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Clay Aiken, parents join lawmakers to push anti-bullying bills

‘American Idol’ singer tells Capitol Hill briefing he suffered taunting

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Clay Aiken on the Hill last week. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

“American Idol” singer Clay Aiken and two mothers whoseĀ sons committed suicide because of anti-gay bullying at their schools appeared at a Capitol Hill briefing Thursday to urge Congress to pass two bills that would require schools to address bullying and harassment targeting LGBT students.

TheĀ Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) organized the briefing as a means of drawing public attention to the two pending bills, the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

ā€œLike many kids now in middle schools and high schools, I was bullied,ā€ said Aiken, who came out as gay in 2008 after winning the runner up title of best singer on the widely viewed television show “American Idol.”

ā€œI was picked on, I was called gay, I was called fag, I was called sissy, you name it,ā€ he said. ā€œFortunately, I was able to overcome it and live through it because of a number of friends who were supportive of me.ā€

Aiken and Louis Van Amstel, host of the television show “Dancing with the Stars,” joined parents Sirdeaner Walker of Massachusetts and Tammy Aaberg of Minnesota in making an impassioned plea for lawmakers to pass the two bills. Sirdeaner and Aabergā€™s sons took their own lives earlier this year due to anti-gay bullying.

ā€œOver the past few months I have heard so many stories about other youth who were suffering,ā€ said Walker, who lost her 11-year-old son Carl Joseph Walker, who hanged himself in his bedroom with an electrical cord.

ā€œToo many of our children are being tormented in schools ā€“ and not enough of our adults are doing the right thing and teaching respect for all. Enough is enough,ā€ she said.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), who introduced the Safe Schools Improvement Act, and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act, also spoke at the briefing, calling on their colleagues to support the legislation.

ā€œNo student should have to dread going to school because they fear being bullied,ā€ Franken told those gathered for the event, held in a committee hearing room at the Rayburn House Office Building. ā€œWe must address bullying and harassment in schools in the next Congress.ā€

Polis, who is gay, said school bullying affects students living in both Republican and Democratic leaning states, saying he would work with his colleagues on both sides of the political isle to push for passage of the legislation.

ā€œEvery student has the right to an education free from bullying, harassment and violence, and we are here today to show that Congress is ready to take a stand against bullying in our schools,ā€ he said.

Franken and Casey cited recent cases of suicides due to anti-gay bullying in their home states. They pointed to what they called a courageous decision by Walker and Aaberg to speak at Thursdayā€™s briefing to tell the stories of the loss of their own teenage sons as a means of drawing support for the legislation.

ā€œRecent stories of the tragic effects of bullying in Pennsylvania and throughout the country are evidence of the urgent need to address this issue in our schools,ā€ Casey said. ā€œWe owe it to our children to do whatever we can to ensure their pleas for help do not go unheard.ā€

Casey introduced to the briefing Joey Kemmerling, a high school student in Bucks County, Pa., near Philadelphia, who helped form an anti-bullying group as well a Gay-Straight Alliance organization at his school.

ā€œI came out in eighthĀ grade and ever since then I have been bullied every day,ā€ Kemmerling told the briefing. ā€œThereā€™s not been a day that has gone by where I have not heard the word faggot, queer or fairy or told that I was not human.ā€

He described an incident when another male student threatened him with a knife on the school grounds after school officials declined Kemmerlingā€™s plea that they search the student for a weapon.

ā€œHe came up to me and he looked me in the eyes and he had the look of hatred,ā€ Kammerling recounted. ā€œI didnā€™t know who he was but I knew that he hated me. And he said, ā€˜Your life is in my hands.ā€™ And he walked away.ā€

The incident caused him to become deeply depressed and to contemplate suicide, Kammerling said.

ā€œI thought I didnā€™t deserve to live. I was gay so did my life really matter? I didnā€™t think so,ā€ he said.

ā€œI almost committed suicide, and somehow I overcame that and started working to change the schools,ā€ he said. ā€œI was so thankful to meet GLSEN and work with them to fight all injustices all around the United States.

ā€œI really just hope youā€™ll join me in that fight because the real change is going to come from society and the change is going to come from the people stepping up and saying, ā€˜I donā€™t want to see another kid ever go through what I went through and what the students went through that committed suicide.'”

His remarks drew a loud and prolonged applause from the audience, which included staff members of senators and members of the House.

GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said she was hopeful that Congress would act on the two bills next year despite reports by Capitol Hill observers that the new Republican controlled House of Representatives would block all LGBT-supportive legislation.

