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Purpose — Cozy up to the dinner table, pass the grub, and watch the sparks fly with the Jaspers, a well-heeled Black family with political clout and lots of secrets. Phylicia Rashad directs the New York transfer of Chicago’s Steppenwolf theater production, written by one of the hottest playwrights of the moment, Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins, who brought us last year’s Tony-winning Appropriate. Runs through July 6.Buena Vista Social Club — When this show made its world premiere Off-Broadway at the end of 2023, one critic declared it “an irresistible tropical vacation…a gateway and a getaway.” Based on the Grammy award-winning album, it’s set in 1950s Cuba and follows a group of young musicians who have their days in the sun until a revolution upends their lives and country.

government-sanctioned discrimination against LGBTQ people.In 2014, John published an open letter condemning Russia’s “gay propaganda” law, which was passed under the guise of “protecting” minors from being exposed to expressions of LGBTQ identity or gender nonconformity. The law was later expanded to apply to adults as well.The prosecutor’s office cast the Elton John AIDS Foundation as undermining Russian societal values.“When a musician plays along with the promoters of democracy, you get propaganda,” it wrote on its official Telegram channel.

Sinners and The Wedding Banquet to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, plus whatever’s made it to your favorite streaming service by then.The Woman in the Yard — Fresh off the streaming success of Netflix thriller Carry-On, director Jaume Collet-Serra re-ups the dynamite Danielle Deadwyler to star in this horror as a mom whose family is unsettled, to say the least, by a mysterious black-veiled stranger who shows up in a chair on their front lawn. Once the woman starts making ominous pronouncements like, “Today’s the day,” it’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose in the household, maybe in a literal sense.

202-399-7993www.atlasarts.orgFredgren Studio Theatre 3443 Carlin Springs Rd. Falls Church, Va. 703-778-3008www.balletnova.org10534 York Road Cockeysville, Md. 21030 410-667-7974www.baltimoreballet.com45 West Preston St. Baltimore, Md. 410-752-8558www.theatreproject.orgCDP Media Lounge 700 12th St.

mini-documentary from All Out podcast host Jon Dean, who traveled to Cambridgeshire to speak with some of Lee’s protégées.Lee has built a number of different sets at the Cambridgeshire university that his students can use for free to film content.One room, dubbed the “chav’s living room,” is a replica of the council estate flat where Lee lived growing up. Other sets include bedrooms, a gym, and even a Portaloo with no bottom where another actor can sit beneath the toilet seat.He provides advice on the practical side of the business, looking at things like paying taxes, getting regular STI checks, setting up accounts to derive income from content, picking an audience, and promoting content.Lee told Dean during a recent episode of All Out that men of all sexualities travel from all over the world to see if they’re interested in pursuing a career as an adult content creator.“A lot of people think they know what to do,” Lee said of those who attend the university.

illegal to possess and inhale poppers, punishable with a fine of $500 or six months in jail.According to the Alabama Reflector, lawmakers in Alabama are poised to pass a law prohibiting the sale of poppers altogether, with possession punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine. Distribution would be punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue, a warmly loving, gut-bustingly funny stage parody of the hit NBC series that ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1982, and lives on in perpetuity in reruns. Bernier portrays Dorothy, made iconic by the indomitable and legendary late Bea Arthur, for whom the 6’3″ actor is also a dead ringer.To prepare for the role, which Bernier plays in full drag, he “consumed everything that Bea Arthur had ever done — and we’re talking from Maude to her brief gig on the Star Wars Holiday Special to her brief voiceover role in Futurama.

