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Best of Gay D.C. XIII: People

Winners from the Blade’s readers poll

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To see the winners of the Washington Blade’s Best of Gay D.C. readers poll in other categories, clickĀ here.

Best Singer or Band

Frankie & Betty

Runner-up: Wicked Jezabel

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Frankie and Betty (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Frankie & Betty are a queer acoustic rock duo comprised of Rachel Bauchman (vocals/bass/guitar) and Jessie Strick (lead guitar). Since forming in 2011, theyā€™ve played numerous events, including Roanoke Pride, Phasefest several times and more. They have shows planned at Tree house Lounge on Monday night and the Rock and Roll Hotel on Thursday. Look them up on Facebook to stay current. (JD)

Local Heroine

Ruby Corado

Runner-up: Ashliana Rowe

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Ruby Corado (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Long-time LGBT advocate Ruby Corado is the visionary behind Casa Ruby, a local bilingual, multicultural LGBT organization that works to create ā€œsuccess life storiesā€ among LGBT, gender queer and gender non-conforming residents in need. The recently wed Corado is a former Capital Pride Hero and has received many accolades for her work. (JD)

Casa Ruby

2822 Georgia Ave., N.W.

202-355-5155

casaruby.org

Local Hero

Sgt. Matthew Mahl

Runner-up: Ed Bailey

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Sgt. Matt Mahl (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Sgt. Matthew Mahl, who oversees six officers as part of the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit of the D.C. Metro Police Department, says itā€™s ā€œbeen a good year.ā€

ā€œI donā€™t want to say crime is up, but we have been busier,ā€ the 35-year-old Havana, Ohio, native says. ā€œWe have our hands in a lot of stuff.ā€

Mahl, a cop for 15 years and in Washington since 2001, joined the MPD in 2004 and the GLLU in 2012, having spent his entire previous career on patrol duty. He was forced out on the job during a 2007 incident in which his locker was vandalized but says thatā€™s the only bad experience heā€™s ever had on the force.

Although initially hesitant to join the GLLU, he says overall itā€™s been a great experience and he enjoys helping his fellow officers learn ā€œthe sensitivities and needs of the LGBT community.ā€ (JD)

Best Drag King

Avery Austin

Runner-up: Sebastian Katz

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Avery Austin (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Anna Wimpelberg works by day as an HIV researcher at Whitman-Walker Health but her drag alter ego Avery Austin was born about 11 years ago when the 36-year-old New Orleans native and lesbian saw a drag show in Boston, her then-home.

A veteran of various high school and college theater productions, she says she recognized ā€œimmediately that it was something I would love to do.ā€ She continued during an eight-year stint in Austin, Texas, and joined the D.C. Kings when she came to Washington about three years ago. She calls herself Ā ā€œthe theater nerd of the groupā€ and guesses she performs with them at Phase 1 and occasional other venues about four or five times per year, often recreating songs sheā€™s seen on ā€œGlee!ā€

Find more information on the Kings at dckings.com. (JD)

Best Realtor

Mark Rutstein

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Mark Rutstein (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

1606 17th St. N.W.

202-498-1198

iknowdc.com

Runner-up: Ray Gernhart

 

Best DJ

DJ Rosie

Runner-up: Shea Van Horn

people, gay news, Washington Blade

DJ Rosie (Washington Blade photo by Blake Bergen)

DJ Rosie Hicks has been spinning for about 13 years and spins regularly at the Hippo in her hometown Baltimore and also at LURe at Cobalt, Phase 1 and other area events in addition to a day job teaching special education.

Known for a mix of hip-hop, R&B, pop and more, she says she just all-around loves music. She also won this award in 2012.

ā€œI love making people happy out there,ā€ the Baltimore native says. ā€œThe whole point of coming out to a bar or club to hear a DJ is to let go of worries and cares and enjoy it.ā€

Look her up on Facebook to stay current with her events. (JD)

Best Drag Queen

Baā€™Naka

Runner-up: Heidi Glum

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Ba’Naka (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A flip-flop of last yearā€™s results when Glum won, Baā€™Naka (Dustin Michael Schaad) is on top again this year adding to her 2012, 2011 and 2010 prizes (a Blade record) in this category.

