Washington Blade, Volume 53, Issue 52, December 30, 2022

A look back at the good (Griner released), the bad (Casa Ruby), and the ugly (Roe overturned), pages 06-30

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Top 10 local news stories of 2022 Casa Ruby shuts down, As You Are opens

From the return of Pride to the shutdown of Casa Ruby, the Blade was busy in 2022 covering all the local LGBTQ news. Here are our staff picks for the top 10 stories of the year.

#10 As You Are bar overcomes hurdles to open

U.S. Park Police said they found Ward deceased in a federal park in Northern Virginia from what authorities said was a -

News of the alleged embezzlement surfaced when feder-

estate charging, among other things, that he used the money he stole to buy at least 10 cars, a camper, sports memorabilia,

#8 Loudoun County sexual assault case triggers opposition to trans policies

Transgender supportive public-school policies adopted in Loudoun County, Va., and throughout the state and beyond continued to face intense opposition in 2022 from a 2021 in- - -

two girls in separate high schools. One of the two assaults-

ual assault cases as grounds for reversing or opposing school policies that allow transgender students to use the bathrooms and other school facilities that match their gender identity.

Plans of lesbian activists and businesswomen Jo McDaniel and Rachel Pike to open the LGBTQ café and bar of their dreams called As You Are in the Barracks Row section of Capitol Hill appeared uncertain at best in January 2022.

Some nearby residents raised objections to what they said would bring noise and neighborhood disturbances by plans -cation. But as it turned out, many residents expressed support for the bar.

McDaniel and Pike, with help from their attorney, worked out an agreement with the local Advisory Neighborhood

Although McDaniel and Pike say they still have some hurdles to overcome, the bar opened for business on March 22. Among the several dozen people who showed up on opening day were gay U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband.

In a separate development, the Loudoun County school board, which previously had adopted trans-supportive school policies, voted to uphold a decision by the school superinten-

from high school libraries.

#7 Monkeypox hits D.C. gay, bi men

July that gay and bisexual men and those in the category of men who have sex with men (MSM) appeared to comprise at least 90 percent of the reported monkeypox cases in Washington, D.C.

But that percentage declined a short time later when the

they did not want to appear as if they were applying undue pressure on people to disclose their sexual orientation when they apply for a monkeypox vaccination or seek a monkeypox test or treatment.

That change in policy appeared to result in a lower number of newly reported cases being attributed to men who have sex with men and a higher number of cases attributed to an “unknown” risk group.

cause of monkeypox transmission appeared to be through sexual relations rather than casual contact such as from dancing.

#6

Ally Wes Moore wins election as Maryland governor

Maryland Democrat Wes Moore, an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights, won election in Novembercan-American governor. In other LGBTQ related races, lesbian former Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur lost her race for a U.S. House seat in

In Delaware, transgender woman Sarah McBride won re-election to her seat in the State Senate. And in Virginia, transgender State Del. Danica Roem announced she will run for a seat in the Virginia Senate in 2023.

#5 Gay former D.C. cop Brett Parson arrested on sex with minor charge

Former D.C. police lieutenant Brett Parson, who served astiring from the force in 2020, was arrested in Boca Raton, Fla., on Feb. 12, for allegedly having sex with a consenting 16-year-met on the gay online dating app called Growlr and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter in Coconut Creek after exchanging “explicit” photos of each other. It says the two engaged

parking lot at night.

An arrest warrant obtained by Coconut Creek police charges Parson with two counts of “Unlawful Sexual Activity

trial. Court records show no trial date has been set and the next court status hearing for the case is scheduled for March 17, 2023.

#4 Youngkin creates uproar over proposed trans school policy

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia introduced a public school districts to adopt transgender “model policies” to use school facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender at birth.

The proposed policies, which drew strong opposition

records to obtain legal documentation, such as a legal name change, with parental approval. Additionally, the Youngkin policies would call for teachers and other school employees to refuse to refer to trans students by their desired name oring.

Although the proposal received mixed reactions from the public through about 71,000 written comments during a 30-month following legal issues raised by opponents. Among

#9 Gay Hyattsville mayor posthumously charged with embezzlement

Top 10 national news stories of 2022

The year 2022 will be remembered for a slew of LGBTQ-related news. As if COVID wasn’t bad enough, the arrival of monkeypox in the spring led to a new panic and new round of vaccinations among gay and bi men. There was the overturning of Roe and fears of attacks on Obergefell. Then came the midterms and the Democrats ran surprisingly strong. And just when we thought the

Club Q and Congress managed to pass the Respect for Marriage Act.

Below are the Blade’s staff picks for the top 10 stories of 2022.

#10 Karine Jean-Pierre makes history

#8 U.S. declares monkeypox public health emergency

In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the monkeypox virus (MPV) outbreak a public health emergency in the United States. Cases by then had been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico – almost all by gay and bisexual men who have sex with men. -

campaign, which involved transporting doses from the Strategic National Stockpile to clinics across the councarried over from the government’s shaky rollout of tests and vaccines for COVID-19.

By midsummer, however, more shots were being administered in more arms thanks to a coordinated effort

Court’s conservative supermajority overturned the constitutional right to abortion with its ruling in Dobbs v. Jack-

This term, the Supreme Court will decide 303 Creative v. Elenis, a case that was brought by a web designer who wanted to reject same-sex couples’ requests for wedding websites and whose outcome could carry broad implications for the enforcement of nondiscrimination laws against providers of public accommodations.

#6 Schools become nexus of battles over LGBTQ rights

As conservative state legislators ramped up attacks on the LGBTQ community with bills targeting youth sports and policies in public schools, right-wing advocates and hate groups increasingly protested all-ages LGBTQ events like family-friendly drag performances and dragtrons were forced to disperse.

embroiled this year over battles like whether educational materials containing LGBTQ themes should be made available to students and whether LGBTQ students should be outed to their parents.ten with discriminatory intent, warning teachers could be photo of their same-sex spouse.

#5 Record number of anti-trans bills fled across country

More anti-trans bills were proposed this year in state legislatures throughout the country than during any other time in the nation’s history. Most targeted trans youth.

Karine Jean-Pierre

history this year, becoming secretary, having previously served as deputy press secretary to Jen Psaki and chief of staff for then-vice-presi--

#9 Turmoil and change at HRC

lowing accusations that David, when serving as counsel to then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, helped to cover up allegations that the politician had sexually harassed and assaulted multiple women. After stepping down alleging discrimination. with a focus on intersectionality.

cases declined from a peak of 440 per day in August to 60 in October.

Ketanji Brown Jackson joins Supreme Court

Some laws prohibit trans student athletes from playing and competing, while others restrict access to bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identities and others target guideline directed medical treatments.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, for example, directed child welfare authorities to investigate suspected casesable to their trans and nonbinary children.

Black woman to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, having previously presided over the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Before Jackson was seated this summer, the Supreme

instance, failed to win reelection despite his position as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Com-House.-

#2

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced her plans to step down from House Democratic leadership after two decades, following the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi by an intruder who broke into the couple’s San Francisco home.

