Metro Weekly - 03-31-16 - Sgt. Jessica Hawkins

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr

SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORSScott G. Brooks, Christopher Cunetto

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSGordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Connor J. Hogan,

Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVERivendell Media Co.

212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Dennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTChristine Jorgensen

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYJulian Vankim

METRO WEEKLY1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150Washington, DC 20006

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MARCH 31, 2016Volume 22 / Issue 47

NEWS 6

BOYCOTTING BIGOTRY by John Riley

9 CIVIC DUTY

by Fallon Forbush

10 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SCENE 14 JR.’S EASTER BONNET CONTEST

photography by Ward Morrison

FEATURES 16 BEHIND HER BADGE

Interview by John Riley

22 PROGRESSIVE PLAYWRIGHT

Interview by Doug Rule

OUT ON THE TOWN 26 FINE DANCE

by Doug Rule

28 TRUE R OMANCE

by Randy Shulman

MUSIC 34 ADORE DELANO

by Gordon Ashenhurst

NIGHTLIFE 37 ZIEGFELD’S / SECRETS


SCENE 44 GREEN LANTERN


46 LAST WORD


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Boycotting Bigotry When the business community threatens to boycott, states think twice about

passing anti-LGBT laws

Georgia State House

AMIXTURE OF HARDBALL POLITICS AND ECO-

nomic pressure has led to a major LGBT rights vic-tory in Georgia. After receiving condemnation and

threats of boycotts from the business community,Gov. Nathan Deal will veto a “religious freedom” bill that sought

to discriminate against the state’s LGBT population.

Deal’s veto ends two weeks of speculation over the courseof action the two-term governor would take. The Republican-

controlled legislature passed the bill, which critics claimedlegalized discrimination against LGBT people and others who

W I K I P E D I A

do not conform to “traditional” notions of sexuality — such as

single mothers. It was touted as a way to protect clergy andreligiously-affiliated organizations from being forced to per-

form marriages that violate their religious conscience. It alsogave private businesses, nonprofits and individuals the right to

refuse to provide services to LGBT people.

As the bill worked its way through the legislature, Georgia’sbusiness community sprang into action and began vocally oppos-

ing it. Metro Atlanta Chamber, the state’s top business group,heavily lobbied against the bill, citing its own studies and others

L G B T

News Now online at MetroWeekly.comLouisiana Governor to Rescind Anti-Gay OrderCities and States Ban Official Travel to North Carolina

by John Riley


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that said the state could lose up to $2 billion if national groups

chose to boycott Georgia, or cancel conventions or other events.“We applaud Governor Deal for his courage in vetoing HB

757,” Metro Atlanta Chamber said in a statement. “In doing so,the Governor confirmed that there is no place in Georgia for leg-

islation perceived as allowing for discrimination. His thought-

ful deliberation and consideration on this issue has led to anoutcome that preserves Georgia’s positive business climate,

encourages job growth and sustains our quality of life, and istruly in the best interest of all Georgians.”

Large corporations like Microsoft, Google, Coca-Colaand Home Depot also issued statements opposing the bill.

Companies like tech giant Salesforce and the Savannah-based

373K Telecom either threatened to “reduce investments” in thestate or move their headquarters out of state. The NFL stated

that the bill might imperil Atlanta’s bid to be the host city for afuture Super Bowl.

Even the film industry, including The Walt Disney Co. andMarvel Studios — which has benefitted from tax credits in the

state — threatened to pull out if the bill passed. Chad Griffin,president of the Human Rights Campaign, previously called on

studios and production companies to stop filming in the Peach

State if the bill became law.The pressure applied by corporate America to Georgian

Republicans drew comparisons to a backlash that Indiana expe-rienced in 2015, after lawmakers passed the Religious Freedom

Restoration Act (RFRA), which allowed discrimination againstthe LGBT community. Similar economic threats were made

by major corporations or organizations seeking to do busi-

ness in North Carolina, where the state legislature recentlypassed a law overturning a pro-LGBT ordinance in the city of

Charlotte. Like Georgia, North Carolina overstepped its boundsby preventing all localities in the state from passing their own

ordinances, even on issues unrelated to LGBT rights, and addedadditional provisions legislating which public bathrooms or

changing facilities transgender people are allowed to use.According to Jonathan Lovitz, vice president of external

affairs at the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

(NGLCC), corporations and their supply chain partners canexert a significant amount of influence over the policy decisions

that a state pursues. That’s due, in part, to the economic benefitsthat their business brings to a state.

“If a bill like the ones in Georgia or North Carolina does getpassed, and these corporations physically yank their business,

and take their investment dollars and their supply chain mem-

bers along with them, that has a massive trickle-down effect,”says Lovitz. “Picture the physical footprint of a giant corpora-

tion being lifted up out of the ground and moved to the statenext door. That’s a gaping hole where opportunity and GDP

growth is lost, all in the name of state-sanctioned hatred.”The best way for a state to ensure it reaps the benefit of

investment opportunities, or chances for economic growth,would be to pass nondiscrimination laws that ensure all people

are protected under law.

“Corporate America repeats the same mantra that we atNGLCC do every day, which is: Equality is good for business.

They see it in their own corporate practices, that to be free toself-express yourself and to be out and welcome in the work-

place is great for productivity,” says Lovitz. “And we also seethat in the marketplace. When they are actively working to

make strategic investments in the gay community and in the

cities and states where they live, they are making not only the

country better to be an LGBT citizen, but they are making the

community better. And the LGBT community is extremely loyalto companies like that.”

Ian Palmquist, the director of leadership programs forEquality Federation, agrees that the decisions by corporations

or major employers in a state to speak out against anti-LGBTlegislation can have an impact on the legislative process. The

outcome in a specific state may depend on various factors, such

as the makeup of the legislature and the long-standing relation-

ships that the business community has been able to foster withlawmakers.

“I think the political culture in every state is very different.

So there’s no hard and fast rule,” says Palmquist. “I think anytime you have major employers speaking out and taking a posi-

tion, even if it’s short of an outright boycott, has a huge impact.

Legislators and decision-makers are deeply concerned about jobs and the economic viability of the state. So having corporate

allies, as far as a lot of legislators are concerned when it comesto LGBT issues, really gets their attention in a different way.”

Why was North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law successfullypassed, while Georgia’s was defeated? Palmquist believes that

it’s down to timing and the rapidity with which the North

Carolina bill was jammed through in a special session of thelegislature.

“In North Carolina, the legislature really did rush this billthrough in less than 12 hours,” Palmquist says. “So our allies in

the business community weren’t given the opportunity to see abill and weigh in. I can’t guarantee the outcome would be differ-

ent had they used a more normal process for the public debate,but certainly we’re seeing that Gov. McCrory is really feeling

the heat now for signing this bill, and facing a lot of backlash

from businesses that he really wants to be part of our state’seconomy.”

Indeed, following passage of the bill, North Carolina receivedharsh criticism from LGBT groups, the White House, congres-

sional leaders and others. But the criticism that could most havean impact on policy is that which carries a threat to the state’s

economic well being.Already, the National Basketball Association has issued

a statement suggesting it will reconsider holding its All-Star

Weekend in Charlotte in 2017. Similarly, the National CollegiateAthletic Association (NCAA) issued an implied threat, saying it

would “monitor” the situation to determine whether it wouldstill hold its men’s basketball tournament games in Greensboro

in 2017 and Charlotte in 2018. Both organizations stressed theimportance of embracing diversity and inclusion in deciding on

a host city for the sporting events.

