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Veteran Blade features editor recalls all-time best and worst celeb interviews

From loquacious and chatty to boring and condescending, star subjects run gamut

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Joey DiGuglielmo, gay news, Washington Blade
Blade Features Editor Joey DiGuglielmo at his celeb-ensconced desk in 2007. (Blade file photo)

Iā€™m naming names, so get ready. 

I came to the Blade in October 2006 as news editor, then became features editor in 2008, which is my title to this day. Thatā€™s probably a record, but I have no easy way to verify that.

One small part of my job is interviewing celebrities. Itā€™s tough when itā€™s somebody youā€™re not familiar with and you have to research from scratch. Itā€™s super fun when itā€™s a star youā€™ve followed for a long time and can go deep and ask interesting, off-the-beaten-path stuff. I work hard to eschew the same handful of questions theyā€™ve been asked nine zillion times before (e.g. to John Waters: ā€œWhat was Divine like?ā€). You can geek out and go crazy deep/obscure for a few questions but obviously you donā€™t want an entire interview of that. 

Often the audiences for these pieces are people who follow the subjects avidly already so you want to make it interesting for them as well as the casual fan. Nothing pisses off a fan base faster than a set of questions that sounds like you cobbled them together in 10 minutes after reading the press release and the Wikipedia page. 

These are almost always done by phone because rarely is the celeb in D.C. prior to the event thatā€™s bringing them to our region. I only agree to e-mail interviews under extremely rare circumstances because they usually cherry pick which questions they want to answer and thereā€™s no chance to press them if they play coy or evasive. I let Larry Kramer by on a pass because he has severe hearing loss (he was great ā€” we went several rounds of follow-up by e-mail) and Janis Ian, who was on vocal rest. 

Itā€™s tough when their handlers have scheduled back-to-back phoners and you only get 15 minutes and have to keep firing like youā€™re in the lightening round to cram in as much as possible. The celebs donā€™t give a shit ā€” even under tight time constraints, youā€™ll sometimes get somebody whoā€™ll ramble on for 10 minutes answering one question, so youā€™re fucked (Iā€™m looking at you Megan Mullally). You also learn quickly, these people are never your friends; many of them are just good at giving you the temporary illusion that theyā€™re chummy with you. As a mentor of mine used to say, you see how quickly that stops when the column inches are over. 

It also sucks when their publicists stay on the line and cut you off just when youā€™re getting going. In some cases, I get it ā€” some journalists would hog the celebā€™s time so somebody has to be the bad cop. Iā€™m greedy with my celeb time but never go crazy long. Thirty-40 minutes is ideal ā€” you can actually breathe a little, give them time to ramble, then pick your most interesting responses to use. You always have to have more prepared than youā€™ll get to in case they go Bob Dylan on you and give one-word answers. The best situations are when you develop rapport, keep them engaged (typically this kind of thing bores them) and get them riffing way off their press release.  

So after 11 years of doing this, Iā€™m giving out my all-time best and worst awards for Blade interviews. Weā€™ll start with the worst.Ā 

5. Stand-up legend Margaret Cho (ā€œMothersā€™ Day with Margaretā€ 2013; ā€œMargaret goes ā€˜psyCHOā€™ on new tour,ā€ 2015) ā€” perfectly nice lady but not funny in interview mode; like, at all. Makes you feel like sheā€™d rather be doing anything but this. 

4. Actress Maria Bello (ā€œDonā€™t label Maria Bello,ā€ 2015) ā€” didnā€™t have time for anything much once we got through talking about her book. 

3. Andy Cohen (ā€œDeep Talk with Andy Cohen,ā€ 2017) ā€” polite but just didnā€™t give me much to work with. Very succinct responses delivered in as few words as possible. It was like he couldnā€™t wait to get off the phone. 

2. Singer Natalie Merchant (ā€œNatalie Merchant goes deep,ā€ 2017) ā€” ostensibly polite and decent elaboration but sounded about as excited as a clerk at a D.C. 7-11. 

1. Jazz pianist Patricia Barber (ā€œCerebral jazz,ā€ 2013) ā€” stock answers, kind of a tone of ā€œwhy would you ask me thatā€? to every answer that made me feel she thought I was an idiot. 

DISHONORABLE MENTION: Rufus Wainwright (ā€œRufus Wainwright on opera, revisiting his first two albums,ā€ 2018) ā€” Nice enough guy, but we were late getting started, then his handlers cut us off as if the clock had started at the time they were supposed to have called. 

