District of Coronavirus - Metro Weekly - March 26, 2020 - Vol. 26, Issue 45

March 26, 2020

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CONTENTS

LET’S GET PHYSICAL Six tips for staying fit and healthy while social distancing.

By John Riley

DISTRICT OF CORONAVIRUS

As COVID-19 takes hold in America, we asked the LGBTQ community how they’re coping.

A Metro Weekly Forum.

Edited by Rhuaridh Marr and Randy Shulman

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VELVET TOUCH

Adam Lambert once again grabs the spotlight on his fourth studio album, Velvet.

By Sean Maunier

SPOTLIGHT: ANNIE’S BECOMES A HOT PICK-UP p.5 AUDIO ESCAPES p.6 YO-YO MA’S #SONGSOFCOMFORT p.6 A NIGHT AT THE (VIRTUAL) MUSEUM p.7 I.M.P. FAMILY FUND p.7 LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA p.8 RED BEAR TAPS INTO NEW BUSINESS STREAMS p.8 HELPING HAND p.11 MODEL BEHAVIOR p.12 OUT OF FAITH p.12 RAISING THE BAR: REPUBLIC RESTORATIVES p.15 FILM: NEVRLAND p.34 SELFIE SCENE p.37 FUN & GAMES: CONTESTS p.38 LAST WORD p.39 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 25 Years

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Terrence McNally Cover Illustration Corona Borealis Studio Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

© 2020 Jansi LLC.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANNIE’S PARAMOUNT STEAKHOUSE

Spotlight

Annie’s Becomes a Hot Pick-Up Spot

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IKE MOST RESTAURANTS STILL CURRENTLY OPEN, Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse is “basically existing in survival mode,” says its General Manager, Raul de Guzman.

Closed for dining-in service as a result of COVID-19, Annie’s has operated as a carryout store since Tuesday, March 17. Guests can drop by to pick up prepared items from a menu of Annie’s essentials, including various cuts of steak, burgers, and staple House Specials, such as Bull in the Pan, Athenian Chicken, and Pot Roast. That can all be washed down with the additional purchase of Manhattans and vodka martinis, available pre-mixed and bottled to go. But the restaurant is going beyond the norm by offering pre-packaged, uncooked cuts of their famed fare — from ribeye and New York strips to pork chops to salmon — as well as small bottles of branded liquor and wine from the regular menu offered at a reduced price, or six-packs of beer (beverages are

only available with the purchase of food). “We even have toilet paper — three rolls for five dollars. For a limited time, while supplies last,” de Guzman says.

Annie’s has started a GoFundMe page to help support its hourly employees — including veteran servers Mano and Al Sekscienski — who are continuing to work but with a drastic reduction in hours and take-home pay. “People have been supporting us. It’s really touching,” de Guzman says. “We’ve raised a lot of money for our staff.” As of press time, the campaign had raised $9,277, closing in on its stated goal of $10,000.

“We’re going to do as much and for as long as we can,” de Guzman adds. “We’ve been here since 1948. We don’t intend on leaving now.” Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse is at 1609 17th St. NW, with special COVID-19 hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call 202-232-0395 or visit www.anniesparamountdc.com. —Doug Rule MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Spotlight

WAR OF THE WORLDS AND OTHER AUDIO ESCAPES

On Oct. 31, 1938, Orson Welles gave Americans a true fright with his radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds.

Many listeners mistakenly believed that the fictionalized series of “news bulletins” were truly reporting on Martians invading Earth and causing mass destruction, military battles, and vast chaos in the New York area. The original broadcast is available to stream or download for free at www.stitcher.com, a site that is a treasure trove of audio offerings to help escape from the daily drumbeat of COVID-19 news — whether classic radio shows or podcast originals, such as Lost at the Smithsonian with Aasif Mandvi, a 10-part series released last fall finding the former Daily Show with Jon Stewart comedian rifling through the pop culture artifacts from the National Museum of American History’s collection. (DR)

YO-YO MA’S #SONGSOFCOMFORT

A week ago, Yo-Yo Ma premiered a series of short video posts on various social media platforms with the premise, “In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort.” The acclaimed celebrity cellist launched the #SongsOfComfort series by posting a clip, less than two minutes in length, of an unaccompanied performance of Dvořák’s “Going Home” from what is presumably his home office. In successive days, Ma posted similar, roughly three-minute clips featuring him at his cello playing Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan” and the “Sarabande” from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 3, the latter of which he dedicated to “the healthcare workers on the frontlines” of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Your ability to balance human connection and scientific truth in service of us all gives me hope,” he wrote.

Ma’s series has been a grassroots inspiration, with an eclectic assortment of musicians using the hashtag — over 2,500 and counting on Instagram alone — to post similarly short clips of musical selections that offer a sense of comfort. Some classical musicians have followed Ma’s lead, providing short performance selfies. Tona Brown of Northern Virginia’s Aida Studios, for instance, is seen playing the beginning of Chopin’s fluttery and gorgeous “Nocturne in C sharp minor” on violin.

Others go beyond that, from singing guitarist Brandon McNeice’s folk/ pop rendition of Stephen Foster’s 1854 art song “Hard Times Come Again No More,” to various family or roommate singalongs, to the Indigo Girls, who donated the performance of their 1992 hit “Galileo” during their live stream concert last week to the #SongsOfComfort cause. And then there’s the stylized music video featuring Brazilian electric violinist Anna Murakawa wandering a winding, bayfront street in Sydney while performing an instrumental cover of “You Need to Calm Down” by Taylor Swift, which is far more calming than the original ever was. (Doug Rule) 6

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Spotlight

A decade ago, Google launched a project to make many major museums available at our fingertips, ready to explore virtually whenever and wherever we wanted, through its Google Arts & Culture online platform. Over time, other museums and galleries have individually ramped up their virtual offerings, and there’s never been a better time to take the digital museum plunge than now. While it’s hard to match the real-life museum experience, a virtual wander through a museum’s exhibits comes with its own reward: you can take it all in at your own pace unimpeded and uninterrupted. The Google platform, best experienced through its free downloadable app, features high-resolution images of some of the museum world’s most treasured works of art, and it is a good way to get to know the most celebrated institutional collections, among them D.C.’s National Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection, and several of the Smithsonians, including the National Museum of Natural History.

Yet you can get a better handle on what’s in store at the most visited natural history museum in the world by taking a trip to its website, enhanced with Simulated WebVR (or Real WebVR if viewed through a WebVR-capable browser, or if you happen to own a VR headset). You can virtually explore all of the museum’s current and permanent exhibitions, including one that in recent months has become timelier than ever. Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World is set up with displays about how “to prevent animal viruses from spilling over into humans” as well as how to properly respond to disease outbreaks — always in “quick, effective, and cooperative” fashion — all supplemented with case studies of historical epidemics, including smallpox, HIV/AIDS (pictured), Ebola, and SARS. Visit www.naturalhistory.si.edu.

For a deeper dive into a deadly virus from a century ago that has echoes in today’s COVID-19, there’s the National Archives’ online exhibit The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918, telling the story of that plague’s spread through assembled documents and artifacts including letters, telegrams, and photos, many featuring face mask-wearing officials and public citizens. That epidemic directly affected one-fifth of the world’s population and is responsible for an estimated 50 million deaths, killing “more people than any other illness in recorded history.” Visit www.archives.gov. (DR)

PHIL FISK

NIKKO LAMERE

I.M.P. FAMILY FUND

Among the many thousands of hourly employees temporarily laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first to get the axe were those who work for the local concert juggernaut I.M.P. Anticipating what was to come, the company called off all remaining March concerts at the 9:30 Club, the Lincoln Theatre, The Anthem, and U Street Music Hall a full weekend before Mayor Bowser ordered all bars and restaurants closed.

In the days since, the company has launched the I.M.P. Family Fund, with the goal of providing assistance during the coronavirus closure to all hourly workers on its payroll, including bar staff, sales and customer service representatives, and security personnel.

Customers can opt to donate directly if they’d like, yet the fund will primarily raise money through sales of I.M.P. gift cards. Between now and Saturday, March 28, the company will match the value of each gift card purchased and then donate that amount to the fund. In addition, customers who are members of the company’s frequent-user program Friends With Benefits will earn double points on purchases of gift cards, which can be redeemed for tickets, food, or beverages at all I.M.P. venues, including Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Among the many upcoming I.M.P. concerts with LGBTQ appeal: BenDeLaCreme (6/15), DiscoBENT (7/4), and La Roux (11/20), all coming to the 9:30 Club; LP (5/29), Kesha w/Big Freedia (6/2), Melanie Martinez (6/16), and Tegan and Sara (8/22), at The Anthem; Liz Phair (5/13) at the Lincoln Theatre; and Halsey (7/19), Wilco & Sleater-Kinney (8/21), and the Pet Shop Boys & New Order (9/15) at Merriweather.

“Just to be clear - we’re not asking patrons to pay our people,” said I.M.P.’s Audrey Fix Schaefer in a statement.

“We’ll take care of that part. What we’re asking patrons to do with the gift card purchase is to stay excited about future concerts and invest in them. We will match dollar for dollar that investment with an investment in our hourly workers’ wellbeing.” To purchase a gift card, call 202-265-0930 or visit www.merch.930.com. (Randy Shulman)

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JAMES DI LORETO, LUCIA RM MARTINO & FRED COCHARD, SMITHSONIAN

A NIGHT AT THE (VIRTUAL) MUSEUM

Spotlight LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LENA’S

COVID-19 has led to closures of restaurants and bars around the country, in rural and suburban areas as well as cities. Naturally, that goes for D.C. suburbs as well.

Across the river in Virginia, the prominent Alexandria Restaurant Partners has shuttered popular destinations the Majestic and Palette 22. All, that is, except for Mia’s Italian Kitchen in Old Town, and Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap, in Alexandria. Both establishments are offering take-out and delivery service.

And, like I.M.P., A.R.P. is running a gift card promotion to benefit its Employee Relief Fund that will support temporarily laid off workers and their families. The promotion offers a 20% bonus card to customers who purchase an A.R.P. gift card good at all locations in the amount of $25 or more — with 50% of gift card proceeds then added to the fund. In its first week, the promotion raised over $18,000, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg: The company has set a goal of raising $100,000 for the fund, and will run the promotion until its restaurants reopen. Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap is at 401 E. Braddock Rd. in Alexandria. Call 703-683-5330 or visit www.lenaswoodfire.com. Mia’s Italian Kitchen is at 100 King St. in Old Town. Call 703-997-5300 or visit www. miasitalian.com. To order a gift card, click here. (DR)

Just one year after opening as as a gay-owned brewpup and taproom, D.C.’s Red Bear Brewing Co. was temporarily forced to retool its business model practically overnight as a result of the COVID-19 mandated citywide closure of all bars and restaurants.

Over the past week, the nanobrewery in NoMa has become a takeout service focused on selling Growler Fills of its original brews, including its new Woof line of hard seltzer in flavors of tangerine and prickly pear, plus pre-mixed cocktails in to-go cups, bottles of spirits, even Taste the Rainbow Jell-O Shots, along with burgers, wings, and other popular food items from the kitchen. Red Bear has launched an online store selling branded merchandise ranging from clothing to glassware to a bear plushie of the venue’s mascot, Ursula. The brewery plans to start delivering food and brews by the growler-full to customers within a two-mile radius. And the once-thriving site for drag shows and game nights has also started experimenting with virtual, interactive versions of such events.

