a&e features
YEAR IN REVIEW: Top 10 pop culture stories of 2017
Epic Oscar mistake, Bette and Joan return in wild, wacky year
(Photos courtesy of the productions)
10. Aaron Carter comes out, gets busted for pot
Aaron Carter
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Pop singer Aaron Carter, at the time 29 though he’s since turned 30, came out as bisexual in an open letter posted on Twitter in August.
“There’s something I’d like to say that I feel is important for myself and my identity that has been weighing on my chest for nearly half of my life,” Carter writes. “This doesn’t bring me shame, just a weight and burden I have held onto for a long time that I would like lifted off me.”
The star revealed he has been attracted to both genders since he was 13. He also shared that he had a sexual experience with another man when he was 17. Carter claimed that Madison Parker, his girlfriend at the time, broke up with him when he told her he was bisexual. Parker denied his sexuality was the reason for their spilt. He also said that his older brother Nick Carter had not reached out to him since he came out.
Carter brought his struggles with drug addiction, plastic surgery and his family on a tumultuous September episode of “The Doctors.” On the show, Carter learned he weighed only 115 pounds at 6 feet tall. He said he feared his weight loss was due to being HIV-positive. However, he tested negative for all STDs. His drug test revealed he tested positive for marijuana, Benzodiazepines (Xanax) and opiates (hydrocodone). After initially refusing to go to rehab on the show, Carter entered rehab in October and was released in December.
9. Milo Yiannopoulos goes down
Milo Yiannopoulos (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Milo Yiannopoulos’ swift descent from rising alt-right media personality to a defamed journalist shunned even from his own conservative community was peppered with controversy.
The year started out promisingly for the British political commentator who secured an autobiography book deal with Simon & Schuster and was invited as a guest on “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He kicked off a university speaking engagement tour which drew numerous protesters to University of California, Berkley. The protest became violent as protesters refused to let Yiannopoulos, who has made racist, misogynistic, transphobic and xenophobic remarks, to speak at the university. President Donald Trump even weighed in on Twitter threatening to cut the school’s federal funding for not allowing free speech.
Yiannopoulos’ success came to a halt when an old interview clip surfaced of him saying that sexual relationships between 13-year-old boys and adult men could be positive. His comments caused him to lose his job as senior editor for Breitbart News, to have his book deal with Simon & Schuster revoked and to be disinvited from the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Despite the negative press, Yiannopoulos tried to keep his career afloat. His publishing company Dangerous Books published his book “Dangerous.” Yiannopoulos closed out the year on a personal note marrying his boyfriend, identified only as “John,” in Hawaii.
8. ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ ‘Tom of Finland’ among year’s best films
A scene from ‘Call Me By Your Name.’ (Photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classic)
It was a strong year for LGBT-themed movies but two especially stand out — “Tom of Finland” and “Call Me By Your Name.”
“Tom,” a Finnish biographical drama directed by Dome Karukoski, stars Pekka Strang as Touko Laakosenen, better known as the titular artist who specialized in mid-century homoerotic art. The film inspired a Tom of Finland renaissance of sorts with books and an extensive line of home products like shower curtains and throw pillows featuring Tom art.
“Call Me By Your Name,” a leisurely paced gay romance story between a 24-year-old intern (Armie Hammer) and the 17-year-old son of his employer (Timothee Chalamet) in Italy circa 1983, has drawn strong reviews for its taste and restraint.
“(Director Luca) Guadagnino and his actors emphasize tenderness and feeling capturing the magic of first-time dalliance in a way that makes it seem, if not wholly innocent, at least wholesome,” a Blade critic wrote.
It’s up for three Golden Globe Awards including nods for both its leads.
7. Season 9 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ makes ‘herstory’
(Image courtesy VH1)
It was a banner year for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in several ways. Debuting in March on new home VH1, the queens went apeshit when Lady Gaga walked into the work room and was featured as the guest judge.
Seeming to genuinely enjoy herself throughout the episode, Gaga helped series regulars Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley assess the queens’ interpretations of classic Gaga looks.
It turned out to be an unusually dramatic season, though. Latina diva Valentina emerged early on as a strong contender but was sent packing on episode nine after pissing off Ru for initially declining to remove a veil during the lip-sync against Debbie Downer Nina Bo’nina Brown. She said later she was in shock and hadn’t bothered to learn the words to the song, which all the queens are given in advance should they land in the bottom two.
The drama continued, though, on perhaps the bitchiest reunion episode of the series’ entire run with several queens calling out Valentina on her fake charm.
The finale, despite featuring no clear standout winner, went to Sasha Velour who bested Peppermint, Shea Coulee and Trinity Taylor for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.
RuPaul won his second consecutive Emmy Award for hosting.
6. ‘Wonder Woman’ lassos boffo box office
Gal Gadot (Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
Although she’d been seen in 2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Wonder Woman finally got her own film this year with a June release starring Gal Gadot as the titular character and winningly helmed by Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) who won universal praise for her effort.
Filmed over a six-month period starting in November 2015 (development started in 1996), it set numerous box office records. It was the fifth highest-grossing superhero film in the U.S. and the 20th highest-grossing film ever stateside. It made more than $800 million internationally and is the best-ranked superhero film on Rotten Tomatoes. The American Film Institute called it one of the best 10 films of 2017.
Gadot plays the Amazon princess Diana, a highly trained fighter who’s been raised on the hidden island of Themyscira by her mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). The island’s security is breached when American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes his plane on the island.
The Blade said it was “packed with gripping action sequences but also leavened with generous doses of comedy and deepened with serious considerations about the horrors of war and mankind’s capacity for both love and hatred.”
5. ‘Feud’ revives complicated partnership of Davis, Crawford
A scene from ‘Feud.’ (Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
“Feud,” an FX series from Ryan Murphy, devoted its maiden season of eight episodes to the rivalry of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, co-stars in the 1962 cult classic “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.”
