Local
Obstacles remain in Baltimore Eagle reopening
Renovations could top $1 million
The Baltimore Eagle closed in 2012. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Baltimore Eagle, a mainstay of Baltimore’s leather community since 1991, closed in December 2012 following its sale, leaving many in the community uncertain as to the bar’s fate.
Charles Parrish and Ian Parrish purchased the property and vowed to re-open it again as the Baltimore Eagle after renovations are completed. But when Ian Parrish came in to further examine the premises located at 2022 N. Charles St. following the sale, the magnitude of the work needed to complete the project was, as he put it, “the worst possible case.”
According to the website of the Community Law Center, a nonprofit law firm that provides legal services to community and nonprofit organizations throughout Maryland, “There was a lien on the property that the title search did not pick up. The property was full of garbage and had been used for drugs and prostitution. The roof was collapsing and the mortar between the bricks was turning to sand. The Parrishes had to gut the building. So far, he [sic] has expended $150,000 and the project will probably end up costing around $1 million.” This does not include the purchase price.
Parrish indicated that a dumpster a day for a month was needed to remove the trash, two large box trucks of furniture and personal items were donated to Habitat for Humanity, and even more truckloads of items were sent for recycling. Other work, such as the installation of an electrical line from BGE and a six-month permitting process, were essential to bring the building up to code.
“We took bed sheets off the wall covering structural problems. . . there were goods and memorabilia collected over 30 years. It was 10,000 square feet of hoarder space,” Parrish said. As a result of these unexpected delays, the 180-day requirement needed to complete construction was not met to satisfy the Baltimore Liquor Board, thus placing the entire project in jeopardy.
Throughout this period, the Parrish family stated that they kept neighboring civic associations, city officials and others abreast of the ongoing developments. During a contentious hearing with the liquor board on March 12, the Parrishes along with their attorney Melvin Kodenski argued that their application for a transfer of ownership be approved since the scope of the reconstruction warranted an extension of the 180-day guideline.
Kodenski noted that in the past, such extensions were granted for cases of fire, arson, redevelopment and other issues. He cited a case, Woodfield v. West River Improvement Association, which he said held that the board does not have to enforce the 180-day provision, if it chooses not to.
One of the three-member Liquor Board commissioners, Dana Petersen Moore, strongly rebuked Kodenski’s argument saying, “all of that went out the window after the audit. Those policies and procedures were wrong.” Indeed, the audit she referred to criticized previous commissioners for disregarding Maryland law and new commissioners were appointed—two by then-Gov. Martin O’Malley and one by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake—to enforce the rules more stringently.
Tom Ward, a former judge who was appointed to chair the board, told Kodenski to submit a legal memorandum delineating the circumstances for why the board should extend the timeframe. Ward remarked during the hearing, “It looks to me like maybe you bought something that you shouldn’t have bought.”
Kodenski would have to find legal precedent but would need to go outside of Baltimore City since the past liquor board’s actions have been criticized based on the audit. Ward stated that if he cannot be convinced to extend the 180-day rule after reviewing Kodenski’s memorandum, the liquor license would be considered dead.
Much of the arguments at the March 12 hearing focused on turf battles among various civic associations and over process and not knowing the plans for the establishment. Representatives from the Charles North Community Association and the Charles Village Civic Association opposed the extension. Kelly Cross, president of the Old Goucher Community Association, was in support of the project stating that the neighborhood is in need of nightlife entertainment.
Ian Parrish remains optimistic that these issues will be resolved and will soon unveil his new management team. “They said I shouldn’t have bought that building, but I think this neighborhood and this bar are worth the risk,” Parrish told the Blade. “The groundwork is laid, our construction team is standing by, and as soon as the eight people who oppose this project get out of the way, we can get to work.”
The Baltimore Eagle’s website still points to a 2015 re-opening.
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier and fireworks show returning June 8
The annual Pride on the Pier Fireworks Show presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 9 p.m.
The Washington Blade, in partnership with LURe DC and The Wharf, is excited to announce the 5th annual Pride on the Pier and fireworks show during D.C. Pride weekend on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 2-10 p.m.
The event will include the annual Pride on the Pier Fireworks Show presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation at 9 p.m.
Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Southwest waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older. Local DJ’s Heat, Eletrox and Honey will perform throughout the event.
3 p.m. – Capital Pride Parade on the Big Screen
3:30 p.m. – Drag Show hosted by Cake Pop!
9 p.m. – Fireworks Show Presented by Leonard-Litz Foundation
The event is free and open to the public. The Dockmasters Building will be home to a VIP experience. To learn more and to purchase tickets go to www.prideonthepier.com/vip. VIP tickets are limited.
Event sponsors include Absolut, Buying Time, Capital Pride, DC Brau, DC Fray, Burney Wealth Management, Infinate Legacy, Leonard-Litz Foundation, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, MISTR, NBC4, The Wharf. More information regarding activities will be released at www.PrideOnThePier.com
Maryland
Trone discusses transgender niece
Blade interviewed Md. congressman, Angela Alsobrooks last week
Editor’s note: The Washington Blade last week interviewed both U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The full interviews with both Democratic candidates for retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)’s seat will be on the Blade’s website later this week.
