Arts & Entertainment

Social agenda for April 2

Published

16 years ago

April 1, 2010

Friday, April 2

RAW returns to the Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court N.W., from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. RAW is inspired by gay parties of the early 80s, filled with fog, strobe lights and throbbing music, along with go-go boys. The hosts for the evening are Karl Marks and resident DJs, Shea and Bil. DJ RAD (of Pink Sock) will be the special guest DJ. Catch his set on the 1st floor from 10 p.m. to midnight. Entry is free before 11 p.m., and $3 after that. 21+

Gay District, a weekly, non-church affiliated discussion and social group for GBTQ men between 18 and 35 is held 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].

Nada Surf plays the 9:30 club, 815 V St., N.W., at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is on stage at Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St., N.W., at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$55; call 202-496-4200 for information.

Friday Night Erev Shabbat Services are held from 8:30-10 p.m. at the Washington Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St.

Saturday, April 3

Cherry Fund’s annual Cherry Weekend HIV/AIDS Fundraiser will be held at Freddie’s Beach Bar, 555 23rd St. S., Arlington, VA. A $5 donation is being asked that will help HIV/AIDS Prevention & Education Efforts in the region. DJ JFX returns from L.A. to throw down your favorite anthems, vocals and progressive house vibes. The party starts at 9 p.m.

The HomoSonic dance party will be held at the Black Cat Mainstage, 1811 14th. St., N.W., from 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m. The event is co-ed gay/mix, trans inclusive and straight friendly. Cover charge is $10.

CODE returns to Motley Bar above EFN Lounge, 1318 9th St. N.W., for its monthly installment. Gear, rubber, skin, uniform or leather dress code will be strictly enforced. Music provided by DJ Michael Hades. Admission is $10. Code is an 18+ event. There will be an open bar from 9-10 p.m.

The first Saturday of each month is ladies night with JAM at Mova, 1435 P St., N.W. Entry is free plus the first 50 people get a free beer courtesy of Miller Lite. Music will be provided by DJ GEMZ with a little something for everyone.

‘Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett’ at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $42-$72, call 410-685-5086.

The Great Vigil of Easter is celebrated at the National Cathedral, a ministry for all faiths, at 8 p.m. Easter Sunday services at 8 and 11 a.m. Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues, N.W. Visit nationalcathedral.org for more information.

Sunday, April 4

Easter services at Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, 474 Ridge St., N.W., at 9 a.m.

Dignity Washington, a group for LGBT Catholics, celebrates Easter Mass at 6 p.m. at St. Margaret’s Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

BurGREENdy – recycling during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. BCV is going to be working to encourage recycling during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Volunteers will encourage festival attendees to recycle their empty beverage containers by placing them in recycling containers that are located around the Tidal Basin. There will be two shifts between 3:30-6:30 p.m. Visit burgundycrescent.org for more information.

Monday, April 5

The DC Center invites bears and their allies for the first “Bears do Yoga,” starting today. This four-week class will serve as an introduction to yoga for all different body types and physical abilities. Classes will take place four consecutive Monday evenings: April 5, 12, 19 and 26. Classes begin at 6:15 p.m. in the DC Center Activity Room and last for one hour. There is a suggested $5 donation. To RSVP for this class e-mail [email protected].

Vivian Green, a former backup singer for Jill Scott, plays the Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. in Alexandria at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35; call 703-549-7000 for information.

Tuesday, April 6

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

Wednesday, April 7

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler will speak about his recent legal opinion regarding recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages at 6:45 p.m., Govans Presbyterian Church, 5828 York Rd., Baltimore. A meal will be served at 5:45 p.m.; RSVP required for the meal, 410-435-9188.

Join the D.C. chapter of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association for happy hour at Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St., N.W., from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Get to know other professionals working in journalism, communications and related fields. Information on the 20th anniversary NLGJA convention this September in San Francisco will be available.

The Rainbow History Project presents readings from “Persistent Voices”: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS. Starting at 7 p.m. in the Lecture Hall at Summer School Museum and Archive, 1201 17th St., N.W. The anthology includes works by several D.C.-based poets, including Essex Hemphill. The evening will be moderated by Philip Clark, Rainbow History board member and co-editor of the book. Clark, Richard McCann, Kim Roberts and Bernard Welt will read selected poems from the anthology. For more information call 202-821-7532.