ā€œThey currently have bipartisan support in this Congress,ā€ Byard said. ā€œAnd I think just as childrenā€™s safety, itā€™s not a gay or straight issue, it is not a Republican or Democratic issue.ā€

The Safe Schools Improvement Act requires schools receiving federal funds to develop policies to prohibit bullying based on race, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. It has 130 co-sponsors in the House and 15 cosponsors in the Senate.

The Student Non-Discrimination Act calls for providing protections to students who are targeted for bullying, harassment and discrimination based on their ā€œactual or perceivedā€ sexual orientation or gender identity. It currently has 127 cosponsors in the House and 30 cosponsors in the Senate.

Franken said he has proposed that the Student Non-Discrimination Act be incorporated as an amendment to legislation reauthorizing the longstanding and highly popular Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which Congress is scheduled to vote on next year.

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Music & Concerts

Musical icons and newer stars to rock D.C. this spring

Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, and more headed our way

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Brandi Carlile plays the Anthem this month.

Bands and solo artists of all different genres are visiting D.C. this spring. Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will team up to perform at the Wolf Trap in June, and girl in red will play at the Anthem in April. Some artists and bands arenā€™t paying a visit until the summer, like Janet Jackson and Usher, but there are still plenty of acts to see as the weather warms up. 

MARCH 

Brandi Carlile plays at the Anthem on March 21; Arlo Parks will perform at 9:30 Club on March 23; Girlschool will take the stage at Blackcat on March 28.

APRIL 

Nicki Minaj stops in D.C. at Capital One Arena as part of her North American tour on April 1; Bad Bunny plays at Capital One Arena on April 9 as part of his Most Wanted tour; girl in red performs at the Anthem on April 20 and 21; Brandy Clark plays at the Birchmere on April 25; Laufey comes to town to play at the Anthem on April 25 and 26. 

MAY 

Belle and Sebastian play at the Anthem on May 2; Chastity Belt performs at Blackcat on May 4; Madeleine Peyroux stops at the Birchmere on May 5; The Decemberists play at the Anthem on May 10; the rock band Mannequin Pussy performs at the Atlantis on May 17 and 18; Hozier plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 17 as part of the Unreal Unearth tour. 

JUNE 

Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will sing soulful melodies at Wolf Trap on June 8; Joe Jackson performs at the Lincoln Theatre on June 10; the Pixies and Modest Mouse are teaming up to play at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 14; Maggie Rogers plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 16 as part of The Donā€™t Forget Me tour; Brittany Howard headlines the Out & About Festival at Wolf Trap on June 22; Sarah McLachlan plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 27; Alanis Morissette performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 29 and 30

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Music & Concerts

Grammys: Queer women and their sisters took down the house

Taylor Swift won Album of the Year

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When the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg was asked when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court, her answer was simple: Nine. She stated: “I say when there are nine, people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” RBG did not attend the Grammyā€™s last night, but her spirit sure did. Women, at long last, dominated, ruled and killed the night.

Cher, in song a decade ago, declared that ā€œthis is a womanā€™s world,ā€ but there was little evidence that was true, Grammy, and entertainment awards, speaking. In 2018, the Grammys were heavily criticized for lack of female representation across all categories and organizersā€™ response was for women to ā€œstep up.ā€

Be careful what you wish for boys.

The biggest star of the 2024 Grammys was the collective power of women. They made history, they claimed legacy and they danced and lip sang to each otherā€™s work. Standing victorious was Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, SZA (the most nominated person of the year), Lainey Wilson, Karol G, boygenius, Kylie Minogue and Victoria MonĆ©t. Oh, yes, and powerhouse Taylor Swift, the superstar from whom Fox News cowers in fear, made history to become the first performer of any gender to win four Best Album of the Year trophies.

In the throng of these powerful women stand a number of both LGBTQ advocates and queer identifying artists. Cyrus has identified as pansexual, SZA has said lesbian rumors ā€œainā€™t wrong,ā€ Phoebe Bridgers (winner of four trophies during the night, most of any artist) is lesbian, MonĆ©t is bi and Eilish likes women but doesnā€™t want to talk about it. Plus, ask any queer person about Swift or Minogue and you are likely to get a love-gush.

Women power was not just owned by the lady award winners. There were the ladies and then there were the Legends. The first Legend to appear was a surprise. Country singer Luke Combs has a cross-generational hit this year with a cover of Tracy Chapmanā€™s “Fast Car.” When originally released, the song was embraced as a lesbian anthem. When performing “Fast Car,” surprise, there was Chapman herself, singing the duet with Combs. The rendition was stunning, sentimental and historic.

