Arts & Entertainment
Tiffany’s treasures
‘80s icon-turned-country singer plays free Cobalt show Tuesday
Tiffany
Cobalt
1639 R Street, NW
Tuesday, April 10
9 p.m.-1 a.m.
No cover
Divasanddjs.com
Pop singer Tiffany says she likes a wide array of musical styles, not just the pop style for which she’s best known. (Photo courtesy Divas and DJs)
Cobalt is on a roll — after snagging big-name DJs like Junior Vasquez and Ralphi Rosario last month, pop singer Tiffany appears Tuesday night. Doors open at 9 p.m. There’s no cover.
Born Tiffany Renee Darwish, the pop singer has been busy promoting her latest album, “Rose Tattoo,” her eighth studio album.
“For me, this album represents returning to my country roots,” Tiffany says from her new home in Tennessee. What makes this album different is Tiffany managed and produced it under her own record label.
“I stepped out on my own. It took three months to write the music and 10 days to record, all while dealing with the stresses of managing my business.” Tiffany is considering re-releasing “Rose Tattoo” outside the U.S. later this year
In 1981, Tiffany debuted with country music singer Jack Reeves at a country and western spot called Narods in Chino, Calif. In 1987, Tiffany released “I Think We’re Alone Now,” a pop song that became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
“My music talents cannot be defined by one type of music. I love the ‘60s and ‘70s disco music, I love country music, and that love helped me write my music in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and today.” Most recently, Tiffany has been at the top of the charts with her feel-good dance hit “Higher,” which features a mix by famed remixer Josh Harris.
Tiffany’s diversified music is a reflection of her fans. She’s been a supporter of the LGBT community by performing at various gay-friendly venues.
“I feel like there is a connection between the gay community and myself,” Tiffany says. “You can’t really place people into categories, but others sometimes treat people different if they don’t fit into a particular category … It’s a struggle for acceptance and some of my music is about struggle.”
She briefly dated Jonathan Knight, a member of New Kids on the Block, who later came out as gay.
“Obviously I didn’t know he was gay when I was dating him. We were just two young kids that were not born wealthy and suddenly seemed to have the world at our feet. Our friendship continued even after we broke up,” she says.
Tiffany revealed Knight was gay in a January 2011 interview. She says it wasn’t a big deal because Knight’s sexual orientation had been widely discussed publicly before.
Tiffany’s talents go beyond just singing and writing music. Her first acting job was providing the voice of Judy Jetson for “Jetsons: The Movie,” from 1990. She also contributed three songs to the soundtrack. In her most recent movie, Tiffany teamed up with Deborah Gibson and filmed their campy SyFy original movie called “Mega Python v. Gatoroid.” The movie featured a protracted catfight waged between Tiffany and Gibson.
The pop star is married with one son and takes care of her stepfather, who’s suffering from cancer.
“I am a family person first,” she says. “I am very grateful to have a wonderful family.”
Her next challenge? She plans to open a vintage boutique shop this fall.
“I’ve learned to live in the moment and never be scared to try something new.”
History
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Tuesday marked 60 years since four gay activists held protest
While Stonewall is widely considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the U.S., a lesser-known protest inside a Greenwich Village bar three years earlier helped lay critical groundwork for what would follow.
Tuesday marked 60 years since the Julius’ Bar “sip in.”
On April 21, 1966, four gay rights activists — Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and later Randy Wicker — walked into Julius’ Bar and staged what would become known as a “sip-in” to challenge state liquor regulations on serving alcoholic beverages to gay men — with a drink.
Modeled after the sit-ins that challenged racial segregation across the American South, the protest was designed to confront discriminatory practices targeting LGBTQ patrons in public spaces.
At the time, the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s earliest gay rights groups — was actively pushing back against policies enforced by the New York State Liquor Authority. One of those policies could have resulted in the loss of liquor licenses for serving known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The participants had visited multiple establishments, openly identified themselves as homosexual, and requested a drink — with the anticipation of being denied.
Their final stop was Julius’, where reporters and a photographer had gathered to document the moment. When Leitsch declared their identity, the bartender covered their glasses and refused service, reportedly saying, “I think it’s against the law.” The next day, the New York Times ran a story with the headline, “3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars,” cementing the moment in the public record.
Though initially framed with disrespect — the term “sip-in” itself was coined as a play on civil rights protests — the action marked a turning point. It brought national attention to the systemic discrimination LGBTQ people faced and helped catalyze changes in how liquor laws were enforced. In the years that followed, the protest contributed to the emergence of licensed, more openly gay-friendly bars, which became central social and organizing spaces for LGBTQ communities.
The Washington Blade originally covered when the bar was officially added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Today, historians and advocates increasingly recognize the “sip-in” as a key pre-Stonewall milestone. According to the New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, the protest not only increased visibility of the early LGBTQ rights movement but also exposed widespread surveillance and entrapment tactics used against the community.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the event, commemorations have taken place in New York and across the country. Reflecting on its enduring legacy, Amanda Davis, executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, spoke about the event.
“Julius’ Bar is a place you can visit and viscerally connect with history,” said Davis. “We’re thrilled to have solidarity locations across the country join us in commemorating the ‘sip-in’’s 60th anniversary and the queer community’s First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.”
For current stewards of the historic bar, the responsibility of preserving that legacy remains front of mind.
“It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be the steward of a place so important to American and LGBTQ history,” said current owner of Julius’ Bar, Helen Buford. “The events of the 1966 Sip-In here at Julius’ resonated across the country and inspired countless others to stand proud for their rights.”
The timing couldn’t have come at a more important moment, Kymn Goldstein, executive director of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, explained.
“At a time when our community faces renewed challenges, coming together in resilience and solidarity reminds us of the power in our collective resistance,” Goldstein said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization dedicated to defending rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, is currently tracking 519 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. The majority are targeted at restricting transgender rights — particularly related to gender-affirming care, sports participation, and the use of public bathrooms.
Some additional groups and bars that held their own “sip-in” as solidarity events to uplift this historic milestone are from across the country include:
Alice Austen House at Steiny’s Pub, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bellows Falls Pride Committee at PK’s Irish Pub, Bellows Falls, Vt.
Brick Road Coffee, Mesa, Ariz.
Brick Road Coffee, Tempe, Ariz.
Dick Leitsch’s Family at Old Louisville Brewery, Louisville, Ky.
The Faerie Playhouse & LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at Le Cabaret, New Orleans
Harlem Pride & John Reddick at L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar, New York
JOYR!DE KiKi at Loafers Cocktail Bar, New York
Matthew Lawrence & Jason Tranchida / Headmaster at Deadbeats Bar, Providence, R.I.
Mazer Lesbian Archives at Alana’s Coffee, Los Angeles
New Hope Celebrates at The Club Room, New Hope, Pa.
Queer Memory Project at the University of Evansville Multicultural Student Commons / Ridgway University Center, Evansville, Ind.
Sandy Jack’s Bar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
St. Louis LGBT History Project at Just John Club, St. Louis
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch was held at Salamander Washington DC on Sunday, April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) was presented with the Allyship Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The umbrella LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C. held its annual Night of Champions Gala at the Georgetown Marriott on Saturday, April 18. Team D.C. presented scholarships to local student athletes and presented awards to Adam Peck, Manuel Montelongo (a.k.a. Mari Con Carne), Dr. Sara Varghai, Dan Martin and the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Sean Bartel was posthumously honored with the Most Valuable Person Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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