The response from the business community was both swiftand damning. American Airlines, which operates its second-

largest hub out of Charlotte, as well as major corporations likeFacebook, Apple, PayPal, IBM, Dow Chemical and Biogen all

issued statements or tweets expressing their distaste for thenew law.

Some states and municipalities have piled on, with SanFrancisco Mayor Ed Lee (D) announcing last week that all city-

funded nonessential travel for employees to North Carolina will

be barred. On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) andSeattle Mayor Ed Murray (D) followed suit, issuing executive

orders that institute similar travel bans.But while economic interests can provide a powerful incen-

tive for states to oppose anti-LGBT measures, equally as effec-tive is a chorus of diverse voices who can put a human face on

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LGBTNews

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the issue of LGBT rights. Palmquist cites the example of South

Dakota as one where activists successfully took the issue oftransgender rights out of the realm of theory and translated

what it would mean for real people. That’s why, after meetingwith transgender residents and transgender schoolchildren,

Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed a measure that would haverestricted transgender people to using only the bathroom or

changing facility consistent with their biological sex at birth.

“You want to have as many different voices speaking out forequal rights,” Palmquist says. “That includes the business com-

munity. But it also includes the faith community. It includesLGBT people, and, particularly right now, trans people, telling

their stories and putting a face on the real effects that this sort

of legislation has.” l

METROWEEKLY.COM MARCH 31, 2016

Civic Duty Vanessa Ford feels it’s her role as the mother of a transgender child to embrace

visibility — even at the White House

By Fallon Forbush

CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ROLLING DYED, HARD-

boiled eggs on the South Lawn of the White Housefor more than 100 years. It’s an honor that this week

Ellie Ford, Penelope Ghartey, Avery Jackson, andtheir families were invited to participate in. Not because they

were lucky and scored tickets through the lottery, but becauseEllie, Penelope and Avery all share one thing in common: they

identify as transgender.Barack Obama is the first president to provide tickets for the

Easter Egg Roll to LGBT organizations, and the first to welcome

transgender children to join in the celebration. So it was no

surprise when the Obamas continued their legacy of inclusionfor their final egg roll, by providing tickets to the three families.Before Monday’s fun with the First Family, the families gath-

ered on Easter Sunday in the home of Vanessa and J.R. Ford,parents of 5-year-old Ellie and her 6-year-old brother, Ronnie.

Vanessa is all too aware of the importance of the following day,

which she feels is a civic duty for transgender youth.“Every time we’re out and proud is a form of advocacy,” she

says. “I cannot at all speak about the experience about being atransgender person, but I can speak about what it’s like to be the

parent of a kid who at four tells you they’re a different gender,and listening to them and what that journey is like. And if that

means that somebody else listens to their kid, then that is a plat-form that we can use.”

It’s been a year since her daughter’s social transition fromZachary to Ellie. “For me as a parent, it was shock, but it puteverything else into perspective,” she says.

The Fords allow their kids to express themselves howeverthey desire. When Ronnie was younger, he would play dress up

in princess dresses. He eventually grew out of it, but it becamean everyday occurrence for Ellie. On her fourth birthday, in the

middle of a party, she told her parents that she was a girl.

“I said, ‘You’re my favorite princess boy,’” her mother recalls.“She stopped and said, ‘Mom, I’m a girl.’ From that moment she

told us, it took us a little while — it didn’t even occur that wecould have a daughter. We thought we just had a son who liked

dresses.”

If the free-spirited Fords had any limits, it was with their

daughter’s new name. Ellie originally wanted to be Cinderella,her first pick of Disney princesses. Instead, they compromised

on Ellie, after a beloved plush elephant given to her when shewas a year old. “She owned it immediately,” says Ford. “It was

her name and she never looked back.”With the transition, Ellie claimed a confidence that was lack-

ing in her identity as Zachary. As a teacher at Maury Elementaryin Northeast D.C., Vanessa Ford knows a lot of people in the

community, and a lot of people know her family. “They watched

her progression,” she says. “She was with us everywhere and

would always hide in the corner or something.”The first time Ellie started dressing publicly as a girl, she jumped up and down in front of a PTA meeting. She was so

overcome with joy, she ended up throwing up everywhere. “Itwas the first time she was out in public dressed in a way that

matched her,” Ford says. “It’s nice to see her blossom and be

this amazing person, whereas before she was quiet and morewithdrawn — and now she’s not that at all.”

D.C.’s public schools and the charter school that Ellie attendshave strong policies to protect transgender and gender noncon-

forming students, which made her transition relatively stress-free. Much like the process for changing Ellie’s name and gender

marker with the District’s Office of the State Superintendent ofEducation. “All they needed was email confirmation from us.

They didn’t give us any push back. We didn’t need any legaldocumentation.”

With accepting parents and favorable policies in place, Ellie

is oblivious to a lot of the struggles that the transgender commu-nity has experienced. Her early transition in a more accepting

society is the reason she and many other transgender childrenare being studied in the University of Washington’s TransYouth

Project. It’s the first study of its kind in the country, aimed at

tracking the first generation of transgender youth.“I think she’s going to be okay,” her mother says, beaming.

“We’re lucky to live in D.C. and have the structural supports inplace. And I’m lucky to have a husband to jump on it faster than

I did, even. That’s our story.” l


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DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson

Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155,[email protected].

SATURDAY, APRIL 2BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay

volunteer organization, volunteerstoday for Food & Friends and LostDog & Cat Rescue Foundation at FallsChurch PetSmart. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

CENTER GLOBAL, a group focusingon various issues and anti-gay lawsaffecting the LGBT community acrossthe globe, holds its monthly meetingat The DC Center. 12-2 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or

Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.


SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155or [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP

INSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

FRIDAY, APRIL 1GAY DISTRICT, a group for GBTQQImen between the ages of 18-35, meetson the first and third Fridays of eachmonth. 8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit gaydistrict.org.

The DC Center hosts a meeting of

its TRANS SUPPORT GROUP fortransgender people and those whoidentify outside of the gender binary.7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 31The DC Center presents DANCE YOUR STORY, a free dance and self-expression workshop for LGBT com-munity members and their allies. Thisall-levels, trans-friendly workshopwill cover basic movements, dance,

and other forms of expression, taught by Sean Dorsey, an award-winningtransgender choreographer. Pleasewear comfortable clothing. All ages, bodies, levels of experience and fit-ness welcome. 5:30-7:30 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). Call 202-291-4707, or visitandromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810

Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.

Event information should be sent by email to [email protected].

Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarCHRYSALIS arts & culture group vis-its the Phillips Collection near DupontCircle to see exhibition “SeeingNature: Landscape Masterworks fromthe Paul G. Allen Family Collection.” Admission $12 adults, $10 seniors.Meet at 11 a.m. inside the lobby at1600 21st Street NW, between Q & RStreets. Lunch in the neighborhoodfollows. Craig, 202-462-0535. craig-

[email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW.

betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includingothers interested in Brazilian culture,meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 972 OhioDr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club welcomes all levels forexercise in a fun and supportive envi-ronment, socializing afterward. Meet9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a

walk; or 10 a.m. for fun run.dcfrontrunners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.


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SUNDAY, APRIL 3ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes 10.2 strenuous miles with 2400feet of elevation gain to Signal Knobon Massanutten Mountain overlook-ing Strasburg, Va. Bring beverages,lunch, sturdy boots, bug spray, sun-screen and about $15 for fees. Nodogs, please. Carpool at 9 a.m. from

East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride,return by 6:30 p.m. Jerry, 703-920-6871. adventuring.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULSMEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m.,High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,allsoulsdc.org.

BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressiveand radically inclusive church holdsservices at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota

Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 972 OhioDr., SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman CatholicMass for the LGBT community. 6p.m., St. Margaret’s Church, 1820Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.Sign interpreted. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes allto 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.

firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.

FRIENDS MEETING OFWASHINGTON meets for worship,10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,Quaker House Living Room (next toMeeting House on Decatur Place),2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbiansand gays. Handicapped accessiblefrom Phelps Place gate. Hearingassistance. quakersdc.org.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-nity for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.

hopeucc.org.

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORTGROUP for gay men living in the DCmetro area. This group will be meet-ing once a month. For informationon location and time, visitH2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONALTEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST for an inclusive, loving andprogressive faith community everySunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.lincolntemple.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATION invites all to Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is

available at both services. WelcomingLGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. OnettaBrooks. Children’s Sunday School, 11a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.703-691-0930, mccnova.com.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-

7373, mccdc.com.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIANCHURCH, inclusive church withGLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,a Christ-centered, interracial, wel-coming-and-affirming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.

ST. STEPHEN AND THEINCARNATION, an “interracial,multi-ethnic Christian Community”offers services in English, 8 a.m. and10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OFARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming congregation, offersservices at 10 a.m. Virginia RainbowUU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.uucava.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTCHURCH OF SILVER SPRING invites LGBTQ families and individu-

als of all creeds and cultures to jointhe church. Services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m.10309 New Hampshire Ave. uucss.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONALMEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-ing and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service groupmeets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.


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MONDAY, APRIL 4The DC Center hosts a VOLUNTEERNIGHT for community membersto lend a hand with various duties,including cleaning, keeping safe-sexkit inventory, and sorting through book donations. Pizza provided.6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visit

thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. NW.

[email protected].

HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH. At the ElizabethTaylor Medical Center, 1701 14thSt. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the MaxRobinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave.SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appoint-ment call 202-745-7000. Visitwhitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments:

703-789-4467.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or

[email protected].

THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636

Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATERPOLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m.Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with atleast basic swimming ability alwayswelcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTHHIV/AIDS Support Group for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, APRIL 5Us Helping Us hosts a COMMUNITY-

WIDE UPDATE ON THE 2016CONFERENCE ON RETROVIRUSESAND OPPORTUNISTICINFECTIONS, organized by localCommunity Advisory Board membersand community leaders. The eventwill feature a panel with leaders fromthe D.C. Center for AIDS Research, Veterans Affairs Medical Center,George Washington University Schoolof Public Health, and other organiza-tions. The meeting will inform thepublic about the latest in HIV scientif-ic advancements and the impact theymight have on communities impacted by HIV. Light dinner provided. 5:30-8p.m. 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For more

information, visit uhupil.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing,9-5 p.m., and HIV services (byappointment). 202-291-4707,andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly din-ner in Dupont/Logan Circle area,6:30 p.m. [email protected],afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW.7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.thedccenter.org.


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IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978 or

Takoma Park at 301-422-2398.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.


OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. callDick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 and older.

7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW.202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 170114th St. NW. Patients are seen onwalk-in basis. No-cost screening forHIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chla-mydia. Hepatitis and herpes testingavailable for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’s

gay-literature group, discusses “GayBerlin: Birthplace of a ModernIdentity,” by Robert Beachy. 7:30p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310Connecticut Ave NW. All welcome.

bookmendc.blogspot.com.

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIALBRIDGE CLUB meets for SocialBridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center,721 8th St SE (across from MarineBarracks). No reservations andpartner needed. All welcome.301-345-1571.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.For more information, call FaustoFernandez, 703-732-5174.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW.dcscandals.wordpress.com.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.

Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-gram for job entrants and seekers,meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more

info, www.centercareers.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments:703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, socialclub for mature gay men, hostsweekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,Windows Bar above Dupont ItalianKitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl,703-573-8316.l


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14 SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

scene

JR.’s EasterBonnet Contest

Sunday, March 27

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WARD MORRISON

scan this tag

with your

smartphone

for bonus scene

pics online!


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17/48

WHEN JESSICA HAWKINS WAS A CHILD,she would often try on her mother’s clothing.

She would almost always get caught.

To try and deal with her behaviour,Hawkins’ family pushed her into various

activities, enrolling her in Boy Scouts, Sunday school, Biblecamp, and even military school. Hawkins now laughs at their

futile attempts to change her.“Here they are, trying to make a young man out of me,” she

says, “and the whole time, I’m like, ‘Iwant to be a girl.’”

Shuffled between various

relatives across three states,Hawkins sought to find her

place in the world, dealingwith the turbulence of family

life while struggling with herown identity. After finishing

high school and a brief stint

working for a family-ownedcourt reporting business,

Hawkins became a volun-teer police officer in Front

Royal, Va. Eventually, shetook a paid position in the

Shenandoah Valley.During that time, she

also married and settled

down with her high schoolsweetheart, never thinking

that she would one day tran-sition. In 2000, she joined

the D.C. Metropolitan PoliceDepartment, where she was

eventually being promoted to

sergeant. But after 14 years

on the force and 23 in mar-ried life, Hawkins experi-enced a “midlife crisis,” one

that prompted her to reex-amine her gender identity. So,

she began the process of rein-troducing herself to the world as

a transgender woman. It was then

she learned that secret hadn’t been quite so well hidden.“I came out to my family, and that’s when I realized, ‘You

guys knew all this time?’” Says Hawkins. “And they were like,‘Oh, we forgot.’ How do you forget that your grandson or

nephew was really your granddaughter, or your niece, or yourdaughter?”

The bigger challenge was coming out professionally. Hawkins

was known as a “tough guy, a guy’s guy” at work and fearedrepercussions from both supervisors and colleagues. Those fears

were unfounded, thankfully — something she learned during herfirst official roll call as a woman.

“I had this crappy little old wig on. It looked awful,” Hawkinssays. “I had my makeup done, my eyebrows done, manicure and

a women’s tie. And I remember my officers saying, ‘You knowwhat, Sarge? That’s cool.’ Everybody stood and clapped for me.”

Now serving as the head of MPD’s LGBT Liaison Unit, Sgt.

Hawkins seeks to engage the District’s LGBT community andtrain officers to respond appropriately to crimes involving LGBT

people. She is also the “face” of the MPD to the LGBT commu-

nity, through outreach efforts initiated by the liaison unit. It’sa job Hawkins adores, though she does regret that her mother,

who died when she was 16, never got to see her achieve success

in her career.“My mother never got to meet Jessica,” she says. “She never

got to see everything I became. But I know in my heart, she’d behappy for me, as long as I was happy. I can hear her say, ‘If you’re

going to do it, you’re going to do it right.’ That was her motto. Soif you’re going to be a transgender woman, be the best transgen-

der woman you can be.”

METRO WEEKLY: Let’s start with

your childhood and early life.

JESSICA HAWKINS: I was born in

Miami in 1973 and lived therefor the first 12 years of my

life. This is where things getcrazy for little Jessica. Ever

since I was 5 or 6 years old,

I always felt female. Alwayswearing my mom’s clothes,

always getting caught. In thelate 1970s, early 1980s there

was no information, there wasno Internet. My mom was a

single mom — my dad lived inGeorgia — so she was doing

the best she could. I was put

in Boy Scouts, church, Sundayschool. And summers, while

I visited my grandmother, Iwas sent to more church and

Bible camp. When I was 12,I went to live with my grand-

mother in Arlington, Virginia.MW: Did you ever express that

you wanted to be a girl to yourmother or your grandmother?

