a&e features
Local rainbow family launches program to help foster kids with luggage
While dining at Rosa Mexicana in D.C., Rob and Reece Scheer found themselves interrupted from enjoying an evening out with their four adopted children.
The Scheer family. Dads Rob (left) and Reece Scheer says it took time for their family unit to jell considering what their children had been through. (Photo courtesy the Scheers)
While dining at Rosa Mexicana in D.C., Rob and Reece Scheer found themselves interrupted from enjoying an evening out with their four adopted children. A woman sitting nearby hurled comments in their direction that the parents were “destroying” their little boys and “turning them gay.”
“We thought we were the only gay dads in the entire city when we lived there,” Rob says.
Not only are Rob and Reece a same-sex couple raising children, but they are also white parents raising black children. Despite living in the nation’s capitol, the community wasn’t as understanding of the blended family as the Scheers would have hoped.
“We were down at the Mall and I had my baby on my shoulders,” Rob says. “My daughter was holding my hand. My other two boys were holding my husband’s hand. We had an African-American couple literally come up to us and say, ‘How dare you take our children? You can’t teach them how to be black.’ I remember looking at the woman and telling her, ‘You’re right I can’t, but I can teach them how to not be an ugly human being which is what you’re being right now.’”
The couple, who met in D.C. 12 years ago and have been married for seven years, originally wanted to adopt only one baby. In 2009 while waiting for a child, they received a request to foster 4-year-old Amaya and her brother, 2-year-old Makai.
The Scheers fell in love with the kids.
Instead of the one baby they were planning on, they decided to make both Amaya and Makai a permanent part of the family. Later that year the Scheers also adopted two brothers, Greyson and Tristan.
When their children arrived, Rob noticed a disturbing sight. They were carrying trash bags filled with their belongings. It was eerily familiar for Rob, who was a child of the foster care system before becoming homeless at 18.
“I carried my trash bag around my senior year of high school. To jump 30 years later and my children arrive at my home and still have trash bags and hear a social worker tell me, ‘It’s just easier.’ I believe we’re all leaders, but as leaders we do not have the option to stand on the sidelines and watch things that are wrong go by,” Rob says.
Rob and Reece decided to take action and their charity, Comfort Cases was born. The idea was to give foster children real luggage to put their belongings inside. The luggage would also include a toothbrush, a book, a blanket and a new pair of pajamas.
Comfort Cases started out with helping children in the D.C. area but has since expanded to distributing cases to Texas, Detroit, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Seattle, Tennessee and North Carolina.
So far, Comfort Cases has distributed 25,000 cases. Donations can be made at comfortcases.org.
The Scheers’ good work has been recognized nationwide and even landed the couple as guests on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” DeGeneres gifted Comfort Cases a check for $10,000 and $40,000 in Samsonite luggage. While the couple expected a surprise, they weren’t prepared to be given one of the show’s largest gifts.
“I watch ‘Ellen’ so I knew that something was going to happen. There’s no doubt. They don’t ask you to come to ‘Ellen’ and you don’t think something is going to happen,” Rob says.
The check was staggering for the Scheers but the luggage made them even more emotional.
“I get choked up thinking about it. That changed so many kids’ life. We take it for granted how a case can change a child,” Rob says.
Amaya who is now 12; Makai, 10; Greyson, 10; and Tristan, 8, are also involved in helping with Comfort Cases.
“My kids realize it is a privilege to be able to give back. People say it’s a responsibility. No, it’s not a responsibility. Stop patting yourselves on the back. It’s an absolute privilege for us to be able to give back,” Rob says.
The Scheers haven’t just gone to incredible lengths to help foster children but also their own kids. Makai was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Reece began researching ways to help children with the condition. After reading that animal therapy could cause improvement with the frontal lobe, the couple decided to make a big life decision and bought a farm in Darnestown, Md., in 2011.
“We never once in a thousand years thought we would be milking a goat or taking eggs from a chicken coup much less canning vegetables, but we learned how to do it,” Rob, who admits he and Reece are city boys, says. “Thank God for YouTube and Google.”
Within a weekend of buying the farm, Rob and Reece purchased chickens, ducks and goats. Since moving to the farm, Makai’s improvement has been significant.
“My son Makai has good days and bad days. Last year for the first time, he’s been with us almost nine years, he looked at me and my husband and said ‘I love you,’” Rob says.
While Rob and Reece are the parents, they say their kids have also taught them plenty. Rob says as a father he’s learned the true meaning of patience and unconditional love. For Reece, he learned a special lesson from raising Makai.
“Because of our son, it’s (inspired me) to look at the world upside down. That you’ll see the world at a different angle,” Reece says.
Both these fatherhood life lessons were recently put to the test when Amaya was featured in American Girl Magazine earlier this year. The story delved into Amaya’s foster care background, finally finding her forever home with Rob and Reece and her family’s charity work. The story was vehemently attacked by the conservative organization One Million Moms.
Suddenly the Scheers found themselves a more public target than they had been inside Rosa Mexicana. Rob was forced to leave work early after receiving calls and emails calling him a faggot. Rob and Reece told the children they would lock their doors, shut the windows and ignore their emails until the incident blew over.
