York State. Knowing that we
played a small part in creating happi-
ness for thousands of families across my
home state was very special. And now
to witness state after state after state le-
galize marriage for any two people who
share love in their hearts, regardless of
sexual orientation, has been extraordi-
narily gratifying.
The spiritual awakening thats going
to lead to the change in our nations
department of compassion and even-
tual enlightenment can come at any sec-
ond. And what we have seen over the
past few years is that change has come
and it has come with new leadership and
new allies. Leadership that is young and
energetic and allies that have come from
an unexpected domain for many of us;
the elds of football and the courts of
basketball, the stadiums of baseball and
the ice rinks of hockey, the stages of rap
concerts and the screens of Hollywood
there has been an emergence of athletes
and entertainers that have transformed
the compassion of our countrys heart to
a level we have never seen before.
In my belief, it has been the main-
streaming of this movement that
has led to this recent cultural awaken-
ing. When Super Bowl champions like
Brendon Ayanbadejo and rap icons
like Jay-Z advocate proudly and loudly
for gay rights, our country can evolve
much quicker. It is no longer just the gay
community ghting for themselves, it
is a wealth of comrades and allies who
march alongside them vigorously de-
fending their constitutional rights.
I am inspired by this new wave of
heroes who wave the rainbow ag with
pride, knowing that they are creating
a more compassionate America that
ultimately will directly affect the hearts
and minds of millions around the world.
They are now the herders of hope, lead-
ing this nation to the top of that moun-
tain Dr. King so eloquently spoke about
the night before he passed the torch.
RUSSELL SIMMONS is an entrepreneur and
philanthropist who co-founded the Def Jam
label, as well as Phat Farm and other clothing
lines. He is a longtime supporter of LGBT rights.
PHOTO BY FADIL BERISHA
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Hudson Taylor helped me
realize my two identities
could co-exist
By AKIL PATTERSON
Six years ago, Hudson Taylor was in
the midst of his three-time All-American
career at the University of Maryland. I
was an assistant coach on the team and
also ran a nonprot called the Terrapin
Wrestling Club with a friend who was
a devout Catholic. Everyday, my friend
and I would attend Mass at noon, have
lunch, arrive at the Comcast Center
by 2:30 p.m. and listen in on the days
locker room discussion before practice
began. It was often lled with debate
on a range of topics, from the rst sea-
son of the television show Dexter to
Barack Obamas bid to become the
Democratic presidential nominee. And
normally, Taylor was behind it all. There
was another subject that kept coming
up and his arguments with one particu-
lar teammate on this specic subject
became heated and full of controversy:
LGBT rights.
Talk about gays and gay rights had
always made me nervous. As a college
football player and wrestler, Ive been out
to my family since my senior year, but I
hadnt told my team or my coaching staff.
I made a point to have two lives and never
wanted to mix the two in any way, shape
or form. Being an athlete and being gay
are both fundamental to my identity, yet
all of my life experience had taught me
that the two could not co-exist.
As a closeted coach, I stood in that
locker room listening as Taylor defend-
ed gay marriage, gay rights, and recon-
ciled the issues of faith and acceptance.
I saw something in him that I lacked in
myself because of the pain inicted by
the heterosexual community in sports
and the disconnect I felt from the LGBT
community.
Taylor, open minded and polished,
vehemently defended LGBT rights to
his teammates because he felt he was
living in two worlds as well. In addition
to being a nationally ranked wrestler,
he was also a theater major. And he just
didnt understand why one of his worlds
was so accepting of any type of sexual
orientation and another was not. So
he spoke out. Sometimes, when things
got tense in the locker room, he would
change tactics and wow the crowd with
his card tricks or his easy-going, self-
effacing manner. Despite disagreeing
with him at times, teammates loved
Taylor because he always gave you his
heart. Three seasons lled with argu-
ments, trips to Colorado, two ACC titles
and an NCAA top-10 nish culminated
with Taylor competing in headgear
slapped with an HRC sticker and the
logo for equality. Many members of the
team had no idea what it was, though I
did. And so in the hallway outside of the
locker room, I asked Taylor if he would
be willing to be interviewed for an arti-
cle by a friend who wrote for Outsports.
Inspired by the response to that article,
Taylor and his wife, Lia, founded Athlete
Ally and in the process, helped ignite a
movement.
Athlete Ally works to improve the
lives of LGBTQ athletes by being a sup-
port system, which is something many
of us never had growing up in sports.
For many, the name calling and the bul-
lying ended any hopes of playing on a
team or being in a locker room because
being made to feel less than anyone
else was too much to bear. Others, like
me, continued to play and wished that
someone, anyone really, at some point,
would take a stand for or with you. Now,
with our allies, LGBT leaders are paving
a way for the next generation to com-
pete and be open and happy.
Athlete Ally isnt about the ally being
our voice, its about teaching our allies
to stand up with LGBTQ athletes so we
can speak with one voice, in resounding
thunder, to declare to the sports world
that we will no longer let our friends
and colleagues be bullied or pushed
around. No longer should our friends
be ashamed to have their boyfriends
and girlfriends come down to the eld
and embrace them after scoring the
game-winning point or making the
game-winning throw.
Athlete Ally conducts programmat-
ic work to develop inclusion of LGBT
athletes in sports on almost every lev-
el, working with major sports leagues
with partnerships like the NBA, NFL
Players Association, USA Wrestling
and many more. On both the profes-
sional and collegiate level, Athlete
Ally has an active Ambassadors pro-
gram across the country taking up the
ght and being active leaders and role
models for their peers.
Taylor helped change the life of this
coach, who had been in his corner so
many times. I coached at Maryland
while keeping my sexual orientation a
secret, but the truth was, I was a gay,
black man looking for acceptance,
love, and understanding from the fam-
ily I loved so very much in the sport of
wrestling. I had already lost so much in
football after I came out to my college
team during my senior year. No one,
including myself, was prepared to fully
deal with the ramications of my disclo-
sure and the impact was devastating. So
although I had achieved great success
on the eld as a two-time All American,
no feeling would ever compare to the
day, years later, when I watched my col-
league, my athlete, and my friend say
to his fellow wrestler that day in the
Terrapin locker room, So what if your
brother is gay? Why are you so scared
of something that you know nothing
about?
In a perfect world, Athlete Allys mis-
sion almost seems simplistic: make sure
all athletes, in any sport, compete in a
safe and welcoming environment. Since
we dont live in that perfect world, this
task is much more challenging than
many people will ever realize. Fortu-
nately for all of us, Athlete Ally was
founded by someone who knows how
to wrestle any foe in his path.
my double life as a gay athlete
VIEWPOINT
EDI TORI AL CARTOON
AKIL PATTERSON (right) and HUDSON TAYLOR of Athlete Ally.
PHOTO COURTESY AKIL PATTERSON
AKIL PATTERSON serves on the Athlete Ally
advisory board and is the director of the Terrapin
Wrestling Club, which fuels the Olympic dream for
all ages and skill levels.
As rst black woman Olympic
diver, I want Russians to
witness power of sports
By KATURA HORTON-PERINCHIEF
Nobody knows quite like a diver that
when you step on that platform, you are
invincible. The sound of the springboard
becomes a rhythm to live by and the smell
of chlorine turns into the familiar scent
of home. Bruises and welts are battle
wounds but the sound of a rip entry on a
gorgeous dive can make you smile all night
long. A good night or bad day can start and
end in the pool and it is possible to spin fast
enough to leave all your worries behind.
My love affair with diving began when
I was ve years old. As an island baby,
I had been diving off boats since I was
two. Bermuda is a tiny island in the Atlan-
tic that boasts beautiful clear blue waters
and pink sand beaches along with plenty
of places for a young adrenaline junkie
to get her x of diving off high things.
My family moved to Toronto so that my
parents could pursue their educational
endeavors and thats where my diving
career really took off. I was Canadian Age
Group champion at 15 and represented
Canada internationally at the Junior level
until I was 18 years old. Being raised in the
diving world was an absolute joy. My div-
ing heroes, Greg Louganis and Annie Pel-
letier, were ever present at diving meets. I
met people from different countries, dif-
ferent backgrounds, different ethnicities
and different belief systems and, yet, we
all were joined by a commonality of love
for the sport of diving.
When I represented Bermuda at the
2004 Olympics in Athens, it was tting that
it was the rst time the modern Olympic
Games were back on Greek soil. I was ab-
bergasted at the athletes walking around
the Olympic village, many of whom I had
only ever seen on TV. I ate lunch with Car-
melo Anthony, traded pins with Venus Wil-
liams and Cathy Freeman, took pictures
with Asafa Powell the entire experience
was surreal. Everybody there had prepared
for this moment their entire lives, my-
self included. Sixteen years of practicing
morning and night until my muscles were
aching and I could barely move my body
parts had all led to this particular point in
time. On Aug. 22, 2004, when I stepped
on the diving board as the rst diver of the
womens three-meter springboard event, I
joined the ranks of an elite few who get to
call themselves Olympians.
I was approached by a press repre-
sentative in Athens after my event who
asked, very excitedly, How does it feel
to be the rst black female diver to ever
grace an Olympic stage? I told her that
it felt great. I was just so caught up in the
sheer exhilaration of having competed in
the Games that I didnt have time to pro-
cess what the reporter had said.
