Arts & Entertainment
Wade in the water
Former NFL player Davis to speak at Youth Pride Saturday
Youth Pride Day
Saturday
Noon-5 p.m.
Dupont Circle
Youthpridealliance.org
Youth Pride Day, the regionās largest event for LGBT youth staged each year by the Youth Pride Alliance, is Saturday and about 500 teens and 40 organizations are expected for an afternoon of music, videos, dance, drag and more.
Wade Davis, a former NFL player who came out last year as gay, will speak at the event. He entertained a bevy of questions during a phone interview this week from his Manhattan office where he works as assistant director of job readiness and academic enrichment at Hetrick-Martin Institute. Some comments have been edited for length and clarity.
BLADE: How did the invitation come about to visit Washington?
DAVIS: They reached out and asked if I could come. Anytime I have an opportunity to work with young people, Iām gung ho. Iām also nervous because the expectations with kids are a lot different than they are with adults, but they inspire me and give me strength when they share their stories with me.
BLADE: Youāve spoken before about being able to pass for straight and how that saved you from likely grief in the NFL. Do you think queer teens who are more likely to be perceived as LGBT have a tougher time overall?
DAVIS: Yes, because not all kids have the ability to exist as I did and if their gender representation is deemed to be, say, more effeminate, they are targeted. Thatās one thing I try to do is illuminate the issue and point out that ā¦ itās not OK to bully and demean those who donāt have the option of passing.
BLADE: Does your youth advocacy work on LGBT issues dovetail with the youth work you do with Hetrick-Martin?
DAVIS: Yes, they fit in perfectly.
BLADE: What recurring theme you hear from LGBT teens has been the most surprising?
DAVIS: One of the big things is they say people who identify as LGBT are actually the ones that are most critical of them. They say our young people have to exist in certain ways to further the gay movement, like not wear pants that sag or talk to loud. They think they should be more buttoned up and show a more pristine view of what it means to be LGBT. The kids feel they arenāt accepted in many adult LGBT circles because people want them to act differently. I think itās very tragic.
BLADE: Youāve said before it was good you werenāt out during your years playing as you didnāt have enough LGBT experience or interaction to have contributed anything meaningful to the national dialogue at that time. Can you elaborate on what your feelings were at the time?
DAVIS: When I was playing from around 2000 to 2004, there were no conversations around gay athletes. It just wasnāt in my purview then and I had little if any contact with anyone who was gay. Even when I came out to myself in college finally ā I still wasnāt able to say the words but I was very conscious of liking guys ā but it was this unspoken thing that nobody was talking about so I certainly wasnāt going to talk about it either. When youāre not exposed to anything different, you donāt even have the language to really say what it is. I wouldnāt have even known how to articulate it. I didnāt know there was an acronym. I thought a transgender person was just drag. I had pretty much zero understanding so looking back Iām glad I didnāt say or do things at the time that would have been harmful to young people because of my lack of knowledge.
BLADE: Are you in a relationship now?
DAVIS: Yes. Iāve been in a relationship now for six years. He keeps me in line and makes sure I have a good work/life balance.
BLADE: You live together in Manhattan?
DAVIS: Yes, but heās trying to convince me to move to Italy one day soon. He owns his own line of high end Italian furniture and thinks we should live there.
BLADE: Heās Italian?
DAVIS: No, Steven is Australian, he just loves Italy.
Theater
Talented pair of local queer actors tackles āLittle Shop of Horrorsā
Fordās production features terrific score
āLittle Shop of HorrorsāĀ
Through May 18
Fordās Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.orgĀ
Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, āLittle Shop of Horrorsā has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Fordās Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors whoāve longed to appear in the show since they were kids.
Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashmanās hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.
Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymourās love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, āAudreyās been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.ā
The queer D.C. native adds, āOn long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing weād do is pop a āLittle Shop of Horrorsā video [film version] into the carās VHS player. Iāve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.ā
After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllisterās production at Fordās, Wereley never thought sheād book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.
Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: āI started watching the film in ā86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didnāt know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.ā
When asked by Fordās to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant āyes.ā
Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, āpeople ask if Iām singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, Iām not, and thatās fine. But letās face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I donāt feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.ā
Heās worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant ā his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show.
Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereleyās striking rendition of Audreyās āSuddenly Seymour,ā and Youngās soulful āFeed Me (Git It).ā Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater.
When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like āMashed Potato Time,ā and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelleās girl group anthem āWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow.ā As Audrey, Wereley eschews the characterās usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo.
āItās important for people to see themselves on stage,ā she says. āSeeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. Itās important.ā
In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in āDream Girlsā at Tobyās Dinner Theatre, and heās been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didnāt see a lot of himself ā Black and queer ā on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says
An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, ātheater is a safe space for queer people. Thatās the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.ā
He adds, āWhatās great about Fordās is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. Itās meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.ā
Finger lasers, confetti cannons, drag shows, photo booths, throwback tunes, and a touch nerdy: after a long break, D.C.ās gay DJ collective CTRL is throwing its first party in six years.
Born in an Eritrean restaurant more than a decade ago, this longstanding gay nightlife electropop group is resurfacing with a comeback event at Trade on March 30.
Gay DJs Adam Koussari-Amin, Jeff Prior, Devon Trotter, and Brett Andreisen hosted the first CTRL party at now-closed restaurant Dahlak, on the corner of 18th and U Streets. After a year of hosting pop-ups in that restaurantās dining room, they upgraded down 18th Street to now-closed gay club Cobalt. There, the parties grew: drag shows, a pop-up photo booth from David Claypool, and quirky activations like throwing hot dogs into print-outs of Putinās mouth. Their productions grew as well, like producing the now-defunct Brightest Young Gays (BYG) Pride events at Wonderbread Factory and Union Market and the āGet Wetā pool party with David Brownās Otter Crossing at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.
