Miscellaneous
Queery: Michael Sainte-Andress
The local actors and AIDS activist answers 20 gay questions
Michael Sainte-Andress (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Long-time D.C. resident Michael Sainte-Andress has had almost as varied a life and career as you could imagine.
The 61-year-old Houston native, known as “Micci” (pronounced “Mickey”) to his friends, had a penchant for performing early on. He started singing in his family’s Pentecostal church at age 7. His mom was the choir director and got him spots in all the holiday pageants. He was always “a sissy” but his 10 siblings still loved him and never let him off the hook in helping with chores.
He studied dance and acting in high school in college, taught school for a year, then went into the Navy, which he says is one of the best decisions he ever made. Surprisingly he was able to continue his casually out m.o. during his four-year military stint.
“All my commanding officers knew I was gay but they also recognized that I was smart and had leadership potential,” he says. “It helped that I was a little older too. I didn’t enlist fresh out of high school so I wasn’t ‘just off the farm,’ so to speak. So I had a little edge on the other guys. I was about 22. They recognized that distinction so they were pretty good about giving me the spotlight and some opportunities to grow.”
By the mid-’70s, the gig was up, at least somewhat. Working for a phone company, Sainte-Andress got reprimanded for having his then-boyfriend’s photo on his desk and being unabashed about who it was. When he was fired shortly thereafter, although ostensibly for some other perceived infraction, he knew the likely true reason. But he didn’t let it sideline him for long.
“I was always kind of flaming and refused to tone it down,” he says. “Of course we weren’t quite that enlightened back in those days either.”
He enjoyed several years in what he says was then a thriving D.C. black theater scene and worked “fairly constantly.” Because he wasn’t afraid of getting typecast like many of his more career-minded peers — he was happy to play the comic relief gay characters — he stayed busy. But a crack epidemic took a major toll on that scene, he says. He bounced around for several years in retail, catering and “any number of things.” He says he was a popular party guest, became known as “a colorful character in D.C.” and was known for his impersonation of Bette Davis singing “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
By the ’80s, he was working as a claims adjuster for national phone companies. He tested positive for HIV in the summer of ’86 and after a long period of denial, depression and alcohol abuse, it ended up being a motivator of sorts. His friend Phil Pannell persuaded him to get involved with AIDS activism and thus began a lengthy period of work with the Inner City AIDS Network, the Max Robinson Center, Whitman-Walker, the Ryan White Council, the D.C. Health Consortium and many others. By early 1993, his T cell count was low enough to qualify him as having AIDS and he was on disability by 1994. He credits his overall health and luck with allowing him to live so long in the pre-anti-retroviral therapy years.
“Believe it or not, AIDS has come to be the least of my health worries,” he says. “I’ve been dealing with this for 25 years, I know how to handle it. Diabetes has been a much more serious thing for me in the last several years.”
Despite what he calls a “lackadaisical” approach to acting, he had a bit of a career resurgence in recent years, especially in an August Wilson play and doing some understudy work for the Folger Theater.
He admits he’s been tempted, at times, to turn back to alcohol, but says the many obstacles in his life have yielded an inner resolve within him.
“I still face challenges,” he says. “Why should I have any less of a challenge than anybody else? You either accept that challenge or you let it destroy you. That’s my decision and I tell you, I’ll be the last bitch standing honey.” (Blade photo by Michael Key)
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have never been concealed and actually never had to tell anyone. Ever since I can remember it was just sort of understood that I was “that way.”
Who’s your LGBT hero?
I don’ t believe in heroes, but there are LGBT people that I admire and who have inspired me like my mentor, the late Joseph Meachem, my friends Philip Pannell, Alan Sharpe, Ernest Hopkins and the late D.C. HIV/AIDS champion Hank Carde.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Tracks on the S.W. waterfront and Raymond Carter’s Club Encore in the N.E. warehouse district.
Describe your dream wedding.
I’m not personally interested in being married, but if I took the plunge, my ideal partner and I would tie the knot outside at sunset during late spring or early summer on a lush lanai or beautifully decorated veranda.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
The abuse and mistreatment of children (having been such a child).
What historical outcome would you change?
Probably Prohibition because I think it may have minimized the ensuing crime and public subjugation.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
The American resurrection of Eartha Kitt’s career in the Broadway musical “Timbuktu!” in l977.
