Arts & Entertainment
Queery: Charger Stone
The Bear Happy Hour organizer answers 20 gay questions
Charger Stone (Blade photo by Michael Key)
When Nicholas Baatz was told not to re-enlist in the Marines as he’d planned after being outed in 2005 — his tour was up in five months and he claims it would have taken military brass longer to have him kicked out under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — it was a crush that forced him to rethink his career path but he sees it now as a roundabout blessing.
“I thought about re-enlisting once they got rid of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ but I really love what I’m doing now and where life has taken me, so I don’t want to give that up,” he says.
Baatz, known as Charger Stone in D.C. bear circles, runs D.C. Bear Crue which has several events but is mostly known for its 6-11 p.m. weekly Friday evening happy hour at Town (dcbearcrue.com). He also manages Unleashed Massage Studio in Northeast Washington.
Baatz came out after a two-year marriage to a woman failed. He and partner Scott Gunn, a cop in Anne Arundel County he met in 2011, plan to get married next May. Baatz proposed at Bear Happy Hour.
The 32-year-old Groton, Conn., native lives in Hyattsville, Md., with Gunn and their three Great Danes and one German Shepherd — Angel, Lucky, Misty and Tommy.
Baatz spent time in Japan and Iraq during his military years. He enjoys his motorcycle and cleaning in his free time (“I’m a little OCD, so I can’t relax unless everything is in its place”). He plans to graduate in the fall from DeVry University with a degree in technical management.
(Blade photo by Michael Key)
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
My first boyfriend outed me to my family and outed me to the Marine Corps. That was in 2005. The hardest thing was admitting it to my mother. Once she knew, I didn’t care who else did.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
I met a lot of people who have done great things for the community, but I don’t actually have anyone in particular.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Bear Happy Hour has always been home since I came out. And I’m proud to have been able to manage that event for the past three years.
Describe your dream wedding.
When I think about Scott and I getting married, it’s not the wedding itself I think about. I think about the people who would be there. I would love for my very conservative Baptist family to be there to support me. Not because they think being gay is OK (because they will never believe that), but just to support me in the fact that I’ve found someone I want to be with for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, though I’m closest to my mother more than any other family member, I doubt she will even be there for it.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
I think we as a community spend so much time focusing on “our rights” or the attitude that we are “owed” something, that we forget the simple things like just treating each other with respect.
What historical outcome would you change?
In 2005 when my first boyfriend outed me to the Marine Corps I had no idea what to do. I had a few months left on an eight-year contract and they told me to not reenlist or they would kick me out under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” If I knew then what I know now about the support structure for the LGBT community in the armed forces, I would have stayed in. But I was scared, alone, and had no one to go to for help. I didn’t know anything about the community back then. The flip side to that is that if I would have stayed in I wouldn’t be where I’m at now and I wouldn’t have met my fiancé, or owned two small business, or be running the Bear Happy Hour. So I guess maybe I should be thanking him?
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
Oh god, pop culture — most memorable? I would have to say no clue. Love the music, ignore the people.
On what do you insist?
I insist that people stay in between their own white dotted lines on the road and use their blinkers when changing lanes. I have no problems getting out of the car and explaining to you why I think you shouldn’t have a driver’s license at the next red light.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
Facebook: “Apparently (so I overheard) real men drive Miatas.”
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“Rumor Has It: This one time …”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
Not a damn thing.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
I grew up in a Baptist church and was heavily involved in the church until I was 24. I guess you could say I am a questioning Christian. I believed all my life that being gay was wrong, and here I am. So what else is wrong?
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
Be better at it than the opposition.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
I’d do it for a couple million.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
That for some reason being gay equals “I am a big black woman stuck in a twink’s body…. GUUUUURRRRRL!!!” Of course we perpetuate the stereotype so we should be blaming ourselves for it.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
“A Dirty Shame”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Putting the seat down on the toilet. Honestly — you’re a big girl, you can put it down yourself.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
I don’t really care too much about trophies or prizes. I have a few but I couldn’t really care less.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
Invest in Apple and Living Social.
Why Washington?
I was stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico when I was outed. I found support in the bear community so I made D.C. my home.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center is marking a milestone year in its new home with a vibrant birthday celebration, inviting the community, allies, and media to join the festivities on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m.
Since opening its doors in Shaw, The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center has become a hub of support, advocacy, and celebration for LGBTQ+ residents across the District.
The birthday bash promises a day of programming including Yoga (Center Wellness), Micro Bouquet Making (Center Social), Zine Making (Center Arts), and so much more. Guests can also enjoy tours of the Center’s expanded facilities, showcasing spaces for programs, services, and community events.
Since relocating, the Center has expanded its programs, providing critical services. The birthday bash underscores the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s commitment to creating an inclusive space where everyone regardless of identity, age, or background can find community and empowerment.
For more details, contact Paul Marengo at 202-705-2890.
Friday, April 24
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Lesbian Visibility Week will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. There will be a special screening of “Ahead of the Curve.” Enjoy an evening of film, conversation, and community, with cocktails and beverages available throughout the night For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, April 25
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, April 26
Nellie’s Sports Bar will host “Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” at 12 p.m. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets start at $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, April 27
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Tuesday, April 28
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Candlelight Vigil” at 6:30 p.m. This is a vigil centered on reflection, support, and collective care. Attendees are encouraged to gather at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning promptly at 7 p.m. and concluding by 8 p.m. The event will take place on the closed-off Wiltberger Street, providing a dedicated and intimate space for remembrance. Electronic candle lights will be available to participants. For those seeking additional support or who have questions ahead of the event, please contact [email protected].
Wednesday, April 29
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, April 30
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
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