Arts & Entertainment
Queery: Henry Maticorena
The Andromeda Transcultural Health communications director answers 20 gay questions

Henry Maticorena’s mother always told him, “When you are a minority, you never turn your back on other minorities.” As a result, he is fluent in four languages, which he uses on the job as a communications/external affairs director at Andromeda Transcultural Health.
Maticorena spearheads HIV/AIDS outreach for the clinic. His arsenal of tools includes bumper stickers, lanyards and squishy balls that have sayings in Spanish, French, Portuguese and English.
“I want to be able to include groups that may not always have access to these services on a regular basis,” he says. “We want to give our clients a holistic treatment, for both their physical health and their mental health.”
Maticorena began his outreach while an undergraduate student at George Washington University, where he traveled to Brazil for a year. He joined the LGBT movement where the advocacy focused mostly on reducing hate crimes. Despite traveling to several other countries, Maticorena regularly returned to D.C. to work.
“I can really connect with policy makers here and watch changes being made here,” he says. “D.C. provides many platforms in which I can make an impact.”
Maticorena is single and lives in D.C. and enjoys attending events at the Phillips Collection and other galleries in his free time. He is also a runner and enjoys watching movies and listening to Bossa Nova with a glass of wine.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I’ve been out since I was 20 years old. I’ve been fortunate to have always encountered people in my life thus far who never found my sexual orientation to be an issue.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
I’d say it is anyone that goes out of his/her way to help a stranger in need. In my personal life, I’d have to say a great man who was there for me when I experienced emotional struggles in college. His name is Marc.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Can I answer both? I just have to say Velvet Nation was the place to be when I moved to D.C. to attend GW. I always had a BLAST there. Today, it depends on the mood: Bossa Lounge in Adams Morgan or Cobalt on 17th Street.
Describe your dream wedding.
I‘ve always loved the summer chateaux on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. My favorite one being The Marble House; I would have the ceremony held there in its ballroom and the reception in the Chinese Tea House in the backyard with all my friends and family.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
I’m very passionate about getting every resident the opportunity to have access to services in their native language if they need it.
What historical outcome would you change?
Sept. 11, 2001. It was a few days after I had moved to D.C. from Miami and I witnessed the divisiveness that it instilled in our diverse community in the District and in America at large.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
I’d have to say when Princess Diana died in 1997 as a result of the car crash in Paris. She had a great impact on my life. All her charitable work inspired me to become very active working for the rights of disadvantaged people as well as becoming involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and ending the stigma associated with it through my volunteering and work today at Andromeda Transcultural Health (check us out on Facebook: facebook.com/ATHDC).
On what do you insist?
I insist on fomenting cohesiveness within our community to overcome the issues that affect us from HIV to immigration to our youth experiencing homelessness.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
My last post on Facebook was the photo of a business card that reads: ‘Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number’ hahaha.
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“My Life as a Socialite: Henry, my Private Story”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
Nothing. I was born this way.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
I like to believe that once one dies hopefully one’s spirit will have fulfilled its raison d’etre in this lifetime to continue on its path for continuous growth.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
Continue the legacy of prior leaders of the movement to encourage members of our community to be the voices and advocates of individuals whose plea would otherwise be unheard — doing so, creating change and building the path so we can ALL move forward as ONE.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
I would walk across hot coals to get all my friends in London and South America to make it to an overdue reunion here in D.C. My friends are family to me.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
That every gay man wants to pursue every straight man they come in contact with.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
“A Home at the End of the World.”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Shaking hands (which I find so limiting) when introducing oneself for the first time. Kissing on one or both cheeks should not be frowned upon.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
I don’t want to sound cheesy; I recently attended a funeral and in the reception all individuals I came across shared something in common, how this man had enriched and touched their lives in meaningful ways. I can’t take a trophy or prize with me to the grave. I aspire to have touched and enriched as many individuals’ lives in this lifetime that is the prize I most wish for.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
My American idioms so as not to mess up “tough love” with “rough love.”
