a&e features
SPORTS ISSUE 2019: Trans women face many hurdles in quest to compete fairly
Testosterone levels, hormones, evolving policies, anti-trans bias among complicating factors
LGBT issues have never been easy — marriage, military service, AIDS, you name it, no gain came without a fight. But if, as is commonly posited, trans rights lag a good 10 or more years behind gay and lesbian advances, perhaps the thorniest issue of all is fair competition for trans women and their cis women opponents, in both recreational and elite sport.
Imagine that women’s sports had never become “a thing” and all adults competed against each other. In figure skating, for example, only three women have landed quad jumps in competition, yet no male singles skater today can be remotely competitive without multiple quads in his arsenal (Nathan Chen landed six at the 2018 Olympics yet failed to medal).
Yes, Billie Jean King (a lesbian) famously beat Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” in tennis, but she was 29 and he was 55. What would happen if Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky (swimming) or Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams (tennis) were to face off in the pool or on the court?
Perhaps more realistically, what would happen if Chen, Phelps or Djokovic came out as trans, opted out of hormone replacement therapy and competed as women? Some LGBT advocates say even suggesting such a scenario is transphobic or, at best, displays a gross misunderstanding of the issue. But it’s a question being asked by many.
The International Olympic Committee changed its policy in early 2016 to allow trans women to compete provided they demonstrate their testosterone level has been below a certain level for at least one year prior to their first competition. It supplants the previous 2003 policy that required both gender reassignment surgery and two years of hormone therapy (trans men are allowed to compete without restriction).
Chris Mosier, a trans male athlete and creator of transathlete.com, a resource site for trans sports advocacy at all levels, says the debate has been unfair and overheated.
“We’ve had several Olympic games since the policy has been in place for trans athletes,” says the 38-year-old Mosier, who in 2015 became the first openly trans man to make a Men’s U.S. National Team when he qualified for the Spring Duathlon team. “We’re talking something like 50,000 Olympians have passed through and not a single trans athlete or single trans woman has participated. The fears people have and the stereotypes and misconceptions they’re putting out there about trans women dominating sports just simply haven’t happened.”
That’s also the argument of trans activist/author Brynn Tannehill whose book “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Trans” came out in 2018. She points out that there has not been a single trans athlete dominator since the Olympic policy change or since the NCAA changed its policy to allow trans people to compete sans surgery in 2011. She claims a year of testosterone removal is “sufficient to remove competitive advantage.”
But some cis athletes have balked at getting beaten by trans women competitors. And they’re not just complaining — some are taking legal action. Elsewhere, governing bodies in various sports at all levels are either facing or have faced challenges in how to keep their eligibility policies current and trans-inclusive. That collides with the widely held trans argument that what a trans person has done or not done by way of hormone replacement therapy or gender reassignment surgery is a personal matter that doesn’t make them more or less a woman or man than those at other stages of transition.
Others say trans bias is something impossible to ignore or downplay because it’s so rampant.
“There will always be people who will say a trans female athlete is cheating when she wins or when she doesn’t win, say, ‘She just didn’t try hard enough,’” says gay sports filmmaker David McFarland (“Alone in the Game”). “People are looking for a reason to discriminate against trans people in sport, that’s a given.”
Connecticut controversy
Selina Soule, a 16-year-old runner at Glastonbury High School in Glastonbury, Conn., is frustrated. She says she’s suffered because trans competitors in her conference — Terry Miller of Bloomfield High and Andraya Yearwood of Cromwell High — have been allowed to compete no questions asked against she and her fellow cis women runners.
Miller won the State Open 200-meter title for the second straight year in 2019 and won the Class S titles in the 100 and 200, as well as the New England 200-meter championship. Yearwood, who is also transgender, finished third in the 100 meters in Class S and fourth in the 100 in the State Open.
Subsequently Soule wasn’t able to compete in the New England regional Championships where she would have been seen by college scouts. Miller and Yearwood have won 15 women’s state championships since the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CFAC) changed its policy to allow them to compete as women. Conference leaders say they’re simply following state law.
“The CIAC is committed to providing transgender student athletes with equal opportunities to participate in CIAC athletic programs consistent with their gender identity,” its guidebook reads. Connecticut is one of 19 states that has similar laws.
“I am very happy for these athletes and I fully support them for being true to themselves and having the courage to do what they believe in,” Soule said in a Fox News interview. “But in athletics, it’s an entirely different situation. It’s scientifically proven that males are built to be physically stronger than females. It’s unfair to put someone who is biologically a male who has not undergone anything in terms of hormone therapy against cisgender girls.”
Miller and Yearwood have declined to state publicly what, if any, hormone therapy or testosterone suppression — more on that later — they have undergone.
Soule told the Wall Street Journal the experience has been demoralizing.
“It’s just really frustrating and heartbreaking because we all train extremely hard to shave off just fractions of a second off of our time and these athletes can do half the amount of work that we do and it doesn’t matter,” she said. “We have no chance of winning.”
“It’s definitely a complicated issue,” Soule’s mother Bianca, told the Blade in a brief phone interview. “You have to compete based on the physical abilities you were born with, if you want to call it that. That’s why we separate the two genders. If there were no differences, there would never have been a women’s sports. Unfortunately our trans girls are caught in the middle. The rule is the problem. I tried to contact our Connecticut association to try to look into it, even meet with one of the trans girls’ fathers to try to understand and come up with a solution but we were met with only shut doors. The frustrating part has been the refusal of the athletic bodies to even consider and listen to our side of it.”
Yearwood and Miller issued statements through the ACLU. “I will continue to fight for all trans people to compete and participate consistent with (whom) we are,” Miller wrote. “There is a long history of excluding black girls from sport and policing our bodies. I am a runner and I will keep running and keep fighting for my existence, my community and my rights.”
“I will never stop running,” Yearwood wrote. “I hope that the next generation of trans youth doesn’t have to fight the fights that I have. I hope they can be celebrated when they succeed, not demonized.”
“It is heartbreaking to see yet another attack on trans youth for simply participating in activities alongside their peers,” Chase Strangio, ACLU staff attorney added. “Discrimination on the basis of sex extends to trans people. Girls who are transgender are girls.”
A legal group called Alliance Defending Freedom (it calls itself a “conservative Christian nonprofit”) filed a complaint in June with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights on behalf of Soule and two of her teammates claiming they have “been negatively impacted by the policy.”
