Rick Santorum’s Anti-Gay Evolution
By February 4th, 2012, under
In fairness to Rick Santorum, he did not equate homosexuality with bestiality and pedophilia in a 2003 interview when he was commenting on Lawrence v. Texas, the US Supreme Court decision that struck down sodomy laws across the country.
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By February 3rd, 2012, underReview: The Two Gentlemen of Verona: P.J. Paparelli’s reimagines Shakespeare’s comedy as a tragic destination with too much bloodshed
By February 3rd, 2012, under
Stage:
To March 4 Shakespeare Theatre Company Lansburgh Theatre 450 Seventh St. NW $39-$90 202-547-1122 shakespearetheatre.org
Two Gentleman from Verona at Shakespeare Theatre
Matters of the heart take a rather bloody turn in director P.J. Paparelli's vision of Shakespeare's comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, now onstage at the Lansburgh Theatre. Contemporary references abound, as Paparelli correlates social status and royal power in 16th century Italy to the corporate-dominated culture of today (logos incorporated into Walt Spangler's industrial-chic set reference everything from Apple to ING to Campari). And when things get complicated after Valentine (Andrew Veenstra) and Proteus (Nick Dillenburg) make their way to Milan and both fall for the Duke's daughter, Silvia (Natalie Mitchell), out come more firearms than you'd see on the latest episode of Hawaii Five-0.
The gunplay is overwrought and overdone, as is the climactic fight between Valentine and Proteus as they beat each other to a pulp before reconciling. An ill fit, too, are Paul Spadone's costumes, which combine Renaissance and contemporary looks in an odd hybrid style that feels inconsistent with Spangler's set.
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA To March 4 Shakespeare Theatre Company Lansburgh Theatre 450 Seventh St. NW $39-$90 202-547-1122 shakespearetheatre.org
Veenstra and Dillenburg can be rather charming, when they're not pointing guns at themselves or each other, or bloodying up each other's handsome faces. And consistently delightful are Adam Green and Euan Morton (not singing as usual, but with a dog!) as the servants Speed and Launce. At least they never forget -- even if Paparelli seems to at times -- that Verona isn't a tragic destination.
...moreReview: The Innkeepers: With ”The Inkeepers,” Ti West provides minimalist horror with slow-burning scares and unbearable tension
By February 3rd, 2012, under
Film:
Starring Sara Paxton, Kelly McGillis Rated R 100 Minutes
The Innkeepers, like all of Ti West's horror, is an exercise in slow-burning scares. He short-circuits nerves with anxiety, using sober creeps to ratchet up tension to an unbearable degree, then tacks on a few more for good measure. His is a throwback style, a minimalist horror that's inspired by Stanley Kubrick, but not ashamed to pluck anything else that came before it either.
If nothing else, that method is good for great horror. West's The House of the Devil was an unsettling take on the slasher flick, while 2005's The Roost did the same for zombie fare. For Innkeepers, West turns his eye to the classic haunted house story. And while it may be a bit conventional for those familiar with his past work, it nonetheless packs just as strong of a fright.
In the waning days of the Yankee Pedlar Inn, a century-old hotel that's about to close down, employees Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) decide to try their hands at ghost hunting. (The inn, based on and filmed at a hotel of the same name in New England, is notorious for being haunted.) Abruptly, their lightly comedic romp for the ghoulish shifts to the all-out horror of discovering a ghost – it's the spirit of an abandoned bride who was stuffed in a storage room more than 100 years prior, and it's pissed.
THE INKEEPERS Starring Sara Paxton, Kelly McGillis Rated R 100 Minutes
While the premise is by-the-numbers as far as horror is concerned, Innkeepers nonetheless stands out for the allegory it weaves between scares. Claire and Luke are minimum-wage nobodies, straddling the line between immaturity and adulthood – facing off against the macabre is a sly way to symbolize that transition. Coupled with West's technical know-how, that's enough to make Innkeepers a worthwhile, if too slightly polished, treat.