--keem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was elected to succeed her.

#3 Midterms deliver Trump rebuke, victories for LGBTQ candidatesture of the House following the 2022 midterm elections, of both chambers of Congress. Not all Democratic candidates were so fortunate, how-

Club Q shooting and fallout

-

The suspect, who was tackled and disarmed by pacriminal counts including hate crimes and murder. -

-

directed at the community.

#1 Respect for Marriage Act becomes law-

gress with little time to spare before the end of the legisla---

Top 10 international stories of 2022

Brittney Griner, expansion of marriage rights, and World Pride shocker

WNBA star Brittney Griner’s arrest in Russia, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat in his country’s presidential election and the extension of marriage and other rights to LGBTQ and intersex people around the world made headlines over the past year. Here are the top international stories of 2022.

#10 World Pride 2025 cancelled, moved to D.C.

The decision to cancel WorldPride Taiwan 2025 sparked widespread criticism among the island’s LGBTQ and intersex activists.

WorldPride Taiwan 2025 had been scheduled to take place in Kaohsiung, but organizers in August announced its cancellation. The announcement said InterPride, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group that organizes WorldPride events, had asked organizers to remove Taiwan from the event’s name. InterPride in a subsequent interview with the Washington Blade disputed this claim.

InterPride on Nov. 3 announced D.C. will host WorldPride 2025.

#9 Kenya’s landmark intersex rights law takes effect

A landmark law that granted equal rights and recognition of intersex people in Kenya took effect in July.

The Children Act 2022 allows intersex people to select an “I” gender marker. The law, among other things, also requires intersex children to have equal access to education, medical care and other basic services and protects them from so-called sex normalization surgeries without a doctor’s recommendation.in a Census.

proved an amendment to the city-state’s constitution that

The Barbados High Court on Dec. 12 struck down the country’s sodomy law.

A judge on the High Court of Justice in St. Kitts and Nevis on Aug. 29 decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations in his country. High Court Judge Marissa Robertson, who sits on the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, earlier in the year ruled sections 12 and 15 of Antigua and Barbuda’s Sexual Offenses Act 1995 are unconstitutional.

#6 Marriage equality legalized across Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Switzerland, Slovenia

Several countries around the world extended marriage rights to same-sex couples in 2022.

Cubans on Sept. 25 approved a new family code that includes marriage equality.

Lawmakers in Slovenia on Oct. 4 passed a bill that extended marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples. Switzerland’s marriage equality law took effect on July 1.

Chile’s marriage equality law took effect on March 10. Same-sex couples can legally marry throughout Mexico after lawmakers in Tamaulipas state on Oct. 26 approved a marriage equality bill.

A court on Dec. 6 ruled Aruba and Curaçao must allow same-sex couples to marry.

#5 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro defeated

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Oct. 30 defeated incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro in the second round of the country’s presidential election.

Da Silva, who was Brazil’s president from 2003-2010,

place on Oct. 2, but neither man received at least 50 percent of the vote.

her position.

#3

LGBTQ issues overshadow World Cup

Qatar’s LGBTQ and intersex rights record overshadowed the 2022 World Cup that ended on Dec. 18.

Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in Qatar. A report that Human Rights Watch published in October noted several cases of “severe and repeated beatings” and “sexual harassment” of LGBTQ and intersex people while in police custody from 2019 and

World Cup Ambassador Khalid Salman in November described homosexuality as “damage in the mind” during an interview with a German television station. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a Nov. 22 press conference in Doha, the Qatari capital, criticized FIFA over its threat to sanction European soccer teams if their captains wore “one love” armbands during the World Cup.

# rainians ee ar LGBTQ and intersex Ukrainians are among the millions of people

country after Russia launched its war against it on Feb. 24.

#8

British government removes trans people from bill to ban conversion therapy

The British government in April cancelled an LGBTQ and intersex rights conference after advocacy groups announced they would boycott it over thenPrime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to exclude transgender people from a bill to ban so-called conversion therapy.

The Safe to Be Me Conference was to have taken place in London from June 29-July 1, 2022. A British governmentcellation.

Nick Herbert, a member of the British House of Lords who advised Johnson on LGBTQ and intersex issues, in “damaging to the government and to the U.K.’s global reputation.” Herbert added it is “also an act of self-harm by the LGBT lobby.”

Bolsonaro, a former congressman and Brazilian Army captain, has faced sharp criticism because of his rhetoric against LGBTQ and intersex Brazilians, women, people of African and indigenous descent and other groups. Bolsonaro, among other things, has encouraged fathers to beat their sons if they are gay and falsely claimed people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are at increased risk for AIDS.

#4 Marriage equality becomes part of U.S. foreign policy

The special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ and inter-

the Biden administration’s support of LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad now includes marriage equality.

Dmitry Shapoval, a gay man with HIV, lived in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, until he swam across a river and entered Poland in March. Shapoval now lives in Berlin with his cat and has begun the process of resettling in Germany.

“I feel very secure here,” Shapoval told the Blade on July 22 during an interview in Berlin.

LGBTQ and intersex activists from Ukraine were among those who took part in Berlin’s Christopher Street Parade that took place a day after Shapoval spoke with the Blade. Kyiv Pride, Kharkiv Pride and Insight are among the myriad organizations that continue to support LGBTQ and intersex Ukrainians who remain in the country.

#1 Brittney Griner detained in Russia

WNBA star Brittney Griner returned to the U.S. on Dec. 9 after Russia released her in exchange for a convicted arms dealer.

#7

Former British colonies decriminalize homosexuality

Four former British colonies in 2022 decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations.

Lawmakers in Singapore on Nov. 29 repealed Section 377A of the country’s penal code that criminalized homosexuality. Singaporean MPs on the same day also ap-

“The administration acknowledges that married or not, LGBTQI+ people, couples and their families deserve full equality, access to legal protections and should have their families legally recognized,” said Jessica Stern during an exclusive interview the Blade published on June 1. “All of this is consistent with President Biden’s commitment to LGBTQI+

Biden in February 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of his administration’s overall foreign policy. The White House four months later named Stern, who was previously the executive director of OutRight International, to

Griner — a Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist who is a lesbian and married to her wife, Cherelle Griner — had been serving a nine-year prison sentence in a penal colony after a Russian court convicted her on the importation of illegal drugs. Customstained Brittney Griner after they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.

Russia on Dec. 8 released Brittney Griner in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S.