“One of these male athletes now holds 10 records inside the state of Connecticut that were once held by 10 individual girls established over the course of about a 20-year period so it’s fundamentally unfair to allow biological males to step into women’s sports and frankly dominate them and take away opportunities not just to medal, but to be on the podium and advance to the next level of competition and even compete for scholarships for young women like Selena,” Christiana Holcomb, an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, told Tucker Carlson on Fox News.
“It’s grotesque and insane and it hurts women and girls,” Carlson said on the broadcast.
The issue is especially acute among high school athletes because students are often just figuring out whom they are, how they identify and are less likely to have time logged living fully transitioned lives.
Dawn Stacey Ennis, managing editor of OutSports and a trans woman, says the trans-girls-bumping-cis-girls-off-the-medal-stand argument is misleading because college coaches recruiting look at time, not placement.
“They don’t care who placed first, second or third — all colleges look at and what every coach has told me is that the time is what matters because time is immutable, you can’t change that. It doesn’t matter if you ran against a trans person or not,” Ennis says.
She also says Soule and her representatives aren’t being totally forthcoming.
“I talked to her mother and watched the video and when she said (Selina) didn’t get to qualify for the event in Boston, she sort of fibbed a little bit. She didn’t qualify in that event, but she did qualify in another event. But, of course, that’s not a good headline. It’s much better to say, ‘I didn’t get to go because of these girls.’ … They have to make the trans girls out to be the boogyemen because somebody else has to be responsible for her losing. It has to be someone else’s fault, but that’s not what sports is about.”
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, a lesbian, was heavily criticized for a Sunday Times op-ed she wrote in February arguing trans women should not be allowed to compete against cis women.
“It’s insane and it’s cheating,” she wrote. “I am happy to address a transgender woman in whatever form she prefers, but I would not be happy to compete against her. It would not be fair. … To put the argument at its most basic: a man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organization is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires,” she wrote.
She was heavily criticized for her comments, removed from the advisory board of Athlete Ally (an LGBT athlete advocacy group) and called out by trans activists such as cyclist Rachel McKinnon (the first trans woman to win a world track cycling title in Oct., 2018), who called Navratilova’s concern a “wild fantasy worry that is an irrational fear of something that doesn’t happen … transphobia.”
Navratilova wrote of being frustrated with “what seems to be a growing tendency among transgender activists to denounce anyone who argues against them and to label them all as transphobes.”
She backpedaled somewhat, apologizing for using the word “cheating,” but called for a debate on the issue based “not on feeling or emotion but science,” BBC News reported.
How are other sports organizing bodies handling the issue?
Western states solution
One group that’s done about as well as anyone it appears is the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run whose board members this year adopted a trans-inclusive policy that accepts “a runner’s self-declared gender at registration … at face value,” the New York Times reports.
“If, however, a finisher in the top 10 or among the top three in their age group is challenged, race management may ask the runner for documentation that they have undergone medically supervised hormone treatment for gender transition for at least a year before the race,” the Times reports.
The issue arose last December when Grace Fisher, a trans runner who favors ultradistance competition, was selected through the race’s traditional lottery system for the 100-mile ultramarathon that takes place in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California every June.
If a trans runner is challenged and it’s upheld by race management, their placement may be bumped but they would be allowed to keep their finisher’s buckle. It ended up not being an issue for Fisher (she came in 20th) but she says she appreciates the care organizers put into their policy.
“They were so concerned about me and wanted to ensure my safety,” says the 38-year-old Hancock, Md., resident, a federal employee with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. “They went out of their way to welcome me and wish me good luck. … It was quite amazing, but I don’t think the other runners really picked up on it. They just saw me as another female.”
Fisher acknowledges the issue is dicier on the high school level.
“I think we do need more research, but there are so few of us, it’s hard to get more,” she says. “I think personally, and this may not be popular in the trans community, but yeah, the high school situation needs to be looked at more. That’s such a tricky situation because one, they’re teenagers so their hormones are raging whether they’re cis or if they’ve started to transition, they may still have an advantage. I just haven’t seen any science on it so I’m hesitant to state any opinion at this point.”
There’s a bounty of information on the topic available from all kinds of sources, from thorough, balanced studies in popular magazines such as Men’s Health’s March piece “The Truth About Trans Athletes;” to folksy, readable blogs such as “On Transgender Athletes and Performance Advantages” earlier this year at sportsscientists.com; to scholarly research in medical journals such as “Sport and Transgender People: a Systematic Review of the Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies,” published online two years ago on the National Institute of Health website, which studied eight other articles and reviewed 31 sport policies.
The findings were — perhaps surprisingly for some — more trans validating than one might expect.
“In relation to sport-related physical activity, this review found the lack of inclusive and comfortable environments to be the primary barrier to participation for transgender people.” Also, the “lack of inclusive and comfortable environments (is) the primary barrier to participation for transgender people. … transgender people had a mostly negative experience in competitive sports because of the restrictions of the sport’s policy placed on them.”
Researchers also found “no direct or consistent research suggesting transgender female individuals (or male individuals) have an athletic advantage at any stage of their transition (e.g. cross-sex hormones, gender-confirming surgery) and therefore competitive sport policies that place restrictions on transgender people need to be considered and potentially revised.”
The ‘T’ word
A central — but not total — factor in this discussion is testosterone levels.
The hormone, an androgen is produced in both men and women, but not nearly as much in cis women. It affects the body in many ways.
In men, high levels of testosterone are made in the testes. The adrenal glands make much lower levels above the kidneys. Women produce testosterone in both their adrenal glands and ovaries, but testes in men produced much higher rates: in men, it’s 295 to 1,150 nanograms of testosterone per deciliter of blood while the levels in women are usually in the range of 12-61 nanograms per deciliter of blood, according to the New York Times and other medical sites consulted.
Testosterone also builds both skeletal and cardiac muscle and increases the number of red blood cells. The effects are present whether they’re there naturally or introduced. The effects are amplified further among elite athletes and make a huge difference in performance. Male champions in sports across the board are always faster and stronger than records set by women, although it’s not as simple as it may appear at first: researchers have found it has more of an effect in middle-distance races; it could have been less of a factor for Fischer in the Western States 100.