Why Washington?
D.C. has this je ne sais quoi about it and the people I have met here have always embraced me and provided me a platform for growth that I’m always immensely grateful for.

The Rainbow History Project will host “Pickets, Protests and Parade Exhibit Tour” at 7 p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This event honors the courage, resilience and resistance of D.C.’s gay community. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hyatt Centric Arlington (1325 Wilson Blvd.). This fun event is ideal for meeting new people and community building. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Xavier Entertainment DC will host “Cowboy Carter Afterparty” at 10 p.m. at Nellie’s Sports Bar. There will be fireworks, parades, and patriotic fun. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Mezcal Amaras will host “Sha Boing Boing Showdown” at 6 p.m. at Snappy’s Small Bar (3917 Georgia Ave., N.W.). Get ready to test your hotdog eating abilities. Tickets start at $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Illusions Drag Queen Show will host “Drag Queen Dinner Show” at 7 p.m. at 2323 18th St. N.W. Guests will be treated to the very best celebrity drag impersonations in entertainment. Tickets start at $12.97 and are available on Eventbrite.
Thurst Lounge will host “A Thirsty Cowboy Afterparty” at 5 p.m. DJ Apollo will be performing. For more details, visit Thurst’s website.
9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” at 9 p.m. The DJ will play plenty of disco hits from the 70s and 80s. Tickets cost $45.30 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
a&e features
Doug Spearman takes his chance
‘Noah’s Arc: The Movie’ debuted on Paramount+ last month

There’s no question that when Patrik-Ian Polk’s series “Noah’s Arc” premiered on Logo 20 years ago, it was a groundbreaking creation. The story of a group of Black gay men and their wonderful friendship. The titular arc was that of the cute main character, Noah (Darryl Stephens), and his close-knit circle of friends, including Chance played by gay actor Doug Spearman. This compelling and loving fraternity may, in fact, be what brought viewers back repeatedly, including a 2008 movie, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” as well as the 2020 “Noah’s Arc” short, and now, a new full-length feature “Noah’s Arc: The Movie,” debuting on Paramount+ on June 20. In the movie, filled with equal measures of laughs and tears, Chance, who has faced a devastating loss, finds his dependable friends there, ready to support and comfort him at a moment’s notice. I had the pleasure of speaking with Spearman the morning of the streaming premiere of “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.”
WASHINGTON BLADE: Doug, since the early 2000s, when the “Noah’s Arc” series premiered on Logo, you have been playing the character of Chance, including in the latest installment, “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.” What was it about Chance that appealed to you as an actor?
SPEARMAN: When Patrik (-Ian Polk) called me to ask me to play him (Chance), I was at JFK airport in the baggage claim, waiting for a suitcase. He explained what the part was. The thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Chance was in a long-term relationship with another Black man. And, they had a child; they had a 4-year-old daughter named Kenya. I had never seen two Black gay men raise a child on TV before. I thought it was the most revolutionary thing I’d ever seen. I immediately thought I’ve got to do this because that was something nobody had seen. I thought it was incredibly important to take the part.
BLADE: “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” was, once again, written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, who you just mentioned, is the creator of the entire franchise. What’s the secret to your long-standing working relationship?
SPEARMAN: [Laughs] the whole team, all of us, are like a band of brothers. We fight like brothers, we come together like brothers, we hash things out, we talk, because we’re all very different from our characters. I think the challenge of playing these guys and then uplifting these men, playing a part, especially something written by Patrik, is like solving a math equation. There’s always a challenge that’s enjoyable for me as an actor: to try to find out what it is that Patrik wants, and then how do I do it.
BLADE: I think you do a very good job of it.
SPEARMAN: Thank you very much
BLADE: In the years between “Jumping the Broom” and the new full-length movie, many changes have occurred, and the story addresses some of them, including gay widowhood, which is something that the aging community is now confronting, as well as mental health issues. Please say a few words about how you approached those subjects in the new movie.
