a&e features
D.C. queer youth gang featured in new documentary
D.C. queer youth gang featured in new documentary
A still from ‘Check It,’ a documentary on local LGBT youth. (Photo courtesy Olive Productions)
’Check It’
AFI Docs Festival
Saturday, June 25
9 p.m.
Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Sold out
The new documentary “Check It” starts with two powerful titles.
The first provides a sobering statistic for Washington’s LGBT community:
“Washington, D.C. has one of the nation’s highest rates of hate crimes against its LGBTQ community.”
The second announces a brave and unexpected act of resistance against that statistic:
“In 2009, three gay ninth graders started a gang in Washington, D.C. to defend themselves against bullying. Today the Check It has over 200 members and counting.”
Directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer, “Check It” has been selected for the coveted Spotlight Screening on Saturday night of the AFI Docs festival. AFI Docs Director Michael Lumpkin, who is gay, has been a fan of the film for a long time.
“I love “Check It,” he says. “Before I came to AFI, I ran the International Documentary Association. We had a grant program to provide production support for documentaries. Toby and Dana applied for funding for their film three or four years ago. When I was watching the clip they provided with their application, I knew this was going to be a very special film.”
In fact, AFI Docs announced last week that “Check It” was one of 10 films selected to participate in the prestigious AFI Docs Impact Lab. The intensive program will provide Flor and Oppenheimer, who identify as straight allies, with advanced training in the areas of advocacy, grassroots communication and engagement.
“Check It” tells the stories of the founding members of the group. According to Flor and Oppenheimer, Washington has the dubious distinction of having the only organized gang of LGBT youth in the country. The African-American gang started in the Trinidad neighborhood in northeast Washington. The youth already faced the grueling social pressures of poverty, broken homes, prostitution and a broken web of social services. On top of that, they faced violent bullying because of their sexual orientation and their gender-bending fashion sense.
According to Flor, “It came about as a necessity. They banded together because they wanted to protect each other. They became famous — and infamous — for being good at defending themselves. Nobody messes with them because they will fight. And not only do they fight, they do not censor who they are. … They’re flamboyant. They walk around with little Hello Kitty bags and platform shoes and dresses and lipstick. You don’t do that in the neighborhoods they come from. They’re from very tough neighborhoods with very conservative ideas about masculinity. They didn’t want to back down, they just wanted to be who they wanted to be. That’s how it formed. And it’s flourishing because kids are still being kicked out of their houses and being kicked out of school and taking to the streets. They form their own family.”
As one of the Check It members announces in the film, “To be in the Check It, you have to have a good sense of fashion — wild, crazy, colorful. To walk with us, you have to have a heart. You have to believe you’re not gonna take no bullshit from nobody.”
The members of the Check It found some supportive mentors to help turn their energy in a more positive direction. The first was Ronald “Mo” Moten, one of the founders of the controversial Peaceoholics organization which worked with city residents and gang members to reduce violence in the city.
“Basically.” Flor says, “he deals with gang conflict resolution. He is a beloved figure, especially in the worst neighborhoods of the city, especially because he has helped gang members get out of the gang and go to college, and he has squashed a lot of beefs. He’s like a father figure to these kids and he is very fond of them.”
Then there’s local fashion entrepreneur extraordinaire Jarmal Harris. He founded the Jarmal Harris Project, a non-profit organization that works with D.C.-area youth to provide them with opportunities in the fashion industry and beyond.
“Harris runs a fashion camp for high school age kids that trains them in all elements of the fashion industry,” Oppenheimer says. “The film follows some of the Check It kids through six weeks of this fashion camp. Then a handful of them are chosen to go to Fashion Week in New York City. That’s kinda the spine of the film.”
Lumpkin is thrilled to be hosting the Spotlight Screening of “Check It.”
“It has been on my radar for years and I’m really happy to present the hometown premiere at AFI Docs,” Lumpkin says. “It’s the screening I can’t wait for. It’s going to be electric.”
“This film is about a community that isn’t given visibility very often,” he says. “The concept of a queer gang was just something I had never considered. For most gay people, those two ideas just don’t match up. But when you learn about their story, it makes perfect sense. For this community, that’s how they protect themselves; that’s how they survive. People who are queer have to come up with mechanisms for how they’re going to survive the world they come into.”