Participating in the Olympic Games
is a unique experience that anyone who
gets the chance to have will never for-
get. This is the reason so many Olym-
pians, including the legendary Greg
Louganis, have spoken out against
boycotting the Sochi Winter Olympic
Games because of Russias anti-gay
laws. The government ofcials in Russia
are dead wrong in their political stance
in promising to arrest and detain spec-
tators and athletes who are deemed to
be practicing a homosexual lifestyle.
But a boycott of the Olympics hurts
the athletes and spectators the most. Its
important that, globally, there is a dem-
onstration of human strength that goes
far beyond the ignorance of the Russian
government. The purpose of sport is
to unite, not divide, and its imperative
that we, as athletes, as Olympians, as
fans and as witnesses of the incredible
examples of togetherness that an event
such as the Olympic Games can provide,
stand up and support our sports heroes
as they represent their countries on the
greatest of sporting stages. Citius, Altius,
Fortius...Faster, Higher, Stronger.
We, as global citizens, have been
promised one heck of a show and I, for
one, cant wait to watch it.
looking forward to unforgettable show in sochi
Celebrating, supporting LGBT
athletes at GWU
By PATRICK NERO
In the coming weeks, hundreds of
thousands of young people will arrive
on a college campus for the rst time.
They deserve to be welcomed to a cam-
pus that is accepting and respectful a
campus that celebrates a diverse commu-
nity, allows for a total education and best
prepares students for life after college.
At George Washington Univer-
sity, our diverse community includes a
strong and proud LGBT community.
It is important that our intercollegiate
athletic program recognizes and cel-
ebrates this part of our university.
We talk often as an athletic program
about the importance of being part of
the greater GW community. Too often
intercollegiate athletic programs have
strayed from the greater mission of the
university, we try hard every day to see
that this doesnt happen here.
As athletic director at GW, I am very
proud that over the past couple of years our
student-athletes have taken the initiative to
partner with two organizations that address
LGBT issues. In 2011, they partnered with
the It Gets Better Project to create a video
addressing bullying of LGBT youth.
In 2012, our student-athletes and our
university joined the You Can Play Proj-
ect. The You Can Play Project brings to-
gether athletes and teams from all over
the country that want to ensure equality,
respect and safety for all athletes, with-
out regard to sexual orientation. GW was
one of the rst universities to join You Can
Play and our video message played at
all of our mens and womens basketball
home games as well as all of our televised
events both regionally and nationally.
An important moment in college
basketball came in 2010 when GW stu-
dent-athlete Kye Allums became the
rst openly transgender man to play on
a Division 1 basketball team. Kyes brave
decision to come out was a challenge
not only for Kye, but his teammates,
our university and college sports. It is
through challenges such as this that
people learn. This is what the college
years should be about. Kye has gone on
to become a terric leader and educa-
tor on transgender athlete issues and
we are proud of the work he is doing.
LGBT issues have been at the fore-
front of all aspects of our society lately
politics, music, entertainment and
sports. We are seeing active profes-
sional athletes such as Jason Collins,
Brittney Griner and Robbie Rogers
come out publicly. The public reac-
tion has been overwhelmingly positive,
hopefully creating an environment in
which an athletes sexual orientation will
no longer be a story.
In the past, the sports world has not
been portrayed as a welcoming envi-
ronment for those identifying as LGBT.
Like many other parts of society, we
have allowed stereotypes to dictate
how people act. The portrayal of a
LGBT person did not t into the norm
of how we portray an athlete. Genera-
tions of stereotyping created a harmful
environment that we are just now mak-
ing progress on.
As progress has been made, support
has also come from professional ath-
letes such as GW MBA student Brendon
Ayanbadejo. Brendon, a Super Bowl
champion with the Baltimore Ravens,
has been a strong advocate for equal
rights for the LGBT community. We are
honored to have Brendon as part of our
GW community.
Other groups such as You Can Play
and Athlete Ally have served as power-
ful voices in overcoming stereotypes.
The progress that has been made is
small, but encouraging.
At GW we will continue to do our
part in supporting and celebrating the
individuals within our program. We will
do our best to create an athletic pro-
gram that is open to all and discrimi-
nates against none.
creating a safe environment in college sports
Its important that, globally, there is a demonstration
of human strength that goes far beyond the
ignorance of the Russian government.
VIEWPOINT
VIEWPOINT
PATRICK NERO is athletic director of George
Washington University.
KATURA HORTON-PERINCHIEF represented
Bermuda at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
from nfl running back to elite model
VIEWPOINT
Career transition opened my
world to new people, ideas
By SEAN JAMES
So what makes a small town boy
turned professional athlete who has
spent the rst 20 odd years of his life
steeped in football culture ready to en-
ter the New York fashion and modeling
scene? Absolutely nothing!
Being in a country as large as ours
can still be very isolating. Outside the
big city streets are many small towns
where diversity is still not a norm. Un-
fortunately from big cities like New York
where we have a little bit of everything
(and I do mean everything), to the small
farm towns of Middle America, preju-
dice still exists. Much of it however, is
rooted in ignorance. People are afraid
of what they do not know, and what they
do not understand.
Moreover, others are so unaware of
their own ignorance that their preju-
dice is truly unintentional. Growing up
in a small town in Kansas, even I fell
victim to my ignorance. It was not un-
til I moved to New York that I know-
ingly had any contact with a many
minorities. Jewish people and gays
(who now comprise a large portion of
my peers) were completely foreign to
me. Not only had I never met any, but
I didnt know anything about them ei-
ther. That disassociation made it easy
for me to throw around words like
faggot with my friends.
I wasnt intentionally making an
anti-gay remark, in my mind I was sim-
ply calling out an insult to a friend or
teammate no different than calling
him an idiot. I never stopped to think
about what the word faggot actually
meant, or why it was used derogato-
rily. There was no one in my circle of
peers or adults to guide me, talk to
me, or educate me about what lay
outside the borders of our town and
our own experiences. By remaining ig-
norant about the diverse groups that
comprise our nation, I was guilty, as
are so many others of allowing myself
to remain prejudiced.
Becoming a professional athlete
was my end goal for as long as I could
remember, and it was something that
I strived to achieve through hard work
and discipline for the majority of my
life. Becoming a Ford model for one
of the top agencies in the world on
the other hand, kind of fell into my
lap when I moved to New York. I had
no experience with the modeling
world, and no knowledge of how it
worked or whom I would encounter.
Spending time in the fashion world of
New York introduced me to a world
of new people, including photog-
raphers, designers and stylists, not
to mention other models. Suddenly,
I was immersed in a game that had
new rules and new players.
In the NFL, the players were predict-
able (at least off the eld), and so were
the rules. It was a game of strength, ma-
chismo and competition. Every player
knew their role in a locker room as much
as they knew their role in a game. Be
tough, talk shit, joke around but get
shit done. Some of that joking around
came at the expense of the LGBT com-
munity. It didnt occur to us that we were
being offensive, let alone that there may
have been a gay man on our team, in
that locker room with us, or worse yet,
laughing at those jokes out of fear. That
was my conditioning, my everyday. Then
I became a Ford model, and lets just say
the locker room looked very different. I
was the minority in almost every sense
of the word. I was a minority as a black
man, I was a minority as a muscular man
with an 18-inch neck, and I was a minor-
ity as a straight man.
Everything that made me one of the
boys in football now made me an outsid-
er. So I had a choice: I could stride into this
new world as the same running back who
strode into stadiums, or I could do what
my daddy taught me and put my head
down, stay in my lane and listen. I chose
to do the latter. I listened and I watched. I
paid attention to how people spoke, how
they interacted with each other. I also be-
gan to see how gay men responded to
me, especially the gay men who were in a
position to advance my career.
I am not suggesting that every gay
man in the industry hit on me, or that
every gay agent, designer, etc. had a
casting couch. What I am saying, how-
ever, is that there were some, and that
was a reality that I had never seen be-
fore, and one to which I had to quickly
acclimate. The more people I met, the
more I gained a window into the gay
world, and as my window widened,
the stereotypes I had grown up listen-
ing to began to break down. The most
signicant example of this for me was
the introduction I was given to the New
York Times best-selling author, and my
friend, E. Lynn Harris.
I was introduced to E. Lynn through
Lloyd Boston who thought Id be the
perfect choice for one of E. Lynns book
covers. The result of that introduction
was much more than a booking, it was
the beginning of one of the closest and
most signicant friendships of my life.
From the time I met him until his death,
E. Lynn taught me many valuable lessons.
As a gay man himself, E. Lynn shattered
whatever stereotypes of gay men that
I may have had lingering from my ado-
lescence. From the way he lived his life,
to the way he spoke to me, to the way
he crafted his novels, E. Lynn turned the
typical idea of a gay man on its head.
He explained to me the way he
grew up in the South and how he was
taught that being gay was a choice
and was wrong, and how that mentality
led him to perceive himself as a sinner.
He explained that he was in the closet
through high school, but becoming
a writer freed him and allowed him to
be himself. Being himself meant many
things to E. Lynn. It meant being a huge
football fan, being the rst black male
cheerleader at the University of Arkan-
sas, being masculine and liking men
who were masculine too (If I liked girls,
Id fuck girls, he would always say). It
meant being a best-selling author who
could engage and captivate readers
whether they were male or female, gay
or straight.
