Arts & Entertainment
‘Fair Haven’ subtle, effective
‘Reparative’ therapy drama screens April 23 at HRC
Actor Tom Wopat in ‘Fair Haven.’ (Photo courtesy Reel Affirmations)
“Fair Haven” is a thoroughly engaging movie that tackles a difficult topic (the devastating impact of “reparative” therapy) with a surprisingly light hand and admirable subtlety.
The film tells the story of James Grant (Michael Grant), a promising young pianist who has been sent to reparative therapy by his concerned conservative parents. He returns home to work in the family apple orchard run by his gruff father Richard (Tom Wopat) and starts dating Suzy Thomas (Lily Anne Harrison), the preacher’s daughter. An unexpected and unwelcome encounter with his ex-boyfriend Charlie (Josh Green) forces him to reassess his dreams and desires. (Washington Blade interviews Wopat here.)
Director Kerstin Karlhuber handles her first feature-length narrative film with considerable assurance. Her sense of timing is confident and firm. The deeply emotional story is given room to breathe and unfold at its own pace. Several wordless sequences are beautiful duets between the director and her actors, allowing the characters (and the audience) to sort out their conflicted feelings.
Her visual style is also compelling. Working with cinematographer Jason Beasley, Karlhuber captures both the lush beauty of the Vermont countryside and the cramped confines of small town rural life. The recurring overhead shots of James in his childhood bedroom, for example, help to define the character and give the film momentum.
The script by Jack Bryant is generally strong. Bryant and Karlhuber wisely show James’ conversion therapy sessions in a series of flashbacks. This shows how the lingering effects of the deep psychic trauma inflicted on the young man continue to haunt him while allowing the present-day story to move along more quickly. The dialogue is natural and unforced and captures the rhythms of New England speech well.
Unfortunately, the resolution, while ultimately believable, comes a little quickly. While the scenes of Richard wandering the orchard by himself and James sitting alone in a pasture are lovely, more dialogue would make the final scenes flow more smoothly. Likewise, the backstory is not entirely clear. James’ relationship with his late mother is not well-defined and the sequence of events before and after his involuntary commitment is confusing. Likewise, the original music by Christopher Farrell often doesn’t seem to match the mood of the scenes or the personality of the characters.
Despite these challenges, Karlhuber gets strong performances from her lead actors. Tom Wopat’s stern performance may be a revelation to fans who remember him as Luke Duke or know him as a suave singer. Wopat sympathetically captures a laconic New England farmer unsure of how to handle rapidly changing circumstances. He also sings on the soundtrack during the final credits. In a similar manner, television and theatre actor Gregory Harrison is calmly effective as the sincere (and sincerely homophobic) doctor who tries to return James to the straight and narrow based on a very narrow reading of the Bible.
Michael Grant, who already has a string of impressive credits, turns in a strong performance as the troubled teenager. He is also, apparently, a talented pianist who performs his own keyboard work. Green and Harrison are both fine as unintentional rivals for James’ affections.
“Fair Haven” is a moving film that deserves great success on the LGBT festival circuit and in theaters after its world premiere here in D.C. Director Kerstin Karlhuber and her cast and crew tell a timely tale with appropriate style and simple grace.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
Jason Collins dies at 47
Polish government to recognize same-sex marriages from EU countries
America’s broken pipeline of mental healthcare for trans youth
GLAA releases ratings for 18 candidates running for D.C. mayor, Council, AG
Blade finalist for D.C. Society of Professional Journalists awards
Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Celebrate Pride in Lost River, a slice of rural heaven
Learn more about queer love
