2 APRIL 28, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM METROWEEKLY.COM APRIL 28, 2016 3 EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Randy Shulman APRIL 28, 2016 ART DIRECTOR Volume 22 / Issue 51 Todd Franson MANAGING EDITOR Rhuaridh Marr NEWS 6 The BriTish Aren’T Coming SENIOR EDITOR by John Riley John Riley CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 9 DiCTionAry DefiniTion Doug Rule by Fallon Forbush SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim SCENE 10 gLAA’s 45Th AnniversAry AwArDs CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS ReCepTion at poLiCy restaurAnT Scott G. Brooks, Christopher Cunetto photography by Ward Morrison CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Connor J. Hogan, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield 12 CommuniTy CALendar WEBMASTER David Uy PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Julian Vankim FEATURES 16 ring mAsTer Interview by Doug Rule SALES & MARKETING PUBLISHER Randy Shulman NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE OUT ON THE TOWN 22 CuBs, oTTers AnD BeArs. oh my! Rivendell Media Co. by John Riley 212-242-6863 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER 24 BArD in The USA Dennis Havrilla by Doug Rule 26 sCrAmBLeD shAkespeAre PATRON SAINT by Kate Wingfield Brünnhilde MUSIC 34 ALL sAinTs Red Flag by Gordon Ashenhurst COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Todd Franson GAMES 36 Ratchet & clank by Rhuaridh Marr METRO WEEKLY NIGHTLIFE 39 uproAr 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 photography by Ward Morrison 202-638-6830 MetroWeekly.com 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 46 LAsT worD 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. © 2016 Jansi LLC. 4 APRIL 28, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM METROWEEKLY.COM APRIL 28, 2016 5 Now online at MetroWeekly.com Court refuses to hear case of bakery that turned away gay couple NewsLGBT Ted Cruz uses trans bathroom panic to garner votes PHOTO.UA The British Aren’t Coming Amid British travel warnings and boycott threats, businesses are experiencing the consequences of anti-LGBT laws by John Riley O SAY THE CITY OF NATCHEZ IS HIGHLY progressive-thinking than any other region in the state, dating dependent on tourism is an understatement. Situated back to the Civil War,” explains R. Wayne Bryant, director of on the Mississippi River, the port city makes use sales and marketing, public relations and events at Pilgrimage of its location, its history and its antebellum archi- Garden Club. Ttecture to draw in travelers. A substantial number of foreign That’s why it was so concerning when Mississippi lawmak- tourists, from countries like Germany, Australia and the United ers passed a purported “religious freedom” bill. As written, it Kingdom, come to Natchez to stay in the former mansions and would allow people to cite personal principles, religious beliefs, plantations that serve as bed and breakfasts. or moral objections as justification for refusing service to LGBT Because of that reliance on tourism, Natchez has been par- people or others who do not adhere to preferred social or sexual ticularly welcoming to tourists of all backgrounds, including mores. As soon as Gov. Phil Bryant signed the law into effect, LGBT people. opponents of the law, HB 1523, spoke out against it. Musicians “Natchez has always been a city that is more forward and and artists cancelled planned shows. Several multinational 6 APRIL 28, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM METROWEEKLY.COM APRIL 28, 2016 7 LGBTNews corporations with headquarters or operations in the state and-breakfast. However, he is “flabbergasted” that Mississippi denounced the law. And, following the example of major cities lawmakers would conform to stereotypes that the state is back- like Washington, San Francisco and New York, which banned wards when it comes to social issues such as LGBT rights. official government travel, some activists even suggested boy- “I, of course, intend to discriminate against no one,” says cotting the state in order to deal a financial blow. Burns, who is openly gay. “I just can’t imagine that such However, by attacking the entire state of Mississippi for the a law would be enacted in this day and time that would law’s passage, more progressive environs such as Natchez could promote discrimination.... Natchez is so progressive and end up as collateral damage. open-minded when it comes to social issues. Here, they’re “Tourism is our main industry. People want to stay in our not as hard-nosed as some of the conservatives in North prized, beautiful mansions,” explains Bryant. “If we are losing Mississippi.” conventions