Hearsay

Lizard Lounge contest, birthday boys, and secrets of DC

By Metro Weekly Contributor on April 30, 2003

Lizard Lounge will soon send some lucky patron crusingÂ…
Birthday wishes to Michael, David, Robb and MoodyÂ…
And a little bit of gossip that’s unfit to printÂ…

Hearsay opens this week with a newsflash from clubland. The slitheringly seductive Sunday nightspot known as Lizard Lounge is celebrating anniversary number five this June with an incredibly impressive giveaway — an exclusive expense-paid vacation package for two on Europe’s all-gay Atlantis Barcelona Mediterranean Cruise. Local Lord of Nightlife Mark "Never Sara" Lee informed Hearsay that the week-long trip, which sails August 30th, is valued "in excess of five thousand dollars." That’s a lotta Spanish sea farin’, if you catch Hearsay’s drift (and Hearsay isn’t even sure it catches its own drift, as drifts go). You can register in person at Lizard Lounge on Sunday, May 18, June 1 or June 15 (which will also be the night the lucky winner will be announced), or you can register online anytime at www.TravelPride.com/LizardLounge. And since Hearsay doesn’t work for Mr. Lee (though you wouldn’t know it from this shameless plug), Hearsay is going to enter with all the rest of you travel-happy homos. May the best queen win…

Hearsay missed so many birthdays last month that it feels obliged to at least wish a few of its regulars and semi-regulars belated happiness as they wind their way into middle age. One of these celebrants happens to be Michael Kyrioglou, a name as difficult to spell correctly as the word antidisestableshmintarianschizm.Â For several years now, Michael (who sometimes dons a brunette wig and goes by the name Micheline, but don’t tell anyone), has labored, quite jubilantly, as the director of P.R. and marketing for one of Hearsay’s favorite purveyors of theatrical doings: Le Woolly Le Mammoth. Hearsay wishes its old friend all the best as he enters his decade number two-thousand. Another Hearsay darling — and colleague, as you can read her advice column, Truly Yours, here on a biweekly basis — Lena "aka David" Lett, celebrated her 21st birthday for the 14th time, with a big, lavish private soiree at Apex. Several hundred guests — many of whom have joined her Empire — paid their due respects to her majesty, who is frequently known as the Queen of Selection. The always-glamorous Lena, of course, is now a whisper of her former huskier self, having slimmed down to a virtually petite size, thanks to a diet of staples that includes Jewish chicken soup, cottage cheese, and little bits of canned pineapple. Hearsay must also acknowledge the birthday of Robb "I Use a Special Razor" Keffer. The 2002 Nightlife Coverboy of the Year celebrated in grand style at The Green Lantern, with a private party for fifty of his nearest and dearest. "I don’t know how many people came," a beaming Robb told Hearsay, "but we ran out of free drink tickets!" Blessed with a bright and shining personality andÂ a grin that says "Win!" Robb inched a little closer to that magical traumatic number known as thirty. And, of course, this wouldn’t be a Hearsay Birthday Huzzah without a Hearsay Birthday Huzzah to the one, the only Moody "Doc to the Divas" Mustafa. As is traditional in these here parts, Moody is throwing himself an invitation-only, minimum donation of $30 please, extravaganza this Saturday, May 3, at Club Five, from 2 to 7 p.m., the proceeds from which will go to his worthy philanthropic organization, The Metropolis Fund. This year’s over-the-top theme: Fairy Tale Dreams, making it the perfect prelude to Cherry 8’s Main Event later that night. Happy 46th Moody — Hearsay hopes you continue to never act your true age, remaining forever young at heart and in spirit. Cake anyone?Â…

Hearsay knows a secret, but it promised not to tell until the secret is ready to be revealed. And then it’s been assured that the $30,000 doors will swing wide open and Hearsay will be allowed to reveal all, which is pretty much revealed nightly anyway.

Speaking of secrets, it’s no longer one that a certain elderly bar owner who just made the sale of his life was nabbed by the feds as he was trying to skip town. He’s now reportedly spending time in jail for alleged charges of running a prostitution ring and drug emporium, among other things. Hearsay, who is never one to reveal the identity of a person in print (yeah, right, and when did Hearsay get ethics?), will only provide this clue: "Uh, oh, better getÂ…"

Got a little hot gossip for Hearsay? Write hearsay@metroweekly.com.

