Arts & Entertainment
Social Agenda
friday, jan. 8
Supporters of Virginia Del. Adam Ebbin (D) are having a sendoff party for him tonight at the home of Ingrid Morroy and Jerry Botland in Arlington, Va. (1501 South Pollard St.) from 6 to 8 p.m. Supporters are gathering to wish him well as he heads to Richmond for the new state legislative session. For more information, visit actblue.com/page/ebbinsendoff or contact [email protected] or 585-749-6404. Donations are being accepted.
saturday, jan. 9
Zoom Urban Lesbian Excursions is having a ladies breakdancing 101 class today from noon to 2 p.m. at the Columbia Heights Youth Center located at 1480 Girard St., N.W. It’s designed for beginners and is part of Zoom’s “Get Fit” series. Cost is $15. Visit zoomexcursions.com for more information.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, the District’s largest mostly gay church, is having a “welcome home” service today and is encouraging former members, attendees and newcomers to meet its new pastor, Rev. Dwayne Johnson. Traditional worship is held at the 9 a.m. service. The 11 a.m. service features more contemporary and gospel music. The church is located at 474 Ridge St., N.W. Visit mccdc.com for more information.
sunday, jan. 10
Dignity Washington, a local gay Catholic group, celebrates Mass for the LGBT community every Sunday at 6 p.m. at St. Margaret’s, located at 1820 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Call 202-546-2245 for more information or visit dignitywashington.org.
monday, jan. 11
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington has an HIV-positive support group for people of faith every Monday at the church. For more information, contact Matt Senger at 202-546-2159 or e-mail him at [email protected]. MCC-DC is located at 474 Ridge St., N.W. Visit mccdc.com for more information about the church.
Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St., N.W., holds “Pokerface,” a Texas hold ‘em poker night every Monday at 8 p.m. It’s free to play and prizes are awarded. Visit nelliessportsbar.com for more information.
tuesday, jan. 12
D.C.’s HIV Working Group assembles safer sex kits with its “packing parties” every Tuesday at EFN Lounge. Those who volunteer their time get drink discounts. The events are held from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at Motley Bar, located above EFN, which is at 1318 9th St., N.W. Visit fighthivindc.com for more information.
Poz, a bar night for HIV-positive men and men open to dating HIV-positive men regardless of their own HIV status, is held every Tuesday night from 7 p.m. to midnight at Motley Bar, located above EFN Lounge at 1318 19th St., N.W. The event is organized by HIV-positive party promoter Jacob Pring. Visit the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/pozdc for more information.
wednesday, jan. 13
Split, a gay bowling cocktail event, is tonight from 8 to midnight at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge, located at 701 7th St., N.W., on the second floor (Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop). Split, a party created by Jason Royce, Brian Lempin and Georgio Takounakis, is not a gay bowling league and isn’t for diehard bowlers. Its creators designed it to be a fun and trendy bar alternative where patrons will mingle over martinis and bowl if the mood strikes. Split is usually held every other Wednesday. It’s for ages 21 and older. There’s a $3 cover and Lucky Strike has a dress code that those attending should read before attending. Drink and food specials are available. For more information, visit splitwednesdays.com.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has weekly volunteer nights every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at its offices located at 1325 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 600. Volunteers fold and stuff letters for the gay rights organization. Pizza is provided. For more information, contact Ezra Towne at [email protected].
The Big Gay Book Group has its monthly book discussion meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at 1155 F St., N.W., Suite 200. This month’s book is “The Conversion” by Joseph Olshan, which tells of a gay American translator who moves to Paris and is attacked one night in a hotel room where he and his companion, an older poet, are staying. For more information, visit biggaybookgroup.com.
Ladies First night is tonight and every Wednesday at Fab Lounge, located at 1805 Connecticut Ave., N.W. For more information, visit myspace.com/ladiesfirst.
