a&e features
Best of Gay D.C. XVII
Your picks for nightlife, community, dining and more
Best of Gay D.C. is always a snapshot of life in LGBT Washington. This is the first year, for example, Town Danceboutique which closed in July, has not been represented in these awards since 2007. The legendary D.C. nightclub holds the all-time Best of Gay D.C. record with 32 total wins (counting wins for its drag queens and DJs). But it’s also a chance to welcome the new kids on the block — such as Pitchers/A League of Her Own, Dave Perruzza’s new venture in Adams Morgan.
For every perennial winner like Freddie’s Beach Bar or Miss Pixie’s, there are newer faces like Pretty Rik E (Best Drag King), Jesse Johnson (Best Fitness Instructor) and Roel Ruiz (Best Stylist). Sometimes somebody who’s been around for years but we kind of took for granted comes roaring back with a win like Kristina Kelly, D.C.’s much-loved plus-size queen. Ahhhh, I remember her from her Apex years.
Some winners and runners-up flip-flop in succeeding years. Rayceen Pendarvis and Bishop Allyson Abrams have something like a vollyeball game unfolding in these pages in the Best Clergy category.
Thankfully here, nobody has to “sashay away.” That’s the beauty of gay Washington — we can enjoy Trade one night, JR.’s another. Check out Distrkt C (“Is it hot in here or is it just me?”) one month and Mixtape another. It’s all good.
About 3,500 nominations and 20,000 votes were cast in 100 categories for the 17th annual Best of Gay D.C. Awards. The Blade’s Stephen Rutgers coordinated the process. The photographers are credited throughout. This year’s contributing writers are Brian T. Carney, Patrick Folliard, Evan Caplan, Michael K. Lavers, Chris Johnson, Mariah Cooper and Kevin Majoros.
The Washington Blade staff congratulates each of this year’s winners and finalists.
Hero Award
Danica Roem (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Danica Roem
Virginia state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) in January made history as the first openly transgender person seated in any state legislature in the U.S. The former journalist has hit the ground running on behalf of her constituents in Virginia’s 13th District.
Roem served on the Counties Cities and Towns and Science and Technology Committees.
She is among the lawmakers who voted to expand Medicaid in Virginia. Reducing congestion on Route 28, which was a cornerstone of her historic 2017 campaign against then-state Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County), remains one of Roem’s top priorities.
Roem co-sponsored several pro-LGBT bills during the 2018 legislative session. She also continues to inspire trans people around the country.
She invited an 11-year-old trans girl from Roanoke and her mother who she met during her campaign and two other young people to stand next to her during her ceremonial swearing-in that took place in the Virginia House of Delegates chamber on Jan. 20. Roem, who was wearing her trademark rainbow scarf, hugged each of them after she spoke.
“This member pin that I have right now; this is on behalf of the people of the 13th District,” she said. “This pin belongs to the people of the 13th District. This pin and every pin like it for you, for you and for you, this is ours . . . this is ours too.”
Demi Lovato invited Roem to walk with her on the red carpet at the 2017 American Music Awards, which took place in Los Angeles shortly after she defeated Marshall. Roem in June traveled to Vermont and campaigned on behalf of Christine Hallquist, a Democrat who in August became the first openly trans woman in the U.S. to become a major party’s nominee for governor.
Roem attended the annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner that took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Sept. 13. She spoke at NOVA Pride that took place in Centreville on Sept. 29.
Roem has also spoken at events organized by the LGBTQ Victory Fund and other LGBT advocacy groups.
“I’m humbled to earn the 2018 Hero Award from the Washington Blade,” Roem said. “By focusing on the core quality-of-life issues that unite our communities and region like traffic, jobs, schools, health care and equality, I hope I’ve helped demonstrate that transgender people can be inclusive elected leaders who prioritize constituent service for all our constituents — no matter what they look like, where they come from, how they worship if they do, or who they love.”
Roem also thanked her constituents and the Blade’s readers.
“To my constituents in Manassas Park, Manassas, Gainesville and Haymarket and to the readers of the Washington Blade: You should be able to thrive because of who you are, not despite it and not for what discriminatory politicians tell you you’re supposed to be,” she said. “So, if you’re well-qualified and you have good ideas, then bring your ideas to the table because this is your America too and it’s time for you to run it.” (MKL)
BARS/ENTERTAINMENT
Best Dance Party
Distrkt C (Washington Blade photo by Ben Keller)
Distrkt C
Second consecutive win in this category.
D.C. Eagle
Second Saturday of the month
D.C. Eagle
3701 Benning Rd., N.E.
Editor’s Pick: Peach Pit, DC9
Best Bartender
Jo McDaniel (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Jo McDaniel, A League of Her Own
Runner-Up: Dusty Martinez, Trade
Dusty was last year’s winner and also a 2014 winner.
She may be a new addition to Pitchers, the new gay bar in Adams Morgan, but Jo McDaniel is no stranger to the queer D.C. bar scene. Slinging drinks since 2005 across the region, McDaniel is now leading A League of Her Own, the queer women’s bar that opened in August in the lower level of Pitchers.
David Perruzza, who runs Pitchers, knew McDaniel from her work at Cobalt and brought her in to be a strong leader to manage A League of Her Own and make it a welcoming space.
“From the moment I met Jo, I was impressed,” Perruzza says. “When I realized I could open a bar for queer women, I immediately thought of Jo and only Jo. She has been a godsend and everyone loves her.”
McDaniel is also shining beyond D.C. This summer, she won the coveted Stoli’s Key West Cocktail Classic, and as the first woman to win the regional competition here in D.C.
“We’ve had an incredible response from the community,” the Southern California native says. “With queer people meeting up and hanging out every day that we’ve been open. It’s more than humbling to provide something so needed to our community and I’m thrilled that I get to be part of it.”
Before A League of Her Own, McDaniel has been helping the LGBT community toss back vodka sodas and other libations at Apex, Phase One, Freddie’s Beach Bar and Cobalt. McDaniel’s biggest task is now bringing together the LGBT community at A League of Her Own as part of the larger Pitchers community. (EC)
Best Burlesque Dancer
Ophelia Hart (Washington Blade photo by Tom Hausman)
Winner: Ophelia Hart
Second consecutive win.
facebook.com/opheliahartburlesque
Runner-Up: GiGi Holliday
Best Avion Tequila Margarita
Winner: Nellie’s Sports Bar
900 U St., N.W.
Editor’s Pick: Left Door
Best DJ
DJ Tezrah (Washington Blade photo by Tom Hausman)
Winner: Tezrah
Runner-Up: Lemz
tezrah.com
Tezrah (real name Diana Weigel) became a DJ accidentally.
In college, a friend gave the 28-year-old Fairfax, Va., native a DJ program. She found herself “messing around” with the music software for hours and hours as she crafted her hobby. Eventually, she thought she could turn her side gig into a main hustle.
“After I graduated, I was like ‘Hey, why not try to make this hobby into something else and make money off it.’ It just snowballed from there,” Tezrah says.
This is Tezrah’s second consecutive Best DJ win for Best of Gay D.C. She says she believes her music is so appealing to partygoers because of her diversity.
“I think that I have a very pop ear which is appealing to a wide variety of people instead of just a smaller genre of music. I play house music, hip-hop, top 40. Maybe try to throw in a little dubstep now and then in my pop sets. I think it’s because my music is eclectic the audience doesn’t get bored of one genre of music because I’m playing lots of different types of music in one set,” Tezrah explains.
You can catch her DJing at multiple LGBT venues in D.C. including Cobalt, Pitchers, A League of Her Own, XX+ and more.
She’s also available to play corporate events, private events and weddings. Find out where Tezrah is playing next, or to book her for an event, at tezrah.com. (MC)
Best Drag King
Pretty Rik E (Photo courtesy Pretty Rik E)
Winner: Pretty Rik E
See Queery
Runner-Up: Ricky Rose
Best Drag Queen
Kristina Kelly (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Kristina Kelly
Runner-Up: Jane Saw
If you’ve been to a drag event in D.C., chances are you may have seen Kristina Kelly.
Kelly (real name Christopher Smith), 39, makes the rounds at various drag events throughout D.C. She’s a regular performer at Cobalt and Shaw’s Tavern. She can also be seen at drag brunch at City Tap House and Taqueria del Barrio.
Kelly’s love for drag started at age 17 in her hometown of Lexington, Va. During a talent show around Halloween, she decided to perform in drag.
“I was like, ‘Let’s try it once’ and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Kelly says.
Now, her drag career has led her to become a full-time performer for the past decade.
Her favorite part about being in the D.C. drag community is the diversity.
“The talent in D.C. comes in all forms. What I mean by that is we have drag queens, drag kings, bio queens. It’s so much talent that people don’t get to see it. That’s why I have so many shows to show all that drag has to offer,” Kelly says.
