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May events galore planned for D.C.

D.C. spring events in full swing this month

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VinoFest, gay news, Washington Blade
VinoFest, gay news, Washington Blade, spring events

VinoFest, a ‘super-sized’ wine tasting is this weekend. (Photo courtesy VinoFest)

As the weather gets warmer and people begin to transition their weekend activities from indoors to outside, a bevy of spring events are popping up all over town to satisfy that spring fever. Pride festivals, concerts, a wine tasting and many others are scheduled to make sure no one’s social calendar remains empty.

Capital Trans Pride is at the Reeves Municipal building (2000 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be workshops and panel discussions on how to be a supportive trans ally, HIV prevention, Genderqueer 101 panel discussion, name and gender change and more. After the festivities of the day there will be a happy hour at Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) from 4-7 p.m.

D.C. Black Pride runs over Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 27 through Monday, May 30.This year’s theme “i am u. u r me. we are Pride” will have both lesbian and gay dance parties, workshops, entertainers, a writer’s forum and a film festival.

“There are still members of the Black LGBTQ community in the D.C. area who feel as through they are alone and isolated as they did with coming to terms with their expression of their sexuality,” says Earl Fowlkes, CEO of the Center for Black Equity. “D.C. Black Pride still draws a majority of our 25,000 or so attendees from the DMV area.  D.C. Black Pride remains an important source of information on HIV/AIDS, spirituality, youth service, men’s and women’s health, and more for the Metro area.”

The Green Festival Expo will be at Washington Convention Center (801 Mt Vernon Pl., N.W.) in D Hall on Friday, May 6 from noon-6 p.m.; Saturday May, 7 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 8 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Ralph Nader will speak on Saturday, May 7 on the Green Fest Stage after the screening of “Cowspiracy: the Sustainability.” Other speakers will be owner of Full Flavor Vegan Milan Ross; Co-Director of Earth Rights Institute Alanna Hartzok; Co-Founder of One Common Unity Hawah Karat; and Founder of the Cannabis and Hemp Association Scott Giannotti. Learn about plant-based power, agriculture, yoga and other environmental wellness topics with speakers and numerous exhibitors.

“We believe there is no better time to be in the D.C. area, where decisions about our sustainability policies are being made and climate issues are being addressed and we hope Green Festival Expo can provide a venue for consumers to contribute to the conversation,” says Corinna Basler, president of Green Festivals.

Tickets range from $13.65-37.92. Mothers receive free admission all weekend.

You don’t have to be in Kentucky to enjoy one of the biggest spring events of the season, the Kentucky Derby. Parties across the District will be celebrating the event in style right from home.

Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar (1104 H St., N.E.) will have a Kentucky Pig Roast on Saturday, May 7 at 3 p.m. There will be an all-you-can-eat/all-you-can-drink menu featuring drinks from Anderson Valley Brewing and food such as Pimento mac and cheese, pork belly potato salad and jalapeño cheesy grits. The Kentucky Derby will be shown live at 6:34 p.m.Admission is $48. Dressing up and wearing hats is encouraged.

Melrose Georgetown Hotel (2430 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) will host its second annual day party for the derby with a live screening of the races. The hotel will serve speciality derby-themed cocktails with no cover charge. Guests are encouraged to dress up.

Sweetlife — a sweetgreen festival, is at Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, Md.) brings a lineup of chart-topping musical acts on Saturday, May 14. Queer acts are on the bill such as bisexual singer Halsey and gender-queer hip-hop artist Shamir. Other acts performing will be the 1975, Flume, Grimes, PartyNextDoor, Blondie, Eagles of Death Metal and more.

“We are very proud of this year’s sweetlife lineup,” says sweetgreen co-founder Jonathan Neman. “The artists themselves — from Halsey to Shamir — are as diverse and as unique as the D.C. community and truly embody the sweetlife. Through their passion, they help us bring this festival to life, and connect us over a shared love of music and food.”

General admission tickets are $100, general admission pavilion tickets are $125 and VIP Access tickets, which include VIP bars, lounges and restrooms, are $150.

Victory Fund hosts its National Champagne Brunch at the Omni Shoreham Hotel (2500 Calvert St., N.W.) on Sunday, May 15 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Special guests in attendance will be Hon. Chris Abele, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Angie Craig, Rep. Ruben Gallego, Denise Juneau and more. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has filmed a video tribute to Emily’s List, recipient of Victory Fund’s President’s Award, that will be shown at the event. Charlotte, N.C., Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield will give an update on LGBT rights in North Carolina and Victory President and CEO Aisha Moodie-Mills will speak about the 2016 presidential election. General admission tickets are $250 and VIP tickets are $400 and include reception access.