But the connection between testosterone and athletic performance isn’t always an exact science. When researchers measured the T levels of elite athletes from 15 Olympic sports, more than 25 percent of the men were below the level (10 nanomoles per liter) required of trans Olympic women, according to a study from “Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology” cited in the aforementioned Men’s Health article. Nearly 7 percent had less than 5 nmol/L and there was significant overlap between male and female athletes. Cis male powerlifters had surprisingly low T levels while cis male track and field athletes were higher.
Further complicating matters is the fact that some cis women rarely but occasionally possess unusually high T levels. Caster Semenya, 28, an elite runner and Olympic champion from South Africa, for instance, has been banned from some races. In May, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland ruled that women with unusually high T levels (far above the ranges normally seen) cannot compete against other women in some races unless they take drugs to suppress their levels, the New York Times reported.
Men also tend to be on average about 6 inches taller than women. The average U.S. adult male weighs 195 pounds vs. 168 pounds for women. A study from the Applied Physiology journal found that men had an average of 26 pounds more skeletal muscle mass than women and about 40 percent more upper-body and 33 percent more lower-body strength on average.
Fairness factor
So what does fair look like?
Mosier chuckles when asked to ponder the issue with sexism, patriarchy and anti-trans bias taken out of the equation.
“I don’t know what that would look like and I wish I could predict the future,” he says. “But sport is inherently about advantage and that makes people uncomfortable. There are certain advantages a very tall basketball player has. We don’t ask him to chop off a few inches of their height to make a more level playing field. Some people burn lactic acid faster than their competitors. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Katie Ledecky, beat her competition by a full pool length but she’s thought of as a once-in-a-lifetime, exceptional athlete but her advantage may be that she is never questioned, but there really needs to be more studies done on what the impact is over time before anyone could start to talk about unfair advantage.”
Not disqualifying certain individuals with extraordinary physical gifts is also commonly used as a rationale for why trans women shouldn’t be punished for physical attributes beyond their control.
“What are they supposed to do, tell these people they can’t compete because their arms are too big or their torsos are too long,” Ennis says. “That’s not fair either. Trans girls may have physical gifts but I would hope those would be advantages that would make cis girls try harder. I don’t think it’s unfair because there are always going to be people who are better than you.”
McFarland agrees.
“It’s an affront to every athlete to be penalized for one’s intrinsic biology,” he says. “Do we tell a really strong female shot putter or discus thrower she’s too strong to compete? Do we have a height cut-off in the NBA? Where would it end?”
But by that argument, why are women’s divisions needed in any sport?
Ennis says no women — cis or trans — want to compete against men. Asking the question, she says, implies skeptics don’t see trans women as true women.
“This idea that some guy’s gonna go put on a wig and a skirt, go dominate the sports world, then go back and start fathering babies, that’s just not what the trans experience is about,” Ennis says.
Mosier says any advantage trans women in theory may have, is negated by the social stigma they endure.
“It has a huge impact on their training and performance,” Mosier says. “People aren’t transitioning to gain a competitive advantage. What they encounter would never offset a gold medal or world championship. They just want to compete. … The footage of some of these track meets and what’s said to the competitors and their parents, its’ really toxic and vile and horrific in so many ways that a young person would have to deal with that lack of understanding.”
(Photo by Zhen Heinemann; courtesy Mosier)
And while some argue that anyone who’s been through a male puberty will on average retain a physical advantage — testosterone doesn’t vastly impact one’s height or reach — Fisher says even that argument is suspect.
“It’s like having a Mustang with a small engine,” Fisher says. “You still have this big car but it just doesn’t have the engine. We lost a lot of muscle mass, probably more than a fit female, but also a lot more bone mass. The muscle-to-mass ratio is lower,” she says. “I don’t really know if trans women have any advantage. I think it’s questionable.”
As one would expect, there’s huge support for trans athletes — both men and women — among LGBT advocacy groups. But the story changes significantly when you loop other stakeholders into the discussion.
Fallon Fox was the first openly trans athlete in MMA history in a 2012-2014 career that included just a single loss. She encountered substantial transphobia in her groundbreaking career but also questions about the fairness of her bouts. During a 2014 fight against Tamikka Brents, Brents suffered a concussion, orbital bone fracture and required seven staples to her head after the first round, which ended the fight. Brents, a lesbian, said after the fight it wasn’t a fair match.
Brents declined a Blade interview request saying she’d put the issue behind her but said at the time that Fox was far stronger than any other women she’d ever fought in a long MMA career.
Fox dismissed the advantage claim in a guest editorial on an MMA news website saying, “I’m a transgender woman. I deserve equal treatment and respect to other types of women. I feel this is so ridiculously unnecessary and horribly mean spirited.”
Elusive consensus
While it’s understandable that consensus eludes the sports world among the Alliance Defending Freedom, Fox News and the like, it’s still thorny because there’s no consensus either among trans people.
Some believe trans athletes should be able to compete without any medical intervention at all, others believe in a physical barometer to gauge trans eligibility while others say there should be a separate league for trans athletes, not a widely held view because of their small numbers. They mostly agree, however, that participation is essential.
Ennis of OutSports says the fact that trans women haven’t emerged as a dominant force in elite sports and even in high school sports don’t win constantly helps support the general push toward trans inclusion.
“If a study were to come out and say conclusively that trans women are physically unbeatable by cisgender women and every cis woman lost every time, I would throw in my hat and say, ‘That’s it, we can’t do it.’ But the facts aren’t in. Cis women do beat trans women. Not every single time, but there’s not one sport in which trans women totally dominate. These two (Connecticut) high school girls are winning competitions, but they don’t win every single one they’re in.”
“No trans person is trying to participate for personal gain,” McFarland says. “They just want to do it in a healthy manner. This idea that people are transitioning just to dominate is something that critics continually get wrong and this ungrounded fear of trans people, that they’ll come in and take over, that’s really the dictionary definition of transphobia. … The current science and data reveals it’s a nonsense argument.”
a&e features
Your guide to the many Pride celebrations in D.C. region
Scores of events scheduled across DMV amid WorldPride excitement
June is just around the corner, but Pride events have already begun in the region. There are many events scheduled in D.C. for WorldPride 2025, as well as for D.C. Black Pride, Trans Pride, Silver Pride, Latinx Pride, API Pride and Youth Pride. Cities and towns in the region also offer their own LGBTQ Pride festivals and parades.