She hopes that one day D.C. will be recognized as a city with real drag talent.
“I think there’s a lot of creativity in D.C. and I don’t think that we get to showcase our talent as much as other cities do. I hope that eventually people can see exactly how much talent there is in D.C.,” she says. (MC)
Best Drag Show
Pretty Boi Drag (Photo by Diyanna Monet; courtesy of Pretty Boi Drag)
Winner: Pretty Boi Drag
Editor’s Pick: Queeta’s Palace at Chateau Remix
Best Singer or Band
Wicked Jezabel (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Wicked Jezabel
Runner-Up: Homosuperior
Wicked Jezabel is an out, all-female, party band. Skilled musicians, they play a diverse mix of Side-A hits from the ‘60s to the present and consistently raise the energy and fun wherever the gig.
Founded by partners in music and marriage, Pauline Anson-Dross (guitar, vocals, percussion) and Davi Anson-Dross (vocals, percussion, keys), Wicked Jezabel gelled in 2004. Other bandmates are Sandra “Jump” Dumas (guitar), Heather Haze (sax, keys, vocals), Martha Capone (bass), and Jackie Yuille (drums). The band’s steadfast sound engineer is Elaine Giles, Dumas’ longtime partner. This is their second consecutive win in this category and third overall. They also won in 2013.
Pauline and Davi married in 2000, and again shortly after same-sex marriage was made legal in Virginia in 2014. For them, working and living together is far from a problem. “We love it. We’re equally passionate about music and live performing so it works,” Pauline says. “We both have different strengths in the projects so it creates a balanced working relationship, and, for us, that adds dimension to our personal relationship. The only hard part is the day jobs.”
Wicked Jezabel is a continuum of Pauline and Davi’s former band, The Outskirts. “We lost some band members about 14 years ago, so we saw that as a good juncture to stop and rethink things, and that included finding some new musicians and renaming the band.”
Pauline credits Wicked Jezabel’s success and loyal fan base to the magic of live performance: “There’s nothing like it. That connection with an audience is miraculous. It’s therapy for everybody.” (PF)
Best Transgender Performer
Riley Knoxx (Washington Blade photo by Wyatt Reid Westlund)
Winner: Riley Knoxx
Runner-Up: Salvadora Dali
Best Straight Bar
Dacha Beer Garden (Photo by Ted Eytan; courtesy Flickr)
Winner: Dacha Beer Garden
Fourth consecutive win in this category!
1600 7th St., N.W.
202-524-8790
dachadc.com
Editor’s Choice: DC9
Best Karaoke
DIK Bar karaoke (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: DIK Bar (aka Dupont Italian Kitchen)
1637 17th St., N.W. 2nd floor
Editor’s Choice: Freddie’s Beach Bar
Best ABSOLUT Happy Hour
Trade (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Winner: Trade
A flip-flop of last year’s outcome. Trade also won Best Neighborhood Bar last year.
1410 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Number Nine
Best Live Music
Troye Sivan performing at the 9:30 Club. (Photo by Katherine Gaines)
9:30 Club
A perennial favorite in this category!
815 V St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Wolf Trap
Best Neighborhood Bar
Pitchers (Washington Blade photo by Wyatt Reid Westlund)
Winner: Pitchers
2317 18th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Duplex Diner
Best Bar Outside the District
Freddie’s Beach Bar (Washington Blade photo by Doug Horn)
Freddie’s Beach Bar
21st win for this Best of Gay D.C. favorite. Freddie’s has won this award every year since 2002 in addition to several others. It’s a Best of Gay D.C. all-time record.
555 S. 23rd St.
Arlington, Va.
Editor’s Choice: Grand Central
Best Outdoor Drinking
Winner: Dacha Beer Garden
1600 7th St., N.W.
dachadc.com
Editor’s Choice: The Salt Line
Best Place for Guys Night Out
Number Nine (Washington Blade photo by Hugh Clarke)
Winner: Number Nine
1435 P St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Uproar
Best Place for Girls Night Out
A League of Her Own (Washington Blade photo by Tom Hausman)
Winner: A League of Her Own
2319 18th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Women Crush Wednesday
Best Rehoboth Bar
Purple Parrot (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Purple Parrot
Same winner and editor’s choice as last year.
134 Rehoboth Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Editor’s choice: Blue Moon
Best Rehoboth Bartender
Zack West (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Winner: Zack West, Blue Moon
Runner-Up: Matt Urban, Purple Parrot
Blue Moon
35 Baltimore Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
There are many reasons the Blue Moon (just named Editor’s Choice for Best Rehoboth Bar in this year’s Best of Gay D.C. competition) has such a dedicated fan base. For more than 30 years, tourists and residents have enjoyed great food, fabulous entertainment, wonderful ambience and an unbeatable location. But, satisfied customers also say it’s the attentive and friendly staff that keep them coming back.
Zack West is proud to be part of that team. As Tim Ragan, one of the Blue Moon’s owners, notes, “Zack’s growth as a bartender, an employee and friend has made him a highly valued part of the Blue Moon team. He embodies our philosophy of customer service.”
Zack adds, “Winning this award makes me feel honored to be part of this wonderful community I love. A big thanks to all the customers who make it easy for me to come to work every day.” (BTC)
Best Rooftop View
VIDA Penthouse Pool (Photo courtesy of VIDA)
Winner: VIDA U St Penthouse Pool
1612 U St., N.W.
penthousepoolclub.com/u-street
Editor’s Choice: POV
FOOD
Best Ethnic Restaurant
Beau Thai (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Beau Thai
1550 7th St., N.W. A
Editor’s Choice: Rasika
Best Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary at Logan Tavern (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Logan Tavern
1423 P St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Commissary
Best Brunch
Brunch at Le Diplomate (Photo courtesy of Le Diplomate)
Le Diplomate
1601 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Agora
Best Locally Made Product
(Photo courtesy of Mason Dixon Biscuit Co.)
Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.
Approachable, affordable and portable Southern staples. Second consecutive win and runner-up in this category.
2301 Bladensburg Rd., N.E.
Editor’s choice: Compass Coffee
Best New Restaurant
Unconventional Diner (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Unconventional Diner
1207 9th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Little Pearl
A cursory glance at the menu (chicken noodle soup, cheeseburger, iceberg salad) and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an actual diner.
Snug inside the Convention Center, this newcomer is anything but. Opened in December of 2017, Unconventional Diner has received several accolades for its modern comfort food, including a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand award.
The space is aiming for a cool, post-industrial, “California-chic” style that meshes with funky Warhol-esque prints on the wall and an impressive cooking pedigree. Head Chef David Deshaies worked side by side with the late and beloved Michel Richard, whose signature 72-hour short ribs grace the menu. A delicious bonus: pastry chef Ana Deshaies, married to David, churns flavorful and vibrant croissants, doughnuts, pies and other sweets during the day.
The restaurant shines brightest when getting creative with American classics. The PB&J sandwich is an umami bomb of a decadent DIY affair that involves dehydrated peanut butter, grape jelly, and foie gras custard; toast comes on the side. It’s instantly Instagrammable.
Musing on his restaurant’s first year, co-owner Eric Eden says, “Our first year has certainly been an unconventional one. We have hosted heads of state, a former First Lady and a couple of rock stars.” On its reception, Eden says, “We are so touched by how warmly we have been received by the community. We think It’s the familiar with an unexpected twist that keeps folks coming back.” (EC)
Best Food Festival or Event
Winner: RAMW Restaurant Week
Editor’s Choice: Taste of DC
Best Craft Cocktails
A Spanish G&T at Hank’s Cocktail Bar (Photo courtesy of Hank’s Cocktail Bar)
Winner: Hank’s Cocktail Bar
819 Upshur St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Service Bar
Best Fast Casual Dining
CAVA (Photo courtesy of CAVA)
Winner: CAVA
Locations in Chinatown, Columbia Heights, Dupont, H St., N.E., Navy Yard, Shaw, Tenleytown and Union Station
Editor’s Choice: Sweetgreen
Best Local Brewery
DC Brau (Photo by Steph Harding Photo)
D.C. Brau
“Popular craft brewery offering free tours and tastings.” Fourth win in this category!
3178-B Bladensburg Rd., N.E.
Editor’s Choice: 3 Stars Brewing
Best Local Distillery
District Distilling (Photo courtesy of District Distilling)
District Distilling Co.
Reclaimed barn doors and brick walls are the backdrop for American fare and drinks crafted from spirits made on-site.
1414 U St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Founding Spirits
Best Burger
Shake Shack (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Shake Shack
Locations in Dupont Circle, F Street and Union Station. Second consecutive win in this category.
