Arts & Entertainment
Queery: Sharon Humes
The D.C. Kings performer answers 20 gay questions
Sharon Humes (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Sharon Humes knew she wanted to be in the D.C. Kings as soon as she learned there was such a group. Her best friend was doing it first and told her about it.
“I was thinking, ‘Wow, you can actually dress like a guy and perform, oh yeah — I wanna try this.’ I never thought it would grow into something like this.”
Humes, a 40-year-old Brentwood, Md., native, did her first show with the Kings in 2003. Last weekend she helped the group celebrate its 12th anniversary at Phase 1 — the original location in Eastern Market.
Her alter ego Rocky comes from a name her late mother used to call her.
“I was a pretty rough-and-tumble kid,” Humes says. “I hit my head or skinned my knee, I didn’t care. I’d go right back at it. She called me that from the time I was really young, like as far back as age 7, so it just kinda stuck.”
Humes enjoys lip-syncing to all kinds of music — from silky R&B by Usher and Luther Vandross to hip-hop acts like Twista and Busta Rhymes to dance hall reggae by her favorite in that field, Sean Paul. She calls performing with the Kings “a great stress releaser” and says she loves the way members are exceedingly polite and helpful with each other and the way newer kings defer to the veteran performers.
She’s also into gospel music — she directs the choir at her church, Unity Fellowship.
Humes lives in Glen Burnie and says that although the frequent trips into Washington for the Kings and church can get tiring, she loves the peace and quiet of Glen Burnie. By day she works as a service adviser at a car dealership in College Park — she’s the liaison between the mechanics and customers.
Humes is in a new relationship. She enjoys working out and listening to music in her free time.
Sharon Humes as "Rocky" performing at Phase 1 (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been out since I was 22. A schoolmate introduced me to the club scene and when I was surrounded by other people who were like me, it made it difficult to hide who I really was. When I met this girl and we started going out, I confided in my niece (who was more like a little sister) and she was questioned by my Mom. She never confirmed with me. She already knew. All mothers know their kids.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
My LGBT hero is my pastor, Rev. Abena D. McCray. She has helped me with my walk to get closer to God. She is here for one purpose and that is to be His messenger.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Tracks! Oh man … being 22 going to the clubs with all those women who liked women like me?! Heaven. There are a lot of memories there, parties, new friends and relationships. Great spot.
Describe your dream wedding.
Having had a commitment ceremony before, I tried to make it a dream wedding. I know that I will get married again. But just loving someone enough to know that marriage is in the cards the second time around is the dream wedding!
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
I am very passionate about our young boys (regardless of race) wearing their clothes (pants) off their behinds. That bothers me that so many of our young people are followers. More youth programs are needed so that our young people will have someplace to congregate and find alternatives to gun violence.
What historical outcome would you change?
I would be interested to change the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I feel like there were so many other things that could have been achieved had he not been killed. I envision Dr. King mentoring the president.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
How all the ‘80s fashion has come full circle. I’ve seen everything from skinny jeans to fishnets, big bamboo earrings, mohawks, Members Only jackets and the latest — penny loafers.
On what do you insist?
I insist that whatever I do, it is done to the best of my ability. That goes as far as helping a customer with their car to performing in a show. Even when I’m making breakfast — presentation is important.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
To my girlfriend, telling her how much I appreciate her.
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“From Sharon To Rocky: Meeting Of The Minds.” This simply means that my thought process in my work life has come full circle with my personal life. I am 100 percent complete mentally, physically and spiritually.