On what do you insist?
Honesty, loyalty and respect from family and friends.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
An update of my comings and goings over the last several months.
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“An Unchartered but Purposeful Journey”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
Reject it! I am quite happy and grateful to be blessed with all the gifts God has given me.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
Spiritual redemption through God’s grace and mercy.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
To stay focused on the mission and the work and not to buy into the idea of themselves as “cultural icons.”
What would you walk across hot coals for?
To save the life of someone I loved.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
That being effeminate or a “bottom” is without influence or power.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band.”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
The so-called “institution” of marriage. Hmmph!
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
I’d gladly accept my performance Oscar or Tony.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
That I’d live to be happily middle-aged.
Why Washington?
I like the socially progressive atmosphere that mixes with some of the traditional Southern values that I cherish and its non-ending array of beautiful black men.
Miscellaneous
SMYAL receives $25,000 award for ‘courageous acts’
D.C. group provides support services for LGBTQ youth
The D.C.-based organization SMYAL, which provides services for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced on June 30 that it received a $25,000 award for its “courageous acts” in support of the community it serves.
The award was a monetary grant from The Courage Project, which describes itself as a “national initiative investing in acts of courage and compassion that strengthens our communities and democracy.”
A statement on its website says it was launched in May 2025 and is funded and backed by leading national foundations in the U.S.
“At SMYAL, we are deeply grateful to receive support from The Courage Project and are inspired by their bold investment in LGBTQ+ youth at such a critical moment,” SMYAL CEO Erin Whelan said in a statement. “For queer and trans young people, simply showing up as themselves each day requires immense courage, and that courage is strengthened when organizations like The Courage Project stand behind them loudly, proudly, and without hesitation,” Whelan said.
In its statement announcing the award SMYAL says The Courage Project will recognize SMYAL and other awardees and their work on July 3 at the Washington National Cathedral as part of a special interfaith service marking the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery – the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level,” the project states on its website.
Miscellaneous
LA-based TransLatin@ Coalition leads in time of attacks
Members of Congress ‘calling us a radical organization’
As ICE raids intensify across Southern California and anti-immigrant sentiment resurfaces in Orange County, transgender and immigrant communities are once again being targeted. These crackdowns go beyond enforcement — they’re designed to instill fear. At the same time, a coordinated right-wing smear campaign is attempting to discredit the very organizations working to keep these communities safe.
Last month, the TransLatin@ Coalition, a cornerstone in the fight for trans, queer, and immigrant rights in Los Angeles, was publicly named by members of Congress. But this was no recognition. It was a calculated attack.
“They’re calling us a radical organization,” said Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition. “They’re spreading lies, saying we’re using government funding to abolish ICE and the police and to provide abortion access. We do believe in those things, but the funding we receive is used to serve our people.”
Now, that funding is being stripped away.
In the face of state violence, political backlash, and economic sabotage, TLC is responding the way it always has: by organizing, celebrating, and building a better world. Because when our communities are under attack, we show up — stronger, louder, and more united than ever.
Salcedo, herself a proud trans Latina immigrant, has spent decades fighting for those living at the margins. “I always say I am an intersection walking,” she said with a smile. “Our organization is made up of the people most impacted — and we are the ones leading the work.”
In Los Angeles County, roughly one-third of residents are immigrants, the majority of whom are Latino. Unsurprisingly, trans Latinas represent the largest segment within the local trans community.
Yet even within immigrant justice spaces, trans people are often sidelined.
“It’s a very hetero-centric space,” Salcedo said. “Most of the time, they don’t even consider the lives and experiences of trans and queer immigrants.”
The TransLatin@ Coalition is actively changing that. As a key member of a broad alliance of more than 100 immigrant-serving organizations across Los Angeles, including CHIRLA and the Filipino Workers Center, the TransLatin@ Coalition helped secure over $160 million in American Rescue Plan funds for immigrant housing, internet access, and legal services.
They also co-created the groundbreaking TGIE (Transgender, Gender-Nonconforming, Intersex Empowerment) initiative, which allocates $7 million in Los Angeles County’s annual budget to support trans-led service providers.
“We don’t just want symbolic policies,” said Salcedo. “We fight for resources. We analyze the budget. We make it real.”
