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‘Cait’ is both trashy, touching

New reality show finds Jenner grappling with new life

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Caitlyn Jenner, gay news, Washington Blade
I am Cait, Caitlyn Jenner, gay news, Washington Blade

Caitlyn Jenner is a reality show veteran. It shows on her new E! series ‘I Am Cait.’ (Photo courtesy NBC Universal)

Caitlyn Jenner’s explosive public unveiling as a trans woman has garnered attention from media and the public alike. Was an accompanying reality show anything but inevitable?

On “I Am Cait,” which premiered on E! on Sunday night, Jenner shares her life now — both her perspective in a deeply personal documentation that delivers a serious message about the trans community and a side of juicy reality television.

“I Am Cait”’s pilot episode starts with chronicling Jenner’s mother and sister as they prepare to meet Caitlyn for the first time. Jenner’s anticipation of meeting her mother and sister has her visibly shaken. At 65, Jenner reverts to childlike nervousness as she waits for her mother and sister to arrive.

Moments like this give a deeper insight into Jenner’s struggle with announcing her trans identity to those she loves. Although, some of these moments are serious, there are plenty of humorous instances where Jenner flat-out demonstrates how this is still a new world for her. While playing tennis with her sister, Jenner admits that she now understands why girls have to wear sports bra in one of the funniest moments of the episode. Jenner says that Bruce was a lot better at playing tennis than Caitlyn because now as a woman, running is harder. Her commentary on such matters gives the show levity.

However, “I Am Cait” is not without its trashy reality show moments. Jenner is a seasoned reality show veteran after appearing on 10 seasons of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and she uses the tricks she’s undoubtedly learned from that show to amp up her own series. In a purely contrived attention-seeking move, there’s a scene where Kim Kardashian and Kanye West drop by. West has made it no secret that he does not like appearing on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” forcing his relationship with Kim to be off camera. Yet here, West utters more words than he ever has on a Kardashian-related show to give his support to Jenner saying how heroic she is for being herself. Nicely put, but a clear PR move calculated by Jenner and West.

The highlight of the entire episode is Jenner consistently bringing attention to the trans community’s struggles and hardships particularly for young trans people. Jenner admits, as she sits for her interview segments in perfectly applied makeup with a closet full of designer clothing donated to her by Tom Ford and Diane Von Furstenberg, that many members of the trans community don’t have the platform she does. She expresses the desire to help the trans community however she can by using the public platform and her voice to spread awareness.

Jenner brings attention to the high rates of murder and suicide in the trans community. She even reveals she has had suicidal thoughts herself. She reaches out to family and friends of transgender teen Kyler Prescott who committed suicide. Jenner speaks with Prescott’s mother and friends and attends a memorial service for the teen. This is what will set this series apart from any like it. Jenner’s dedication to letting the trans community be heard that they are hurting, they are dying and they are in need of support and help. It’s a message that isn’t heard in mainstream entertainment and can be a starting point for making headway on an issue that before has been floundering for visibility.

Yes, there are trashy reality show gimmicks. This is E! after all, what else would one expect? Yet there’s also heart, humor and most importantly a difference being made with this show. Yet Jenner’s intelligence and understanding of her privileged position in the trans community make the show far more than part of an entertaining Sunday night lineup for E!.

At the start of the episode, Jenner worries alone in bed talking to the camera about the tremendous responsibility she feels towards the trans community. “I just hope I get it right. I hope I get it right,” Jenner says. “I Am Cait” is a step in the right direction.

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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’

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(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

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.

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Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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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.  

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D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers listed for sale

Move follows months of challenges for local businesses in wake of Trump actions

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Pitchers is for sale at an undisclosed price. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

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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