Baā€™Naka, who now does drag full-time and has positioned herself as the go-to gal for everything from hosting local Family Feud nights to getting you ready (for a fee of course!) for Miss Adams Morgan two weeks ago, she is widely known in the community for her outspoken Facebook comments, elaborate Disney routines (her Ursula is legendary) and consistent A-game delivery. And although it hasnā€™t happened yet, sheā€™s our best local hope for ā€œRuPaulā€™s Drag Race.ā€ (JD)

Hottest Stripper or Go-go Dancer

Steve Pena

Runner-up: Christian Lezzil

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Steve Pena (Photo courtesy Steve Pena)

Steve Pena got into dancing through his husband, Brent Everett, with whom he also runs a popular porn site (brenteverett.com). Heā€™s nonchalant about the work, which he does everyĀ FridayĀ night at Town when heā€™s in Washington and monthly at Latin Night at Cobalt.

ā€œItā€™s a way to have fun, stay in touch with friends and fans and meet future models for our website,ā€ the San Diego-born, Texas-reared Pena says.

In the region for about a year and a half, Pena, in an e-mail from Amsterdam where heā€™s traveling, says he appreciates the support.

ā€œI have the best and most loyal friends, fans and followers out there.ā€ (JD)

 

Best Burlesque Dancer

Private Tails

Runner-up: Glam Gamz

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Private Tails (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Private Tails (aka Ashliana Rowe) has been performing burlesque since 2005 and has drawn influence from classic burlesque, hip-hop, Broadway and more for what she calls ā€œthe art of the tease.ā€

As producer of Private Tease Productions, a monthly variety show she uses as an outlet for young performers she mentors, she says she ā€œenjoys the creative process of developing new numbers and looks forward to the opportunity to whip up a fresh new performance.ā€

Although she has several titles under her belt, this is a new category for Best Of and sheā€™s the inaugural winner.

Her next performance is at Phase 1 on Halloween. Keep up with her on Facebook or at privatetails.com. (JD)

Best Business Person

DC Allen

Runner Up: Ray Gernhart

DC Allen, Crew Club, gay news, Washington Blade

DC Allen (Washington Blade file photo by Pete Exis)

Businessman DC Allen has been credited with setting the pace for local gay-owned businesses to support the broader LGBT community.

Allen along with his husband Ken Flick owns the Crew Club, a D.C. health club and sauna that caters to gay men.

Last year Allen, 58, presented the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community with a $25,000Ā check to help the Center pay for renovation costs for its new space in the cityā€™s Reeves Center municipal building at 14th and U streets, N.W.

ā€œWe decided it was important for the center to be there for all of us in the community,ā€ Allen says.

Since opening the Crew Club at 1321 14th St., N.W., in the early 1990s, Allen has supported a number of local LGBT organizations and causes, including the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, which presented Allen with its Distinguished Service Award in 1998.

Under Allenā€™s direction, the Crew Club has also supported Whitman-Walker Health and Us Helping Us, two local community health organizations that provide services to the LGBT community, including AIDS education and prevention services.

In addition to providing financial support for the two groups, Allen has arranged for staff members of the groups to provide HIV testing on the Crew Clubā€™s premises. The Crew Club also serves as a major distribution point for HIV prevention literature and free condoms.

The Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce recently named Allen Business Leader of the Year. (LC)

Best Massage

Che Young

Runner-up: Eddie Weingart

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Che Young (Photo by Chris Jay Photography)

Relax the stress away with a massage by Che Young. Young provides deep tissue, Swedish, clinical and massage therapy. The Alexandra-based pro can be reached at 703-627-9090 or visit massagetherapy.com. (MC)

 

Best Visual Artist

Denis Largeron

Denis Largeron (Photo by Denis Largeron)

Denis Largeron (Photo by Denis Largeron)

1621 T St., N.W., Apt. 201

202-420-1030

demislargeron.com

Runner-up: Amy Martin

Best Personal Trainer

Gerard Burley

Runner-up: Bucky Mitchell

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Gerard Burley (Photo by Scott Henrichsen)

Gerard Burley shares fitness tips via his biweekly column in the Blade. He also makes appearances on Fox 5 and is known for his SweatDC fitness party. Find him via Facebook for regular updates and inspirational fitness-related posts.

(Editorā€™s note: Bucky Mitchell also writes a biweekly column in the Blade.)

Best TV Personality

Chuck Bell, NBC4

Runner-up: Wendy Rieger

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Chuck Bell (Washington Blade photo by Jonathan Ellis)

Best Actor

Mickey Daniel DaGuiso

Runner-up: Will Gartshore

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Mickey Daguiso, center (Photo courtesy The Landless Theatre Company)

Mickey Daniel DaGuiso grew up in the D.C. suburbs. He attended Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, mostly for the music program, and graduated from the University of Virginia where he majored in anthropology and philosophy.

Throughout school, he was involved in band (saxophone, piano) and chorus. It wasnā€™t until after college that DaGuiso started doing musicals. ā€œIt began as sort of a whim,ā€ he says, ā€œand then I was instantly hooked.ā€

Among the local companies where heā€™s worked, his favorites are Keegan Theatre (ā€œMan of La Manchaā€ and ā€œRentā€) and Landless Theatre where he played Kebab in ā€œPerez Hilton Saves the Universeā€ and the lead in ā€œSpidermusical,ā€ a spoof of Broadwayā€™s ā€œSpiderman,ā€ and many other roles. He has also served as musical director and accompanist for assorted Landless productions.

ā€œKeegan is such a friendly, supportive community yet the creativity and work involved is just superior. Landless is the most enjoyable both on stage and backstage, efficient and creative with time and space, with vision and little ego.ā€

Currently DaGuiso is taking a year away from theater to travel the world. (He responded to these interview questions via email from India where heā€™s embarking on a six-month walkabout.) While traveling heā€™s trying his hand at playwriting.

ā€œI’m keeping it very open-ended so just reading a lot, taking down inspiration whenever it comes and doing a daily writing practice. I do plan on continuing with acting in D.C. when I get back. But who knows what the future holds? I’m like the wind.ā€ (PF)

Best Actress

MaryBeth Wise

Runner-up: Holly Twyford

people, gay news, Washington Blade

MaryBeth Wise in ‘How to Write a New Book for the Bible.’ (Photo by Danisha Crosby)

MaryBeth Wise likens acting to a never-ending education. Currently sheā€™s taking a class for experienced actors at Studio Theatre.

ā€œI feel that itā€™s a good way to flex my muscles when Iā€™m not working,ā€ she says. ā€œAnd I get to do scenes that Iā€™ve always wanted to do by my favorite playwrights like Pinter, Beckett and Chekhov.

Wise advises young actors to see as much theater as possible. ā€œThe more you absorb, the better off youā€™ll be. The more youā€™ll have available in experience and imagination. After all, what else do we have?ā€

Typically cast as women of substance, Wiseā€™s more memorable roles include Anne Sullivan in Olney Theatreā€™s ā€œThe Miracle Worker,ā€ a New York psychiatrist in Studio Theatreā€™s ā€œFrozen,ā€ a newly out lesbian in ā€œBody Awarenessā€ at Theater J, and most recently the stalwart wife and mother married to Mitchell HĆ©bert in Round Houseā€™s ā€œHow to Write a New Book for the Bible,ā€ a part that called for her to age from 40 to 80 on a dime.

