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Former Blade staerinjured in anti-gayhate crime attack nearConvention Center.
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washingtonblade.com • vol. 41, issue 47 • november 19, 2010 • Still sharp after 40 years
Activists apply last-minute pressureto White House, Senate
By CHRIS JOHNSONcjohnson@washblade.com
The prospects or repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this yearcontinue to ade as LGBT advocates pressure the White Houseand Congress in hopes that lawmakers will take action beorethey adjourn or the year.One Senate Democratic aide, who spoke to the WashingtonBlade on condition o anonymity, said repeal — currently pend-ing beore the U.S. Senate as part o the fscal year 2011 deenseauthorization bill — is “barely hanging on with lie support.”“The only way to resuscitate this eort and get a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’tTell’ vote is or President Obama and [Deense Secretary Robert]Gates to start pushing directly, something we on the Hill had ex-pected the president and Gates to do long ago,” the aide said.Frustration over the lack o movement on “Don’t Ask, Don’tTell” prompted activists afliated with GetEQUAL to take actionon Monday and chain themselves to the White House ence inan act o civil disobedience.The 13 protesters included Lt. Dan Choi, a gay Iraq war vet-eran who was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year,and Robin McGehee, co-ounder and director o GetEQUAL.In a statement, GetEQUAL said three generations o LGBT
From the ashes, a new Blade
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal ‘barely hanging on’
gift
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First installment in our annual holiday Git Guideeatures music, novelties.
PAGE 29Continues on page 10Continues on page 18
nationalnews
Discharged service members fle lawsuitover halved severance pay.
PAGE 8
Thirteen activists seeking repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ were arrested at the White House this week.
Washington Blade photo by Michael Key
1 year later, details emerge in former parent company’s collapse
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.lchibbaro@washblade.com
The U.S. Small Business Administrationfled a court motion last December giving itsapproval o a bankruptcy fling by Window Me-dia, the company that owned the WashingtonBlade, resulting in the shutdown o the Bladeater a 40-year run as an LGBT newspaper, ac-cording to court documents.But in an unexpected turn o events, the dis-solution o Window Media through its Chapter 7bankruptcy wiped out its enormous debt to credi-tors, clearing the way or Blade employees toorm a new company that purchased the Blade’sname and remaining assets rom the bankruptcycourt debt-ree and at a bargain price.
LOCALNEWS
2 washingtonblade.com • november 19, 2010
Dupont Circle ANC to dropprotest against Hank’s
The Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commis-sion reached an agreement Wednesday with lesbianche and businesswoman Jamie Leeds in which thecommission will drop its protest against Leeds’ plansor expanding seating capacity at her popular Hank’sOyster Bar restaurant near Dupont Circle.The ANC’s action came less than two weeks ater thecity’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board voted to enda ve-year-old voluntary agreement prohibiting any ex-pansion o Hank’s seating space or operating hours. In2005, a group o neighborhood residents demandedthat Leeds sign the agreement as a condition or open-ing her restaurant on Q Street, just o the popular 17thStreet strip where several gay bars are located.Both Leeds’ supporters and opponents agree thatopposition to her proposal to expand her restaurant islinked to longstanding eorts by some neighborhoodactivists to limit what they see as an over-concentrationo nightlie businesses in the 17th Street commercialstrip and is not related to her sexual orientation.But gay and straight nightlie advocates say Leeds isbeing targeted or “heresy” by some nearby residentsassociated with the ANC and the Dupont Circle Citi-zens Association who strenuously oppose any eortsto curtail or repeal the ABC Board’s system o voluntaryagreements between neighborhood groups and busi-nesses with liquor licenses – including restaurants andbars.Supporters o the “VOAs” say they are needed toprevent irresponsible businesses rom creating noiseand other disturbances that aect nearby residents.Critics, however, say they are unair and a orm o extor-tion because they pressure businesses to agree to re-strictions like early closing times or bans on music anddancing that are not prohibited by city laws regulatingrestaurants or bars.“Hank’s is one or the great recent enhancementso our neighborhood, while the problems are entirelyimaginary,” said nearby resident Rick Rosendall, vicepresident o the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance. “ThatJamie Leeds is sick o being hobbled by years o gra-tuitous restrictions should surprise only those with noregard or the obligations and risks aced by a smallbusiness owner.”The Dupont Circle Citizens Association and a smallgroup o residents, most o who don’t live on the blockwhere Hank’s is located, have led petitions asking theABC Board to deny the request or expanded seatingspace. The Dupont Circle ANC, ANC 2B, did not initiallymove to oppose the expansion proposal. But it rushedto pass an opposition “protest” petition last week aterword suraced that Hank’s representative told the ABCBoard the restaurant might consider extending its oper-ating hours on its outdoor patio rom 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.on week nights and rom midnight to 3 a.m. on week-ends.ANC 2B Chairman Will Stevens told the Blade theANC will vote in a special meeting later this month towithdraw its protest ater Leeds agreed to stipulate inher ABC license that she will continue Hank’s currentclosing hours o 11 p.m. during the week and midnighton weekends or its outdoor seating.ANC commissioner Jack Jacobson, who representsthe single member district that includes Hank’s, wasthe only commissioner to vote against the protest o theHank’s expansion proposal beore this week’s agree-ment was reached. Commissioner Mike Silverstein, whois a member o the ABC Board, did not vote in keepingwith his decision to rerain rom voting on issues pend-ing beore the ABC Board.“I am happy to see a slender shat o reason breakthrough the clouds o obstruction,” said Rosendall in re-sponse to the agreement by the ANC to drop its protest.
