Category Archives: opinions

Obituary: S. Eric Thomas, 56

S. Eric Thomas, obituary, gay news, Washington Blade

Original Nellies investor S. Eric Thomas (Photo courtesy of Tim Schoeffler)

S. Eric Thomas, an investor who helped start Nellies Sports Bar in Washington, died May 15 at Sibley Memorial Hospital after a battle with cancer of the kidneys, according to his friend Tim Schoeffler. He was 56, gay and had been a D.C. resident since 1983.

Thomas, a Minneapolis native, was the son of W. Lee Thomas and Jean McGrath Thomas and was born on Dec. 29, 1956, the second of five children. He graduated from Cook County High School in 1975 and the University of Minnesota in 1980.

Thomas worked as assistant press secretary to Minnesota Congressman Gerry Sikorski before becoming a PR consultant with the Fratelli Group where he became vice president. He continued there as a principal of the firm until his death.

Thomas is survived by his mother, sisters Leah Thomas, Carah Thomas, Emily Thomas and brother Matthew Thomas, and his nieces Molly Thomas, Sophia Anderson, Audrey Yukimura and Elise Yukimura.

A memorial was held at LongView Gallery in Washington on May 18. Doug Schantz, Nellie’s owner, gave the eulogy. About 350 attended. A memorial is planned in Thomas’s Grand Marais, Minn., hometown in June.

Donations may be made in his name to the Casey Trees Foundation (crowdrise/com/ericthomasmemorial) or the Cook County Historical Society (razoo.com/story/eric-thomas-memorial-fund).

WGAY podcasts: May 31 and June 7

Discussions of recent Blade articles “Lesbian student rejects plea in sex-with-minor arrest” and “End of the movement?”

Help for bullied LGBT students

A screen shot from the movie ‘Bully,’ which highlights the problems faced by many kids experiencing bullying in schools today.

By DONALD WILSON

Getting through adolescence is hard enough. There’s the agony of puberty, the mood swings, the withering self-consciousness and the pressure to conform. Then comes the clumsiness of emerging sexuality. It can be overwhelming.

For some young people, the passage can be even more daunting. For kids coming to terms with their attraction to the same gender or those where their gender identity is questioned – in a society that does not always accept diversity – the challenge can be deadly. A national study of adolescents in grades seven to 12 found that LGBT youth were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers.

No federal law or policy exists that requires schools to adopt policies to address bullying and harassment. Existing state laws vary greatly in their reach and effectiveness. Anti-Bullying programs are necessary, can be effective and need your support.

The Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) is a House bill (H.R. 1199) introduced by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) with bipartisan support that addresses bullying and harassment for all students, including the categories of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced a Senate version of the bill (S. 403) with bipartisan support. The SSIA requires that states report data on bullying and harassment to the Department of Education.

The SSIA is a zero-cost bill that would require schools to implement comprehensive anti-bullying policies that address bullying and harassment and ensure the safety and well being of all students. Comprehensive anti-bullying policies are seen as more effective than curriculum interventions. Curriculum interventions are interventions that focus on modifications of the curriculum, which may include videos, classroom discussions, classroom presentations, etc. Whole School Interventions refer to programs that go beyond changes in curriculum to include school-wide efforts, such as teacher training, conflict resolution training, changes in school policies and sanctions, and individual counseling.

Research to date suggests that curriculum-based interventions do not appear to work. Bullying is a systemic problem and trying to solve it with simple modifications of the curriculum without addressing the entire school culture and other systemic issues is likely not effective. However, whole-school interventions can be effective. These interventions are the model that schools should follow when implementing future anti-bullying campaigns.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth experience bullying at school more frequently than their non-LGBT peers. In fact, LGBT youth are twice as likely to experience verbal harassment, exclusion and physical attack at school as their non-LGBT peers. Among LGBT youth, 51 percent have been verbally harassed at school, compared to 25 percent among non-LGBT students; 48 percent say they are often excluded by their peers because they are different, compared to 26 percent among non-LGBT students; and 17 percent report they have been physically attacked at school, compared to 10 percent among non-LGBT students.