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Hearsay

By Metro Weekly Contributor on April 2, 2003

The untimely passing of a young friend…
The selling and buying of an old bar…
Wet’s underwear, Freddie’s girls…

Hearsay opens this week on a truly sad note, as it deeply mourns the passing of Bryan "Pup" Mullikin, a longtime friend to both Hearsay and to many in our community. Mullikin, founder of the DC Boys of Leather and American Leatherboy 2001 titleholder, moved away to Chicago last year, and Hearsay recalls sending him off with a big hug, sloppy kiss and tweak of the left nipple. Hearsay hadn’t spoken to Pup in the ensuing months, but it was shocked and heartbroken last week to hear of the energetic and good-hearted young man’s untimely demise. To help Mullikin’s family raise money to cover funeral expenses, The DC Boys of Leather will accept donations at their bar night this Sunday, April 6, at the Green Lantern, from 6 to 10 p.m. Donations can also be made through the group’s website at www.dcboysofleather.org.Â Hearsay will remember Pup fondly. Here’s hoping that somewhere up there in Heaven, he’s being scratched behind the ears by an angelÂ…

The restraints have been lifted, the gag removed, the gag reflex dealt with, and now Hearsay can report the big P Street news that Hearsay couldn’t quite report last time, but which everyone seems to know about at this point, unless you happen to not be one of those in the know, in which case after reading this you will now be. Mr. P’s has been sold! Yes, John "Better Call" Mako has said sayonara to his 27-year-old bar in favor of new endeavors that are not limited to traversing the globe on a big, pink elephant. The buyer? Khalid Khartami, who also owns the chi-chi Connecticut Avenue pasta spot Odeon. In an exclusive back-alley interview conducted with Bluetooth-equipped cell phones, Hearsay spoke to Khalid about his plans for P’s. "We plan to keep it as it is," he said at first, before adding, "but we will be remodelingÂ… extensively." Not to mention serving food — cold sandwiches at first, but hot fare will enter the environment after a major kitchen upgrade. "We are putting in a brand new kitchen, everything new. We are also going to renovate and clean the patio," said Khalid. To sweeten the deal, he noted, "And we’ve hired a 24-year-old bartender from one of the 17th Street bars." Much prying and even a little bit of friendly cooing couldn’t get Khalid to reveal which 24-year-old bartender would be making a grand exit from 17th Street. However, Hearsay did manage to squeeze this out of the new owner: Michael "Always A Smile" Evans, formerly of the D.C. Eagle, will take up a post at the new P’s, which, Khalid insists will remain "one hundred percent a gay bar." Mr. P’s has needed a facelift — not to mention a transfusion of new blood — for years. Hearsay looks forward to seeing the new P’s to comeÂ…

Now that the censorship restraints from the previous column have been lifted, Hearsay is free to at long last name the man that James "Double" Decker calls his "man" — Paul Whatling, an Industry Insider working within an Industry that requires Insiders to work both inside and out. Hearsay has yet to meet — or even speak to, for that matter — this so-called Paul, but it really has no reason to doubt his existence. After all, why would Sir Decker, a faithful at the Human Rights Campaign, invent an imaginary boyfriend? Why, indeed? Only insiders who work in an Insider’s Industry know the answer to that question, as well as the question, What’s the real reason Wayne Besen left HRC? Could it be that he wanted to beat Elizabeth out the door? Could it be that he was longing to find himself in the arms of John Mako on that pink elephant tour? Only insiders know the truthÂ…

A few quick notes: Last Friday, Wet welcomed adult film star Matthew "I’m Named for Poppers!" Rush, who himself helped to usher in the bar’s first Underwear Friday, a weekly show-us-your-skivvies contest and you could win two hundred smackaroos, provided there are no skid marks. The drawers continue to drop this Friday, April 5, at WetÂ… This Sunday, April 6, Freddie’s Beach Bar, over yonder on 23rd Street in Arlington, a hop, skip, and another skip away from the Crystal City Metro, debuts the area’s latest dragstravaganza — Freddie’s Follies, hosted by Blair "Liquor’s Quicker" Michaels and Jymmye "Y’s for EverYone" Jaymes and featuring star-studded appearances by Terre Santana, Vicki Jaymes (there’s that Y thing again) Kyle and Miss Gaye Universe DC 2002, Lorilei Lee Maharis, who has been Y free for quite some time now. The show starts promptly at 9 p.m. and will end sometime before the end of this centuryÂ…