Meanwhile, tips and donations made to the @redbearbrewing account on Venmo are applied to an emergency fund set up to support Red Bear’s furloughed employees.

“We definitely took a hit,” says Bryan Van Den Oever, one of the company’s co-founders. “We’re probably at about 20- to 30-percent of normal sales. And unfortunately we’ve had to lay off a majority of our staff, so we’re as skeleton crew as possible. We’re doing what we can to survive, and we can’t wait for the D.C. and the federal governments to determine how they’re going to help out small businesses like us.”

Red Bear Brewing is currently open from 4 to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Call 202-849-6130 or visit www.redbear.beer for full up-to-date information. (DR) 8

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SCOTT HENRICHSEN

RED BEAR TAPS INTO NEW BUSINESS STREAMS

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theFeed

HELPING HAND

Pornhub offers free premium access for 30 days to encourage social distancing. By John Riley

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ORNHUB, ONE OF THE TOP ONLINE ADULT entertainment sites, is offering free access to its premium service in an effort to encourage people across the globe to stay home and practice social distancing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea is that if people socially distance and stay home instead of going out, they can help “flatten the curve” or reduce the rapid rate at which COVID-19 can spread, in an effort to ensure health facilities aren’t overwhelmed with patients suffering from COVID-19-related illnesses.

Users can sign up for premium access at www.pornhub. com/stayhome to enjoy the high-definition, on-demand streaming platform for the next 30 days.

“With nearly one billion people in lockdown across the world because of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important that we lend a hand and provide them with an enjoyable way to pass the time,” Corey Price, the vice president of Pornhub, said in a statement. “We hope by expanding our offer of free Pornhub Premium worldwide, people have an extra incentive to stay home and flatten the curve.”

To help models who have been financially impacted by COVID-19, Pornhub will offer them 100% of their video sales after a processing fee — a total payout of 85% of video sales earnings on both Pornhub and its clip site Modelhub — for the month of April.

Already, the Pornhub Model Program has seen an average increase of more than 15%, compared to the previous month-to-date, which includes video sales growth, as well as tips and fan club sales growth.

“When a global human crisis happens, it is up to every-

one to work together to help support the community. We have always been a global community, hosting over 130,000 models from every corner of the earth,” Price said. “We stand by our performers and models and we will continue working on other projects to assist the community during this challenging time.

Pornhub will also donate $25,000 to the Sex Workers Outreach Project, which seeks to support sex workers who have lost income or been negatively impacted by COVID-19inspired social distancing.

But Pornhub’s generosity isn’t limited to just the adult entertainment or sex worker industries.

To assist those on the front lines of the pandemic, Pornhub is donating more than 50,000 surgical masks to first responders and medical workers.

Approximately 15,000 masks are being donated to Local 2507 of New York City, which represents emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and fire inspectors of the Fire Department of the City of New York.

Another 15,000 are going to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 94 of New York. And 20,000 masks are being donated to nurses, physicians, an medical support staff who are treating patients suffering from COVID-19-related illnesses at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital.

The site will donate €50,000 to various European first responder or medical organizations to help them purchase additional masks and medical equipment.

Beneficiaries include: Dein Quarantäne Engel/Deutsches Rotes Kreuz in Germany, Croce Verde di Vicenza in Italy, and two organizations based in Spain: España vs

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theFeed help protect those on the front lines and their families with much-needed supplies like surgical masks will allow our members to do their job safely and feel confident going home knowing their families are safe too.”

“We very much appreciate the offer from Pornhub to donate 20,000 surgical masks to help protect our healthcare workers and patients at Mount Sinai South Nassau during the COVID-19 crisis,” Joe Calderone, senior vice president for corporate communications and development, said.

“These masks are mission-critical in the fight against the COVID pandemic. They will help keep our nurses, physicians and support staff safe from infection while caring for those who are stricken with the disease,” he adde. “We are doing everything possible to curtail the spread of the virus and these masks are a first line of defense.” l

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

Coronavirus. Mascarillas AQUÍ AHORA and Material Sanitario para Hospitales Públicos ESPAÑA. “In these unprecedented times we are extremely grateful to all that have reached out in support of NYC firefighters,” Bobby Eustace, a member of Ladder 27 and the vice president of UFA Local 94, said in a statement. “We also want to thank those that have sent and continue to send their thoughts and prayers and donated supplies. These are trying times for everyone across the country, especially the first responders, so we thank Pornhub for their generous donation. Now more than ever we need to come together as one and overcome this national crisis.”

“On behalf of Local 2507, we want to thank Pornhub for their generous donation,” Michael Greco, vice president of FDNY EMS Local 2507, said in a statement. “In this time of global uncertainty, any company willing to step up and

MODEL BEHAVIOR

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Abercrombie & Fitch fires gay model after racist comments unearthed. By Rhuaridh Marr

BERCOMBIE & FITCH HAS CUT TIES WITH A gay plus-size model after racist comments were unearthed on his social media. The comments by Michael McCauley, who has appeared in adverts for Target and Sling, included calling Black Lives Matter “extremists” and making fun of the Academy Awards’ lack of diversity.

In a statement to Queerty, Abercrombie & Fitch said it has “worked hard over the last few years, particularly under new leadership, to improve and be more inclusive with everything we do, including our marketing, our size ranges, our charitable partners, our store experiences and our hiring practices.”

“A&F’s Face Your Fierce campaign was created to help

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promote diversity, equity and inclusion, and the comments made by Mike McCauley clearly do not support that goal,” the statement read. “They also contradict the values of our company, our associates and our customers. As such, we are no longer working with him.”

McCauley, who touts himself as “America’s Favorite Teddy Bear Model” on his Instagram, was hired to be part of Abercrombie & Fitch’s “Face Your Fierce” campaign last month.

The campaign, which aimed to celebrate “body positivity, self-empowerment, determination, LGBTQ+ equality, gender equality, overcoming obstacles, and more,” featured prominent LGBTQ figures including U.S. Women’s Soccer

theFeed star Megan Rapinoe, NFL player Ryan Russell, and model Laith Ashley.

However, after Queerty published an interview with McCauley, a number of social media users started sharing posts from McCauley’s Facebook account that contained racist and insensitive comments.

In one post, McCauley says that Black Lives Matter — an organization that campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people — comprises “extremists that don’t really represent the majority of the black community.”

In another post, he wrote that BLM was “blocking the streets downtown and just made me late for a crucial meeting. Thank you for making your point — I’m glad your life matters more than mine.”

In a video posted on Facebook, McCauley responded to the #OscarsSoWhite movement in 2016 — started by activist and attorney April Reign in response to a lack of diversity among nominees — by saying he would boycott the Grammy Awards for not having “enough white people.”

“Jada Pinkett Smith, so, uh, since you’re going to be boycotting the Oscars, I’ve decided I’m going to boycott the Grammys because not enough white people are nominated,” he said.

McCauley initially responded to criticism by sharing a short statement saying that his comments were “not intended to be hurtful.”

“I realize how insensitive they are and I’m sorry for the

harm they’ve caused,” he wrote.

However, after that response was further criticized for being “half-assed” and “boilerplate,” McCauley shared a six-minute long video on his Instagram saying he was “really, really sorry about all the comments that have come out recently from my past on Facebook. And I just want you guys to know, I don’t agree with any of that stuff that I said.”

He added: “It’s really shocking to see myself say those kinds of things. And I want you guys to know that is no way the person I am today.”

McCauley said that he responded to criticism over the Black Lives Matter comments after they were posted by “[educating] myself on the Black Lives Matter movement, to realize just how wrong and privileged those comments are, and why they’re racist, why they’re not a joke. And I don’t in any way stand for things like that.”

“I really hope you guys can see past these comments and know I’m doing my part to make this right,” he said. “I’m reaching out to my local Black Lives Matter chapter here in L.A. and I’m going to make sure I am educated as much as I possibly can on everything their movement is about, and if there is any way I can make this right and apologize directly to them, and potentially use my platform to make sure that other people don’t think this kind of language is OK, and understand why what I said is so offensive, and so hurtful and racist…because that’s not the world I want to live in and I don’t want to ever put that message out there.” l

OUT OF FAITH

Miley Cyrus says she left her church after gay people were sent to conversion therapy. By Rhuaridh Marr

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ILEY CYRUS HAS SAID THAT SHE LEFT THE church she was raised in after her gay high school friends were sent to conversion therapy. Cyrus was discussing religion and Christianity with model Hailey Bieber on Cyrus’ Bright Minded Instagram Live show.

The pansexual singer and actress said she had a “hard time” figuring out her relationship with religion after leaving the Tennessee church she grew up in, Yahoo! News reports. Specifically, she noted that her friends were “being sent to conversion therapies.”

“I was also brought up in the church in Tennessee at a time in the ’90s, so it was a less accepting time with all that,” she told Bieber. “I had some gay friends in school. That is the reason why I left my church is that they weren’t being accepted. They were being sent to conversion therapies.

And I had a really hard time with that and I had a hard time with me finding my sexuality too.”

She added: “So I think now you telling me that I’m allowed to redesign my relationship with God as an adult and make it how it feels most accepting to me would make me feel so less turned off by spirituality.”

Bieber told Cyrus that her relationship with religion had shifted as she aged, but she and her husband Justin Bieber had found a church that “worked.” That church is part of the Hillsong Church denomination, which was founded by

anti-gay Australian pastor Brian Houston.

Houston released a statement in 2015 saying that he “holds to traditional Christian thought on gay lifestyles and gay marriage,” and “‘God’s word is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

He added: “Hillsong Church welcomes ALL people but does not affirm all lifestyles. Put clearly, we do not affirm a gay lifestyle and because of this we do not knowingly have actively gay people in positions of leadership, either paid or unpaid.”

The Daily Beast also reported in 2016 that Hillsong referred LGBTQ congregants to conversion therapy, and that coming out to a pastor “landed a church member in just such an ‘ex-gay’ program.” However, it has reportedly since disavowed the practice.

Hillsong markets itself as contemporary, despite its evangelical underpinnings, and has found a following in young Hollywood with its focus on music and urban locations.

Last year, lesbian actress Ellen Page slammed actor Chris Pratt for attending Zoe Church in Los Angeles, which was modeled after Hillsong. Page branded it “infamously antiLGBTQ” and said, “If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed.” l

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DENIZENS BREWING CO.

PHOTO COURTESY OF REPUBLIC RESTORATIVES

Republic Restoratives hand sanitizer

Denizens co-owner Julie Verratti on delivery

RAISING THE BAR

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Republic Restoratives and Denizens Brewing Co. venture into uncharted terrain with delivery in the wake of COVID-19. By Doug Rule

DON’T THINK WE’RE GOING TO BE IN THE HAND sanitizer business forever. I expect Purell will figure out how to increase their supply,” says Pia Carusone of Republic Restoratives, later adding, “Frankly I’m not even sure that we really should be doing this, but who’s going to complain? I think it’s obvious that we’re just trying to help.”