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
I know I was born to be this way. I wouldn’t change anything.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
I believe that there is a higher power. I believe that this entity is the reason why I am still here. My hope and faith in my God helps me through life’s trials. It was my relationship with God that I was able to get through my mother’s passing much easier than I would have eight short years ago.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
Whatever you do, please keep it up. I can only speak for myself but positive changes are happening.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
It used to be my mom. She’s no longer here so there would be no one else unless I had children.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
One particular stereotype that annoys me is just because I may be more masculine and my lady is feminine, that I MUST be the breadwinner in the house. That is so far from the truth. Granted, I love to have a meal prepared for me but I can cook as well. Being equal in everything we do keeps the harmony.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
One of my favorite movies is “Noah’s ARC: Jumping the Broom.”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
That you can’t wear white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day. If you wanna wear white, wear white! We wear white once a month to church for Communion.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
National Junior Honor Society in eighth grade. I worked really hard to get straight As all year.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
I wish, at the tender age of 18, I would have known how important it was to keep your credit in check. I spent a lot of years trying to clean it up.
Why Washington?
Washington is full of diversity as well as a cultural melting pot. Being someone who is Jamaican, that is very important to have a piece of home in your backyard. Although I do not reside in D.C., I wouldn’t leave the D.C. area. I love it here.
Out & About
Archuleta to host book signing in Rehoboth Beach
Entertainer to meet with fans at Browseabout Books
David Archuleta will chat with fans and sign his book “Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself” on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.
The book is an inspirational account of his transformation from a closeted Mormon teen singer to a pop star who is comfortable with his queer identity. For additional information on this event, go to browseaboutbooks.com.
Archuleta will also be in Rehoboth Beach to headline the “Night of Entertainment” on Saturday, Sept. 5 for CAMP Rehoboth’s SUNFESTIVAL weekend, which includes the Night of Dance Sept. 6.
Visit camprehoboth.org for more information.
Friday, August 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at DIK Bar.This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, August 29
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, August 30
“Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” will be at 12 p.m. at Nellie’s Sports Bar. Come get served like a queen by a queen. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of amazing drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets cost $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, August 31
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, September 1
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a drop-in session to share resources, provide service navigation, connect with community, and gather feedback. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Wednesday, September 2
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Thursday, September 3
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s website.
Movies
‘Teenage Sex and Death’ has never been more entertaining
Come for the jump scares, but stay for the tour-de-force filmmaking
If any movie title can be said to describe exactly what it is going to show us, “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” would have to be it – and yet, it doesn’t communicate anything to prepare us for what we are going to see.
For that, you’d have to already be a fan of the creator behind it – transfeminine, non-binary filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun – and the surreal, dysphoric, and meta-formal nature of their previous work.
A horror fan since childhood, Schoenbrun spent their teen years frequenting online message boards for popular horror shows, writing fan fiction, and going to see punk bands in basements; a bachelor’s degree in film from Boston University paved their way into the world of “indie” cinema, and their first directorial effort was an online documentary about the phenomenon of “Slender Man” (look it up), which explored the way media and reality can blend together in the cultural imagination.
That blending has continued to permeate their films: their first feature, “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” about a lonely teen who is drawn into a creepy online challenge, tells its story entirely through video clips she and the other participants share online; their second, “I Saw the TV Glow,” is an eerie and devastating tale of two teen friends who form a bond over their shared obsession with a paranormal television show and drift apart when it is cancelled, only to be drawn together again when buried memories of it begin to infiltrate their “real” lives. Both are driven by themes of gender identity, social isolation, queer awakening, and transformation – the stuff that resonates deeply with queer and trans audiences – and Schoenbrun didn’t bury the subtext in the story; instead, the subtext was the story.
With “Camp Miasma,” their third and (thanks to its win of the “Queer Palm” at Cannes) highest profile feature film to date, they carry their creative obsessions forward into a surreal narrative that exists around the border between reality and media-manufactured fantasy, and brings them into the the world of queer adulthood. Even more boldly, perhaps, it’s a comedy (albeit a dark and grisly one), a satire of the movie industry itself – which gives the director plenty of cheekily self-referential opportunities to make this their most “meta” film yet. After all, it’s about a young non-binary director working on a horror film, and you can’t get much more “meta” than that.