The year in photos

Top news photos of 2022

1.) Stonewall Kickball holds a recruitment event at Green Lantern on Sunday, Jan. 30. (Blade photo by Michael Key) 2.) WILLAM BELLI performs at the District Disco Launch Party at Zebbie’s Garden on Saturday, Feb. 5. (Blade photo by Michael Key) 3.) LEANDREA GILLIAM skates on the ice at The Wharf on Friday, Feb. 11 at the Blade’s 2022 Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles party. (Blade photo by Michael Key) 4.) The 2022 Cupid Undie Run began at Penn Social on Saturday, Feb. 12. Participants clad in Valentine’s Day-themed underwear jogged to raise money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. (Blade photo by Michael Key) 5.) The Washington Wizards hosted its annual Pride Night at Capital One Arena on Friday, March 4. (Blade photo by Michael Key) 6.) mpulse DC lu DC and the Mayor s ffce of B Affairs held a ‘Coming Out Party’ for Transgender Day of Visibility at Sachi Nightclub on Thursday, March 31. (Blade photo by Michael Key) 7.) The 25th anniversary of Cherry Weekend continued on Saturday, April 9 with a ‘Moodio 54 – Birthday LXV’ event at Soundcheck. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

8.) ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ alum LADY CAMDEN performed at Pitchers on Wednesday, April 13. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

9.) Stonewall Kickball held its REMIX Tournament at West Potomac Park on Saturday, April 16. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

10.) The Bonnet Ball returned to JR.’s Bar for Easter Sunday, April 17. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

11.) TY DUPP performs at the ‘Halfway to Halloween’ spooky drag show on Friday, May 13 at Red Bear Brewing Co. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

12.) Md. state Sen. SARAH ELFRETH and Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley march in the 2022 Annapolis Pride Parade on June 4. (Blade photo by Jamie Thompson/Fleur de Lis Photography)

13.) Openly gay actor WILSON CRUZ speaks at Awesome Con at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on June 4. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

14.) Vice President KAMALA HARRIS waves to the crowd from the main stage of the Capital Pride Festival on June 12.

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

15.) Over 4,000 members of the LGBTQ community and their allies attended the 17th annual Night Out at the Nationals 2022 on June 14.

(Blade photo by Kevin Majoros)

16.) The 2022 Baltimore Pride Parade was held on Saturday, June 25.

(Blade photo by Linus Berggren)

17.) The fourth annual Westminster Pride Festival was held in downtown Westminster, Md. on Saturday, July 9.

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

18.) Upwards of 500,000 people attended the annual Christopher Street Day Parade in the German capital on Saturday. Activists from Ukraine are among those who took part. (Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

19.) DARYL WILSON performs at The Bachelors Mill Reunion 2022 on Saturday, August 27 at KARMA DC.

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

20.) CAMP Rehoboth welcomed the long-awaited return of its annual SunDance as part of SunFestival on Sunday, Sept. 4. (Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)

21.) The 2022 Virginia Pridefest was held on Brown’s Island in Richmond, Va. on Saturday, Sept. 24.

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

22.) The 35th annual High Heel Race was held on 17th Street’s Frank Kameny Way on Tuesday, Oct. 25. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

23.) Capital Pride Alliance held The Fuchsia Ball at Echostage on Saturday, Nov. 12.

(Blade photo by Michael Key)

24.) The Safe Space 2: A Safer Space party was held at the Black Cat on Saturday, Dec. 3. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Remembering

those we lost in 2022 Pioneering artists, designers, actors, and more

The acclaimed LGBTQ people and allies who died in 2022 include:

Jorge Diaz-Johnston, 54, died on Jan. 8. He and his husband were plaintiffs in a lawsuit that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Miami-Dade County, the Blade reported.

Andre Leon Talley, 73, the groundbreaking fashion editor, curator, and television personality died on Jan. 18 at a White Plains, N.Y., hospital.

Arnie Kantrowitz, 81, a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (now known as GLAAD), died on Jan. 21 at a New York City rehabilitation center from complications of COVID-19.

Patricia Moreno, 57, died on Jan. 22 at her home in Los Angeles from cervical cancer.

Alan A. Stone, 92, died on Jan. 23 at his Cambridge, Mass., home from laryngeal cancer. When he was president of the American Psychiatric Association, homosexuality was removed from the list of mental disorders.

Genre-busting French designer Thierry Mugler, 73, died on Jan. 23 in his Vincennes home outside Paris.

James Bidgood, 88, an acclaimed gay photographer

classic “Pink Narcissus,” died on Jan. 31 in Manhattan from complications of COVID-19.

Isabel Torres, 52, the actress best known for her portrayal of Cristina Ortiz Rodriguez, the transgender singer on the series “Veneno” on HBO Max, died on Feb. 11.

Joe Tom Easley, 81, an LGBTQ advocate who played a key role in the effort to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ died on Feb. 13 at a hospital near his Miami Beach home from complications of lung disease.

Leo Bersani, 90, a scholar of French literature whose about queer identity, died on Feb. 20 at a Peoria, Ariz., assisted-living facility.

Rusty Mae Moore, 80, a transgender educator and activist died on Feb. 23 at her home in Pine Hill, N.Y. from cardiovascular complications.

Richard Lipez, 83, who under the pen name Richard Stevenson wrote a groundbreaking series of novels featuring the out gay detective Donald Strachey, died on March 16 of pancreatic cancer at his home in Becket, Mass.

Ashton Hawkins, 84, executive vice president and counsel to the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, died on March 27 at a White Plains, N.Y., assisted living facility from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

Richard Howard, 92, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, died on March 31 in Manhattan from complications of dementia.

Eric Little, owner of the iconic 17th Street bar JR.’s and the closed gay bar Cobalt died on May 1 in his sleep at his Hollywood, Md., home of unknown causes.

Margot Heuman, 94, a rare Holocaust survivor who spoke of her same-sex relationship in the concentration camps, died on May 11 at a hospital in Green Valley, Ariz.

Urvashi Vaid, 63, leader of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force during the AIDS crisis who founded a super PAC to promote LGBTQ women in politics, died on May 14 from cancer at a hospital in Manhattan.

Kristine Gebbie cancer in Adelaide, Australia on May 17.

Jeffrey Escoffer, 79, a renowned scholar who wrote about gay identity and as a New York City public health

on May 20 from complications from a fall.

Paul Gunther, 65, a champion of art and architecture

on May 29 in a Manhattan hospital from injuries, which authorities said were sustained due to an attempted suicide, The New York Times reported.

Ronni Solbert, 96, a children’s illustrator most known for her illustrations for “The Pushcart War” written by her partner Jean Merrill, died on June 9 at her Randolph, Vt., home.

Gloria Allen, 76, a transgender activist whose work with at-risk transgender Chicago youth inspired the documentary “Mama Gloria” and the play “Charm,” died on June 13 at her home from respiratory failure.

Clela Rorex, 78, who, in 1975, as a groundbreaking Boulder County, Colo., clerk issued a marriage license to a same-sex couple, died on June 19 from complications of an infection at a Longmont, Colo. hospice.

David Pichette, an ordained Roman Catholic priest who for many years was involved with the LGBTQ Catholic organizations Dignity Washington and Dignity Northern Virginia, died on June 27 from complications of pancreatic cancer at a Boynton Beach, Fla. hospice.

Poet and writer of opera librettos and musicals Kenward Elmslie, 93, died on June 29 at his New York City home.

Gay journalist Chuck Colbert, 67, who covered the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal died on June 30.

