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Books: Hot gay page turners

Spring book release schedule chock full of LGBT content

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Decadence, Eric Jerome Dickey, Gypsy Boy on the Run, Mikey Walsh, Prarie Silence, Melanie Hoffert, books, gay news, Washington Blade
Decadence, Eric Jerome Dickey, Gypsy Boy on the Run, Mikey Walsh, Prarie Silence, Melanie Hoffert, books, gay news, Washington Blade

ā€˜Decadenceā€™ by Eric Jerome Dickey, ā€˜Gypsy Boy on the Runā€™ by Mikey Walsh and ā€˜Prairie Silenceā€™ by Melanie Hoffert, just three of many gay-themed books slated for release in the coming months. (Photos courtesy the publishers)

The spring publishing season is full of gay reads, especially if you like memoirs.

Mikey Walsh gifts us with a sequel to last yearā€™s ā€œGypsy Boyā€ (one of my favorite books of 2012) with his new book ā€œGypsy Boy on the Run.ā€ This book picks up where the first book left off ā€” Walsh has just escaped his fatherā€™s abuse and the Romany culture in which he grew up ā€” and off we go. Which is great, since the first book practically begged for an update. His being gay is a major reason he was shunned by his culture of origin.

What would you do if you hailed from a place where you being gay was the farthest thing from your neighborsā€™ minds? In ā€œPrairie Silence,ā€ author Melanie Hoffert tackles that, coming from her home state of North Dakota. This is a beautiful book, almost bucolic, and filled with a quiet sense of calm and crops.

ā€œLetters from the Closet: Ten Years of Correspondence That Changed My Lifeā€ by Amy Hollingsworth is a bit of a unusual memoir: itā€™s about a teacher who was not ā€œout,ā€ his favorite student and letters that he wrote to her that she kept until his death, years later. Itā€™s a powerful story of secrets that arenā€™t so secret, from a Christian writer.

Speaking of church, ā€œBanished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Churchā€ by Lauren Drain is the true story of the organization and a little girl whose father got so caught up in his examination of the church that he moved his family to Kansas and into the fold. Itā€™s also the story of a girl who examines her conscience and realizes that her former beliefs were wrong. Controversial? You betcha, but oh-so-interesting, too.

ā€œPlane Queerā€ by Phil Tiemeyer is a book about male flight attendants from the 1920s to about a decade ago, their work in a female-dominated career, the discrimination they faced and how AIDS has tied into their area of the industry. Thereā€™s a lot to learn here (because ā€” did you know this? ā€” they were in the forefront of an important civil rights law), so this book isnā€™t just a scandal-filled, juicy read.

Local gay author Garrett Peck continues his historical explorations with ā€œThe Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry.ā€ This is somewhat of a sequel to Peckā€™s last book and explains how some of D.C.ā€™s best-loved sites are tied together in an unlikely way.

California-based gay author and pop culture historian Mike Pingel is out with another tidbit-crammed page turner. ā€œBetty White Rules the Worldā€ traces the legendā€™s career from ā€œLife With Elizabeth,ā€ ā€œMary Tyler Moore,ā€ ā€œThe Golden Girls,ā€ ā€œHot in Clevelandā€ and more. As with previous books on everything from ā€œWonder Womanā€ to ā€œCharlieā€™s Angels,ā€ Pingel keeps the pace moving ā€” pullout boxes and mini-chapters are well-chocked with interesting factoids that keep the pace moving.

So youā€™re clamoring for a novel. Just a good story, thatā€™s all you want.

And then you want ā€œThe Beauty of Men Never Diesā€ by David Leddick.

Blending fiction with memoir, this book is about aging and falling in love later in life. Itā€™s a whirlwind trip from America to Europe, from one fabulous job to another, and from love lost to love gained. How much is true and how much is not?Ā  Iā€™m not saying. Read the book.

Gay author Brent Hartinger will release ā€œThe Elephant of Surpriseā€ from Buddha Kitty Books on March 31. Itā€™s the fourth book in the ā€œGeography Clubā€ series, the first entry of which has been adapted into a film starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky. In ā€œElephant,ā€ Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar laugh about a phenomenon referenced in the title ā€” the tendency of life to never turn out as expected. Russel becomes involved with Wade, a hot-but-homeless activist, just as his old flame Kevin returns to his front burner. And Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah. Hartinger, a former Blade contributor, has earned kudos for his well-crafted depictions of gay teen life.