DC Ice Breakers, a GLBTQ social group, will meet and ice skate at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, on top of the Ballston Common Mall parking garage, 627 N. Glebe Road, Arlington. The ice skating events take place on first and third Wednesday nights, with a social after at a local bar. Skating is from 7:45-8:45 p.m. Ice skating novices are welcome. No membership fees and no RSVP needed (for most events), simply show up.

Verdi’s Rigoletto will be shown at 7 p.m. as part of the Opera and Ballet in Cinema series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St., N.E. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the box office, at atlas arts.org/tickets or by calling 202-399-7993.

Career Development at the DC Center, 1810 14th St. N.W., from 3-4 p.m., brings trained and experienced 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.

Thursday, April 8

The Cherry Fund presents “Cherry Weekend: A Return to Tradition.” The events of the weekend kick off on April 8 with the Opening Party at Mova, 1435 P St., N.W. from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Music by DJ Jason Royce. Complimentary admission. The event is 21+.

DCBiWomen, the area’s social group for bisexual and bi-curious women, will meet from 7– 8 p.m. at Cafe Luna, 1633 P St., N.W., at 7 p.m. The group’s goal is to create an accepting, encouraging environment for bisexual women regardless of the gender of their partner or what they are looking for, meet other cool bi women and affirm the existence of the bi-identity. For more information visit http://www.dcbiwomen.org/index.asp.

Books

New book reveals what we can learn from animal sex

‘Poking the Squid’ on homosexuality, gender swapping, and more

Published

3 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy W.W. Norton)

‘Poking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex’
By Perrin Roosevelt Ireland
c.2026, W.W. Norton
$29.99 241 pages

Birds do it.

According to Cole Porter, bees do, too, but it’s not exactly what he imagined. Wild and tame, avians, insects, and mammals all have sex – although not always as you’ve been told or for reasons you might think. Even educated fleas do it and, as in the new book, “Poking the Squid” by Perrin Roosevelt Ireland, humans can learn from them all.

If you read through scientific papers on animal reproduction, you might notice something unusual: for scientists, the word “sex” means a lot of different things.

Says Ireland, “It’s used to describe behaviors, biology, life histories, and more.”

That might be because animals are not simply binary.

Take, for instance, hyenas. It’s easy for the casual observer to mistake a male hyena for a female and vice versa because of stereotypes of anatomy. Mating, for hyenas, requires subordination for the male and a nifty trick on the part of the female’s body to get things done.

Our feathered friends are no birdbrains, either: black-browed albatrosses were once thought to be monogamous but global warming seems to have changed their nesting habits sometimes. Male flamingos have sex with one another, as a territorial thing; other birds and animals form same-sex pairs for other reasons.

The Chinese mantis eats her mate after fertilization. Female snakes, alpacas, guinea pigs, and monkeys are anatomically able to enjoy sex. Genitalia between species varies quite a bit; in fact, the vaginas of ducks “are highly complex.” Lionesses will mate up to 100 times when in heat. Female damselflies will change into a “third sex” to avoid overly aggressive mating males. Bearded dragons can change their sex, if needed, as can yellow clown goby fish. And seahorse pregnancy and birth sparked a book banning in Tennessee.

So, asks Ireland, if animals, including us, vary so much in biology and life, “… why are we using the word sex like it means something, anything, consistent?!”

Pick up “Poking the Squid,” page through it a few seconds, and you’ll see that the information here is largely told through cartoon-like drawings mixed with captions. It seems to be something on the lighter side, but don’t let that artwork fool you.

Author Perrin Roosevelt Ireland offers readers solid information that cozies up to the scholarly, with hard science, philosophy, feminism, and quotations from researchers to support it, thus furthering the narrative and hitting the points squarely. If you see the art and expect something lighthearted, comic, and small-talk-worthy, you could be disappointed.

On the other hand, if you want solid, wryly serious facts, you’re in for a treat.

There’s lots of learning to be gleaned here, and some slight nudge-wink whimsy to emphasize the absurdity of wrong-headed thinking. This can make readers feel like they’re in-the-know on the jokes, and the playfulness balances the seriousness of the information well.

So, serious, scholarly, or slightly silly, none of these are negative but you’re going to know what you want from a book like this. For the right reader, someone in the mood, “Poking the Squid” is wild.

The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.