VinoFest at The Yards (1300 First St., S.E.) is Saturday, May 7 from 3-10 p.m. This supersize wine tasting will include eight 2 oz. wine tastings from more than 20 local and international vineyards. Pair the wine with edible treats from vendors such as Luke’s Lobsters, Milk Bar and Maketto. Performances by Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Stephen Colbert’s in house band, the Original Wailers, local D.C. band Paperhaus and more are scheduled. General admission tickets are $55. VIP tickets are $99 and include a premium open bar from 3-8 p.m., VIP stage viewing area and early access at 3 p.m.

Washington Blade hosts its 10th annual Rehoboth Summer Kickoff Party at Blue Moon (35 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.) on Friday, May 20 from 5-7 p.m. Speakers will be announced. There is a suggested $10 donation with each guest receiving a drink wristband and entry into a drawing for prizes.

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Theater

Talented pair of local queer actors tackles ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Ford’s production features terrific score

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Chani Wereley (Audrey) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Ford’s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ 
Through May 18
Ford’s Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.org 

Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, “Little Shop of Horrors” has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Ford’s Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors who’ve longed to appear in the show since they were kids. 

Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.  

Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymour’s love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, “Audrey’s been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.”

The queer D.C. native adds, “On long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing we’d do is pop a ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ video [film version] into the car’s VHS player. I’ve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.”

After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllister’s production at Ford’s, Wereley never thought she’d book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.  

Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: “I started watching the film in ’86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didn’t know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.” 

When asked by Ford’s to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant “yes.” 

Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, “people ask if I’m singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, I’m not, and that’s fine. But let’s face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I don’t feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.”

He’s worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant — his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show. 

Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereley’s striking rendition of Audrey’s “Suddenly Seymour,” and Young’s soulful “Feed Me (Git It).” Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater. 

When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like “Mashed Potato Time,” and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelle’s girl group anthem “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” As Audrey, Wereley eschews the character’s usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo. 

“It’s important for people to see themselves on stage,” she says. “Seeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. It’s important.”

In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in “Dream Girls” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and he’s been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didn’t see a lot of himself – Black and queer – on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says

An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, “theater is a safe space for queer people. That’s the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.”

He adds, “What’s great about Ford’s is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. It’s meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.”

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Nightlife

D.C.’s gay DJ collective CTRL returns

Electropop group resurfaces at Trade on March 30

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CTRL is back after a six-year absence.

Finger lasers, confetti cannons, drag shows, photo booths, throwback tunes, and a touch nerdy: after a long break, D.C.’s gay DJ collective CTRL is throwing its first party in six years.

Born in an Eritrean restaurant more than a decade ago, this longstanding gay nightlife electropop group is resurfacing with a comeback event at Trade on March 30.

Gay DJs Adam Koussari-Amin, Jeff Prior, Devon Trotter, and Brett Andreisen hosted the first CTRL party at now-closed restaurant Dahlak, on the corner of 18th and U Streets. After a year of hosting pop-ups in that restaurant’s dining room, they upgraded down 18th Street to now-closed gay club Cobalt. There, the parties grew: drag shows, a pop-up photo booth from David Claypool, and quirky activations like throwing hot dogs into print-outs of Putin’s mouth. Their productions grew as well, like producing the now-defunct Brightest Young Gays (BYG) Pride events at Wonderbread Factory and Union Market and the ‘Get Wet’ pool party with David Brown’s Otter Crossing at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

CTRL wasn’t done. The group received its biggest stage yet after a call from Ed Bailey, the owner of now-closed gay club Town, as well as current gay bars Number 9 and Trade. At Town, the opportunity “allowed our creativity to flourish with even bigger performances, bigger photo experiences, crazier hand-outs, and the same electropop dance vibes our fans had come to know us for,” says Koussari-Amin.

CTRL pressed pause when Town shut down, which “was a huge loss to the LGBTQIA+ community and D.C. nightlife in general,” says Koussari-Amin. After that, it hosted an occasional spinoff called QWERTY. Post-pandemic, Koussari-Amin has spent a few nights solo as DJ at Trade and other venues.

