Arts & Entertainment
Gay teacher’s fan photo with Trump goes viral
the picture has been shared more than 5,000 times
A Rhode Island teacher’s LGBT pride-filled photo with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump has gone viral.
Nikos Giannopoulos, 29, was named the 2017 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year for his work as a special education teacher at the Beacon Charter High School for the Arts in Woonsocket, R.I. In April, he joined other state teachers on a trip to the White House to meet President Trump and the first lady.
In what appears to be a nod to Pride month, Giannopoulos shared the photo he took with the Trumps. Giannopoulos is seen holding a black, lace fan with his head cocked to the side. The teacher also proudly wore a rainbow pin on his jacket. Right next to him, the Trumps smile brightly at the camera.
Speaking with NPR, the teacher said the fan, which belongs to his partner, is an accessory he takes with him whenever he travels.
In a Facebook post from April, Giannopoulos explained why he decided to showcase LGBT pride for his photo with the president.
“I wore a rainbow pin to represent my gratitude for the LGBTQ community that has taught me to be proud, bold, and empowered by my identity — even when circumstances make that difficult,” Giannopoulos writes. “I wore a blue jacket with a bold print and carried a black lace fan to celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity.”
Giannopoulos also explains that he wished he could have spoken with Trump about the needs of the LGBT community.
“I would have told him that queer lives matter and anti-LGBTQ policies have a body count. Taking pride in queer identity means rejecting the shame imposed upon us by a harsh society. It means opening yourself up to a lifetime of criticism and misunderstanding, but knowing that it’s worth it to be able to live authentically,” Giannopoulos writes.
Out & About
Washington Improv Theatre hosts ‘The Queeries’
Event to celebrate queer DMV talent and pop culture camp
The Washington Improv Theatre, along with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC, will team up to host “The Queeries!” on Friday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m. at Studio Theatre.
The event will celebrate Queer DMV talent and pop culture camp. With a mixture of audience-submitted nominations and blatantly undemocratically declared winners, “The Queeries!” mimics LGBTQ life itself: unfair, but far more fun than the alternative.
The event will be co-hosted by Birdie and Butchie, who have invited some of their favorite bent winos, D.C. “D-listers,” former Senate staffers, and other stars to sashay down the lavender carpet for the selfie-strewn party of the year.
Tickets are just $15 and can be purchased on WITV’s website.
Out & About
Drag Underground returns
Indiana Bones, Bombalicious Eklaver, Shi-Queeta Lee, Cake Pop! to perform
Dupont Underground and the Washington Blade have teamed up to host “Drag Underground” on Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Dupont Underground.
Performers include Indiana Bones, Bombalicious Eklaver, Shi-Queeta Lee and Cake Pop.
Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
The annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is set for Saturday, April 27 at the Washington Hilton with Colin Jost serving as emcee.
President Biden is scheduled to speak and numerous celebrities are expected around D.C. all weekend for related parties and events.
The Washington Blade is the only LGBTQ outlet that is a member of the Association and is hosting a table of VIPs, including actor Billy Porter and Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).
“We look forward to the Dinner each year to celebrate our press freedoms and to thank a range of allies and supporters for their work on behalf of the LGBTQ movement,” said Blade Editor Kevin Naff.
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