Best:

5. Actress Valerie Harper (ā€œTaking on Tallulah,ā€ 5-29-09) ā€” one of the rare ones I got to do in person. Chatty, funny, willing to go anywhere the questions took her ā€” a delight.

4. Singer/actress Patti LuPone (ā€œReminiscing with LuPone,ā€ 9-8-11) ā€” I was terrified. Miss LuPone does not suffer fools gladly and Iā€™m not a show queen, so I was winging it slightly (but I had read her then-new memoir! You donā€™t always have time.). The appointed time came. Her husband answers and says sorry, sheā€™s getting her hair done. She called a few hours later and apologized. It was perfect ā€” that mild inconvenience put her more at my mercy, so she wasnā€™t prickly at all. 

3. Figure skater/personality Adam Rippon (ā€œAdam Rippon on new life, loves, memoir, ass and skating in the nude,ā€ 2019) ā€” candid, funny, balked at nothing, not in a hurry and genuinely sweet. 

2. Motown legend Mary Wilson (ā€œMary Wilson shares Motown memories,ā€ 2017) ā€” the Supremes co-founder gleefully went anywhere I led and elaborated without prodding. Miss Ross, of course, has yet to deign us with her presence. 

1. Actress Lily Tomlin (ā€œLaughing with Lily,ā€ 2014; ā€œLily Tomlin on why sheā€™s happy she lost the Emmy this year ā€” and a whole lot more,ā€ 2018) ā€” unsurprisingly, itā€™s often true that the bigger the name, the more youā€™re likely to encounter a diva. Tomlin, as many in my field would attest, is the exception. Exceedingly nice, the only celeb to ever make a point of using my name and never in a rush. The ultimate class act A-lister. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Bruce Vilanch (ā€œDishing with Bruce,ā€ 2013), Leslie Jordan (ā€œFlamboyantly funny,ā€ 2016; ā€œCharacter actor Leslie Jordan on his pony obsession, TV hits and misses and dream threesome,ā€ 2019); Salim Gauwloos (ā€œFormer Madonna dancer Slam recalls ā€˜Blond Ambition Tour,ā€™ ā€˜Truth or Dareā€™); Dave Koz (ā€œA Dave Koz Christmas,ā€ 2014, ā€œKoz and effect,ā€ 2011), Yvonne Craig (ā€œHoly spandex tights! Itā€™s Batgirl!,ā€ 2015) and Alison Arngrim (ā€œLife on the ā€˜Prairie,ā€™ā€ 2011). 

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Sexting with younger guy has me asking: How queer am I?

Reflections on LGBTQ life in 2024

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Jake Stewart is a recovering Hill staffer based in D.C. In addition to writing, he barbacks at the Little Gay Pub."

Once upon a time, not all that long ago, a man sexted another man. 

There were words. There were pictures. There were filthy questions and even filthier responses. You know, the way a good sexting convo ought to be, for those who dabble. 

One man was 33. The other, 24. And while it comes as no shock that I was the 33-year-old, it may be more surprising to learn it was the 24-year-old who grabbed the reins. 

What kinks you into? he asked. 

Shit ā€“ I didnā€™t know. I barely even bottomed before the pandemic, and now I had to know my kinks? 

Iā€™m open, I replied, evasively. You? 

His response left me coughing: ā€œLove musk sweat ws public group rough bb verbal bate edge roleplay and very open-minded.ā€ 

Now Iā€™m no prude (in fact, many would call me a downright whore) but this young man articulating his kinks and fetishes in such detail blew my mind. When did he learn what he liked? At 24, all I wanted was to top a guy and leave with as little communication or attachment as possible. At 33, I wasnā€™t sure what a few of the items he listed even meant.  

Perhaps I shouldnā€™t be surprised when young men ā€” and the younger generation across the LGBTQ spectrum in general ā€” have already figured out their sexual interests. I arrived in D.C. from Idaho in 2008 as a fresh-faced 18-year-old; I came out three years later in 2011. Attitudes toward queerness have shifted substantially since then, and these days it is undeniably easier for younger people to explore their sexual and gender identities (which, by the way, is fantastic). 

But this conversation left me wondering: What do I like? I havenā€™t sought out that many new sexual experiences, and while fetishes, kinks, and sexual desires can seem trivial, theyā€™re inextricably intertwined with gender and relationships. If I canā€™t articulate what I like in the sack (or in public, if I dare), then how do I know what Iā€™m seeking from a long-term partner, or if thatā€™s even what I want? 