Still in all, for E. Lynn being himself
also meant that even though he was
out, he was still afraid of being per-
ceived as a queen. This was a sentiment
that was surprisingly easy for me to
understand. As a professional athlete,
I was always well aware of the percep-
tions people had of me. I was always
conscience of avoiding the dumb
jock presumption when meeting new
people. The fear of how others would
perceive me had absolutely no baring
on the pride I took in being an athlete,
just as E. Lynns fears had no bearing
in the pride that he took in being gay.
However, our pride was never able to
mask the realities we knew existed all
around us.
Looking back at my experiences
both as an NFL player and a Ford mod-
el, I see how impactful perceptions can
be, but more importantly how inaccu-
rate perceptions can affect a person
or a group of people. Over the past
50 years, this country has made great
strides toward breaking down the ste-
reotypes and negative perceptions
many of us held about various minor-
ity groups. President Barack Obama
serves as a testament to those strides.
Progress, however, does not exist in a
vacuum, and the dream of equality has
expanded to meet the ever-changing
portrait of the American people. Dur-
ing the Civil Rights Movement, African
Americans fought for their constitu-
tional rights. The assertion that the
color of skin with which you were born
does not change your rights as a citizen
of this nation stood at the foundation
of that ght.
Today, sexual orientation, just like
skin color, is something of which to be
proud, and yet, something in which
you have no hand. I am grateful that I
was able to encounter strong, incred-
ible individuals along my journey from
professional athlete, to model, to the
business man I am today that were
able to positively mold my perception
of the gay community. This is why I
continue to support the LGBT com-
munity and those who are working to
afford it the rights and perceptions
that it deserves.
SEAN JAMES is a sports agent, Ford model and
former running back for the Minnesota Vikings.
Reach him via seanlewisjames.com.
SEAN JAMES said he never stopped to think about what the word faggot actually meant until he
left the NFL and became a model.
PHOTO COURTESY SEAN JAMES
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Locker room door isnt fully
open, but progress has been made
Much has been written lately about
LGBT athletes. In some ways it reects
the national conversation about the
growing acceptance of LGBT equality,
but it is also unique in that it shatters the
stereotype we have of who plays sports
and how they will be received by fans.
While Jason Collins may be todays
Ellen in high tops, many athletes who
come out in the future will likely be met
with a collective shrug of the shoulder
pads. While there is still much work to
be done, as athletes realize that any
downside to endorsements or team uni-
ty is minimal compared to the freedom
of living without the fear of being outed,
conversations will quickly steer back to
batting averages and pass completions.
There are now signicant efforts
to address homophobia and to make
sports a more welcoming place. Play-
ers are slapped with huge nes for anti-
gay slurs and most of the leagues have
adopted non-discrimination policies.
While the locker room door has not fully
swung open, the work of organizations
like the You Can Play Project, Athlete
Ally, GLSEN and a number of others are
clearly changing attitudes.
Close to home, Team DCs Night
OUT Series has helped local profes-
sional sports franchises better appreci-
ate the value of working with the LGBT
community while creating new fans in
the process. We have learned that it is
one thing for the Gay Mens Chorus to
sing to 1,000 of their fans at a concert
and quite another to sing the National
Anthem in front of 12,000 people who
never knew that there was a Gay Mens
Chorus.
Indeed, our next step is not about
nding another gay athlete to come out;
that will happen in time. Our work now
is to maximize the collective strength
of the LGBT sports community and put
that to work. Our individual sports clubs
are incredible, but imagine how strong
we could be if we were more united.
Earlier this year, I helped create the
Equality Sports Association. Its mission
is to unite City Teams (such as Team DC),
LGBT sports leagues and their govern-
ing bodies in an association to maximize
outreach, develop new corporate part-
nerships and build a strong foundation
where new sport initiatives can grow
and existing programs can ourish.
A handful of sports programs already
succeed at a high level, but these are the
exception and are often centered in ma-
jor metropolitan areas. As more people
come out, there is a growing need to de-
velop programs in places like Iowa and
Idaho because our experience shows
that sports offers a positive and healthy
alternative to our community that a bar
or chat room just cannot match.
There are also niche sports that will
likely never grow to a self-sustaining lev-
el, so there is a need to work with main-
stream sports organizations to educate
these clubs about the value of welcom-
ing gay participants.
By working together, organizations
can not only learn from each other and
maximize resources, but greater visibil-
ity will help clubs expand into new areas
and communities, including getting more
women involved nally! Such efforts not
only help local clubs grow, but support re-
gional and national tournaments and semi-
nal events such as the Gay Games.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the
Equality Sports Association is its po-
tential to succeed or fail. But just like in
baseball, if you dont go up to bat, youll
never know if you could get a hit.
More about the Equality Sports Asso-
ciation, including how you can become
involved, can be found at equalitysport-
sassociation.org.
whats next for lgbt sports?
Join our campaign to show
that sport must be for everyone
Pride House International is attemp-
ting the impossible using a simple
human gesture to inuence the 2014
Sochi Winter Olympic and Paralympic
Games. The 2014 Games have brought
attention to the alarming homophobia
of host country Russia. Pride House In-
ternational is calling on everyone pre-
sent to take every opportunity to de-
monstrate an act of love and friendship
by simply holding hands with a person
of the same sex, whatever their own
sexual orientation.
Pride House International is a coali-
tion of some of the largest international
LGBT sport and human rights groups,
including participants in past and future
Pride Houses, united to promote the
cause of equality in and by sport and the
creation of Pride Houses at international
sporting events. The rst Pride House
was organized for the 2010 Winter
Olympic and Paralympic Games in Van-
couver/Whistler, with others following in
Warsaw (2012 UEFA Euro football cup)
and London (2012 Summer Olympics).
Pride Houses are planned for the 2014
Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,
2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the 2015
Pan-American Games in Toronto, and
the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
Pride House International members
have a long history of trying to inuence
the international sporting community,
including the Federation of Gay Games
Principle 5 Campaign for changes to
the Olympic Charter. We are currently
focused on actions for the 2014 Sochi
Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games,
for visibility at Sochi, and for long-term
change within the International Olym-
pic Committee and other national and
international sports governing bodies.
Unfortunately, it has become clear that
having a physical Pride House hosted in
Russia during these games has now be-
come unlikely. Planning efforts to sup-
port remote Pride Houses around the
world are in the works.
This has made our Same-Sex
Hand-Holding Initiative (SSHHI) so
very important. We are calling on
everyone athletes, press, ofcials,
spectators, etc. present in Sochi to
take every opportunity simply to hold
hands with a person of the same sex,
whatever their own sexual orientation.
According to Russia, according to the
IOC, this is gay propaganda. Will
the Russians be arresting every athlete
on every podium who dares raise the
hand of his rivals? Will the IOC be dis-
qualifying every athlete who embraces
her female coach? The current state
of absurd thinking in the Olympic mo-
vement must be highlighted so that
change can occur.
Many of us are doing our part to
protest the laws of Russia. But as sports
organizations our focus needs to be n-
ding ways to eliminate homophobia and
transphobia in sport. Please spread the
word of our Same-Sex Hand-Holding
Initiative campaign. The only way the
IOC will change is if athletes who par-
ticipate in sport, if ofcials who govern
sport, if sponsors who nance sport, if
fans and consumers who support sport,
act to show that sport must be for eve-
ryone.
We are trying to change the world
we hope youll join us and take our
hand.
help fight homophobia by holding hands
Our next step is not about nding another gay athlete
to come out; its to maximize the collective strength of
the LGBT sports community and put that to work.
VIEWPOINT
VIEWPOINT
LES JOHNSON is co-chair of the Federation of
Gay Games external affairs committee, gaygames.
org. Learn more about Pride House International
at pridehouseinternational.org. Support the Same-
Sex Hand-Holding Initiative by uploading a photo
of you holding hands with a person of the same
sex at holdhandsinsochi.tumblr.com.
BRENT MINOR is executive director of Team DC.
Reach him at brent@teamdc.org.
Gay athletes will share victory
with assist by straight teammates
Cultural acceptance of gay and lesbian
Americans has acquired the velocity of a
speeding fastball whizzing across home
plate. While extra innings will be required for
politicians and communities across the coun-
try to catch up with the national zeitgeist,
the bleachers have begun to thin out as the
scoreboard outcome becomes apparent.
One bastion of reluctance and resistance
is the arena of sports. The long delayed and
painfully slow reveal of gay athletes, howev-
er, is on the verge of both accelerating and
rewriting the rulebook from national league
stadiums to local sporting environments.
As more players comfortably suit-up as
out team members, the emulative nature
of organized athletics will forever change
corporate sports franchises. This game-
changing development will provide inspi-
ration and comfort to the gay school jock,
amateur enthusiast, weekend warrior, and
sports fan alike. Similar to rapid acceptance
among military personnel, afrmation of
lesbian and gay athletes both among par-
ticipants and in the stands will evolve with
alacrity and dispatch.
The leadership exhibited by straight ath-
letes in advocating for the normalization of
gays in sports has been a critically important
development. Camaraderie in the locker
room has sourced their courage to create
an opportunity for self-revelation by their col-
leagues. Knowledgeable about the diversity
of sexual orientation among teammates and
the identities of those battling under the bur-
den of secrecy, these heroes of equality are
making an inestimable contribution.
