Arts & Entertainment
Adult film star August Ames dies after backlash for ‘homophobic’ tweet
the porn star was 23 years old

Adult film star August Ames was found dead at her home in Camarillo, California on Tuesday. She was 23.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner told the Blast that Ames died from asphyxiation due to hanging. Her death is believed to have been a suicide.
Ames’ death follows a controversial tweet she posted on Sunday warning fellow adult film stars that her scene partner had done gay porn.
“whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews , you’re shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say Do agents really not care about who they’re representing? #ladirect I do my homework for my bod,” Ames tweeted.
whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews , you’re shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say??♀️ Do agents really not care about who they’re representing? #ladirect I do my homework for my body?✏️?
— August Ames (@AugustAmesxxx) December 3, 2017
Her tweet offended some people causing Ames to defend herself by saying the issue was a matter of safety in the industry.
“NOT homophobic. Most girls don’t shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety. That’s just how it is with me. I’m not putting my body at risk, i don’t know what they do in their private lives,” Ames tweeted. “How am I homophobic if I myself am attracted to women? Not wanting to have sex with gay men is not homophobic; they don’t want to have sex with me either so byeeeee.”
NOT homophobic. Most girls don’t shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety. That’s just how it is with me. I’m not putting my body at risk, i don’t know what they do in their private lives. https://t.co/MRKt2GrAU4
— August Ames (@AugustAmesxxx) December 3, 2017
How am I homophobic if I myself am attracted to women? Not wanting to have sex with gay men is not homophobic; they don’t want to have sex with me either? so byeeeee
— August Ames (@AugustAmesxxx) December 3, 2017
Some people have attributed her death to the cyberbullying she received for her tweet.
Omg,I can’t believe she’s dead. You people should have known better than to berate her over her personal thoughts! Shame on all you for beating it into the ground. Online harassment is a real thing & it claimed another life. Someone who I liked & would have even called a friend!
— Anikka Albrite (@AnikkaAlbrite) December 6, 2017
A beautiful life is GONE because people like to use their “fan base” to bully others because THEiR opinion doesn’t agree with YOURS.
RiP to a sweet, kind, soul..I’m so sad & so angry. A life wasted simply because HER opinion didn’t mesh with YOURS.
— Brett Rossi (@ImBrettRossi) December 6, 2017
She was mourned on social media by many adult film industry friends shocked at the news.
@AugustAmesxxx was an extended member of the Evil Angel family and she will be sorely missed. You couldn’t find a kinder person in our business. This is a terrible tragedy and will stay with our team forever. pic.twitter.com/lOYU1Rq2Aa
— EvilAngel.com (@EvilAngelVideo) December 6, 2017
R.i.p August!!! So fucking Sad i can’t even process this right Now!!! Fuck everything and Everyone
— Mr.Jones (@JessyJonesxxx) December 6, 2017
Finally home from set and alone w/ my thoughts. I’m not mad, not going jump on the blame train, I’m just so incredibly sad. I know everyone is really emotional right now, which just shows how much @AugustAmesxxx meant to us all. But let’s plz not attack each other, love not hate. pic.twitter.com/FPehYEIBiC
— Holly Randall (@hollyrandall) December 7, 2017
Rest In Peace to August Ames, one of the best, nicest people I ever knew in the business….
— Jules Jordan (@JulesJordan) December 6, 2017
Ames is survived by her husband, film director Kevin Moore.

The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)






















The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)



















In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.

Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”