LGBT youth identify bullying as a primary problem in their lives. They identified family rejection (26 percent), school/bullying problems (21 percent) and fear of being out or open (18 percent) as the top three problems they face. In comparison, non-LGBT youth identified classes/exams/grades (25 percent), college/career (14 percent) and financial pressures (11 percent) as the top three problems they face. Clearly, LGBT youth spend time worrying about bullying and rejection, while their non-LGBT peers are able to focus on grades, career choices and the future. LGBT youth are also at far greater risk for suicide.

Please contact your local elected officials and ask them to support The Safe Schools Improvement Act.

Donald Wilson is a graduate student studying social work at the University of Southern California.

Frederick Douglass and the D.C. Republican Party

Frederick Douglass by George K. Warren.

On June 19, the statue of Frederick Douglass, representing the ideals and aspirations of residents of the District of Columbia, will take its official place in the United States Capitol, with a welcoming ceremony before the U. S. Congress and invited guests. The District of Columbia Republican Party salutes this occasion with great pride, for Douglass represents the outstanding heritage of the Republican Party in its fight for the abolition of slavery, and for freedom and justice for African-American citizens. His example was an inspiration to Republicans in his day, and his commitment to freedom and justice for all continues to inspire members of the D.C. Republican Party and its candidates for office. Douglass fought in his time for voting representation in Congress for District residents, and we, his heirs in the leadership of the D.C. Republican Party, continue that struggle today.

After taking up residence in the District of Columbia in 1870, Frederick Douglass accepted a seat on the 100-member Republican Committee of the District of Columbia, and continued his association with the Committee until his death in 1895. Prior to joining the Committee, however, Douglass served as an adviser to the local Republican Party during the Civil War and helped the party persuade President Lincoln and Congress to pass the 1862 legislation emancipating the 3,000 slaves owned in the District of Columbia. For many years, Douglass and the local Republican Party participated in the annual Emancipation Day Parade held on April 16, the day in 1862 that President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Act.

Douglass was a precinct leader for the election district surrounding his residence in the Anacostia neighborhood. His responsibilities included presiding over meetings of local residents to solicit their concerns about government policies and services.

After moving to the District in 1870, Douglass continued his attendance at nominating conventions initiated during his participation in the affairs of the Republican Party of New York. He also continued to stump for Republican Party presidential candidates, as he had since supporting candidate Abraham Lincoln. The D.C. Republican Party has sent voting delegations to every Presidential Nominating Convention since the first convention in 1856.

The D.C. Republican Party is the second-oldest state level Republican Party. Only the Republican Party of Wisconsin is older. At its organization in 1855, the D.C. Republican Party adopted its first issues and principles platform. The 1855 platform advocated the immediate emancipation of all persons held as slaves in the District of Columbia, noting that Congress had the authority to do this under the District Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The 1876 Platform was drafted by a committee on which Douglass served and proclaimed the local Republican Party’s consistent support of elected local government and voting representation in Congress. In 1874, Congress revoked the electoral rights of District residents, and the 1876 platform announced: “Taxation without representation is tyranny, and … the unjust disenfranchisement of this District is contrary to the spirit of Republican Institutions; a flagrant encroachment upon the inherent rights of citizenship, and an unpardonable violation of the Constitution.”

The current D.C. Republican Party Platform continues to support District voting rights with the following plank: “Congress should enact legislation proposed by Republicans to exempt residents of the District of Columbia from federal income taxation until District residents are granted voting rights in Congress and local budget and legislative autonomy.” The platform also continues to support full equality for all citizens.

Robert Turner is executive director of the D.C. Republican Party. Reach him at robert.turner@dcgop.com or on Twitter at @RobertTurnerDC.