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and
Super Bowl champion Brendon Ayanbade-
jo, special guest editor of this weeks edition
of the Blade, predicted last spring that a mini-
roster of NFL players will soon simultaneous-
ly announce that they are gay. Following the
groundbreaking revelation last April by NBA
player Jason Collins, such a development
quietly organized and enjoying manage-
ment support will do much to move ath-
letic freedom toward the goal line.
Corporate common sense will play a
large role in the coming transformation of
athletics. The Big Four sports enterprises
(high-prole football, basketball, baseball
and hockey franchises) rely on public sup-
port for nancial success. These businesses
understand that changing sentiments and
increasing nonchalance regarding the pres-
ence of gay sports gures necessitate that
they support them. Owners know players
perform best when shorn of secrecy. Their
teammates will also be relieved of complic-
ity in guarding the hidden lives of those with
whom they toil on the turf of competition.
Businesses comprehend that the ability
to attract and retain talent allowed to fully
contribute to success necessitates the com-
plete acceptance and full integration of all
employees into corporate culture. Bottom
line, sports businesses depend on everyone
bringing their best play to the game like ev-
ery other enterprise.
The math isnt difcult either. Simple
statistics predict that there are signicant
numbers of gay players among the thou-
sands of professional athletes. In fact, once
the oodgates fully open it is likely that the
sheer size of the gay contribution to sport-
ing endeavors will startle, and delight, fans.
Likewise, sports businesses cannot counte-
nance controversy as an obstacle to consumer
enjoyment, including among the LGBT com-
munity. A Nielsen survey in late June indicates
that gays and lesbians are more enthusiastic
sports fans than the rest of the population
11 percent more likely to attend professional
sporting events and seven percent more likely
to participate in an adult sports league.
First it was the military. Then came mar-
riage. The new frontier is sports.
The often-overlooked less-prominent
sports professionals who have come out in
recent years will be recognized by history as
the true trailblazers. Gratitude will also be
owed their non-gay teammates who sup-
ported them and those who will follow.
When Olympians literally join hands in
public spaces and on medal podiums at the
Sochi Winter Olympics next February in de-
ance of the Russian governments anti-gay
policies, they will embody and embolden
the worldwide march toward gay equality.
The business of sports will be better for it.
the business of sports will score equality goal
Even non-fans like me should
appreciate courage of gay athletes
Athletes coming out and a special issue
of the Blade edited by football great Bren-
don Ayanbadejo, a straight ally and gay
rights activist, are both great events for the
LGBT community.
Even non-sports fans like me recognize
their importance. Being more into politics
than sports (some think politics these days is
actually a contact sport), I still recognize the
incredible impact that sports and the heroes
created through sports have on our culture.
From Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics
to Jackie Robinson making his debut with
the Dodgers, millions of people had their
worldview changed. While many like me
merely glance at the sports section of the
paper each morning to not sound totally il-
literate when friends talk about their favorite
teams and players over coffee, it doesnt
take a genius to recognize the personal
connection people have with their favorite
teams and players.
So when someone asked whether an
athlete coming out really makes a differ-
ence I didnt have to think too long before
responding. My appreciation of sport is
generally limited to watching a cute football
players ass in those tight pants or looking at
baseball phenom Bryce Harper and drool-
ing a little. Watching the Olympic mens
gymnastics team is exciting and not only for
their grace on the high bars; and watching
the swimmers or mens divers like Olympic
champion Tom Daley is always better when
they are out of the water.
But millions of others look at players and
see them as personal heroes and idolize
them. Youngsters still collect baseball cards
and quote the statistics of their favorite play-
ers. People arrange their lives so as not to
miss a football, basketball, soccer or base-
ball game. Many sit in the stands yelling for
their favorite NASCAR driver. Our culture
puts sports heroes on a pedestal not only in
the United States but around the world.
Many male sports stars become heroes
seen as endowed with strength and manli-
ness. In high school many girls, and secretly
in the case of most gay guys, the goal is to
date the quarterback. He often becomes a
hero for the whole town and some parents
tell their children to grow up to be just like
him. Now when he turns out to be gay that
can throw a wrench into everyones thinking.
Just ask Corey Johnson, a varsity middle
linebacker and right guard and co-captain
of his winning football team at Masconomet
High in Massachusetts who came out as a
17-year-old senior. Corey who is now run-
ning for City Council in New York can look
back proudly at his courageous act of com-
ing out in high school and know he changed
the thinking of a generation of students and
their parents in his town.
If one high school athlete can have that
impact just imagine what a professional ath-
lete with millions of fans can have by coming
out. It breaks down the stereotypes of who
gays and lesbians are. It seems that people
are more blas about women coming out
and that is fodder for another column but
when a male professional athlete comes out
it can change how the LGBT community is
viewed. Just by his coming out, people are
forced to recognize that gays and lesbians
come in all different sizes an d personalities
just like everyone else.
When enough professional athletes
come out people will realize that they cant
tell if their heroes are gay or straight by
what they do or by looking at them. They
will begin to realize that it doesnt matter. It
will cause people to rethink their feelings on
what it means to be gay and lesbian. If they
can still idolize their sports hero who is gay
why cant they love and accept friends and
family who are gay? They will start to recon-
sider their own thought process and reac-
tions to nding out a neighbor, a teacher, a
best friend or even their own child is gay.
Sports gures are celebrities and our cul-
ture reveres them. We want to know every-
thing about them and the gossip columns
and shows like TMZ feed that need. They
often share their every thought and lives on
Twitter or Facebook reaching millions of fol-
lowers who end up knowing so much about
them they almost feel like family.
We have seen what can happen when
an immediate family member comes out.
Over time it usually forces a change in
how a parent or sibling thinks. So when a
sports hero comes out, millions will take it
personally and that can only be good in
the long run for promoting acceptance
and understanding.
the importance of out sports heroes
INSIDE LGBT WASHINGTON
OUR BUSINESS MATTERS
MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur and
community business advocate. Follow on Twitter: @
MarkLeeDC. Reach him at OurBusinessMatters@
gmail.com.
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights
and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for
the Blade.
Finding friendships amid the
competition in D.C.s Gay
Flag Football League
By BRANDON WAGGONER
Most early Sunday mornings in the
fall and spring of each year, a commu-
nity starts ltering onto Carter Barrons
grassy elds in upper Northwest D.C.
Players male and female, gay and
straight, 20 to 50-plus years old start
stretching, warming up and preparing
to play a ag football game. Nearly
300 people will be on the elds the rst
Sunday after Labor Day gearing up to
play, including about 70 new players
experiencing their rst opening day.
What many of these league virgins may
not know, however, is that they are not
simply participating in a football league,
but rather joining our D.C. community
the D.C. Gay Flag Football League (or
the mouthful acronym of DCGFFL).
Although this community has been
together in some form for more than a
decade, the DCGFFL is entering only its
fourth year and seventh season. In the
early spring of 2010, a small group of
dedicated footballers (old school-ers)
met to discuss transforming from a weekly
pickup game to an organized league. For
nearly a decade, the same 15 to 20 guys
had been getting together most Sunday
mornings to play pickup ag football. Oc-
casionally over this decade, some would
stay out too late the night before and
Sunday morning football would turn into
brunch due to a lack of players. Over the
year prior to the formation of the DC-
GFFL, whether due to these late nights
or other desires, brunch became more
the norm than the exception. Thus began
a discussion of forming a league. After
many meetings, hard work and incredible
luck (plus JJ Johnsons determination and
Chris Cormiers recruitment abilities), the
group grew into a 20-team league, an in-
conceivable idea to me at the time. And
over the past seven seasons this league
has become my D.C. community.
Our community not only has a fun time
through football but we also have fun giv-
ing back. Throughout the last few years
weve donated more than $15,000 for col-
lege scholarships via fundraisers, includ-
ing a calendar featuring our sexy play-
ers culminating in a runway model show
with more than 500 people attending; a
team music video competition with the
winning team doing some serious justice
to Gangnam Style; and a team drag
competition with yours truly looking way
too much like Phyllis Diller, to name a few.
With the help of the incredibly talented
videographer Sean Bartel, weve also pro-
duced several It Gets Better videos as
part of that campaign. All of these help
our DCGFFL community give back to the
larger community in a positive way.
Through league activities like these and
countless others, and through individual
team activities, including brunches (we now
have football AND brunch!), dinners and
assorted outings, we bond together. Each
team becomes its own part of the commu-
nity, with most teams sad to disband at the
end of each season. By disbanding, however,
we develop more friendships and a broader
sense of community over the course of sev-
eral seasons, with each new season bringing
new bonds. Not surprisingly, lasting relation-
ships have been formed, fostered and culti-
vated over the past six seasons, including a
recent wedding of two of our members.
I am so thankful to have been involved
with the DCGFFL from the beginning.