...moreChamber Connections: Screen Test: When everyone can shoot video, Stone Lyons found the best path for a professional video business
By February 3rd, 2012, under
Business:
From PDAs to iPads to PCs, video is more easily accessible than ever, and not just on YouTube. Businesses are increasingly looking for ways to use informative, persuasive videos for everything from email inserts to training tools to sales presentations. Stone Lyons, owner of Stone Lyons Media, believes this trend offers opportunities for an entrepreneur who provides a professional product at an affordable price.
A native of Maine, his résumé includes training as a director and several years experience in Hollywood. ''I worked on big budget commercials, feature films and movies for TV,'' Lyons says. But in 1999 he took an opportunity to move to D.C., where several college friends had also settled, and worked freelance until offered a job in 2005 as marketing manager for a local TV production company.
Stone Lyons
(Photo by Pete Exis)
Major changes in technology showed Lyons that there was an opportunity for a new business. ''I saw a need for a company offering professional video, but operating on a smaller scale,'' he says. ''I'm essentially a one-man, home-based business, except for those situations where I need a crew. So, I can provide a good quality product at an affordable price.''
Lyons says business interest in video is high because it's a powerful tool: ''Social media is saturating everyone's lives. So, video as a social media or email tool is very useful -- a great way to promote a business, big or small.''
But with everyone able to shoot their own videos from a laptop or phone, is there enough work? ''There are a lot of people using video on their own, such as podcasts from their computer,'' Lyons notes. ''But when they want to improve the quality, they'll call me. The advantages include better lighting, sound quality, and editing, all resulting in a better impression.''
A major challenge for any small business is getting the word out. Lyons has focused his attention on the LGBT community. Last year his business became certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) through the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
He's found many customers through his membership in the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC). Lyons's work has been a key component in several of CAGLCC's annual dinners. ''I've expanded my business primarily by networking within the community,'' Lyons says. ''When you help other people in the community, the referrals come back. It's also been a great source of many great friendships.''
Lyons's future may involve colleagues in his former home of Hollywood. He, Jameson Freeman, Rick Westerkamp, and actor Gabriel Riera (aka ''Dominic Anika'') are co-producing a sitcom pilot, I'm Not Gay. ''It's a one-camera comedy for entry into the 2012 Comedy Central Pilot Competition,'' Lyons notes. A second pilot, still in development, is a business-focused reality pilot done in collaboration with the company that produces ''The Swish Edition.''
Lyons is looking forward to expanding his business in terms of the variety of video resources he provides. ''I've done several health-related videos for Whitman-Walker Health,'' Lyons says. ''I love it when my work can inform or even empower the community.''
Is a return to Hollywood part of his long-term plans? Not likely, he believes. ''I love D.C.'s small-town feel and I've made a number of great friends here over the last 10 years.'' He's invested in the community in other ways, including a video project for an organization fighting to make solar energy affordable to all D.C. residents.
''Coming to the East Coast,'' says Lyons, ''was a good move.''
The Chamber means Business. For more information visit caglcc.org.
Robert E. McLean, a CAGLCC member, owns REM Association Services, a full-service association management company in Arlington.
...moreSolitary Confinement: As a child, I learned that being gay meant being alone; as a gay man, my community has taught me a better lesson
By February 2nd, 2012, under
Opinion:
After coming out to my mother during college, she and I entered into one of those melancholy conversations familiar to so many of us who faced parents who obviously loved us yet had some intense feelings of loss and sadness at the news their child was going to be different. So we discussed, obliquely, some of those feelings, such as the sudden removal of potential grandchildren from her future. And we touched on the oldie-but-goodie standby of maternal coming out stories: ''Well, I always knew. You never dated any girls in high school.''
Fair enough, since in retrospect my lack of dating — not to mention my habit as an 8-year-old to exclaim things like, ''Oh, my goodness!'' complete with hands on hips — the writing was on the wall early. But it was another part of the conversation that stuck with me and spoke directly to my own fears about being gay.
''I just don't want you to end up alone,'' she said.