D.C. Council plays critical role in education

By BEN YOUNG

Peter Rosenstein’s comments in the Washington Blade about Council member David Catania’s work as the chairman of the D.C. Council’s Committee on Education are misinformed at best, biased at worst. Recently, Rosenstein, an outspoken defender of the mayor, suggested that the committee’s fiscal year 2014 budget recommendation politicized the issue of education and infringed on the mayor’s supremacy on this issue. Previously, he took exception with the committee’s engagement of the education practice at Hogan Lovells LLP to assist with developing and drafting legislation, which he argued would bypass the input of other education stakeholders in the District. He is wrong on both counts.

When it comes to the Council’s role in public education, Rosenstein is entitled to his opinion, but he should acquaint himself with the District’s law governing this issue. Title I of the District of Columbia Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 (“PERA”) did not, as Rosenstein states, place “control of education policy and approved funding in the hands of the mayor’s office and the chancellor.” Instead, the PERA reorganized the traditional public school system (“DCPS”) as a subordinate agency of the mayor similar to other executive agencies and set up a governing structure that also includes the Council, the State Board of Education, and the Office of the State Superintendent for Education. Importantly, Section 104 of PERA states explicitly, “[t]he Council may, following its review” of the mayor’s budget proposal, “modify the funding and other resource levels, including full-time equivalent allocations, allocated by the plan to individual schools…”

Council member Catania supports mayoral authority over curricula, operations, personnel and other executive functions, as specified in Section 103 of the law. In fact, he worked hard to help bring about this reform six years ago. The law, however, dictates that the Council plays a critical role in policy, oversight and appropriations. And thank goodness.

Without the committee’s intervention, the mayor’s budget proposal would have devastated the budgets of many of the District’s most important middle and high schools, including Eliot-Hine Middle School (a 17 percent cut), Hardy Middle School (a 13 percent cut), and Ballou High School (an 11 percent cut). In a city with an accumulated reserve of $1.5 billion and a proposed budget that grows by approximately $700 million (7 percent), the Council has a right to – and should – question how such cuts will improve the achievement of students attending these schools. In addition to stabilizing these school budgets, the committee restored funding for school librarians, increased funding for summer learning programs and invested in the previously unfunded education ombudsman as a resource for parents struggling to navigate the maze of public education in the District.

Both the committee’s budget recommendations and its legislative work with Hogan Lovells are rooted in Council member Catania’s tireless efforts to solicit the feedback of parents, educators and other stakeholders involved with public education in the District. In fact, far from bypassing these individuals, Catania has toured the District seeking feedback from front line educators and parents. Already, he has spent countless hours speaking with the principals and teachers at more than 50 public schools and counting. This spring, he will spend 20 evenings engaging the parents of public school students at PTA meetings in the District.

On its current trajectory, it will take the District approximately 30 years to reach its stated 75 percent goals for proficiency in math and reading. This ought to be unacceptable to everyone. The only way to get there sooner is to approach the issue with thoughtfulness and urgency. These are the qualities that Council member Catania brings to the effort to improve public education in the District.

Ben Young is chief of staff for D.C. Council member David Catania.

Will LGBT advocacy survive as a business model?

Last week the Pew Research Center released comprehensive polling results on American attitudes regarding marriage equality. While the number in support of allowing gays and lesbians to legally wed was, at 51 percent, slightly lower than some other recent national polls, that was not the significant finding.

Fully 72 percent now believe that the legalization of same-sex marriage is “inevitable” – and this number varies only modestly among all demographic segments of the population. Regardless of sex, ethnicity, age, education, political affiliation, religion or geography, overwhelming numbers anticipate adoption of marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Among those who oppose gay marriage, 59 percent expect it to become law. Even among white evangelical Protestants, only 22 percent of who favor the idea, 70 percent view legal recognition as a foregone conclusion.