Noah Vincent, lesbian, journalist and author of the well-regarded book “Self-Made Man” about passing as a man died on July 6 at a clinic in Switzerland. Her death was medically assisted (a voluntarily assisted death).

Computer programmer and art collector John Camp, 77, died on July 12 at an Arlington, Va. hospital from complications of prostate cancer.

Pat Carroll, 95, the game show and sit-com star who reinvented herself in a one-woman show on Gertrude Stein, died on July 31 at her Cape Cod, Mass. home from pneumonia.

Author, poet and activist Elana Dykewomon, 72, died on Aug. 7 at her Oakland, Calif. home from esophageal cancer.

Queer ally, pop singer and “Grease” star Olivia Newton-John, 73, died on Aug. 8 at her Southern California ranch. No cause of death was given. She had lived with breast cancer since 1992.

Actress Anne Heche, 53, died on Aug. 14 from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Stephen Peter Gorman, 69, who once served as chair of the D. C. Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities, died on Aug. 19 in Washington, D.C.

Founder of the Chelsea Theater Center Robert Kalfn, 89, died on Sept. 20 at a Southampton, N.Y. hospice from myeloid leukemia.

D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate and events promoter Jacob Pring home.

Celebrated D.C. LGBTQ activist Kathleen Joan DeBold, 66, died suddenly on Oct. 9 in Ocean City, Md.

Queer icon and legendary star of stage, screen, and TV Angela Lansbury, 96, died on Oct. 10.

Max Woodward, 76, who retired in 2016 as Kennedy Center vice president of theater programming, died on Oct. 14 at a Washington, D.C. care facility from complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Leslie Jordan, 67, an actor known for his work on “Will

&

Gay country music pioneer Patrick Haggerty, 78, died on Oct. 31 at his home in Bremerton, Wash. He had suf-

Harry Bates, 95, an acclaimed architect who designed houses on Fire Island and the Hamptons, died on Nov. 1 at a hospital in Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Doris Grumbach, 104, acclaimed author who wrote about the plight of women, died on Nov. 4 at a retirement community in Kennett Square, Pa.

Kevin Conroy, 66, the voice of Batman for three decades, died on Nov. 10 from intestinal cancer.

Frederick Swann, 91, a renowned master of the pipe organ died from cancer at his home in Palm Desert, Calif. on Nov. 13

Barbara Love, 85, a feminist and gay rights activist, died on Nov. 13 in the Bronx, N.Y. from complications of leukemia and Parkinson’s disease.

Don Luce, 88, an activist who helped to end the Vietnam War, died on Nov. 17 at a Niagara Falls, N.Y. hospital after suffering a sudden cardiac ischemia.

Ned Rorem, 99, renowned composer of music and diary writer, died on Nov. 18 at his home in Manhattan.

Marijane Meaker, 95, the lesbian author whose 1952

mainstream, died on Nov. 21 at her East Hampton, N.Y. home from cardiopulmonary arrest.

Irene Cara, 63, queer icon, singer and star of “Fame” and “Flashdance,” died on Nov. 26 at her Largo, Fla. home.

Former Republican Congressman James (Jim) Kolbe, 80, who represented Southern Arizona in Congress for

openly gay Republican member of the House of Representatives.

PETER ROSENSTEIN

Each year we like to look back at the high-

# n frst a emocrat and a Re ublican face off in con ressional race e t-

- -

#5 lon us romotes anti- a cons irac t eor about aul elosi attac ct -

# ttorne acti ist and aut or r as i aid dies a-

# ulsi abbard sa s lorida on t a a la s ould a e one furt er ril-

# rett arson arrested in lorida on se it minor c ar es eb 5- - -

# ormer a ec football la er found not uilt in beatin deat of a man une-

# iden to si n ide-ran in e ecuti e order on con ersion t era out une 5

# Russia is oldin lesbian star rittne riner on dru c ar es arc 5 -

# ot er sa s teen bo c ar ed it assault in irl s bat room at a sc ool is strai t an - -

# arlord o ersecuted a ecens illed in raine f tin eb-

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Top queer entertainment stories of 2022

From ‘Dahmer’ to Amy Schneider, a year to remember

It was a nutty year in entertainment, starting with Will Smith’s Oscars slap and ending with Jennifer Coolidge’s untimely demise in “White Lotus.” Here is a recap of the year in entertainment and our picks for the top 10 stories of the year.

#10 The ubiquity of Harry Styles

Harry Styles was everywhere in 2022, from releasing in “My Policeman.” Styles has famously experimented with gender expression and was even called out by pioneering style icon Billy Porter for getting so much attention for wearing a dress.

#9 More celebs come out

came out as LGBTQ in 2022. Rebel Wilson announced she’s dating a woman in a memorable Instagram post. “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,” she wrote. Other notables who came out in 2022 included comedian and actor Jerrod Carmichael; actor and writer John Cameron Mitchell and singer/actor Janelle Monae who both came out as nonbinary; and Oscar-nominated actor Aunjanue Ellis who came out as bisexual.

#8 Memorable moments in sports

The sports world delivered many memorable moments in 2022, from Lia Thomas drawing attention to the issue of trans inclusion in sports and later being nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year, to Carl Nassib landing at the Tampa Bay Bucs after coming out as gay last year, to a major controversy at the World Cup over host country Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ laws.

#7 Our divas keep on giving

Our beloved divas kept on delivering in 2022, from Madonna celebrating 50 No. 1 dance hits with a massive remix collection to Janet Jackson releasing a four-hour documentary and later announcing a 2023 tour. The year also saw Britney Spears duet with Elton

her conservatorship in 2021. Not to be outdone, Barbra Streisand released “Live at the Bon Soir,” 50 years after it was originally recorded, and even Whitney Houston is back with the anticipated “I Wanna Dance

during a tour stop in D.C. when she delivered a passionate defense of marriage equality.

#6 Kevin Spacey’s plight

Gay actor Kevin Spacey pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in the U.K. and a U.S. jury sided with him in another molestation case brought by Anthony Rapp. Spacey’s legal troubles will continue into 2023 as he faces seven new charges in the U.K. that he forced himself on another man in the early 2000s.

#5 Losing Leslie Jordan

The beloved and hilarious comedian and actor Leslie Jordan died unexpectedly earlier this year and it

seemed every gay person in America posted a sel-

a longtime advocate and visible queer presence, most notably in his role on “Will & Grace.” Jordan was among several celebrity deaths that shocked the community, including Irene Cara, Anne Heche, and Olivia Newton-John.

#4 ‘Bros’ hype ends in disappointment -

to widespread mainstream media attention and ac-

an of color to win an Oscar. The next hotly anticipat-

an obese middle-aged man trying to reconcile with his estranged daughter and is the subject of major Oscar buzz.

#3 Amy Schneider wins cash & hearts

Amy Schneider made history and won millions of fans by winning 40 games on Jeopardy! and becoming the highest-earning woman in the competition’s history. In April, she attended the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner as a guest of the Washington Blade.