This was the late 1980s, back in the world of my rural Kentucky upbringing where the prevailing view of homosexuality was still about urban hedonism and the gaunt faces of AIDS patients. Gay men left the farm for the city and returned home to die; lesbians quietly lived out lives of spinsterhood. My mother feared I would end up alone, and I did as well. It was the one fear our world had implanted equally into each of us.
The world is mercifully different today. Upon meeting new straight people, gay and lesbian couples will inevitably be asked, ''Have you gotten married yet?'' often followed closely by, ''Why not?'' The fact that I have married in a religious ceremony but not a legal one turns out to be a chance to explain the difference between civil and religious ceremonies, which a surprising number of people still don't see.
No matter. People can ask me all day long about whether I'm going to legalize my union. Families can pester their single gay and lesbian children about when they're going to settle down and get married. Finally, the message more young people and their parents are getting is that gay and lesbian life doesn't equal solitary confinement — our lives are as varied and filled as those of our straight families and friends.
What I didn't know back in 1988 was that the gay community would never be a place where I would be forced to be alone, regardless of marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships. There was a community that had grown politically and had banded together in the face of an epidemic. It wasn't a world of vapid, meaningless encounters; it was a world of vibrancy, bravery, friendship and love.
This was on my mind last Saturday, Jan. 28, as I watched the member organizations of Brother, Help Thyself give out $110,000 to local LGBT groups, from SMYAL to the Gay Men's Chorus, from Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS) to lawyers providing free legal assistance to LGBT Marylanders, and so many more. BHT was kind enough to recognize Metro Weekly with the George Dotson Business Award, which we are all grateful to receive. To paraphrase what I said that afternoon, if someone had asked me 18 years ago what I liked best about working for Metro Weekly, I would have said, ''Having a job as a writer.'' If someone asks me that today, I would say, ''Having the honor to be part of a community as caring and supportive as this one.''
As long as we have each other, we never have to be alone.
...moreDissing the President: Gov. Brewer’s finger-wagging performance is the latest sideshow in the anti-Obama circus
By February 2nd, 2012, under
Opinion:
"Get your goddamn finger out of the president's face."
That was my first thought upon seeing the photo of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) with President Obama at the Phoenix airport on Jan. 25. My second thought was that she was treating him like an errant servant: "Don't you sass me, boy!"
Despite the president's cool response as shown in the photo, Brewer later said that she "felt a little bit threatened" by Obama. Really? What did she think he would do? Joy-Ann Reid at theGrio wrote, ''Not surprisingly, for African-Americans, [Brewer's faux pas is] an unpleasant reminder of a stereotype that has dogged particularly black men for ages: that no matter how accomplished, or calm … they are, black men are 'intimidating.'''
The fact that Brewer chose to have this confrontation with the president in public suggests that her motive was not to discuss their differences but to play to her right-wing base. Sure enough, her book, Scorpions for Breakfast, whose accuracy Obama had dared to dispute with her, became a bestseller on Amazon.
The incident on the tarmac is but the latest in a series of public displays of disrespect for our nation's first African-American president. As Lauren Victoria Burke of Politic 365 catalogs in "The 10 Worst Moments of Disrespect Towards President Obama," previous examples include ''birtherism,'' Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) crying "You lie!" during Obama's address to Congress in September 2009, tea party signs, and Newt Gingrich in 2010 accusing Obama of having a "Kenyan, anti-colonial" worldview. On Jan. 13, Atlanta Jewish Times publisher Andrew Adler even suggested that Israeli Mossad agents resolve differences over Iran by assassinating Obama.
My friend Mark Thompson of Sirius/XM Radio said of Brewer's claim of feeling threatened, "That's the classic Fay Wray/King Kong syndrome — white woman, black threat." Mark is provocative, but is he wrong? He agreed that the finger-wagging suggested Brewer regarded Obama as an inferior who didn't know his place. A man named Glenn disputed this in a Facebook discussion, snidely referring to Obama as "the holy one" and writing, "I recall Bush getting no respect from the left during his two terms. So reap what you sow."