Offstage, Wiseā€™s partner is local actor Sarah Marshall. The talented pair got to know each other while working on Woolly Mammothā€™s production of Paula Vogelā€™s ā€œThe Mineola Twinsā€ in 2003. ā€œIt was a great time,ā€ Wise says. ā€œAnd the show was a lot fun. I played a man in the first act and a woman in the second.ā€

Wise grew up in Miami. She started acting while an undergraduate at Barry University. Initially she came to Washington to attend Catholic University where she earned a masterā€™s in acting.

ā€œThe D.C. theater scene is one of the best in the country,ā€ Wise says. ā€œWe have a variety of theaters doing interesting, cutting-edge work. Our audiences can handle thought-provoking theater. And the actors are supportive. Itā€™s great.ā€ (PF)

Best Hill Staffer

Kat Skiles

Runner-up: Kenneth Dowling

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Kat Skiles (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

As Hill staffers go, Kat Skiles has moved to the top. In July, she became digital director and senior adviser to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). It’s the Utah native’s second consecutive year winning this award. (CJ)

Best Straight Ally

Leigh Ann Hendricks

Runner-up: Brett Johnson

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Leigh Ann Hendricks (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Leigh Ann Hendricks made a big change five years ago to manage Level One (in the basement of Cobalt) after 17 years just down the street at Annieā€™s Paramount Steakhouse.

Managing a staff of about 35 ā€” 90-95 percent of whom, she estimates, are LGBT ā€” she says was a logical change and one she made with no hard feelings toward Annieā€™s. Having grown up with a gay best friend, she says it simply never occurred to her to treat gay people any differently. She was also inspired by the example of Annieā€™s namesake, the late Annie Kaylor, whom she worked with for years.

ā€œShe was like our second mother,ā€ Hendricks says. ā€œHer attitude was, ā€˜They either like my gay friends or they donā€™t like me,ā€™ and thatā€™s been mine as well.ā€ (JD)

Level One

1639 R St. N.W.

202-745-0025

levelonedc.com

BestĀ Bartender

Dusty Martinez (Town Patio/Number 9)

Runner-up: Angela Lombardi (Phase 1)

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Dusty Martinez (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Baltimore native Dusty Martinez has been in the food and beverage industry for a decade and recently completed an in-house internship at the W Hotel. He recently moved from serving customers at Number 9 to operating the new Town Patio, and he is also the owner and director of D&D Cocktails, a private bartending company serving the D.C. area.

Dusty Martinez

202-765-7550

danddcocktails.squarespace.com

Best Rehoboth Bartender

Holly Lane, CafƩ Azafran

Runner-up: Matt Urban, Blue Moon

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Holly Lane (Washington Blade photo by Kevin Naff)

Holly Lane has lived in more places than most people have visited: Martinique, Greece, Bahamas, Paris, Chicago, Switzerland, the list goes on.

Sheā€™s a native Washingtonian who trained in dance at the Washington School of Ballet and later at a modern dance school in Bethesda. After school ā€” and a stint in Chicago with her then-husband ā€” Laneā€™s travels began in earnest. She left her husband and moved to the Bahamas at age 23 to dance at the Paradise Island resort. A Club Med gig led to more travel and finally a trip to Paris, where she auditioned for a dancing job and stayed for 15 years.

ā€œIt was nice to have a place to decorate,ā€ says Lane, sipping a coffee on an unseasonably warm October day in Rehoboth Beach, Del. ā€œI rented a furnished apartment and gradually replaced everything with my own finds at the Paris flea markets.ā€

After years of working as a professional dancer, it was in Paris at age 30 that Lane discovered she could also sing. She landed a job in a musical production and then at the Hollywood Savoy in the ā€˜80s, where the wait staff also served as the entertainment, singing and dancing for customers during dinner.

ā€œIt was a great place to learn,ā€ she says.

Despite the excitement and adventure of living and working abroad, Lane said a voice kept telling her it was time to go home and so in 1995, she returned to D.C.