D.C. API Pride has events scheduled from May 17-June 8 with meetings, shows, concerts, workshops and socials. Highlights include the API Pride Welcome Reception on Wednesday, June 4 at the National Union Building (918 F Street, N.W.); a screening of Saving Face with Director Alice Wu on Sunday June 1 from 2-4 p.m. at the Smithsonian Asian Art Museum (1050 Independence Avenue, S.W.); the Desi & South Asian Drag Show on Thursday, June 5 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Sinners & Saints (639 Florida Avenue, N.W.); and the QTAPI Nightlife Extravaganza on Friday, June 6 from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Koi Lounge (1413 K Street, N.W.) Visit qtapidc.org/apipride for more information and to register for events.
D.C. Silver Pride is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 from 4-7 p.m. at the Eaton Hotel (1201 K Street, N.W.). The resource fair and tea dance is hosted by Rayceen Pendarvis.
D.C. Latinx Pride has events scheduled from May 16-June 19. Highlights include a kickoff reception on Thursday, May 22 from 8-10 p.m. at Shakers DC (2014 9th Street, N.W.); La Fe, a celebration of faith and resilience, at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge Street, N.W.) on Sunday, May 25 from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.; La Fiesta: the Official Latinx Pride Party at Bunker (2001 14th Street, N.W.) on Thursday, May 29 at from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m.; as well as parties, a history walking tour, a film festival, panel discussions and more. Tickets are available for the Official Latinx Pride Party at latinxhistoryproject.org and run from $15 to $76.
Trans Pride Washington, D.C. is scheduled for May 17 beginning with registration at 9:30 a.m., a resource fair from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., panel discussions and workshops throughout the day, the Engendered Spirit Awards at 4 and a keynote speech by Schuyler Bailar with an afterparty scheduled for 6-9:30 p.m. RSVP at transpridewashingtondc.org. Location is shared after RSVP.
D.C. Youth Pride has events scheduled from May 30-June 7 in various locations throughout the city. Registration is free but required. Youth Pride Day is scheduled for May 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company (641 D Street, N.W.). The event is for LGBTQ+ youth ages 6-18 years old and their parents/caregivers/family (those over 18 must be accompanying an attendee 18 years of age or younger). Register on Eventbrite. Other events include the “Pride Rising” event on Friday, May 30 for LGBTQ+ young adults, a Teen Pride Night, a book launch and a “Proud to Teach” mixer for LGBTQ+ educations at Crush Dance Bar (2007 14th Street, N.W.) on Thursday, June 5 from 6-8:30 p.m.
D.C. Black Pride
The 34th annual D.C. Black Pride has events scheduled from Wednesday, May 21 through Monday, May 26 at the Capital Hilton (1101 16th Street, N.W.) and other venues throughout the city.
Thurst Lounge (2204 14th Street, N.W.) is holding a Thurstnik Reloaded extended hours nightlife event from May 21-26. The event is free; no tickets or wristbands are required.
Xavier Entertainment presents 5 days with 8 events for Black Pride with Supreme Fantasy 2025 from May 22-26. Passes are available at xavierpartydc.com. Events include the DC Black World Pride Kickoff party at Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U Street, N.W.) on Thursday, May 22; the 3000 Men Block party at Karma (2221 Adams Place, N.E.) on Friday, May 23; Official DC Black Pride After Hours parties at Power Nightclub (2335 Bladensburg Road, N.E.) are scheduled for Saturday, May 24, Sunday, May 25 and Monday, May 26 from 4-8 a.m.; the Cook Out Party is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Aqua Nightclub (1818 New York Avenue, N.E.); the 5000 Men Meatloaf Saturday Rooftop Party featuring headliner Yung Miami at Public Nightclub (1214 18th Street, N.W.) on Saturday, May 24 from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.; the DC Black World Pride Main Event at Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U Street, N.W.) is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 starting at 4 p.m.; the Meatloaf After Dark party at Power Nightclub (2335 Bladensburg Road, N.E.) is scheduled for Monday, May 26 from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.
The Welcome to D.C. Happy Hour is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 5-10 p.m. at Metrobar (640 Rhode Island Avenue, N.E.).
The Welcome to D.C. Happy Hour is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 5-10 p.m. at Decades Rooftop (1219 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.). Purchase tickets at blisspride.com.
The 9th annual D.C. Black Pride Unity Free Ball is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. at the Capital Hilton Hotel (1001 16th Street, N.W.). RSVP at Eventbrite for the free event.
Daryl Wilson Promotions presents The Pregame Act 1 party scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. at The Ugly Mug (723 8th Street, S.E.).
The Welcome Reception is scheduled for Friday, May 23 at 3 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Capital Hilton Hotel (1001 16th Street, N.W.).
The 34th annual D.C. Black Pride Opening Reception is scheduled for Friday, May 23 from 5-10 p.m. at the Capital Hilton Hotel (1001 16th Street, N.W.). Special guests include Kerri Colby, TS Madison and Monroe Alise.
The Bliss Pastel Party, a women’s event, is scheduled for Friday, May 23 from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. at Strand (1400 Eye Street, N.W.). $20 advance tickets are available at Blisspride.com.
The Capital House Music Festival salutes Sam the Man Burns at a free music festival featuring artists and DJs on May 24 from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. at Alethia Tanner Park (227 Harry Thomas Way, N.E.).
The “For the Culture” Brunch Cruise is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 aboard The Spirit of Washington. Boarding time is 11:15 a.m. at the dock at 580 Water Street, S.W. The boat returns to the dock at 3 p.m.
The Writers Forum, a panel of Black, LGBTQ+ writers, is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 from 1-3 p.m. at the Capital Hilton Hotel (1001 16th Street, N.W.).
Daryl Wilson Promotions presents the “Infamous” Saturday Day Party on May 24 from 5-11 p.m. at The Park (1201 Half Street, S.E.).
The Mary Bowman Poetry Slam Open Mic is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 from 6-8 p.m. at the Capital Hilton Hotel (1001 16th Street, N.W.). Twelve of performance poets from around the country compete for over $1,500 in prizes in a night of poetry hosted by Kenneth Something.
The Pure Bliss Party, a women’s event, is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. at Strand (1400 Eye Street, N.W.). Tickets are $25 in advance and available at Blisspride.com.
The Capitol Ballroom Council presents Brunch & Babes: DC Black Pride WorldPride Edition at Hook Hall (3400 Georgia Avenue, N.W.) on Sunday, May 25 from noon until 4 p.m. The drag event, hosted by Sophia McIntosh, features a brunch buffet and giveaways. Tickets are $20-$80.
