Arts & Entertainment
D.C. arts briefs: May 11
Blade hosts Rehoboth kick-off party, Mr./Miss Capital Pride contest and more
Mr. and Miss Capital Pride this weekend
The Mr. and Miss Capital Pride event is Saturday night at Town (2009 8th Street, NW) starting at 6 p.m. There’s a $10 cover and proceeds from the event go to Capital Pride. The deadline to enter has passed but those wishing to watch the contest are welcome to attend. More information on this event and all Capital Pride festivities is here.
Blade summer kick-off in Rehoboth
Washington Blade will host its sixth annual summer kick-off party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on May 18.
The party takes place from 5-7 p.m. at the Blue Moon, 35 Baltimore Ave. It’s open to the public and there’s no cover charge. Visitors who sign up for the Blade’s e-mail newsletter on-site receive two free drinks.
“We have many Delaware readers and D.C. readers who vacation in Rehoboth,” says Brian Pitts, Blade sales executive and co-owner. “It’s always a fun way to meet advertisers and readers and to kick off the summer season.”
Gay group has family events next weekend
Family Equality Council is hosting a Family Weekend in D.C. starting Thursday.
Zach Wahls, who spoke before the Iowa Legislature in 2011, will serve as honorary family ambassador, joining the Council and families for Families on the Hill, the Congressional lobbying visits that are part of the weekend events.
Families on the Hill will begin at 8:30 a.m. with training for kids and adults. The lobby visits will focus on three issues: adoption and foster care, repeal of DOMA and safe schools.
On May 18, families will have various tour options including the White House, Museum of Natural History, the National Zoo and more.
The events for May 19 include tours of the Capitol.
For more information, including how to register and a complete schedule, visit familyequality.org.
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival gathers wide-ranging talent
‘Red Light, Grace Street’ by Joseph Craig English, will be on display at the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival this weekend. (Image courtesy the Festival)
Artists representing 25 states and Canada will be showcasing their work at the ninth annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival in downtown Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle this weekend.
The event will also feature live entertainment, children’s activities and restaurants including Haagen Dazs, BlackFinn American Saloon and more.
Some of the artists featured include Doug Blum, Kate Beck, Ivan Radojicic Tom Mcquaid, Lisa Stewart, Giampictro Filippetti and more.
The festival is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Cooper to spin at Cobalt Saturday night
DJ Seth Cooper is coming to Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) for Just Circuit on Saturday from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
In 2006, Gay Internet Radio Live asked Cooper to join its online radio network, putting his sets next to other big names like randy Bettie Lydia Prim and more. In 2009, Just Circuit named Cooper Best Up and Coming DJ, as well as nominated him for Best After Hours Party.
He’s headlined at Splash Days in Austin, Gay Days in Orlando, Pacha in Brazil and more in clubs across the U.S., Canada, Brazil and China.
The night will also include DJ Sean Morris will be in 30degreees, free vodka from 10 to 11 p.m. and a laser light show by Sound Sign.
Capital Pride Art Fair seeking submissions
Capital Pride is now accepting submissions from all LGBT artists in the D.C. area for the first Capital Pride Art Fair at the festival on June 10 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The fair will present 12 to 14 artists showing their work in one tent in the Arts Stage area.
To submit work, artists must fill out the form at capitalpride.kintera.org/artfair, providing price range, number of available pieces, samples via jpegs or website and contact information.
The fee for commercial arts is $50 for eight feet of display space. There are a limited number of spaces available for non-commercial artists
Artists may also be interested in donating work to the silent auction held at the Heroes Gala and Silent Auction on May 30.
For more information, contact Capital Pride at [email protected]. Submissions must be received by May 20.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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