Editor’s choice: Duke’s Grocery
Best Caterer
Old Blue BBQ (Photo by Ella M. Photography)
Winner: Old Blue BBQ
4580 Eisenhower Ave.
Alexandria, VA
Editor’s Choice: Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company
Best Juice/Fuel Bar
Barry’s Bootcamp juice bar (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Barry’s Bootcamp
1345 19th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Jrink
Best Liquid Lunch
Commissary (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Commissary
1443 P St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Old Ebbitt
Best Chef
Jamie Leeds (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Jamie Leeds (owner of Hank’s Oyster Bar)
Leeds was last year’s runner-up. Locations at The Wharf, Dupont Circle, Old Town Alexandria and Capitol Hill.
Editor’s Choice: Patrick Vanas Events
Best Coffee Shop
Compass Coffee (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Compass Coffee
Third consecutive win in this category!
1335 7th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: A Baked Joint
Best Special Occasion Restaurant
Winner: Pineapple and Pearls
715 8th St., S.E.
Editor’s Choice: Floriana
One of the premier tasting menu destinations in D.C., Pineapple and Pearls has the city falling in love. Opened in 2016, the Barracks Row restaurant is the brainchild of Aaron Silverman, who took the city by storm with the still-popular Rose’s Luxury, where lines routinely run down the street.
Pineapple and Pearls (named for items that represent hospitality and elegance, respectively) runs several rungs more upscale and daring. One reason it’s a special occasion: that 12-course tasting menu puts you back a hot $325, inclusive of tax, gratuity and drink pairings.
A mere $150 grants access to five courses at the bar.
Eschewing convention, Silverman’s dishes are performances themselves, joyful, spirited and intricately detailed. Head Chef Scott Muns paired with Silverman on Rose’s Luxury opening in 2013; he’s back again making masterpieces, many of which come out of the restaurant’s hand-built French stove. Check out the Fluke Veronique, in which the cut of fish floats effortlessly atop a vibrant green sauce and razor-thin slices of grape sit in for the scales; it’s a touch of sweet for the savory fish.
Another reason it’s special? The Michelin Guide awarded the restaurant with two stars for 2019, putting it in company with just one other restaurant in the city, Minibar. (EC)
Best Ice Cream/Gelato
Winner: Milk Bar Bakery
Locations in center city, The Wharf and Logan Circle (flagship)
Editor’s Choice: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Best Farmer’s Market
Winner: FRESHFARM Dupont Circle Market
1600 20th St., N.W.
freshfarm.org/dupont-circle.html
Sundays 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. year round
Editor’s Choice: Eastern Market
Best Food Truck
DC Empanadas Food Truck (Photo by Connor Turner via Flickr)
Winner: DC Empanadas
Union Market
1309 5th St., N.E.
Editor’s Choice: Red Hook Lobster Pound
Best Pizza
Comet Ping Pong (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Comet Ping Pong
5037 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: &pizza
Perhaps known as much for its pluck as its pizza and its ping pong, this restaurant’s signature thin-crust pies are only part of the game. This is Comet’s second consecutive win in this category.
At once a concert space, a kids’ birthday party venue, and trendy, always-busy pop-culture museum, it also is home to top-rated pies. Toppings range from mundane to fun combos. Try out the one with bacon, smoked mushrooms and smoked mozzarella. Of course, there are also hipster-millennial options, like wood fire-roasted beets and stuffed squash blossom salad.
Infamously, Comet Ping Pong was at the center of the bizarre Pizzagate conspiracy theory that fired up the alt-right during the 2016 Clinton campaign, so much so that a gunman traveled to investigate the “controversy” and fired shots inside.
It’s a little quieter today, though less so when the punk-rock show starts. Just don’t forget the paddle skills at home to relive those childhood pleasures of smacking around a little white ball. (EC)
Best Rehoboth Restaurant
Blue Moon (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Blue Moon
Bright, remodeled Craftsman cottage serving upscale American fare with regular live entertainment. Second consecutive win in this category.
35 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Editor’s Choice: Dogfish Head
Best Local Winery
City Winery (Photo courtesy of City Winery)
Winner: City Winery
1350 Okie St., N.E.
Editor’s Choice: District Winery
MEDIA
Best Local Website
Winner: Popville
Editor’s Choice: The Two Beer Queers
Best Local Influencer
Dito Sevilla (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Dito Sevilla
Runner-Up: Timur Tugberk
Initially Dito Sevilla thought “Best Local Influencer” was kind of a cheesy category, but he’s since warmed to the title.
As a longtime bartender at cozy Dito’s Bar at Floriana restaurant on 17th St., N.W., Sevilla says he has been “influencing from behind the bar for years and years. But it became clear to me recently that influencing is really just giving people a new perspective and advice that works for them in their lives. That’s ultimately what it’s about.”
Sevilla’s bar banter segued perfectly to social media where Sevilla boasts an undeniably strong presence. His popular Facebook page is rife with satire, politics and thinly veiled truths that his followers often share. Some of his pithy yet thoughtful posts go viral. It’s been a natural progression to a larger audience, he says.
A native Washingtonian, Sevilla keeps a big Rolodex: “I hold on to contacts and I remember people’s stories and why they needed something and when. Remember Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”? In it, he describes three types of communicators. Well, I’m the “maven,” he’s the one in the middle who hears something and passes it on. I’m like a one-man “Angie’s List.”
Currently single, Sevilla came out at 21 around the same time he started going to gay bars. “I was doing new things. It seemed only natural that people should know what I was doing and where I was going.” Always the influencer. (PF)
Best Local TV Personality
Larry Miller (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Larry Miller, WUSA9
Runner-Up: Chuck Bell, NBC 4
(Bell was also 2015 and 2016 runner-up; 2014 winner)
Larry Miller has three goals for viewers when he anchors the news for WUSA9: impact, inform, inspire.
“I think ultimately, we want to inspire people to do more for the areas in which we live, to have impact on the lives of people — especially young people, I think that can certainly use the encouragement,” Miller says. “And just to make sure that we’re engaged as well. We have a commitment to not only covering stories, but making sure that we’re out in the community, being a part of the community that we live in.”
Miller, who’s gay, joined the WUSA9 morning team in 2015, anchors the news at noon and develops original news stories for the TV station. The Baltimore County-native lived and worked as a TV journalist in Medford, Ore., Pittsburgh and Birmingham, Ala., before returning to the Washington area to work at WUSA9.
Among his honors are Edward R. Murrow and Associated Press awards for hard news reporting.
Has anything surprised Miller in his three years at WUSA9? Miller struggled to find any particular incident and said “nothing really surprises me because I think I’ve seen just about every level of weird you possibly can.”
“I think if there’s anything that I find unique about Washington is the amount of diversity,” Miller says. “I’ve lived in a lot of places, and I think really cool about the metro is there’s all these different pockets of people from all over the world. And, I think, for me, it keeps me not only interested, but it keeps me learning about different groups of people that I may not always have firsthand knowledge of or I may not have exposure to.”
Miller says his proudest moment at WUSA9 was a recent investigation of food issues in D.C. in which he profiled an 82-year-old woman who had difficulty getting to the grocery store. The woman, Miller says, had to do a two-hour roundtrip from her house to the bus stop to grocery store while carrying a cart that’s filled with groceries on the return trip.
Subsequent to the news story, Miller said a non-profit called the Justice Organization stepped up and volunteered to send free groceries to the woman’s home so she won’t have to make that trip.
“And now, a result of kind of telling this woman’s story and being open, honest and authentic, she’s now getting some help, and no one’s grandmother is now having to lug a cart around the city just to make sure her refrigerator is full,” Miller says.
Miller has a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Point Park University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. Miller is also a graduate of Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, where he received an Associate of Arts degree. Miller also teaches speech communication as an adjunct professor at Prince George’s Community College. (Chris Johnson)
Best Local Columnist
Eugene Robinson (Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons)
Winner: Eugene Robinson, Washington Post
Runner-Up: Brock Thompson, Washington Blade
Best Radio Station
HOT 99.5 at the Capital Pride Festival (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Hot 99.5
Editor’s Choice: WAMU 88.5
A flip-flop of last year’s results.
PEOPLE
Best Amateur Athlete
Grace Thompson (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Grace Thompson, DC Front Runners
Also won in 2016; was last year’s runner-up.
Runner-Up: Kevin McCarthy, Capital Tennis Association
Best Artist
Lisa Marie Thalhammer (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key / “LOVE” mural © 2017; Lisa Marie Thalhammer; Commissioned and funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DC Creates Public Art Building Communities Program. Located in DC Alley Museum: Blagden Alley, 926 N Street rear NW, Washington, DC. www.lisamariestudio.com)
Winner: Lisa Marie Thalhammer
Runner-Up: John Jack Photography
John Jack Gallagher was the 2016 and 2017 winner.