The Clubhouse 50th anniversary “Children’s Hour Party” with special guest Rochelle Fleming is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 from 3-9 p.m. at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.).
Daryl Wilson Promotions presents The Wet Dreams Mega Day Party scheduled for Sunday, May 25 from 5-11 p.m. at The Bullpen (1201 Half Street, N.E.).
D.C. Black Pride 2025 Closeout – The Finale is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 from 6-10 p.m. at Twelve After Twelve (1212 18h Street, N.W.). $15 advance tickets are available at Blisspride.com.
Daryl Wilson Events is hosting the Sunday Night Super Party on Sunday, May 25 from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Monday at The Park (920 14th Street, N.W.).
Pride in the Park is scheduled for Monday, May 26 from 12-7 p.m. at Fort Dupont Park (Minnesota Avenue, S.E.).
The World Pride Black Queer Film Festival is scheduled for May 27-29 from 6-9 p.m. at Howard University’s Blackburn Digital Auditorium (2397 6th Street, N.W.). The event is free, but RSVP and see descriptions of films and showtimes on Eventbrite.
D.C. WorldPride 2025
The international event WorldPride 2025 is to be held in Washington, D.C. from May 18-June 8. Events include a Choral Festival from May 23-June 8; a WorldPride Film Festival from May 27-29; the Capital Cup Sports Festival from May 30-June 4; a Human Rights Conference on June 4-6, as well as marches, concerts, parties, a street festival and more. Visit worldpridedc.org for more information on affiliated events.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington is presenting the International Choral Festival for WorldPride 2025 with daily hour-long pop-up performances from singers from around the world on Friday, May 23 through Sunday, June 8 in venues throughout the city. The festival is free and open to the public, however, premium passes with reserved seating is available at GMCW.org.
The WorldPride Film Festival is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 through Thursday, May 29 and includes LGBTQ-themed films from across the globe. Screenings are to be held at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Cojeaux Cinemas (630 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W. and 1660 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Va.) and Atlas Performing Arts Center – Sprenger Theater (1333 H Street, N.E.). Movie descriptions and showtimes are listed at worldpridedc.org.
Team D.C. is hosting the Capital Cup Sports Festival on Friday, May 30 through Wednesday, June 4 in multiple venues. Athletes from around the world compete in basketball, bocce, cornhole, climbing, swimming, darts, dodgeball, flag football, kickball, golf, pickleball, regatta, roller derby, rugby, soccer, tennis, volleyball and wrestling. The D.C. Front Runners annual Pride Run 5K at Congressional Cemetery on June 1 is included. Find a tentative schedule and registration information at worldpridedc.org.
The Welcome Ceremony + Concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 at National’s Park (1500 South Capitol Street, S.E.). Shakira is performing in her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. Tickets run from $108 to $730 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
The WorldPride Human Rights Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4 through Friday June 6 at the JW Marriott (1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.). Featured speakers include the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, Dr. Lady Phyll and Paula Gerber. Early bird registration is available through capitalpride.org for $350, with virtual registration available for $200.
The National Trans Visibility March is holding a Policy and Safety Summit at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport (2799 Richmond Highway, Arlington, Va.) on Thursday, June 5 through Friday, June 6. Find more information on panels and topics at ntvmarch.org.
The Capital Pride Honors are scheduled for Thursday, June 5 from 7-11 p.m. at the National Building Museum (401 F Street, N.W.). The red carpet gala includes live music, food and a formal awards ceremony for trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community. Tickets are $105.25 and are available through capitalpride.org.
The Pride Celebration Concert with the International Pride Orchestra is scheduled for Thursday, June 5 at 7:30 at Strathmore Music Center (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md.). The International Pride Orchestra joins the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington for an evening of music. Tickets run from $35-$100 and can be purchased through strathmore.org.
The World Pride Music Festival: Global Dance Party is scheduled for Friday, June 6 through Saturday, June 7 at RFK Festival Grounds (2500 Independence Avenue, S.E.). The two day festival spans three stages. Attendees must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Performers on Friday include Jennifer Lopez, Gallants, Marina, Paris Hilton, Rita Ora, Tinashe, Betty Who, LP Giobbi, Patrick Mason and Trisha Paytas among others, with a closing set by Zedd. Saturday performers include Troye Sivan, Grimes, Kim Petras, Purple Disco Machine, Ray, Sofi Tukker, Anabel Englund, Coco & Breezy, Crush Club, Aluna, Sasha Colby and a DJ set by RuPaul.
The WorldPride 17th Street Block Party is scheduled for Friday, June 6 from 5-10 p.m. and Saturday, June 7 from noon until 10 p.m. along 17th Street, N.W. in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. There will be a beverage garden and LGBTQ+ entertainment.
The Washington Blade is hosting the sixth annual Pride on the Pier Boat Parade & Fireworks Show at The Wharf (101 District Square, S.W.) on Friday, June 6 from 3-10 p.m. and Saturday, June 7 from noon until 10 p.m. The event is free, though VIP tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite for $30. The boat parade is schedule for 7 p.m. on June 6, and the fireworks show is scheduled for 9 p.m. on June 7. More information is available at prideonthepierdc.com.
The Full Bloom: Friday Main Event is scheduled for Friday, June 6 at 9 p.m. at 1235 W Street, N.E. Tickets are $100 and available at capitalpride.org.
LUSH: The DC Lesbian Nightclub Experience is scheduled for June 6 at 10 p.m. at 618 DC (618 H Street, N.W.). Advance tickets are $15 at ra.co. The event is 21+ and features an “all-dyke DJ lineup” with Lady Lavender, Flotussin and Jacq Jill.
The WorldPride Parade is scheduled for Saturday, June 7 with the step off at 2 p.m. at 14th Street and T Street, N.W. The parade is slated to move down 14th street to Freedom Plaza and then Pennsylvania Avenue.
The WorldPride Street Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 7 and Sunday June 8 for noon until 10 p.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. between 9th and 3rd Streets. There will be food courts, beverage gardens, a Camp Pride Family Area / kids’ zone, community vendors, activities, entertainment and more.