Despite these victories, the TransLatin@ Coalition is now confronting devastating federal cuts.
“Our work has been defunded,” Salcedo said bluntly. “Multiple programs are gone. And we’re not alone — trans-led organizations across the country, especially in the South, are facing the same.”
She pointed to a broader backlash against anything associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). “The private sector is pulling back. Philanthropy is scared. Even the same corporations that fund us during Pride are investing in our opposition the rest of the year. It’s hypocrisy.”
Rather than retreat, the TransLatin@ Coalition is calling for bold, collective action.
“Now’s the time for people to step up,” said Salcedo. “We have the strategy. We’re doing the work. But we need resources — and we need real solidarity, not just statements.”
To respond to the crisis and raise urgently needed funds, the TransLatin@ Coalition is organizing its Walk for Humanity on Saturday, Aug. 24. The event will begin at 9 a.m. in Silver Lake and march to Sunset and Western, featuring live performances, a resource fair, and a unified call for justice.
And yes — it will be joyful.
“This is a call for all people to stand in solidarity with one another,” said Salcedo. “We want to bring together 1,000 people, each raising $1,000. It’s going to be a beautiful day of community and resistance.”
In a surprise announcement, Salcedo also revealed she will debut her first single — a cumbia track inspired by the movement. “It’s about movement in both senses: our political movement, and moving our bodies,” she laughed. “We can’t let them take away our joy. Joy is how we survive.”
When asked what more local leaders can do, Salcedo didn’t hesitate. “Elected officials are public servants. That means serving all people,” she said. “We may be a small population, but we are deeply impacted — and we contribute so much to this city.”
She pointed to data from LA’s most recent homelessness count, which identified over 2,000 trans and gender-expansive people experiencing homelessness. That number exists thanks in large part to years of advocacy demanding the city count and name trans lives. “We have the data now. There’s no excuse not to invest in our people.”
She also uplifted allies like Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and newly appointed City Council member Isabel Urado, the first openly LGBTQ person to hold her seat. “They’ve seen our work and are fighting to invest in it,” Salcedo said. “We’re hopeful we’ll see another $10 million in city funding. But we need the community behind us.”
At the end of our conversation, I asked Salcedo what she would say to undocumented, queer, and trans Angelenos who are feeling afraid right now.
Her answer was clear, powerful, and full of love:
“You are a divine creation. You deserve to exist in this world. Walk your path with dignity, love, and respect — for yourself and for others. You belong. You are part of me. You are part of us.”
If standing with trans immigrants, resisting federal rollbacks, and dancing in the streets sounds like your kind of solidarity, join the TransLatin@ Coalition on Aug. 24. Because when we show up together, we protect each other. And when we dance together — we win.
Watch the full interview with Salcedo:
Miscellaneous
LGBTQ cruise ship rescues 11 migrants between Cuba and Mexico
Rescue took place in Yucatán Channel on Wednesday
A cruise ship chartered by an LGBTQ travel company on Wednesday rescued 11 Cubans from a boat that was adrift between their country and Mexico.
Vacaya in a press release said the Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, which had left from New Orleans, discovered the migrants’ boat in the Yucatán Channel, a strait between Mexico and Cuba that connects the Gulf of Mexico (the Trump-Vance administration now refers to the body of water as the Gulf of America) and the Caribbean Sea.
A video that Vacaya provided shows the migrants’ boat before the rescue. Other videos show the rescue taking place.
MTV’s Downtown Julie Brown, who was performing on the ship, described the rescue in a video she posted to social media.
“We are in the middle of a live rescue operation right now,” she said. “The captain of the ship, while we were hauling so fast the other way, thought he saw a boat in distress. So, we looped around … and it was indeed a boat in distress.”
“Nothing speaks more to VACAYA’s values than providing comfort in a moment of need,” said Vacaya CEO Randle Roper in the press release. “I’m so happy we were able to bring these 11 refugees onboard safely and provide medical care, dry clothes, food, and, most importantly, water.”
“It’s sad that some people have to put themselves through such trauma in hopes of finding a better life, but that’s where we are today,” added Roper. “I’m so proud of our LGBT+ guests rallying to collect clothes for these fellow humans in need.”
The ship is scheduled to return to New Orleans on Saturday.
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