HAWKINS: They’d put me in

Boy Scouts, and I’m like, “Idon’t want to be in Boy Scouts,

I want to be in the Girl Scouts.”But no, there was so much shame

around being trans, or any part of

the LGBT community back then, especially as a child.But my grandmother knew. Evidently, hindsight is twenty-

twenty. After talking to everybody when I came out, the wholefamily knew. They’d never let me know, and they’d never have

let me explore, so it was always me sneaking and dressing whenI could. My grades suffered because of it, because I used to day-

dream in school. I’d think, “I want to be her.” I used to think, “I

want to wear the jumper, the cute little dress.” And I’d alwayshave to wear the little boys’ clothes, the slacks and the light blue

shirt.MW: What happened in high school?

HAWKINS: Between the ages of 12 and 16, it would get so con-voluted. I was bounced from Arlington, back to Miami, then

Georgia for a little while, then back to Miami, then Georgia for 2years, and then back to Virginia, this time in Front Royal. I had

three different high schools. I finally finished my high school in

Warren County, in Front Royal, Virginia.I failed a year in high school. My mother died when I was

16, and I was struggling with going through all this: my mom’s


Sgt. Jessica Hawkins risked her marriage,

friends and career to come out as transgender.Now she’s reaping the rewards

Interview by John Riley

Photography by Julian Vankim


18/48


death, my transition, moving. I’m not making excuses, but itwas amazing I finished with a high school diploma. In my final

year, I just had to take two classes so I could graduate. You have

work release, where you go to school for a half-day, and thenyou work. So I started working for my grandmother. She owned

a court reporting business. I was a freelance court reporter, shestarted teaching me a trade. Here I am, 18, 19 years old, with my

notary, and I’m going out to court, setting up all the recordingequipment and the steno mask and everything. I did that for

quite some time. I hated it. It was so boring.MW: How did you get to MPD from court reporting?

HAWKINS: When I was 20, the Front Royal Police Department and

Warren County Sheriff’s Office did their first-ever reserve policeofficers’ class. Unlike D.C.’s

reserve police officers, theysent me through the entire

academy. About 20 otherofficers and I were picked

as either town officers or

as deputies. We all gradu-ated on Oct. 22, 1994 and

started patrolling. You dida whole certification ride,

field training, and a few months after that,you were turned loose. They give you the

keys to a police car, you take your uniform,your gun, you have your arrest powers,

you’ve got your badge, your radio — the

whole nine yards. You’re a badge-carryingpolice officer, you just don’t get paid.

I did that for two years, then in 1996,I went to the town of Strasburg full time.

It was a paid, full-time position. I did that for almost four years.In 2000, I began my career with MPD. I worked my way up — I

was assigned to the 6th District in Anacostia until 2014. While I

was at 6th District, I was a field training officer, or Master Patrol

Officer. I trained many, many officers. I worked midnights. Andonce I made sergeant, I was promoted — I was sent to the 7thDistrict, the other half of Anacostia. I’ve worked everywhere in

the city, so I’m happy, regardless of where I’m at.MW: You were married at the time. How did you meet your wife?

HAWKINS: We were highschool sweethearts. Married July 17,1994.

MW: Any children?

HAWKINS: A son and daughter. My daughter, Josie, is with mywife. And my son, Timmy — remember I told you that between

the ages of 12 and 16, I was bounced around? Well, when I wasin Georgia, I fell in love with a girl, and Timmy was the result of

that relationship. I was very young. He’s 26 now. Josie’s 21, shestill lives in the area. We get along great, my kids and I. My ex-

wife gets mad at me a lot, but, you know, that’s the way it goes.MW: How did you tell your family that you were transgender?

HAWKINS: I explained to them that I was in therapy. I kept say-

ing that, trying to get them to ask me why. They said, “Oh, that’sgood, I’m glad that you’re getting counseling.” And I would

think, “Damn it, I want you to ask me why. I’m looking for a wayhere to come out.” And everyone lived all over the country, so I

couldn’t really sit down and explain this to them. Finally, I justblurted out, “I’m transitioning.” And they said, “What?” “I’m

transitioning from male to female.” And they’re like, “Do what?”

And it turned into a big explanation.MW: Were there any negative reactions?

HAWKINS: My grandmother said, “Oh, my God, you’re screwing

up your life. The Devil has a hold of you.” My uncle found outfrom my grandmother. He would not talk to me for a year-and-

a-half. I did try to talk to him and explain why, and he just kept

referring to me as his nephew, and that he changed my diapersas a kid, and that’s just not possible. Last year, we started talk-

ing and I started visiting. I actually visit him and stay with him,hang out.MW: And your kids, were they accepting?

HAWKINS: They had a hard time with it at the beginning. Well,

my son, he was okay, because I was never really part of his life.He lived with his mom in Georgia. But his exact words were: “I

don’t understand why you’d want to cut your pecker off.” He

was born and raised in rural Georgia, so coming from him, that’spretty good. He said, “You’re still my

dad.” And I’m like, “Perfect. You don’thave to understand. Maybe with time

you will. But you’re still my kid.”My wife knew I was transgender

from when we were dating. I told her

I liked wearing women’s clothing, andI liked guys, and I was bisexual. She

knew all that. I explainedthat to her. But neither

one of us ever thought Iwould actually transi-

tion. We always thoughtit would be a fetish, a

cross-dressing thing, not

actually a transsexual. Sheknew about my dressing,

and about some infidelitythat I’m not too proud of.

It’s one of those things that we just try to get through.My daughter knew when she was 7 years old. But I didn’t

know she knew until she was 13 or 14. She kept it a secret for

years.

MW: How did she figure it out?HAWKINS: So this is crazy. My daughter claims she can see ghosts,or paranormal activity. We lived in a townhouse in Woodbridge

at the time. She was five years old. But my neighbor, who wentto American University, he was part of the paranormal science

program. They both would describe, at different times, the sameexact family passing through the walls. And I was like, “Oh my

God. That is as freaky as crap. Holy crap.”

My daughter explained to my wife that she knew I did apedicure with red nails. I fell asleep on the couch or something,

and the little ghost girl took her down to the couch, and toldher to pull the covers back and showed her. And then the little

ghost girl took her to the basement and showed her my stash ofwomen’s clothing and wigs and heels and shoes. So, yeah, the

little ghost girl sold me out. My daughter knew, all this time, and

she’d never told me.One day, when she’s 13 or 14, she tells my ex-wife: “I know

about Dad.” And my wife goes, “What do you know?” “I knowhe likes to wear women’s clothing.” And she said, “Well, you’re

going to have to talk to him about that.” My ex-wife came homeand said, “Josie knows.” I said, “Really?” “She knows. She knows

everything.” And I’m like, “Everything?” And she said, “Well,not everything. But she knows that you dress.” And I was like,

oh shit. When Josie came home, I said, “Okay, let’s talk about it.”

At first, I would still not let my kids see me, and she’d getso mad at me because I’d hide in my room or my office if I was

dressing. And if she came home early or came home from school,

“I’ve been assaultedbecause I was trans. I’vebeen threatened becauseI was trans.

PEOPLE TAKE THEIRCELL PHONES AND FILM

ME, LAUGHING AT ME,CALLING ME ALL KINDS

OF NAMES.”


