a&e features
TV critics take on the fall line up
Even the cable reruns are gay now


The ‘Will & Grace’ reboot returns for its second season (10th total; an 11th has been announced as well) on Thursday, Oct. 4. It’s one show LGBT critics are most looking forward to. (Photo courtesy NBC)
With more broadcast, cable and streaming network programs than ever before, gay television critics have their hands full, in a constant state of binge-watching all the new and returning series.
At the Television Critics Press Tour, which took place in Beverly Hills, the Los Angeles Blade’s Susan Hornik talked to gay television critics about their favorite shows.
Malcolm Venable, senior writer, TVGuide.com

Malcolm Venable (Photo courtesy of Venable)
This fall, I’m excited about the return of “The Deuce,” where the divine Maggie Gyllenhaal this season will be giving less blowjobs in dirty theaters and producing porn in 1970’s New York City. Last season, the series flirted with depictions of gay sex, and here’s to hoping that this season will take those flirtations even further, by showing more same-sex porn and what happens when authorities try to clamp down on it.
Like everyone else with a pulse, I’m also keen to see what ways the Pearsons of “This Is Us” will be making us cry again — I suspect it’s only a matter of time before they push a grandma down a flight of steps or punt a puppy across a football field. Though Denis O’Hare is highly unlikely to return as William’s partner unless the show is going to depict some kind of dead person-alive person romance, we can probably count on some type of LGBTQ representation…or at least more Beth. I need more Beth. I’m also giddy with anticipation for another season of “The Good Place.” It’s a show that never fails to make you happy.
Of course “Will & Grace” comes back again this fall too, and, like a fabulous queen who has faithfully applied moisturizer with SPF every day, this show is aging really well. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” in its final season, promises to be bonkers, and though they’re both animated, “She-Ra” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” both on Netflix, promise to bring more kick-ass women to the small screen and give lots of queer fangirls new crushes to obsess over.
Jim Colucci, freelance television critic, author of “Golden Girls Forever” and “Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored”

Jim Colucci (Photo courtesy of Colucci)
Of all the new and returning fall shows, the thing I’m most excited about, from both an overall and LGBT perspective, is a classic: “Will & Grace.” The show returned last fall, just when the world needed it again, as the current administration regularly threatens LGBT rights.
After all, this was a show that in 1998 — eons ago, as far as LGBT rights go — captured the world’s hearts and minds, and showed the humanity of gay and lesbian characters. That, plus the show has always been one of the wittiest, campiest, and yet most touching sitcoms ever on TV. Now that it’s back for a second “rebooted” season, things are changing — Will’s mom is engaged to Grace’s dad, Jack has a new, steady boyfriend — and the show and its cast is becoming more diverse.
One of the things that stood out most to me when I wrote my book, “Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored” is when the show’s creators, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, told me that they enjoyed deliberately “writing themselves into a corner” with the cliffhanger of every season. It challenged them as writers in determining how to proceed with the next season’s storylines, and therefore ultimately made the show deeper and better. Last season’s cliffhanger sure did force some changes, and I can’t wait to see how those play out.
Brendan Haley, contributing writer for PRIDE.com

Brendan Haley (Photo courtesy of Haley)
As we can expect the forthcoming season three of “The Crown” to debut a brand new cast, it’ll be exciting to see the developments in one relationship in particular, both performance and story-wise, Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) and her bisexual ex-husband Antony-Armstrong Jones (Ben Daniels).
Antony’s sexuality played a key role in last season’s drama, depicting the harsh judgments that LGBT people faced in the 1960s.
Also, obviously I anticipate the return of “Will & Grace” this coming fall season, knowing several new comedic additions are in store, including the legendary Chelsea Handler, and the talents of Brian Jordan Alvarez (Estefan).
Where the landscape of TV show reboots can sometimes plateau, “Will & Grace” has not only come back harder than where it left off in 2006, it has thrived in a new era of entertainment, receiving nominations for both Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress (Megan Mullally), and Guest Actress (Molly Shannon) in a Comedy Series.
Frank DeCaro, writer/comedian

Frank DeCaro (Photo courtesy of DeCaro)
I’m most excited for the fifth and final season of “Gotham.” I’ve been obsessed with this lush, twisted, delicious, funny, gorgeously costumed, and perversely sexy “Batman” origin story since its debut. What’s not to love? Pansexual girl gangs! Erotic tension between the Penguin and the Riddler! A hunky Mr. Freeze with an enormous freeze gun! Watching it makes me happier than a queer in Arkham, and, hold on to your Batpole, this is one series that is sure to go out with a bang!
Hunter Ingram

