Arts & Entertainment
Best of Gay D.C. 2017: MEDIA
Winners from the Washington Blade’s annual poll


(Photo of Jim Vance by Robin Fader; Washington Blade photo of DCist reporters by Tom Hausman; photo of a D.C. Metro stop by Peter French courtesy Flickr)
Best Local Website
DCist
News, food, arts and events.
Editor’s choice: Popville

(Washington Blade photo by Tom Hausman)
Best Local Social Media Channel
Editor’s Choice: @alexmorash
@unsuckdcmetro has been chronicling D.C. Metro’s mishaps and disasters since January, 2009.
The anonymous founder, who says he is a journalist and LGBT ally, started using Metro as part of his commute. After experiencing problems he decided to start a blog to complain. He says he didn’t think the blog would get as popular as it did but noticed he wasn’t the only disgruntled one.
“One thing that got me thinking that it might have a chance to become useful was noticing the faces of fellow passengers when a train offloads or whatever problem it might be. Everyone just looks like, “Geez, this Metro is so bad,’” he says.
What started as a blog to vent frustrations about the daily commute evolved into Facebook and Twitter pages with thousands of followers united by their common annoyance of public transportation.
The founder recalls that one of his biggest posts on his now-defunct blog was on the June 22, 2009 metro crash. It was the first time he noticed the power of social media in the news as tweets poured in tracking the tragedy.
Now besides his own posts, other passengers tag @unsuckmetrodc their issues with Metro from offloading to uncleanliness.
While @unsuckmetro is the founder’s passion project, he says he would much rather the Metro be reliable.
“At the very foundation of the problem is the way it’s governed. Nobody is accountable. It’s set up to protect everyone involved from being accountable. People let things slide when they’re not accountable,” he says. (MC)

(Photo by Peter French; courtesy Flickr)
Best Local TV Personality
Jim Vance
Runner up: Chuck Bell, NBC 4
Many Washingtonians can recall growing up seeing Jim Vance report the news from the screens in their living rooms. The NBC4 news anchor became entrenched in D.C. culture just as much as “the Godfather of Go-Go” Chuck Brown, former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and radio DJ Russ Parr, who all join Vance on Ben’s Chili Bowl mural wall.
Vance, who died from cancer in July at age 75, worked at NBC4 for more than 40 years making him the District’s longest serving TV anchor. Born in Ardmore, Pa., Vance was a reporter for the Philadelphia Independent newspaper and WHAT-AM radio station while also teaching English. He joined WRC-TV (NBC4) in 1969 as a reporter before moving to the anchor desk in 1972.
His coverage spanned some of the most talked about moments in D.C.’s history.
In 1977, he reported on the Hanafi Siege on three D.C. buildings by 12 gunmen which resulted in 149 hostages and the death of radio host Maurice Williams. He also covered the Air Florida Flight 90 crash in the Potomac River, which killed 78 people, in 1982.
More recently, he called out the Washington Redskins over the controversial use of their name despite being a longtime fan.
“Back in the day, if you really wanted to insult a black man, an Italian, a Jew, an Irishman, and probably start a fight, you threw out certain words. They were, and are pejoratives of the first order, the worst order, specifically intended to injure. In my view, ‘Redskin’ was and is in that same category,” Vance said during a 2013 broadcast of “Vance’s View.”
Over the course of his career, Vance received 19 local Emmy awards. In 2007, he earned the honor of being inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
He gained recognition as a news anchor outside of D.C. thanks to a viral video that reached millions of views. In a 2006 segment on Paris Fashion Week, Vance and sports anchor George Michael couldn’t control their laughter over a model who fell twice on the runway. The Foo Fighters even paid tribute to Vance by using the video in a promo for their concert at RFK stadium.
While his professional life was widely praised, his personal life was also colorful. He went to the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984 to recover from a cocaine addiction that he battled throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. Barry asked Vance for advice when he was dealing with his own addiction to crack cocaine which led to his 1990 arrest.
“Why did he ask me? Because what he, like everyone else who’s been around Washington for a while knows, is that for more than four years I have been in recovery. The mayor thought that I might be able to advise him. I did so,” the Washington Post quotes Vance telling viewers.
He was also candid about his struggles with depression and a suicide attempt at Potomac River at Great Falls in 1987 for which he sought therapy.
Vance died at his Silver Spring, Md. home. He is survived by his wife Kathy McCampbell Vance and three children Dawn, Amani and Brendon. (MC)

Jim Vance (Photo by Robin Fader)
Best Radio Station
WAMU 88.5
Public radio station serving the D.C. metro area.
Editor’s choice: Hot 99.5

You’ve done your share of marching.
You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.
You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.
Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.
You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.
Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.
If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.
Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.
Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.

Friday, June 13
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, June 14
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month 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.
Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut. Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 16
“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 details, email [email protected].
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook.
Tuesday, June 17
Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 18
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. 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.
“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons. The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, June 19
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide. These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
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