Arts & Entertainment
Queery: Walter Lundy
The toy drive organizer answers 20 gay questions
Walter Lundy (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Walter Lundy says handing out donated toys to needy Washington-area kids has become the Christmas-related activity he most looks forward to.
It started modestly last year with what he calls his “Red-Themed Toy Drive Party.” He hosted last year’s event out of his Bloomingdale home. Guests wore red and brought gifts to his house the weekend before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, he and a group of friends delivered about 100 toys to about 40 children in seven or so families.
This year, the Dec. 22 party, which Lundy held at Halstead Tower in Alexandria, yielded about 250 guests/toys that were delivered to about 100 kids in 10 local families and a local group home. Lundy worked with the D.C. Department of Human Services and its “Strong Families” program, the Greater Urban League of Washington, the Hubbard Place and the Williams Life Center of Greenbelt, Md., to identify needy families.
“It’s a very gratifying experience and it’s become the complete focus of my holiday experience,” the Petersburg, Va., native says. “I feel like this is the proper way to end the calendar year for me and I intend to do it every year.”
Lundy hosted the event with his friend JoVone Pender. They paid for the party themselves and Lundy says it’s an important component of the event.
“I guess I’m just a party type-of guy,” he says. “I love the toy part of it, of course, but it’s also rewarding to give something to the community as well. We deserve it.”
Though not a gay-specific event, Lundy guesses “about 90 percent” of the friends who help him deliver the gifts are also black gay men, not all of whom are out. He says they’re just friends he knows “from all over — just guys I know in the same-gender-loving male community.”
Lundy works for the D.C. government but declines to give specifics. He’s also in a relationship but says, “We’ll just leave it at that.”
Lundy lived in Ohio for much of the ‘90s, but settled in Washington in 2003. He lives in Bloomingdale in the fifth Ward and enjoys tennis, NASCAR, exercising, writing, cooking and socializing in his free time.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
Not fully out but I guess I am now. But my family has known for about 14 years and my mother was the most difficult person to tell.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
Don’t really have a hero, but I admire all professional and college athletes who come out.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
The Park at 14th — great food, amazing drinks and awesome people. I love that place — it’s a place where everyone can go to have a great time.
Describe your dream wedding.
Going to the Caribbean with a small group of friends and family and getting married on the beach, walking in the sand with the blessing of the powerful waves in the background.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
Getting Hillary Clinton elected president in 2016.
What historical outcome would you change?
I would erase the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The Haitian government reported that an estimated 316,000 people died, 300,000 had been injured and 1 million made homeless. The greatest catastrophe of my life time. I break down and cry every time I think about it.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
How appropriate — I remember when I first when to New York and partied in Times Square for News Year’s Eve. Something that I had always seen on TV as a child, I was now finally experiencing live as an adult and it was the most amazing and electrifying experience. It’s an American tradition that everyone should do at least once.
On what do you insist?
I insist that people in my circle of friends treat all people the same regardless of their education or social economic status.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
I don’t Tweet but I did post a link to a gospel sermon by Bishop Noel Jones talking about how “God Grows You” and that one has to have an enormous challenge in order to have an enormous outcome. I thought this was a powerful word heading into the new year.
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“Shattered Dreams”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
I wouldn’t take advantage of the discovery because I am finally happy with myself, but I would certainly understand and respect those who took advantage of the science.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
I believe in God and that there is a heaven. I also believes that the universe is a powerful force that influences our physical presence. I know it sounds silly but I believe that the universe is a surrogate power of God and has his blessings to influence our physical lives. I have so much respect and admiration for the power of the universe.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
Educate the youth and teach them about life and being independent and responsible. The value of an education, a career and life goals — we get so caught up in trying to affirm them that we forget to hold them accountable to being successful and independent human beings. We can’t baby them — we have to demand excellence and high standards.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
To save the life of my baby sister.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
Some of the most educated, family oriented, financially stable men in our community are GBT, especially in the black community, yet we are often not viewed as real men when we are usually the backbone to a fragmented and unstable family structure. We endure and take on so much emotional hardship that it’s amazing that more of us are not suicidal.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
“The 24th Day”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Celebrating birthdays. Eight years ago I had unexpected life-threatening heart surgery and I now have a strong appreciation for life every single day. So for me, every day is a day to celebrate.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
I covet the acceptance of my Lord and Savior into his Kingdom.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
I wish I had known my parents were going to die at a young age. I would have spent more time fostering a more meaningful and lasting adult relationship that I can forever cherish. I was so busy on my education and career grind that I lost track of time. I now regret that choice.
Why Washington?