This oft-heard claim of equivalence between the two major parties is simply not true. The far left has never had the clout within the Democratic Party that the far right has within the GOP. Yes, some fools called President Bush a monkey; but after 9/11, a large bipartisan majority stood behind him. He proceeded to use the war as a pretext to divide the country to increase his power. Yes, former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (a Georgia Democrat at the time, now a member of the Green Party) accused Bush of complicity in 9/11; but the Democratic Party, which she left in 2007, considered her an embarrassment. Democrats raised questions about Republican vote-suppression tactics in 2000; but there was no relentless campaign portraying Bush as an alien and the Antichrist. Nor did Senate Democrats use the filibuster routinely. The level of obstruction and vilification is unprecedented, and is not concealed by the right's mocking pretense that liberals thought they were electing a messiah.
Republicans have been exploiting racial resentments since Richard Nixon launched his Southern Strategy; but the bigotry they stoke is not just toward racial minorities. The wounded sense of superiority and privilege embodied in the cry, "We want our country back," also targets immigrants, Muslims, LGBT people, and women. The caricatures, lies and vitriol are designed to halt Obama's liberal advances, such as the housing nondiscrimination rule announced by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan at Creating Change Jan. 28.
This year presents an opportunity for those who believe in the promise of equality to respond to its opponents in the unmistakable language of an electoral landslide. Let's get to work.
Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist. He can be reached at rrosendall@starpower.net.
...moreReview: The Elephant Room: In ”The Elephant Room,” the humor is outlandish, cool irreverent and nerdy plus there’s fun and funky magic
By February 2nd, 2012, under
Stage:
To Feb. 26 Arena Stage Kogod Cradle 1101 6th St. NW $40 202-488-3300 www.arenastage.org
Part magic show, part witty performance piece, part hilarious guy-silliness, The Elephant Room is the theatrical equivalent of 3 a.m. in the basement ''rec room'' with your older brother and his friends at their funniest. Of course, this would be the brother and friends who are accomplished magicians, actors and comics – but you get the idea -- the humor is outlandish, cool irreverent and just the right amount of nerdy.
Yet with every joke, gag and inventive piece of slapstick, there is also a cleverly satirical conjuring of a particular 21st century brand of Americana and a very distinct touch of the surreal. And as funny and funky as the magic is, there is ultimately an even bigger illusion in play, one that encompasses production and audience alike. Even though it is somewhat lost in the hilarity of the nearly nonstop action, the effect delivers after the show, as one contemplates the concept of persona and all it entails.
The Elephant Room
(Photo by Scott Suchman)
With a mix of backgrounds including performance art, theater and magic, the trio who created and perform this piece are clearly comfortable both in and outside of the proverbial box. Presented as a meeting of the ''Elephant Room'' society, the night and its antics progress with a beautifully choreographed improvisational feel that leaves plenty of room for audience reaction, rapport and the occasional bout of participation (but nothing likely to increase your therapy bill). Like seasoned street-performers, these actors know how to balance the illusion of the unpredictable, and even the chaotic, without losing continuity, pace and a pervasively cheerful mood.
To keep it all intact and fascinating for more than an hour is no small feat, and much credit is due director Paul Lazar for keeping the big picture and the momentum fully in place. And though this is without doubt a persona-driven piece, and one in which the creators' vision is lasting and vivid, mention must be made of set designer Mimi Lien and sound designer Nick Kourtides who up the ambiance and ensure that every moment is imbued with perfectly timed and palpable atmosphere.
Still, giggle-worthy set and music aside, and even though the magic enthralls, each actor/performer here is also delivering the illusion of persona. And as they weave their magic within a loose anecdotal arc, a little glimpse, albeit a vaguely ridiculous and edgy one, is offered of each holder of these personae. If it suggests that we all seek to distract the eye from our uncertain souls, then it is done with tongue firmly in cheek. But what does continue to intrigue is the way in which the characters are layered. All are obviously in semi-disguise, but who really is underneath? Is it the actor, the character, or the actor commenting on the character?