Finally, if you just want something fun, hedonistic and so hot youā€™ll need oven mitts, then look for ā€œDecadenceā€ by Eric Jerome Dickey this spring. Nia Simone Bijou (she of 2008ā€™s ā€œPleasureā€) is back and looking to hone her ā€œgiftsā€ of love by stepping into a pleasure palace for awhile.

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Theater

Talented pair of local queer actors tackles ā€˜Little Shop of Horrorsā€™

Fordā€™s production features terrific score

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Chani Wereley (Audrey) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Fordā€™s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

ā€˜Little Shop of Horrorsā€™Ā 
Through May 18
Fordā€™s Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.orgĀ 

Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, ā€œLittle Shop of Horrorsā€ has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Fordā€™s Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors whoā€™ve longed to appear in the show since they were kids. 

Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashmanā€™s hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.  

Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymourā€™s love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, ā€œAudreyā€™s been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.ā€

The queer D.C. native adds, ā€œOn long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing weā€™d do is pop a ā€˜Little Shop of Horrorsā€™ video [film version] into the carā€™s VHS player. Iā€™ve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.ā€

After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllisterā€™s production at Fordā€™s, Wereley never thought sheā€™d book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.  

Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: ā€œI started watching the film in ā€™86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didnā€™t know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.ā€ 

When asked by Fordā€™s to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant ā€œyes.ā€ 

Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, ā€œpeople ask if Iā€™m singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, Iā€™m not, and thatā€™s fine. But letā€™s face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I donā€™t feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.ā€

Heā€™s worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant ā€” his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show. 

Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereleyā€™s striking rendition of Audreyā€™s ā€œSuddenly Seymour,ā€ and Youngā€™s soulful ā€œFeed Me (Git It).ā€ Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater. 

When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like ā€œMashed Potato Time,ā€ and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelleā€™s girl group anthem ā€œWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow.ā€ As Audrey, Wereley eschews the characterā€™s usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo. 

ā€œItā€™s important for people to see themselves on stage,ā€ she says. ā€œSeeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. Itā€™s important.ā€

In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in ā€œDream Girlsā€ at Tobyā€™s Dinner Theatre, and heā€™s been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didnā€™t see a lot of himself ā€“ Black and queer ā€“ on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says

An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, ā€œtheater is a safe space for queer people. Thatā€™s the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.ā€

He adds, ā€œWhatā€™s great about Fordā€™s is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. Itā€™s meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.ā€

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Nightlife

D.C.ā€™s gay DJ collective CTRL returns

Electropop group resurfaces at Trade on March 30

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CTRL is back after a six-year absence.

Finger lasers, confetti cannons, drag shows, photo booths, throwback tunes, and a touch nerdy: after a long break, D.C.ā€™s gay DJ collective CTRL is throwing its first party in six years.

Born in an Eritrean restaurant more than a decade ago, this longstanding gay nightlife electropop group is resurfacing with a comeback event at Trade on March 30.

Gay DJs Adam Koussari-Amin, Jeff Prior, Devon Trotter, and Brett Andreisen hosted the first CTRL party at now-closed restaurant Dahlak, on the corner of 18th and U Streets. After a year of hosting pop-ups in that restaurantā€™s dining room, they upgraded down 18th Street to now-closed gay club Cobalt. There, the parties grew: drag shows, a pop-up photo booth from David Claypool, and quirky activations like throwing hot dogs into print-outs of Putinā€™s mouth. Their productions grew as well, like producing the now-defunct Brightest Young Gays (BYG) Pride events at Wonderbread Factory and Union Market and the ā€˜Get Wetā€™ pool party with David Brownā€™s Otter Crossing at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

CTRL wasnā€™t done. The group received its biggest stage yet after a call from Ed Bailey, the owner of now-closed gay club Town, as well as current gay bars Number 9 and Trade. At Town, the opportunity ā€œallowed our creativity to flourish with even bigger performances, bigger photo experiences, crazier hand-outs, and the same electropop dance vibes our fans had come to know us for,ā€ says Koussari-Amin.

CTRL pressed pause when Town shut down, which ā€œwas a huge loss to the LGBTQIA+ community and D.C. nightlife in general,ā€ says Koussari-Amin. After that, it hosted an occasional spinoff called QWERTY. Post-pandemic, Koussari-Amin has spent a few nights solo as DJ at Trade and other venues.

After connecting with Jesse Jackson, the Trade general manager, as well as with Bailey, who agreed to host the inaugural event, Koussari-Amin was determined to shift CTRL back to life.

However, getting the old band back together proved to be a challenge. While the rest of the group have either left Washington, D.C., or are pursuing other projects, Koussari-Amin received their blessing to stay on and find new members. 