Lumpkin is also full of praise for the filmmakers.
“It’s fresh and new,” he says. “It was the subject matter that drew me to the film. But it was also the approach the filmmakers took to the subject matter. It’s honest, it’s respectful. Like all excellent documentaries, they provide their subjects with the space for them to have a voice. It takes a lot more than just putting a camera in front of somebody and filming them.”
The members of the Check It agree with Lumpkin’s assessment of their crew and the film. In the film, one of the members says, “It was because of the Check It that these faggots feel more comfortable within themselves to come outside. We can go out in public without being criticized. If they criticize us, they know there will be consequences.”
Towards the end of the movie, another member says, “No one was gonna stand up for us. We stood up for ourselves.”
Tray, one of the film’s subjects, has started actively promoting the documentary at film festivals around the county. Although he initially didn’t want to be in the film (his late mother talked him into it), he’s been delighted by the film’s reception. “I wasn’t sure if people would understand the movie,” he says, “but they actually loved it and they gained something from it. That was the most important thing we wanted.”
Tray says some of the attention has been overwhelming.
“Everywhere we go, people know who we are, but we don’t know who they are. They know our names, but we don’t know theirs.”
Inspired and supported by Moten and Harris, the founding members of the Check It have become role models and entrepreneurs. Oppenheimer says some of the gang members are looking into becoming outreach workers themselves, and that Moten is looking for opportunities for them to talk to younger kids who are still out there.
Flor also reports that the youth have started to launch their own fashion label, Check It Enterprises. They’ve just set up their website and are currently selling stylish T-shirts to the general public. She says, “Basically the idea is to take their skills and turn it to something positive and that’s fashion. They’re pretty fly.”
As for the members of the Check It profiled in the movie, Trey says, “We’re focusing on the documentary and on launching our business. We’re putting 100 percent into it so we can get it off the ground the way we want it to be. Everything is coming together.”
Flor is glad that this movie has been a catalyst for the youth profiled in the film, but notes that more action is urgently needed.
“Marginalized LGBT youth, especially youth of color, exist everywhere,“ she says. “This is our city and these are our kids. People have really turned a blind eye to what’s going on and they should be getting a lot more support.”
“For a city like Washington, that is seen as quite progressive in the way LGBT groups are treated and respected, these kids are not getting the respect, the attention and the opportunities they deserve,” Oppenheier says. “They’re in plain sight but they’ve been quite forgotten. We hope that this film will shine a light on these amazing kids and show them for the smart, ambitious, funny, sensitive human beings that they are.”
And as Tray says in the movie, “I know I’m not where I want to be, but I’m not where I was yesterday. … You don’t have to be afraid to tell your story.”
a&e features
Summer in D.C. brings sports, Restaurant Week, festivals, and more
Summer in D.C. just hits different. Congress is out, school is out, the sun is out, thighs are out. With the skies clearing from Canadian smoke, here are a few ways to stay entertained.
Dining
Summer restaurant week: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is once again hosting Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-24. This weeklong dining experience showcases the dynamic dining scene of the DMV, including 2026 RAMMY Award-winning favorites (the annual D.C. food awards show that took place June 29). Participating restaurants will offer three-course brunch and lunch selections for $25 or $35 per person, and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65 per person.
New Restaurants: A handful of new spots have opened, so the summer is a great time to check them out:
- Oribu: A new Mediterranean-Japanese restaurant in the Grand Hyatt hotel, which just underwent a remodeling effort. The sleek restaurant brings upscale charm, with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare with potato pavé and caviar.
- The Oak Room: A snazzy old-school American grill has just opened in Georgetown, alongside its sister upstairs supper club (Bernadette’s) restaurant, in the old El Centro space.
- Uchi: This showy Japanese sushi-forward chain has landed in Dupont with a chef’s tasting menu of favorites like fatty tuna.
- Kathmandu: Recalling the capital of Nepal, this warm, buzzy subterranean restaurant right in the heart of U Street brings spice, flair, and rare ingredients to its dishes (see: buffalo burgers) and drinks.
Sports
- Washington Spirit Pride Night OUT: On Sunday, Aug. 23, head to Audi Field for a massive, high-energy game following the exciting month of World Cup. The designated Pride Night OUT game promises boisterous crowds plus pre- and post-game community engagements.