Jessica Lange starred as Crawford and Susan Sarandon played Davis. Both were nominated for Emmys, though the show won none of the 10 Primetime Emmys for which it was nominated (it won two Creative Arts Emmys). The series was praised for its period detail and grand, sweeping recreations of pivotal moments such as a long tracking shot showing Lange walking backstage at the 1963 Academy Awards.
Though declining somewhat in ratings after a strong start, the series fared decently overall. Its debut was the most-watched program on FX that week.
The series had an unexpected coda with Olivia de Havilland, a real-life friend of Davis who replaced Crawford in their planned follow-up “Baby Jane” movie “Hush … Hush Sweet Charlotte,” sued the creators claiming in a lawsuit filed a day before her 101st birthday that she was inaccurately portrayed and her likeness was used without her permission. Catherine Zeta-Jones played her in the series.
A second season of 10 episodes devoted to Charles and Diana will premiere in 2018.
4. ‘When We Rise’ draws mixed reviews
A scene from ‘When We Rise.’ (Photo courtesy ABC)
“When We Rise,” an ABC miniseries about LGBT rights that aired Feb. 27-March 3, drew so-so reviews from the mainstream press but was sharply criticized in the gay press.
Writing for the Blade, columnist Brock Thompson, said it had serious problems.
“Though I very much appreciate what ‘When We Rise’ was attempting, I couldn’t see past its problems,” Thompson said. “Its tone was preachy. Its messages about unity and strength in diversity landed like anvils. I stopped counting the clunky cliched lines like ‘we are stronger together,’ or ‘you don’t know how strong we are,’ or perhaps ‘strength. let’s get some and be strong with it together.’ All this gave way to some melodramatic moments. Beyond that, actors were switched out to play their role’s older counterparts, making the timeline rather confusing.”
Ratings, too, were weak for the series starring Guy Pearce, Mary Louise-Parker, Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie O’Donnell as Cleve Jones, Roma Pauline Guy, Pat Norman and Del Martin, respectively. Its first episode drew 3.26 million viewers to come in last of the four major networks for its time slot. Viewership dropped sharply thereafter. Scheduling was shifted after President Trump addressed Congress live on Feb. 28.
Helmed by multiple directors including writer Dustin Lance Black and Gus Van Sant, the eight-episode arc was framed as an epic, 45-year survey of the entire gay rights movement.
3. Chelsea Manning makes glam debut
Chelsea Manning (Photo courtesy Instagram)
After being released from prison at Fort Leavenworth on May 17 after nearly seven years in prison for leaking 750,000 documents (some classified) to WikiLeaks, many were curious to see how Chelsea Manning would segue into civilian life.
Manning, 29, made her glam debut in the September issue of Vogue in a red Norma Kamall swimsuit and other high-fashion outfits with low-key styling by Phyllis Posnick and was praised for not being as sexualized and in-your-face as Caitlyn Jenner was when she made her debut in Vanity Fair in 2015.
“This is a far cry from the haughty, hyper-feminine Hollywood unveiling of Caitlyn Jenner,” wrote Robin Givhan in the Washington Post. She called Manning’s photos a “message of … accessibility, normalcy, calm.”
2. ‘Will & Grace’ and ‘Dynasty’ return
(Photo courtesy NBC)
After 11 years off the air, “Will & Grace” returned to NBC Thursday nights in September to launch a new, 16-episode run and ninth season.
The original cast — Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally — were back after a planned one-off mini-episode that ran last fall timed to the presidential election.
The first new episodes of the show since 2006 found the familiar gang at the White House, navigating middle-aged gay dating, Jack discovering he’s a grandfather (with a gay grandson), Will making senior partner, an appearance by Beverley Leslie (Leslie Jordan) and many more hijinks.
Ratings have been solid — averaging more than 10 million viewers per episode — and reviews have been mostly positive.
A 10th season has already been approved.
Much less successful, however, has been the “Dynasty” reboot, which debuted in October on the CW with an all-new cast featuring James Mackay as Steven Carrington, Fallon’s (Elizabeth Gillies) gay environmentalist brother. Now his being gay is no big issue to dad Blake and gold digger Sammy Jo is now a gay man. Oh, and the Colbys are black this time.
Reviews have been highly mixed with Variety saying it “barely gets out of the gate before it begins to lose steam.” Ratings have been anemic, averaging less than a million viewers per episode.
1. ‘Moonlight’ wins Best Picture in shocking envelope mistake
(Photo courtesy AMPAS)
It was supposed to be one of those nice little Oscar moments longtime fans of the Academy Awards cherish — beloved stars of yesteryear stride onstage reunited to give an award. Many stars have done it over the years — Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. This year it was Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, stars of 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde.”
On the 50th anniversary of their cinematic classic, they came on stage at the Dolby Theatre on Feb. 26 to hand out the top prize of the evening. “La La Land” was announced as the winner but it quickly became apparent as its producers were giving their acceptance speeches that a mistake had been made and gay-themed “Moonlight” was the true winner.
Beatty and Dunaway had been handed the wrong envelope, a duplicate of the Best Actress envelope (“La La Land’s” Emma Stone had won that award). Upon seeing its contents, Beatty was flummoxed; Dunaway, thinking he was joshing for suspense, saw “La La Land” and announced it as the winner.
Dubbed the biggest gaffe in Oscar history, it turned out to be the mistake of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ managing partner Brian Cullinan who’d been Tweeting backstage. He and Martha Ruiz, who each had copies of the evening’s envelopes, were later relieved of any future Oscar duties though they kept their jobs.
“Moonlight” became the first LGBT-themed film and first film with an all-black cast to win Best Picture.
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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