After connecting with Jesse Jackson, the Trade general manager, as well as with Bailey, who agreed to host the inaugural event, Koussari-Amin was determined to shift CTRL back to life.

However, getting the old band back together proved to be a challenge. While the rest of the group have either left Washington, D.C., or are pursuing other projects, Koussari-Amin received their blessing to stay on and find new members. 

“When it came to finding new partners, both DJ Dez [Desmond Jordan] and DJ Lemz [Steve Lemmerman] were obvious choices,” he says, noting that “they also have distinct styles and interests.” Dez has a residency at Pitchers and Kiki as well as pop-ups, and Lemz throws events like Sleaze and BENT.

 “It seemed important to come back to the nightlife table with an experience that could complement all the amazing experiences that have even built up since CTRL threw its last event at Town. Bringing back both the DJ collective and the CTRL event with Dez and Lemz means new voices, perspectives, sounds, and excitement.”

“CTRL is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy music, drinks, and good vibes,” adds Jordan, noting that for him, it’s an event that celebrates queer identity.

And after months of planning, CTRL will kick off its monthly party series at Trade on March 30 for the first gig after its glow-up.

The trio says that its core inspiration “is driven by the indie and electropop favorites of new and old, like Goldfrapp, Ava Max, Charli XCX, … We’re also all huge fans of slut and trash pop music like Kim Petras, Slayyyter, Cupcakke,” as well as pop diva remixes, new bops, and songs that reside inside and far beyond the expanse of Top 40.

CTRL is also bringing back its activations that complement the tunes. Summer Camp is set for drag performances, David Claypool is back with his photo booth, and Koussari-Amin promises “to have all sorts of weird and wacky handouts like we used to.”

After the March premiere, April’s party is “CTRLella”, a Coachella send-up. Future events will feature various different themes, and they plan to throw a party during Capital Pride; they’re also looking to be a central part of Trade’s expansion into the adjacent space.

 Koussari-Amin says that “the event’s signature experience [is] a lynchpin in connecting D.C.’s expanding generations of queer folks, giving everyone a safe space to let loose and feel a rush no matter who they are.” 

For his part, Bailey continues to support CTRL and its collective intention, expressing its essential nature as a party for partiers by partiers. “CTRL is the kind of party that represents what people want. It’s just a real party by real people that just want to hear good music and dance with their friends.”

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Celebrity News

HRC releases ‘Queer Renaissance Syllabus’

Beyoncé’s hit album inspired curriculum

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Beyoncé performs at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Aug. 6, 2023. The Human Rights Campaign has released a curriculum that her "Renaissance" album inspired. (Washington Blade photo by Isabelle Kravis)

In a move aimed at celebrating the beauty, brilliance and resilience of the LGBTQ community, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” that Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album inspired. 

Curated by Justin Calhoun, Leslie Hall and Chauna Lawson of the HRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, the syllabus includes a variety of academic articles, essays, films and other media rooted in Black queer and feminist studies. Each piece is directly inspired by the tracks on Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping dance album, “Renaissance.”

Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” stands as a cultural milestone, celebrating the Black queer roots of dance music while shedding light on overlooked Black queer artists. Inspired by her late-Uncle Johnny, the album not only garnered critical acclaim but also shed light on the often marginalized contributions of Black queer artists. Winning four Grammys and yielding chart-topping hits like “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It,” the album sparked discussions about economic impact and cultural representation.

Amid its success, legislative challenges arose, with Florida and Texas enacting bans on DEI initiatives in public colleges. Recognizing the album’s transformative potential, HRC developed the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” to leverage its impact for education and activism.

Tailored for educators, youth-serving professionals, DEI practitioners, higher education leaders and admirers of Beyoncé’s artistry, the syllabus aims to encourage meaningful discussions, enrich lesson plans, and explore innovative ways to honor the vibrancy and significance of LGBTQ individuals and their culture.

With six themes anchoring the syllabus, ranging from “intersectionality and inclusivity” to “social justice and activism,” it provides a comprehensive exploration of various facets of LGBTQ experiences and expressions. Fan-favorite tracks from the album are paired with scholarly readings, offering insights into empowerment, self-acceptance and the transformative power of artistic expression. The syllabus also reinforces HRC’s efforts to highlight, amplify and re-center Black and queer voices.

By providing links to articles, books, podcasts and interviews, each associated with a song from the album, it celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Black queer community.

The concluding section of the syllabus includes Beyoncé’s tribute to O’Shea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to “Renaissance” songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.

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