For the past week, D.C.’s queer-owned distillery has been giving away complimentary two ounce bottles of “hand cleaner,” which is something it started making as a way to help customers in the time of the COVID-19-fueled shortage. “It dawned on us, as the story progressed, that the ingredient people were having the hardest time finding, we have a lot of,” Carusone says. “I’m so proud of the response from our production team.... On Friday we asked them to stop their jobs and to figure out how to make something totally different, how to do it safely, and they did.”

That effort has now led to Republic becoming one of two businesses in the District, along with coffee roaster Compass Coffee, commissioned by Mayor Muriel Bowser this week to produce thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer for critical government staff and frontline medical workers. “We are now in production of 1000 gallons of hand sanitizer for the District of Columbia, [Mayor Bowser], for our front line workers,” Republic Restoratives said in a statement after the announcement. “Once that’s done, we’ll make more. And we won’t stop until we’re on the other side of this nightmare, together.”

The hand sanitizer is just the finishing touch of a retooled way of doing business at Republic, which under normal conditions Carusone describes as “a wholesale company [serving] two categories: bars and restaurants, and liquor stores.” With approximately 90 percent of their business effectively wiped out as a result of the mandated closure of D.C.’s bars and restaurants, Republic was compelled to shift course, temporarily turning “the business into a direct-to-consumer, on-demand delivery service: So if you’re sitting at home and realize, ‘Hey, I’m out of bourbon.

I’d like to grab a bottle tonight, but I don’t want to have to go out and get it,’ you can place an order online on our website, www.

RepublicRestoratives.com, and we will deliver direct to your doorstep.”

Since last week, a crew from Republic has been fulfilling orders of its four spirits — Civic Vodka, Borough Bourbon, Rodham Rye, and Chapman’s Apple Brandy — to customers in the district. There’s no minimum order for same-day delivery, offered at a flat rate of $10 per order if placed before 2 p.m., more if placed after for same-day delivery. Customers can also purchase and pick up spirits to go from the Ivy City distillery, which is otherwise closed to the public, having suspended its public tours and closed its on-site bar.

Carusone has been heartened by the public’s response, including 70 orders delivered on the first day alone. “I don’t mean to be hyperbolic, but this is saving peoples’ jobs,” she says. “If we can provide supplies during this crisis, that allows us to stay open.

We didn’t have time to go through some lengthy business analysis to figure this out. We were just like, ‘If we can get bottles out to people, a $10 delivery charge probably would cover the hours of our employees, so that’s good for us.’”

In suburban Maryland, the queer-owned Denizens Brewing Co. was also forced by coronavirus-related restrictions to become a delivery service to keep it from total shutdown.

“Unfortunately, about 95 percent of our service staff have been let go temporarily, until we can reopen,” says Emily Bruno, co-owner of the brewery and its two locations, both of which normally operate with a full-service restaurant and bar. “But it does keep some beer moving and money coming in, and allows some team members to continue to work.”

Customers who live in the Free State within a five- to 10-mile radius of the craft brewery’s two locations, in Silver Spring and Riverdale, have been ordering sixpacks or cases of Denizens’ various brews since last weekend. The Denizens Brewmobile MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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has been making deliveries in a totally “contactless” fashion — an average of 40 to 50 per day, all placed before 2 p.m., with a $20 minimum and a $5 fee. In addition, a skeleton staff are on hand to offer items from the food menu delivered through UberEats from noon to 8 p.m.

The value in supporting local establishments such as Republic Restoratives and Denizens, especially with the current precarious state of affairs, goes well beyond the financial and institutional to include the community and society at large. Both Carusone and Bruno call on those residents who still have “checks coming in” — particularly employees of the federal government and affiliated companies and organizations — to spend and give away their money in a largely and intentionally local way.

“The idea of supporting local matters,” says Carusone. “It has never been more important, whether it’s when you’re picking your vodka or your bourbon or your beer or your lunch or your dinner. I can’t overstate how important that all is right now.

Because there are enough people who live in D.C. who can keep some — maybe not all, but some — of these businesses alive [and help] us get to the other side.... People need to eat, and we assume they’re going to be drinking — maybe more than normal.

So we’re hoping that people remember us as they make their spending decisions. It means the world to us.”

You can still support both entities even if you’re a D.C. resident with a fully stocked liquor cabinet (and no need for more hand sanitizer) — or if you’re a nearby Maryland resident hunkered down with an oversupply of beer. (Residents of D.C. can purchase Denizens beer through Craft Beer Cellar DC.) Both businesses offer gift cards, sales of which immediately make money available to help pay for critical expenses and overhead at a time when the incoming cash flow has all but

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

stopped. Customers can also help support the many varied and industry-wide efforts that have sprouted to help their employees along with the thousands of others who, in a matter of days, lost their jobs, their livelihood, and their network of peers — all those engaged in a service industry that has been rendered temporarily unserviceable and unworkable.

“There are different initiatives to get money into the hands of folks who are in the bar and restaurant industry,” says Bruno, who stresses the importance of supporting not only bartenders and servers but also those who work behind the scenes, or backof-house, specifically calling out those who work in the kitchen.

“The kitchen staff...are the most in need of getting money into their hands right away because their paychecks are gone.

“Of course all of my employees will have a job if I can reopen,” Bruno continues. “But they’re out of a paycheck after this last [pay period]. And that’s the thing that’s hardest about this: These are the people who do grueling work in kitchens, who smile when they get yelled at by customers throughout the night, who are taking care of people, and now they literally don’t have paychecks. It should be a requirement that every single person who does still have a paycheck starts to contribute to people who don’t.” l D.C. residents can order spirits from Republic Restoratives by calling 202-733-3996 or visiting www.republicrestoratives.com.

Marylanders can get beer delivered from Denizens Brewing Co. by calling 301-557-9818 or visiting www.denizensbrewingco.com.

Residents of D.C. can order Denizens beer for delivery or curbside pickup from Craft Beer Cellar DC. Call 202-846-7585 or visit dc. craftbeercellar.com.

IVAN KRUK

LET’S GET PHYSICAL

Six tips for staying fit and healthy while social distancing. By John Riley

S

INCE THE GYMS CLOSED, I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH with my clients on a daily basis,” says Enrique Perez, an expert trainer at VIDA at the Yards. “The whole idea is to not only keep them motivated in working towards their fitness goals but helping them adjust to the situation we’re all living in right now.”

Perez is determined that his clients, who are trying to socially distance themselves from others in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic, not lose any progress while they’re at home. “I want to give them some sort of workout, to keep them moving and active,” he says, “because some people, if they don’t have that external motivation, they won’t do anything.”

While the lack of access to a professional gym may tempt many people to write off exercise as an afterthought, there are several things local trainers recommend to ensure you can remain active and stay fit, whether in the house or your backyard.

1. START YOUR DAY WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. (AHEM.)

“Fitness is a really good way to start the day, because it’s tough to be inside all day,” says Lissa Piercy, a group fitness and Lagree instructor for Balance Gym in D.C. “You’re sitting down more than you usually would, you’re not walking across the hall to talk to people, your lunch break is in your home. So creating a schedule, and starting with some kind of fitness in the morning is ideal. And it doesn’t have to be a full workout. One of the things we’ve been doing on the Lagree Facebook page is having an instructor lead a live stretching session in the morning. Even if it’s just stretching, designating a specific time for an activity is really helpful.”

2. IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR WORKOUT SCHEDULE, STICK TO IT.

One of the things Perez recommends for his VIDA clients is adhering to the same schedule, whether that’s going outdoors or logging on virtually to the VIDA website to follow a series of instructional videos and online classes that can be used to guide their workouts.

“Social distancing has disrupted our normal routine, so it’s important to get back on a normal schedule,” says Gerard Burley, a.k.a.

“Coach G,” owner of SWEAT DC. “Keeping on their schedule will help people, both physically and mentally, just to have some type of normalcy.”

3. INVEST IN FITNESS EQUIPMENT, OR UTILIZE EVERYDAY ITEMS.

While gyms have been closed, VIDA, SWEAT DC, and Balance Gym have been renting out or loaning equipment to members that they can use at home while waiting for the social distancing period to end.

But not everyone has a personal home gym at their disposal, so fitness lovers may have to improvise.

“You have to be creative with the space you have,” says Gene Sun, a master trainer at VIDA Gallery Place. “While it’s ideal to have fitness equipment at your disposal, not having as much — or any at all — doesn’t mean you’re not capable of pursuing your fitness goals.”

If you can afford to purchase equipment, opt for pieces that are affordable, versatile, and portable. Sun recommends a yoga or exercise mat, or employing a bath towel as a substitute, for your daily workouts.

You can purchase exercise tubing, in the form of pliable rubber bands with handles, to workout the upper body and back through a series of “pulling” motions. For your core and legs, exercises using your own body weight as a counterweight are generally sufficient.

Burley, of SWEAT DC, says household products can take the place MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

17

of free weights in any workout. “Use cans of soup instead of small dumbbells, [or] detergent containers, any other household products you can find.”

To get cardio while stuck indoors, burpees, push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, lunges, and planks both strengthen your core and get your heart rate up, says Balance’s Piercy. Employing the EMAM, or “every minute on the minute” approach — where you break up your exercises into several smaller, more manageable pieces and do them at regular intervals at the start of every minute, followed by rest for the remainder of that same minute — is a good substitute for a long run.

4. USE VIRTUAL WORKOUTS TO ADD VARIETY TO YOUR ROUTINE.

SWEAT DC, Balance Gym, and VIDA are all using virtual platforms to provide resources for gym-goers. By accessing their websites or Instagram accounts, people can unearth several instructional videos with different types of workouts, including high-intensity interval training, bootcamp, yoga and dance classes, and meditation exercises meant to foster mental wellbeing.

Allison Rand, director of marketing at VIDA, says that the gym has set up a Vimeo channel that includes 12 free, pre-recorded workout videos, and will be adding additional workouts each day. “We want to make fitness available to everyone,” she says. “I urge people to follow us on social media for daily written workout suggestions.”

5. STAY HYDRATED AND AVOID SNACKING.

Naomi Osborne, chief operating officer for Balance Gym, says sticking to a healthy diet is essential at a time when people are social distancing. “It’s important to stay hydrated, but you want to stay away from drinking all your calories,” she says. “As we’re confined, we lose energy, we lose motivation, and we tend towards things in the junk-food wheelhouse.

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

“I’m guilty of it,” she admits. “I’ll have a 10-hour day at home, and I’ll be eating 150 percent more calories than I’m used to, because the food is 10 feet away in the refrigerator. But plan out your meals, and don’t snack throughout the day just because you’re bored. It might even help if you continue to do your meal prepping beforehand to reduce the urge to snack.”

6. GET CREATIVE TO STAY MOTIVATED.

“You can get a phenomenal workout anywhere in your house, from your back deck to your living room floor,” says Osborne. “Dips or incline push-ups on the side of the bathtub aren’t off limits. Gravitybased workouts have been around forever. There are countless body weight movements you can do from anywhere that will tax even the fittest of people.