As soon as I came out, I thought my job was done. All I needed after that was to snatch up a cutie and settle down. Instead, my identity centered on building my career in politics, where sexual openness isnā€™t as appreciated. I, like many D.C. queers around me, moved here bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to change the world for good. 

Then came a tough lesson: Just because I wanted to improve the world didnā€™t mean people wanted me to. I was inexplicably fired from not one job but two, and suddenly the do-gooder in me grew jaded. The career I dedicated years to was suddenly ripped from my hands, and I became so disillusioned I didnā€™t even want it back. Oh, and the cherry on top: My boyfriend dumped me two days later. 

Once everything unraveled, I wondered: Was the me of the past the me I truly wanted? Or was I reflecting back what I thought everyone wanted me to be? 

Well, a few major meltdowns and an extended slut phase later, my life couldnā€™t be more different. I now work at a new gay bar in town to support myself, and Iā€™ve given myself space to pursue the arts. This former straight-laced, type-A, tightly wound gay abandoned the safe track and he couldnā€™t be more terrified. He also couldnā€™t be more excited. 

But losing my old career also left an existential-sized hole in my identity. So, as I sexted this 24-year-old with newfound awareness of my limitations, I decided this must change. 

How? As I said, I work at a gay bar in one of the queerest cities in America. Now more than ever Iā€™m surrounded by those who are LGBTQ and every shade in between. Why not learn from those around me, whether younger, older, or around the same age, but whose experiences are no less queer? Why not carve out time to have in-depth discussions and discover what the possibilities are? 

If being queer means to go against the established norms of gender and sexuality, then thereā€™s still plenty of territory for me to explore. No longer can ā€˜bottomā€™ or ā€˜topā€™ be my only options. 

So, the purpose of this column ā€“ aptly titled Queer Quest ā€“ is to capture my exploration of queer identity. Itā€™s not to teach you as much as it is to teach myself, and you can either learn alongside me or simply be entertained. At the very least, Iā€™ll have a series of portraits on what itā€™s like to be queer in the mid 2020s. At most, Iā€™ll have a better understanding of who I am as a queer person. 

Then maybe, just maybe, Iā€™ll become a better sexter. 

Jake Stewart is a D.C.-based writer.

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What will you do to make Pride safe this year?

Anxiety reigns among American Jews after Oct. 7

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Jews and supporters of Israel attend Pride marches. With a few exceptions, these spaces have always been safe and welcoming for the broader Pride community. 

But this year is different. 

For American Jews, anxiety reigns as we head into this Pride season. The appalling rise of antisemitism since Oct. 7 forces us to ask difficult questions. As many Jews increasingly feel alienated and excluded from progressive spaces, weā€™re left to wonder: If I wear a Jewish symbol, march with a Jewish group, or wave a rainbow flag adorned with the Star of David, will I be safe at Pride?

Even before Oct. 7, LGBTQ Jews had plenty of reason to feel trepidation about their safety at Pride. From blanket bans on Stars of David at past Pride gatherings to antisemitism on display at the recent Sydney Pride, too often Jews feel forced to choose between their LGBTQ and Jewish identities and hide their connection to Israel.

Since Oct. 7, terms like “apartheid,” “genocide” and “Zionism equals racism” are increasingly thrown around casually, often without a nuanced understanding of their impact or the realities they oversimplify. This rhetoric not only alienates but also endangers Jewish queer people. It makes us feel emotionally unsafe. It increases the chances that we will be physically unsafe as well. 

We must not allow the Israel-Palestine conflict to be imported into Pride.

I will always remember the euphoria of the first Pride rally I attended. I was barely 18 years old, in a crowd of people of all ages, races, genders and gender orientations ā€” and they were like me. Queer. It felt safe. It was the first time I experienced that feeling of safety, and it will always stay with me. 

Like Pride events everywhere, it was a vibrant, colorful space for LGBTQ people to celebrate our true authentic selves, without fear or reservation.

But that feeling of safety wasnā€™t shared by everyone in my small New England town. I soon noticed a few people scattered throughout the crowd wearing paper bags over their heads, with eye holes so they could see but not be seen. I later learned that those faceless people were teachers who, in those days before civil rights protections, needed to protect their identities and their careers. 

They did not feel safe. Will Jews and those who are connected to Israel feel safe this year?