19/48



20/48


I’d come out a little bit later. She’d say to me, “I don’t get whyyou feel like you have to hide from me. I already know.” And I

said, “So you’re cool with this?” And she said, “Sure, just don’t

show my friends.” So for a couple of years, we lived with medressing while I was in the house. And my wife or daughter

would give me a courtesy call before they came home, especiallyif they had friends coming over.

When I turned 40, I had a midlife crisis. I came out to mydoctor, because I was having sex with men and I was not faithful.

I was having some [sex] addiction problems. My wife and I, wetried to work through it.

It’s a whole other issue

— I’m in therapy for itstill, getting through

that. I’ve never forgivenmyself for all the infidel-

ity, and I think it’s hor-rible what I did.

MW: Was there anyone

else you were worriedabout coming out to?

HAWKINS: There was one guy I wasscared to death to come out to, because

we were such good friends. This guy— when you think of the spectrum of

gender identity and masculinity — isat the end of that spectrum of mas-

culinity. Hunter, fisherman, family

man, great cop — everything. Helpedme become sergeant, helped me study. I was scared I was going

to lose his friendship. So I wrote him this long, two-page email,explaining everything. And I sent it.

I was feeling brave, thinking, “I’m going home. He’s on myway home. I’m just going to stop by his house.” I called him, no

answer. I texted, “Are you up?” The next morning, he sends me

a text, “Yeah, I’m up.” “Did you read your email?” “Nope.” And

I said, “Read your email.” Two minutes later, he said, “Can I callyou?” We had a 45-minute conversation. And we had dinner thatnight. And he said, “I don’t know why you thought you’d lose my

friendship.” He was a little hurt. He asked, “Why didn’t you evertell me?” I said, “I didn’t know how you were going to react.”

When’s the perfect time for a police officer to tell their partner,hey, I’m gay, by the way. Or I’m trans. When does that happen?

So anyway, I told him, and the rest just fell like dominoes.MW: How did you come out to the rest of the department?

HAWKINS: Well, the funny thing is, here I am, a new sergeant.

When you get promoted, you go from one district to another. SoI emailed my commander in 7D, and said, “Hey commander, I’m

getting ready to do something.” At this point, I had already toldall of my friends and contacts to send me their personal email

address. And I had started telling them. Some of them asked me,

“Is this real?”All the research I’d done about coming out, especially

about being transgender, is that once you come out, if youdon’t stay out, people tend to forget, or say, “Is he serious

about that?” And so Brett Parson asked me, “Well, what dowe call you?” I had already known what my name would be.

I said, “It’s going to be Jessica.” And Brett says, “Well, arethere any plans to come out? Because now that you’ve told

everyone, it’s going to spread.”

I went back to work on a Sunday, worked Sunday, Monday,and Tuesday — we call it Super Tuesday, because everyone in the

department is working that day. There’s two different roll calls,

and at the time, probably about 80 to 90 officers in 7D. I talkedto my commander and told him what my intentions were. I told

him, “Tuesday, I want to come out and start living full-time as

Jessica.” And he said, “Anything you need, I’ve got you.”I remember coming to roll call, and just explaining it very

quickly to everybody. Both roll calls were amazing. The youngofficers were awesome. The veteran officers, it took them a min-

ute. The older officers, they were cordial, but they’d keep theirdistance. But over the year I worked there, things changed. And

by the time I left, I was on a first-name basis with everyone there,got along with everyone — veteran or

younger officer, didn’t matter.MW: Are there any parts of the citywhere you’ve felt unsafe, whether

in your uniform or in plainclothes,because you are transgender?

HAWKINS: The Metro. When I wasoffered this position, I’d

take the Metro to work.

So I’d take the YellowLine, transfer to the Red

Line at Gallery Place. Andwhat a nightmare that is.

It’s okay coming to workin the mornings. But at the

time, working evenings, ifI was going home at 9 or

10 o’clock at night, it was a

nightmare at Gallery Place.I can’t lock somebody up for being disorderly to me. They can

say whatever they want. If they did it to somebody on the trainwho was not on the force, I could actually arrest them for disor-

derly conduct or what’s known as “fighting words.” That doesn’tapply to me when I’m in uniform. But the ridicule I got. You’re

talking about a group of teens or people in their early twenties,

and one starts, and then they all just turn on you. And they knew

just what point to push it to. I couldn’t take the ridicule anymore,so I stopped riding Metro.MW: In recent months, there have been a couple of anti-LGBT

incidents on the Metro. How does MPD work with Metro Transitto solve those cases?

HAWKINS: Unfortunately, because we don’t work for the sameagency, it’s not a requirement to work together. I’m not sure

what their training or procedure is. I would like to know about

those events, because they still happen in D.C. I would encour-age people in the LGBT community or people in general to

report incidents. I go to community meetings, and I hear aboutincidents, and I always tell people, “You’ve got to report it.”

Even though Metro Transit has their own police department,I can still take a hate/bias incident report for them, and forward

it to them to let them know. And a lot of times, if I have to do

a warrant for someone for disorderly while on the train, I will.Because that’s my job, to make sure that kind of stuff doesn’t

happen. If you’re doing something to someone based on any ofour protected traits, I’m not going to tolerate it. I’ll try and make

sure you get justice somehow.MW: As head of the LGBT Liaison Unit, what is the biggest com-

plaint you receive from the public?

HAWKINS: Right now, the biggest complaint we get is that we’re

not visible in the community. Fortunately, this unit is very much

up and running. I just took over a year ago, so I’m not exactlysure what used to be done. But I go to as many meetings as pos-

sible. I go to as many events as possible. We do a lot of outreach

‘YOU KNOW WHAT

SARGE? THAT’S COOL.’ AND EVERYBODY STOOD AND CLAPPED FOR ME.”

“I had my makeup done, myeyebrows done, manicure anda women’s tie. And I remembermy officers saying,


21/48


— I think that’s one of the biggest complaints, and it’s somethingwe’re working on.

MW: Is there a particular complaint you hear most from LGBT

victims of crime?

HAWKINS: It’s usually fighting words. And in order to lock some-

one up for fighting words, it has to be on public domain, such asa bus or on the train. Basically, if you’re trapped, and someone’s

calling you anything that could provoke you in an attack, that’show fighting words are described. Some of the biggest com-

plaints I get are hate incidents, where people get called names.They always try to remove themselves from situations where

it could get physical. But usually it’s late at night, if they’re out

clubbing or going out, they get verbal attacks.MW: Let’s talk about the setup of MPD and the LGBT Liaison Unit.

Each district has its own unit, correct?

HAWKINS: Each district has their affiliate officers. The building

we’re in now is the main office for the LGBT Liaison Unit coremembers, myself and four other officers. In addition to that, I get

two affiliate officers from a district each month, they get to work

here for 30 days. They work alongside the core members, they goto events, they respond to crime. Anything involving the LGBT

community, whether it’s a crime or not, even if it’s a social event,we’ll bring the affiliates along, just so they get more acclimated

to the community.MW: What’s been the reaction among affiliates?

HAWKINS: Lately, the oneswho’ve come through here love

it. Every one of them wants

to work here full time. Theyabsolutely love it. They love

the people, the community. Ilike having them work here,

because I can put my namebehind them and say, “This is

going to be a good affiliate for

the LGBT community,” and I

can feel comfortable putting them out there torepresent the LGBT unit.MW: Has the competency training become easier

to do for all officers?