“You can be innovative during these times, and I think most people will find that when you get creative, you end up unwittingly injecting some fun in your workouts,” she says. “You can grab a pair of water jugs for walking lunges, some heavy books held tight to your chest for squats. You can walk or run the stairs in your house. We’ve seen exercises run the gamut from people putting on their socks and doing ‘mountain climbers’ or ‘wheelbarrows’ on their kitchen floor, to people doing sit-ups with small dogs or cats held to their chest.” l For more information on Balance Gym or to access its virtual platform, visit www.balancegym.com.

For more information on SWEAT DC or its “Sweat Anywhere” virtual platform, visit www.sweatdc.com.

For more information on VIDA Fitness, visit www.vidafitness.com. For free workout videos, visit www.vimeo.com/vidafitness.

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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District of Coronavirus As COVID-19 takes hold in America, we asked the LGBTQ community how they’re coping. A Metro Weekly Forum.

Edited by Rhuaridh Marr and Randy Shulman

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

“I’m concerned.”

“I’m washing my hands.”

“I’m social distancing.”

W

HEN WE FIRST PUT OUT A CALL for a “Metro Weekly Community Forum” about the coronavirus — which, at the time, was only starting to spread its highly infectious wings across America, forcing communities and businesses into stasis as local officials ordered them to “secure-in-place” — the response was overwhelming.

Dozens answered our questions, which, at the time, were tailored to the emergence of the epidemic. Ten days later, the questions remain as pertinent as ever, as do the answers they evoked. Still, things have been changing fast — almost daily.

Just before press, Mayor Muriel Bowser closed all non-essential businesses in Washington, D.C. through the end of April, and at last count 13 Metro stations in the DMV area have been shuttered.

The city’s streets, normally alive with activity, are empty. Life is anything but normal. For now.

Humans are nothing if not adaptable to their situations, and Ellen Kahn, an optimist-at-heart who years ago graced the cover of this magazine, has some good advice for coping with “social distancing” and our hopefully temporary self-imposed isolation from society. “This is a good opportunity for us to learn to be still,” she says. “To read books that have been on our shelves for years, to clean out our drawers and closets, to take up a new hobby or reconnect with an old one.”

Will any of it do any good? We live in a society that is arguably the most impatient and self-centered in history. Look no further than President Trump, who, as the leader of our great country, should be ashamed of himself for first downplay-

ing the virus, then politicizing it, and later, after strenuously attempting to seem presidential (a “wartime president,” he fashioned himself) resorted to his old tricks of Twitter-bashing anyone who questioned or contradicted him and adopting the racist term “Chinese virus” to deflect blame. (Do you think this would have happened had Hillary Clinton been sitting in the White House? Oh, but her emails....)

Ultimately, any American death — including the recent demise of one of our most hallowed playwrights, Terrence McNally, who succumbed to COVID-19 at the age of 81 on Tuesday, March 24 — occurring during this pandemic rests squarely on Donald Trump’s shoulders and conscience. The “buck stops” with him and his Administration’s massively fumbled chance to thwart the epidemic back when they first learned of it. Maybe things would have been far, far worse had Trump not disallowed travel from China early on. But, from what we also now know, things might have been far, far better. America might not have ground to a screeching halt.

The battle against COVID-19 is a challenge, to be sure. Science is fighting a virus that no drugs reliably treat and for which no vaccine exists. The scientific community, helmed by the remarkable Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leaders in the initial response against AIDS, is hard at work to find a solution for us all. But it’s a waiting game. And no one precisely knows how long that game will last. (It’s most certainly not going to be Easter, Mr. Trump.) So our best defense is to take a deep breath and endure the social and economic pain, MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

CORONA BOREALIS STUDIO

“I’m afraid.”

21

and then hope that America and the world can recover. Healing will take time, and some things may never be the same, but it’s possible we emerge wiser and stronger, reminded of the things that are truly important in life. Perhaps coronavirus is a wakeup call.

We won’t have any answers to whether or not self-distancing has helped “flatten the curve” until we’re well on the other side of the pandemic. As Ted Sawyer notes in his response, “Please remember: ‘nothing happened’ means our ‘overreacting’ worked the way it was supposed to.” The sacrifices we, as individuals, are making today may save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Economic ruin, however, remains a tangible concern, and it’s something the U.S. Government is at least finally addressing in the passage of a record-setting $2 trillion stimulus bill.

As a free weekly print publication that has chosen to go fully digital for the time being, in part for the safety and convenience of our readers, we will likely conduct more Forums during this period. We hope you’ll participate, as Metro Weekly readers have always provided valuable and substantive insights. (Sign up at www.metroweekly.com/join to be alerted to the next one.) Right now, one thing is crystal clear: People are scared — for the present and for their futures — and all are coping as best they can.

That said, the LGBTQ community is resilient and resourceful, having fought on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic for nearly four decades. Our community innately knows how to point the way for the rest of society, so that all can cope with the hardest of times.

We urge you to take the time to read through the entire Forum. You’ll likely recognize your own circumstances in some of the answers, and you might discover some new ways of dealing with the self-isolation that is already taking its toll on so many. You will find that you are not alone in your anxieties, your concerns, and your hopes for an eventual positive outcome. The LGBTQ community is, by its nature, an invigoratingly social one.

Existing like this is unnatural and unprecedented, but, for now, stay at home. It’s a step that may save a life. And as we learned from the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, we must take care of everyone, because every single life is worth saving.

—Randy Shulman, Editor-in-Chief

Are you concerned about contracting coronavirus (COVID-19)?

CHRISTIAN AGUILAR, 32, Gay, D.C., Unemployed — I've been

doing my part by trying to stay clean and have been practicing this "social distancing" that everyone is saying to do. I only worry about getting the virus because my boyfriend is older than me and I wouldn't want him to catch it because I was being careless.

NAOMI BASNER, 61, Lesbian, NYC, Retired — A bit, since I'm over

60 and am prediabetic, possibly pre-hypertensive. I have to take public transportation to get anything done. Most folks are so paranoid now, their protective gear and distancing are protecting me from infection. But there are too many poor souls who are beyond caring: mentally ill homeless folk are the real petri dishes, and who's worrying about them?

REA CAREY, 53, Lesbian, D.C., Executive Director, National LGBTQ

Task Force — I count myself among the over 331 million people in the U.S. who are concerned about getting the coronavirus. I am fortunate to be on the younger side of things, and healthy, so I’m even more concerned about seniors, those with other underlying 22

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

health conditions and the many people in the LGBTQ community who have little, if any, access to healthcare.

LEN GRIFFITH, 85, Gay, West Virginia, Retired — No, as I live

alone on a mountain in West Virginia. A benefit I did not realize I had at this stage of my life.

ELLEN KAHN, 56, Lesbian, Maryland, Social Work — I think

everyone should be concerned, but if I do contract the virus I believe I will be okay. I am in good health and I have good health insurance. I'm aware that the course of this virus is not entirely predictable and that some younger, healthy people get sick and die with no clear explanation.

COLLEEN KENNEDY, Ally, D.C., Publicist — I am susceptible to

upper respiratory infections, and they often lead to longer term secondary infections, so, yes.

DANA MARSH, 55, Gay, Indiana, Artistic Director, Washington

Bach Consort — I think most folks understand that we're all going to be exposed to it at one time or another, sooner or later.

GARRETT PECK, 52, Gay, Virginia, Author — I'm far more con-

cerned with the impact to our elderly, who are taking the brunt of mortality. This virus is scary, as you can be carrying and transmitting it symptom-free.

JOHN PLASTER, 42, Gay, Maryland, Therapist — I am concerned.

I wasn't at first, but now how I see it spreading in the communities in which I live and work. Being in healthcare I am concerned I may get it or worse transmit it to a vulnerable person.

“FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I'M AFRAID. IT'S A FEAR I CANNOT COMPARE TO ANYTHING ELSE I'VE FACED. I'm tired of hearing how ‘bored’ people are. Life could be and possibly could get a whole lot worse if a majority continues to ignore the warnings.” —Cici J.

“The recommendations for ‘mass gatherings’ was reduced to fewer than 10 people. I work in an industry that is about bringing people together. WHEN MAY WE BE A COMMUNITY TOGETHER AGAIN? WHEN CAN WE PERFORM AND CREATE ART TOGETHER AGAIN? I DON'T KNOW YET.” —Colleen Kennedy

SCOTT RODNEY, 32, Gay, D.C., Payroll Manager — I am not con-

cerned about getting COVID-19. I have been working from home for the last week, and currently working from home for the next four weeks.

ROBERT SPIEGEL, 67, Queer, D.C., Retired — Given that I

am a senior citizen, I am more vulnerable to coronavirus.

Notwithstanding, I am not concerned about contracting coronavirus. However, I am concerned about social isolation, food insecurity, and the unavailability of staples, such as toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer.

TIMUR TUGBERK, 35, Gay, D.C., Self-Employed/Marketing — I feel

this may be something we all contract based on the science we have so far. The jury's out on just how bad it can be for all of us.

I'm not sure what to understand.

CHARLOTTE VOLPE, 30, Queer, Virginia, Social Media Specialist

— I don't have particular health concerns for my own self, but I am concerned for my parents, as they are both over 70, and my dad has asthma among other health conditions. I have frequent contact with them out of necessity, though I have told them that for the near future I am limiting my in person social contacts to them and the other occupants of my residence.

DOUGLAS YEUELL, 59, Gay, Virginia, Executive Director — Yes,

only because the current state of testing remains illusive and unclear. It is hard to know whether a simple cough or sore throat is the advent of something more serious. Without hard blown symptoms, going to a doctor or the emergency room seems excessive given others that are sick.

have tried to get tested but can’t, or got tested but it’s taking days to get the results back. Everyone I know is now practicing social isolation, working from home, not spending time with others, or self-imposed quarantine. But the larger issue is that we are still in a place where hardly anyone can get tested because of federal government missteps, which have greatly inhibited understanding the true scope of infections and spread across the country.

I’m sure once testing is widely available, we’ll all know people who have contracted COVID-19.

BERNIE DELIA, 64, Gay, D.C., Retired — Yes, one friend who

became ill in Florida ([he] did not attend the White Party). He was put in an isolation room. He was tested, but discharged 97 hours later without the test results being reported back to him.

He was allowed to leave because he had been symptom-free for 24 hours. He was told to return home to D.C. via car and self-quarantine.

RUSSWIN FRANCISCO, 54, Gay, D.C., Retailer — Thank god, no.

ALICIA GARZA, 39, Bisexual, California, Principal, Black Futures

Lab — I have a friend in Kirkland, Washington who has contracted the coronavirus. She's been sick for about two weeks now and apparently is only about halfway through what doctors expect to be the time period for illness and recovery. She's already lost 11 pounds, and yet she can't get a test because they aren't available.

She's under a doctor's care, luckily has health insurance — but what if she didn't?

RODNEY L. REXROTH, 65, Gay, Wisconsin, Retired — My husband

Do you know anyone personally who has been tested for the virus, or quarantined due to exposure?

had been tested. He had become ill a couple of weeks ago and hospitalized for a couple of days. He had previously been diagnosed with bronchitis and after a couple of days began to run a fever. He then drove himself to the emergency room during the night. It was during that time that he was tested for the coronavirus. Thankfully, it was not that, and he is recovering.