I am from Virginia and need to be close to my siblings as I am their primary caregiver and provider.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Santa will be very relieved.
You’ve taken most of the burden off him by making a list and checking it twice on his behalf. The gift-buying in your house is almost done – except for those few people who are just so darn hard to buy for. So what do you give to the person who has (almost) everything? You give them a good book, like maybe one of these.
Memoir and biography
The person who loves digging into a multi-level memoir will be happy unwrapping “Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama” by Alexis Okeowo (Henry Holt). It’s a memoir about growing up Black in what was once practically ground zero for the Confederacy. It’s about inequality, it busts stereotypes, and yet it still oozes love of place. You can’t go wrong if you wrap it up with “Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore” by Ashley D. Farmer (Pantheon). It’s a chunky book with a memoir with meaning and plenty of thought.
For the giftee on your list who loves to laugh, wrap up “In My Remaining Years” by Jean Grae (Flatiron Books). It’s part memoir, part comedy, a look back at the late-last-century, part how-did-you-get-to-middle-age-already? and all fun. Wrap it up with “Here We Go: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas” by Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazellip with Elisa Petrini (Viking). It’s about the adventures of two 80-something best friends who seize life by the horns – something your giftee should do, too.
If there’ll be someone at your holiday table who’s finally coming home this year, wrap up “How I Found Myself in the Midwest” by Steve Grove (Simon & Schuster). It’s the story of a Silicon Valley worker who gives up his job and moves with his family to Minnesota, which was once home to him. That was around the time the pandemic hit, George Floyd was murdered, and life in general had been thrown into chaos. How does someone reconcile what was with what is now? Pair it with “Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America” by Will Bardenwerper (Doubleday). It’s set in New York and but isn’t that small-town feel universal, no matter where it comes from?
Won’t the adventurer on your list be happy when they unwrap “I Live Underwater” by Max Gene Nohl (University of Wisconsin Press)? They will, when they realize that this book is by a former deep-sea diver, treasure hunter, and all-around daredevil who changed the way we look for things under water. Nohl died more than 60 years ago, but his never-before-published memoir is fresh and relevant and will be a fun read for the right person.
If celeb bios are your giftee’s thing, then look for “The Luckiest” by Kelly Cervantes (BenBella Books). It’s the Midwest-to-New-York-City story of an actress and her life, her marriage, and what she did when tragedy hit. Filled with grace, it’s a winner.
Your music lover won’t want to open any other gifts if you give “Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur” by Jeff Pearlman (Mariner Books). It’s the story of the life, death, and everything in-between about this iconic performer, including the mythology that he left behind. Has it been three decades since Tupac died? It has, but your music lover never forgets. Wrap it up with “Point Blank (Quick Studies)” by Bob Dylan, text by Eddie Gorodetsky, Lucy Sante, and Jackie Hamilton (Simon & Schuster), a book of Dylan’s drawings and artwork. This is a very nice coffee-table size book that will be absolutely perfect for fans of the great singer and for folks who love art.
For the giftee who’s concerned with their fellow man, “The Lost and the Found: A True Story of Homelessness, Found Family and Second Chances” by Kevin Fagan (One Signal / Atria) may be the book to give. It’s a story of two “unhoused” people in San Francisco, one of the country’s wealthiest cities, and their struggles. There’s hope in this book, but also trouble and your giftee will love it.
For the person on your list who suffered loss this year, give “Pine Melody” by Stacey Meadows (Independently Published), a memoir of loss, grief, and healing while remembering the person gone.
LGBTQ fiction
For the mystery lover who wants something different, try “Crime Ink: Iconic,” edited by John Copenhaver and Salem West (Bywater Books), a collection of short stories inspired by “queer legends” and allies you know. Psychological thrillers, creepy crime, cozies, they’re here.
Novel lovers will want to curl up this winter with “Middle Spoon” by Alejandro Varela (Viking), a book about a man who appears to have it all, until his heart is broken and the fix for it is one he doesn’t quite understand and neither does anyone he loves.
LGBTQ studies – nonfiction
For the young man who’s struggling with issues of gender, “Before They Were Men” by Jacob Tobia (Harmony Books) might be a good gift this year. These essays on manhood in today’s world works to widen our conversations on the role politics and feminism play in understanding masculinity and how it’s time we open our minds.
If there’s someone on your gift list who had a tough growing-up (didn’t we all?), then wrap up “I’m Prancing as Fast as I Can” by Jon Kinnally (Permuted Press / Simon & Schuster). Kinnally was once an awkward kid but he grew up to be a writer for TV shows you’ll recognize. You can’t go wrong gifting a story like that. Better idea: wrap it up with “So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, & The Show That Started It All” by Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig (St. Martin’s Press), a book about a little TV show that launched a BFF-ship.