HAWKINS: Yes. We just finished our 2015

professional development training last year.Myself and a handful of other instructors, we would go to

the police academy for a couple of weeks at a time, from

Tuesday to Friday, and teach LGBT competency, as well ashate crimes and intimate partner violence. Every police offi-

cer that’s on duty now has been through that training. All therecruit classes get the same training: 2 hours from each unit,

based on LGBT competency. I feel comfortable saying that ifan MPD officer is out on the street, with a badge and a gun,

they’ve been through this training.MW: What’s been your toughest day on the force? And it doesn’tnecessarily have to relate to being transgender.

HAWKINS: Unfortunately, the last couple of years, the negativeexperiences of being a transgender female police officer far out-

weighed what I thought was a bad day before I transitioned. So,unfortunately, it is due to my transition. And there are a lot of

these days. There are a lot of people in the city I serve who don’tunderstand, who don’t want to understand. I get a lot of hate

speech toward me, homophobic or transphobic slurs against me,

I’m called names.I used to be super confident before I transitioned. I could go

anywhere and take control of a block, no problem. I tried the

same thing my first go out as a transgender female, and that’swhen reality slapped me in the face. A young group of people,

upper teens, young twenties, at least ten or fifteen of them.

They started calling me out for being trans, being a man, justtrying to hurt me. Luckily, my partner, she shut them up. We

finished our business and left. But that shook me. It really mademe scared and nervous. From that point on, I started trying to

build my confidence back up to where it was, but I still get a lotof transphobic comments on the street — like Anacostia, when I

go over there.I’ve been assaulted because I was trans. I’ve been threatened

because I was trans. I get challenged a lot more as a transgender

female. I get ridiculed. People take their cell phones and film me,laughing at me, calling me all kinds of names.MW: Was there ever a day where you just wanted to hang it all up?

HAWKINS: Oh, absolutely. There were many of those days in

my first couple of months, or probably in that first year aftertransitioning, especially after my wife decided she was not

going to stay with me. The combination of people on the street,

plus losing my wife — who I had been with since 1991, and Iloved her. And I still do. When we weren’t sleeping in the same

room anymore, when I was sleeping downstairs and she wassleeping upstairs, I really questioned what I did. I was like,

“Oh, my God, everyone on the street hates me.” Some of thepeople I knew from 6D, they still, to this day, will not accept

me as a friend or even asa person. I’m referred

to as “it” a lot. Not by

officers. But even today,I got a message referring

to me as “it” from my ex-mother-in-law.MW: What was your bestday on the force?

HAWKINS: I’ll

show you. If you

look at my boardback there, Iwas in the 5th

District, on rede-ployment. I was

at a kabob placeon Benning Road. The vendor making my kabob, he wrote a

note for me.

It says, “Thank you for serve and protect. We love you. It iseven hard for me to be gay Saudi Arabia Muslim. Remember you

are not just an officer. You are a woman of integrity and fierce. Iam proud of you.”

It gave me so much happiness. It really makes me feel good.Cheering me on gives me more strength. To me, that’s telling me

you’ve got my back. You’re from a country where they will kill

you for being LGBT, and here he is, Muslim guy, still practiceshis faith. He took the time out while he was making my food.

I stepped away for a minute, and when I came back, he hadgiven me that letter folded up. And I was like, that is awesome.

That one gave me a huge smile. l

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Liaison Unit(LGBTLU) is located in Dupont Circle at 1369-A Connecticut

Avenue, NW. The entrance is on the Massachusetts Avenue side

of the SunTrust Bank Building. Call 202-506-0714 (202-347-8164TTY) or visit mpdc.dc.gov/page/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-trans-

gender-liaison-unit-lgbtlu online.

SO, YEAH,THE LITTLE GHOST GIRLSOLD ME OUT.”

“The little ghost girl took her tothe basement and showed her mystash of women’s clothing andwigs and heels and shoes.


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ROBERT SCHENKKAN IS DISTURBED BY WHATtranspired in his birth state of North Carolina just

before Easter, when legislators rammed through alaw banning local anti-discrimination ordinances.

“Slipping in a sidebar that also prohibits local communitiesfrom raising the minimum wage?” the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-

winning playwright says. “What’s that have to do with protect-

ing that poor high school girl from being exposed to a rapist ina bathroom? I think they know in their hearts this is all bullshit.

That it’s wrong. That it’s reprehensible. And that’s why they didit the way they did it, in the dark of night.”

As disturbed as he is by the anti-gay antics in North Carolinaand other Republican-helmed states, Schenkkan is hardly disil-

lusioned. He’s confident such bills will be rolled back due to pub-lic opposition, or at the least ruled illegal and overturned by the

courts. Ultimately he’s convinced that progress, in LGBT rightsas with other social issues, is inevitable.

That’s an outlook colored by the 63-year-old’s extensive

focus on the Civil Rights Movement, in particular the work ofPresident Lyndon Baines Johnson 50 years ago. Schenkkan,

who won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1992 drama The Kentucky Cycle,most recently finished work on The Great Society, a follow-up to

All The Way, his first examination of the LBJ Administration. All The Way won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2014, and ina few weeks will make its Washington theater debut at Arena

Stage — starring Jack Willis, who originated the role of LBJ atthe Oregon Shakespeare Festival — as well as get the HBO film

treatment, starring Bryan Cranston, who also played the role on

Broadway. All The Way focuses on the emotional and intense 11months between John F. Kennedy’s assassination and Johnson’selection in 1964.

“I would like to think that the political cycle we entered then

we are just now emerging from,” he says. “Convulsively, blood-ily, but that we might be finally moving forward.” Yet Schenkkan

is not naive to the ways of progress. He knows that obstacles areas inevitable as they are unpredictable, as opponents steadily

move forward.

METRO WEEKLY: I understand you have a personal connection to

Lyndon Baines Johnson, which inspired All The Way.

ROBERT SCHENKKAN: I grew up in Austin, the heart of Hill

Country. It’s very close to Johnson City, where LBJ grew up andwhere his ranch eventually was — the Western White House.

And my father knew him in a very, very small but importantway for us. My father was a pioneer in public television and

radio, and he had been hired by the University of Texas to comedown and set up the first public television and radio station

in the Southwest. And his first job was to get permission from

then-Senator Johnson, because it would have been a directcompetitor with his own media empire. So he did meet with the

Senator. And Johnson not only gave his permission but of coursehe would go on to sign into law the bill that created public televi-

sion and radio in this country as we know it. So growing up, hewas a good man in our house.

I remember vividly the Johnson/Goldwater campaign of ’64.

It was my first really conscious presidential election. And wewere thrilled when he won. A year and a half later, troop levels

in Vietnam had gone up from 25,000 to 170,000 and I felt differ-ently about him. Several years later, as an artist, a man trying to

make a go of it, I became increasingly aware of the programs thatwere helpful to me, the legacy of his domestic agenda, the so-

called Great Society, and I had yet a different feeling about him.MW: When you put together All The Way , where you thinking youwould also write a sequel, The Great Society?

SCHENKKAN: Yes. The challenge was that there’s so much greatmaterial here. What do you want to write about? I could easily

have written a really interesting play about his first campaignfor the House of Representatives in Texas — as sort of the young

politician discovering himself. Or I could have written a playabout his first Senate campaign, which was stolen from him in

the final moments of the election with a handful of fake votes. OrI could have written about his second Senate campaign, the onehe stole in the last moments with a handful of fake votes. Instead

I settled on the first term of the so-called Accidental President. Itwas always in my mind to finish the story of his presidency withThe Great Society.MW: How does this fit in with today’s politics?