Hunter Ingram (Photo courtesy of Ingram)
It’s only been a few months since Pop’s “Schitt’s Creek” wrapped its fourth season, but the Canadian import has left a maple leaf-sized hole in my heart waiting until season five to arrive in 2019. Lucky for us Schittheads, the Catherine O’Hara-Eugene Levy-fronted comedy series saved the final episode of its 13-episode order for a Christmas special, set to arrive in December.
The series has matured from its fish-out-of-water roots into a genuinely uproarious laugh riot with undercurrent of heart and family, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what they do with “Schitt’s Creek” holiday special. Family dinner at Cafe Tropical? Some caroling from Jazzagirls? If nothing else, David and Patrick, TV’s most underrated gay romance, better find themselves under some mistletoe.
Eight seasons in, FX’s “American Horror Story” has hit some scary-good highs and frustrating lows. Many of the former came in its first and third seasons — “Murder House” and “Coven,” respectively — meaning September’s crossover season between the two installments comes with ultra-high expectations.
The tease of a return to LA’s deadliest house and a visit from a few of Miss Robichaux’s Academy’s finest already has my spine tingling. But the addition of the Drama Queen herself, Joan Collins, and the lingering hope for more surprise faces (Jessica Lange, perhaps?) make this the most highly anticipated “AHS” in years. Don’t let us down, Ryan Murphy!
Netflix’s churns out so much original content it’s hard to lose things amongst the deluge. But one thing I’ve kept my eye on is Cary Fukunaga’s “Maniac,” a trippy limited series about a questionable drug trial, starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. It was first announced two years ago and since then, the drip-drip of pictures and promises it’s happening have kept me thirsting for more.
With the recent announcement it will arrive Sept. 21 and a psychedelic teaser to boot, this one has already grab my attention. And that’s even without our first glimpses of co-stars Justin Theroux and Sally Field!
Movie stars on the small screen rarely have the same shock value as it had at the dawn of Peak TV. But Julia Roberts is an exception. The Oscar winner is taking on her first series regular (let’s not forget that stellar guest spot on “Friends” in 1996) with Amazon’s “Homecoming,” an adaptation of the popular podcast (Nov. 2). No one doubts Roberts’ talents, but how do they translate to episodic television, let alone a character-driven half-hour thriller that’s already a go for two seasons. I’m ecstatic about the potential, and not just because she finally lands “My Best Friend’s Wedding” co-star Dermot Mulroney as her boyfriend.
Dennis Pastorizo, TV Host, Host of LATV Network’s The Zoo

Dennis Pastorizo (Photo courtesy of Pastorizo)
Shows like “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Voice” and “Dancing with the Stars” seem like they’ve been on forever and are here to stay, so I don’t feel as much anticipation for their premieres. I am, however, thrilled to see the new “Magnum P.I.” with Jay Hernandez. I’m usually weary about remakes but he‘s a hunk and the locations look amazing.
Speaking of remakes and reboots: I am excited to see what the new season of “Murphy Brown” will look like. The show’s been off for 20 years and I’m wondering if its core audience will return and how much more can be done with the characters. And although I never cared for “Last Man Standing” on ABC, I want to see how long it will last on FOX.
Original episodes are currently running on Antenna TV, but if it isn’t available on a streaming service beforehand, I don’t know how much hype can be built around the premiere or if viewers will remember important plot points, given Antenna TV is nowhere near accessible or popular as a Netflix or Hulu.
“The Conners” is definitely going to be must-see-TV, at least for its first episode, because we all want to know what will happen to Roseanne’s character. Only time will tell if she is indeed the glue that kept everything together in that show, or if her supporting cast is strong enough to continue the series’ legacy.

Diane Anderson-Minshall
a&e features
Visit Cambridge, a ‘beautiful secret’ on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
New organization promotes town’s welcoming vibe, LGBTQ inclusion

CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Driving through this scenic, historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you’ll be charmed by streets lined with unique shops, restaurants, and beautifully restored Victorian homes. You’ll also be struck by the number of LGBTQ Pride flags flying throughout the town.
The flags are a reassuring signal that everyone is welcome here, despite the town’s location in ruby red Dorchester County, which voted for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by a lopsided margin. But don’t let that deter you from visiting. A new organization, Proudly Cambridge, is holding its debut Pride event this weekend, touting the town’s welcoming, inclusive culture.
“We stumbled on a beautiful secret and we wanted to help get the word out,” said James Lumalcuri of the effort to create Proudly Cambridge.
The organization celebrates diversity, enhances public spaces, and seeks to uplift all that Cambridge has to share, according to its mission statement, under the tagline “You Belong Here.”
The group has so far held informal movie nights and a picnic and garden party; the launch party is June 28 at the Cambridge Yacht Club, which will feature a Pride celebration and tea dance. The event’s 75 tickets sold out quickly and proceeds benefit DoCo Pride.
“Tickets went faster than we imagined and we’re bummed we can’t welcome everyone who wanted to come,” Lumalcuri said, adding that organizers plan to make “Cheers on the Choptank” an annual event with added capacity next year.
One of the group’s first projects was to distribute free Pride flags to anyone who requested one and the result is a visually striking display of a large number of flags flying all over town. Up next: Proudly Cambridge plans to roll out a program offering affirming businesses rainbow crab stickers to show their inclusiveness and LGBTQ support. The group also wants to engage with potential visitors and homebuyers.
“We want to spread the word outside of Cambridge — in D.C. and Baltimore — who don’t know about Cambridge,” Lumalcuri said. “We want them to come and know we are a safe haven. You can exist here and feel comfortable and supported by neighbors in a way that we didn’t anticipate when we moved here.”