Who doesn’t have a giftee who loves music? You sure do, so wrap up “The Secret Public: How Music Moved Queer Culture from the Margins to the Mainstream” by Jon Savage (Liveright). Nobody has to tell your giftee that queer folk left their mark on music, but they’ll love reading the stories in this book and knowing what they didn’t know.
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Theater
Studio’s ‘Mother Play’ draws from lesbian playwright’s past
A poignant memory piece laced with sadness and wry laughs
‘The Mother Play’
Through Jan. 4
Studio Theatre
1501 14th St., N.W.
$42 – $112
Studiotheatre.org
“The Mother Play” isn’t the first work by Pulitzer Prize-winning lesbian playwright Paula Vogel that draws from her past. It’s just the most recent.
Currently enjoying an extended run at Studio Theatre, “The Mother Play,” (also known as “The Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions,” or more simply, “Mother Play”) is a 90-minute powerful and poignant memory piece laced with sadness and wry laughs.
The mother in question is Phyllis Herman (played exquisitely by Kate Eastwood Norris), a divorced government secretary bringing up two children under difficult circumstances. When we meet them it’s 1964 and the family is living in a depressing subterranean apartment adjacent to the building’s trash room.
Phyllis isn’t exactly cut out for single motherhood; an alcoholic chain-smoker with two gay offspring, Carl and Martha, both in their early teens, she seems beyond her depth.
In spite (or because of) the challenges, things are never dull in the Herman home. Phyllis is warring with landlords, drinking, or involved in some other domestic intrigue. At the same time, Carl is glued to books by authors like Jane Austen, and queer novelist Lytton Strachey, while Martha is charged with topping off mother’s drinks, not a mean feat.
Despite having an emotionally and physically withholding parent, adolescent Martha is finding her way. Fortunately, she has nurturing older brother Carl (the excellent Stanley Bahorek) who introduces her to queer classics like “The Well of Loneliness” by Radclyffe Hall, and encourages Martha to pursue lofty learning goals.
Zoe Mann’s Martha is just how you might imagine the young Vogel – bright, searching, and a tad awkward.
As the play moves through the decades, Martha becomes an increasingly confident young lesbian before sliding comfortably into early middle age. Over time, her attitude toward her mother becomes more sympathetic. It’s a convincing and pleasing performance.
Phyllis is big on appearances, mainly her own. She has good taste and a sharp eye for thrift store and Goodwill finds including Chanel or a Von Furstenberg wrap dress (which looks smashing on Eastwood Norris, by the way), crowned with the blonde wig of the moment.
Time and place figure heavily into Vogel’s play. The setting is specific: “A series of apartments in Prince George’s and Montgomery County from 1964 to the 21st century, from subbasement custodial units that would now be Section 8 housing to 3-bedroom units.”
Krit Robinson’s cunning set allows for quick costume and prop changes as decades seamlessly move from one to the next. And if by magic, projection designer Shawn Boyle periodically covers the walls with scurrying roaches, a persistent problem for these renters.
Margot Bordelon directs with sensitivity and nuance. Her take on Vogel’s tragicomedy hits all the marks.
Near the play’s end, there’s a scene sometimes referred to as “The Phyllis Ballet.” Here, mother sits onstage silently in front of her dressing table mirror. She is removed of artifice and oozes a mixture of vulnerability but not without some strength. It’s longish for a wordless scene, but Bordelon has paced it perfectly.
When Martha arranges a night of family fun with mom and now out and proud brother at Lost and Found (the legendary D.C. gay disco), the plan backfires spectacularly. Not long after, Phyllis’ desire for outside approval resurfaces tenfold, evidenced by extreme discomfort when Carl, her favorite child, becomes visibly ill with HIV/AIDS symptoms.
Other semi-autobiographical plays from the DMV native’s oeuvre include “The Baltimore Waltz,” a darkly funny, yet moving piece written in memory of her brother (Carl Vogel), who died of AIDS in 1988. The playwright additionally wrote “How I Learned to Drive,” an acclaimed play heavily inspired by her own experiences with sexual abuse as a teenager.
“The Mother Play” made its debut on Broadway in 2024, featuring Jessica Lange in the eponymous role, earning her a Tony Award nomination.
Like other real-life matriarch inspired characters (Mary Tyrone, Amanda Wingfield, Violet Weston to name a few) Phyllis Herman seems poised to join that pantheon of complicated, women.
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