Chapman, like many of the nightā€™s female dignitaries, has not been public with her sexuality. Author Alice Walker has spoken of the two of them being lovers, however.

The legend among legends of the night, however, was the one and only Joni Mitchell. Not gay herself, she embodies the concept of an LGBTQ icon, and was accompanied by the very out Brandi Carlile on stage. On her website, Mitchellā€™s statement to the LGBTQ community reads, “The trick is if you listen to that music and you see me, you’re not getting anything out of it. If you listen to that music and you see yourself, it will probably make you cry and you’ll learn something about yourself and now you’re getting something out of it.”

Mitchell performed her longtime classic “Both Sides Now.” The emotion, insight and delivery from the now 80-year old artist, survivor of an aneurism, was nothing short of profound. (To fully appreciate the nuance time can bring, check out the YouTube video of a Swift lookalike Mitchell singing the same song to Mama Cass and Mary Travers in 1969.) In this latest rendition, Mitchell clearly had an impact on Meryl Streep who was sitting in the audience. Talk about the arc of female talent and power.

That arc extended from a todayā€™s lady, Cyrus, to legend Celine Dion as well. Cyrus declared Dion as one of her icons and inspirations early in the evening. Dion appeared, graceful and looking healthy, to present the final, and historic, award of the night at the end of the show.

Legends did not even need to be living to have had an effect on the night. Tributes to Tina Turner and Sinead Oā€™Conner by Oprah, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor and Annie Lennox respectively, proved that not even death could stop these women. As Lennox has musically and famously put it, ā€œSisters are doing it for themselves.ā€

Even the content of performances by todayā€™s legends-in-the-making spoke to feminine power. Eilish was honored for, and performed “What Was I Made For?,” a haunting and searching song that speaks to the soul of womanhood and redefinition in todayā€™s fight for gender rights and expression, while Dua Lipa laid down the gauntlet for mind blowing performance with her rendition of “Houdini” at the top of the show, Cyrus asserted the power of her anthem “Flowers” and pretty much stole the show.

Cyrus had not performed the song on television before, and only three times publicly. She declared in her intro that she was thrilled over the business numbers the song garnered, but she refused to let them define her. As she sang the hit, she scolded the audience, ā€œyou guys act like you donā€™t know the words to this song.ā€ Soon the woman power of the room was singing along with her, from Swift to Oprah.

They can buy themselves flowers from now on. They donā€™t need anyone else. Cyrus made that point with the mic drop to cap all mic drops, ā€œAnd I just won my first Grammy!ā€ she declared as she danced off stage.

Even the squirmiest moment of the night still did not diminish the light of women power, and in fact, underscored it. During his acceptance of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z had a bone to pick with the Grammy voters. He called out the irony that his wife BeyoncĆ© had won more Grammys than any other human, but had never won the Best Album of the Year. Yeah, whatā€™s with that?

But then, it brought additional context ultimately to the fact that the winner of the most Grammys individually ā€¦ is a woman. And to the fact that the winner of the most Best Album of the Year awards ā€¦ is a woman.

Hopefully this was the night that the Grammys ā€œgot it.ā€ Women are the epicenter of The Creative Force.

Will the other entertainment awards get it soon as well? We can hope.

Most importantly, in a political world where womenā€™s healthcare is under siege. Will the American voters get it?

A little known band named Little Mix put it this way in their 2019 song ā€œA Womanā€™s World.ā€

ā€œIf you can’t see that it’s gotta change
Only want the body but not the brains
If you really think that’s the way it works
You ain’t lived in a woman’s world

Just look at how far that we’ve got
And don’t think that we’ll ever stopā€¦ā€

From Grammyā€™s mouth to the worldā€™s ear.

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Music & Concerts

Janet Jackson returning to D.C, Baltimore

‘Together Again Tour’ comes to Capital One Arena, CFG Bank Arena

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Janet Jackson is coming back to D.C. this summer.

Pop icon Janet Jackson announced this week an extension of her 2023 ā€œTogether Again Tour.ā€ A new leg of the tour will bring Jackson back to the area for two shows, one at D.C.ā€™s Capital One Arena on Friday, July 12 and another at Baltimoreā€™s CFG Bank Arena on Saturday, July 13.  

Tickets are on sale now via TicketMaster. LiveNation announced the 2023 leg of the tour consisted of 36 shows, each of which was sold out. The 2024 leg has 35 stops planned so far; R&B star Nelly will open for Jackson on the new leg. 

Jackson made the tour announcement Tuesday on social media: ā€œHey u guys! By popular demand, weā€™re bringing the Together Again Tour back to North America this summer with special guest Nelly! Itā€™ll be so much fun!ā€

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