ā€œIā€™m glad I did all the things I did when I did them,ā€ she says. ā€œI just found my passport and realized I havenā€™t been abroad since 2007.ā€

After the death of a boyfriend, Lane went to visit her parents at their home in Rehoboth Beach, which theyā€™ve owned since 1977 and stayed. Sheā€™s lived full time in the popular beach resort town since 2000 and spent about 10 years in a jazz band performing around the state. Her parents, now 93, still live there. Lane says her father sold the family home in D.C. through a real estate ad in the Washington Blade a few years ago and relocated full-time to Rehoboth.

In summer of 2010, the owner of CafĆ© Azafran was opening a new location in Rehoboth and offered Lane a bartending job. Sheā€™s worked there since. You can find her tending bar Thursday-Sunday evenings but Thursday is the night when sheā€™s joined by fellow Rehoboth entertainer John Flynn, who plays the keyboard while Lane sings into her wireless headset while making drinks.

ā€œI enjoy multi-tasking,ā€ she says.

CafƩ Azafran attracts a mixed crowd and Lane treats customers like they are guests in her home rather than patrons at a bar. She always finds room at the large granite bar for another stool and makes sure to introduce newcomers to the rest of the crowd.

Lane, 62, is ā€œhappily singleā€ and lives with her dog JuJuBee, a ā€œcheagle,ā€ a Chihuahua and Beagle mix. In addition to her duties at Azafran, Lane sings at private parties and functions. (KN)

CafƩ Azafran

18 Baltimore Ave.

302-227-8100

cafeazafran.com

Most Committed Activist

David Mariner

Runner-up: Josh Deese

people, gay news, Washington Blade

David Mariner (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

In Washington since 1997, David Mariner, a Corning, N.Y., native, started volunteering at the DC Center in 2008 and became its first full-time executive director a year later.

Under his leadership, the once-fledgling Center has begun to flourish and now has a broad activity schedule and is a hub for LGBT-themed events such as the OutWrite LGBT Book Festival, Reel Affirmations and much more.

ā€œWorking at the DC LGBT Center has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,ā€ Mariner says. ā€œI am so proud of the work we do in the community and am profoundly grateful to the staff and the many volunteers and supporters who make this work possible.ā€ (JD)

The DC Center

2000 14th St., N.W. No. 105

202-682-2245

thedccenter.org

Best Gay Politician

David Catania

David Catania, gay news, Washington Blade

David CataniaĀ (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

davidcatania.com

Runner-up: Tammy Baldwin

Best Trans Advocate

Thomas Coughlin (see Queery)

Runner-up: Ruby Corado

Thomas Coughlin, gay news, Washington Blade

Thomas Coughlin (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Amateur Athlete

Matt Simeon

Runner-up: Eddie Valentine

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Matt Simeon (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Matt Simeon, who currently plays for the Washington Generals, has been a member of the D.C. Gay Flag Football League since 2010. Simeon was also named most valuable player of the league for the 2014 spring season. (MC)

BestĀ Stylist

Michael Hodges

Runner-up: Barry Smythers

people, gay news, Washington Blade

Michael Hodges (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Michael Hodges has been sharpening his techniques in the Washington area for 25 years and is the owner and master Stylist of Logan 14. With a keen eye for current trends in menā€™s hair cuts and womenā€™s styling, Michael and his team are making a powerful impact in the Logan Circle area. (SMH)

Michael Hodges

1314 B 14th St., N.W

202-506-6868

logan14salonspa.com

Best Clergy

Rev. David Lett

David Lett, Lena Lett, gay news, Washington Blade

Rev. David Lett (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

This is Father Lettā€™s second consecutive win in this category. He also won the best drag queen prize as Lena Lett in 2001 and 2002. (JD)

revdlett.com

Runner-up: Rev. Kirsten Blom-Westbrook

Best Republican Advocate

Ted Olson

David Boies, Ted Olson, gay marriage, same-sex marriage, marriage equality, gay news, Washington Blade

Ted Olson (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Runner-up: Sen. Susan Collins