The experience of helping to create
this league has been incredibly reward-
ing. All I wanted was to consistently play
football on Sunday mornings. Not only
did I get that, but I also got an incredible
support system, intense friendships with
unlikely people and a chance to be a part
of something I will forever cherish a
community that I am so thankful to have.
building a community on the football field
VIEWPOINT
we must act to realize kings dream for all
VIEWPOINT
NFL players adopt gay-inclusive
non-discrimination policy
When we engage in a dialogue about
the meaning of our own history, we have
to accept that this history can have both
an empowering and corrupting inuence
on all of us. The real issue isnt simply the
existence of the historical fact, but also
the signicance that we attach to it.
However, every now and then, we can
identify an event that is indisputably em-
powering and the signicance of it is uni-
versally accepted as something that im-
pacted the course of our nations history.
Aug. 28, 2013 marks the 50th anniver-
sary of one such event: The March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The
March was the vision of A. Philip Ran-
dolph, the Union leader of the Brother-
hood of the Sleeping Care Porters, who
drew the support of not only Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., and future Congressman
John Lewis, but hundreds of thousands
who chose this day to make their state-
ment, voice their support and leave
their mark on the history that they com-
mitted themselves to create.
The signicance that I attach to this is
rooted in the fact that everyone on that
day chose to participate in a movement
despite not knowing how this bold story
would end. Medgar Evers had been as-
sassinated just two months prior to the
March and six little girls would die in a
Birmingham church due to a cowards
bomb only a month after the March.
These were by no means safe times. In
fact one of the thousands who made
that March that day was my father, my
mother, pregnant with me stayed home
uncertain of the outcome of a daring
public display that was opposed by sev-
eral public ofcials. When you ask my
father why he went, he simply says: I
had to go.
Today, our fear should be that as gener-
ations move on, we forget or fail to recog-
nize the signicance of bold steps by ordi-
nary and extraordinary people who dare to
make history and thus fail to seize our own
days for a better future. The only way to
overcome that fear is to employ just some
of the same courage that we are blessed to
remember occurred 50 years ago.
Our nations love of sports has
made professional athletes some of
the most visible gures in Americas
social change. We hold up icons such
as Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens and
Kenny Washington because we under-
stand that ghting for equality is our
duty, and because driving progress is
a legacy of which we are proud. We
draw strength from the signicance we
attach to their stands, their ghts, and
their accomplishments.
We have to know that there will al-
ways be a battle for equal rights, and
that there will always be the necessity
for a civil rights movement. The sig-
nicance of that fact is that there will
always be those who will need to ght
for their rights and there will always
be those who believe certain people
shouldnt have them and will commit
themselves to taking away the rights as
they currently exist. The reality is that
while we can always hope and bear wit-
ness to change, we know that there
is still work to be done.
In the most recent NFL Collective
Bargaining Agreement, the NFL Play-
ers Association insisted that the non-
discrimination section be amended to
address todays ght: There will be no
discrimination in any form against any
player by the Management Council,
any Club or by the NFLPA because of
race, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation, or activity or lack of activity
on behalf of the NFLPA.
The addition of two words, sexual ori-
entation, could have been easily over-
looked, but their inclusion speaks vol-
umes to our belief that every individual
deserves to be treated and protected
equally under the law.
The legacy of the March on Washing-
ton is for us to remember that it was a
ght for jobs and freedom. That legacy
means we will need the individual cour-
age to act and the inspiration of others
to act without assurances of how it will
all work out. Dr. King knew and be-
lieved that, despite what others might
say, the cause and sacrice was not only
right but the dedication to others (some
not yet born) required it. Our actions
must become the pathway to realizing
his continued dream of equality for all.
BRANDON WAGGONER is former commissioner
of the D.C. Gay Flag Football League.
DEMAURICE SMITH is executive director of the
NFL Players Association and is responsible for
empowering, protecting and improving the lives
of members past, present and future.
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Krissy Krissy to play Phase 1 next week
Krissy Krissy, a soulful lesbian rock singer, kicks off her fall tour at Phase 1
(525 8
th
St., S.E.) on Sept. 6. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8.
Krissy Krissy is a 23-year old singer-songwriter with powerful vocals from
Brookylns Bushwick neighborhood, earning her the nickname Brooklyns
Finest. Her debut single Dream, got a quarter of a million views on
YouTube in just two days and she was featured on MTV as a new Buzzworthy
musician.
Frankie & Betty, a lesbian rock duo, will also perform. Admission is $5 and
limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit phase1dc.com or the
Phase 1 Facebook page.
Signature expands cabaret offerings with new event
Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, Va.) kicks off its rst
Autumn Cabaret Festival on Wednesday at 8 p.m. with performances by
Broadway actress Chelsea Packard (Wicked, Hands on a Hard Body).
Signature was inspired by the popularity of its cabaret series to start the
festival, which will continue through Sept. 21. Thursdays show at 8 p.m.
features Nova Y. Payton, a Signature actress who starred in Dreamgirls and
performed in the theaters Sizzlin Summer Cabaret Series.
Some of the festivals other performers include funk, soul and rock band
The Hustle, Broadway actress Heidi Blickenstaff and local blues artist, Levi
Stephens.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at signature-theatre.org. All-access
passes are $100 and can only be purchased at the box ofce. For more
information, visit signature-theatre.org.
Page-to-Stage continues developing new theater
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) premieres its 12
th
annual Page-to-
Stage Festival at 2 p.m. today.
About 40 theaters in the D.C. area will offer free readings and open
rehearsals of plays being developed by local, regional and national
playwrights, librettists and composers.
The mission of the festival is to produce new work. Some of the theaters
involved include the African-American Collective Theatre, Pinky Swear
Productions and the Washington Improv Theater. Various performances by
Catholic University will kickoff the festival on Saturday at 2.
The festival continues through Monday. Admission is free and tickets are not
required. Seating is on a rst-come rst-served basis. For more information,
visit kennedy-center.org.
KRISSY KRISSY is getting indie attention for her song Dream.
washingtonblade.com
AUGUST 30, 2013 OUT & ABOUT
By WILL OWEN
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISSY KRISSY
LIVE
UPCOMI NG PERFORMANCES
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
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friday, sept 6
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sunday, sept 8
SWING XING: THREE GENERATIONS
OF GUITAR FEAT. BUCKY PIZZARELLI,
FRANK VIGNOLA, AND VINNY RANIOLO
Monday, sept 9 FREE
ESPNS SVP &
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wednesday, sept 11
DAMIEN DEMPSEY
W/ NICOLE MAGUIRE
thursday, sept 12
DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND
friday, sept 13
JUNIOR MARVIN AND ONE LOVE PRESENT
A TRIBUTE TO
BOB MARLEY VOL. 2
saturday, sept 14
THE HAMILTON PRESENTS
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wednesday, sept 18
JOE ROBINSON W/ VIVACIOUS
sunday, sept 22
THE MAIN SQUEEZE
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Time for Sundance at
Rehoboth Beach
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its annual
Sundance event this weekend at the
Rehoboth Beach Convention Center
(229 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach,
Del.).
On Friday from 7-10 p.m., CAMP
Rehoboth hosts a high-style silent
auction, featuring ne art, vacation
packages, dining opportunities and
other gift items. There will be an open
bar and food.
On Sunday from 8 p.m.-2 a.m., the
Convention Center will be transformed
into a dance club, featuring dance hits
spun by DJ Mark Thomas. Guests can
enjoy an open bar all night.
Tickets are $45 for one night and $80
for both. All proceeds benet CAMP
Rehoboth and the programs it provides.
For more details and to purchase tickets,
visit camprehoboth.org.
Last year's Sundance event.
FHOTO COURTESY CAMF REHOBOTH
Beauty Queen explores
kitchen sink dysfunction drama
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
Anglo-Irish playwright Martin
McDonagh has either seen some
very scary stuff or has a darkly wild
imagination. Lets hope its the latter.
In his intense, 1996 black comedy
The Beauty Queen of Leenane, the
relationship between old Mag Folan and
caretaker/daughter Maureen makes the
sisters bond in Whatever Happened
to Baby Jane? look downright cozy.
Now playing at Round House Theatre
in Bethesda, Beauty Queen (the rst
of McDonaghs trilogy set in Leenane, a
tiny hamlet on the west coast of Ireland)
is rife with horror and laughs. Lucky for
us, the production is helmed by director
Jeremy Skidmore who leads a top-notch
cast in plumbing the tragicomedys
many facets, ensuring what could
be an over-the-top grand guignol is
something all too fathomable.
At 40, Maureen (Kimberly Gilbert) is a
virgin whos never been in a relationship.
Her days are spent waiting on her
demanding mother Mag (Sarah Marshall)
in their isolated stone cottage. Its a
tedious and lonely existence, but mother
and daughter pass the time playing games
mind games of the sick and twisted
variety. For the pair, life is an unending
power struggle. Now and then Maureen
gets out, usually for food shopping, but
always her prison-like situation is waiting.
Maureens possible salvation appears
in the form of neighbor Pato Dooley
(Todd Scoeld). Hes home on a visit from
his construction job in England when he
and Maureen get together for a night of
boozy amour. But naturally controlling
mama Mag isnt having it, and her evil
determination to quash the budding
romance kicks off a string of sneaky
betrayals and terrifying retributions.
As mother and daughter, Marshall
and Gilbert are superb. Marshall, who is
gay, nails Mags many moods: infantile,
charming, diabolical and palpably rotten
(whatever it takes to nagle her own way).
