Aug 17, 2007   | COMMENTS     

Michael Dumlao’s international background is a perfect match for Washington. Born in the Philippines and raised in Sydney, Australia, and Santa Barbara, Calif., the socially conscious photographer and public relations specialist moved here seven years ago while working for the Democratic National Committee.

In 2005, he helped to create Fashion Fights Poverty (see related article on page 5), and the public relations firm, the Style & Image Network, grew out of that event. Dumlao credits his grandmother for his own humanitarian leanings, as she was a prominent politician, preacher and educator. Dumlao, who’s been in a relationship for a year and a half, lives in an area he calls “Shogan” — a neighborhood straddling Shaw and Logan Circle.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

I came out a decade ago as a 17-year-old high school senior in Santa Barbara, Calif. Fortunately, the movie “Clueless” paved the way for instant popularity as debutante fashionistas aping Alicia Silverstone rushed to claim me as their trendy, new shopping buddy.

Who’s your gay hero?

Alexander the Great. The man shagged and conquered. How can you beat that?

What is Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?

Right now, “The Space” on 9th and N. Like all of my favorite spots, it’s imbued with a cosmopolitan chic without bordering on pretension and attracts an ethnically mixed gay and straight crowd in an up-and-coming neighborhood.

If gay marriage were legal, would you tie the knot?

Of course. If for no other reason, think of the party.

What non-gay issue are you most passionate about?

Fashion Fights Poverty and the Dress Responsibly Look Book sum it up: nurturing effective partnerships between creative industries and humanitarian development while educating consumers on ways our choices can make a difference.

What historical outcome would you change?

The outcome of Nov. 7, 2000.

What has been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

As a child of the ’90s, how can I name just one? Here are a few: watching Saturday morning anime as a kid in Sydney, selling a revolving tie rack to Dennis Franz from “NYPD Blue,” driving by the supposed home of Elian Gonzales in Cuba, every movie starring Parker Posey, the feeling of esoteric disillusionment watching the last episode of “Seinfeld,” and, recently, uncomfortably watching Debbie Harry flail onstage at the True Colors tour like a Golden Girl in a mosh pit (so very wrong).

On what reality TV show would you fare best?

The gay versions of “Pimp My Ride” or “Wife Swap” (but only if I get to swap with Victoria Beckham).

What item of clothing has been in your closet since high school?

A vintage black velvet tuxedo jacket with a satin lapel I bought for $80 at a charity “garage sale” hosted by costume designers from Paramount Studios.

If your life were a book, what would the title be?

“Broke and Fabulous.”

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?

Make sure it wouldn’t matter; though I think I’d know my other answer to question #6.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

I’m inspired by the end of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy where the dead dissipate into the ether and become a part of every molecule on earth, thereby rejoining the living and continuing the cycle.

What would you order for your last meal?

Everything I had ever loved to eat shared with everyone I had ever loved. And a Diet Coke.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

A truly effective and sustainable end to poverty, hunger and war. My family. And the promise of a fantastic pedicure at the end of it.

What gay stereotype annoys you most?

The idea that gay men are the paragons of style: while it’s mostly true, it can be so exhausting to keep up at times.

What is the best gay film ever made?

Charlton Heston’s “The Ten Commandments.” I’m kidding. How about 1995’s “The Celluloid Closet:” it’s a groundbreaking documentary about gay cinema so you get 100 queer movies in one!

What is the most overrated social custom?

Keeping the elevator door open for stragglers and lost tourists. Chances are they could use the cardio anyway.

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

The Clio Award, an Oscar and the title of America’s Next Top Model.

What’s your advice for gay teens?

As a young gay citizen, the dignity and compassion you acquire when you stand against oppression ...