REA CAREY — I’ve seen a few people on my Facebook feed who

TED SAWYER, 40, Gay, Louisiana, Scientist — A few friends in

have posted that they have tested positive for the virus, or they

other states, including one in Virginia and one in Maryland, have MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

23

posted about quarantining themselves because they had verified exposure to an infected person or because they have symptoms and don't want to risk being a vector themselves.

group or crowds. I have limited my activities to unavoidable tasks and errands like getting groceries.

TIMUR TUGBERK — No, but my partner had a scare and they

order from the health department. My partner and I have disinfecting protocols for when we leave the house. We've filled up our cars with gas in case we need to go. We have discussed scenario planning and made provisions for what happens if things get really rough. And we've agreed on protocols for our home that will keep us safe, like no visitors in the house and what to do when we receive packages and deliveries.

refused to test him for it since he didn't exhibit the symptoms at the time at the hospital.

What measures are you taking to keep yourself, your loved ones, and others safe?

NAOMI BASNER — Following the guidelines, trying to stay upbeat.

I was a health professional, so you don't have to tell me to wash my hands. Wearing gloves in public, just in case. The rest was taken out of my hands, as all my usual social activities have been cancelled: SAGE Center, zoo, library, museums. Was going to visit DC for the Cherry Blossom festival, so that's out.

REA CAREY — Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing. I’m

at home with my wife and daughter — all trying to do our work from different rooms. Like everyone else, we’re going through a lot of soap and hand sanitizer. We’re not going out and about, except to walk our dog — with both human and dog social distancing — who is very happy to have us all home. We are also starting Zoom dinners with our friends and family, which helps keep us connected to those we love but can’t spend time with.

GREGORY CENDANA, 33, Gay, D.C., President, Can't Stop! Won't

Stop! Consulting — I am practicing social distancing and have increased the use of Zoom, Facetime, Skype and other online platforms to engage with people in formal and informal settings.

I am also a dancer and instead of going to the gym or studio, I've been dancing at home and finding ways to spread joy through TikTok and Instagram (@GregDances).

RUSSWIN FRANCISCO — Since the CDC's announcement, I have

been social distancing as much as possible. I've declined, canceled or postponed many events, especially those involving a

ALICIA GARZA — The county I live in announced a shelter in place

MARK GRUBER-LEBOWITZ, 63, Gay, Maryland, Children's Book

Author — My husband and I are staying at home pretty much all the time at this point, with the exception of necessary runs to the grocery store. The closing of restaurants, movie theaters and libraries has made our decision to stay put official. We are definitely more conscious of the need to keep our hands away from our faces, and our hand-washing is more frequent and comprehensive in nature.

JOSEPH IZZO, 72, Non-Binary, D.C., Retired Clinical Social Worker

— Going out very infrequently and only for food shopping or trying to find hand sanitizer, isopropyl alcohol and face masks. No luck, despite going to a dozen different stores. Finally bought a digital thermometer and taking my temperature twice daily, morning and evening. Lots of hand washing and wearing nitrile gloves when outside touching public door handles, gasoline pumps, etc.

CICI J., 24, Non-Binary, Maryland, Retail Manager — I wipe

down everything multiple times daily, change my clothes and shower after work. I'm not going out unless it's to the store or work. Also, immense amounts of hand washing.

DEE J., 37, Bisexual, D.C., Public Health Nursing Aide — Always

wash my hands. But the extra step is that I wipe down grocery carts and every public item I touch.

JOHN JOHNSON, 50, Gay, D.C., Director of Domestic Policy —

“It has changed absolutely everything for me.

From no longer working with my students at school, to halting all my non profit work, to even killing all my athletic passions. I'VE SLAMMED INTO A WALL THAT'S LITERALLY SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN FOR ME.” —Charles Roth

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

“It is a strange, surreal time. It's extraordinarily difficult to get one's head wrapped around the concept of a highly contagious virus to which we have no immunity. THIS FEELS EVEN MORE IMPACTFUL THAN THE DAYS AND MONTHS FOLLOWING 9/11.” — Marguerite Sagatelian Washing my hands to beat the band. Cleaned my work space and home. I have groceries stocked and frozen meals in the freezer.

I'm following the directives from the mayor and am hunkered down. I've also been on the phone with my sister and parents in Georgia and begged them to take this seriously.

ELLEN KAHN — For the most part we are staying home, avoiding

close contact with neighbors and friends, and washing hands whenever we come in from outdoors. I am going for runs in the park and taking bike rides. I miss my spin classes and gym visits, but it's pretty easy to stay active and fit, and fresh air is healing.

DAN KAUFMAN, 54, Gay, Virginia, Promotional Products Sales — I

live alone and work from home, so just going out to buy groceries and take walks for a little exercise. I'm also doing my part to tamp down conspiracy theories and other sources of false information on social media.

COLLEEN KENNEDY — I am working from home. I am lucky to

work for a theatre company that is accommodating and continuing to pay employees. Even before the official decision to close our administrative offices, the company was asking staff who felt ill, or who had underlying health conditions or cared for vulnerable family members, to remain home.

CORNELIUS MAGEE, 44, Gay, D.C., Retail Management — I keep

my distance. I wash my hands more frequently than usual. I have hand sanitizer I spray every time I touch something. I use Clorox wipes or put bleach and water on a napkin and wipe door knobs, kitchen and bathroom sink handles, toilet flusher MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

25

“I'm already taking steps to trim expenses and save money. But knowing that eventually this crisis will pass, I HAVE PURCHASED GIFT CARDS TO A FEW OF MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS TO HELP THEM HAVE SOME INFLUX OF CASH.” —Troy Petenbrink handles. I also clean my screen on my cell phone. I clean a lot! I also chant — I'm a practicing Buddhist — and pray for my family and friends. I chant and pray that they are protected and don't contract COVID-19. I also chant and pray that the doctors find a cure to end this pandemic.

SCOTT ROEWER, 46, Gay, Maryland, Professional Organizer — I

am not being very “social” with others. I have limited time with my boyfriend but that's it. All my client work has been canceled.

CARA SCHAEFER, 36, Ally, Maryland, Marketing Coordinator for

The IN Series — Our whole work team is working from home and meeting over Zoom when necessary. My husband and I are visiting the supermarket only on off hours, and we are wiping common surfaces down with Lysol and Clorox wipes several times a day. We are homeschooling and doing playdates over skype and facetime, and we're preparing all of our meals at home.

SCOUT, 54, Transgender, D.C., Deputy Director of the National

LGBT Cancer Network — I neti pot one to two times a day. It’s a great, free way to reduce risk of anything viral.

SULTAN SHAKIR, 39, Gay, D.C., Executive Director of SMYAL

— I’m practicing social distancing. We have also shifted all of SMYAL's programming to remote programming to help continue supporting LGBTQ youth during this challenging and uncertain time, while also practicing proper health and safety practices to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

PIXIE WINDSOR, 60, Bisexual, D.C., Retail sales — We've closed

the shop til further notice, letting staff use sick pay to alleviate financial stress. I'm personally home with my cats, stocked up, and using this time to check in with all my friends.

ZAR, 34, LGBTQ-adjacent, Maryland, Project Manager of Team

Rayceen Productions — I'm staying the f*** home.

How is the coronavirus (COVID-19) impacting your daily routine?

NAOMI BASNER — Honestly, I'm depressed (also chronic) and all

my lifelines are down to a thread. Family abandoned me decades 26

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

ago, no relationship, hostile housemates. Sure, I'm not the only one in this situation. Sadly, our community may be overrepresented in this, as always.

NICHOLAS BENTON, 50+, Gay, Owner-Editor, Falls Church News-

Press — No bars, no restaurants, no public gay venues, it sucks.

REA CAREY — With so much feeling out of control, staying in a

daily routine is important for me — getting up at the same time, exercising, showering (most days), eating at regular times. Zoom and Slack are my new best friends. We were already using Zoom and Slack at the Task Force for a variety of meetings, but we are now using them for almost everything. Last week, the National LGBTQ Task Force moved completely to telework. It’s not easy to feel like I can’t connect with the community. I miss seeing my colleagues — but we have a Zoom lunch every day for any of our staff who want to join to just hang out, eat our lunches and share strategies, including which shows we are all watching, and introducing our pets and kids to each other.

MICHAEL DANIELS, 55, Gay, Ohio, Director, Office of Justice Policy

& Programs for Franklin County — The grocery store shelves have been ravaged, and every day it seems that another service on which we've come to take for granted — library, health club, community center — has been shuttered by executive order.

RUSSWIN FRANCISCO — I have been reaching out more via email,

FaceTime and live video. I'm staying in more, cooking more meals, cleaning more, and have organized my closet and home office.

ALICIA GARZA — Honestly, this is a very scary time. Many of us

are making transitions that we didn't plan for, and we haven't really had time to have feelings about. In my daily life I have to remember to do the things that I would normally do just so that I can feel normal — taking walks, showering, putting on lipstick.

We can't just get food on demand — we have to plan groceries and monitor closely where our food levels are at. We have been making time to connect with people over video.

MARK GRUBER-LEBOWITZ — We are both recently retired teach-

ers, now collaborating on the writing (me) and illustrating (my husband) of progressive children's books. Hopefully, this

extended time at home will inspire us to get to work on our fourth book. We have fallen into a relaxed routine of much reading (we're both currently reading My Dark Vanessa on our iPads), movie-watching, and game-playing (Scrabble and UNO have reigned so far). After 30 years, we're blessed to still treasure time spent together.

AMY HUGHES, 49, Ally, Virginia, Small Business Owner — My

business, MarshmallowMBA, was officially shut down as a non-essential business by order of the Governor of Pennsylvania at midnight on March 16, 2020. As a gourmet candy business, this is our busiest time to fill wholesale customer orders ahead of Easter. One week ago we were on the floor of the Javits Center for the International Restaurant Show of New York where we saw less than 40 percent of registered attendees as initial fears related to the virus began to spread. By the time the show closed, we learned that we were the final trade show that would be hosted at the Javits Center until June at the earliest. I am contacting customers to determine whether we will be delaying deliveries or processing refunds. There is a distinct possibility that we will not be able to financially survive the impact of this pandemic as a small business.

CICI J. — I can't sleep. It's almost impossible to ignore how bad

it's getting. With store closures, empty shelves.

JOHN JOHNSON — Ugh, working from home is not as luxurious

as it might sound. I feel very alone and isolated. I am also participating in near daily Zoom calls with folks from my church for evening prayer. I'm cooking a lot.

ELLEN KAHN — I am working from home with just a laptop,

whereas at the office I have a double-wide monitor, a stand-up desk, a comfortable desk chair, and easy access to my wonderful colleagues. It's been challenging to get into a routine — a rhythm at home. My schedule is off. I am usually up at 6:30 a.m., and now I'm sleeping until 7:30 or later, and can still be at my "desk" by 9 — no commute, no rush to eat breakfast. I need more structure, and I am especially struggling to build in my workout time. I've

decided to add exercise to my schedule rather than having loose plans, and this way I'll be certain to get outside and break up the work day as much as possible while the sun is out.