Maryland Congressman David Trone last week discussed his transgender niece during an interview with the Washington Blade about his U.S. Senate campaign.
Trone, who is running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), on May 1 told the Blade during a telephone interview that his niece transitioned when she was in her early 20s. Trone also noted she attended Furman University, a small, liberal arts university in Greenville, S.C.
“I was concerned about how she would be able to transition there,” said Trone.
Trone, who founded Total Wine & More, attended Furman University as an undergrad and is on the school’s board of trustees. Trone told the Blade he donated $10 million to the university to “build out their mental health capacity, which I felt was a way that she could have the best mental health care possible when she worked her way through (her) transition.”
Trone’s niece graduated from the university after she spent five years there.
“She had a great relationship with Furman,” said Trone.
Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are the leading Democrats running to succeed Cardin. The winner of the May 14 Democratic primary will face former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in November.
District of Columbia
200 turn out for ’Love Fest’ Drag Story Hour at Freddie’s
Performer reads stories to kids and parents as three protest outside
Between 200 and 250 people, including parents and their children, turned out on Saturday, May 4, for a “Love Fest” Drag Story Hour brunch hosted by the Arlington, Va., LGBTQ establishment Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.
Local drag performer Tara Hoot, who read children’s stories and handed out coloring books to the kids attending the event, was joined by members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, which sang several songs before Hoot began reading from children’s books in keeping with the tradition of drag queens conducting Drag Story Hour events across the country.
The May 4 event at Freddie’s in the Crystal City section of Arlington took place four weeks after the start of a similar event hosted by Freddie’s was delayed by a bomb threat, forcing those who had arrived to exit through a rear door and wait in a parking lot as Arlington police conducted a search of the premises with a bomb sniffing dog. No trace of a bomb was found.
All the customers, including parents and their kids, were invited back inside and the show took place as planned.
No similar threat occurred at the May 4 event. But three male protesters assembled on the sidewalk next to the parking lot behind the Freddie’s building, with one of them shouting from a bullhorn passages from his Bible that he said indicated the Drag Story Hour event was an “abomination.”
The three protesters were outnumbered by nearly a dozen counter protesters who were members of the Rainbow Defense Coalition, an LGBTQ organization. They carried bright, rainbow-colored umbrellas while chanting messages of support for the Drag Story Hour event.
Freddie Lutz, Freddie’s Beach Bar owner, called the event a “smashing success” that brought an “outpouring of love from the community.” Lutz released a flier on social media promoting the Love Fest event shortly after the earlier event interrupted by the bomb threat as a showing of love “to stop the hate.”
“Join us for the next story time brunch dressed in your favorite rainbow/hippie outfit” and “carry your favorite homemade signs of support,” Lutz said in his promotional flier. He came to the event dressed in what he called his hippie protest outfit.
Lutz said while the protesters did not interrupt the event, he was concerned that their shouting was scaring some of the kids as they and their parents walked by the protesters to enter Freddie’s.
“I went out back and tried to talk to one of them and it was kind of like talking to a brick wall,” Lutz told the Washington Blade. “He was screaming at the parents that were crossing their kids on the crosswalk,” Lutz said. “And I said, you’re screaming at those kids, you’re scaring them.”
Lutz said the man told him he was yelling at the parents, not the kids. “And I said, no you’re not. The kids are hearing you. You’re scaring them.”
Added Lutz, “And to have such a fun-loving, happy show and then walk out on the sidewalk to that is very disheartening. It’s really sad. I told him my God is a forgiving and loving God.”
One of the protesters, who declined to disclose his name, said he and his two fellow protesters came to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“We want them to know this is an abomination to the Lord,” he told the Blade. “We want them to know those children don’t have a voice and they’re being brainwashed in there. We’re here to call out their sin.”
Stephanie Krenrich, who brought her two-year-old daughter to the event, said she strongly disputes the claims of the protesters.
“I brought my daughter here because I think that it was a beautiful and wonderful show, and it was great for her,” she said. “And I think it’s pretty offensive when people come to Arlington and tell parents what to do, especially for something so beautiful and so fun and so wholesome,” she told the Blade.
“So that’s why I brought her,” Krenrich said. “I think that it’s really important that we stand up for our values and people just being themselves, being happy and being them.”
Among those who attended the event were four elected officials from Arlington – Virginia State Sen. Barbara Favola, Virginia State Del. Adele McClure, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffee, and Arlington and Falls Church State’s Attorney Parisa Dehgani-Tafti.
Also attending was Nick Benton, editor and publisher of the LGBTQ supportive Falls Church, Va., News Press; and Kellen McBeth, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Arlington.
“It was fantastic to see so many people come out to support Freddie’s, to support the LGBTQ+ community,” McBeth said. “It was a great event and we’re happy to be a part of it.”
John Waters released from hospital after car accident
Jane Rigby awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier and fireworks show returning June 8
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars’ cast visits D.C.
Rosenstein: Vote for Angela Alsobrooks and April McClain-Delaney
Judy Shepard to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Pride journey: Las Vegas
Miss Kitty tackles classical mythology in ‘Metamorphoses’
PHOTOS: Taste of Point
