a&e features
Generational shift
Millennials emerge as most LGBT-friendly group in history
David Cahn, left, and Jack Cahn are authors of ‘When Millennials Rule: the Reshaping of America.’ (Photo courtesy the Cahns)
In their new book “When Millennials Rule: the Reshaping of America,” David and Jack Cahn, 20-year-old, identical twin journalists and undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania, investigate what will happen to the political culture in the United States when their generation is in charge.
The Cahn brothers spent five years investigating the “political identity” of the millennial generation, those born anytime from the early ‘80s to about 2000. They traveled across the country and talked to more than 10,000 young people about their views. The Cahns, both straight, drew interesting conclusions about LGBT millennials as well.
But do their conclusions about LGBT millennials and their allies ring true? The answer seems to be yes.
A large focus of the Cahns’ book is how technology has shaped and defined the millennial mindset. David Cahn says that technology has also made the process of coming out easier because you can inform a larger group of your LGBT status rather than having to spread the news by word of mouth.
Sultan Shakir, executive director of Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders (SMYAL), an organization that works with LGBT youth, says technology is largely responsible for the way millennials view the world.
“What we’re seeing with millennials is a desire for equality and a voice that is amplified more than other generations due to social media and other technology,” Shakir says.
Soleil Solomon, a 21-year-old transgender woman and Cinema Studies major at Oberlin College, agrees. She says that technology has empowered millennials, making them more open minded.
“With the rise in use of social media and methods of communication, we’re able to understand experiences that have formerly been seen as completely foreign to us,” Solomon says. “As a result, when we consider our identities within a greater societal framework, we have more breathing room to consider why we hold certain views.”
Cahn also notes that social media has made the question of LGBT rights a more personal one.
“Seeing photos of LGBT friends online makes this a personal issue for many straight Americans,” he says. “[This has] helped accelerate the rate at which our generation has welcomed and been supportive of the LGBT community.”
Nora Bess, a 20-year-old, queer communications major at the University of Texas, Austin, points out how dating apps like Tinder and Grindr have helped normalize LGBT relationships and dating.
“As problematic as they might be, Tinder and Grindr bring non-heteronormative sexuality out of the dark,” she says. “Before, there was this whole mentality that LGBT sexuality was OK as long as it wasn’t on display.”
She says the upcoming election makes this more crucial than ever.
“We’re in a time when LGBT folks, people of color and other minorities have never had such visibility and such legal protections,” she says. “That scares a lot of people. Donald Trump is a businessman by trade. His biggest strategy so far has been getting people to buy in based on fear.”
In their most recent research, the Cahns found Trump extremely unpopular among millennials.
David Cahn also sites a recent USA Today and Rock the Vote poll that shows that voters under 35 would choose Hillary Clinton over Trump by 52 percent.
“A big reason Trump is failing so spectacularly to attract millennial voters is that his divisive rhetoric about gays, blacks, Hispanics and immigrants is repulsive to a generation that believes so fundamentally in the importance of diversity and accepting people for who they are,” he says.
Frankie Yara Colon, a 22-year-old queer, gender-non-conforming, musician and artist from Amherst, Mass., agrees with Cahn’s analysis about Trump, but as a Latinx person, Colon thinks his popularity represents something far more sinister than just a violation of millennial values.
“Trump [represents] millions of people actively condoning murder and displacement of marginalized peoples,” Colon says. “[He is] a clear mirror of the most warped parts of the American consciousness surrounding the treatment of bodies that have been historically and [are] currently contested.”
Colon has been heartbroken by Trump’s success, but despite having grown up in a largely white and conservative community, Colon has seen very few millennials supporting Trump.
But could Trump’s failure among millennials be because they are generally more accepting than Gen Xers or Baby Boomers, the two generations preceding them?
The Cahns certainly think so. They concluded that the millennial generation is the most LGBT-friendly generation in history. A recent Reuters poll finds 54 percent of Americans and 56 percent of millennials think that businesses should not be able to refuse services to LGBT people on the basis of religious beliefs.
Shakir agrees with the Cahns. In his experience at SMYAL, he’s seen that millennials are generally more accepting of LGBT people. Colon also agrees.
“During the Bush era, I remember there being so much resistance toward LGBT people,” Colon says. “‘Gay’ was still all the kids’ favorite word to throw around at something slightly uncomfortable or odd. Dialogue around trans people was non-existent.”
Colon says within the last five years they have seen a lot of their peers have a change of heart as they enter the world.
The increase in acceptance is also due to the fact that, according to David Cahn and a poll conducted by the Williams Institute, 7 percent of people aged 18-35 identify as LGBT, as compared with 4 percent of Americans overall.
Shakir says these statistics ring true. He says there’s no doubt that more millennials are more out than previous generations.
“Some of that is due to increased acceptance … and some is due to an increased spotlight,” he says.
Solomon agrees. She says that because information is readily available to more people than ever before, millennials are able to read about and understand their identities more fully.
“Instead of suppressing their feelings, they are able to reach out to others and confide in them,” Solomon says. “This confidence allows for a bigger and more accepting community.”
With this information, Colon thinks millennials have potential to reform the actions of the previous generation because their “failings are so clear in front of us.”
“A lot of [progress] can be accredited to social media and increased visibility, bringing realizations that they already know, love and could be hurting LGBT people in their lives,” Colon says. “A lot of it is stepping into a world that no longer belongs to our parents and realizing there’s so much to reckon with.”
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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