The D.C. Center has career development for LGBT job seekers today from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Trained counselors will offer support for job searching, interviewing skills, resume writing, etc. The program has been adapted to meet the needs of the local gay community and the D.C. job market. The Center recently moved to its new location at 1804/1810 14th St., N.W., previous home of the Lesbian Services Program and Austin Center of Whitman-Walker Clinic. Visit thedccenter.org for more information.
Rainbow Response has its monthly meeting tonight at National City Christian Church, located at 5 Thomas Circle, N.W. at 7 p.m. The group is a meeting of individuals and agencies collaborating to discuss intimate partner violence in the local LGBT community. The meeting is typically held on the second Wednesday of each month. Visit rainbowresponse.org for more information.
thursday, jan. 14
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers, a local LGBT volunteer group, is volunteering for Food & Friends, a local group that delivers meals to residents in D.C. and beyond suffering from AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses. Volunteers are needed to help with food preparation tasks such as chopping vegetables and packing groceries. The group will meet at Food & Friends’ new facility near the Fort Totten Metro Station. Group size is limited to 10 per shift. Those interested in volunteering should e-mail [email protected]. Visit burgundycrescent.org for more information about this and other gay volunteering opportunities.
friday, jan. 15
National City Christian Church has organ recitals every Friday at 12:15 p.m. The series, dubbed “Magical, Mystical, Musical Machine,” is led by Charles Miller, the church’s minister of music, who’s gay. Several organists in the series have also been gay. NCC is located at 5 Thomas Circle, N.W. For more information, visit nationalcity.org or call 202-797-0103.
Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, one of the largest gay leather gatherings in the world, is this weekend in Washington at the Washington Plaza Hotel. The event is sold out but some spillover hotels have rooms available and some events are open to the public. Visit leatherweekend.com for more information.
A new Friday night drag show at Ziegfeld’s has started with a new hostess. The Ladies of Illusion hosted by Kristina Kelly has performances every Friday at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Bet Mishpachah, a gay synagogue located at the D.C. JCC at 16th and Q streets, N.W., holds Ereve Shabbat services every Friday at 8:30 p.m. followed by an Oneg Shabbat social. Morning services are held on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush luncheon. Visit betmish.org for more information.
saturday, jan. 16
Town has two events tonight. DJ Brett Henrichsen spins upstairs (Town’s regular DJ Wess is downstairs). And monthly party “WTF?” is also tonight with a special Mexican installment called “Que es el fucko?” Doors open at 10 p.m. with a $5 for those 18 and older. Town is located at 2009 Eighth St., N.W. Visit towndc.com for more information.
Blowoff, a monthly party featuring gay DJs/remixers Bob Mould and Rich Morel, is tonight at the 9:30 Club, located at 815 V St., N.W. starting at 11:30 p.m. Visit blowoff.us for more information.
Celebrity News
My evening with Madonna
Gay icon headlined the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in the Netherlands through Aug. 10. They will be covering World Pride in Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM — Madonna and 6,000 of her closest friends celebrated World Pride at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall early Sunday morning. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Madonna last Wednesday nearly broke the internet when she said on social media in Dutch that “I got somethin’ I wanna talk about,” referring to an opening line in “Danceteria,” one of the tracks on her “Confessions II” album that has received rave reviews since its July 2 release. The track has been on near constant replay on my playlist since I first heard it.
— Madonna (@Madonna) July 28, 2026
MISTR — a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term care that has organized Madonna’s Club Confessions shows in the U.S. and the U.K. — later confirmed the rampant speculation. I woke up on July 30 to an email in my inbox from MISTR and the World Pride Music Festival PR team that said I was on the press list.
Madonna was indeed going to headline the World Pride Music Festival that Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced, and I was going to be there. OMFG!!!!
The gay icon had one more surprise in store.
The Dutch internet on Saturday once again broke over speculation that Kylie Minogue was going to appear alongside Madonna. I was getting ready to leave our hotel in Amsterdam on Saturday night when I saw a video of the two of them together.