“My son Greyson was the one who said ‘Dad, this isn’t the way you raised Makai, Amaya, Tristan and I. You told us if there’s something not right we have to tell people it’s not right and make it right,’” Rob says. “I was like, ‘Wow, you’re 8 years old,’ and he was like ‘We need to face this.’ And all my kids were like ‘Yeah.’ That’s when immediately we opened up our doors and decided to let the press in that night.”
While being in the public eye has been stressful at times for the family, Rob says the attention is worth it to get their message across.
“We’re too obsessed with, ‘Kids in foster care need beds.’ No, they don’t. They need a home. It doesn’t matter if there are two dads or two moms. We make amazing homes and that’s what we need,” Rob says.
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.
a&e features
New book celebrates 1970s dance music icons
‘A Night at the Disco’ features interviews with Donna Summer, Debbie Harry, more
If you’re a fan of 1970s-era dance music, don’t miss the irresistible new book by Christian John Wikane and Alice Harris, “A Night at the Disco,” which revisits more than 90 interviews conducted with some of the biggest names in pop culture.
“A Night at the Disco” (ACC Art Books) was published on March 24, and distributed by Simon & Schuster. It celebrates more than 100 artists who sparked a phenomenon in dance music from 1970-1979 and features excerpts from interviews with everyone from Donna Summer to Debbie Harry.
Lost City Books (2467 18th St., N.W.) will welcome author Christian John Wikane for a book signing and conversation about “A Night at the Disco” on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m. Details at lostcitybookstore.com. Bird in Hand Coffee & Books in Baltimore (11 E. 33rd St.) )will also host a Q&A with the author on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Details at theivybookshop.com.
Below is an excerpt from “A Night at the Disco.”
“I’ll let in anyone who looks like they’ll make things fun.” Steve Rubell is guiding a New York Times reporter through Studio 54 as resident DJ Richie Kaczor dazzles the crowd with records by CHIC, Odyssey, and T-Connection. “Disco, that’s where the happy people go,” The Trammps sing as dancers spin and twirl underneath tubes of flashing lights. Seven months since Rubell and co-owner Ian Schrager opened Studio 54 in April 1977, it’s welcomed untold numbers of “happy people” … at least those lucky enough to pass through the doors.
“We were part of the chosen few,” says André De Shields, who immortalized the title role in The Wiz on Broadway at the time. “We could show up at Studio 54 and the doorman at the velvet stanchion would look over everyone and point to us from The Wiz to come in, that kind of thing.” As the lead vocalist in the GRAMMY-nominated Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, whose debut modernized big band sophistication for the discothèques, Cory Daye had carte blanche in the club. “The energy was like a New Year’s Eve party every night,” she says. “I would go up to the mezzanine and watch the mechanical light pillars go up and down, metallic confetti falling from the ceiling, the spoon and the moon. I was so fascinated and enamored by it.
“When a certain song came on, the people would just rush to the dance floor. There was no contact dancing — the hustle was pretty much on its way out — but it was just an amazing experience to see all the cultures together. It was a fusion of cultures, which described my life and my band, so I was right at home there.”
“Studio 54 was the place,” adds Linda Clifford. “Crazy parties. If you could think it, you would see it. It was like a circus. Just an amazing place to be. I worked 54 so many times. It was like a second home to me. The people there treated me so well. The crowd always seemed to enjoy my show. I always had a good time with them. That was the most important thing: making sure that they had fun.”
Well before Studio 54 opened, disco had become a business juggernaut. “A four billion dollar market and still growing,” Billboard announced in February 1977, with dance music offering more variety than ever. “There is no longer a single, readily identifiable disco beat, but a kaleidoscope of sounds that are melodic and danceable,” Tom Moulton told the magazine. In the clubs, records by veteran artists like Stevie Wonder and the Bee Gees were mixed in with a range of new acts like Grace Jones, Boney M., and The Ritchie Family, while everyone from ABBA to Marvin Gaye scored number one pop hits with songs that had club-centric storylines.
Beyond the charts, disco itself remained as idiosyncratic as ever, especially on several productions by Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis, whose studio creations, El Coco (“Let’s Get It Together,” “Cocomotion”) and Le Pamplemousse (“Le Spank”), joined their own “Lust” from Seven Deadly Sins (1977) among the most tantalizing releases on AVI Records. Rinder & Lewis also produced acts for the newly hatched Butterfly Records in Los Angeles, where Saint Tropez (“On a Rien à Perdre”) and Tuxedo Junction (“Moonlight Serenade”) reflected the duo’s high gloss sound, spanning everything from European sophistication to a more literal translation of the ’40s sensibilities popularized by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band.
12-inch singles had also grown as the preferred format to approximate the club music experience at home. Nearly a year after Atlantic Records introduced its series of promotional 12-inch singles for DJs, New York-based Salsoul Records released the industry’s first commercially available 12-inch single, “Ten Percent” by Double Exposure, in May 1976. A year later, T.K. Records was the first label to certify a gold record for a 12-inch single when Peter Brown’s “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me” tallied one million sales.— Christian John Wikane
(From “A Night at the Disco” by Alice Harris & Christian John Wikane. Published by ACC Art Books.)
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