- Washington Tennis Open – Now called the Mubadala DC Open, this annual tournament is only combined mens’ and womens’ 500-level tennis tournament in the world. The open is one of D.C.’s longest-standing sports traditions, and will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 25-Aug. 2. Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and others are expected to play.
Festivals
- Afro Plus Fest: This huge, three-day Afro-Caribbean Hip-Hop Festival brings together headliners Davido, Alkaline, and Wizkid, plus Tems and Ayra Starr. The event moves from RFK to the Northwest Stadium Complex for three days, Sept. 4-6.
- Capital Fringe Festival: Running from July 11-21, this massive celebration features dozens of live theater, comedy, dance, and boundary-pushing nighttime performances across multiple DC neighborhoods.
- The National Book Festival returns, with headliners like Cynthia Erivo, and Martin Scorsese. The one-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 22, brings together bookworms and word nerds under the theme “America 250: It’s Your Story.” There are talks, workshops, musical sessions and more.
- All Things Go: A three-day festival Sept. 25-27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion featuring Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many, many more artists. There are single-day and three-day tickets. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members.
- Fuchsia Fest: The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to celebrate LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. The event takes place Sept. 18-20 and is hosted by Capital Pride.
Art and Music
- United We Dance: A high-energy rave with house, techno, bass, and festival music, on Aug. 1 at the 9:30 Club.
- The Fray. On Aug. 14, this American rock band famous for How To Save A Life is at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
- Kesha: Kesha’s high-energy The Freedom Tour comes to the D.C. area on Aug. 14 at Jiffy Lube Live.
- ALOK: On Sept. 3 at Lincoln Theater, ALOK (they/them) performs. The poet, comedian, and actor is putting on a new comedy show.
- 2charm, the emerging Australian electronic club-pop duo popular with the queer community, which blends hyperpop and dance music, comes to the Atlantis.
- Sapphic Dance Party: a vibrant, inclusive nightlife and social event designed specifically for queer women, lesbians, bisexuals, trans individuals, and nonbinary folks, at Atlantis on Aug. 21.
- Jazz in the Garden: The most quintessential of D.C. activities returns Friday evenings through Aug. 14. This season’s theme, “American Sounds,” is a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tunes themes range from Appalachian and Americana to Creole jazz, Hill Country blues, contemporary jazz, and more. Tickets are available through a lottery system a week before each event.
a&e features
Tickets on sale for chef Patrick O’Connell’s book launch event
Sept. 18 kickoff to feature José Andrés, Tom Sietsema
Acclaimed chef Patrick O’Connell is preparing to publish his new memoir, “Main, Middle & Gay” in September and he’s launching the book with an event on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Lisner Auditorium featuring Chef José Andrés and former Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.
Tickets for the event go on sale Tuesday, July 21 at Ticketmaster; prices start at $55.
O’Connell, who’s gay, is the pioneering Michelin-starred chef and longtime proprietor of the Inn at Little Washington. He spoke with the Blade about the September event and the launch of his first memoir.
“I’ve known [Andrés and Sietsema] for more than 25 years and I have great respect for them,” O’Connell said. “I felt that it would allow us to add a different dimension rather than just have an interviewer. The chemistry will be fun and lively and unpredictable and exciting. I think we’re all different personalities and we’ll compliment each other.”
O’Connell has published cookbooks but this is his first memoir. The event will feature a short film that will highlight his work and the Inn.
“What I hope to do with the event is bring the book to life visually,” he said. “So we’re producing a short film that will be part of it. Most of the audience will not have read the book so it’ll give them a visual flavor of the book. It parallels the evolution of American cuisine over 50 years. It’s a rare perspective to be in the trenches for that long.”
The book’s title refers to the location of the garage on the corner of Main, Middle, and Gay streets in Washington, Va., where he launched his restaurant that became an international culinary destination.
The Blade will publish the rest of its wide-ranging interview with O’Connell in September in conjunction with the book’s release.
a&e features
The queer Asian comics building collective joy in D.C.
Spotlighting chaotic ways family, romance, identity take shape in their lives
Kevin Chen’s family tombstone has room for four: him, his parents and his boyfriend. The arrangement might prove to be a little awkward.