As Maureen, Gilbert wonderfully displays
a range of toughness and vulnerability.
Scoeld gives a solidly touching
performance as the thoroughly decent
Pato, a plain laborer who denitely is
in over his head with these crazy Folan
women. And Joe Mallon is appropriately
obnoxious as Ray, Patos younger brother.
McDonagh is a masterful storyteller. He
draws us in slowly. Initially it seems Mag
is your garden variety spoiled old woman
with a bad hip who likes her tea hot and
porridge without lumps, and that Maureen
is the harassed skivvy with a sharp tongue
her every chore is performed with a string of
hilarious threats and profanities. But as the
play unfolds, it becomes clear that this less-
than-functional household isnt simply the
result of a mother and daughter spending
too much time together. While her two
sisters eluded Mags grasp via marriage,
Maureen, with a history of breakdowns,
remained at home as her mothers sole
caretaker, not an enviable role under the
best of circumstances.
Kudos to the actors and dialect coach
Leigh Wilson Smiley: the Irish accents are
thick and consistent (and to me, sound
authentic). For the rst ve or so minutes
of the play, in fact, I panicked. What are
they saying? But with a little concentration
and settling into the rhythm of the talk,
all was soon well. Mag and Maureen
talk a lot about Complan, Kimberleys
(a powdered supplement and cookies),
and make myriad other alien references,
so prior to curtain it helps to peruse the
glossary provided in the program.
Though a lot of action takes place offstage,
the entire play is set in the cottages shabby
kitchen designed by Tony Cisek. With its
ancient wood stove, dwarf fridge and stinky
sink (that doubles as a loo for Mag), its easy
to get a sense of Maureens unenviable
workaday life. Though not small, the room is
claustrophobic ripe for explosion.
The plays title becomes a sweet in-
joke shared between Maureen and Pato,
happily and then sadly evoking what they
briey had and even more so what might
have been. Beauty Queen is a play that
affects long after the lights go black.
THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE
Through Sept. 15
Round House Theatre
4545 East-West Highway
Bethesda, Md.
$35-$50
240-644-1100
roundhousetheatre.org
washingtonblade.com
THEATER AUGUST 30, 2013 7
PHOTO BY DANISHA CROSBY; COURTESY ROUND HOUSE THEATRE
SARAH MARSHALL, left, as Mag, and KIMBERLY GILBERT as Maureen in The Beauty Queen of
Leenane.
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Tickets on sale now!
(202) 467-4600

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Tickets also available at the Box Ofce.
Groups (202) 416-8400
|
TTY (202) 416-8524
HOT HI TS & HI DDEN JEWELS
FROM CULTURECAPI TAL. COM
YOUR LI NK TO THE ARTS I N METRO D. C.
CARDBOARD CI TY
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GOETHE- I NSTI TUT. 202- 289- 1200. GOETHE. DE.
Three artists from three countries Germany, the US and Russia present
their aesthetic representations of the city as memorial and as a form of life in
cardboard.
THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE
THRU SEP 15
ROUND HOUSE BETHESDA. 240- 644- 1100.
ROUNDHOUSETHEATRE. ORG.
With deceptions, secrets, and betrayals that are both heartbreaking and
hilarious this Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning tragicomedy surprises
audiences through to its horrifying conclusion.
LABOR DAY CAPI TOL CONCERT
SEP 1
NSO. US CAPI TOL WEST LAWN. 800- 444- 1324. KENNEDY-
CENTER. ORG.
This years program theme is Americana, with works by composers from this
country (John Williams, Mark Isham) as well as symphonic works that have
come to be associated with specic parts of the country including Rossinis
Overture to William Tell, associated by generations with the Wild West as the
theme music for The Lone Ranger.
SAME PLACE, ANOTHER TI ME: AN EVENI NG WI TH TONY
AWARD- WI NNER DONNA MCKECHNI E
SEP 1
OLNEY THEATRE. 301- 924- 3400. OLNEYTHEATRE. ORG.
Donna McKechnie, 1976 Tony Award winner for Best Actress for her portrayal
of Cassie in A Chorus Line brings her cabaret show to Olney Theatre Center.
IMAGE COURTESY OF GOETHE INSTITUTE
washingtonblade.com
8 AUGUST 30, 2013 THE GUlDE TO ARTS & CULTURE
T HEATRE
Torch Song Trilogy. Sep 4-Oct 13. Studio
Theatre. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org.
Same Place, Another Time: An evening
with Tony Award-Winner Donna
Mckechnie. Sep 1. A Chorus Line. Thru
Sep 8. Bedlam Theatres Hamlet. Sep
5-Oct 26. Olney Theatre. 301-924-3400.
olneytheatre.org.
12th Annual Page to Stage. Aug 31-Sep
2. Shear Madness. Thru Jan 31. Kennedy
Center. 800-444-1324. kennedy-center.org.
A Few Good Men. Thru Sep 14. Keegan
Theatre. 703-892-0202. keegantheatre.com.
Miss Saigon. Thru Sep 29. Signature
Theatre. 703-820-9771. signature-
theatre.org.
DANCE
Art on 8th: Footworks Percussive Dance
Ensemble. Aug 30. Dance Place. Arts
Plaza at Monroe Street Market. 202-269-
1600. danceplace.org.
MUSIC
Jazz in the Garden: Bruno Nasta (jazz
violin) and the U.S. Naval Academy
Next Wave Jazz Ensemble. Aug 30.
National Gallery of Art. 202-737-4215.
nga.gov.
Sing-A-Long Sound of Music. Aug 31.
STS9 & Umphreys McGee. Sep 1. Wolf
Trap. 877-965-3872. wolftrap.org.
Autumn Cabaret Festival. Sep 4-Sep
21. Signature Theatre. 703-820-9771.
signature-theatre.org.
MUSEUMS
Corcoran Gallery of Art. David Levinthal:
War Games. Thru Sep 1. WAR/
PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed
Conict and Its Aftermath. Thru Sep 29.
Selections from the Collection of Historic
American Art. Thru Sep 30. NOW at the
Corcoran Ellen Harvey: The Aliens
Guide to the Ruins of Washington, D.C..
Thru Oct 6. 202-639-1700. corcoran.org.
Kreeger Museum. Mindy Weisel: Not
Neutral. Sep 3-Dec 28. John L. Dreyfuss
Inventions. Thru Apr 1. 202-337-3050.
kreegermuseum.org.
National Gallery of Art. Diaghilev and
the Ballets Russes, 1909 - 1929: When
Art Danced with Music. Thru Oct 6.
Ellsworth Kelly: Colored Paper Images.
Thru Dec 1. In the Tower: Kerry James
Marshall. Thru Dec 7. Yes, No, Maybe:
Artists Working at Crown Point Press.
Sep 1-Jan 5. Northern Mannerist Prints
from the Kainen Collection. Sep 1-Jan 5.
202-737-4215. nga.gov.
National Geographic. Real Pirates: The
Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave
Ship to Pirate Ship. Thru Sep 2. A New
Age of Exploration. Thru Jun 8. 202-857-
7000. nglive.org.
Museum of Women in the Arts. Bice
Lazzari: Signature Line. Thru Sep 22.
American People, Black Light: Faith
Ringgolds Paintings of the 1960s. Thru
Nov 10. Awake in the Dream World: The
Art of Audrey Niffenegger. Thru Nov 10.
202-783-5000. nmwa.org.
The Phillips Collection. Georges Braque
and the Cubist Still Life, 19281945.
Thru Sep 1. Ellsworth Kelly Panel
Paintings 20042009. Thru Sep 22.
phillipscollection.org.
GALLERIES
Artisphere. Becca Kallem: Sweet And
Tough. Thru Oct 19. Comics Making Studio
With Members Of The DC Conspiracy.
Thru Nov 3. Emily Francisco: May I Have
The Piano Delivered To You?. Thru Jan 12.
703-875-1100. artisphere.com.
DCCAH. Go-Go Swing: Washington
D.C.s Unstoppable Beat. Thru Oct 18.
202-724-5613. dcarts.dc.gov.
Pepco Edison Place Gallery. Cyber In
Securities. Aug 30-Sep 27. wpadc.org.
Target Gallery. Radio Sebastian: You, Me,
and the Void. Thru Sep 1. 703.838.4565.
torpedofactory.org.
The Art League Gallery. Scapes. Thru
Sep 2. Shapes: Sculpture at The Art
League. Thru Sep 2. 703-683-1780.
theartleague.org.
Torpedo Factory Art Center. Visiting
Artist Program 2013. Thru Aug 31. 703-
838-4565. torpedofactory.org.
Zenith Gallery. Fresh. Thru Aug 31.
202.783.2963. zenithgallery.com.
AND MORE...
Film Series: Kerry James Marshall
Selects: Nothing But a Man. Aug 31.
Black Orpheus. Sep 1. Daughters of the
Dust. Sep 2. National Gallery of Art. 202-
737-4215. nga.gov.
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY ROUND HOUSE THEATRE
Recreational meth use raises
concern but not for boyfriend
Dear Michael,
Ive been with Karl for three years
and weve always partied occasionally,
mainly with crystal meth. Our using has
always seemed under control we
dont do it every week and its been easy
to have fun sometimes and still maintain
our successful lives.