Best First Responder

Justin Markiewicz

Runner-up: Kate Fitzgerald

Justin Markiewicz (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Justin Markiewicz (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Officer Justin Markiewicz has been serving as a part-time member of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Departmentā€™s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit since 2010. Markiewicz hails from Delaware and came to the District to attend Catholic University. After graduation he attended the police academy and was assigned to the 6th District. (MC)

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HRC releases ā€˜Queer Renaissance Syllabusā€™

BeyoncĆ©ā€™s hit album inspired curriculum

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BeyoncƩ performs at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Aug. 6, 2023. The Human Rights Campaign has released a curriculum that her "Renaissance" album inspired. (Washington Blade photo by Isabelle Kravis)

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©ā€™s ā€œRenaissanceā€ 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 ā€œBreak My Soulā€ and ā€œCuff 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 HRCā€™s 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 Oā€™Shea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to ā€œRenaissanceā€ songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.

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Movies

Neo-noir ā€˜Femmeā€™ offers sexy, intense revenge fantasy

A work of real and thrilling cinematic vision

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George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett star in ā€˜Femme.ā€™ (Photo courtesy of Utopia)

They say ā€œrevenge is sweet,ā€ and it must be true. Why else would so many of our popular stories, dating all the way back to ā€œMedeaā€ and beyond, be focused on the idea of getting ā€œevenā€ with the people who have done us wrong?

Itā€™s a concept with obvious appeal for anyone who has felt unjustly used by the world ā€“ or, more accurately, by the people in it ā€“ but that has particular resonance, perhaps, for modern queer audiences, long used to being relegated to the status of ā€œvictimā€ in the narratives we see on our screens. In ā€œFemmeā€ ā€” the new UK indie thriller helmed by first-time feature directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, now in limited theatrical release and expanding wider over the next two weeks ā€” it provides the irresistible hook for a gripping tale of calculated vengeance in the face of anti-queer violence. Like the best of such stories, however, itā€™s as much a cautionary tale as it is a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

Set in London, it centers on Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), aka Aphrodite Banks, a popular drag performer in the cityā€™s queer club scene who, after a performance one night, steps out in full costume to buy a pack of cigarettes and becomes the victim of a traumatic ā€œgay bashingā€ incident at the hands of a young man goaded to violence by a thuggish gang of friends. Months later, though heā€™s recovered from his physical injuries, he is still deeply affected by the inner scars that linger. Robbed of the confidence that allowed him to perform, heā€™s withdrawn into a reclusive life, until concern from his friends and housemates prompts him to finally venture out into the world for a night of cruising at a gay sauna ā€“ where he encounters his bully doing the same thing. 

Unrecognizable and anonymously masculine out of his drag persona, Jules finds himself beginning a dangerous and duplicitous game in which he plans to ā€œoutā€ his former attacker ā€“ whose name, as he learns, is Preston (George MacKay) ā€“ in the most humiliating way possible. As his scheme begins to play out, however, he encounters an obstacle: in getting to know the closeted Preston, he is surprised to discover not only empathy for someone living their life in terrified camouflage, but a mutual attraction that develops despite the horrific history between them.

Framed as a self-described ā€œneo-noirā€ story, a designation that implies a certain flavor of moral ambiguity as much as it does a tense and shadowy tale of intrigue or a psychologically complex tone, itā€™s a movie that relies heavily on style in order to sell its conceptual premise. Realistically, we might question the boldness that permits our protagonist to enact such a potentially hazardous scheme, but in the context of its genre trappings we are lulled into accepting it. And while most of us are likely ā€œjadedā€ enough to question the possibility of tenderness between its two leading characters, the accepted conceits of the film noir form are enough to sell it to us ā€“ or at least allow us to grapple with it alongside Jules, whose righteously Machiavellian master plan is threatened by the feelings he ā€œcatchesā€ in spite of himself.