One single factor is significant in both support for marriage rights and the growth in its perceived inevitability. Eighty-seven percent of Americans now know someone who is gay or lesbian, including half who have a family member or close friend who is. Familiarity has engendered growing support and LGBT “coming out” has had a substantial impact on public opinion over time.

A once skeptical community has discovered that the fight for marriage equality has become the lynchpin to an array of rights and protections that intrinsically flow from it. Rather than a behemoth battle fraught with a high failure factor, it turned out to be the aspect most easily understood.

It’s been an amazing time – a couple of decades and more – of incremental change now cascading in one direction. The accelerating acceptance of the LGBT community nearly everywhere is nothing short of astonishing.

There will be disappointment if the expected partial measure of civil equality anticipated in Supreme Court decisions on marriage this month prove accurate, followed by a likely decade-long slog winning marriage measures state-by-state. In the long scheme of history, however, it will occur in an amazing blaze of speed.

While there will always be more to do in securing full freedom and broadening respect for the many facets of our diverse community, essential civil protections will gradually become the norm for the overwhelming majority of LGBT Americans. For many, including those living in the District, it is already a basic assumption of everyday life.

D.C. residents enjoy both protection of the law and acceptance by our neighbors. LGBT issues are noncontroversial in city politics and local living.

The reality is that accomplishments on our behalf have always been achieved by a dedicated few working tirelessly within small groups. Whether those organizations will remain robust in a post-equality period is difficult to predict.

The experience in Canada and the Netherlands suggests they may not. Following approval of same-sex marriage in both countries, LGBT rights organizations immediately encountered substantial declines in funding and community involvement. Canada’s largest group experienced a 40 percent drop in contributions after the ratification of gay marriage in 2004, and the LGBT movement essentially collapsed in the Netherlands after legalization in 2000. Since then, advocacy groups have managed to remain viable, although now smaller and less well financed.

The same might also be expected here. Organizations should anticipate shrinking funding and diminished volunteer involvement. Consolidation of groups will likely become the norm.

Bottom line, non-profit groups are business operations, subject to similar financial and organizational pressures. The smart ones will anticipate a changing landscape, re-focus their activities and strategically prioritize projects. Like other groups and many businesses, they will need to live with less.

Assimilation and integration into the larger culture is the burgeoning achievement being celebrated by both a generation accustomed to estrangement and those who have mostly known acceptance.

If LGBT advocacy groups are to survive, adapting to a new era will need to be the first order of business.

Mark Lee is a long-time entrepreneur and community business advocate. Follow on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.

Will pot normalization overshadow med program?

marijuana, U.S. Capitol building, gay news, Washington Blade

Pot is almost certain to infuse next year’s D.C. mayoral and Council campaigns. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Marijuana is almost certain to infuse next year’s D.C. mayoral and Council campaigns.

Meanwhile, the city’s long-delayed medical marijuana program still struggles to get off the ground. The opening of the District’s first dispensary has been pushed back again, until sometime this summer when cultivation center-grown product becomes available and patients receive authorization cards following city approval of a doctor recommendation form. Already there have been complaints that the recently launched approval system has lagged in processing patient requests.

It’s been a tortuous road to this point – following voter sanction of the nation’s still most restrictive program in 1998 with 69 percent in favor, a nine-year prohibition on implementation by Congress, subsequent D.C. Council approval in 2009, and nearly four years waiting for the city to finally launch distribution to the few patients eligible to participate on the basis of applicable ailment.

That process was further delayed by the opposition of Council members representing the city’s political wards where available and undeveloped industrial-zoned land and buildings appropriate for growing marijuana exist. Limiting the location and number of cultivation centers by shamelessly characterizing the harvest of medicine as suitable only for a “dumping ground,” sufficient product quantity to meet the eventual patient demand remains a problem.

The rapid public shift in attitude engendering normalization of marijuana use here and elsewhere, however, threatens to render medical use programs ultimately irrelevant.