The Post-Parade + Closing Concerts is scheduled for Saturday, June 7 through Sunday, June 8 at the Street Festival and Concert Grounds at 3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. The event is free to the public, though Tier 2 VIP tickets are available (and quickly selling out) at capitalpride.org for $335.01 for the Saturday concert or $575.20 for Saturday and Sunday. Cynthia Erivo, David Archuleta, CeCe Peniston and Kristine W take the stage on Saturday for the post-parade. Doechii, Khalid, Brooke Eden, 2AM Ricky, Parker Matthews and MkX are scheduled to perform in the Sunday Closing Concert.
The Fabric of Freedom Main Saturday Event is scheduled for June 7 at 10 p.m. at 1235 W Street, N.E. KINETIC Presents and the Capital Pride Alliance host the party featuring three stages, over 100,000 square feet of dance floor, and a performance by Pabllo Vittar. Tickets are available for purchase at capitalpride.org and run from $120.92 to $188.80.
Unwraveled: The Official Women’s Party for WorldPride 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, June 7 from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. at The Park at 14th (920 14th Street, N.W.). Tickets run from $63.48 to $105.25 and are available for purchase at capitalpride.org.
The International Rally + March on Washington for Freedom is scheduled for Sunday, June 8 with the rally beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the march kicking off from the Lincoln Memorial (2 Lincoln Memorial Circle, N.W.) at noon. The march will end near the U.S. Capitol Building for the WorldPride DC Street Festival and Closing Concert.
Visit worldpridedc.org/events to see a full list of partner and affiliate events for WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Regional Prides
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride is to be held on Saturday, May 17 at the Harris Pavilion (9201 Center Street, Manassas, Va.) from noon until 4 p.m. The family-friendly event is held in the historic center of Old Town Manassas.
The second annual Herndon Pride is being held at Arts Herndon (750 Center Street, Herndon, Va.) on Saturday, May 24 from noon until 5 p.m.
Annapolis Pride, one of the larger Pride celebrations in the region, includes both a parade and festival on Saturday, May 31. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Calvert and Bladen Streets and end at Amos Garrett Boulevard off of West Street. The festival is to be held at Maryland Hall (801 Chase Street, Annapolis, Md.) from noon until 5 p.m.
The 2025 Arlington Pride Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Richmond Highway, Arlington, Va.). The indoor event is free. A number of other ticketed events ($30-$250) are scheduled for Arlington Pride as well, including a pageant hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee, a drag brunch, speed dating and an afterparty.
The fourth annual Loudoun Pride Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 from noon until 6 p.m. at Ida Lee Park (60 Ida Lee Drive N.W., Leesburg, Va.). The ticketed event ($5) includes musical performances, a magic show, face painting, bounce houses, food vendors, an alcohol pavilion and the return of “Dragstravaganza.”
Page County / Luray Pride is set for Saturday, May 31 from noon until 5 p.m. at River’s Bend Ranch (397 Riverbend Rd., Stanley, Va.). The family-friendly event is free, but horseback riding is available for those who sign up in advance for $60 + tip to trail guide.
The Charles County Department of Health is holding the third annual PrEP for Pride at 4545 Crain Highway in White Plains, Md. from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. The free festival includes a spirited Pride Walk, entertainment and vendors.
Reston Pride is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 from 6-9 p.m. and Sunday, June 1 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza (1609 Washington Plaza N., Reston, Va.). The free events planned for the weekend include the Rising Voices! Community Concert on Saturday and the Pride Festival on Sunday.
The third annual Culpeper Pride Festival is scheduled for Sunday, June 1 from noon until 5 p.m. at the Mountain Run Winery (10753 Mountain Run Lake Road, Culpeper, Va.). The free event includes music, vendors, a 2 p.m. runway contest. An after hours drag show is scheduled for 6-8 p.m., with tickets available for $10.
The City of Rockville Human Rights Commission is hosting the ninth annual Rockville Pride Festival on Sunday, June 1 from 2-5 p.m. at Rockville Town Square (131 Gibbs Street, Rockville, Md.).
The fourth annual Portsmouth Pride Fest is scheduled for Sunday, June 1 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Portsmouth Festival Park (16 Crawford Circle, Portsmouth, Va.). The family-friendly free event includes entertainment, vendors, community information and a dog park.
Fairfax Pride is scheduled for Saturday, June 7 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Stacy C. Sherwood Center (3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax, Va.). The Fairfax Pride Launch Event hosted by Fairfax City and George Mason University is set to include children’s activities, crafts, and more.
The 4th annual Mosaic Pride is coming to the Mosaic District (District Avenue, Fairfax, Va.) with drag shows, live music and more on Saturday, June 14 from 3-9 p.m. The day’s events include a 3 p.m. parade, drag story time with Tara Hoot and an aerialist performance.
The 50th annual Baltimore Pride is to be held June 8-15. The full list of scheduled events has not yet been released, but generally includes the Baltimore Pride Parade and the Baltimore Pride Festival. Check back with the Washington Blade for more specific event times as they become available.
The fourth annual Delmarva Pride Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at S. Harrison and E. Dover Streets in Easton, Md. The free event includes vendors and entertainment. Other Delmarva Pride events scheduled over the weekend include “A Night in New Orleans” concert and dance on Thursday, June 12 at 7 p.m. at the Garfield Center for the Arts (210 High Street, Chestertown, Md.), as well as a drag show and art event on Friday, a dance (18+) on Saturday and a Pride Brunch on Sunday.
Hampton Roads Pride Weekend is scheduled for June 20-22. Weekend events include a unique boat parade, a Pridefest, a block party and more.
The fifth annual Catonsville Pride is scheduled for Saturday, June 21 from 2-5 p.m. at Catonsville Presbyterian Church (1400 Frederick Road, Catonsville, Md.). The ticketed event ($4-$5) is a charity fundraiser with all net proceeds slated to go to the Journeys Cottage at The Children’s Home (a safe space for trans youth).
The 13th annual Hagerstown Pride is scheduled for Saturday, June 21 from noon until 6 p.m. at Doubs Woods Park (1307 Maryland Avenue, Hagerstown, Md.).
The 12th annual Frederick Pride Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Carroll Creek Linear Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick, Md.). The free event includes a full food truck court, a beverage garden, hundreds of vendors, a car show, musical guests, drag performances, a children’s area and more.
The eighth annual Alexandria Pride Fair is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 from 3-6 p.m. at Alexandria City Hall and Market Square (301 King Street, Alexandria, Va.). The free event includes exhibitors and vendors, a drag story hour, food trucks, live music, health services a mobile art lab, dancing are more.