THE ELEPHANT ROOM To Feb. 26 Arena Stage Kogod Cradle 1101 6th St. NW $40 202-488-3300 www.arenastage.org
As Louie Magic, Steve Cuiffo delivers a very convincing loud-shirted heavy-metal fan specializing in some of the night's more traditional sleight-of-hand and illusions. Whether intended or not, his occasional hovering awkwardness works perfectly, misfit-style, with this unconventional trio. A big presence, Cuiffo connects with the audience with an immediate good-guy warmth. As Dennis Diamond, Geoff Sobelle, polyester-clad and mustachioed, generally gives his magic a surreal touch and always delivers it with a pleasingly low-key flair. His conjuring of mystical paper petals with a fan during one sequence was as wonderful for his skill as it was for the context of the dilapidated basement. Mixing his magic with superb comic timing, Trey Lyford's awkward-but-lovable Daryl Hannah brings a joyously silly contrast to the other two and keeps an unpredictable buzz in the air. All three have the rare ability to exude sheer good-naturedness even as they dive deep into satire, riff on the audience or deceive mightily.
Any way you take it, this is an amazingly fun mind-bender. And if, in the words of the 18th century writer Samuel Richardson, ''Love can pull an elephant through a keyhole,'' then great magic can, too.
...moreGender Rights Bill Stuck in Senate: With marriage equality front and center, the proposed Maryland gender identity nondiscrimination bill has been pushed to the sidelines
By February 2nd, 2012, under
News:
A bill in the Maryland General Assembly that would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in public accommodations, housing, employment, licensing and commercial leasing looks to be treading water as advocates try to sway Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert, Prince George's counties) to allow a vote on it during this year's legislative session.
The transgender rights organization Gender Rights Maryland announced on its website Jan. 25 that the gender identity bill, SB 212, would be introduced by lead sponsor Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery Co.), but that there would be no cross-filed bill in the House of Delegates, largely because of concerns that the bill would not be brought to a vote in the Senate.
According to Gender Rights Maryland, when Miller was asked about the gender identity bill he told advocates, ''I only have time for one gay bill this session,'' referring to the decision to push for the passage of a marriage-equality bill in the General Assembly.
Gender Rights Maryland wrote on its website that Miller's lack of support ''remains the overwhelming roadblock'' to the gender identity bill's passage.
Dr. Dana Beyer, executive director of Gender Rights Maryland, says her organization has assurances from Assistant House Majority Leader Jim Hubbard (D-Prince George's Co.) that he will help move the bill through the House, but only once the Senate approves the bill. Beyer adds that she understands why House leaders are reticent to move forward with their own version of the bill.
''I don't view this as a philosophical problem,'' she says. ''I view it as a process problem. You need to know, before you drop a bill, that you have the votes. And Del. Hubbard is not pursuing it because the Senate won't pass it.''
Beyer says Gender Rights Maryland has been working to educate Miller on the difference between gay and transgender, and that Senate allies of the transgender community were working to lobby Miller to allow a floor vote on the bill.
Calls to Sen. Raskin's office regarding his lobbying of Miller were not immediately returned.
Beyer says that advocates who wish to see the bill pass this session need to focus their energies on securing support from Miller and about seven to nine other senators thought to be in support of transgender protections and who voted to recommit a similar measure to committee last year.
Last year's gender identity bill, which did not include provisions related to public accommodations, passed the House on an 86-52 vote and was approved by both the Senate Rules Committee and Judicial Proceedings Committee before it was recommitted to the Judicial Proceedings Committee on a 27-20 vote.
Still, Beyer says, advocates did ''exceedingly well'' last year, noting that recent developments in the state show a shift in attitudes regarding protections for transgender individuals.
Howard County recently passed legislation to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in housing, employment, public accommodations, financing, law enforcement and health and social services. Baltimore County is expected to vote this month on legislation that has been introduced that would prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, education, public accommodations and financing.
Beyer also points to polling showing 63 percent of Marylanders support adding comprehensive protections for transgender individuals, and, unlike with marriage equality, there are no significant racial or geographic divides on the issue.
''Last year, people didn't understand it; now I think they do'' says Beyer. ''We have as much support in Prince George's County as in Montgomery County.''
...more