With voter approval of marijuana legalization in two states last November and quick progress in implementing state-sanctioned and taxed sales, along with decriminalization in nearly a third of states and only selective enforcement in others, the federal government faces a difficult choice: either launch a crackdown attempt or cede defeat on the leafy terrain of the most unpopular portion of the “war on drugs.”

One of two announced D.C. mayoral candidates, Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells, plans to introduce legislation this summer decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of pot. Three other legislators have already announced that they support such a law, and Wells has expressed hope that a majority of his colleagues will co-sponsor a bill. At-Large Council member David Grosso, having been arrested in 1993 at the age of 22 for possessing marijuana in Florida, has publicly called for considering outright legalization.

A recent local poll indicates overwhelming support for decriminalization by 75 percent of D.C. voting-age residents, despite oversampling those over 45 years old. A plurality of 42 percent endorsed legalization for possession of small amounts sold and taxed by licensed stores, with an additional 21 percent “somewhat” in support. Only one-quarter would “strongly” oppose legalization.

Even those Council members hesitant to embrace decriminalization are publicly expressing concerns regarding the striking racial and socio-economic disparities in enforcement and the impact of an arrest record for what remains classified as a “most-dangerous” federal Schedule 1 substance.

If not approved by the Council, reform advocates are pledging to put a referendum question on the ballot. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson has indicated he would be fine with that – although hesitant to rile up Congress to intervene against legislative action, he cedes that voter approval might not provoke the same response.

Possession of personal-use amounts of marijuana will eventually be as commonplace as medical marijuana programs are now. A dramatic change in public attitudes over a relatively short period of time exceeds even the growing support for marriage equality.

Deriving tax revenues from the manufacture and sale of a substance popular with a large percentage of the public will grow to be as intoxicating to government as the smell of a lit joint is to those who inhale it.

The question for many will become whether it is necessary to purchase marijuana from an illegal marketplace source while facing a nominal or nonexistent penalty, or whether pot will be available at commercial retail locations.

When that happens, medical marijuana dispensaries will seem as quaint as marijuana prohibition is now.

Mark Lee is a long-time entrepreneur and community business advocate. Follow on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.

Scouting, immigration create frustration

Boy Scouts of America, gay news, Washington Blade

Scouting still discriminates against some LGBT people. (Photo by Steven Depolo; courtesy Creative Commons)

In the past two weeks the LGBT community responded to two different situations; one in the public arena and the other in a private organization.

The Boy Scouts voted to admit gay scouts. Though some think scouting is quasi-public, the organization’s right to set its own membership standards was affirmed by the Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale. Still, localities such as New York City have prohibited the Scouts from using public buildings for their meetings as long as they continue to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

The debate on this vote in the LGBT community has been vociferous. Some applauded the scouts and others only bashed them. Lorri Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, said, “What I do know is that, in this day and age, it is neither acceptable nor progress to allow gay boys to participate as scouts for a few years, only to harshly expel them from any involvement the moment they turn 18.” She went on to say, “This is a calculated and craven strategy to win back the support of the many corporate sponsors that have stopped funding the BSA, costing the organization millions of dollars in lost revenue, because of its discriminatory policies.”

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said, “Today is a historic day for Boy Scouts across the country who want to be a part of this great American institution but the new policy doesn’t go far enough. Parents and adults of good moral character, regardless of sexual orientation, should be able to volunteer their time to mentor the next generation of Americans.”

And Zach Wahls, founder of Scouts for Equality, said, “The Boy Scouts of America can do better. We welcome the news that the ban on gay Scouts is history, but our work isn’t over until we honor the Scout Law by making this American institution open and affirming to all.”

As a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Explorer, Explorer Advisor and former member of the National Committee, Scouting for the Handicapped, scouting was good to me. I was inducted into the Order of the Arrow and received my Ner Tamid (Scouting’s Jewish Medal). Growing up a city kid, scouting gave me experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise had — camping, Ten Mile River Summer Camp, Philmont Ranch and going to the 25th National Jamboree in Colorado Springs. To me this vote is a first step that should be positively viewed. We must keep the pressure on to remove the ban on gay leaders and continue the ban on using public buildings. Corporate boycotts of scouting should continue until they end all discrimination.