#2 Streaming hits

The streaming services continue to deliver LGBTQ-themed shows and campy hits popular with queer audiences. Two of the biggest in 2022 were

“White Lotus,” which ended season two by killing off queer icon Jennifer Coolidge. Of course, season one ended with another shocker — the infamous rimming scene. Meanwhile, F/X delivered “American Horror Story NYC,” the gayest thing on TV in years featuring murderous leather daddies and Zachary Quinto as a bondage enthusiast. “Grace and Frank-

Harris delivered a well-received performance as a -ly single in “Uncoupled.” But perhaps the biggest

Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which was criticized by victims’ families for reintroducing the evil Dahmer to a younger generation.

#1 Our heroic drag queens

Months before the tragic attack on Club Q in Colorado Springs, a disturbing trend emerged as right-wing protesters and conspiracy theorists targeted drag shows with sometimes-violent results. Our queens have demonstrated heroic courage this year simply by going to work to entertain us. Let’s hope the MAGA lunatics cool their rhetoric. The vitriol directed at drag performers is reckless and breeds violence.

seemed “Flight,”-- -

“Jennifer, Who Is Leaving,”“There’s Always the Hudson,” “Hamilton”“Six”----

“Dear Evan Hansen”--

“The Ballad of Emmett Till,” - -

“My Body No Choice,” -

5 of the biggest stories in the 2022 D.C. food and drink scene

Liquor license drama, Ukrainian fundraisers, and more

Has dining in D.C. returned? The city has seen a wildly dynamic year, puncturedbiggest stories in the DC food and drink scene for the Blade community.

The As You Are Bar Saga

The opening of As You Are Bar was a long time coming. Started virtually in 2019, AYA (as it’s infordoors to the public in early 2022. Owners Jo McDaniel and Rachel Pike, a duo with more than two decades of combined service in the industry, were highly intentional in building a space that serves D.C.’s LGBTQ community – and every partists to hold and cultivate a safe and celebratory space for the LGBTQ community, they say. Café by day, bar and dance lounge by night, As You Are wel-

vegetarian options at lunch and dinner, and lots of non-alcoholic drinks at the bar. But opening was not easy. AYA, which initially applied for its liquor license in November 2021, couldn’t open for several months, facing both construction delays noise and trash. Undeterred, the two mounted a support campaign with friends and other neighbors, and today has become a mainstay in its neighborhood that once

Buttigieg as customers (they also live nearby). Last month, the Human Rights Campaign awarded As You Are a $10,000 grant from its “Queer to Stay” small business campaign. AYA’s impact as a bar with a mission is here to stay.

Peruvian in Blagden Alley

Blagden Alley has been a hotbed of innovative cuisine, and the new Causa is no - - -rant in Blagden as an ode to his home country. Service Bar’s Glendon Hartley and Chad Spangler are also co-owners. Upstairs, dubbed Amazonia, is a casual, a la carte restaurant lush with greenery and calming, loungey atmosphere that opened in April. Downstairs is an airy, minimalist, set-menu space that opened in September.

placed Causa on his seven favorite restaurants list for November 2022, and Eater national named it as one of the country’s best new restaurants in 2022. -

trast to the formal, seafood-forward dinner downstairs, upstairs is a riot of color and sound, serving shareables and street food like friend plantains with hunks of pork. The massive pisco list is impressive, and the Pisco sours, among the many cocktails Hartley pours, are a frothy delight.

Enrique Limardo’s Growing Empire

Limardo has been bringing decadence to D.C.’s dining scene for years – and with the opening of Joy, his successes continue. Joy, in Chevy Chase, opened in Octo--upscale Seven Reasons, offering diners a more affordable taste of Limardo’s Latin 2023 and beyond.

Move Over Vodka Soda: Here’s the Espresso Martini

-

Champagne in it,” the espresso martini has truly dominated the cocktail chatter. CNN named 2022 the Year of the Espresso Martini, and the drink has found its way -coffee liqueur, and espresso (or some variation thereof), the espresso martini most commonly arrives in a martini glass, topped with a bit of froth and an espresso bean tables, ordered at last call, and with intriguing substitutions like whiskey or tequila for the vodka. Seven Reasons, mentioned above, even has its own riff with crème de cacao.

Dining for Ukraine

sprang into action to support Ukrainian causes after the Russian unprovoked invawithin days, and still has an enormous operation inside and outside of Ukraine. D.C.Day in August, restaurants and bars again showed up with classes and fundraisers. Dacha, a German beer garden run by Russian-Americans, held a huge fundraiser -cocktails got names like the Spicy Zelensky (at Tabla), and many more operations Bakery, a Ukrainian café in Adams Morgan, received an outpouring of support. As the invasion creeps toward nearly a year, D.C. showed how it can stand in solidarity.

The year’s best in queer TV and flm

‘Fire Island,’ ‘Bros,’ ‘Heartstopper’ made for memorable 2022

It’s that season, once again, when everyone is compiling their lists of the year’s best flm and TV offerings – and naturally, the Blade is no exception.

Unlike many “Best of” lists, however, ours narrows the scope a little. Since our coverage of flm and television is geared toward queer-focused or queer-inclusive content that is relevant to our LGBTQ readers, we like to limit our selections to the movies and shows that match that criteria – and further, to keep it honest, we prefer to limit our choices to the titles we’ve covered over the last 12 months.

That means you won’t see the same kinds of big mainstream flms or series on our list that you’ll fnd on others – but you’ll see those mentioned in plenty of other places, anyway, and we think it’s far more useful to remind our readers of the standout gems we’ve particularly loved. It’s our way of celebrating the screen memories that have stuck with us throughout the year, and to make sure you add the ones you may have missed to your year-end catch-up list.

With that in mind, here are our fve favorite flms and fve favorite TV shows from all those we’ve covered in 2022.

FILM

1.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

If you haven’t yet seen this genre-bending, queer-inclusive indie sci-f comedy – conceived, written, and directed by The Daniels (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) – you might be surprised to fnd it at the top of our list. If you have seen it, however, you’ll already understand why. Audaciously joining the ever-growing fray of “multiverse” movies and arguably besting them all, it’s a fast-paced but smooth-fowing wild ride in which a middle-aged Chinese American laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh, in a career-topping star showcase) fnds herself recruited into a battle against a sinister entity who seeks to destroy reality itself.

Quirky, clever, and laced with delicious absurdity, it’s a madcap caper from start to fnish; but it grabs us by the heart, too, and uses the same overblown fantasy trope it creatively lampoons to gently remind us that, in a universe of infnite possibilities, we have the power to change our reality with every choice we make. It also shows us a universe where humans have fngers like hot dogs and gives us scene-stealing Jamie Lee Curtis as a frumpy and hostile tax auditor, so is it any wonder we put it at the top of the list?

2. “Tár”

Audiences were even more divided than critics in their response to Mike Field’s lengthy, inscrutable, and culturally provocative character study of a revered, world-class orchestral conductor (Cate Blanchett, surpassing her own brilliance yet again) whose reputation and career begin to unravel when implications of sexual misconduct subject her private life to public scrutiny. It’s easy to understand why; it’s as challenging as it is meticulous, as unsettling as it is mesmerizing, and as unsentimental as a clinical case study.