Best Businessperson
Van Goodwin (Photo courtesy of Goodwin)
Winner: Van Goodwin, Van Allen
Runner-Up: Robert Safro, LOGOmotion
Van Goodwin is the founder and managing director of Van Allen, a boutique technology strategy consulting firm. Drawing on his extensive experience working in the government, non-profit and private sectors, Goodwin founded Van Allen in 2014 to help large companies assess their long-term technical challenges and goals and to develop personalized solutions. Their clients now range from innovative tech startups to well-established Fortune 500 companies.
Goodwin also volunteers as the president of the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC). The Chamber is the non-profit, non-partisan network of several hundred queer and allied businesses and business leaders in the metro DC area. Its services include workshops, messaging and networking events. According to Goodwin, the Chamber helps “LGBT business owners and professionals create their success.”
“I’m honored and surprised to be getting this award,” Goodwin says. “It’s a vote of support from the LGBT community and also from the Blade, which has supported the area’s LGBT businesses and professionals for decades.” (BTC)
Best Clergy
Rayceen Pendarvis (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Rayceen Pendarvis
Runner-Up: Bishop Allyson Abrams
A two-spirited clergyperson who answers to “he,” “she,” “Reverend and “Miss” and identifies as gay, a “gender-bender” and “earth mother to the gays,” native Washingtonian Rayceen Pendarvis isn’t connected to a single denomination or one house of worship: “I’m the goddess of love and the church of life. I can’t be tied down to one thing.”
He and runner up Bishop Allyson Abrams are perpetual flip-flops in this category. Abrams won in 2015 and 2017. Pendarvis won in 2016 and was last year’s runner-up. Abrams was the 2016 runner-up. Pendarvis is host of the D.C.-based monthly “Ask Rayceen Show” which features a wide spate of varied content.
Pendarvis’ wide-ranging spiritual mission includes wedding officiant. “It’s something I do and would love to do more of. I’m a licensed and ordained to all I’ve read the Quran, the Bible and the Torah, and I embrace all faiths and nonbelievers alike.”
Despite his exceptionally positive outlook, Pendarvis ([email protected]) readily concedes that the struggle for LGBT and racial equality remains real. Still, he refuses to let it get him down: “Every morning when I get up, the first moment I breathe, that is my gift and that is my blessing. Our community comes from a strong tradition of fighters and we don’t give up. Every little bit matters and all of us have a role to play: Letters. Protest. Write checks. Organize. There is a part for all of us.”
“I’m the father of five and the mother to many,” adds Pendarvis who has five children from two relationships. “While I’m their father, I’ve served as both mother and father to them with the help of my own mother and extended family,”
“Love,” he says, “is the greatest gift, lesson, and it will live forever.” (PF)
Most Committed Activist
Ruby Corado (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Ruby Corado
Second consecutive win in this category. Corado was named Best of Gay D.C. Local Heroine in 2014 and Most Committed Activist in 2015.
Casa Ruby
2822 Georgia Ave., N.W.
Runner-Up: Earl Fowlkes
Best DC Public Official
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Mayor Muriel Bowser
Runner-Up: Randy Downs
Same winner and runner-up as last year.
Best Hill Staffer/LGBT Bureaucrat
Sarah Jackson (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Sarah Jackson
Runner-Up: Ben Rosenbaum
Despite Republican control of both chambers of Congress, Sarah Jackson said she’s motivated to work as a legislative aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) because she’s able to work on issues important to her, including issues affecting the LGBT community.
“I came to Capitol Hill thinking I would work on women’s and LGBTQ issues, but what drives me to stay in this male-dominated, heteronormative environment is working on issues that women, and especially queer women have traditionally been shut out of,” Jackson says. “As a staffer working on taxes, trade, financial services, housing and energy issues, I’m often the only woman in the room and usually the youngest. This gives me more motivation to continue learning and to continue the work to ensure a more equitable nation.”
The San Francisco-native has worked on Pelosi’s staff for three years and now serves as membership director of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association. Previously, Jackson was a congressional intern with the LGBTQ Victory Institute.
“The Hill’s energy, dynamism, and unpredictability is addicting; but what really motivates me is the power of believing in your boss and your caucus, especially in our current climate,” Jackson says. (Chris Johnson)
Best Local Pro Athlete
Elena Delle Donne (Photo courtesy of the Washington Mystics)
Winner: Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics
Runner-Up: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
In addition to her success on the basketball court (as the “small forward” for the Chicago Sky and the Washington Mystics she was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2013 and the WNBA MVP in 2015 and is a five-time WNBA All-Star), openly lesbian athlete Elena Delle Donne is an award-winning author.
Her memoir “My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall” recently won a Parents’ Choice Award from the Parents’ Choice Foundation. Aimed at middle school readers, the book is an amazingly frank but age-appropriate discussion of both her career highlights and her personal challenges, including her decision to come out.
Earlier this year, she also launched the “Hoops” series of novels for young readers (ages 8-12). “Elle of the Ball” introduces Elle Deluca, who closely resembles Delle Donne herself. Elle’s height is an asset on the basketball court but a liability in her ballroom dancing class where she towers over her male dance partners. The series continues with “Full Court Press” and “Out of Bounds.”
Like her fictional counterpart, Delle Donne is very tall and had an early growth spurt. She’s 6’5” and wears a size 12 shoe. She gets her height from her parents. Her dad, a real estate developer, is 6’6” and her mom is 6’2.”
She also gets her feisty spirit and determination from them. When Delle Donne was in elementary school, her doctor wanted to start her on injections to stunt her growth. Her mother refused, and, according to an interview with ESPN, she told her daughter, “Why try to be like the rest of the pack? Be your own person.”
The young athlete also had to come to terms with the fact that she could do things that her beloved older sister Lizzie would never be able to do. Lizzie, with whom Delle Donne remains close, was born deaf and blind, with both cerebral palsy and autism, and is unable to speak.
Born in Wilmington, Del., in 1989, Delle Donne rose to national prominence as a high school basketball star at Ursuline Academy. She led her team to three straight Delaware State Championships and was ranked as the number one recruit by Scout.com.
Delle Donne was recruited by the University of Connecticut but ended up playing for the Blue Hens at the University of Delaware. In 2010, she was named both “Player of the Year” and “Rookie of the Year” by the Colonial Athletic Association. Although she was diagnosed with Lyme disease during her sophomore year, she continued to excel as a college athlete and was selected second overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. She joined the Washington Mystics in 2017.
In 2016, Delle Donne won a gold medal as a member of the Unites States women’s basketball team at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Delle Donne officially came out in an interview with Vogue magazine in August 2016 where she announced her engagement to girlfriend Amanda Clifton. The couple was married in 2017.
The award-winning out athlete, who has signed endorsement deals with Nike, DuPont and Octagon, is also a noted philanthropist. She founded the Elena Delle Donne Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for Lyme Disease research and special needs programs and is also a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics. (BTC)
Best Local Pro Sports Team
Washington Capitals (Photo by Keith Allison via Flickr)
Winner: Washington Capitals
Editor’s Choice: Washington Nationals
Best Fitness Instructor
Jesse Johnson (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Jesse Johnson
VIDA Fitness U Street
1612 U St., N.W.
Runner-Up: Mark Raimondo
Jesse Johnson worked in a typical office environment where he wore “a suit and tie” every day. Unsatisfied with his work life, he decided to get fitness training certificates in his spare time.
After friends told Johnson he could make a living doing what he loved, he decided to become a full-time fitness trainer. He’s been working for VIDA Fitness since 2011.
A training session with Johnson will be “comprehensive.” Johnson, 32, says he writes down everything that takes place in his sessions and trains people on how to work out and what foods to eat. He also likes to prep clients on how to keep up training when they aren’t in sessions with him. His favorite fitness tip is simply to “go to the gym. Eighty percent of it is just show up.”
It’s a position that’s finally fulfilling to Johnson.
“D.C. is full of a lot of professionals. A lot of people here work really hard and at the end of the day when it comes time to take care of themselves and their bodies they might not know what to do. It’s a good place to help someone get something that they were having trouble getting on their own. I’m happy to do that,” Johnson says. (MC)
Best Real Estate Agent
Stacey Williams-Zeiger (Photo courtesy of Stacey Williams-Zeiger)
Winner: Stacey Williams-Zeiger, Zeiger Realty Inc
Runner-Up: Christopher Leary, Washington Fine Properties
Real Estate Group
The Evan+Mark Team (Photo courtesy of The Evan+Mark Team)
Winner: The Evan+Mark Team, Compass
Last year’s runner-up.
