Arts & Entertainment
Queery: Shannon Wyss
The AIDS United grant manager and D.C. Trans Coalition volunteer answers 20 gay questions
Editor’s note: Shannon Wyss requested and uses gender-neutral pronouns.
After majoring in international studies for hir undergrad degree and womens’ studies for hir master’s, Shannon Wyss wasn’t particularly seeking out AIDS work, but Wyss is passionate about both hir day job as grants manager for AIDS United and hir volunteer work at the D.C. Trans Coalition.
“My work at AIDS United is not really activist work for me, although we do have a policy department,” Wyss says. “What I love about it is that we look at HIV not as a biomedical issue, which it certainly is, but as an issue of social justice that focuses very much on why certain groups are affected more than others by HIV. This is not a coincidence. We find time and time again that the people most affected by it are also the most marginalized.”
Wyss says moving forward, increased — and at times uncomfortable — prevention efforts will be needed.
“I feel like medically we have the tools to mostly combat HIV at this point,” Wyss says. “The drugs that are out there are pretty effective. We don’t have a way of curing it, but we can treat it. Where we’re playing catch up is in preventing new infections. Maybe gay men need some messages that would make straight people a bit squeamish. Or we need to talk about access to clean syringes, but we’re not a culture that wants to acknowledge that it has a drug problem. There are a whole bunch of things culturally we need to address if we’re going to stop new infections. And we also have to address all the issues that go along with that, poverty, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, race — and I don’t think we’re ready to deal with all that.”
Wyss, a 40-year-old St. Louis native, has been in the Washington area about 17 years after going to college in Vassar (in New York) and spending a year abroad in Senegal on a study program.
Wyss and partner Katie Wanschura have been together nearly 10 years after meeting in a chorus. Two years ago they bought a house in Hyattsville, Md.
In hir free time, Wyss enjoys giving trans and LGBT seminars, working with gender non-conforming kids, photography, “puttering around the house,” reading, gardening, yard work and caring for the couple’s three cats and one dog.” (Blade photo by Michael Key)
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I’ve been out under varying labels since 1993. If I recall correctly, the hardest person to tell at the time was my favorite teacher from high school, whom I wasn’t sure would still accept me. She did and has remained one of my biggest supporters ever since.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
I deeply admire anyone who is able and willing to be true to hirself under difficult circumstances.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
I don’t do bars or clubs since I don’t drink or dance. But I love anyplace quiet where I can hang out with friends and loved ones.
Describe your dream wedding.
I don’t believe in assimilating into an institution that the state should not be involved in for any couple or group of people. But I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful commitment ceremony with my life partner in July.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
Every issue is an LGBTQ issue! But of those who are commonly defined as “not-LGBTQ,” I would put racial and economic justice at the top of my list.
What historical outcome would you change?
Slavery — everywhere, but especially in the “New World.”
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
Answering this would actually require me to be somewhat in touch with what “pop culture” is.
On what do you insist?
Justice and an equitable distribution of resources of all kinds for everyone.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
“Wonderful session at the Harm Reduction Conference today on the anti-trafficking movement and how it is, overall, incredibly conservative, ageist, sexist, transphobic, pro-police and disempowering of youth. The feminist, LGBTQ, and harm reduction movements have to think harder about how we can support sex workers’ rights.”
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“Privileged: How a White, Middle Class, Well-Educated Genderqueer Tried to Make Social Change”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
Help all of the straight women who can’t find a decent man!
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
I’m about as agnostic as I can be. So I’m not sure if there’s anything beyond where/what we are now.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
It’s about justice, not “just us.” Work with other social justice movements and ours will advance so much more quickly.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
It would have to be something really huge, like a cure for cancer or HIV or world peace. Aside from that, I like my feet just the way they are, thank you.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
What annoys me the most are our community’s attempts to run frantically away from some of the stereotypes about us. There is nothing wrong with being a feminine man, a masculine woman, a radical feminist, sex-positive or a drag queen.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
There are so, so many that I haven’t seen! But I do love “Boys Don’t Cry” and “But I’m a Cheerleader.”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Mornings. And the five-day work week.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
Being seen as an advocate for social change by my family, friends, and coworkers and, what’s a lot harder, being someone who actually makes change happen.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
That my life was about to get dramatically better when I went to college and left my small, private, Catholic, cliquey, conservative, all-girls high school.
Why Washington?
I moved here right after college in 1995 and never left: great mass transit, free museums, a really diverse population and progressive overall. What’s not to like?
Arts & Entertainment
Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71
Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’
Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.
O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.
In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.
In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”
Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.
Friday, January 30
Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).
Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, January 31
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, February 1
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, February 2
“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 (adamheller@thedccenter.org).
Tuesday, February 3
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].
Wednesday, February 4
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.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, February 5
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 5:00 pm 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, breath work 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
D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers listed for sale
Move follows months of challenges for local businesses in wake of Trump actions
A Santa Monica, Calif.-based commercial real estate company called Zacuto Group has released a 20-page online brochure announcing the sale of the D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers and its adjoining lesbian bar A League of Her Own.
The brochure does not disclose the sale price, and Pitchers owner David Perruzza told the Washington Blade he prefers to hold off on talking about his plans to sell the business at this time.
He said the sale price will be disclosed to “those who are interested.”
“Matthew Luchs and Matt Ambrose of the Zacuto Group have been selected to exclusively market for sale Pitchers D.C., located at 2317 18th Street, NW in Washington, D.C located in the vibrant and nightlife Adams Morgan neighborhood,” the sales brochure states.
“Since opening its doors in 2018, Pitchers has quickly become the largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ bar in Washington, D.C., serving as a cornerstone of D.C.’s modern queer nightlife scene,” it says, adding, “The 10,000+ SF building designed as a large-scale inclusive LGBTQ+ sports bar and social hub, offering a welcoming environment for the entire community.”
It points out that the Pitchers building, which has two years remaining on its lease and has a five-year renewal option, is a multi-level venue that features five bar areas, “indoor and outdoor seating, and multiple patios, creating a dynamic and flexible layout that supports a wide range of events and high customer volume.”
“Pitchers D.C. is also home to A League of Her Own, the only dedicated lesbian bar in Washington, D.C., further strengthening its role as a vital and inclusive community space at a time when such venues are increasingly rare nationwide,” the brochure says.
Zacuto Group sales agent Luchs, who serves as the company’s senior vice president, did not immediately respond to a phone message left by the Blade seeking further information, including the sale price.
News of Perruzza’s decision to sell Pitchers and A League of Her Own follows his Facebook postings last fall saying Pitchers, like other bars in D.C., was adversely impacted by the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard soldiers on D.C. streets
In an Oct. 10 Facebook post, Perruzza said he was facing, “probably the worst economy I have seen in a while and everyone in D.C. is dealing with the Trump drama.” He told the Blade in a Nov. 10 interview that Pitchers continued to draw a large customer base, but patrons were not spending as much on drinks.
The Zacuto Group sales brochure says Pitchers currently provides a “rare combination of scale, multiple bars, inclusivity, and established reputation that provides a unique investment opportunity for any buyer seeking a long-term asset with a loyal and consistent customer base,” suggesting that, similar to other D.C. LGBTQ bars, business has returned to normal with less impact from the Trump related issues.
The sales brochure can be accessed here.
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