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Images of an era

‘Our Heroes’ exhibit shows AIDS impact on D.C.

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12 years ago

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Our Heroes, AIDS, HIV, gay news, Washington Blade
Our Heroes, Metropolitan Community Church, gay news, Washington Blade

Photo of the Metropolitan Community Church from the ‘Our Heroes’ exhibit. (Photo by Kevin Kenner; courtesy Kenner)

“Our Heroes,” a community-donated photography exhibit that chronicles the HIV/AIDS history in the District, opens at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St., N.W.) Monday and runs through Jan. 5.

Our Heroes has been a work in progress since 2002. Nine photographers, all of whom are D.C. residents, have documented notable people and places in D.C.’s HIV/AIDS history. The all-black and white photos were displayed in 2006 in a collection of 150 photos. Now, with new pieces added, the collection totals 205 photographs. Biographies accompany the photographs and are all written in first person. It’s as if the people are speaking directly to the visitor and adds a personal connection of past to present. Organizers say it’s the only photography exhibit of its kind in the United States.

Lead organizer Wallace Corbett, a gay man who has been HIV positive since 1989, says “Our Heroes” aims to archive the HIV/AIDS journey by showing the people whose stories are being told and the places at which these monumental events took place. The variety of the photos makes for a diverse history lesson.

“We took the time to document a very long and meticulous journey,” Corbett says. “Some of the pictures are very emotional, some are self-explanatory and some are artistic. The District should be proud that they can go back 50 years from now and understand its journey and who was apart of it, especially for black culture.”

Corbett says his favorite photograph in the exhibit is of a man pushing his dead lover’s body in a coffin over the fence of the White House during the Reagan administration. Along the edges of the photo stand men wearing latex gloves who are afraid to touch the body.

“It was that man’s way of saying to the president this is what is happening in your backyard,” Corbett says. “If you can’t come to the funeral, we will bring the funeral to you.”

Lead photographer Kevin Kenner, also a gay man who is HIV positive, says the photographs were not all easy to come by. Historical photographs of those who had passed away had to be acquired from family members. There was a verification process to confirm the people had contributed to the city’s history in some way.

Some photographs were damaged and had to be replaced. Other photographs were difficult to take such as the one of Enik Alley Coffeehouse, once located on I Street. Since the coffeehouse was out of business and those who had frequented it were long gone, the iconic space that once welcomed LGBT music and literature icons like Essex Hemphill and Michelle Parkerson had been lost.

Kenner hopes the exhibit can serve as a reminder of Washington’s past and help young people shape a different future. He’s saddened that some of the people he met and photographed are no longer here. He says his own HIV experience and those of others has taught him to stop living recklessly. He wants to teach young people to be safer about their decisions.

“The journey has come a long way but still the HIV/AIDS rate is so high,” Kenner says. “I see a lot of young people acting unsafe and uncaring about their life. If you’re going to do things that are not safe than you have to be an adult and deal with the consequences that come about. We need to teach young people to be safe and hopefully people will be aware this journey is still going on and hasn’t ended.”

The exhibit will be displayed on the lower level of the library. After its run, the library will permanently own the exhibit.

“Most people have footsteps in the sand and don’t understand the importance of the footprints until the water washes over them,” Corbett says. “This way those footprints are still there and we won’t forget where we’ve been and we can hopefully see where we’re going.”

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Calendar

Calendar: March 27-April 2

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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2 hours ago

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March 27, 2026

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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.  

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Out & About

Celebrate cherry blossoms the drag way

Unconventional Diner hosts bingo party

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3 hours ago

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March 27, 2026

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The cherry blossoms are here. Celebrate at a unique event hosted by Unconventional Diner. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

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.

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Sports

New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics

New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles

Published

1 day ago

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March 26, 2026

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(Photo by Greg Martin; courtesy IOC)

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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