“Madonna is now teasing Kylie Minogue on her social media … she may be one of her ‘special guests’ tonight,” I wrote in a text to Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff at 8:46 p.m.
“Have fun! This is turning into the gayest concert ever,” he responded.
I arrived at AFAS Live shortly before 11 p.m. My press contact walked me and two other Dutch journalists into the venue’s cavernous main room known as the Black Box. We made small talk for a few minutes before I started to walk around and listen to Josh Harrison who was on the decks.
Madonna was scheduled to take the stage at 1:30 a.m., but she is known for being late — she is Madonna and she does what she wants. Hayla, a British singer, and Bebe Rexha are among those who performed ahead of Madonna. Thousands of sweaty men — including a group of Australians next to me who were eagerly awaiting Kylie’s anticipated appearance — packed the Black Box and were dancing, anticipating what was to come.
MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft at one point came on stage and declared Madonna was indeed in the building. The moment for which we were all eagerly waiting finally came shortly before 2:30 a.m.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage.
Stuart Price, who produced her “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album in 2005, manned the decks during Madonna’s set.
She opened it with “I Feel So Free” from “Confessions II.” Madonna then sang “Bring Your Love” and “Danceteria” to which this reporter — and everyone else — sang along.
Madonna then teased a surprise before she began to perform “Love Sensation.” Kylie soon appeared on stage. It was nearly too much for my fellow partygoers from Australia. It was indeed the gayest concert ever!
Madonna and Kylie performed “Love Sensation” together. They then sang “Hung Up” and “Sorry” from “Confessions on a Dance Floor” to round out the set that ended shortly after 3 a.m.
Madonna and I share the same birthday — Aug. 16 — and I would like to think she and Kylie gave me an early birthday present. In all seriousness though, it was an amazing night for me and for everyone else who was fortunate enough to be there.
“On the dance floor I feel so free,” says Madonna in the opening of “I Feel So Free.”
For those few precious hours at AFAS Live I did not think about the Trump-Vance administration and the myriad ways it is destroying the U.S. I did not think about the National Guard troops deployed to D.C. I did not think about the pointless wars that continue to ravage Ukraine and other countries around the world. I simply lost myself on the dance floor and celebrated an icon who has always stood with my community.
Thank you, Madonna.
The Petal Release Party and Drag Show was held at Spark Social on Friday, July 31. Performers included Tiara-Missou, Labianna and Darcy de la Cuadra.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Celebrity News
Madonna headlines World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Kylie Minogue made surprise appearance alongside gay icon
AMSTERDAM — Madonna on Sunday headlined the final night of the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam.
The gay icon took the stage shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday) during Club Confessions, a set that MISTR, a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term HIV care, organized.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage inside Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall that can hold up to 6,000 people.
Stuart Price, who produced Madonna’s 2005 “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album and “Confessions II,” which debuted on July 2, DJed the set.
Kylie Minogue made a surprise appearance. She and Madonna performed a new remix of “Love Sensation” from “Confessions II.”
(Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
“Throughout my career, I’ve always supported efforts to fight HIV and AIDS, and that fight begins with education and access,” said Madonna in a MISTR press release. “With MISTR, (CEO) Tristan (Schukraft) is expanding access to HIV prevention and sexual healthcare for everyone. Through this work, he’s helping preserve and strengthen LGBTQ+ spaces while investing in the communities and culture that have long sustained us.”
Minogue in an Instagram post thanked Madonna, Price, Schukraft, and MISTR.
Madonna appeared at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Calif., in April. Madonna in June celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York’s Times Square.
Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced the World Pride Music Festival that also featured Bebe Rexha and Paris Hilton, among others.
“Pride has always been about bringing our community together,” said Resnicow. “At a moment when too many people are being told to hide or make themselves smaller, gathering openly, joyfully, and without apology matters more than ever. I couldn’t be prouder of what this festival brought to life in Amsterdam — one dance floor, completely free.”
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My evening with Madonna
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