DAN KAUFMAN — I usually eat out several times a week, and

enjoy socializing face to face as much as the next fellow human.

Not being able to do those things, as well as go to concerts and other gatherings, is putting a damper on the way I've been used to living my life. I saw a T-shirt for sale that said "I can't.

Coronavirus." which was cute a week ago, and now it's sort of the new normal. For now, at least.

RAYCEEN PENDARVIS, Community Elder, Gender-Blender, D.C.,

Emcee, columnist, and nail technician — I used to eat at restaurants regularly, and now I don't do that. It's like life during a major blizzard, but there's no snow.

TROY PETENBRINK, 49, Gay, D.C., Marketing Consultant &

Freelance Journalist — As a frequent traveler, I’m going a little stir crazy at having to stay sequestered in my home. At the same time, I am taking advantage of the downtime to do some chores that I may or may not have been putting off for a little too long.

RODNEY L. REXROTH — The big thing for me was church service

being cancelled, but the Pastor held a sermon in the afternoon that I could listen to at home. We all find comfort in that which we can.

SCOTT ROEWER — A typical week involves myself or my team

members working directly with clients in their homes or their business. That slowed to a halt about two weeks ago and we have nothing booked in the future. It has been very disruptive to how I run my business.

CHARLES ROTH, 34, GAY, VIRGINIA, TEACHER — It has changed

absolutely everything for me. From no longer working with my students at school, to halting all my non profit work, to even killing all my athletic passions. I've slammed into a wall that's literally shut everything down for me.

“This is a very scary time. Many of us are making transitions that we didn't plan for, and we haven't really had time to have feelings about. IN MY DAILY LIFE I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO DO THE THINGS THAT I WOULD NORMALLY DO JUST SO THAT I CAN FEEL NORMAL.” —Alicia Garza

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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CARA SCHAEFER — As an opera singer, it's disappointing to

have my upcoming performances cancelled as well as my daily rehearsals. Many of my voice students are transferring to video lessons or cancelling for the time being. We are trying to make the most of the off-time by sleeping a little later, enjoying quality time with the kids, reading that stack of books that's been waiting, as well as getting outside for exercise.

SCOUT — It's a challenge to replace the gym. I can replace the

cardio easily, but not the weight work. That outdoor calisthenics playground I have a block away seems filled with mysterious stuff I don't exactly understand how to use well. Just ordered a pullup bar and TRX-like straps for the house.

DITO SEVILLA, 41, Gay, D.C., Bar Manager & Realtor — I have

no work, no customers, and no guests. I'm focusing on spring cleaning and taking long walks with my dog. I've updated all files, and I’m picking paint colors for my home. Missing my daily cardio and gym routine. It’s something I need to address before depression sets in.

TIMUR TUGBERK — My entire life has screeched to a complete

halt. My entire future is a giant question mark. I have no idea how any of my numerous bills will be paid next month due to the nature I work with all service industry businesses as clients.

CHARLOTTE VOLPE — My community band, DC’s Different

Drummers, have cancelled rehearsals through March, probably longer, and postponed its spring Symphonic Band concert, which many of us were very excited about, as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary with members' favorite pieces. It also looks like it will impact the pride season this summer, which quite frankly is my happy place.

Are you concerned about the coronavirus's impact on you financially?

NICHOLAS BENTON — It will be devastating as advertisers go out

of business.

DANA BEYER, 68, Trans, Maryland, Retired Surgeon — We're

careening into a severe recession, so all our personal finances and livelihoods are impacted.

REA CAREY — I’m most concerned about all the people in the

service industry, hourly workers, those who work for companies that don’t provide paid sick leave, undocumented immigrants, and others who will truly suffer economic catastrophe because of the impact of the virus. My concern is the impact on those who are most marginalized in our country, including many LGBTQ people.

POPPY CHAMPLIN, 60, Gay, Rhode Island, Comedian — Yes, defi-

nitely. I have had to cancel two shows so far and three in April — that is my income and I am going to have to spend all my savings to get by until May. At least I have some to spend, but I'm not getting younger. It will take me a while to build that back up.

RUSSWIN FRANCISCO — My CREF stock has taken a huge hit.

I've lost more in the last month than during the 2008 economic recession. My store is a bigger concern for me. Some members of my staff rely on their paycheck as their only income. If we were to close for an extended period, they may be in jeopardy for rent, food, and basic necessities. The store itself is fine, sales have been good. Yet, if we have to close for a month or so, we would be in trouble to pay rent and taxes.

ALICIA GARZA — Yes, and no. Both of us have jobs that for now are

“Trump's lack of leadership has placed us in real danger. Someone asked me to give Trump a break.

Didn't we put him in the White House? That’s the biggest break one can get in this country. WE KNEW TRUMP WAS UNFIT, AND WE PLACED HIM THERE ANYWAY.” —Russwin Francisco 28

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

relatively stable. But for others, that's not the case. In our family we have wage workers who are living relatively precariously right now. I talked with my younger brother yesterday who works at a movie theater that just closed due to the shelter in place orders.

Now he is trying to figure out what to do. So we've been talking about trying to support others while also taking care of the needs that we had already budgeting for ourselves.

TOM GOSS, 38, Gay, Los Angeles, Songwriter — I'm definitely

losing money both in terms of investments and gigs. I'm hoping things rebound and am trying not to panic at this point.

JOSEPH IZZO — With the stock market's precipitous crash my

retirement portfolio looks as bad as it did in 2008. Hoping it will bounce back in a few months, otherwise I may be returning to the workforce by the summer or fall to compensate for the loss of that income.

CICI J. — I don't know what I'll do for money. Also, getting clean-

ing supplies is almost impossible even online. How can I protect myself when current supplies run out?

ELLEN KAHN — Yes, I am concerned. My spouse works in the arts

and many performances are cancelled indefinitely. I work for a non-profit and it's during these uncertain times that donors tend to exercise caution, and our budgets get tighter. I am not worried about feeding my family or keeping a roof over our heads — we are definitely a privileged family in many ways, and in fact I am

eager to help others who are in much greater need.

COLLEEN KENNEDY — Over the last week the recommendations

for "mass gatherings" reduced from 1,000 to 500 to 250 to 50 to now fewer than 10 people. I work in an industry that is about bringing people together, about creating community, and communally celebrating the arts. When may we be a community together again? When can we perform and create art together again? I don't know yet.

GARRETT PECK — Yes. I'm self-employed and a tour guide. The

spring is our busy season, and that's when we guides make our money. All of my events for April have canceled, meaning that I will be making $0 income next month. That is scary. There is no safety net for those of us who work in the gig economy, except for our savings.

TROY PETENBRINK — I'm already taking steps to trim expenses

and save money. At the same time, I'm concerned about many of my friends who work in the hospitality industry that is being impacted especially hard. And let's be honest here — there would be no hospitality industry without the gays. With that in mind and knowing that eventually this crisis will pass, I have purchased gift cards to a few of my favorite restaurants to help them have some influx of cash.

RODNEY L. REXROTH — When you're retired and older, you

become more vulnerable to the changes that take place in your finances. For me, the only thing I can do is ride it out and hope for the best.

“NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT BUT A FACT: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS COMPLETELY FAILED IN THE RESPONSE, starting with a basic suspicion of science and facts, inhibiting the creation and production of testing and not providing clear direction.” —Rea Carey

SCOTT ROEWER — We've not had any business for two weeks

and have nothing booked in the next few weeks. If the impact continues I'll have to look for alternative sources of income, and so will my team. I'm concerned about being able to pay both my business bills and my personal obligations. I'm already making cuts but fear it will not be enough.

ADAM SULEWSKI, 37, Gay, D.C., Federal Employee — I am very

fortunate to work for the federal government, so my job is safe.

I feel very fortunate. I know many others are not so fortunate.

TIMUR TUGBERK — I am most concerned about this. I have zero

vision of my future currently and am terrified of what’s to come.

Basically, I'm praying that this passes quickly.

PIXIE WINDSOR — I have a little cushion personally and feel for

those who don't, especially in the restaurant industry. I think we all need to supportive of those can help. Support your local grocery and small businesses that are open.

How do you feel about the Federal Government's response to the coronavirus so far?

CHRISTIAN AGUILAR — Honestly? Terrible. They waited [until

the] last minute and no one was prepared. No one. Which is why it seems like we're struggling.

NICHOLAS BENTON — They should have done far more, far soon-

er. The revelations that might arise about the delays in testing kits, in particular, may reveal self-serving criminal negligence.

REA CAREY — Horrible. Not a political statement but a fact: the

Trump Administration has completely failed in the response, starting with a basic suspicion of science and facts, inhibiting the creation and production of testing and not providing clear direction. Many Governors, and Anthony Fauci have been the true leaders. I am angry, but not surprised. After all, the Trump Administration’s public health agenda already gets an F grade when it comes to serving LGBTQ communities, lower income communities, and Black and Brown communities.

GREGORY CENDANA — I'm glad to see Trump finally take this

more seriously, though I feel like there should have been more done as a form of response. I would like to see a moratorium on deportations, evictions, foreclosures, and utility shut-offs.

ROBERT CROCETTI, 63, Gay, D.C., Retired — I do not feel very

secure. They should be subsidizing private businesses to encourage quicker production and distribution of tests, masks, sanitizes, medical equipment and temporary hospital housing and beds.

When medical public announcements are made, they should come from the medical experts, not politicians or journalists.

I also feel the federal government should be closely watching, communicating with, and learning from other countries who began experiencing the virus before the U.S. BERNIE DELIA — Extraordinarily poor. The response has been

inconsistent, inadequate, and scattershot at best. The federal government wasted a tremendous amount of time, and only recently recognized the seriousness of the threat. The lack of MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

29

testing is criminal negligence. We saw what was happening first in China and then in Italy, and yet the government lagged in implementing testing. It is easy to see why the knowledge that is gained through test results is so critical to effectively fighting the virus. There is also a lack of critical supplies, the need for which should have been anticipated. Finally, the government should have issued mandatory guidelines to shut down bars and restaurants and enforce social distancing that until recently too many people treated cavalierly and with disdain.

TERRENCE FORD, 39, Gay, Maryland, Coordinator of Community

Services for Montgomery County — I am disappointed in the President citing at first that this virus was a hoax and a ploy from Democrats to throw a wrench at him. I believe we wasted valuable time to beef up protocols when the virus first struck in China. It was a safe bet that what was happening in China would one day become a factor here but the current administration in true form, ignored, painted rosy pictures, and pointed blame at past administrations instead of doing the serious work to keep American's safe.

RUSSWIN FRANCISCO — A global pandemic such as the corona-

virus requires a coordinated and thoughtful response and consistent, accurate public messaging. The Trump Administration made some grave mistakes that I believe contributed to the public health and economic crisis we now face. Trump's decision, for example, to disband the White House pandemic team in 2018, and curtailing the CDC's program that assists other countries in preventing these outbreaks, have proven to be catastrophic moves. The decision to refuse the WHO's diagnostic kits, botching our own testing kits, rigid requirements on who gets tested and the month-long manufacturing delay in rolling out the kits, produced an information vacuum. The U.S. health system, at all levels, was flying blind. Trump's lack of leadership, politically motivated inaction, playing down the threat, offering false, misleading or ignorant statements, has placed us in real danger. Someone asked me to give Trump a break. Didn't we put him in the White House? That is the biggest break one can get in this country. We knew he was unfit, and we placed him there anyway.