FXBG PRIDE (Fredericksburg, Va.) is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 with a march set to begin with speeches at 10 a.m. at Riverfront Park (701 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg, Va.) and move through downtown Fredericksburg. Following the march, the FXBG Pride Festival is scheduled from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Riverfront Park. An afterparty at Market Square (214 William Street, Fredericksburg, Va.) is scheduled for 6-11 p.m., with 18+ after 9 p.m. All events are free.
The 2025 Salisbury Pride Parade and Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 28. The parade is planned to begin at 3 p.m. and move along Main Street in downtown Salisbury, Md. The festival is to run from 2-6:30 p.m.
The Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 from noon until 8 p.m. at Veterans Plaza (1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, Md.).
Cumberland Pride is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 from noon until 4 p.m. at Canal Place (13 Canal Street, Cumberland, Md.). The free event includes entertainment, vendors and more.
Some cities have opted for Pride celebrations later in the year. Pride festivals in Front Royal, Va. and Westminster, Md. are slated for July 26. C’ville Pride Festival (Charlottesville, Va.), Shenandoah Valley Pride (Harrisonburg, Va.) and Virginia Pridefest (Richmond, Va.) are scheduled for September. Staunton Pride (Staunton, Va.), Southwest Virginia Pride (Salem, Va.), Winchester Pride (Winchester, Va.) and HoCo Pride (Columbia, Md.) are scheduled for October.
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Gideon Glick steals the show in Amazon Prime’s ‘Étoile’
Talented actor delivers brilliant turn as quirky ballet choreographer
If you haven’t seen the scene stealing Gideon Glick in Amazon Prime’s “Étoile,” run do not walk to your preferred streaming platform.
The talented actor — known for his work on the Broadway show, “Spring Awakening” and movies like, “Maestro”— is fantastic as Tobias, the quirky ballet choreographer.
“Tobias is a brilliant, complicated man who lives in his own world and sees the world very clearly in his head, but I don’t think other people see it as clearly as he does,” Glick told the Blade. “I don’t know if he’s as good as communicating within his head to others … he doesn’t read people very well, and I think he’s quite blunt, and he has a very hard time if something doesn’t align with what he sees.”
Glick is also one of the writers on the series.
After working with him on their previous hit show, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” co-creators/executive producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino hired Glick as a scribe, after he expressed a strong interest in writing.
“The funny thing about Gideon was we started to create this character, this weird, semi on the spectrum, sort of strange choreographer, and we would find ourselves talking about him and then just looking at Gideon,” said Amy Sherman-Palladino at a recent press event.
“And after a while, Gideon’s like ‘why are you looking at me like every five seconds!?’ And we realized we were creating this character, and it was Gideon! In the writer’s room, about halfway through it, we said to him, ‘is it something you might wanna do?’”
Glick had that sense this was going to happen.
“We have a similar sense of humor. And we just got along really well….We were about a month into the writers’ room, and every time they talked about the character, they kept pointing to me,” he noted.
“But I didn’t know it was me. And everybody kept looking around and thought, ‘How strange is this?’ But then when they offered it to me, you know, it was a beautiful synthesis. So we kind of came up with it together, which I feel really, really lucky about.”
Added Daniel Palladino: “Gideon has his own odd, peculiar way, and it’s unmatched with anybody else.”
Glick is thrilled and deeply touched by his relationship with the Palladinos. “It’s been a very remarkable thing for me. I think when you have reverence for people, and when they respect you back and believe in you, you start to believe in yourself. And so, that started to happen to me when I started working with them, and it helped me cultivate my own career and expand on it.”
To have that level of confidence means everything to Glick.
“I think especially being in a gay community, finding people that believe in you and bolster you — you don’t let them go. Ever, ever, ever.”
As an actor who has a disability in his own life, Glick resonates with Tobias’s uniqueness.
“I was born with one ear. My right ear is completely fake. It’s made out of my rib. And hearing impaired on my left side too … I’ve had to embrace the fact that I’m different from a very, very, very early age. I also came out when I was 12. So at that point, it was kind of on the vanguard. I mean people come out all the time now. But back then, that was unique.”
He continued: “I think I’ve learned very early on that what makes you unique is your special power. And I think with Tobias, he thinks very differently than everybody else. And he’s very strident and kind of blunt about it. But he’s a brilliant man. And when it actually gets actualized, you can see the tangible beauty that he’s creating.”
Having come from a musical theater background, Glick was fascinated by the plethora of dance scenes being filmed.
“I grew up doing plays and musicals, and I got to do ‘Maestro’ and learn a little bit about classical music because of that. But this felt like the final great piece of art that I didn’t know about, and I came away knowing a lot. Especially because of the writing component.”
If you have binged all the episodes, you know that Tobias’s relationship with French ballet dancer Gabin (Ivan du Pontavice) slowly deepens into a tender, romantic connection.
“Ivan is an extraordinary actor. He’s very alive. He’s very thoughtful. I think of us as an odd couple. We’re very different characters. Gabin is a very self interested, braggadocio type. Tobias is an introvert, lives in his own world, very blunt. Two people that don’t necessarily consider the other and are not necessarily accountable to other people. And within the relationship, they learn about that, and they learn about empathy, and it’s a really beautiful, beautiful relationship, and the way that it blossoms, and then both characters blossom. It’s been a thrill to be able to perform.”
When Glick is not working, he is hard at work on his new nonprofit, the Blue Roses project.
“It’s a queer play development lab that is based in New Orleans. I co-founded it with one of my dearest friends, James McBride. Our mission is to find unproduced queer playwrights, match them with established directors, and integrate artists from outside of New Orleans with artists inside of New Orleans and tell queer stories in the South. So that’s where I’ve been directing my energy toward and we’re actually just about to launch.”
Especially with this administration, queer people are not being supported in the arts, Glick acknowledged.
“We are hoping to fill that gap in some way and offer help. I think also within the theater community, new play development, people don’t have money anymore, so we would like to create a space right now.”
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Peppermint thrives in the spotlight
In exclusive interview, she talks Netflix show — and the need to resist Trump’s attacks
As an entertainer, there’s not much that Peppermint hasn’t done. She’s a singer, actor, songwriter, reality TV personality, drag queen, podcaster and the list goes on. Most importantly, as an activist she has been an invaluable role model for the trans, queer, and Black communities.