Though decried by some who saw it as an indictment against “cancel culture” or found it out of alignment with queer or feminist ideals, we found its true power beyond its purposefully contradictory politics; in its

instinct for fnding big truth in tiny details and its merciless focus on the uncomfortable secret corners we keep in the blind spots of our lives, it’s ultimately a movie about the masks we wear to disguise the desires we don’t want others – or even ourselves – to see.

3. “Neptune Frost”

Another quirky, genre-bending sci-f movie makes our list with this unique cinematic experience created by acclaimed multi-hyphenate artist Saul Williams, who co-directed with Rwandan flmmaker Anisia Uzeyman. Self-described as “an Afrofuturist sci-f punk musical,” it traces the separate journeys of two refugees – a miner running away from a life of enforced labor and an intersex tribesperson feeing the oppression of their native village – and their assimilation into a collective of rebel hackers dedicated to overthrowing “The Authority” and elevating the world’s consciousness. That vague plot outline, however, falls short of capturing the flm’s multi-layered essence; equal parts primal myth and dystopian techno-drama, it’s more a surreal allegory than a narrative, laden with bold visual strokes and reverberating with a proud and defant Black voice – but the issues it thrusts into our consciousness go far deeper than race. It’s hard to explain this movie better than that, so if you’re curious for more, you’ll have to watch it for yourself. Trust us, you won’t regret it.

4. “Fire Island”

It’s been a banner year for queer rom-coms, but for our money, this smart, sharp, sweet, and sexy reimagining of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” – starring and written by Joel Kim Booster and directed by Andrew Ahn – is the cream of the crop. Skewering the attitudes and agendas of modern gay life as it follows the exploits of a group of friends who have gathered for a week of comradeship

and debauchery at the queer mecca of its title, it revels in its diversity – three of its four romantic leads are Asian American, for starters – and celebrates the joys of chosen family while good-naturedly reminding us that snobbery cuts both ways. It’s everything you could want from a summer romance and more – including a ridiculously corny, over-the-top happy ending and a sparkling cast that includes queer fan favorites Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, and Conrad Ricamora.

5. “Bros”

OK, we know. This much-hyped romantic comedy from writer/star Billy Eichner and writer/director Nicholas Stoller ended up with a disappointing box offce take despite its historic use of an almost-all-queer cast and creative team – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great movie. Though Eichner’s manic, sometimes abrasive persona can be a hard sell for some audiences, it works to his advantage as he uses his role as a defantly oddball over-achiever to go deeper, and his chemistry with co-star Luke Macfarlane (in a bravely vulnerable performance) is surprisingly potent; and while the flm’s self-consciously pro-LGBTQ checklist of topics sometimes feels like an obtrusion on its unexpectedly nuanced central love story, that somehow becomes part of the point.

For us, though, the biggest reason for including this one on our list of the year’s best might be its candid and relatable depiction of romance in a more mature queer demographic than we’re used to; that, alongside its unapologetically queer attitude, its artfully downplayed generosity of spirit, and its sex-positive treatment of non-hetero-conforming intimacy, is more than enough to render its box offce receipts irrelevant.

The year’s best in queer TV and flm continued

TELEVISON

1. “Heartstopper”

This one is a no-brainer. The British Netfix import based on the webcomic by Alice Oseman (who adapted it for the screen) is a show to win the heart of even the most cynical viewer and have them ready to binge it straight to the end after watching only the frst fve minutes. The story of two boys’ school students – on opposite ends of the campus popularity spectrum – who form an unlikely friendship that blossoms into something more, is infectiously sweet and unrelentingly positive without feeling like an impossible fairy tale. More than that, its tender depiction of two youthful hearts negotiating the pangs and pressures of frst love while navigating their school’s deeply ingrained social hierarchy has enough universal and multi-intersectional appeal to help it transcend its “queer content” genre and become an all-inclusive touchstone for younger generations – and to make older viewers wish they had grown up with a show like this one. None of it would work, however, without the soulful and endearing performances of series leads Joe Locke and Kit Connor, whose individual talents and shared chemistry make this big-hearted show a classic for the ages.

2. “Interview With the Vampire”

Three decades after Anne Rice’s saga of love among the undead was turned into a plush big screen star vehicle for Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, fans of the late author’s wickedly sexy and thrillingly subversive novel – and the multi-book series that followed it – fnally got the version they deserved with AMC’s electrifying adaptation.

Reimagining key details of Rice’s seminal narrative (changing her lead vampire’s origin story in old New Orleans to make him a Black creole entrepreneur instead of a wealthy white plantation owner with slaves, for one) to update its cultural relevance, it still maintains a strong connection to the passionate, poetic spirit of the original tale; even better, it more than makes up for the flm version’s comparative “straight-washing” by embracing the same-sex romance between the story’s beloved protagonists – sensitive fedgling vampire Louis (Jacob Anderson) and his famboyant creator-turned-lover Lestat (Sam Reid) – to cement the connection between Rice’s brooding, sexually fuid vampires and the millions of queer fans that have seen themselves refected in the pages of Rice’s books all along. To top it all off, it pulls no punches in rendering both the gory savagery of the story’s horrors and the brazen eroticism of its sensually enhanced supernatural heroes – meaning that even if you’re never heard of Anne Rice, you’ll be hooked by the end of the frst episode.

3. “The Andy Warhol Diaries”

Netfix makes the list again with this comprehensively drawn Ryan Murphy-produced docuseries that takes a deep dive into the text – and between the lines – of the infamous queer pop artist-and-tastemaker’s notoriously opaque posthumously published diary. Supplemented by insights from surviving members of Warhol’s inner circle and imagery from the extensive archives he left behind, it attempts to reveal the fragile inner life of an enigmatic fgure who made lack of substance a cornerstone of his career; it succeeds beyond expectation, revealing a heartbreakingly human voice behind the minutiae he recorded from his daily routine, casting light on the romantic relationships he took pains to keep separate from his public image, and hinting at a greater connection between his emotional life and his art than critics and commentators have previously acknowledged.

While it might not drop any bombshells or change the cultural conversation around Warhol and the era he helped to defne, it gives us a behind-the-curtain glimpse that expands our empathy toward one of our greatest queer icons – aided by the controversial-but-effective AI-enhanced voice of actor Bill Irwin reading excerpts from the diary as Warhol – and that’s perhaps a much more meaningful accomplishment.

4. “Reboot”

The most traditional series on our list, perhaps, is this queer-inclusive Hulu gem from “Modern Family” co-creator Steven Levitan, in which a young television writer (Rachel Bloom) gets a green light for her proposed reboot of a beloved ‘ 0s sitcom, which she plans to reinvent for a modern audience; her plan hits a snag, however, when the network brings in her father (Paul Reiser) – the original show’s creator – as a showrunner.