ALICIA GARZA — We have a complete lack of federal leadership

during a time when we need it the most. The President is giving little guidance to cities and states, has no plan to support us, and

so every place is having to figure it out for themselves. This is unacceptable. In the meantime, businesses are getting bailouts while the workers who power those businesses are left unprotected — like Whole Foods asking workers to share their sick days instead of providing them for all workers. The federal government, particularly the President and his administration, need to let capable hands and minds handle this crisis. The President is ill-equipped to do so, and his inaction has already cost people their lives and livelihoods when all of this was COMPLETELY preventable.

LEN GRIFFITH — They could put duct tape over Trump's mouth.

Gays in West Virginia are big into duct tape.

JOSEPH IZZO — Thank God for Dr. Anthony Fauci, a voice of

science and reason today as he was during the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s and ’90s. However, as expected, the Trump Administration continues to show its lack of competency; denial of facts; demonizing the media and failing to take any responsibility for its slow and inadequate response. I do hope this crisis will be the "nail in the coffin" of his less-than-illustrious political career. Trump has always been the disaster waiting to happen.

Now it's happened.

CICI J. — We need assistance and we need it now. How many

people have to die before they do something to help us?

JOHN JOHNSON — No president of any party should ever be

allowed to politicize a national emergency or allow their surrogates to weaponize the lives of Americans for political gain. This president did and history will harshly remember these days.

DAN KAUFMAN — Truly abysmal. Too little, too late. Horribly

inadequate. Take your pick. Trump is the absolute worst person to be president in this situation. The fact that he gutted the US Pandemic Response Team a couple of years ago is just one of his criminal missteps. And he continues to downplay the seriousness of the epidemic-now-pandemic; undermines the wisdom and guidance of scientists and doctors; gives out false, misleading, and, frankly, dangerous information and advice that he pulls out of his ass; and talks more about his concern for how this will all affect his re-election, blaming everyone but himself, and making his responses partisan and political rather than helpful.

They should be taking away Trump's Twitter account, banning

“My business was officially shut down as non-essential. As a gourmet candy business, this is our busiest time to fill orders ahead of Easter. THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY SURVIVE THE IMPACT OF THIS PANDEMIC.” —Amy Hughes 30

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

“The result of this will be another recession.

The wealthy will make out like bandits and everyone else will be out of luck. Homelessness and foreclosures will spike.

IF THE DEMOCRATS DON'T WIN IN NOVEMBER, WE'LL BE ONE STEP AWAY FROM GERMANY IN 1933.” —Tom McCarter him from uttering another word about this crisis until it's over, and turning leadership of the administration's response over to responsible and knowledgeable experts in the fields of medicine, science, and epidemiology.

GARRETT PECK — In national crises, we need our leaders to pull

together in a bipartisan way and lead the country. Trump has proved to be a terrible crisis manager. Instead, we heard from him, "No, I don't take responsibility at all." He must not have heard about the plaque on Harry Truman's desk that read, "The buck stops here."

should be free. Devices for streaming, apps, video chat should be distributed. This is not being handled as an actual crisis.

Do you have any other thoughts or comments to share?

DESTINY B. CHILDS, 42, Gay, D.C., Federal Government — We

rations like airlines and hotels I get frustrated. Their profits are massive, and they should be much better prepared for this type of event than a small business with a few employees.

must remain vigilant, supporting those who need our support.

Our mission is critical to the community so let's continue to be smart, to wash our hands, avoid touching our faces, and practice social distancing. Let's control what we can and manage the rest proactively. We can do it. We already are doing it. We will rise to the occasion. Let's take care of each other! We cannot survive if we aren't first ensuring we and our community are safe. We need everyone in the fight.

ADAM SULEWSKI — I fear the die is cast, and a lack of early prepa-

NICHOLAS BENTON — This crisis is going to wind up killing

SCOTT ROEWER — When I hear about bailouts for major corpo-

ration means we will suffer the fates of Iran and Italy.

TIMUR TUGBERK — This response is ridiculous. We live in what's

called the most civilized country, the biggest, most wealthy, etc.

I feel let down and completely forgotten by them.

CHARLOTTE VOLPE — Most of what I have to say about the fed

hundreds of thousands of people, the vast majority of which would have been preventable if our government was not abjectly incompetent under President Trump's outrageous failure of leadership.

REA CAREY — I am hoping this doesn't turn into a situation where

response would have to be censored for profanity!

people are stigmatized — we learned that from the AIDS crisis.

Show compassion, patience, and care for each other.

PIXIE WINDSOR — Don't get me started on the president. He has

GREGORY CENDANA — We are living in unprecedented times and

been irresponsible and unrepentant during this whole thing. If we are lucky, the idiocy of the White House and those around him will be overcome by responsible political and medical officials. Everyone should have accessibility to testing. And to calm everyone's fears, I think we also need to know that we do have testing available. I live in Washington, D.C. I have no idea what our supply looks like. That information and not knowing it is very alarming.

ZAR — It has been completely incompetent. Anyone who has

seen the films Outbreak or Contagion could have done a better job. It is appalling how much of a lag there has been. They should cancel everything, including taxes. WiFi and streaming services

it will require that level of action. While there are steps the local and federal government can do to immediately improve public health infrastructure and protect the most vulnerable amongst us, there is also action that government officials can take and our communities shall demand to prevent a recession, defend democracy and ensure our country lasts through this crisis and the next.

ROBERT CROCETTI — At the end of the day, I believe the medical

community will find a way to treat this virus soon. But that may not be the case for a future virus or catastrophe! The federal government, local governments, and Americans need to start preparing for what may come in the future — sooner than later!

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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TERRENCE FORD — I am highly concerned with the implications

of what's to come from the virus. Depending on how long this lasts the economy will be hurt and we are starting to see the effects hindering the current U.S. election process. I am fearful that Trump will use this pandemic as a way to extend his time in office without winning an election. If we are ordered to stay at home, we cannot vote, and odds are the Democratic National Convention will be postponed meaning our party won't even have a successful nominee. We are moving into uncharted territory in what has already been a tumultuous and nauseating election cycle and administration. This pandemic has exposed an unspoken underbelly of our country that most don't talk about — from the children who rely on school to have a meal to eat, to the worker who is one missed check away from financial disaster, to the business that relies on goods from foreign nations that are facing ruin based on closures. So many people who are simply seeking the "American Dream" are on the verge of irrevocable repair in the face of an unknown pandemic that threatens to wipe away the normalcy of what life used to be.

CICI J. — For the first time in my life, I'm afraid. It's a fear I can-

not compare to anything else I've faced. I'm tired of hearing how "bored" people are. Life could get a whole lot worse if a majority continues to ignore the warnings.

JOHN JOHNSON — Stay calm and wash your hands! And tip the

hell out of the folks you normally tip when all of this is over.

ELLEN KAHN — I think this is a good opportunity for us to learn

Foreclosures will spike for the same reason. People not working means lower taxes, which means less money for pensions the governments owe. Developers will go bankrupt since no one will be able to purchase all the housing that has recently been built here. Musicians will have to stick with their day job, if they have one. A lot of businesses are going to go into bankruptcy and all the businesses in the chain of supply are going to be hurting. If the Democrats don't win in November, we are doubly screwed — Justice Ginsburg will be forced to retire and Trump and his minions will stack the deck at the Supreme Court. After that, we'll be one step away from Germany in 1933.

RAYCEEN PENDARVIS — I hope people learn lessons from this:

We must cherish every moment, be prepared for emergencies, not panic, and elect competent people to lead. So please keep that in mind when it is time to vote.

RODNEY L. REXROTH — My life's mantra: BE AWARE OF YOUR

SURROUNDINGS. Always look around yourself and know what if in front of you as well as behind and even above you. LIFE HAPPENS. YOU CAN'T STOP IT. And quite frankly, I wouldn't want to. But for now, we have a setback as a result of this virus.

Let's not forget the less fortunate and keep in mind your local food pantries on which so many rely. The rescue missions and the LGBTQ shelters on which many who are homeless rely. Your elderly friends and neighbors by calling and checking on them each day. We are the world, and even if right now we can't shake hands, we can still extend them.

to be still, to read books that have been on our shelves for years, to clean out our drawers and closets, to take up a new hobby or reconnect with an old one. I have a guitar that's been sitting for over a year, untouched. I plan to call old friends, do a few minor home repairs, cook lots of meals, play games with the family — just be in the moment as much as possible.

SCOTT ROEWER — When we hear about the “service industry”

DAN KAUFMAN — I think we need to do a few things as a com-

a strange, surreal time. It's extraordinarily difficult to get one's head wrapped around the concept of a highly contagious virus to which we have no immunity and for which there is no effective treatment yet. In a very short time, our lives have changed unimaginably. This feels even more impactful than the days and months following 9/11.

munity: 1. Stop spreading false information on social media by actually researching that latest meme that sounds good, but is actually full of bad advice. 2. Keep our emotions in check, particularly as this thing drags on, which it very well may do. It's easy to get angry and frustrated, and understandable, too. But don't let those emotions get the best of you. We will see the end of this. We will get through it. 3. Check in with those who are less fortunate or totally isolated or both. We need to take care of each other.

DENNY LYON, 75, Gay, Maryland, Brand Ambassador — I hope

I survive this. I also hope I survive long enough to see Trump voted out of office.

DANA MARSH — I just hope that a new and informed common

people, we think about waiters and bartenders, but the industry is much broader. It's hairstylists, professional organizers, massage therapists, private chefs, yoga instructors, personal trainers, etc. Everyone needs your support and outreach right now.

MARGUERITE SAGATELIAN, 64, LESBIAN, D.C., ATTORNEY — It is

TED SAWYER — If you wake up three-to-six months from now and

find yourself thinking "We overreacted to COVID-19; all those disruptions and cancellations, but nothing happened," please remember: "nothing happened" means our "overreacting" worked the way it was supposed to. You'd think that would go without saying, but given the amnesia Americans seem to experience every four to eight years during election time, we might need to repeat "’nothing happened’ was the point" over and over again.

sense prevails when it comes to situations like this: social distancing and self-isolation are the only way to control an outbreak. Especially if you're low risk, your decisions make a difference in how many vulnerable human beings live or die. It's as simple as that.

ADAM SULEWSKI — I feel hopeless. I fear the economy will go

TOM MCCARTER, 68, Ally, California, Meeting Planner — I think

done early on. But now it's here and it's spreading and we need to do everything we can to flatten the curve. l

the net result of this will be another recession and the Fed has no steps it can take. Once again, the wealthy will make out like bandits and everyone else will be out of luck. Homelessness is going to spike since people can't work and can't pay their bills.

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

into a significant depression. I fear many of my friends will lose their jobs and move away, I fear that many people will suffer, and that our community's long-term health will suffer.

CHARLOTTE VOLPE — There's so much more that we could've

To participate in the next Metro Weekly Forum, please join our email list at www.metroweekly.com/join.