Runner-Up: The Bediz Group, Keller Williams
Best Rehoboth Real Estate Agent
Lee Ann Wilkinson (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Winner: Lee Ann Wilkinson
Runner-Up: Karen Gustafson
Best Straight Ally
Sean Doolittle (Photo courtesy of MLB)
Winner: Sean Doolittle
Runner-Up: Leigh Ann Hendricks
Ace relief pitcher Sean Doolittle was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Washington Nationals in July 2017. He eloped with his then-girlfriend, Eireann Dolan one day after the regular baseball season ended last year. Doolittle was named a 2018 All-Star this summer; he was a member of the 2014 MLB All-Star team and this season is rounding out to be one of the best of his career.
Doolittle and Dolan received national attention in 2015 when they purchased hundreds of tickets to the Oakland Athletics Pride Night after the event received backlash from fans. The tickets were donated to local LGBT groups and an additional $40,000 was raised.
Local LGBT youth leadership and housing program SMYAL had caught the attention of Doolittle and Dolan and they donated 52 tickets to the organization for Night OUT at the Nationals in June. Going a step further, they stopped in personally to deliver the tickets at the SMYAL youth program’s headquarters and the SMYAL transitional housing program.
“In advance of the Nationals Pride night, we wanted to get involved,” Doolittle said in a July interview with the Blade. “We wanted to do something more than catch the first pitch or meet some people on the field before the game. And we love this community, we love being here, and we wanted to give back.” (KM)
Best Transgender Advocate
Charlotte Clymer (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Charlotte Clymer
Runner-Up: Rayceen Pendarvis
Politically savvy transgender woman Charlotte Clymer didn’t set out to be a transgender advocate. She was pushed into the part. “Earlier this year, I had a bad night at a downtown restaurant. I was asked to show my ID before using the restroom at Cuba Libre. When I refused, the manager threw me out even though I used my phone to show him that he was breaking the law. But because of the work of longtime transgender advocates, I was able to have a sense of safety that night and I stood up for myself.”
Out of an unpleasant experience came a lot of good, she says. “The restaurant changed its policies. We got a huge donation for Casa Ruby and Cuba Libre partnered with Casa Ruby and other D.C. restaurants in becoming more LGBTQ inclusive.”
Currently single and dating, Clymer lives on East Capitol Hill. Her challenging job as Human Rights Campaign press secretary for rapid response keeps her busy. “Essentially, I direct all messaging strategy against the Trump White House.” How does she keep her sanity? “Alcohol,” she laughs. “But seriously, I have really good friends and a great support network.”
Future goals include strengthening workers’ rights for transgender folks, especially transgender people of color, she says. “But more than anything, I want to amplify the people who are longtime trans advocates. I want to help ensure that they’re supported in their important work.” (PF)
Best Stylist
Roel Quiz (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Roel Ruiz
Logan 14 Aveda Salon Spa
1314 14th St., N.W.
Runner-Up: Quency Valencia
Valencia won in 2016-2017.
Roel Ruiz has been styling hair for 10 years. He’s spent three years as a stylist in D.C. at Logan 14 Aveda Salon Spa where he specializes in men’s’ grooming and does color.
Ruiz built his Logan 14 book of business pretty quickly. “For a while I was bartending at Cobalt and styling hair. I asked bar customers to come for a haircut, and encouraged clients to come by for a drink. It worked hand in hand.”
Before entering hair biz, Ruiz studied nursing.
“As a stylist I found that I got to help people out differently while using my creative juices. And I had an instant knack for it and I love the industry.”
He grew up in small town Texas. “I had loving, gay-friendly parents in a red state. I like to say my mom allowed me to be comfortable with my sexuality and D.C. is where I found my pride.” Today, Ruiz lives around the corner from work. “My commute is five minutes from my bed to the salon.”
Future goals? Ultimately, he would like to open something of his own and currently is adding a barber’s license to his resume, he says. “This allows me to do razor work and straight blade. Logan 14 is working on merging the salon and barber experience. We have a lot of LGBTQ clientele. Many men with beards, me being one of them.” (PF)
COMMUNITY
Best Art Gallery
Renwick Gallery (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Renwick Gallery
1661 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Best Adult Store
Bite the Fruit
Third consecutive win in this category!
1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Runner-up: Lotus Blooms
Best Car Dealership
DARCARS
New and used cars at locations in Suitland, Temple Hills, Silver Spring, Md. et. al. Second consecutive win.
Editor’s choice: BMW of Fairfax
Best Apartment/Condo Building
Winner: F1RST Residences
1263 First St., S.E.
Editor’s Choice: Atlantic Plumbing (2016-2017 winner)
Best Doctor/Medical Provider
Dr. Robyn Zeiger (Photo by Red Leash Photography)
Winner: Dr. Robyn Zeiger
10300 Sweetbriar Pkwy.
Silver Spring, Md.
Runner-Up: Dr. Ray Martins, Whitman-Walker Health
Dr. Robyn S. Zeiger is a licensed clinical professional therapist with 40 years of experience working with individuals and couples. In her practice, Zeiger emphasizes that patients should not approach counseling with feelings of shame or guilt.
“It’s important for you to know that I am not in practice to judge you or the information you share with me,” she says. “Thus, I am not likely to be shocked by anything you tell me.”
She also notes that “by exploring the issues that may have held you back in the past, you can open doors to many possibilities. The overall goals are for you to be happy, satisfied, and empowered, which will allow your true self to flourish and grow.”
As a passionate lover of animals, Zeiger is a member of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement and also offers pet loss counseling to help people through the loss of beloved animal companions.
Zeiger, who is winning this award for the second year in a row, is also an adjunct senior lecturer at University of Maryland School of Public Health where she teaches in the Department of Family Science. In addition to teaching courses on counseling families and individuals, Zeiger also designed a class called “Exploring Homophobia: Demystifying LGBT Issues,” for the Honors College.
A native of Baltimore and a dedicated fan of the musical “Hamilton,” Zeiger completed both her master’s and her doctorate at the University of Maryland,
She is married to Stacey Williams-Zeiger who is the winner of the Washington Blade’s 2018 Best of Gay D.C. Award for Best Real Estate Agent. (BTC)
Best Fitness or Workout Spot
Barry’s Bootcamp (Photo courtesy of Barry’s Bootcamp
Winner: Barry’s Bootcamp
1345 19th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: VIDA Fitness
Best Gayborhood
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Shaw
Third consecutive win in this category!
Editor’s choice: Logan Circle (2016 runner up)
Best Hardware Store
Logan Ace Hardware (Washington Blade photo by Antwan J. Thompson)
Logan Ace Hardware
A perennial favorite in this category. Also won last year.
1734 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s choice: Annie’s Ace Hardware
Best Home Furnishings
Mitchell Gold, on left, and business partner Bob Williams (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams
1526 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Miss Pixie’s (last year’s winner)
Best Home Improvement Service
Case Design
“Full-service home remodelers building your dreams.”
Editor’s choice: The Organizing Agency
Same outcome as last year.
Best Hotel
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C. (Photo by Cris Molina)
Winner: Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C.
An upset — The W won the last three years.
700 F St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: The Line
Best House of Worship
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Empowerment Liberation Cathedral
Fourth consecutive win in this category!
633 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring
240-720-7605
empowermentliberationcathedral.org
Editor’s Choice: Foundry United Methodist Church
Best Lawyer
Michelle Zavos (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Michele Zavos
Zavos Juncker Law Group
Runner Up: Glen Ackerman
Flip-flop of last year’s outcome.
Best LGBT Social Group
Stonewall Sports (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Stonewall Sports
Also won last year.
stonewallnational.flywheelsites.com
Editor’s Choice: Team DC
Best LGBT Sports League
Stonewall Kickball (Washington Blade photo by Tom Hausman)
Winner: Stonewall Kickball
Second consecutive win; 2016 runner-up.
stonewallkickball.leagueapps.com
Editor’s Choice: DC Frontrunners
Best LGBT-Owned Business
Crew Club owner DC Allen (Washington Blade file photo by Pete Exis)
Winner: Crew Club
1321 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: District Title
Most LGBT-friendly Workplace
Whitman-Walker Executive Director Don Blanchon and Deputy Executive Director Naseema Shafi at the Whitman-Walker gala. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Whitman-Walker Health
Second consecutive win.
1525 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: National LGBTQ Task Force
Best LGBT Event
Capital Pride Parade (Washington Blade photo by Cecily Kidd)
Winner: Capital Pride Celebration
Second consecutive win.
Editor’s Choice: D.C. Black Pride
Best Museum
National Gallery of Art (Photo by John Menard via Flickr)
Winner: National Gallery of Art
6th & Constitution Ave., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: National Museum of African American History (last year’s winner)
Best Non-Profit
SMYAL Executive Director Sultan Shakir addresses the crowd at the annual Fall Brunch. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
SMYAL
Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders
410 7th St., S.E.