Complicating things even further is the show’s return-

ing cast (Keegan-Michael Key, Judy Greer, Johnny Knoxville, and Calum Worthy), a dysfunctional collection of now-faded stars whose off-camera lives and relationships continually threaten to derail the production. The premise not only sets up a ripe feld for comedy about the cultural conficts and differing attitudes between older and younger generations, but it also provides limitless possibilities for Hollywood’s favorite pastime of making fun of itself; a top-fight, talented cast makes sure neither of those tropes feel tired, and Levitan’s signature rapid-fre comedic style ensures that every episode is laugh-outloud funny. Our only complaint is that it’s so binge-worthy we burned through the debut season – which with only eight episodes feels frustratingly brief – and now we’re forced to wait for the next one.

5. “The Sandman”

Fans of Neil Gaiman’s iconic comic book and its darkly beautiful, queer-inclusive mystical universe have been waiting for more than 0 years to see it come to the screen, but this moody and stylish Netfix adaptation proved to be well worth their patience. With an excellent Tom Sturridge heading the cast as Morpheus – the saga’s mercurial “hero,” who rules over the Kingdom of Dreams and holds the fate of the human world in his immortal hands – and big-budget production values that bring the striking visual aesthetic of the original comic to thrilling life, it captures Gaiman’s macabre metaphorical fantasy saga and its wide assortment of conficted, complex characters and themes to a pitch-perfect tee. Sure, some purists might quibble about the gender-swapping and/ or reimagining of characters to create an even more diverse and inclusive blend than the original comic – but to us, those fourishes feel like a healthy evolution that only strengthens the appeal of a timeless classic. Besides, any show audacious enough to give us Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer is a masterpiece, in our book.

Best fction, nonfction reads for your winter pleasure 11 picks sure to keep you riveted

It happens every year.

The decorations come down. The last of the Christmas leftovers have been eaten. Errant bits of ripped wrapping are found and discarded. You have no more holiday candy or cookies, you look around at your empty hands, and you wonder now what?

Now it’s time to settle in and read for the rest of the winter season. For your pleasure, here are the Top Five Bookworm Picks for the Best of 2022.

FICTION

Lovers of fairy tales are in for a big surprise with “The Book Eaters” by Sunyi Dean (Tor, $26.99). It’s a dark, dark legend flled with evil dragons that look like men, princesses that are worse than second-class citizens within their realms, and a chase that will chill you. Book lovers will adore this tale, especially if you don’t necessarily need a happily-ever-after.

Pick up a copy of “Dot and Ralphie” by Amy Hoffman (University of Wisconsin Press, $16.95) and it doesn’t look like much. But aren’t you glad you don’t judge a book by its cover? This is a sweet tale of two elderly women, partners in life and love, and aging. It’s sweet and grumpy and charming, somewhat like a lesbian Honeymooners episode, only better.

Readers who are familiar with the thrillers that James Lee Burke writes will absolutely be stunned by “Every Cloak Rolled in Blood” (Simon & Schuster, $27) because in this book, the thrill is secondary to the main plot. Here, retired detective Aaron Broussard has lost his beloved daughter and it’s cut him to the core. Fiery, glass-sharp grief doesn’t stop crime, though, and so he still has crime to solve – whether real, or imagined. Read this book with an open heart and tissues at hand. It may be Burke’s best.

Lovers of clever, clever stories will love “Sign Here” by Claudia Lux (Berkeley, $27). It’s the tale of Peyote Trip, whose

job on the Fifth Floor of Hell is to recruit new souls for eternity. But Pey has a plan to get out of his purgatory, which turns this funny, sharp-witted story into a shady mystery that will make you laugh a lot and squirm even more.

Here’s a book that’s absolutely not for everyone: “Manhunt” by Gretchen Felker-Martin (Macmillan Nightfre, $17.99) is a lesbian feminist dystopian thriller, which sounds like a lot and it is. A virus has hit every corner of the world, making men into wolf-like killing machines and sending the women into hiding. When two young women – one of them, trans – learns that a “healer” might be able to save her from the inevitable, they head out to fnd the woman but a makeshift band of warrior women get in their way. Again, this isn’t a book for everyone but if you’re looking for something very, very different, this is it.

BONUS: “Things Past Telling” by Sheila Williams (Amistad, $25.99) is a novel of the memories of a 112-year-old former slave, who was also a pirate’s woman, a healer, and someone reaching for things her soul needed. It’s an adventurous book with the tiniest touch of fantasy and you shouldn’t miss it.

NON-FICTION

You have questions. And “All the Living and the Dead” by Hayley Campbell (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99) has answers. When someone dies, what happens next? A wide variety of things, that’s what, and it’s someone else’s job to see that it’s done right. This book is careful not to be (too) gruesome but it is compellingly fascinating.

“Charlie’s Good Tonight” by Paul Sexton (Harper, $27.99) is on this list because it could be the biggest surprise of the year for readers. It’s the story of the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, a man who really never wanted fame and often actively shunned the limelight. If you think you know all

about the debauchery of your favorite rock ‘n roll band, think again and be totally charmed by one man’s life.

There are two business books on this list because they don’t at all read like business books; in fact, “Think Like a Horse” by Grant Golliher (Putnam, $28) and “Meet Me by the Fountain” by Alexandra Lange (Bloomsbury, $28) both seem more like snuggle-up-infront-of-the-fre kinds of books. Golliher’s book is pure cowboy – he was a rancher and worked extensively with horses – and there are western-novel tones in his book on getting the most out of people. Lange’s book is a trip to the mall throughout history, including a good look at stores you may have visited through the years. These books are both great for the business-minded reader, but could be enjoyed by anyone.

And fnally, an obsession “To Walk About in Freedom” by Carole Emberton (W.W. Norton, $28.95) is a jaw-dropping memoir that hides in a history book. In the earlier part of the last century, the government paid writers to interview people for a WPA project. One of the interviewees was a former slave woman who offers up not only her life, but a real-life account of the end of slavery and how it impacted everyday, average people. This is a book you’ll be talking about well into the new year.

If these 11 books don’t ft your mood, then be sure to check with your favorite bookseller or librarian. When it comes to books, (s)he is a superhero.

Happy reading!

#3 Large-scale D.C.

Pride events resume

Organizers of D.C.’s 2022 Capital Pride Parade and Festival say the two events attracted close to a record half-million people during the city’s Pride weekend in June when largescale outdoor and indoor Pride events resumed following the scaled-back events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.

Organizers of the city’s Black Pride events, which take place each year during the Memorial Day weekend in May, said large-scale indoor celebrations, including conference sessions and dance parties, resumed in full force as well in 2022. The Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration at the Wharf also returned to packed crowds.

Among those who joined the Capital Pride celebration was U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who made a surprise appearance on the Capital Pride Festival stage before a cheering crowd.

#2 D.C. election highlights LGBTQ political involvement

LGBTQ activists said among the highlights of the 2022 D.C. election was gay D.C. school board member Zachary Parker, who won election to the Ward 5 D.C. Council seat, becoming the frst out LGBTQ person to serve on the Council since 2015.