resolution states that the Board of Regents finds that “it is inconsistent” with the university’s core values, including respect for others, to allow special event venues on the university’s campuses to host drag shows “that involve biological males dressing in women’s clothing, wearing exaggerated female make up and/or exaggerated prosthetics meant to parody the female body type, and that are: open to the public; involve sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct; and involve conduct that demeans women.”The resolution claims that drag shows are likely to “create or contribute to a hostile environment for women” in violation of Title IX’s prohibitions on sex-based discrimination and involve “the mockery or objectification of women.”The resolution cites President Donald Trump’s executive order recognizing only two sexes, based on biology, which prohibits federal funds from being used to “promote gender ideology,” and a directive from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordering state agencies to comply with Trump’s order.It also asserts that allowing drag shows to take place on university campuses violates that order.The resolution, adopted unanimously by the board, will likely spark a First Amendment fight over whether the ban on drag shows infringes on students’ free speech and freedom of expression.Historically, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi and East Texas A&M University have hosted drag shows, with the university’s main College Station campus hosting “Draggieland,” an award-winning drag event that has been held annually.By passing the resolution, this year’s Draggieland event, initially scheduled for March 27 at the Rudder Theatre in College Station, is now imperiled.

me as a candidate when I was 20 years old for City Council, back in 2004,” the former California State Assemblymember says.“I lost that first election, but Victory was there for me to help pick me up, catch me, and push me right along. I ran the next cycle, and I was successful at 23 years old.

revised its policy to comply with Trump’s executive order, replacing references to a student’s “gender” with sex. It removed principals’ authority to make a final determination regarding a student’s sex and allowed a school to determine it (presumably based on the gender marker on school records and birth certificates, although the policy lacks specifics).The PIAA’s policy also requires schools to consult with school solicitors to ensure they are complying with the order and keeping transgender athletes from competing on teams that don’t match their assigned sex at birth.The Philadelphia school district, however, said it will continue to comply with its own transgender student policy, known as “Policy 252.”The policy allows students to be addressed by gender-affirming pronouns, access facilities that align with their gender identity, and participate in school activities, including physical education classes and intramural sports, based on their gender identity.It discourages district staff from adopting gendered practices, such as requiring one graduation gown for females and another for males.

Paris is Burning on PBS.“I had a group of friends that I talked about it with, and they were very anti-ballroom,” he recalls. “So one day, I was at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, and a guy walked up to me and started talking with me, and he invited me to an event and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll come.’“I thought it was just a regular club on 28th Street.

Variety revealed they didn’t vote for Conclave‘s Ralph Fiennes for Best Actor, under the mistaken belief he already won an Oscar for Schindler’s List (he didn’t). Consequently, both voted instead for The Brutalist‘s Adrien Brody (who did win an Oscar for The Pianist).Obviously, Academy voters often get things wrong.

2016 RAND Corporation study, commissioned by the Pentagon, that found allowing transgender members to serve openly had no negative impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness.In the February 26 memo, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense states that individuals who have been diagnosed with, or exhibit symptoms of, gender dysphoria “are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.”Service members who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or have attempted or requested to transition through hormone therapy or surgery are disqualified from military service and will be discharged within the two months.All discharges will be honorable, except in rare cases where an individual’s service record merits a lower designation.Some transgender individuals may be considered for retention, on a case-by-case basis, if they can demonstrate that there is a “compelling government interest” in retaining them that directly supports “warfighting capabilities.”To qualify for such a waiver, a trans service member must have remained consistent in their assigned sex at birth for 36 consecutive months and that their gender dysphoria has not impeded them from completing their mission. They must also prove that they never attempted to transition and have continued to adhere to standards of dress and grooming consistent with their assigned sex at birth.

At Apple’s annual meeting on February 25, an overwhelming percentage of shareholders rejected a proposal to scrap the tech giant’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.The National Center for Public Policy Research, a right-wing think tank that has been leading the charge against DEI policies in the corporate sphere, submitted a proposal demanding Apple scuttle its DEI programs and initiatives.NCPPR frequently claims that DEI initiatives are inherently racist, discriminating against whites, males, and other groups by elevating racial minorities and members of historically marginalized groups.In an effort to convince corporations to drop DEI, the organization has argued that keeping pro-diversity programs places them at greater risk of lawsuits from individuals, contractors, or suppliers who may claim to have been victims of discrimination.Apple countered the proposal with a statement saying it has an active oversight effort to avoid lawsuits. It argued that the proposal inappropriately restricts the company’s “ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies.”Shareholders ultimately defeated the NCPPR proposal, with 8.84 billion votes against it and only 210.45 million votes in favor of it.While Apple discloses diversity data about its employees, the company says it has not set targets or quotas.

