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Calendar for March 19

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Friday, March 19

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

Friday night Erev Shabbat Services are held 8:30-10 p.m. at the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. Services are followed by a social event. Please use the Q Street entrance.

St. Patrick’s Hangover bear party at Motley Bar above EFN Lounge, 1318 9th St., N.W., 6 p.m.-3 a.m. with host Tim Woody and DJ Jim Gade. There will be prizes, green beer and more.

Excursion at Fly Lounge: The Cherry Fund marks National Women’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day with a happy hour to benefit the Women’s Collective and their work. From 6:30-9:30 p.m., 1802 Jefferson Place, N.W. Tickets are $10 with comp admission for Fresh members and Cherry pass holders.

Brodeo: A DC Cowboys event, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. at Remingtons, 639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. Proceeds benefit the DC Cowboys on their mission to provide free entertainment for HIV/AIDS charity organizations.

“Grease,” the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents a fully staged, all-male production of the Broadway musical at Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St., N.W. (See full story on page 28)

Saturday, March 20

Volunteer opportunity, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Capital Area Food Bank, 645 Taylor St., N.E. Volunteers will go through orientation, watch a short film then work will most likely involve sorting and packaging donated food.

Team DC Fashion Show at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St., N.W., 8 p.m.-3 a.m. $10 cover benefits Team DC college scholoarship. Models will have four clothing changes representing club wear, swimsuit, underwear and leather/sports/fetish. The model with the highest score wins $500, a professional photo shoot with Robert Mercer photography and becomes an automatic finalist to be considered for the 2011 Ripped Genes calendar.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network holds its annual national dinner featuring Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) at the National Building Museum, 401 F St., N.W. Tickets start at $250; reception at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:45 p.m. Visit sldn.org for information.

BARE-Military Style, presented by the Ladies of LURe at Cobalt, 1639 R St., N.W. Fundraising event benefiting Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services organization dedicated to ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Come dressed in camo, war paint or just come out to show support. Doors at 10 p.m. (free admission with ticket from the SLDN National Dinner); 21 and up with ID. For more information visit sldn.org.

Misstallica, an all-girl tribute to Metallica, plays the 9:30 club, 815 V St., N.W. Doors at 8 p.m. For tickets, call 877-435-9849 or visit 930.com.

Oscar winning actress Mo’nique performs standup at DAR Constitution Hall, 18th & C streets, N.W., 8 p.m. Tickets start at $39.50; visit ticketmaster.com.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley shows off his biceps and his singing voice as O’Malley’s March plays the Recher Theatre, 512 York Rd., Towson, MD. Show is at 8 p.m.; tickets $20. For information, call 410-337-7178 or visit rechertheatre.com.

Sunday, March 21

Gay favorite “Hairspray” is performed at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Route 29 & Little Patuxent Parkway, 10:30 a.m. and again at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $46; call 301-596-6161.

Nurse Jackie season two premiere party at Public Bar, 1214 B 18th St., N.W. Join HRC and Showtime for a screening of the Nurse Jackie season one finale and the season two premiere, followed by an after party. Buy tickets at hrc.org/nursejackiedc. General admission, $10 suggested donation; VIP tickets, $75 (includes two drink tickets and private VIP viewing area)

Monday, March 22

Whitman-Walker Clinic substance abuse support group at the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Ave., SE, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Marc Maron, well-known comedic performer who has appeared on HBO, David Letterman and Comedy Central, hits the main stage at Black Cat, 1811 14th St., N.W., 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

Tuesday, March 23

Packing party at EFN Lounge/Motley Bar, 1318 9th St., N.W., from 7-8 p.m. Volunteers will assemble safer sex kits and enjoy drink specials.

Wednesday, March 24

Hollaback Transgender Support Group meets from 6:30-8 p.m. in the DC Center activity room. Hollaback is a program of the DC Community AIDS Network and meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The DC Center is located at 1810 14th St., N.W., convenient to the U Street/Cardozo Metro stop.

Secrets monthly amateur dancer contest night at the Ziegfeld’s/Secrets entertainment complex, 1824 Half Street, S.W., from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Participant sign-up starts at 10 p.m., contest begins at 11 p.m. First prize is $300 cash; hosted by Destiny B. Childs with music by DJ tim-e.

Thursday, March 25

Career development at the DC Center, 1810 14th St. N.W., 4:30–6:30 p.m., brings trained volunteer human resource professionals to offer support with job searches, interviews skills, resume writing and individual career goal counseling. For more information, contact the Center at 202-682-2245 or careerdevelopmentthedccenter.org.

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Calendar

Calendar: March 27-April 2

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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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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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

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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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