The history of Pride is a testament to courage in the face of adversity. It wasn’t long ago when attending Pride events was a defiant act against societal norms, where participants like those teachers faced tangible threats of discrimination, ridicule and even violence. Even today in some places, our queer community still navigates a gauntlet of hatred as we try to celebrate who we are.

It’s crucial to recognize that within the Jewish community, there is a wide spectrum of views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including many who are deeply committed to advocating for Palestinian rights. In fact, many of the 1,200 innocent Israelis murdered on Oct. 7 were Zionists who devoted their lives to reconciliation and peace with their Arab neighbors.

We are at a pivotal moment, one that demands action: What can we do to ensure Pride remains a safe space for everyone, including Jewish participants?

It’s imperative that Pride committees around the country proactively address these concerns. They must implement training programs focused on de-escalation and fostering an environment of understanding and respect.

As individuals who stand in solidarity with the values of Pride, each of us must consider our role in this effort. Will you march alongside those of us who feel vulnerable, offering your presence as a shield against intolerance? Will you engage in dialogues that challenge the importation of external conflicts into Pride, advocating instead for a celebration that unites rather than divides?

The true test of inclusivity at Pride lies not merely in welcoming a diverse crowd, but in ensuring that every participant feels safe and valued. If we remain indifferent to the vulnerabilities faced by Jewish queer people this Pride season, we will fall short of the very ideals of inclusivity and solidarity that Pride stands for.

Just as we expect schools to protect trans and nonbinary students like Nex Benedict, we have a responsibility in the LGBTQ community to ensure that people can carry an Israeli flag or a Palestinian flag, wear a yarmulke or a hijab and be safe.

As we look forward to this year’s Pride, let us commit to making it a space where safety is not a privilege afforded to some but a right enjoyed by all. Let’s engage with our local Pride committees, advocate for comprehensive safety measures and stand in solidarity with those who feel at risk.Ā 

Only then can we celebrate the true spirit of Pride, rooted in love, acceptance and the unwavering belief in equality for all.

Ethan Felson is the executive director of A Wider Bridge.

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Opinions

How to protect your sobriety on St. Patrickā€™s Day

Celebrate with a supportive friend and carry a mocktail

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Sobriety can be challenging, whether you overcame alcohol or drug addiction or chose to abstain from alcohol for a healthier life. Holidays like St. Patrickā€™s Day can serve as a reminder of the past or could be looked at as another day. 

Many celebrate St. Patrickā€™s Day sober, as there are generally family-friendly gatherings, community events, or even sober celebrations. If you have concerns about your sobriety, there are practical tips you can use to protect it on St. Patrickā€™s Day. 

For instance, remind yourself why you are sober, and donā€™t do it alone. You can still have fun and celebrate but do it with other sober people. Everyone has their reasons for stopping drinking; remind yourself of those reasons and hold yourself accountable.  

Know your triggers; it doesnā€™t matter if you are a recovering addict or have removed alcohol from your life. Be cautious around possible triggers that pose a challenge. Most people in this situation choose to skip the bar and find something fun to do or go to a sober St. Patrickā€™s Day celebration. 

Keep a non-alcoholic drink or mocktail in your hand. People will not bother you to ask if you want a drink if you already have something to sip on, like a mocktail. This also leads to planning how to say no. You will encounter social pressure if you go to a bar on St. Patrickā€™s Day. Itā€™s unavoidable. Itā€™s wise to practice ways to refuse alcohol. 

Finally, if all else fails, take a walk outside if you feel overwhelmed. The most straightforward solutions are usually the best. Remove yourself from any situation you know will lead to relapse. This is also why itā€™s essential to be with a sober friend or loved one; there is accountability and someone to lean on.

The benefits of being sober are plentiful, along with the numerous health perks, such as better quality sleep, more mental alertness, and lessened anxiety or depression. Yet, there is one benefit that is not necessarily always spoken about. 

Being sober on St. Patrickā€™s Day or any day removes all chances of impaired driving. Unfortunately, days that promote heavy alcohol use may increase the chances of drunk or drugged driving. For example, in Washington State, impaired driving has been involved in roughly half of fatal crashes for decades. In 2022, 52% of traffic fatalities involved an impaired driver, according to the Traffic Safety Commission. 

Moreover, drivers ages 21 to 30 make up one-third of impaired drivers in fatal crashes, and another 20% are ages 31 to 40. If you are celebrating St. Patrickā€™s Day sober, take the necessary precautions and look out for one another. If you choose to consume alcohol, drink responsibly, know your limits, and do not drink and drive.

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