ā€œWhen it came to finding new partners, both DJ Dez [Desmond Jordan] and DJ Lemz [Steve Lemmerman] were obvious choices,ā€ he says, noting that ā€œthey also have distinct styles and interests.ā€ Dez has a residency at Pitchers and Kiki as well as pop-ups, and Lemz throws events like Sleaze and BENT.

 ā€œIt seemed important to come back to the nightlife table with an experience that could complement all the amazing experiences that have even built up since CTRL threw its last event at Town. Bringing back both the DJ collective and the CTRL event with Dez and Lemz means new voices, perspectives, sounds, and excitement.ā€

ā€œCTRL is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy music, drinks, and good vibes,ā€ adds Jordan, noting that for him, itā€™s an event that celebrates queer identity.

And after months of planning, CTRL will kick off its monthly party series at Trade on March 30 for the first gig after its glow-up.

The trio says that its core inspiration ā€œis driven by the indie and electropop favorites of new and old, like Goldfrapp, Ava Max, Charli XCX, ā€¦ We’re also all huge fans of slut and trash pop music like Kim Petras, Slayyyter, Cupcakke,ā€ as well as pop diva remixes, new bops, and songs that reside inside and far beyond the expanse of Top 40.

CTRL is also bringing back its activations that complement the tunes. Summer Camp is set for drag performances, David Claypool is back with his photo booth, and Koussari-Amin promises ā€œto have all sorts of weird and wacky handouts like we used to.ā€

After the March premiere, Aprilā€™s party is ā€œCTRLellaā€, a Coachella send-up. Future events will feature various different themes, and they plan to throw a party during Capital Pride; theyā€™re also looking to be a central part of Tradeā€™s expansion into the adjacent space.

 Koussari-Amin says that ā€œthe eventā€™s signature experience [is] a lynchpin in connecting D.C.ā€™s expanding generations of queer folks, giving everyone a safe space to let loose and feel a rush no matter who they are.ā€ 

For his part, Bailey continues to support CTRL and its collective intention, expressing its essential nature as a party for partiers by partiers. ā€œCTRL is the kind of party that represents what people want. Itā€™s just a real party by real people that just want to hear good music and dance with their friends.ā€

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Celebrity News

HRC releases ā€˜Queer Renaissance Syllabusā€™

BeyoncĆ©ā€™s hit album inspired curriculum

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BeyoncƩ performs at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Aug. 6, 2023. The Human Rights Campaign has released a curriculum that her "Renaissance" album inspired. (Washington Blade photo by Isabelle Kravis)

In a move aimed at celebrating the beauty, brilliance and resilience of the LGBTQ community, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” that BeyoncĆ©ā€™s ā€œRenaissanceā€ album inspired. 

Curated by Justin Calhoun, Leslie Hall and Chauna Lawson of the HRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, the syllabus includes a variety of academic articles, essays, films and other media rooted in Black queer and feminist studies. Each piece is directly inspired by the tracks on BeyoncĆ©’s Billboard 200-topping dance album, “Renaissance.”

BeyoncĆ©’s album “Renaissance” stands as a cultural milestone, celebrating the Black queer roots of dance music while shedding light on overlooked Black queer artists. Inspired by her late-Uncle Johnny, the album not only garnered critical acclaim but also shed light on the often marginalized contributions of Black queer artists. Winning four Grammys and yielding chart-topping hits like ā€œBreak My Soulā€ and ā€œCuff It,ā€ the album sparked discussions about economic impact and cultural representation.

Amid its success, legislative challenges arose, with Florida and Texas enacting bans on DEI initiatives in public colleges. Recognizing the album’s transformative potential, HRC developed the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” to leverage its impact for education and activism.

Tailored for educators, youth-serving professionals, DEI practitioners, higher education leaders and admirers of BeyoncĆ©’s artistry, the syllabus aims to encourage meaningful discussions, enrich lesson plans, and explore innovative ways to honor the vibrancy and significance of LGBTQ individuals and their culture.

With six themes anchoring the syllabus, ranging from “intersectionality and inclusivity” to “social justice and activism,” it provides a comprehensive exploration of various facets of LGBTQ experiences and expressions. Fan-favorite tracks from the album are paired with scholarly readings, offering insights into empowerment, self-acceptance and the transformative power of artistic expression. The syllabus also reinforces HRCā€™s efforts to highlight, amplify and re-center Black and queer voices.

By providing links to articles, books, podcasts and interviews, each associated with a song from the album, it celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Black queer community.

The concluding section of the syllabus includes BeyoncĆ©’s tribute to Oā€™Shea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to ā€œRenaissanceā€ songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.

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