“My boyfriend is 100% white, and my parents are 100% disappointed,” Chen confessed.
Jokes about family traditions and the untraditional ways they’re practiced earned a burst of laughs at the bar where Chen was opening for the Pride Comedy Special. The D.C. stand-up event, produced by Comedy Bonfyre last month, spotlighted queer Asian comics who shared the chaotic ways family, romance and identity take shape in their lives.
From candid oral sex takes to top surgery hypotheticals like “Where do the boobs go?”, the night highlighted the loud camaraderie of the queer Asian experience — one that sounds like a cacophony of snorts, cackles and belly laughs. While the comics say they are not quite a community, there’s more than enough shared material to bring them together.
“It was such a magical experience. I loved performing in a queer API lineup. It feels so validating,” Chen said after the show. “I’m wondering, ‘Is this how white men feel all the time?’”
Each performance evoked queer Asian joy through a medium that could use more of its presence.
According to Chen, who is based in D.C., it’s hard to say whether there is a true queer Asian comedy presence in his city. There are only a scattered “handful” of Asian comics, and people of color are underrepresented in queer comic circles, he said.
When Tarunika Anand, a nonbinary lesbian comic, first entered the mainstream D.C. comedy scene, they mostly encountered straight white men, describing the experience as “a culture shock.”
“I feel like sometimes a lot of queer spaces are really white, and then a lot of Asian spaces are really straight,” Anand said. “I don’t feel like I fit into either.”
But feeling marginalized didn’t stop these comics from honing their craft and creating spaces for others like them. Alex Kim, who headlined the special and is based in Brooklyn, runs the queer Asian comedy group Boba Gays, which began on WhatsApp and has since made its way to Lincoln Center.
Every Wednesday, Anand co-produces a free comedy show called Funny Side Up. The queer-led group focuses on inclusivity and showcasing new talent.
“It’s really beautiful to speak about your experience and your existence in a way that’s uplifting,” Anand said.
Family is a major throughline of their comedic repertoires.
Chen, for instance, shared that he identifies with jokes about having Asian immigrant parents and the expectations they pass down.
“You see me, you know this part about me, you know this experience intimately, and I can see the truth that you’re trying to wrap a joke around,” he said. “That hits even harder because that’s my truth too. I think that’s what makes good comedy.”
Anand had the audience at the special howling when they explained that their parents’ be-more-like-them comparisons didn’t end when they came out. Instead, the expectations took on a new form.
“Now, my parents want me to be the best gay,” Anand said. “They’re like, ‘Do you know Ellen DeGeneres?’”
Kim said he’s been trying to unlearn things from his Christian Korean mom. Yet he described a moment when he was getting ready for the club and realized he looked just like his mother getting ready for church.
“I’ve been finding it hard to escape her,” Kim said.
Mutual recognition also radiates through the different ways queer love can take shape. From singlehood to death-do-us-part commitments, the comics cover just about every corner.
Anand is holding out hope for settling down with “a nice, pretty, Indian girl.” They recently went through a breakup and said they felt they dodged a bullet.
“As a person of color, I just don’t think I should be with a Swiftie,” they said.
Chen, touching on what it’s like to be in a queer interracial relationship, said that meeting his white boyfriend’s baby nephew for the first time felt like he was forced to participate in a diversity, equity and inclusion training.
“The dad was like, ‘Please welcome Kevin. Be curious about his culture, his history, his foods,’” Chen joked.
Laughter is not the only reward for the comics.
To Anand, comedy is a space where they can say whatever they want. “It gives me a voice,” they said.
Nik Narain, a North Carolina-based trans and nonbinary South Asian comic who performed at the special, said meeting older trans comedians and taking the stage helped him feel reassured in his identity during his transition.
“Stand-up was a really cool way to process that onstage,” he said. “[It] became a way for me to repackage my thoughts.”
Queer Asians are still figuring out their place in the greater D.C. comedy scene. The group is small in numbers and many are still working toward a full-time comedy career. But Narain feels he’s already made it.
Narain is reluctant to pin it all on one moment. He feels that success is already peeking through in milestones — opening for celebrities, traveling to performances and self-producing shows.
“As long as I can keep doing this, I’m super happy,” he said.
This story was produced as part of the AAJA VOICES fellowship program, a student journalism project of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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