Editor’s Choice: Center for Black Equity
Best Private School
The Maret School (Photo by Aaron Siirila via Wikimedia Commons)
Maret School
A coed, K-12 independent school founded in 1911. Also won this category last year.
3000 Cathedral Ave., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Edmund Burke
Best Pet Business
Doggy Style Bakery (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Doggy Style Bakery, Boutique & Pet Spa
Second consecutive win.
1642 R St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: District Dogs
Best Place to Buy Second-hand Stuff
Miss Pixie’s (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Miss Pixie’s Furnishings and Whatnot
A perennial favorite in this category! Same outcome as last year.
1626 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s choice: Buffalo Exchange (2016 runner-up)
Best Movie Theater
Landmark Theaters Atlantic Plumbing (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Landmark Theaters Atlantic Plumbing
New releases plus indie fare, foreign and avant garde. Second consecutive win.
807 V St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: AMC Loews Georgetown
Best Rehoboth Business
Purple Parrot (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Winner: Purple Parrot
134 Rehoboth Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Editor’s Choice: Blue Moon
Flip-flop of last year’s outcome.
Best Salon/Spa
Logan 14
Third consecutive win in this category!
1314 14th St., N.W.
logan14salonspa.com
Editor’s Choice: The Burrow
Best Alternative Transportation
Winner: Lyft
Editor’s Choice: Capital Bike Share
Best Day Trip
MGM National Harbor (Photo by Robb Scharteg; courtesy MGM)
Winner: MGM National Harbor
101 MGM National Ave.
Oxon Hill, Md.
Editor’s Choice: Easton, Maryland
Best Place to Take Kids
Winner: National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: National Aquarium Baltimore
Best Tattoo Parlor
Tattoo Paradise
2444 18th St., N.W.
Second consecutive win.
Editor’s Choice: Jinx Proof Tattoos
Best Theater
Winner: Studio Theatre
An upset — Kennedy Center won the last three years. A flip-flop of last year’s outcome.
1501 14th St., N.W.
Editor’s Choice: Kennedy Center
Best Theater Production
Winner: Hamilton – Kennedy Center
Ran June 12-Sept. 16
Editor’s Choice: Waitress – National Theatre
Best Vet
CityPaws Animal Hospital
1823 14th St., N.W.
Fourth consecutive win in this category.
Editor’s Choice: Friendship Animal Hospital
a&e features
Peppermint thrives in the spotlight
In exclusive interview, she talks Netflix show — and the need to resist Trump’s attacks
As an entertainer, there’s not much that Peppermint hasn’t done. She’s a singer, actor, songwriter, reality TV personality, drag queen, podcaster and the list goes on. Most importantly, as an activist she has been an invaluable role model for the trans, queer, and Black communities.
She’s a trailblazer who boasts an impressive list of ‘firsts.’ She is the first out trans contestant to be cast on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (Season 9). She is the first trans woman to originate a principal musical role for Broadway’s “Head Over Heels.” She was also the first trans woman to compete in the runaway hit series “Traitors,” on Peacock, and she is the ACLU’s first-ever Artist Ambassador for Trans Justice. Her accolades are a true testament of the courage it took for Peppermint to live her authentic self.
We caught up with Peppermint to chat about her activism, taking on bigger roles on screen, our current political and social climate and life beyond the lens. For Peppermint, coming out as trans was not just a moment of strength—it was a necessity.
“It unfolded exactly as I had imagined it in terms of just feeling good and secure about who I am. I was in so much pain and sort of misery and anguish because I wasn’t able to live as free as I wanted to and that I knew that other people do when they just wake up. They get dressed, they walk out the door and they live their lives. Being able to live as your authentic self without fear of being persecuted by other people or by the government is essential to being healthy,” Peppermint tells the Blade in an exclusive interview.
“I was not able to imagine any other life. I remember saying to myself, ‘If I can’t imagine a life where I’m out and free and feeling secure and confident and left alone, then I don’t even want to imagine any kind of a life in the future,’” says Peppermint.
Recently, Peppermint returned for season 2 of Netflix’s comedy “Survival of the Thickest.” She added some spice and kick to the first season in her role as a drag bar owner. This time around, her character moves center stage, as her engagement and wedding become a major plot line in the show. Her expanded role and high-profile trans representation come at just the right time.
“It’s the largest acting role I’ve ever had in a television show, which my acting degree thanks me. It feels right on time, in a day where they’re rolling back trans rights and wanting to reduce DEI and make sure that we are limited from encouraging companies, corporations, industries, and institutions from not only featuring us, but supporting us, or even talking about us, or even referencing us.
“It feels great to have something that we can offer up as resistance. You can try to moralize, but it’s tougher to legislate art. So it feels like this is right on time and I’m just really grateful that they gave me a chance and that they gave my character a chance to tell a greater story.
Peppermint’s expanded role also accompanies a boom in queer representation in Black-powered media. Networks like BET and Starz and producers like Tyler Perry, are now regularly showcasing queer Black folks in main story lines. What does Peppermint think is fueling this increased inclusion?
“Queer folks are not new and queer Black folks are not new and Black folks know that. Every Black person knows at least one person who is queer. We are everywhere. We have not always been at the forefront in a lot of storytelling, that’s true, and that’s the part that’s new. It’s Hollywood taking us from the place where they usually have held us Black, queer folks in the makeup room, or as the prostitute, as an extra—not that there’s anything wrong with sex work or playing a background performer. I’ve played the best of the hookers! But those [roles] are very limiting.
“Hollywood has not historically done and still does not do a very good job of, including the voices of the stories that they make money [on]. And I think they’re realizing [the need] to be inclusive of our stories and our experiences, because for a long time it was just our stories without our actual experiences. It’s also exciting. It’s dramatic. It makes money. And they’re seeing that. So I think they’re just dipping their toes in. I think that they’re going to realize that balance means having us there in the room.”
Peppermint’s activism is tireless. She has raised more than six figures for prominent LGBTQ rights groups, she continues to speak around the nation, appears regularly on major media outlets addressing trans and LGBTQ issues and has been honored by GLAAD, World of Wonder, Out magazine, Variety, Condé Nast and more—all while appearing on screen and onstage in a long list of credits.
Now, under the Trump administration, she doesn’t have time to take a breath.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it if it weren’t second nature for me. Of course, there are ups and downs with being involved with any social issue or conversation and politics. But I am, for now, energized by it. It’s not like I’m energized by like, ‘Ooh, I just love this subject!’ right? It’s like, ‘Oh, we’re still being discriminated against, we gotta go and fight.’
“That’s just what it is. I get energy because I feel like we are quite literally fighting for our lives. I know that is hyperbole in some regards, but they are limiting access to things like housing, healthcare, job security and not having identification. Passport regulations are being put in a blender.”
Peppermint also mentions her thoughts on the unfair mandates to remove trans service members and revoke the rights and resources from the veterans who worked their whole lives to fight for this country.
“When you strip all these things away, it makes it really difficult for people to have a life and I know that that is what they’re doing. When I look around and see that that is what is at stake, I certainly feel like I’m fighting for my life. And that’s energizing.
“The only thing that would be the most rewarding besides waking up in a utopia and suddenly we’re all equal and we’re not discriminating against each other—which probably is not happening this year—is to be able to be involved in a project like this, where we can create that world. It’s also being built by people who are a part of that story in real life and care about it in real life.”
Peppermint is clear on her point that now is the time for all of the letters of the LGBTQ community to come together. Everyone who is trans and queer should be joining the fight against the issues that affect us all.
“Just trust us and understand that our experiences are tied together. That is how and why we are discriminated against in the way[s] that we are. The people who discriminate—just like how they can’t really distinguish between somebody who’s Dominican and somebody who’s African American — you’re Black when you’re getting pulled over. We are discriminated against in much the same way. It’s the same with being trans or queer or gender non-conforming or bi, we all have our own experiences and they should be honored.
“When laws are being created to harm us, we need to band together, because none of y’all asses is gonna be able to stop them from getting rid of marriage equality—which is next. If you roll the tape back to three years ago when somebody was trying to ask me about drag queen bans on readings in school, I was saying they’re coming for trans rights, which comes for bodily autonomy and abortion rights, which comes for gay marriage rights. Those three things will be wiped out.
Peppermint doesn’t take a pause to get fired up and call gay folk out in their obligation to return the favor to the Black trans community.
She shares with us her final thoughts.