Lumalcuri, 53, a federal government employee, and his husband, Lou Cardenas, 62, a Realtor, purchased a Victorian house in Cambridge in 2021 and embarked on an extensive renovation. The couple also owns a home in Adams Morgan in D.C.
“We saw the opportunity here and wanted to share it with others,” Cardenas said. “There’s lots of housing inventory in the $300-400,000 range … we’re not here to gentrify people out of town because a lot of these homes are just empty and need to be fixed up and we’re happy to be a part of that.”
Lumalcuri was talking with friends one Sunday last year at the gazebo (affectionately known as the “gayzebo” by locals) at the Yacht Club and the idea for Proudly Cambridge was born. The founding board members are Lumalcuri, Corey van Vlymen, Brian Orjuela, Lauren Mross, and Caleb Holland. The group is currently working toward forming a 501(c)3.
“We need visibility and support for those who need it,” Mross said. “We started making lists of what we wanted to do and the five of us ran with it. We started meeting weekly and solidified what we wanted to do.”
Mross, 50, a brand strategist and web designer, moved to Cambridge from Atlanta with her wife three years ago. They knew they wanted to be near the water and farther north and began researching their options when they discovered Cambridge.
“I had not heard of Cambridge but the location seemed perfect,” she said. “I pointed on a map and said this is where we’re going to move.”
The couple packed up, bought a camper trailer and parked it in different campsites but kept coming back to Cambridge.
“I didn’t know how right it was until we moved here,” she said. “It’s the most welcoming place … there’s an energy vortex here – how did so many cool, progressive people end up in one place?”
Corey van Vlymen and his husband live in D.C. and were looking for a second home. They considered Lost River, W.Va., but decided they preferred to be on the water.
“We looked at a map on both sides of the bay and came to Cambridge on a Saturday and bought a house that day,” said van Vlymen, 39, a senior scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton. They’ve owned in Cambridge for two years.
They were drawn to Cambridge due to its location on the water, the affordable housing inventory, and its proximity to D.C.; it’s about an hour and 20 minutes away.
Now, through the work of Proudly Cambridge, they hope to highlight the town’s many attributes to residents and visitors alike.
“Something we all agree on is there’s a perception problem for Cambridge and a lack of awareness,” van Vlymen said. “If you tell someone you’re going to Cambridge, chances are they think, ‘England or Massachusetts?’”
He cited the affordability and the opportunity to save older, historic homes as a big draw for buyers.
“It’s all about celebrating all the things that make Cambridge great,” Mross added. “Our monthly social events are joyful and celebratory.” A recent game night drew about 70 people.
She noted that the goal is not to gentrify the town and push longtime residents out, but to uplift all the people who are already there while welcoming new visitors and future residents.
They also noted that Proudly Cambridge does not seek to supplant existing Pride-focused organizations. Dorchester County Pride organizes countywide Pride events and Delmarva Pride was held in nearby Easton two weeks ago.
“We celebrate all diversity but are gay powered and gay led,” Mross noted.
To learn more about Proudly Cambridge, visit the group on Facebook and Instagram.
What to see and do
Cambridge, located 13 miles up the Choptank River from the Chesapeake Bay, has a population of roughly 15,000. It was settled in 1684 and named for the English university town in 1686. It is home to the Harriet Tubman Museum, mural, and monument. Its proximity to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge makes it a popular stop for birders, drawn to more than 27,000 acres of marshland dubbed “the Everglades of the north.”
The refuge is walkable, bikeable, and driveable, making it an accessible attraction for all. There are kayaking and biking tours through Blackwater Adventures (blackwateradventuresmd.com).
Back in town, take a stroll along the water and through historic downtown and admire the architecture. Take in the striking Harriet Tubman mural (424 Race St.). Shop in the many local boutiques, and don’t miss the gay-owned Shorelife Home and Gifts (421 Race St.), filled with stylish coastal décor items.
Stop for breakfast or lunch at Black Water Bakery (429 Race St.), which offers a full compliment of coffee drinks along with a build-your-own mimosa bar and a full menu of creative cocktails.
The Cambridge Yacht Club (1 Mill St.) is always bustling but you need to be a member to get in. Snapper’s on the water is temporarily closed for renovations. RaR Brewing (rarbrewing.com) is popular for craft beers served in an 80-year-old former pool hall and bowling alley. The menu offers burgers, wings, and other bar fare.
For dinner or wine, don’t miss the fantastic Vintage 414 (414 Race St.), which offers lunch, dinner, wine tasting events, specialty foods, and a large selection of wines. The homemade cheddar crackers, inventive flatbreads, and creative desserts (citrus olive oil cake, carrot cake trifle) were a hit on a recent visit.
Also nearby is Ava’s (305 High St.), a regional chain offering outstanding Italian dishes, pizzas, and more.
For something off the beaten path, visit Emily’s Produce (22143 Church Creek Rd.) for its nursery, produce, and prepared meals.
“Ten minutes into the sticks there’s a place called Emily’s Produce, where you can pay $5 and walk through a field and pick sunflowers, blueberries, you can feed the goats … and they have great food,” van Vlymen said.
As for accommodations, there’s the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (100 Heron Blvd. at Route 50), a resort complex with golf course, spa, and marina. Otherwise, check out Airbnb and VRBO for short-term rentals closer to downtown.
Its proximity to D.C. and Baltimore makes Cambridge an ideal weekend getaway. The large LGBTQ population is welcoming and they are happy to talk up their town and show you around.
“There’s a closeness among the neighbors that I wasn’t feeling in D.C.,” Lumalcuri said. “We look after each other.”
a&e features
James Baldwin bio shows how much of his life is revealed in his work
‘A Love Story’ is first major book on acclaimed author’s life in 30 years