Lou Chibbaro Jr.
Former Blade employeevictim of anti-gay attack
The Washington Blade’s ormer videographer, AramVartian, was punched in the ace and knocked to theground outside his apartment near the WashingtonConvention Center on Nov. 10 by a male attacker whoshouted anti-gay slurs.Vartian, 34, who currently works or Metro Weekly,said the attack came minutes ater he walked a maleriend to his car and the two men bid arewell by hug-ging each other near 10
th
and M streets, N.W., about9:30 p.m.“I gave him a hug. It was a bit o a lingering hug,”Vartian said. “He got into his car, I waved to him andturned to walk back home. I took about 10 or 15 stepsand this guy ran up behind me and punched me in theace—in the right cheek and nose area.”According to Vartian, the unidentied male attacker,who was black and appeared in his late teens or early20s, stood over him and screamed at him with his stsclinched and a scar pulled over his ace. Minutes earli-er, Vartian said he saw the attacker standing with about10 other young men a short distance rom where Vartianstood with his male riend, gay singer and songwriterTom Goss.“It was aggot this and aggot that and not in thisneighborhood,” Vartian quoted the attacker as saying.It was a diatribe. He was screaming in a rage.”Two o the other youths who had been with the at-tacker rushed over to where Vartian was assaulted andgrabbed the attacker and pulled him away rom him,Vartian said.“They said, ‘We’re sorry, sir. He’s drunk. Please don’tcall the police,’” Vartian said the other two told him.But Vartian did call police, who responded withinminutes to take a report o the incident, which they clas-sied as an anti-gay biased related simple assault. Var-tian said that within a ew minutes o their arrival policedrove him to a nearby location where other ocers haddetained two youths observed feeing rom the scene.The ocers asked him to look at the two in a make-shit lineup while he sat in the police car, but he said hecould not positively identiy either as the person whoassaulted him.Capt. Edward Delgado, who oversees the police’sGay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, said police are seeking wit-nesses to determine i others could identiy the personwho assaulted Vartian. A GLLU ocer also arrived onthe scene, said Vartian. He praised the ocers or be-ing attentive and helpul.Vartian said he declined a police oer to call para-medics to examine him. He said he suered a bruisedace but doesn’t consider his injury as serious.
Lou Chibbaro Jr.
obituary
Junious Tyler-Turner II
Junious Tyler-Turner II, a ormer gay resident oWashington, D.C., died Nov. 4 in San Diego. He was 48.Tyler-Turner was born in Virginia in 1962 and attend-ed John Tyler Community College and later HowardUniversity. He worked or the A.D. Price Funeral Homein Richmond beore moving to D.C., where he workedor both Hecht’s and Woodward & Lothrop. Most recent-ly, he worked in retail management at Saks Fith Avenuein San Diego, until that store closed earlier this year.Friends said he was an enthusiastic supporter oLambda Squares in D.C. and the Chi-Town Squares oChicago, both gay square dancing organizations.He is survived by his mother, Louise McCowan; step-mother Elizabeth Turner; his Aunt Lee Anna Waters;riends Barbara Robinson o North Carolina, MichaelOlivas o Caliornia, and Winnie Feldman-Lindauer andLee Brian Magnuson o D.C.; our brothers, six sistersand several aunts, uncles and cousins.A memorial service was held last week at First UnionBaptist Church in Crozier, Va. In lieu o fowers, memori-al contributions may be sent to Balboa Park PerormingArts & Culture, 1549 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego,CA 92101.
CorrECTioN
An article in the Sept. 20 edition (“Gay Discoveryhostage shares story”) included an incorrect photocredit or an image o Christopher Wood. The photocredit should have read: Photo by Pete Exis, Image XPhotography. The Blade regrets the error.
‘Hank’s is one o the great recent enhancements o our neigh-borhood, while the problems are entirely imaginary,’ said
rck rsendll
, vice president o the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance.
Washington Blade fle photo by Michael Key
am Vtn
, a ormer Blade employee, was attacked lastweek by an assailant who shouted anti-gay slurs.
Washington Blade fle photo by Michael Key
november 19, 2010 • washingtonblade.com 3
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DADT, DC Agenda, Window Media, Thanksgiving Rethinking, White House Protest, Holiday Gift Guide, Gay News, Gay Entertainment, Gay Nightlife
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