SPEARMAN: I had a lot of loss in my life, right before we started shooting. Two months before we started shooting the first series, my mother died. I was going through the grief process through that whole first season. Since then, I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. In fact, when we started shooting the second season, the second week we were shooting, my ex died of a heart attack. I was having to fold that into what I was doing with my life on the set and off the set. You’ve got to show up and you’ve got to do your work. The first two seasons of “Noah’s Arc” are always tinged with the memory of grief. So, when I had to deal with the death that Chance faces (in the new movie), which is a significant death in his life, it wasn’t that hard to reach back, especially the scene in the graveyard. It was something that I unfortunately could pull from personal experience.
BLADE: Shifting gears, the movie features delightful cast surprises, including Jasmine Guy and TS Madison. Did you have a chance to interact with either or both when they were on set?
SPEARMAN: No, I didn’t have any scenes with Jasmine, and I missed her. I wish I had gotten to see her because I actually got to direct Jasmine for a CBS promo shoot for “Queen,” back in the early ‘90s. I had a huge crush on her when she was on “A Different World.” So, I really would have liked to reconnect. But TS and I got to see each other every day because I was in all her scenes. It was extraordinary being around somebody like that. That is one outspoken woman!
BLADE: Even though Beyoncé never makes an appearance in the movie, there’s a lot of talk about her. Would you say you are a Beyoncé fan?
SPEARMAN: Yes! I’m breathing! Yes, I’m a Beyoncé fan. I actually got the chance to meet her. I knew her mom. Her mom was extraordinary to me. She is in the second movie I directed. She also gave us a wedding gown to use in the very first scene of the movie. That family is extraordinarily important to me. Not only just to be a fan, but to be somebody who’s gotten to know them and work with them and see how hard they work. I don’t think anybody works as hard as Tina or Beyoncé.
BLADE: There was a recent news item about gay actor Benito Skinner of the Amazon Prime series “Overcompensating” being told not to bother auditioning for straight roles. As an out actor yourself, how important do you think it is for queer characters to be portrayed by queer actors, and vice versa?
SPEARMAN: Being queer is a multifaceted identity. There’s no one kind of queer person. I think finding the best actor that’s your first circle of casting. I think one of the joys about being an actor is that you get to play different parts. I play straight guys all the time. Dads and husbands and things like that. I think a lot of people are told not to do it. In fact, I wouldn’t be Chance if the actor who was originally cast as Chance hadn’t been pulled out of the series by his agents because they didn’t want him to play a gay character.
BLADE: That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing that. Without giving away too much, the ending of the movie is a little ambiguous, even ending with a question mark. If there was a “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” sequel, would you come back for that?
SPEARMAN: Yeah! A lot of it would depend on what Chance’s journey is going to be like. Patrik and I have conversations like that all the time. He’s very interested and supportive of input. I hope I would be, as we all would be, part of the creative growth with these characters. They live in Patrik’s head, and he writes them, but we’re the ones who have to flesh them out. It’s a conversation, it’s always a conversation.
BLADE: You are currently performing in Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid” as part of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane. What has this experience been like for you?
SPEARMAN: It’s extraordinary! I started on stage when I was seven. There’s nothing like working with a live audience and having that immediacy. I’m working with an extraordinarily talented cast in a really great play, and I have some of the best scene partners I could ever want.
BLADE: Are there any upcoming film or TV projects you’d like to mention?
SPEARMAN: I’m still a writer, and I’m still a director, and I’ve still got scripts that I would like to make. I have a little something that’s a cross between “Treme” and “Bridgerton” that I want to do. I’m always trying to figure out what the next thing is.
Photos
PHOTOS: Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza
LGBTQ celebration held in downtown Silver Spring

Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza was held on Sunday, June 29 at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, Md.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)





















