Arts & Entertainment
Billy Eichner calls for aid to servers hurt by restaurant closures


Comedian, actor, and activist Billy Eichner took to social media on Sunday to voice support for service industry employees experiencing loss of income during the coronavirus pandemic.
The “Billy on the Street” star went on Twitter to respond to a tweet from Justin Tranter calling on out singer Lance Bass to shut down his West Hollywood bar and eatery, the popular Rocco’s WeHo. The tweet included a photo of the bar showing it packed with customers.
Eichner tweeted, “This is unacceptable. We MUST find a way to subsidize these workers (please tell me a reliable org to donate to and I will!) but my god if there is one community that should know the consequences of this type of crisis it’s ours.”
This is unacceptable. We MUST find a way to subsidize these workers (please tell me a reliable org to donate to and I will!) but my god if there is one community that should know the consequences of this type of crisis it’s ours. https://t.co/wEODKFNpDD
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 16, 2020
Doubling down on his pledge to help, the popular queer comedian followed up with a link to the USBG National Charity Foundation (US Bartender Guild), an organization that offers grants for bartenders in need and which has launched a COVID-19 relief campaign website where people can go to donate or apply for help.
Eichner said he had donated.
According to Queerty, Jameson Irish Whiskey has pledged $500k to the same fund. The organization, which is currently facing a high volume of requests for aid, has links on its website to other non-profits offering similar support to the service industry.
Per statewide order from California Governor Gavin Newsom, Rocco’s WeHo shut down at midnight on Sunday, along with all other restaurants, bars, and other public venues. It is still able to offer service via pickup or delivery.

The 2025 Baltimore Pride Parade was held on Saturday, June 14.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)








































































You’ve done your share of marching.
You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.
You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.
Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.
You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.
Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.
If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.
Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.
Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.
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