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Calendar for March 12

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Friday, March 12

“It’s Britney Bitch” features Britney look-a-likes, karaoke, trivia, music and more at Town, 2009 8th St., N.W., 202-234-TOWN or towndc.com. Doors open at 10 p.m., drag show at 10:30 p.m.; 18+. Cover is $5 from 10-11 p.m. and $10 after for those 21+ and $10 all night for 18-20.

Visit Apex, 1415 22nd St., N.W., for Caliente Grande! Expect the hottest Latin music from DJ Michael Brandon with doors opening at 9 p.m. 18 to get in and 21 to drink.

The second Friday of each month at the Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court, N.W., offers “Jacob’s Ladder,” music of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. The DJs for the evening will be T&T Music Factory (DJ tim ē & DJ Timothy Mykael make up this electrifying team). Two DJs playing 90 minutes each. All you can drink Smirnoff Vodka flavors buffet for $15; $5 cover.

Gay District is a weekly, non-church affiliated discussion and social group for GBTQ men between 18 and 35. The group meets from 8:30-10:30 p.m at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave., N.W. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Women in their Twenties will meet at the DC Center, 1810 14th St. N.W., at 8 p.m. WiTT is a social discussion group for lesbian, bisexual, transgender and other interested women in the D.C. area. The group is led by several facilitators on a rotational basis. New participants are always welcome. The discussion is followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Saturday, March 13

MIXTAPE at EFN Lounge/Motley Bar, 1318 9th St., N.W., from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. MIXTAPE is an alterna-gay-disco-electro-pop-indie dance party for queers, gays, lesbians, trans, queens, kings, boys, girls, and every combination thereof. 21 and over; $5 cover.

The second Saturday of each month Sean Morris presents “Fly” at Mova, 1435 P St., N.W. Expect music from 1990 through 1999, with your favorites from the decade that brought us grunge. Tracks from Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and, of course, your favorite divas in their prime like Whitney Houston, Madonna and even Amy Grant! 99 cent shot special from 10-11 p.m.; no cover, 21 and up.

Black Cat, 1811 14th St., N.W., 202-667-4490, hosts its long-running Mousetrap, a Brit-pop dance night, on the main stage beginning at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 general admission. Visit blackcatdc.com for information.

National ShamrockFest, billed as the largest St. Patrick’s Day festival in the mid-Atlantic, features 40+ bands, including the Roots and Train. Held at RFK Stadium, 2400 E. Capital St. (Stadium-Armory Metro). Gates open at 11:30 a.m.; tickets start at $24.99. Call 877-77-CLICK or visit shamrockfest.com.

The Washington Wizards take on the Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. at Verizon Center. Tickets start at $10. Visit ticketmaster.com for information.

Women Artists/Women Healing II: “Healing Power of Myth, Ritual & Celebration,” features mostly women artists, writers and healers for workshops in dance/movement, storytelling and more. Free, open to the public, 12:30 p.m., 1420 Columbia Rd., N.W. Visit womenartistswomenhealing.com or call 202-332-4200 x1041 for information.

Sunday, March 14

“Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection” continues at the Corcoran Gallery, 17th Street and New York Avenue, N.W. Tickets are $10; $8 for students. And if you can’t get enough Cezanne, don’t miss the BMA’s “Cezanne and American Modernism” now through May 23, 10 Art Museum Dr., Baltimore, 443-573-1700, artbma.org. Tickets are $15.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for D.C. Central Kitchen. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Check out Cobalt, 1639 R St. N.W., for X and party the winter blues away by welcoming daylight savings time. This Month: DJ Glanson (NYC) with opening Set by DJ Pete Glow. Dancers, live drag performance by Isis Deverreoux; 21 and up, $7 cover ($5 from 10-11 p.m.).

Monday, March 15

Acclaimed singer John Hiatt performs at the Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va., 7:30 p.m. Visit ticketmaster.com for tickets or call the Birchmere at 703-549-7500.

Jacob Nathaniel Pring and Alphonso Wilson present the premiere of “Indigo” at Tabaq Bistro, 1336 U St., N.W. Local DJ and producer A-Ron.The.DJ (http://www.subwaystate.com/) will conjure the atmosphere for the inaugural Indigo. Doors open at 9 p.m.

Tuesday, March 16

“The Light in the Piazza” continues at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington, Va. (Crystal City Metro). Show at 7:30 p.m.; tickets $62-67. Visit arenastage.org for information.

Packing Party at EFN Lounge/Motley Bar, 1318 9th St., N.W., from 7-8 p.m. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying drink specials, 7-10:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 17

The Tom Davaron Social Bridge Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center, 721 8th St., S.E. No partner needed. Visit lambdabridge.com; click “Social Bridge in Washington, D.C.”

Thursday, March 18

“American Idol” favorite Daughtry performs at 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, 7:30 p.m. For info or tickets, call the box office at 410-347-2010 or ticketmaster.com.

Alpha Drugs invites you to attend its Survival Forum VII, a lecture on new therapies for Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS, finding the strongest possible regimen with the fewest side effects, at 6:30 p.m., Hotel Palomar in the Phillips Ballroom, 2121 P St., N.W. Registration will begin at 6:30, and the lecture and dinner will start at 7 p.m. To RSVP, or for more information, contact [email protected] or call 202-265-5757.

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Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

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Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

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.”

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Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

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'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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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.

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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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