SCHENKKAN: It’s shockingly contemporary. That’s how it feels.

The situational politics of 1964, uber-conservative wing of theRepublican Party in the ascendancy. The Republican Party was

in extreme disarray, very fractured. And we’re seeing somethingvery similar to that today. Race played an enormous role in the

1964 election, and race continues to play an enormous role in

American life. In fact all of the things that we argue about today— race, Medicare, immigration, foreign policy — all of thesethings had their genesis in 1964. Obviously it’s a very fraught

time. But it feels shockingly familiar in so many ways.MW: Certainly this year’s election cycle seems to be shaping up inunexpected and unpredictable ways.

SCHENKKAN: Well, I certainly didn’t project that Trump wouldlast as long as he has, or would be the Republican candidate. I’m

surprised at that, on the one hand. On the other hand, there’scertainly reason why that is. It’s not irrational. One can under-

stand the forces at work and how he’s exploited them, and the

unique confluence of personalities and forces right now so thatit makes sense in a certain kind of way, but I would never have

predicted this precise outcome. Nor would I have predictedBernie Sanders’s popularity, necessarily.MW: Hillary Clinton was a given.

SCHENKKAN: Hillary was a given, and I thought that Rubio — not

who I was rooting for by any means — but I thought he would bethe candidate for the Republican party.

MW: You didn’t think Jeb Bush?

SCHENKKAN: I didn’t think Jeb would last. Certainly he was thefront runner. But the more you saw, the less there was to love.

It just didn’t seem to be happening. And from a political stand-point, regardless of what one thinks of Rubio’s actual politics

and ideology, he seemed the most presentable candidate that theRepublicans could field in 2016. And the one who would be, in

my opinion, the most challenging face. Apparently not. [ Laughs. ]

PROGRESSIVE PLAYWRIGHT All The Way scribe Robert Schenkkan is convinced that progress in LGBT rights is inevitable

INTERVIEW BY DOUG R ULE


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Jack Willis as LBJ in the Arena Stage production of All the Way. J

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MW: How much are you following the religious freedom bills being passed in state legislatures, from Indiana to North Carolina —

which seem to be a backlash to the progress made in LGBT rights

in recent years, most notably with marriage equality?

SCHENKKAN: There’s no question that’s a backlash. There always

is, there always is. Whenever progress gets made, there is a reac-tion, an attempt to push back. It’s always three steps forward,

two steps back. So one could certainly have predicted this. It’sunfortunate — the case in North Carolina, the way in which it

happened is unconscionable. But yes, there’s going to be a lot ofpushback on all these areas. Every time we move the ball a little

further down the field — towards a more diverse, more just,

more non-racist society, we’re threatening people. We’re threat-ening their privilege, we’re threatening

their power, we’re threatening theirworld. And they’re going to respond.

We just have to out-lobby and out-move and out-vote them.

MW: We should talk about the gay

aspects in All The Way. There’s the workof Hoover, for one. The era has been

referred to by some as “the LavenderScare.”

SCHENKKAN: Yes, 1964 was not a goodtime to be a gay man or woman in

the United States. J. Edgar Hoover,America’s most famous closeted self-

hating homosexual, is a significant fig-

ure, and we see him actually blackmailJoseph Alsop, who had tried to keep

his homosexuality very much on thedownlow. Hoover had acquired pho-

tographic proof about an assignation inMoscow, and used that against Alsop,

manipulating or forcing him to publish

columns critical of Dr. King. And then, of course, most famously

Walter Jenkins, who was LBJ’s Chief of Staff and private secre-tary, and had been with him from the very beginning, was caughtby the D.C. Vice Squad in a men’s room at a YMCA having sex.

LBJ dropped him immediately. He cut him completely out ofhis circle.

I don’t think it was so much that LBJ disapproved of homo-sexuality or whatever, but the charge often levied then was

that homosexuals in government would be more susceptible to

blackmail and were a security concern. And he was very wor-ried about being flanked by Goldwater on this issue. And so he

dropped one of his oldest, closest friends like a hot potato. AndJenkins went back to Austin. LBJ did not see him again until he

left office. At which point there was a reconciliation, although Iunderstand that Walter Jenkins’s wife, who never believed that

Walter was gay, never really quite forgave LBJ for his treatment.

So what we see is how men and women in this time period wereforced to hide their sexuality, and the baleful consequences of

that, personally and nationally, in terms of what that meant topeople. It’s a sobering reminder of what America was like not

that long ago.MW: You remain interested and engaged in politics. After all these

decades of slow progress and lots of history repeating itself, I won-der, how do you keep from getting disillusioned?

SCHENKKAN: Well, like everybody, I have those dark moments of

the soul. But one of the positive things about occasionally work-ing with historic material is the awareness of the arc of time, and

how these things play out over time. And that progress, while it

might in the short-term seem impossible, in the longer frame ofhistory is inevitable. And there’s a lot of comfort to be had there,

with the thought that, “Yes, this situation is not tenable right

now. It’s not what I want it to be, but it can be changed.” Andof course the requirement there is that as citizens we all put our

shoulders to the wheel and actually get involved. If you leave itto others, then you will get the government you deserve. So that’s

how I stay positive. There are so many smart, talented people outthere doing good work, some of it is nationally recognized, some

of it is small and community-oriented, but people are out thereengaged, they’re working hard.

I think this younger generation gives us a lot of hope in many

ways. They’re a more diverse generation, they’re much morecomfortable with gender orientation

and sexual preference and race thantheir parents were, and certainly than

their grandparents were. There’s stillso much work to be done, but I think

there’s reason to be hopeful. Even

though things like North Carolina hap-pened, you’ve got to man up and get in

there. The reason they were able to dothat is because they, the Republicans,

occupy both those houses and the gov-ernor’s office. You don’t want that to

happen? Then you need to get out yourvote, and you need to make sure that

they aren’t able to exercise unilateral

power like that. That’s the lesson there.MW: It can be hard to motivate people

until something like that happens.

SCHENKKAN: Well, it can be. But I was

very heartened, for example, by theimmediate response by several major

corporations, who immediately said,

this is bullshit and we’re not going to do business with the state

of North Carolina. That’s Walt Disney. That’s the NFL. That’sthe NBA. Take away basketball from North Carolina — thosepeople freak out. And nobody had to go bang on their door to ask

them to do that. They responded immediately from corporateheadquarters. That’s a huge difference than what you would

have seen 10 years ago. And that’s very positive.I think those representatives in North Carolina, I think they

know in their hearts this is bullshit. That it’s wrong. That it’s

reprehensible. And that’s why they did it the way they did it, inthe dark of night.

It’s a horrible thing, and the temptation is all too easy tosort of throw up your hands. But if we make a little progress, it

doesn’t mean that everybody is all hearts and flowers. That’s notthe way it works. It takes a long time to turn around a nation. I

remind people that the current president of the United States

— fifty years ago, his parents would have been guilty of a ClassC felony in Georgia. They could have been sentenced to seven

years in prison. The parents of the sitting president of the UnitedStates. That’s fifty years ago. You think about how shocking that

is. That interracial marriage would be treated like that, and howmuch further we are along today. As Dr. King says, the moral arc

of the universe bends toward justice, but very slowly. l

Arena Stage presents the D.C. premiere of Robert Schenkkan’s All

The Way now to May 8 at the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $90. Call 202-488-3300 or visit

arenastage.org.