and we are losing destination weddings of LGBT In response to Britain’s travel warning, Burns says it’s sad it clients, then everyone is losing.” has to be done, but is the only fair thing to do to make sure U.K. Bryant has watched tourism and the event business in citizens abroad are forewarned of potential discrimination or Natchez decline since the law’s passage, even though it does not humiliation should they encounter business owners who don’t officially go into effect until July 1. Pilgrimage Garden Club lost wish to serve them. up to six figures in revenue from cancellations, with people spe- “Mississippi has opened the door for discrimination, so they cifically citing concerns over the law. That’s several thousand have to be prepared,” says Burns. “I have to be prepared. I could dollars in sales taxes that the state will not collect, as well as be discriminated against at some point.” the loss of local “heads-on-beds” taxes, which fund the Natchez But other business owners suggest that Mississippi lawmak- Convention and Visitors Bureau’s efforts to market the city as a ers will only learn if devastating economic consequences are place open to business or tourism. visited upon the Magnolia State. “This has all happened within the last two weeks, and clients “I just hate that bill. I hate it with a passion,” Linda Lewis have stated that the reason is they do not want to be associated Raney, owner of The Nests B&B in Oxford, Miss., says. “I hope with or spend their money in our state because of these ridicu- there’s a boycott, honestly. I wish anybody that would ever lous laws,” Bryant says. One of the groups was a non-LGBT come to Mississippi would change their minds and advertise it Republican organization based out of Texas, who cancelled in the newspaper, large and small, businesses and individuals. because many of their members objected to being associated It’s just a hateful bill to pass for no good reason.” with the new religious freedom law. Raney, who prides herself on running an LGBT-friendly Adding salt to an ever-increasing wound was a decision by business, says although she has not personally seen a negative the British Foreign Office to issue a travel warning for the states impact from the “religious freedom” law, she still thinks it was of Mississippi and North Carolina for passing laws deemed to be unnecessary. anti-LGBT. The guidance warns British LGBT travelers that the “I’d like to say that our legislatures are solving problems that United States is an “extremely diverse society,” where attitudes don’t exist, and not solving problems that do exist,” she says. “It towards homosexuality can vary wildly. was a huge waste of time while they were in session.” “There’s no reason to be afraid to come to Mississippi, Mary Walker, the British-born co-owner of Across the Pond especially the city of Natchez. Of everyone I know who owns Bed and Breakfast in Salisbury, N.C., says she, too, has not seen a business in the hospitality industry it this city, vendors who a decrease in business from North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law, provide services for events, I don’t know of any cake baker or which repealed local civil rights ordinances and mandated florist or business owner who would turn people down,” Bryant transgender people to use only bathrooms that correspond to says in response to the Foreign Office’s actions. “But if this law their biological sex at birth. But her business gets booked only remains in effect, and Great Britain has issued a warning against through its reservations page, meaning it’s hard to quantify how coming here, and people heed that warning, then we’re in seri- much potential business she may have lost from others who ous trouble.” didn’t complete the reservations process. In a press conference in London with Prime Minister David “We do not support the bill. We’re hoping it’s going to be Cameron, President Barack Obama attempted to assuage the overturned,” Walker says. “Our business is open to everyone, British people that Mississippi and North Carolina were not regardless of their sexual orientation or gender.” nearly as hostile towards LGBT people as they have been made Concern over the economic impact of anti-LGBT laws is out to be, even as he called both states’ anti-LGBT laws “wrong” not merely limited to businesses in the North Carolina and and said they “should be overturned.” Mississippi. Tennessee was beset with threats of an economic “[Mississippi and North Carolina] are beautiful states and backlash after legislators attempted to pass a “bathroom bill” you are welcome and you should come and enjoy yourselves,” similar in scope to the North Carolina law, which would have Obama said.