Ive gotten concerned lately for a
few reasons. Were using more often
every weekend and its started
to affect my workweek. A few times
recently, Ive called in sick on Mondays
after a weekend of partying. Also, I think
our sex life is being affected. We never
seem to have sex anymore unless were
high and usually with a third person.
The sex is really hot but Id like to have
some times where were not high and
its just us. Yet when Ive tried to initiate
sober sex, Karl isnt interested and also,
I cant get aroused, which worries me.
Ive suggested to Karl that we reduce
our use. He says we dont have a
problem. How do couples handle this
sort of thing? I dont see how I can stop
on my own without really messing up
our relationship, but Karl has made it
clear he doesnt want to stop.
Michael replies:
Many people who use crystal meth
recreationally nd themselves in the
same situation as you and Karl. At rst
it feels great and you believe you have
it under control. Then it starts to impact
your life, perhaps in seemingly small
ways at rst, but then more and more.
As the situation starts to spin out of
control, you and your partner may wind
up in two very different places.
There are a couple of angles from
which to look at your dilemma.
First, what are the consequences
if you dont stop on your own? While
Karl says that the two of you dont
have a problem, you are clear that you
do. As you are nding, crystal meth
use escalates over time because meth
is such an addictive drug. And as use
escalates, the consequences grow more
severe. You could very easily lose your
savings, your home, your friends, your
health and even your life.
Second, you are concerned about
messing up your relationship if you stop
using. But what sort of relationship can
you have if you continue to use? Because
crystal meth sabotages your ability to stay
grounded in reality, you cant possibly
have the dedication, focus, commitment
or connection necessary to participate in
your relationship if you are using.
Third, you cannot get your partner to
stop using if he does not want to stop. So
you are facing a difcult decision: either
continue to use with Karl or stop using and
face the consequences of this decision. Its
very difcult for one person to stay clean
in a relationship when the other person is
using, so stopping while Karl continues to
use might ultimately lead to your ending
the relationship. Its also possible that your
sobriety might inuence Karl to get clean
too, but you certainly cannot bet on that.
Ive seen many couples struggle mightily
when the partners are in different places
on whether to stop.
Finally, your experience that sex has
become impossible unless youre high is
extremely common among crystal meth
users. Meth makes sex seem fantastic
though it is unreal and unnatural
and re-wires your arousal threshold
so you can only perform when youre
high. Sex and drugs become fused and
soon only fetishized, compulsive sex is
appealing. As a result, sober sex will
hold no interest for you; it may not even
seem possible. The only solution for this
is to stop using, so that your brain has
the opportunity to re-wire itself over
time back to a normal arousal threshold.
Many recovering addicts struggle for
years to get over the sex-drug fusion
and to re-learn how to nd sober sex
appealing. The sooner you stop, the
more possibility you will have to restore
a normal, healthy sex life.
Youve got some tough decisions to
make. If you continue to use, its likely that
your use will continue to escalate. If you stop
using, your life is likely to improve in some
ways, but you may lose your relationship.
Its also true that you cant have much of a
relationship if you keep using.
Please know that while crystal meth
is a difcult drug to get off of, it is
absolutely possible to do so, but nding
strong support is crucial. If you want to
stop using, I recommend you start by
attending a Crystal Meth Anonymous
meeting to learn more about how the
recovery program could help you. Ive
seen many people literally save their
lives by taking this step. Good luck.
washingtonblade.com
ADVI CE AUGUST 30, 2013
Michael Radkowsky is a licensed psychologist
who works with gay couples and individuals
in D.C. He can be found online at
personalgrowthzone.com. All identifying
information in the questions has been changed
for reasons of condentiality. Have a question?
Send it to Michael@personalgrowthzone.com.
Crystals catch-22
SABURO TESHIGAWARA / KARAS
SABURO TESHIGAWARA, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
K E N N E DY C E N T E R D E B U T
International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the
Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.
A visionary
of the stage.
THE GUARDIAN
Tickets on sale now!
(202) 467-4600

kennedy-center.org
Tickets also available at the Box Ofce
|
Groups (202) 416-8400
|
TTY (202) 416-8524
MIRROR AND MUSIC
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
SEPTEMBER 12 & 13, 2013
E I S E N H O W E R T H E A T E R
An extraordinary
performer
mesmerizing
THE VILLAGE VOICE
P
h
o
t
o

S
a
k
a
e

O
g
u
m
a
TODAY
Aqua Bar and Lounge (1818 New
York Ave., N.E.) hosts Club Fuego,
a Latino gay dance party, tonight from
10:30 p.m.-3 a.m. Admission is $10
and limited to guests 21 and over. For
details, visit aquadc.com.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear
Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m.
There is no cover charge and admission
is limited to guests 21 and over. For
details, visit towndc.com.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Grand
Slam with DJ Manny Lehman, the
nale to the Gay Softball World Series,
tonight at 10 p.m. The World Series
is the largest LGBT sporting event in
the country, welcoming more than 170
teams to D.C. this year. Cover is $8 from
10-11 and $12 after 11. For details, visit
towndc.com.
The Coolots, a local all-female rock
and soul band, perform tonight at Phase
1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St., N.W.). Doors
open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10 and
limited to guests 21 and over. For more
information, visit phase1dc.com or the
Phase 1 of Dupont Facebook page.
The Club (5268 Williamsport Pike,
Martinsburg, W.Va.) hosts a patio Foam
Party tonight. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Cover is $5 and unlimited bottomless
rail drinks are $20. Admission is limited
to guests 21 and over. For more details,
visit theclubwv.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
Phase 1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St.,
N.W.) hosts its weekly Booty Beach
Ladies Dance Party this evening. The
winner of the partys bikini and board
shorts contest will receive cash and
prizes. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and
admission is $5. Visit phase1dc.com for
more information.
Nellies Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.)
hosts its new Saturday Brunch at 11
a.m. Guests can enjoy one free mimosa
with their meal. For more details, visit
nelliessportsbar.com.
Adventuring, a gay outdoors group,
hosts a Great North Mountain hike
near the Virginia-West Virginia border
today. Participants meet at 8:30 a.m.
at the East Falls Church Metro Station
(2001 N. Sycamore St., Arlington, Va.),
and should bring bug spray, lunch,
water, sunscreen, sturdy boots and $20
for trip fees. For more information, visit
adventuring.org.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St.,
N.W.) hosts Sparkle, its monthly
LGBT poetry open mic night, from
8-10 p.m. this evening. Admission is $5.
For more information and to purchase
tickets, visit busboysandpoets.com.
K&C Productions hosts its weekly
Sizzling Hot Sundays, an LGBT hip-
hop and house music dance party, at
Club Muse (717 6th St., N.W.) tonight
from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. For details, visit
clubmuse.com.
Perrys (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.)
hosts its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch
today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is
$24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For
details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
Black Fox Lounge (1723) hosts Tulas
Cabaret, a classic lip-sync drag show,
from 8-11 p.m. tonight. Admission
is free. For more information, visit
blackfoxlounge.com.
The Bachelors Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.)
hosts karaoke tonight from 9 p.m.-
midnight. There will also be pool, video
gaming systems and card games. Doors
open at 5:30 p.m., and admission is
$3 after 9. For more information, visit
bachelorsmill.com.
MONDAY, SEPT. 2
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.)
hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning
from 10 a.m.-noon. for the senior LGBT
community. Older LGBT adults can
come and enjoy complimentary coffee
and conversation with other community
members. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
Adventuring, an LGBT outdoors
group, host a Wilson Bridge hike today.
The group meets at the King Street
Metro Station (1900 King St., Alexandria,
Va.) at 11 a.m., and then walks through
Old Town Alexandria across the Wilson
Bridge to the National Harbor in
Maryland. Participants should bring $2
as a trip fee, $8 for a water taxi back to
Alexandria, lunch and plenty of water.
For more details, visit adventuring.org.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 3
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.)
hosts its weekly FUK!T Packing Party
tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit
thedccenter.org or greenlanterndc.com.
Nellies Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.)
hosts karaoke tonight at 9 p.m. For
details, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4
Midtown (1219 Connecticut Ave.,
N.W.) hosts Mix It Up 2.0, an LGBT
dance party, from 8:30-midnight. All
groups of six entering together get a
free bottle of champagne. For details,
visit midtown-dc.com.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave.,
N.W.) hosts a support group for black
gay men living with HIV tonight from 7-9
p.m. For more details, visit uhupil.org.
The Tom Davoren Social Bridge
Club will be meeting at 7:30 p.m.,
at the Dignity Center 721 8th St.,
S.E. (across from Marine Barracks)
for social bridge. No partner needed.
Call 301-345-1571 for more information.
Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut
Ave., N.W.) hosts Bare!, a storytelling
show of true stories of sex, love and
desire, from 8-10 p.m. tonight. The
show is based in New York and also
has monthly performances in Boston.
Admission is $8 and limited to guests
21 and over. For more details, visit
blackfoxlounge.com.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts
Tempted 2 Touch, a ladies dance
party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida
Ave., N.W.). Doors open at 5 p.m. for
happy hour until 9, and the club closes
at 1 a.m. Admission is $5 all night and
limited to guests 21 and over. For
details, visit rudeboientertainment.
wordpress.com.