CTRL wasnāt done. The group received its biggest stage yet after a call from Ed Bailey, the owner of now-closed gay club Town, as well as current gay bars Number 9 and Trade. At Town, the opportunity āallowed our creativity to flourish with even bigger performances, bigger photo experiences, crazier hand-outs, and the same electropop dance vibes our fans had come to know us for,ā says Koussari-Amin.
CTRL pressed pause when Town shut down, which āwas a huge loss to the LGBTQIA+ community and D.C. nightlife in general,ā says Koussari-Amin. After that, it hosted an occasional spinoff called QWERTY. Post-pandemic, Koussari-Amin has spent a few nights solo as DJ at Trade and other venues.
After connecting with Jesse Jackson, the Trade general manager, as well as with Bailey, who agreed to host the inaugural event, Koussari-Amin was determined to shift CTRL back to life.
However, getting the old band back together proved to be a challenge. While the rest of the group have either left Washington, D.C., or are pursuing other projects, Koussari-Amin received their blessing to stay on and find new members.
āWhen it came to finding new partners, both DJ Dez [Desmond Jordan] and DJ Lemz [Steve Lemmerman] were obvious choices,ā he says, noting that āthey also have distinct styles and interests.ā Dez has a residency at Pitchers and Kiki as well as pop-ups, and Lemz throws events like Sleaze and BENT.
āIt seemed important to come back to the nightlife table with an experience that could complement all the amazing experiences that have even built up since CTRL threw its last event at Town. Bringing back both the DJ collective and the CTRL event with Dez and Lemz means new voices, perspectives, sounds, and excitement.ā
āCTRL is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy music, drinks, and good vibes,ā adds Jordan, noting that for him, itās an event that celebrates queer identity.
And after months of planning, CTRL will kick off its monthly party series at Trade on March 30 for the first gig after its glow-up.
The trio says that its core inspiration āis driven by the indie and electropop favorites of new and old, like Goldfrapp, Ava Max, Charli XCX, ā¦ We’re also all huge fans of slut and trash pop music like Kim Petras, Slayyyter, Cupcakke,ā as well as pop diva remixes, new bops, and songs that reside inside and far beyond the expanse of Top 40.
CTRL is also bringing back its activations that complement the tunes. Summer Camp is set for drag performances, David Claypool is back with his photo booth, and Koussari-Amin promises āto have all sorts of weird and wacky handouts like we used to.ā
After the March premiere, Aprilās party is āCTRLellaā, a Coachella send-up. Future events will feature various different themes, and they plan to throw a party during Capital Pride; theyāre also looking to be a central part of Tradeās expansion into the adjacent space.
Koussari-Amin says that āthe eventās signature experience [is] a lynchpin in connecting D.C.ās expanding generations of queer folks, giving everyone a safe space to let loose and feel a rush no matter who they are.ā
For his part, Bailey continues to support CTRL and its collective intention, expressing its essential nature as a party for partiers by partiers. āCTRL is the kind of party that represents what people want. Itās just a real party by real people that just want to hear good music and dance with their friends.ā
Celebrity News
HRC releases āQueer Renaissance Syllabusā
BeyoncĆ©ās hit album inspired curriculum
In a move aimed at celebrating the beauty, brilliance and resilience of the LGBTQ community, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” that BeyoncĆ©ās āRenaissanceā album inspired.
Curated by Justin Calhoun, Leslie Hall and Chauna Lawson of the HRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, the syllabus includes a variety of academic articles, essays, films and other media rooted in Black queer and feminist studies. Each piece is directly inspired by the tracks on BeyoncĆ©’s Billboard 200-topping dance album, “Renaissance.”
BeyoncĆ©’s album “Renaissance” stands as a cultural milestone, celebrating the Black queer roots of dance music while shedding light on overlooked Black queer artists. Inspired by her late-Uncle Johnny, the album not only garnered critical acclaim but also shed light on the often marginalized contributions of Black queer artists. Winning four Grammys and yielding chart-topping hits like āBreak My Soulā and āCuff It,ā the album sparked discussions about economic impact and cultural representation.
Amid its success, legislative challenges arose, with Florida and Texas enacting bans on DEI initiatives in public colleges. Recognizing the album’s transformative potential, HRC developed the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” to leverage its impact for education and activism.
Tailored for educators, youth-serving professionals, DEI practitioners, higher education leaders and admirers of BeyoncĆ©’s artistry, the syllabus aims to encourage meaningful discussions, enrich lesson plans, and explore innovative ways to honor the vibrancy and significance of LGBTQ individuals and their culture.
With six themes anchoring the syllabus, ranging from “intersectionality and inclusivity” to “social justice and activism,” it provides a comprehensive exploration of various facets of LGBTQ experiences and expressions. Fan-favorite tracks from the album are paired with scholarly readings, offering insights into empowerment, self-acceptance and the transformative power of artistic expression. The syllabus also reinforces HRCās efforts to highlight, amplify and re-center Black and queer voices.
By providing links to articles, books, podcasts and interviews, each associated with a song from the album, it celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Black queer community.
The concluding section of the syllabus includes BeyoncĆ©’s tribute to OāShea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to āRenaissanceā songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.
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