That, of course, is part of the whole point. ā€œFemme,ā€ though it establishes itself by virtue of its very title as a testament to the struggle to ā€œpassā€ for straight in a world that places a value judgment on perceived adherence to a strict norm for gender and sexuality, hinges on the idea that such things arenā€™t quite as clear-cut as we want to make them. Despite the black-and-white certainty we cling to when it comes to the subject of abusive or toxic relationships, thereā€™s an emotional component that can only be ignored or dismissed at our peril, and even our most resolute intentions can be undermined by the shades of gray we discover in our hearts. 

Freeman and Ng ā€“ who also wrote the screenplay, adapting their own BAFTA-nominated short film from 2021 (starring Harris Dickinson and Paapa Essiedu) into a feature-length expansion ā€“ seem bent on challenging our snap judgments, on forcing us to sympathize with our oppressors by showing us the ways in which they, too, are prevented from living a fully authentic life by the expectations of their cultural environment. Even more challenging for many modern audiences, perhaps, may be the unavoidable observation that, in enacting his plan of revenge, Jules crosses the line between being a victim and being a victimizer ā€“ a fine point that may trigger uncomfortable implications in a social environment that has become marked by divisive moral constructs and hardline ethical posturing.

Before we scare you off with discussion of high-concept themes and ā€œculture warā€ rhetoric, however, itā€™s crucial to bring up the elements that lift ā€œFemmeā€ above and beyond the level of so many such narrative films and makes it a somewhat unexpectedly potent piece of cinematic storytelling ā€“ and all of them have to do with the skill and intention behind it.

As to the former, the movieā€™s first-time directors manage a remarkable debut, steeping their film in moody, genre-appropriate visuals and murky morality. They pave a path beyond the easy assessments proscribed for us by conventional thinking, and force us to follow our sympathies into a disquieting confrontation between what we ā€œknowā€ as right and what we feel as true; at the same time, they push back against any natural sentimentality we might have about the situation, stressing the toxicity of the relationship in the middle of their film, the ironically-reversed insincerity of its dynamic ā€“ and, perhaps most importantly, the reality of the defining circumstances around it. While we might find ourselves longing for a happier resolution than the one we expect, the film makes no pretense that these two men might overcome the deep denial and traumatic associations ā€“ not to mention the calculated lack of honesty on the side of its de facto protagonist, to achieve some kind of ā€œhappy endingā€ between themselves. Nevertheless, we hope for it, in spite of ourselves.

That delicate dynamic works largely because of the movieā€™s lead actors. Both Stewart-Jarrett (ā€œCandymanā€) and MacKay (ā€œPrideā€, ā€œ1917ā€) deliver fully invested, utterly relatable performances, finding the emotional truth behind their interactions with as much palpable authenticity as they bring to the chemistry between them. They force us to abandon our preconceived ideas about each character by finding the human presence behind them, and it makes the storyā€™s final outcome feel as heartbreaking as it does inevitable.

As for intention, ā€œFemmeā€ ā€“ which premiered at last yearā€™s Berlin International Film Festival and went on to gather acclaim across the international film fest circuit ā€“ might be a little hard to take for the easily triggered, we wonā€™t deny it. Still, itā€™s a work of real and thrilling cinematic vision that goes beyond easy morality to highlight the tragedy that comes from being forced to live behind a mask for the sake of societal acceptance. Itā€™s also exciting, smart, and unexpectedly sexy ā€“ all of which make it a highly- recommended addition to your watchlist.

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Out & About

Trans Day of Visibility is here and hereā€™s how to celebrate

Howard County LGBTQIA Commission to host Columbia event

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Howard County LGBTQIA Commission will host its inaugural event celebrating Trans Day of Visibility on Sunday, March 31 at 4 p.m. at Busboys and Poets in Columbia, Md.

The purpose of this inaugural event is to create a welcoming and inclusive space that celebrates and amplifies the voices of the trans community and its allies, highlights the joy and resilience of trans and non-binary individuals everywhere, and elevates their voices and shares their diverse experiences. 

This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā 

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