“You cis-gender homosexuals need to stand the fuck up and understand that we are standing in front of you. It’s very difficult to understand this and know this, but so many of the rights that we have were hard fought and won by protest and by people fighting very hard for them. And many of those people in every single instance from the suffrage movement, obviously Civil Rights, queer rights, the AIDS and HIV movement—Black queer people have been there the entire time. Trans people have always been a part of that story, including Stonewall. Yes, we are using different terminology. Yes, we have different lenses to view things through, but let me tell you, if you allow us to be sacrificed before you see us go off the side, you will realize that your foot is shackled to our left foot. So, you better stand the fuck up!”
Peppermint for president!
a&e features
Tristan Schukraft on keeping queer spaces thriving
New owner of LA’s Abbey expands holdings to Fire Island, Mexico
LOS ANGELES — Like the chatter about Willy Wonka and his Chocolate Factory, the West Hollywood community here started to whisper about the man who was going to be taking over the world-famous Abbey, a landmark in Los Angeles’s queer nightlife scene. Rumors were put to rest when it was announced that entrepreneur Tristan Schukraft would be taking over the legacy created by Abbey founder David Cooley. All eyes are on him.
For those of us who were there for the re-opening of The Abbey, when the torch was officially passed, all qualms about the new regime went away as it was clear the club was in good hands and that the spirit behind the Abbey would forge on. Cher, Ricky Martin, Bianca del Rio, Jean Smart, and many other celebrities rubbed shoulders with veteran patrons, and the evening was magical and a throwback to the nightclub atmosphere pre-COVID.
The much-talked-about purchase of the Abbey was just the beginning for Schukraft. It was also announced that this business impresario was set to purchase the commercial district of Fire Island, as well as projects launching in Mexico and Puerto Rico. What was he up to? Tristan sat down with the Blade to chat about it all.
“We’re at a time right now when the last generation of LGBT entrepreneurs and founders are all in their 60s and they’re retiring. And if somebody doesn’t come in and buy these places, we’re going to lose our queer spaces.”
Tristan wasn’t looking for more projects, but he recounts what happened in Puerto Rico. The Atlantic Beach Hotel was the gay destination spot and the place to party on Sundays, facing the gay beach. A new owner came in and made it a straight hotel, effectively taking away a place of fellowship and history for the queer community. Thankfully, the property is gay again, now branded as the Tryst and part of Schukraft’s portfolio with locations in Puerto Vallarta and Fire Island.
“If that happens with the Abbey and West Hollywood, it’s like Bloomingdale’s in a mall. It’s kind of like a domino effect. So that’s really what it is all about for me at this point. It has become a passion project, and I think now more than ever, it’s really important.”
Tristan is fortifying spaces for the queer community at a time when the current administration is trying to silence the LGBTQ+ community. The timing is not lost on him.
“I thought my mission was important before, and in the last couple of months, it’s become even more important. I don’t know why there’s this effort to erase us from public life, but we’ve always been here. We’re going to continue to be here, and it brings even more energy and motivation for me to make sure the spaces that I have now and even additional venues are protected going in the future.”
The gay community is not always welcoming to fresh faces and new ideas. Schukraft’s takeover of the Abbey and Fire Island has not come without criticism. Who is this man, and how dare he create a monopoly? As Schukraft knows, there will always be mean girls ready to talk. In his eyes, if someone can come in and preserve and advance spaces for the queer community, why would we oppose that?
“I think the community should be really appreciative. We, as a community, now, more than ever, should stand together in solidarity and not pick each other apart.”
As far as the Abbey is concerned, Schukraft is excited about the changes to come. Being a perfectionist, he wants everything to be aligned, clean, and streamlined. There will be changes made to the DJ and dance booth, making way for a long list of celebrity pop-ups and performances. But his promise to the community is that it will continue to be the place to be, a place for the community to come together, for at least another 33 years.
“We’re going to build on the Abbey’s rich heritage as not only a place to go at night and party but a place to go in the afternoon and have lunch. That’s what David Cooley did that no others did before, is he brought the gay bar outside, and I love that.”
Even with talk of a possible decline in West Hollywood’s nightlife, Schukraft maintains that though the industry may have its challenges, especially since COVID, the Abbey and nightlife will continue to thrive and grow.
“I’m really encouraged by all the new ownership in [nightlife] because we need another generation to continue on. I’d be more concerned if everybody was still in their sixties and not letting go.”
In his opinion, apps like Grindr have not killed nightlife.
“Sometimes you like to order out, and sometimes you like to go out, and sometimes you like to order in, right? There’s nothing that really replaces that real human interaction, and more importantly, as we know, a lot of times our family is our friends, they’re our adopted family.
Sometimes you meet them online, but you really meet them going out to bars and meeting like-minded people. At the Abbey, every now and then, there’s that person who’s kind of building up that courage to go inside and has no wingman, doesn’t have any gay friends. So it’s really important that these spaces are fun, to eat, drink, and party. But they’re really important for the next generation to find their true identity and their new family.”
There has also been criticism that West Hollywood has become elitist and not accessible to everyone in the community. Schukraft believes otherwise. West Hollywood is a varied part of queer nightlife as a whole.
“West Hollywood used to be the only gay neighborhood, and now you’ve got Silver Lake and you’ve got parts of Downtown, which is really good because L.A., is a huge place. It’s nice to have different neighborhoods, and each offers its own flavor and personality.”
Staunch in his belief in his many projects, he is not afraid to talk about hot topics in the community, especially as they pertain to the Abbey. As anyone who goes to the Abbey on a busy night can attest to, the crowd is very diverse and inclusive. Some in the community have started to complain that gay bars are no longer for the gay community, but are succumbing to our straight visitors.
Schukraft explains: “We’re a victim of our own success. I think it’s great that we don’t need to hide in the dark shadows or in a hole-in-the-wall gay bar. I’m happy about the acceptance. I started Tryst Hotels, which is the first gay hotel. We’re not hetero-friendly, we’re not gay-friendly. We’re a gay hotel and everyone is welcome. I think as long as we don’t change our behavior or the environment in general at the Abbey, and if you want to party with us, the more than merrier.”
Schukraft’s message to the community?
“These are kind of dangerous times, right? The rights that we fought for are being taken away and are being challenged. We’re trying to be erased from public life. There could be mean girls, but we, as a community, need to stick together and unite, and make sure those protections and our identity aren’t erased. And even though you’re having a drink at a gay bar, and it seems insignificant, you’re supporting gay businesses and places for the next generation.”
a&e features
Creator Max Mutchnick on inspirations for ‘Mid-Century Modern’
Real-life friendships and loss inform plot of new Hulu show
It’s been a long time – maybe 25 years when “Will & Grace” debuted – since there’s been so much excitement about a new, queer sitcom premiering. “Mid-Century Modern,” which debuted on Hulu last week, is the creation of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the gay men who were also behind “Will & Grace.”
Set in Palm Springs, Calif., following the death of the one of their closest friends, three gay men gather to mourn. Swept up in the emotions of the moment, Bunny (Nathan Lane) suggests that Atlanta-based flight attendant Jerry (Matt Bomer) and New York-based fashion editor Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) move into the mid-century modern home he shares with his mother Sybil (the late Linda Lavin). Over the course of the first season’s 10 episodes, hilarity ensues. That is, except for the episode in which they address Sybil’s passing. The three male leads are all fabulous, and the ensemble cast, including Pamela Adlon as Bunny’s sister Mindy, and the stellar line-up of guest stars, such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vanessa Bayer, Richard Kind, and Cheri Oteri, keep humor buzzing. Shortly before the premiere of “Mid-Century Modern,” Mutchnick made time for an interview with the Blade.
BLADE: I’d like to begin by saying it’s always a delight to speak to a fellow Emerson College alum. In ways would you say that Emerson impacted your professional and creative life?
MAX MUTCHNICK: I think Emerson was the first place that reflected back to me that my voice, my thoughts were good, and they were worth listening to. I developed a confidence at Emerson that did not exist in my body and soul. It was a collection of a lot of things that took place in Boston, but I mean we can just put it all under the Emerson umbrella.
BLADE: Before “Will & Grace,” you co-created the NBC sitcom “Boston Common,” which starred fellow Emerson alum Anthony Clark. Is it important for you to maintain those kinds of alumni relationships?
MUTCHNICK: Because Emersonians are such scrappy little monkeys and they end up being everywhere in the world, you can’t help but work with someone from Emerson at some point in your career. I’m certainly more inclined to engage with someone from Emerson once I learn that they went to my alma mater. For me, it has much more to do with history and loyalty. I don’t think of myself as one of those guys that says, “Loyalty means a lot to me. I’m someone that really leans into history.” It’s just what my life and career turned out to be. The longer I worked with people and the more often I worked with them, the safer that I felt, which means that I was more creative and that’s the name of the game. I’ve got to be as comfortable as possible so I can be as creative as possible. If that means that a person from Emerson is in the room, so be it. (Costume designer) Lori Eskowitz would be the Emerson version. And then (writer and actor) Dan Bucatinsky would be another version. When I’m around them for a long time, that’s when the best stuff comes.