“If we make a littleprogress, it doesn’t

mean that everybodyis all hearts and

fowers. That’s notthe way it works.

IT TAKES ALONG TIME TO

TURN AROUND ANATION.”


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MARCH 31 - APRIL 7, 2016Compiled by Doug Rule

N

I R A R I E L I

Fine DanceLibrary of Congress offers Pontus Lidberg’snew dance work, set to Irving Fine

M Y PERSPECTIVE IS THAT OFa gay man,” Swedish choreogra-

pher Pontus Lidberg says, “so alot of my work has male relationships. I don’t

create only male-female in duet, or male-

male. I do all. I feel it’s more representativeof true society.”

Casting is interchangeable in Lidberg’snewest work, a co-commission from the

Library of Congress and the Martha GrahamDance Company. “There’s a group and then

there’s a soloist,” he says, “In the first cast, thesoloist is a lady, and in the second cast, a man. I

didn’t make it gender specific.”

The Graham Dance Company will debut Woodland this weekend at the Library of Congress, as part of a

program celebrating the company’s 90th anniversaryseason. It also features three other Graham ballets

commissioned by the Library, most notably Graham’sseminal Appalachian Spring , set to Aaron Copland.

Lidberg’s new, abstract piece is set to the music of

Copland’s contemporary Irving Fine, principallyFine’s Notturno for strings and harp. “My inspi-

ration and impetus for the new work is what Iheard in his music,” says Lidberg, from a bird

flying tree to tree, to a person walking throughthe forest below. “The music is beautiful — very

intelligent and sophisticated.”In addition to his debut with the Graham

Dance Company, the 38-year-old is in pre-pro-

duction on a big film project for his company,Pontus Lidberg Dance. Merging the worlds of

dance and film is something that Lidberg hasbeen fascinated with since he was a teenager,

when he would always carry around an old-school manual camera. “That taught me to see

the world through the lens of a camera,” he says.

“And once I had a career as a choreographer, itmade sense to choreograph for the camera too.”

—Doug Rule

Martha Graham Dance Company performs this Friday, April 1, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, April 2, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.,in the Coolidge Auditorium in the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. A pre-concert

conversation with Lidberg and the Graham Dance Company’s Janet Eilber is Friday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m., in theWhittall Pavilion, First and Independence Avenues SE. Call 202-707-8000 or visit loc.gov/concerts.


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SPOTLIGHT

CREATIVE CAULDRON’SPASSPORT TO THE WORLD MUSICSERIES Virginia’s fledgling theater troupe offersits sixth annual festival, celebrating themusic and dance of cultures around theworld, with performances from a broadspectrum of genres: jazz to Latin, operato klezmer. Presented in collaboration

with the Folklore Society of GreaterWashington, the series, curated byLynn Veronneau and Ken Avis, kicks offwith a performance by the Ocean CelticQuartet on Saturday, April 2, at 7:30p.m. Other upcoming performancesinclude jazz group The Seth Kibel Triowith Lena Seikaly, on Sunday, April 3,at 6 p.m.; and the Cristian Perez Quinteton Thursday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. Seriesruns to April 23. Visit creativecauldron.org for more information. ArtSpaceFalls Church, 410 South Maple Ave.in Falls Church. Tickets are $20 perperformance. Call 703-436-9948 or visitcreativecauldron.org.

D.C.’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERSIn “Brava!,” the Capitol PrideSymphonic Band of this local LGBTmusic organization explores musicfrom the viewpoint of women as com-posers and inspiration, and in a rangeof genres and styles. The concert willinclude experts from Wicked , Zephyrus by Mary Ellen Childs and Spring Festival by Chen Yi. Saturday, April 2,at 7 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 GSt. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-347-2635 or visit dcdd.org.

LABYRINTH As part of a special David BowieTribute, the American Film Institute’s

Silver Theatre presents a few of themovies featuring the Thin White Duke.The Man Who Fell To Earth has already been screened, while later in Aprilcomes Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. But next is a 30th anniver-sary screening of Jim Henson’s vision-ary fairy tale, the last feature film hewould direct and one that has becomea cult sensation. Though most of thecharacters are played by puppets,Bowie is Jareth the Goblin King, whokidnaps the little brother of JenniferConnelly’s character, forcing her totraverse the King’s otherworldly mazein order to save the boy from beingturned into a goblin. Saturday, April 2,

at 9:45 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Ticketsare $12 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

LYNDA CARTER:LONG-LEGGED WOMAN Another year, another presentation atthe Kennedy Center of the latest showfrom the original Wonder Woman. Asmorgasbord of blues, rock, country andpop, featuring both standards and origi-nal tunes, “Long-Legged Woman” getsits name from one of Carter’s own com-positions. She is once again accompa-nied by a band including Paul Leim andBlue Lou Marini. Saturday, April 2, at 7

True RomanceSmithers finally gets his gay day on The Simpsons

WAYLON SMITHERS IS GAY. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. EVERYBODY,it seems, but the object of his long-suffering affection, Montgomery Burns.

What’s a lovelorn animated character to do?

The answer will be, at long last, revealed — if not out-and-out confirmed — this Sunday,April 3, on The Simpsons.

“There’s not really an Ellen-type moment,” says Rob Lazebnik, a 12-year veteran withthe show, now it its 27th season, and writer of the episode, aptly titled “The Burns Cage.”

“I don’t want to give too much away, but it is absolutely acknowledged.”For years, Lazebnik, who has a 21-year-old gay son, had wanted to tackle the subject

of Smithers’ feelings for his employer, Mr. Burns. He also wanted to give the character“a romance.” “I just want to show him as the great guy that he is,” says the 50-year-old

writer, who got his start on Golden Girls spin-off Empty Nest, “and this is one part of his

greatness.”Lazebnik pitched the Smithers storyline at the staff’s annual story retreat. “People

were really excited by the idea,” he says. “For us and the audience, for so many years,there’s been a kind of understanding that Smithers is gay. But now we’re shifting that

in this episode to show that Homer and the other residents of Springfield just know it.There’s an awareness of it that Mr. Burns still doesn’t have.”

In the episode, Homer uses a gay dating app to help his friend find a man. Don’t expect

the show to broach the topic of gay marriage, however, something last tackled promi-nently over a decade ago, when Marge’s sister Patty was outed as lesbian. “We kind of

stayed clear of the issue because Smithers is just meeting someone for the first time in

this,” says Lazebnik.The Simpsons has never shied away from adult topics or jokes — it’s dealt with death,

sex, infidelity, and more. “It’s not a children’s show by any means,” says Lazebnik. “But

at the same time we know a lot of kids are watching. It’s always in the back of our mindswhile writing.” Still, he feels the episode is one of those watershed moments for the long-

running series.

“Television can really make an impact in the world,” he says. “And when you see theepisode, you’ll see that there’s this kind of big warm hug from everybody for the idea that

Smithers is gay. I hope that, without sounding corny, it sends a great message of toler-ance.” — Randy Shulman

“The Burns Cage” airs Sunday, April 3, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Fox.

F O X


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FILM

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!Richard Linklater ( Boyhood ) stepped back to his college days, crafting adramedy about a group of collegefreshmen negotiating baseball, beerand bongs while trying to figure outthe fairer sex. Linklater considers ita spiritual sequel to his coming ofage stoner film Dazed and Confused .Opens Friday, April 1. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

Metro Weekly - 03-31-16 - Sgt. Jessica Hawkins

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