She’s a trailblazer who boasts an impressive list of ‘firsts.’ She is the first out trans contestant to be cast on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (Season 9). She is the first trans woman to originate a principal musical role for Broadway’s “Head Over Heels.” She was also the first trans woman to compete in the runaway hit series “Traitors,” on Peacock, and she is the ACLU’s first-ever Artist Ambassador for Trans Justice. Her accolades are a true testament of the courage it took for Peppermint to live her authentic self.
We caught up with Peppermint to chat about her activism, taking on bigger roles on screen, our current political and social climate and life beyond the lens. For Peppermint, coming out as trans was not just a moment of strength—it was a necessity.
“It unfolded exactly as I had imagined it in terms of just feeling good and secure about who I am. I was in so much pain and sort of misery and anguish because I wasn’t able to live as free as I wanted to and that I knew that other people do when they just wake up. They get dressed, they walk out the door and they live their lives. Being able to live as your authentic self without fear of being persecuted by other people or by the government is essential to being healthy,” Peppermint tells the Blade in an exclusive interview.
“I was not able to imagine any other life. I remember saying to myself, ‘If I can’t imagine a life where I’m out and free and feeling secure and confident and left alone, then I don’t even want to imagine any kind of a life in the future,’” says Peppermint.
Recently, Peppermint returned for season 2 of Netflix’s comedy “Survival of the Thickest.” She added some spice and kick to the first season in her role as a drag bar owner. This time around, her character moves center stage, as her engagement and wedding become a major plot line in the show. Her expanded role and high-profile trans representation come at just the right time.
“It’s the largest acting role I’ve ever had in a television show, which my acting degree thanks me. It feels right on time, in a day where they’re rolling back trans rights and wanting to reduce DEI and make sure that we are limited from encouraging companies, corporations, industries, and institutions from not only featuring us, but supporting us, or even talking about us, or even referencing us.
“It feels great to have something that we can offer up as resistance. You can try to moralize, but it’s tougher to legislate art. So it feels like this is right on time and I’m just really grateful that they gave me a chance and that they gave my character a chance to tell a greater story.
Peppermint’s expanded role also accompanies a boom in queer representation in Black-powered media. Networks like BET and Starz and producers like Tyler Perry, are now regularly showcasing queer Black folks in main story lines. What does Peppermint think is fueling this increased inclusion?
“Queer folks are not new and queer Black folks are not new and Black folks know that. Every Black person knows at least one person who is queer. We are everywhere. We have not always been at the forefront in a lot of storytelling, that’s true, and that’s the part that’s new. It’s Hollywood taking us from the place where they usually have held us Black, queer folks in the makeup room, or as the prostitute, as an extra—not that there’s anything wrong with sex work or playing a background performer. I’ve played the best of the hookers! But those [roles] are very limiting.
“Hollywood has not historically done and still does not do a very good job of, including the voices of the stories that they make money [on]. And I think they’re realizing [the need] to be inclusive of our stories and our experiences, because for a long time it was just our stories without our actual experiences. It’s also exciting. It’s dramatic. It makes money. And they’re seeing that. So I think they’re just dipping their toes in. I think that they’re going to realize that balance means having us there in the room.”
Peppermint’s activism is tireless. She has raised more than six figures for prominent LGBTQ rights groups, she continues to speak around the nation, appears regularly on major media outlets addressing trans and LGBTQ issues and has been honored by GLAAD, World of Wonder, Out magazine, Variety, Condé Nast and more—all while appearing on screen and onstage in a long list of credits.
Now, under the Trump administration, she doesn’t have time to take a breath.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it if it weren’t second nature for me. Of course, there are ups and downs with being involved with any social issue or conversation and politics. But I am, for now, energized by it. It’s not like I’m energized by like, ‘Ooh, I just love this subject!’ right? It’s like, ‘Oh, we’re still being discriminated against, we gotta go and fight.’
“That’s just what it is. I get energy because I feel like we are quite literally fighting for our lives. I know that is hyperbole in some regards, but they are limiting access to things like housing, healthcare, job security and not having identification. Passport regulations are being put in a blender.”
Peppermint also mentions her thoughts on the unfair mandates to remove trans service members and revoke the rights and resources from the veterans who worked their whole lives to fight for this country.
“When you strip all these things away, it makes it really difficult for people to have a life and I know that that is what they’re doing. When I look around and see that that is what is at stake, I certainly feel like I’m fighting for my life. And that’s energizing.
“The only thing that would be the most rewarding besides waking up in a utopia and suddenly we’re all equal and we’re not discriminating against each other—which probably is not happening this year—is to be able to be involved in a project like this, where we can create that world. It’s also being built by people who are a part of that story in real life and care about it in real life.”
Peppermint is clear on her point that now is the time for all of the letters of the LGBTQ community to come together. Everyone who is trans and queer should be joining the fight against the issues that affect us all.
“Just trust us and understand that our experiences are tied together. That is how and why we are discriminated against in the way[s] that we are. The people who discriminate—just like how they can’t really distinguish between somebody who’s Dominican and somebody who’s African American — you’re Black when you’re getting pulled over. We are discriminated against in much the same way. It’s the same with being trans or queer or gender non-conforming or bi, we all have our own experiences and they should be honored.
“When laws are being created to harm us, we need to band together, because none of y’all asses is gonna be able to stop them from getting rid of marriage equality—which is next. If you roll the tape back to three years ago when somebody was trying to ask me about drag queen bans on readings in school, I was saying they’re coming for trans rights, which comes for bodily autonomy and abortion rights, which comes for gay marriage rights. Those three things will be wiped out.
Peppermint doesn’t take a pause to get fired up and call gay folk out in their obligation to return the favor to the Black trans community.
She shares with us her final thoughts.
“You cis-gender homosexuals need to stand the fuck up and understand that we are standing in front of you. It’s very difficult to understand this and know this, but so many of the rights that we have were hard fought and won by protest and by people fighting very hard for them. And many of those people in every single instance from the suffrage movement, obviously Civil Rights, queer rights, the AIDS and HIV movement—Black queer people have been there the entire time. Trans people have always been a part of that story, including Stonewall. Yes, we are using different terminology. Yes, we have different lenses to view things through, but let me tell you, if you allow us to be sacrificed before you see us go off the side, you will realize that your foot is shackled to our left foot. So, you better stand the fuck up!”
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