The D.C. Health Link and the Mayors
Ofce of GLBT Affairs host an LGBT
Leadership Summit at Busboys and
Poets (2021 14th St., N.W.) today from
6:30-7:30 p.m. LGBT community leaders
and business owners will meet with
health care experts to learn how to nd
the best and most affordable health
insurance. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York
Ave., N.W.) hosts a preview from 11
a.m.-6 p.m. today of its new exhibit
ReBirth by Janathel Shaw. The
exhibition features clay sculptures
that address racism and sexism
through Buddhist inuences of
rebirth. For more information, visit
touchstonegallery.com.
The Gay Softball World Series holds
its championship games today from
7:50 a.m.-4 p.m. at Fairland Regional Park
(3928 Greencastle Rd., Burtonsville, Md.),
and from 7:50 a.m.-2 p.m. at Watkins
Regional Park (301 Watkins Park Dr.,
Upper Marlboro, Md.). There will then be a
closing street party and awards ceremony
in the Renaissance Hotel courtyard
from 5-9 p.m. with food, entertainment
and drink specials. For more information,
visit dcseries2013.com.
E-mail calendar items to calendars@washblade.
com two weeks prior to your event. Space is
limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic
events or those with LGBT participants. Recur-
ring events must be re-submitted each time.
PHOTO COURTESY TOUCHSTONE
FALLEN YOUTH, a sculpture by Janathel Shaw, is on display at Touchstone Gallery.
washingtonblade.com
70 AUGUST 30, 2013 CALENDAR
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from Police Academy & Spaceballs
THE MAN WITH 10,000 VOICES!
MICHAEL WINSLOW
comedian
Artist in Residence Alumni Showcase
The frst Tuesday of the month
features a different alum of the prestigious
Strathmore Artist in Residence program.
hosted by Chaise Lounge
Pirouette
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
GET YOUR BUSINESS TO STAND OUT ONLINE
2013 ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
washingtonblade.com
72 AUGUST 30, 2013 FHOTOS BY MlCHAEL KEY
The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Allliance's Gay SoItball World Series Opening Ceremony was held at the Fairgrounds near Nationals Stadium on Monday. The event was emceed by James and Jaymes
Irom 'The Amazing Race' with entertainment provided by DJ Seth Cooper, drag perIormer Destiny B. Childs and recording artist Esera Tuaolo.
Night Out at the Nationals was held Tuesday, timed to the kickoff of the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series, which is being held in D.C. this week. Gay singer TOM GOSS performed.
washingtonblade.com
PHOTOS BY MI CHAEL KEY AUGUST 30, 2013 73
There are many ways to pay
homage to athletics in home decor
By VALERIE M. BLAKE
When I was asked to write an article for
the Blades rst-ever sports edition, I had
to consider what I could possibly write
about sports. After all, Im a real girly girl.
Sure, Ive been known to run for cover,
throw a t, catch a cold and even tackle a
tough negotiation, but the last time I partici-
pated in organized sports I was a Scumbag.
OK, so as law enforcement ofcers
in rural New Mexico we may have been
a little insensitive about our jargon, but
the teams name emblazoned on the
back of our shirts made everyone at the
Tumbleweed Bowl grin.
Now Im just a spectator. Still, Im
not crazy about attending a ballgame,
tennis match, or other organized event.
My idea of spectator sports is watching
Bravos Jeff Lewis kvetch and moan
while racing to nish a renovation proj-
ect, so I turned to the website of Nel-
lies Sports Bar for guidance.
Until that point I had thought the DC
Divas were just a few of my friends, that
an Ice Breaker was a chocolate martini
and that Lambda Squares featured Paul
Lynde in the center square. Instead, I
learned that they involve football, skat-
ing and square dancing.
And just imagine what I must have
thought about the Potomac Rainbow
Cruisers and the Washington Wetskins!
I assure you that boating and water
polo did not immediately leap to mind.
While I have always marched to the
beat of DCs Different Drummers, I
found a plethora of groups and activi-
ties for people interested in running,
biking, football, rugby, golf, tennis, ski-
ing and just enjoying an adventure in
the great outdoors.
So I wondered: how can you select
or redesign your home so its geared to
the sporting activities you enjoy?
No, you dont need to buy a mini-
manse with tennis courts, a heated
pool and a basement bowling alley
(but if you do, please invite me over).
There are many other ways to pay hom-
age to your favorite pastime.
Want to practice your buttery stroke,
build your muscle mass, or jog in inclem-
ent weather? A condo with a pool and
an exercise facility may be just the ticket.
Are you a hiker, bicyclist, or eques-
trian? If so, a home with easy access to
Rock Creek Park is sure to please.
No car? A house near public trans-
portation will ensure you can take
Metro to root for our local teams at
Nationals Park and the Verizon Center.
Owning a condo or co-op near a Zip
Car pick-up point will allow you to en-
joy a day of skiing or snowboarding less
than two hours away at Bryce Mountain
Resort or Ski Liberty.
Although I eschew the traditional Man
Cave tag for the more gender-neutral
Sports Den, I believe that a stay-at-home
enthusiast can remain a devotee of a sport,
game, or team by carving out a room or por-
tion of one in the home. Heres my recipe.
Start with the largest at-screen high
denition TV that will t on the wall of
your chosen room. Then, add cable or
satellite service with TiVo and your fa-
vorite sports channel upgrade. Mix to-
gether a surround sound system, DVD/
Blu-ray player and universal remote
control, then fold in a gaming console,
streaming video player and an iPod or
tablet connection for good measure.
With this simple recipe youll be
cookin all afternoon, but every recipe
needs garnish, so add some team coast-
ers, a framed jersey from your favorite
player and the autographed baseball
encased in Lucite that you won on eBay.
Sprinkle in the childhood photos of you
with beaming smile holding up the a) rst
sh you caught, b) bow and arrow from
archery class at summer camp, or c) pro-
gram from your rst dance recital.
While I will never have a Sports Den,
I am now aware (thanks again to Nel-
lies website) that the Womens Pad-
dling Association has gone co-ed. I
rmly believe that theres nothing like
a good co-ed paddling to release en-
dorphins and increase your well-being.
Three times a week for 30 minutes usu-
ally does it for me.
REAL ESTATE
VALERIE M. BLAKE can be reached at 202-246-
8602 or at Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com. Frudential
FenFed Realty is an independently owned and oper-
ated broker member oI BRER AIIliates, lnc. Fruden-
tial, the Frudential logo and the Rock symbol are reg-
istered service marks oI Frudential Financial, lnc. and
its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions
worldwide. Used under license with no other aIIlia-
tion with Frudential. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Are you a good sport?
From team merchandise to a dedicated 'Sports Den,' showcase your love oI sports at home.
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Uptown 06 0fce
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Valerie M. Blake
Associate Broker, GRI
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Karen Gustafson
Your Beach Real Estate Agent
Realtor for Long and Foster Real Estate Rehoboth Beach, DE
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(o) 302.227.2541
and warranties.
PROOF #1 ISSUE DATE: 03.22.13 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: DANIELLE KING (dking@washblade.com)
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24 HOUR SERVICE
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1819 Riggs Place, NW
Richard Oder 202-329-6900
Long & Foster 202-483-6300
DUPONT CIRCLE VICTORIAN
WITH MODERN STYLE
Classic bay front Victorian row house with
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Therapy for Adults,
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Chronic Illness
Douglas L. Romberg, Ph.D.
(202) 296-0033
Dupont Circle
(703) 790-0038
Northern VA
and warranties.
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Sid Binks, PhD, ABPP-CN
Board Certied in Clinical Neuropsychology
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
3000 Connecticut Ave. NW s 202.255.5187 s SidBinks@aol.com
LGBTC.com/staff/sidney_binks.html
Individual & Couples Therapy
for the LGBTQ Community
20 years experience!
professionaldirectory
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PROOF #1 ISSUE DATE: 01.06.12 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: PHIL ROCKSTROH (prockstroh@washblade.com)
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Cognitive-Behavioral
Therapy
Results-Oriented Affordable
Larry Cohen, LICSW
25 years serving the lgbt community
202-244-0903
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IndividualsCouplesSex
Helping People
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in Rough Times
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Near Woodley & Cleveland Park metro
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and warranties.
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THOMAS JENKINS
& COMPANY
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Corporation, Partnership, Trust, Individual
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PROOF #1 ISSUE DATE: 05.24.13 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: PHIL ROCKSTROH (prockstroh@washblade.com)
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JOEL C. ANG, M.D.
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MASSAGE / CERTIFIED
YOURE WORKING THAT BODY HARD.
Come to a professional massage therapist
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ROSSLYN / FT MYERS Heights - Support
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COUNSELING
A MINDFULNESS-BASED MENTAL
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LGBTQ AFFIRMING THERAPY at
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LEGAL SERVICES
FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM Representing the
GLBT community for over 30 years. Family
adoptions, estate planning, immigration,
employment. (301) 891-2200. Silber, Perlman,
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ADOPTION & ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE
Law Attorney Jennifer Fairfax represents clients
in Maryland & D.C. interested in adoption
or ART matters. 301-221-9651, JFairfax@
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IMMIGRATION. Are you ready to petition
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WASHI NGTONBLADE. COM AUGUST 30, 2013 77
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