‘Baldwin: A Love Story’
By Nicholas Boggs
c.2025, FSG
$35/704 pages
“Baldwin: A Love Story” is a sympathetic biography, the first major one in 30 years, of acclaimed Black gay writer James Baldwin. Drawing on Baldwin’s fiction, essays, and letters, Nicolas Boggs, a white writer who rediscovered and co-edited a new edition of a long-lost Baldwin book, explores Baldwin’s life and work through focusing on his lovers, mentors, and inspirations.
The book begins with a quick look at Baldwin’s childhood in Harlem, and his difficult relationship with his religious, angry stepfather. Baldwin’s experience with Orilla Miller, a white teacher who encouraged the boy’s writing and took him to plays and movies, even against his father’s wishes, helped shape his life and tempered his feelings toward white people. When Baldwin later joined a church and became a child preacher, though, he felt conflicted between academic success and religious demands, even denouncing Miller at one point. In a fascinating late essay, Baldwin also described his teenage sexual relationship with a mobster, who showed him off in public.
Baldwin’s romantic life was complicated, as he preferred men who were not outwardly gay. Indeed, many would marry women and have children while also involved with Baldwin. Still, they would often remain friends and enabled Baldwin’s work. Lucien Happersberger, who met Baldwin while both were living in Paris, sent him to a Swiss village, where he wrote his first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” as well as an essay, “Stranger in the Village,” about the oddness of being the first Black person many villagers had ever seen. Baldwin met Turkish actor Engin Cezzar in New York at the Actors’ Studio; Baldwin later spent time in Istanbul with Cezzar and his wife, finishing “Another Country” and directing a controversial play about Turkish prisoners that depicted sexuality and gender.
Baldwin collaborated with French artist Yoran Cazac on a children’s book, which later vanished. Boggs writes of his excitement about coming across this book while a student at Yale and how he later interviewed Cazac and his wife while also republishing the book. Baldwin also had many tumultuous sexual relationships with young men whom he tried to mentor and shape, most of which led to drama and despair.
The book carefully examines Baldwin’s development as a writer. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” draws heavily on his early life, giving subtle signs of the main character John’s sexuality, while “Giovanni’s Room” bravely and openly shows a homosexual relationship, highly controversial at the time. “If Beale Street Could Talk” features a woman as its main character and narrator, the first time Baldwin wrote fully through a woman’s perspective. His essays feel deeply personal, even if they do not reveal everything; Lucian is the unnamed visiting friend in one who the police briefly detained along with Baldwin. He found New York too distracting to write, spending his time there with friends and family or on business. He was close friends with modernist painter Beauford Delaney, also gay, who helped Baldwin see that a Black man could thrive as an artist. Delaney would later move to France, staying near Baldwin’s home.
An epilogue has Boggs writing about encountering Baldwin’s work as one of the few white students in a majority-Black school. It helpfully reminds us that Baldwin connects to all who feel different, no matter their race, sexuality, gender, or class. A well-written, easy-flowing biography, with many excerpts from Baldwin’s writing, it shows how much of his life is revealed in his work. Let’s hope it encourages reading the work, either again or for the first time.
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.





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