This will happen with both outside pressure and openly gay scouts moving up the ladder and becoming ready for leadership. It will happen because of young Eagle Scouts like Zach Wahls who will keep the pressure on with the support of the entire LGBT community and our allies.

The other issue faced by the LGBT community last week was that some of our strongest allies in Congress backed off their demand that the Uniting American Families Act be included as an amendment in the immigration reform bill. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) withdrew the amendment when Republicans threatened to abandon the entire bill and Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said they wouldn’t vote for the amendment in committee. It seems the president also backed off his demand that it be included. This created a firestorm in the LGBT community.

Former Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was pilloried for being reasonable when he said this bill is too important to 12 million members of the Hispanic community to chance it being scuttled because we aren’t in it. I support Barney. This issue may be settled for those in states where gay marriage is legal if, as assumed, Section 3 of DOMA is ruled unconstitutional. The LGBT community cannot be the ones to stop a bill that if it doesn’t pass now may not see the light of day again for a decade. The amendment should be brought up on the Senate floor to get senators on the record even if it doesn’t pass.

We must never be satisfied with less than full equality but we can’t stop progress for others as we fight for our own. Even when we win there will always be someone trying to turn back the tide. Only by building strong coalitions can we preserve the rights we have won and fight successfully for those that still elude us.

Don’t believe the pro-gay hype

Jason Collins, Washington Wizards, NBA, gay news, Washington Blade, Sports Illustrated

Traded to Washington D.C. from Boston in February, with last week’s Sports Illustrated piece, the Wizards’ center Jason Collins becomes the first active openly gay player in history in the four most-followed American professional sports leagues. (Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

When the NBA’s Jason Collins came out last month in a Sports Illustrated column, he found cheery public support from nearly all quarters. Everyone from Bill Clinton to Steve Nash tripped over themselves to congratulate Collins on becoming the first openly gay active (male) player in one of the big four American team sports.

But the happy, politically correct mainstream reaction to the momentous news barely concealed what was happening just beneath the surface of George Stephanopoulos’ and Oprah’s giddy coverage. Anyone who tuned into talk radio — or Twitter — that day heard a very different take on Collins’ brave announcement.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace Tweeted, “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys SMH.”

Mark Jackson, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, said: “As a Christian man I have beliefs of what’s right and what’s wrong, that being said, I know Jason Collins, I know his family…And certainly praying for them at this time.” Sportscaster Chris Broussard denounced Collins as a sinner.

CBS’ Mike Francesa said, “It means less than nothing to me that there is a gay player now out if the NBA. SI going to reveal this this week in — I don’t know why — I guess a dramatic attempt to sell a magazine, I guess. I have the story here and I’m not compelled to run and talk about it or read it. I really don’t care. I can’t be any more honest. I don’t care.”

This was the most typical sports talk radio take on the news. While most callers wanted only to talk about Collins and the specter of gays sharing the shower and locker room with straight jocks, the talk radio hosts wanted to change the subject. Monitoring sports radio in the Baltimore and D.C. markets that day, I was amused as the hosts desperately tried to change the subject away from the biggest sports story of the week, no doubt fearing for their jobs if they publicly agreed with their callers’ homophobic fears. We’ve arrived at a strange new place in the movement for LGBT equality where homophobia lives on but those who express it out loud are bullied into apologizing, their very careers dependent upon pretending they really like us.

No one typifies this strange new world better than Kobe Bryant, who chimed in with a supportive Tweet, “Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don’t suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others.” Just two years ago, Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA for calling a referee a “faggot” during a game. His team, the Los Angeles Lakers, promptly announced a partnership with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to combat bullying. GLAAD said at the time it would advocate for “zero tolerance policies for anti-gay slurs at home games.” It’s not clear what that means but it sounds like a dubious mission for a national LGBT advocacy group.

