Arts & Entertainment
Arts news in brief: Feb. 10
Scarlet’s Bake Sale, D.C. Front Runners featured in mini doc, Rainbow Families dance and more
Scarlet’s Bake Sale benefit returns
The 41st annual Scarlet’s Foundation Bake Sale is Sunday at the Eagle (639 New York Ave., N.W.) with cake drop-offs from noon to 3 p.m., judging at 3:30 p.m. and the auction beginning at 4 p.m.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit Moveable Feast, an organization based in Baltimore that provides food and other services in order to preserve quality of life for people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening conditions, and Pets D.C., which provides public health education, exercise, pet food, veterinary care, grooming, foster care and adoptions services at no cost to individuals living with HIV/AIDS or other disabling conditions and their pets.
There are five categories being judged including Best Individual Entry, Best Commercial Entry, Best Club Entry, Most Creative Entry and the Directors Award.
For more information, call 202-347-6025 or visit dceagle.com.
Morabito at Cobalt; return of Flashback
DJ Susan Morabito is spinning at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) as part of Just Circuit, an event that happens every second Saturday of the month at 10 p.m.
Cobalt is also bringing back its popular Tuesday Flashback retro event next week (Valentine’s Day) with DJs Jason Royce and Erik Lars Evans in the 30 Degrees Lounge area. Rail drinks are two for one and there’s no cover.
Morabito has been playing for audiences for more than 25 years and has released seven CD collections. She has played at events such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institutes Benefit Gala, Stonewall Honors, Atlantis Gay Cruise and more.
She has recently been nominated for three Just Circuit Awards including Best DJ/Producer, Best DJ Podcast and Best DJ — Hall of Fame.
There is a $10 cover for this event. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com or Morabito’s official website, susanmorabito.com.
Gay running group featured in local doc
The Our City Film Festival, started by Yachad, a D.C. non-profit committed to affordable housing and community development, is Saturday and Sunday.
The festival begins with an opening night party featuring Christylez Bacon, a Grammy-nominated artists, Party Girl, a Costello cover band and Edge Theory, a progressive jazz band at the Sixth and I Synagogue (600 I St., N.W.) at 8 p.m. Entry is free with a film ticket or $8 without.
Starting Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Goethe Institute (812 7th St., N.W.) the various films will be screened in groupings based on topic. At 12:45 p.m., the grouping, “Our Body” will feature a 13-minute documentary by Brian Beary and Marcel Acosta called “Fast Forward,” which provides a glimpse into the struggles and successes of founding D.C.’s now thriving gay and lesbian running club, The Front Runners.
Tickets are $10 for each film grouping and can be purchased online.
For more information on the festival, including a full schedule of films, visitourcityfilmfestival.com.
Gay art collective hosts monthly performance show
Hillyer Art Space (9 Hillyer Court, N.W.) is teaming up with local gay arts collective Boys Be Good for this month’s Soapbox, a monthly performance art showcase increasing exposure to this art form, on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.
The show will include performances by Armando Lopez Bircann, whose performance uses shadows and light; Andrew Fogle, whose poetic work stumbles into themes of lack, trauma, dislocation and more; Devon Hopkins, a Wesleyan grad, who works in social psychology, group dynamics and the intersection of social networking with post-modern choreography; and Jason Edward Tucker, who focuses on challenging the gaze through a concealment and confounding of gender and constructed identity.
There is a $5 suggested donation at the door.
For more information and a sample of past performances, visitartsandartists.org/hillier/
Rainbow Families hosting kid-friendly dance
Rainbow Families is having its Mid-Winter Family Dance on Saturday at the Washington Ethical Society (7750 16th St., N.W.) from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The event will feature a family friendly DJ, dance games and activities. There will also be pizza, beverages and dessert.
This event is ideal for children ages 4 and over. A quiet room will be provided for younger children and their parents.
Registration is $10 for adult members and $13 for non-members. Registration for all children 5 and older is $5 and children 4 and younger can be registered for free.
For more information and to register for the dance or join Rainbow Families, visit rainbowfamiliesdc.org.
Friday, March 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, March 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Monday, March 30
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Tuesday, March 31
Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, March 1
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, April 2
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.
Tickets can be secured via Resy.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
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