The onscreen director who serves as Schoenbrun’s semi-autobiographical avatar is Kris Williams (Hannah Einbinder), who has been tasked by a studio with remaking its classic slasher movie from the 1980s (“Camp Miasma”), in hope of generating an updated reboot of the once-lucrative franchise it spawned. Kris, who loves the original film, hopes to coax the actress who starred as its “final girl” – Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson) – into returning to the screen for the new one, though she has been retired from acting and living as a recluse ever since. Managing to get a meeting with her at her secluded home in the Pacific Northwest, Kris arrives in a snowstorm to discover that Billy now lives in the same abandoned campground where “Camp Miasma” was filmed four decades ago. She also has seemingly developed the unsettling eccentricities of an aging once-famous scream queen who has faded into obscurity and spent decades dwelling in memories of the past.
Despite some initial misgivings (on both sides), the two hit it off, and Billy agrees to help Kris develop her ideas for the reboot. As they work, their shared obsessions around the original film and its horrifying mythos draws them closer together into a more intimate kind of relationship – even as Billy’s unconvincingly “tongue-in-cheek” insistence that the franchise’s iconic killer is a real entity, waiting to be reawakened for the next massacre, begins to creep into Kris’s own psyche.
Ingeniously mixing fan nostalgia for vintage “Friday the 13th”-style slasher films with the Lynchian surrealism of modern horror cinema and the campy-but-transgressive absurdity of a movie that wants us to be “in” on the joke, “Camp Miasma” takes Schoenbrun’s broodingly ironic Gen-Z sensibilities and spins them into something that works on multiple levels. As a horror film, it relies on the familiarity of its tropes and gleefully manipulates our reactions, yet undercuts its own formula to turn it into a blend of parody and homage that somehow elevates the genre by way of its own deconstruction. As a piece of postmodern cinema, it precludes attempts at analysis by transparently analyzing itself as it goes as part of its own self-aware scenario, turning intellectual interpretation into just another trope of its own. As a queer allegory, it nullifies the standard critical interpretations by wearing them jokingly on its sleeve. As a love-letter to cinema, it brims with callbacks to iconic masterworks like “Sunset Boulevard” and “Psycho.” It uses the irresistible darkness of its milieu as a vehicle through which to express a liberating, sex-positive celebration of queer joy, unencumbered at last by a confrontation with the fear, shame, and insecurity forged by social constructs that are so often used to suppress it. It even works as a romance, turning the age gap between its two leads into a bridge that overpasses any notions of conformity and eliminates false sentiment by framing it as a sexy kind of cross-generational mentoring.
At the center of it all is the powerhouse pairing of Einbinder and Anderson, whose dynamic together works so well we never bat an eye over it, and who know what is being asked of them and deliver it with a fearlessness that feels a bit like pure glee. These might be the best screen performances of the year so far.
There are also some winking cameos, like “Kids in the Hall” alumnus Kevin MacDonald as a local hotel clerk who was once enlisted as a supporting player in the “Camp Miasma” franchise, and veteran character actor Dylan Baker as the facile-minded studio exec who simply wants Kris to create something commercial enough to turn the franchise into a cash cow again. Jack Haven (the trans co-star of “I Saw the TV Glow” opposite Justice Smith) commands our attention as Camp Miasma’s weirdly air-duct-masked slasher – named “Little Death,” a phrase which, translated into the French “La petite morte,” is a euphemism for orgasm, just in case it wasn’t already clear that the movie operates as a psychosexual drama, on top of everything else.
Ultimately, though, it’s Shoenbrun who is the real star; much in the way that Alfred Hitchcock turned his own unique milieu into a kind of star power that eclipsed even the draw of the big name actors who populated his films. They come into their own with “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, creating one of the best films of the year so far and cementing their reputation as one of the most excitingly visionary filmmakers of the post-Millennial era.
In other words, come for the blood, gore, and jump scares, but stay for the sublimely entertaining — and entertainingly original — tour-de-force filmmaking that raises this one to the level of pop culture masterpiece.
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