Pretending that homophobia died because a dozen states enacted marriage equality ignores the facts and the reality of a nation still deeply divided over LGBT issues. Remember that there are no laws prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 29 states (and in 34 states based on gender identity); we account for only about 4-5 percent of the population but 20 percent of hate crimes target LGBT people; 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT; 63 percent of all new HIV infections are among men who have sex with men, up 22 percent since 2008; sodomy laws remain on the books in 17 states, including Maryland and Massachusetts; the FDA still bans gay men from donating blood; immigration law ignores our relationships; DOMA and Prop 8 remain on the books; an estimated 28 percent of black trans people are unemployed. And on and on.

The support for marriage equality and the public embrace of gay celebrities masks the reality of a nation in which too many LGBT people continue to suffer because of old-fashioned bigotry and prejudice. Don’t believe the pro-gay hype.

Kevin Naff is editor of the Washington Blade. Reach him at knaff@washblade.com.

Republican zombies just won’t die

Kate Clinton, gay news, Washington Blade

Kate Clinton is a humorist who has entertained LGBT audiences for 30 years.

When you work for years with your little lesbian nose to the grindstone on the project of achieving full equality for LGBT people, you can miss some cultural signifiers. That’s what I tell myself. And that’s what I told my friend’s daughter when she schooled me for thinking that Yanni and Raffi were one and the same person. Here’s a helpful mnemonic: one toured with John Tesh.

My homo-cultural narrow view also blinded me to the fine points of vampires and zombies. The two are not the same. Who knew? Apparently I could learn a few helpful things about small town prejudice and governance from watching the neo-vampires of the “True Blood” allegory. And I do look forward to organizing a “True Blood” Matinee Film Festival when I’m in assisted living at Casa Gay Manana. There’ll be snacks in the solarium!

Whereas vampires need a hemo-drip every now and again, they look otherwise normal with maybe an exaggerated incisor or two and a pallor that is Goth. They tend to be solitary. They can be sexy. Vampires walk among us; they could be sitting next to you at a coda meeting.

Not so with zombies. Oh you’ll know them. They are the dead re-animated. They were in that Michael Jackson video. They travel in packs. They are not sexy. According to Zombi-Leaks, since zombies are already dead, it’s hard to kill them. What you have to do is destroy their brains and, like the rest of us, they have very thick skulls. We’re talking axes.

I bring up these distinctions because I had been watching the defeated, left-for-dead Republicans. In soul-searching self-crit post-election sessions, they tried to figure out what went wrong. Was it that they had totally antagonized women, ignored Latinos and failed to keep blacks from voting? It wasn’t the money. Unlike at H&M, never had so much bought so little.

Instead of focusing too long on substance, The Grand Opposition Party took the easier, softer way and decided just to rebrand. I’m sorry to report this did not involve actual red-hot branding irons. The cadaverous Bobby Jindal seemed to be pushing for a Stupid Party brand. I liked it but it got no traction. With the decimation of actual elephants, some thought extinction might taint the Republican brand further.

And one day I thought, “Why am I watching this? This is exactly how I missed the whole Yanni-Raffi, Vampire/Zombie thing.” Et voila! There it was.

Zombies are the perfect Republican brand. Just when you think they are absolutely put-a-fork-in-it-done, dead they come lurching back. You can’t beat them back with a fact-axe. Now the zomboid Mitch McConnell, Darrell Issa or Ted Cruz yaw to the corridor microphone or hearing table to jaw about talking points, IRS investigations and DOJ and the Associated Press. And where are those Uber-Zombie Koch Brothers? Though zombies they demand blood.

I’m joshing. I haven’t been paying much attention. The whole month of May I’ve been on pins and needles, in suspended animation, waiting to hear if the Supreme Court thinks I’m a fully alive human being and thus entitled to full equality.

Gay What?

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