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

19

Movies

Lost Boy

The gay chat room thriller Nevrland underdelivers on its dark, timely premise of strangers connecting online. By André Hereford

J

AKOB, THE 17-YEAR OLD HERO OF THE FOREBODING AUSTRIAN DRAMA Nevrland (HHHHH), is gripped by a sense of fear and isolation. The timid teen lives with his stoic Father (Josef Hader) and ailing, elderly Grandfather (Wolfgang Hübsch), but feels alone — if he feels anything at all. In his mind, he’s set apart not only by the port-wine stain marking his chest, but by his burgeoning sexuality, which he can’t control or discuss with anyone. In the evenings, he watches TV with dad and grandpa, while at night he retreats to his room to watch porn and cruise a chat app, where he meets Kristjan (Paul Forman), a 26-year old American living in Vienna.

Timing definitely is on the side of this story of a sensitive queer youth, just graduated from high school, experiencing profound anxiety over his — and the world’s — uncertain future. Who could blame him? Writer-director Gregor Schmidinger, making his feature debut along with Simon Früwirth as Jakob, evokes an ominous mood of anxiety and uncertainty in rich widescreen compositions of the boy’s lonely room, and in the macho environment of the bloody slaughterhouse where his father works, and gets him a job for the summer.

The meandering plot perks up at the slaughterhouse, as Jakob finds his angst exacerbated by jarring visions juxtaposing naked male flesh with fresh-killed hogs being carved into pieces. When Jakob’s father introduces pig-carving muscle daddy Murat (Anton Noori) to “show him the ropes” around the abattoir, the plot appears to really be perking up, but alas, the movie leaves Murat and his possibilities behind. Instead, Jakob pursues elusive online stranger Kristjan into the real world — but his chat buddy is hard to pin down. Throughout Jakob’s search for Kristjan, the movie teases a gossamer thread of mystery that doesn’t pay off. Eventually, the strangers meet.

Even mediated by screens, and screens within screens, Frühwirth and Forman create compelling chemistry in their sensual, English-language chats. That’s despite Forman’s wooden acting and lots of dead air, in addition to the dead pigs. The film also captures Jakob’s debilitating anxiety well enough to form the question ruling his 34

MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

life: “How can I be real if I don’t feel anything?” Jakob is not alone in questioning his purpose in the universe, but Kristjan seems a hollow vessel for whatever message of discovery he’s seeking. The more experienced American doesn’t go further than acknowledging Jakob’s confusion and offering substance-aided psychedelia as an answer. They talk art and philosophy, and sex comes into play, too, but the drug DMT plays a larger role in the film’s ponderous, strobe-lit climax.

Ultimately, Nevrland settles on an extended trip to the Neverland of Jakob’s mind rather than developing an actual conclusion to his story. Aided by his powerful gaze, Frühwirth maintains a strong identification with the teen’s struggles, but his performance doesn’t noticeably progress from A to Z, or arrive anywhere eye-opening. And the film around him — dashed with half-hearted jump scares, several red herrings, and too many jumpcuts to pig carcasses — doesn’t emphatically stake a claim to what it wants to be. The dead animal visuals and pounding techno soundtrack call to mind Julia Ducournau’s 2016 flesh-eating tour-de-force Raw, but Nevrland never transmits its effects of suspense, horror, or post-millennial mindfuck with such persuasive confidence.

The film does tap into a mood that could reflect the current unsettled moment (despite the fact it was shot in 2018, and had its U.S. premiere at the continues on page 36

PHOTO COURTESY OF EDGE PUBLICITY

Music

Velvet Touch

Adam Lambert once again grabs the spotlight on his fourth studio album, Velvet. By Sean Maunier

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INCE HIS 2009 AMERICAN IDOL STINT, THERE’S NO DENYING ADAM Lambert has been busy. Between his live shows, guest appearances, and his day job of sorts touring with rock band Queen, it’s sometimes easy to forget that he excels as a recording artist too. On his fourth studio album, Velvet (HHHHH), Lambert allows himself to open up and move beyond the pop polish of his first three efforts, bringing a new depth and rawness to his sound and showing off the incredible range that made him such a standout in the first place.

Lambert’s gift for showmanship is on full display throughout. While his personal style has never been subtle, his ability to grab heads and capture attention did not always shine through in his music. Not so this time. The album opener and title track “Velvet” is catchy and well-crafted. The accompanying video is a lighthearted, unabashedly campy field guide to gay archetypes that makes generous use of lens flare.

Lambert himself is decked out in diamonds and a bright red suit that could have been lifted right from Prince’s wardrobe.

This is far from the only time Velvet winks at Prince. Whether intentionally or not, flourishes of falsetto and heavy, funky bass lines evoke the late singer’s idiosyncratic sound. In fact, aside from Lambert’s vocal prowess, if Velvet can be said to have a single current running through it, there is a funk sensibility that hearkens to Prince’s later career. This is most obvious in the soaring vocals and prominent bass of “Superpower,” but funk influences show up on “Ready to Run,” “Stranger You Are,” and even the clubby “Overglow.”

These callbacks not only fit right in with the somewhat eclectic style of the

album, they are very much in character for Lambert, who has always been very aware he stands on the shoulders of rock icons.

After all, he regularly (and somewhat apologetically) pays tribute to the late Freddie Mercury along with the surviving members of Queen. Bringing together an intense interest and deep respect for other styles of music, Lambert also brings us the retro-funk “Roses,” a collaboration with the legendary Nile Rodgers that easily stands out as one of the best tracks on the album.

While he always avoids veering too far from a certain pop rock sound, he borrows from a wide range of genres and influences, making Velvet an interesting listen throughout. The real outliers of the album are “Closer to You,” a sparse, heartfelt piano ballad that closes out the first half of the album, and “Love Don’t,” a powerhouse ballad that reads as the pained, plaintive follow-up to the former track.

The heavy use of electric guitar gives “Love Don’t” an anachronistic feeling, almost like a throwback to the late-2000s.

As indebted as he may be to his various influences, Lambert’s own personality shines through and goes a long way towards creating a fun listen. He strikes a tone that is confident and refreshing-

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ly — rather than obnoxiously — cocky on the thumping “Stranger You Are.” There is a sense that Lambert is getting personal in a way that he rarely has before. Most of the time it is in the service of broadcasting an infectious self-confidence, although the closing track “Feel Something” shows a slightly more heartfelt, vulnerable side.

“Overglow” opens the second half of Velvet and stands out as the album’s most dance-worthy track with infectious rhythms and buildups. The album then takes a turn into slower, sultry territory with “Comin’ In Hot” and “On the Moon.” The two tracks have a markedly similar vibe, but the latter track is by far the more memorable of the two, being more atmospheric and featuring Lambert making full use of his impressive vocal range.

With so many styles and influences coming together and layering on top of each other, Velvet is the kind of album that, in other hands, might run the risk of coming across as chaotic and unfocused.

By melding influences and leaning hard on the sheer force of his own personality, Lambert largely avoids falling into this trap, managing instead to keep the album an interesting listen the whole way through. While there are a few absolute standouts, it’s impressive that none of the tracks come across as filler. Instead, Lambert’s incredible versatility and eagerness to experiment make Velvet a fun and fascinating listen. l Velvet is available on most streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, and for sale on www.Amazon.com.

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2019 Boston LGBT Film Festival). Schmidinger depicts a Vienna that seems largely deserted, or at least asleep, leaving the city a murky, private playground for just Kristjan, Jakob, and the denizens of the underground clubs Kristjan frequents. Jakob’s potential for human connection is sharply limited to home, work, and

whatever chat room he can reach online. He might just as well be living under lockdown. And these days, his fear of what lies ahead of, or behind him, casts him more as an Everyman, than as the odd man out. Were his journey as captivating and complete as it is relatable, he might have served as the ideal avatar for a more or less captive audience of similarly disconnected souls. l

Nevrland is now available on DVD, and streaming worldwide via www.WolfeOnDemand.com, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, FandangoNOW, Google Play, and VUDU. Visit www.wolfevideo.com.

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

SelfieScene

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Tag @MetroWeekly on Instagram or email a “Selfie Scene” to scene@metroweekly.com.

Please include your name and location. YOU could appear in next week’s issue.

Mother Fantasy being safe and shopping at Giant on 14th Street. (Washington, D.C.)

Dave Perruzza lathering up. (Washington, D.C.)

Dito Sevilla (Left) working out in Stead Park. (Washington, D.C.) Phil Powell just being a dandy. (Virginia)

Josué Castilleja working on a collection of paper architecture. (Washington, D.C.)

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FUN & GAMES! Enter to win great prizes! Simply click on these buttons to be taken directly to the contests and enter for a chance to win! And don’t worry — those Landmark Theatre passes are good nationwide through DEC. 31, 2021, so they’ll outlive this damn virus. If you’re a winner, you’ll have plenty of time to catch a movie after this is all over!

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MARCH 26, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

LastWord.

People say the queerest things

“I’ve never commented about a fellow Senator’s choices/actions. Never once.

This, America, is absolutely irresponsible.”

— Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-AZ), who is bisexual, responding on Twitter to news that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) had used the Senate gym and swimming pool while waiting for the results of his COVID-19 coronavirus test. Paul later tested positive.

“You cannot be near other people while waiting for coronavirus test results,” Sinema wrote.

“It endangers others & likely increases the spread of the virus.”

“I tested positive for COVID-19.

I believe I got it while on a trip to NYC at the beginning of the month for the Brooklyn Nets Pride night game.

”

— JASON COLLINS, former NBA star and the sport’s first openly gay player, revealing on Twitter that he has contracted coronavirus.

Collins said he was resting at home after visiting the hospital while experiencing “tightness in my chest,” adding that his “lungs were clear, which obviously is good.” Collins also thanked frontline medical workers, including those who treated him, calling them “our true heroes.”

“In my judgement you are a cold-blooded killer and this was a most brutal murder. ” — Judge MARK BROWN, of Preston Crown Court in England, sentencing 18-year-old Brian Healless to life in prison after he stabbed gay teenager Alex Davies more than 100 times, killing him. Healless used Grindr to lure Davies to a rural location, telling him that he was “not out” and preferred “discreet” hookups.

“We texted, ‘Wanna marry us outside your window in the next 24hrs?’ and he said ‘YES!’ ” — REILLY JENNINGS, speaking to CNN after she and fiance Amanda Wheeler married in a New York City street due to social distancing. The pair were due to marry at the NYC Marriage Bureau, but coronavirus forced its closure.

A friend offered to officiate from his fourth-floor window, and they tied the knot as people watched from windows, cars, and the sidewalk. “We got to share our love with more people than we ever could have imagined.

And that’s the best part,” Jennings said.

“I no longer had to live in the shadows anymore.”

— Argentinian pro basketball player SEBASTIAN VEGA, coming out as gay on Instagram and discussing the impact accepting his sexuality had. “I was terrified that someone would suspect that I was gay,” he wrote.

“I became a closed person. I isolated myself so I wouldn’t have to explain myself and I even stopped doing things I liked so I wouldn’t expose myself to anything. I cried and cursed myself for a long time.”

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