BLADE: Relationships are important. On that subject, your new Hulu sitcom “Mid-Century Modern” is about the longstanding friendship among three friends, Bunny (Nathan Lane), Jerry (Matt Bomer), and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham). Do you have a friendship like the one shared by these three men?
MUTCHNICK: I’m absolutely engaged in a real version of what we’re projecting on the show. I have that in my life. I cannot say that I’m Jerry in any way, but the one thing that we do have in common is that in my group, I’m the young one. But I think that that’s very common in these families that we create. There’s usually a young one. Our culture is built on learning from our elders. I didn’t have a father growing up, so maybe that made me that much more inclined to seek out older, wiser, funnier, meaner friends. I mean the reason why you’re looking at a mouthful of straight, white teeth is because one of those old bitches sat across from me about 25 years ago at a diner and said, “Girl, your teeth are a disaster, and you need to get that fixed immediately.” What did I know? I was just a kid from Chicago with two nickels in my pocket. But I found three nickels and I went and had new teeth put in my head. But that came from one of my dearest in the group.
BLADE: Do you think that calling “Mid-Century Modern” a gay “Golden Girls” is a fair description?
MUTCHNICK: No. I think the gay “Golden Girls” was really just used as a tool to pitch the show quickly. We have an expression in town, which is “give me the elevator pitch,” because nobody has an attention span. The fastest way you can tell someone what David (Kohan) and I wanted to write, was to say, “It’s gay Golden Girls.” When you say that to somebody, then they say, “OK, sit down now, tell me more.” We did that and then we started to dive into the show and realized pretty quickly that it’s not the gay “Golden Girls.” No disrespect to the “Golden Girls.” It’s a masterpiece.
BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” is set in Palm Springs. I’m based in Fort Lauderdale, a few blocks south of Wilton Manors, and I was wondering if that gay enclave was ever in consideration for the setting, or was it always going to be in Palm Springs?
MUTCHNICK: You just asked a really incredible question! Because, during COVID, Matt Bomer and I used to walk, because we live close by. We had a little walking group of a few gay gentlemen. On one of those walks, Matt proposed a comedy set in Wilton Manors. He said it would be great to title the show “Wilton Manors.” I will tell you that in the building blocks of what got us to “Mid-Century Modern,” Wilton Manors, and that suggestion from Matt Bomer on our COVID walks, was part of it.
BLADE: Is Sybil, played by the late Linda Lavin, modeled after a mother you know?
MUTCHNICK: Rhea Kohan (mother of David and Jenji). When we met with Linda for the first time over Zoom, when she was abroad, David and I explained to her that this was all based on Rhea Kohan. In fact, some of the lines that she (Sybil) speaks in the pilot are the words that Jenji Kohan spoke about her mother in her eulogy at the funeral because it really summed up what the character was all about. Yes, it’s very much based on someone.
BLADE: The Donny Osmond jokes in the second episode of “Mid-Century Modern” reminded me of the Barry Manilow “fanilows” on “Will & Grace.” Do you know if Donny is aware that he’s featured in the show?
MUTCHNICK: I don’t. To tell you the truth, the “fanilow” episode was written when I was not on the show. I was on a forced hiatus, thanks to Jeff Zucker. That was a show that I was not part of. We don’t really work that way. The Donny Osmond thing came more from Matt’s character being a Mormon, and also one of the writers. It’s very important to mention that the writing room at “Mid-Century Modern,” is (made up of) wonderful and diverse and colorful incredible humans – one of them is an old, white, Irish guy named Don Roos who’s brilliant…
BLADE: …he’s Dan Bucatinsky’s husband.
MUTCHNICK: Right! Dan is also part of the writing room. But I believe it was Don who had a thing for Donny, and that’s where it comes from. I don’t know if Donny has any awareness. The only thing I care about when we turn in an episode like that is I just want to hear from legal that we’re approved.
BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” also includes opportunities for the singers in the cast. Linda Lavin sang the Jerome Kern/Ira Gershwin tune “Long Ago (And Far Away)” and Nathan Lane and the guys sang “He Had It Coming” from “Chicago.” Was it important to give them the chance to exercise those muscles?
MUTCHNICK: I don’t think it was. I think it really is just the managers’ choice. David Kohan and I like that kind of stuff, so we write that kind of stuff. But by no means was there an edict to write that. We know what our cast is capable of, and we will absolutely exploit that if we’re lucky enough to have a second season. I have a funky relationship with the song “Long Ago (And Far Away).” It doesn’t float my boat, but everybody else loved it. We run a meritocracy, and the best idea will out. That’s how that song ended up being in the show. I far prefer the recording of Linda singing “I’ll Be Seeing You” over her montage in episode eight, “Here’s To You, Mrs. Schneiderman.” We were just lucky that Linda had recorded that. That recording was something that she had done and sent to somebody during COVID because she was held up in her apartment. That’s what motivated her to make that video and send it. That’s how we were able to use that audio.
BLADE: Being on a streaming service like Hulu allows for characters to say things they might not get away with on network TV, including a foreskin joke, as well as Sybil’s propensity for cursing.
MUTCHNICK: And the third line in the show is about him looking like a “reluctant bottom.” I don’t think that’s something you’re going to see on ABC anytime soon. David and I liked the opportunity to open up the language of this show because it might possibly open the door to bringing people…I’m going to mix metaphors…into the tent that have never been there before. A generation that writes off a sitcom because that language and that type of comedy isn’t the way that they sound. One of the gifts of doing this show on Hulu is that we get to write dialogue that sounds a little bit more like you and I sound. As always, we don’t want to do anything just to do it.
BLADE: It didn’t feel that way.
MUTCHNICK: It’s there when it’s right. [Laughs] I want to have a shirt made with Linda’s line, as her mother always used to say, “Time is a cunt.”
BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” also utilizes a lot of Jewish humor. How important is it for you to include that at this time when there is a measurable rise in anti-Semitism?
MUTCHNICK: I think it’s important, but I don’t think it’s the reason why we did it. We tried very hard to not write from a place of teaching or preaching. We really are just writing about the stuff that makes us laugh. One of the things that makes something better and something that you can invest in is if it’s more specific. We’re creating a character whose name is Bunny Schneiderman and his mother’s name is Sybil and they made their money in a family-run business, it gets Jewy, and we’re not going to shy away from it. But we’re definitely not going to address what’s going on in the world. That doesn’t mean I don’t find it very upsetting, but I’m writing always from the point of view of entertaining the largest number of people that I can every week.
BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” has a fantastic roster of guest stars including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vanessa Bayer, Billie Lourd, Cheri Oteri, Richard Kind, Rhea Perlman, and Judd Hirsch. Are there plans to continue that in future seasons?
MUTCHNICK: Yes. As I keep saying, if we’re so lucky that we get to continue, I don’t want to do “The Love Boat.” Those are fine comic actors, so I don’t think it feels like that. But if we get to keep going, what I want to do is broaden the world because that gives us more to write about. I want to start to introduce characters that are auxiliary to the individuals. I want to start to meet Arthur’s family, so we can return to people. I want to introduce other neighbors, and different types of gay men because we come in so many different flavors. I think that we should do that only because I’m sure it’s what your life is and it’s what my life is. I’ve got a lot of different types. So, yes, we will be doing more.
BLADE: Finally, Linda Lavin passed away in December 2024, and in a later episode, the subject of her character Sybil’s passing is handled sensitively, including the humorous parts.
MUTCHNICK: We knew we had a tall order. We suffered an incredible loss in the middle of making this comedy. One of the reasons why I think this show works is because we are surrounded by a lot of really talented people. Jim Burrows and Ryan Murphy, to name two. Ryan played a very big role in telling us that it was important that we address this, that we address it immediately. That we show the world and the show goes on. That wasn’t my instinct because I was so inside the grief of losing a friend, because she really was. It wasn’t like one of those showbizzy-type relationships. And this is who she was, by the way, to everybody at the show. It was the way that we decided to go. Let’s write this now. Let’s not put this at the end of the season. Let’s not satellite her in. Let’s not “Darren Stevens” the character, which is something we would never do. The other thing that Jim Burrows made very clear to us was the import of the comedy. You have to write something that starts exactly in the place that these shows start. A set comedy piece that takes place in the kitchen. Because for David and me, as writers, we said we just want to tell the truth. That’s what we want to do with this episode and that’s the way that this will probably go best for us. The way that we’ve dealt with grief in our lives is with humor. That is the way that we framed writing this episode. We wanted it to be a chapter from our lives, and how we experience this loss and how we recover and move on.
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