Gay former D.C. police offcer Salah Czapary lost his race for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat, and two gay

Libertarian Party candidates lost their races for the D.C. congressional delegate seat and the Ward 3 Council seat.

In the June Democratic primary, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chair Phil Mendelson won in hotly contested races. In a development that surprised some political observers, the city’s largest LGBTQ political group, Capital Stonewall Democrats, endorsed Bowser and Mendelson’s lead opponents.

LGBTQ supporters of Bowser and Mendelson claim the large majority LGBTQ residents voted for Bowser and Mendelson, who have strong records of support on LGBTQ issues. Like all D.C. elections over the past 20 years or longer, virtually all candidates running in 2022 expressed support for LGBTQ rights.

#1 Casa Ruby shuts down

Casa Ruby, D.C.’s once highly regarded LGBTQ community services center, closed its operations in July due to a fnancial crisis brought about by the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in city funding and alleged mismanagement.

On July 2 , shortly after the shutdown, the Offce of the D.C. Attorney General fled a civil complaint against Casa Ruby and its founder and former executive director Ruby Corado, alleging that Casa Ruby and Corado had violated the city’s Nonproft Corporations Act for the past several years.

The complaint said improper actions by Corado, including the unaccounted-for expenditure of city funds and a gross failure by the Casa Ruby Board of Directors to provide oversight, was the cause of the fnancial crisis. The AG’s offce on Nov. 2 fled an amended complaint in D.C. Superior Court with new allegations, including claims that Corado withdrew more than $400,000 of Casa Ruby’s funds for unauthorized use in El Salvador.

Corado has denied any improper or illegal fnancial practices and blamed the D.C. government for Casa Ruby’s collapse. In an interview with the Blade in El Salvador, where she has lived most of the time for the past two years, Corado said the allegations against her, especially those made by the D.C. Attorney General, amount to “persecution.”

Interior decorating trends for 2023

And which schemes are on the way out

See ya next year! I hate hearing it every year yet, here we are. Typically I take some time each year to review the market trends that we have seen in the current year while also looking at possible trends into the new year. Given that we are still in a position of

expected to be seen as we head into 2023. As we head into 2023 and you start to clean out your closet and reorganize your furniture welcoming in some new energy for this year let’s take a look at what trends we are likely to see.

COLOR STORY

Selecting the right paint color can truly set the tone for a room and your commit-terior forecasters are thinking that a deep dark plum purple color will be the trend seen across homes. We have seen similar colors in past years in the deep moody color palette such as a navy or a deep hunter green so it’s no surprise that this jewel tone is now making its debut in the color palette.

SETTING THE MOOD

We are seeing moody accent lighting as a way to highlight and set the scene for rooms as we head into the new year. I’m not talking about those “good vibes only” neon signs that are simply charming. I am speaking to thoughtfully designed lighting that highlights a niche bar in a living room, under counter lighting in a half bath or illuminating a tray ceiling with accent wallpaper.

STONE ON STONE ON STONE

Similar to the trend of the waterfall kitchen counters and islands we are now seeing a resurgence of the trend of solid backsplashes of the same or similar materials used for the countertops in your kitchen. Not stopping here, however, we are also seeing the trend continue into the bathrooms. Adding a 12” solid surface backsplash to a powder room sink adds a massive level of sophistication.

Home offces remain a strong trend in homes for ith more of us continuing to or from home.

HOME OFFICES

As we saw during the pandemic, everyone scraped for a desk to throw in their living room for their work from home space. Given that some of the pandemic dust has settled, we are now taking some time to realize the importance of home/work life balance and with a large number of folks still doing some iteration of that’s what you’re into and in that case – go for it. We are seeing dark and moody colors, large patterned accent wallpaper and streamlined furniture pieces.

TRENDS MAKING AN EXIT IN 2023

We are seeing two major trends make a mass exodus as we head into 2023 and those are (thankfully) all-white bathrooms (can you really keep it that clean forever?) and chev-

Trends come and go – at the end of the day making your home comfortable for you and your family is most important. While these items above are forecasted trends for the new year, always be sure to incorporate what makes you happiest into your home and lifestyle.

JUSTIN NOBLE

is a Realtor with Sotheby’s international Realty licensed in D.C., Maryland, and Delaware for your DMV and Delaware Beach needs. Reach him at 202-503-4243, Justin.Noble@SothebysRealty.com or BurnsandNoble.com.

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The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School located in Washington, DC requests proposals for Real Estate Contractor. Proposals are due January 6th, 202 . You can fnd the detailed request for proposal and submission information at https://aohdc.org/jobs/

5’ X 5’ BARBRA CANVAS

Email for Pic, looks art deco like latest album. Any offer considered, want a BABS fan to have it. Other Barbra items to a good home! george@boycegroup.com

CLEANING

FERNANDO’S CLEANING

Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out 202-234-7050 / 202-486-6183

COUNSELING

COUNSELING FOR LGBTQ

People Individual/couple counseling with a volunteer peer counselor. GMCC, serving our community since 1973. 202-580-8661 gaymenscounseling.org.  No fees, donation requested.

EMPLOYMENT

DIVERSITY HIRING FAIR

held in person, on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at The Potomac School-

For more information and to register, please visit: potomacschool.org/dhf

HOME ASSISTANT

Dupont, cleaning, handy work, errands, driving, downsizing... 5 hrs a week to start. For more info and interview, call 202-491-6399.

REVENUE GENERATOR

We are the Washington Blade newspaper, serving the LGBTQ community for 53 years. We have a weekly print edition, a website, a digital subscriber base who receive email products from us regularly. We host events. We engage with foundations and businesses in partnership and sponsorship capacity. YOU HAVE excellent written and verbal skills. Some kind of Sales and Marketing experience preferably in media. Must be a self starter. Most successful staffers are well organized. You either identify or are an ally to the LGBTQ community. Please respond to Stephen Rutgers SRutgers@washblade.com

HANDYMAN

LEGAL SERVICES ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY

legal services. Jennifer represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD VA interested in adoption or ART matters. 240-863- 2441,  JFairfax@Jenniferfairfax.com.

LIMOUSINES

KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE

Since 1987.

Gay & Veteran Owner/Operator. Lincoln Continental Sedan! Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com. 202-554-2471

MOVERS

PROFESSIONAL MOVING & STORAGE

Let Our Movers Do The Heavy Lifting. Mention the Blade for 5% OFF of our regular rates. Call today 202.734.3080 www.aroundtownmovers.com

WOMEN

4 WOMEN HELLO, I’M VEE, , writer, Martinsburg, WV. Wishing you lovely ladies a wonderful Holiday. Love Jessye Norman, Pamela Rabe, nature. Don’t drink/smoke. sophisticate55@hotmail.com

MEN 4 MEN TALL WHITE MALE, 6‘3” 200 lbs, hung 9”, ISO jock style tall white male having good size man meat for deep throating, must be affectionate. Sincere replies only 240-457-1292 or text.