The Guardian instructs visa officers to enforce a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows the United States to refuse entry to any visa applicant who commits identity fraud or misrepresents who they are.Unlike regular visa denials, anyone violating that section can be permanently refused entry to the United States, effectively constituting a lifelong ban.“In cases where applicants are suspected of misrepresenting their purpose of travel or sex, you should consider whether this misrepresentation is material such that it supports an ineligibility finding,” the directive from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reads.The directive comes in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.While signing the order, Trump directed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to deny visas to “men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes” during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.Trump also pledged that Rubio would tell the International Olympic Committee that America “will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”Transgender athletes are already a rare occurrence due to the small percentage of the population that they comprise globally.

Metro Weekly cover in three decades, and I’m sheepishly begging forgiveness for how we handled the previous headlines, bastardizing her last name for the sake of a pun. “Cho-Zen.” “On With the Cho.” “Cho Girl.”“It’s all good,” she laughs, taking it in stride.

Grindr for Equality, this year marking its 10th anniversary. The effort notes that in 2023 alone, it “provided more than $1.5 million in direct financial aid to more than 150 LGBTQ+ organizations worldwide.” Niaupari is this particular effort’s senior manager.So, what does a day in the life of Grindr for Equality’s lead look like?“A typical day is hard, because it always depends on where I am in the world,” offers the gender nonbinary, transmasculine Niaupari, speaking from Ecuador.

METRO WEEKLY: You rose through the ranks to become the executive director of the Atlas. How did you first connect with the Atlas?JARROD BENNETT: My introduction to Atlas came through the Gay Men’s Chorus. One of the first cabarets I did with them was part of Intersections.

Hand to God who spends most of Robert Askins’ raucous comedy with his fist inserted firmly up another performer in the cast.It’s not weird, in practice. It’s puppetry, pulled off exquisitely in Josh Sticklin’s staging of the saucy Broadway hit, led here by Drew Sharpe portraying rural Texas teen Jason, and also Jason’s emotional support puppet Tyrone.Jason and Tyrone might be of the same person, but are not of the same mind.

executive order from Donald Trump that seeks to compel government contractors to drop pro-diversity initiatives and programs.Those found in violation risk being rejected for opportunities to contract with the government on the grounds that, in the Trump administration’s eyes, pro-diversity policies constitute a form of illegal discrimination incompatible with the country’s civil rights laws.In response to Trump’s executive order, Booz Allen announced it would close its DEI department, remove diversity goals from employee and executive priorities, and eliminate all references to “DEI” in internal and external communications and training, as reported by Bloomberg News, which obtained a recording of a virtual company “town hall” meeting at which the changes were discussed. Booz Allen will also ban employees from using pronouns or accessing bathrooms that don’t match their assigned sex at birth if that is the rule of the government agency where an employee is assigned.“While our existing people programs comply with law, it is clear from these executive orders and other public statements, that the definition of what’s allowed is changing, so we must make changes,” Chief People Officer Aimee George Leary is quoted as saying.

Schmigadoon!, a rousing musical stage adaptation of the Emmy-winning Apple TV series.Series co-creator Cinco Paul, who wrote all the songs for the two seasons of the loving sendup of musicals, also wrote the book, music, and lyrics translating Schmigadoon! from TV to stage. Condensing season one of the series into a robust two acts, Paul provides the streamlined vessel, and director-choreographer Christopher Gattelli (Death Becomes Her) expertly steers it to the magical town of Schmigadoon and back.Gattelli also choreographed both seasons of the series, and knows his way around these songs, these characters, and this wacky little burg where life is like a Golden Age musical, with showtunes and situations inspired by Oklahoma!, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Brigadoon, and more.Gattelli’s staging has a knack for moving and grouping the large cast of townspeople around Scott Pask’s playfully theatrical sets, drawing focus to exactly where it needs to be.