Arts & Entertainment
Busy week on the gay social scene
Gunn pours, Goss sings, Triangles kick and Pelosi speaks
Fall isn’t just for pumpkins and Halloween, it’s also the busiest time of year on the social scene. The coming week brings an array of fundraisers, sporting events, book signings and more — all with a gay twist.
Saturday brings the first day of Out for Work‘s sixth annual National LGBT College Student Career Conference with keynote speakers Jonathan Capeheart, Elizabeth Birch, Amanda Simpson and Tim Gunn.
The conference won’t be Gunn’s only appearance in D.C. The fashion consultant will also be at MOVA, 1435 P St., N.W., from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday for a celebrity bartending, book signing, reception and fundraiser. Gunn will only be bartending from 9 to 10 p.m., but a reception will be held before his stint behind the bar during which he will sign books.
Tickets are $40 for VIP admission, which gets attendees into the club at 7 p.m. for a VIP reception and book signing, a complementary glass of wine, hors d’oeuvres and admission to the general reception. Tickets are $20 for general admission and allows attendees into the club at 8 p.m. Both tickets include admission to the club during Gunn’s bartending. Dress attire is fashionable. More info is here.
Another event happening on Saturday is United Night OUT, the first ever LGBT fan night in the history of Major League Soccer, hosted by the Federal Triangles Soccer Club, as D.C. United takes on the Houston Dynamo. The event starts with a tailgate pot luck in Lot 8 at RFK Stadium, along the fence near FanFest from 4 to 6:30 p.m., just look for the FTSC flag. Parking opens at 3:30.
The stadium gates open at 6 p.m. The first 5,000 fans will receive a mini flag and all Night OUT attendees will be offered pregame hors d’oeuvres in the Champions Club until 7:30. D.C. Different Drummers will be playing outside the main gate from 6:30 to 7:10 p.m. Rainbow Families D.C. will be participating in Team Tunnel at 7 p.m.
The ceremonial coin flip will be at 7:20 p.m. featuring Servicemembers United and then local recording artist Peter Fox will sing the National Anthem. Kick-off is at 7:30. At halftime, there will be a Night OUT relay race. More info is here.
Individual tickets are $20 and can be purchased through the Night OUT coordinator, at Nellie’s Sport’s Bar, 900 U St., N.W., the HRC D.C. Shop, 1633 Connecticut Ave., N.W., and online through DC United using the offer code UNITED. DC United (5-17) and Houston Dynamo (6-13) were last in their respective conferences as of Tuesday. More info is here.
Also on Saturday, the Rooftop, 155 Gibbs St., will be hosting Pride in the Sky. The event goes from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and will feature DJ Rosie spinning top 40 and hip-hop. Specials include $3 beer, wine, sangria and rail drinks, plus free appetizers from 8 to 9 p.m.
There will be a $5 cover from 8 to 10 p.m. and $7 afterward. Doors open at 8. Attendees must be 21 or older and have a valid ID. The Rooftop is a new venue located at the Arts & Innovation Center in the Rockville Town Center and is the only open-air terrace in the county. More info is here.
Saturday night may be filled with events that are hard to choose between, but don’t forget the afternoon. The 17th Street Festival is also on Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. with a free movie at 8 in Stead Park. The festival will include a “Kids Zone” on the ground of Ross Elementary School, 1730 R St., N.W. There will be games, arts and crafts, food and other activities, including a tour of the school. Many local artists and galleries will have artwork on display. There will be live music as well, including the band Double Life, which will perform at 3 p.m.
The festival will also include a raffle and live auction at 5:10 p.m. followed by a performance by Tom Goss. The festival is a way to mark the near completion of the 17th Street streetscape project, which was started in December. More info is here.
On Sunday, SMYAL will be holding its 13th annual fall brunch at the Mandarin Oriental, 1330 Maryland Ave., S.W. There will be a reception and silent auction starting at 11 a.m. followed by the brunch program. Eun Yang, anchor and reporter for NBC News4 will be emceeing the event and Capehart will be the keynote speaker. The brunch is a major fundraiser for the organization, which provides programs for LGBT youth in the D.C. metro area. Tickets are $125 each. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
Wednesday begins the onslaught of awards dinners here in the District. Up first is the Victory Fund’s 10th annual Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards. This year, the awards celebration will be held at the W Hotel, to honor House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her work on advancing LGBT equality. Actor Leslie Jordan will be master of ceremonies. There will be a VIP reception from 6:30 to 7 p.m. in the POV Lounge Bar. The program will take place in the Grand Ballroom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $250 and VIP tickets are $1,200. More info is here.

You’ve done your share of marching.
You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.
You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.
Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.
You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.
Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.
If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.
Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.
Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.

Friday, June 13
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, June 14
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month 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.
Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut. Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 16
“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 details, email [email protected].
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook.
Tuesday, June 17
Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 18
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. 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.
“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons. The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, June 19
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide. These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
-
World Pride 20253 days ago
WorldPride recap: Festival, parade, fireworks, and Doechii
-
U.S. Federal Courts3 days ago
Judge temporarily blocks executive orders targeting LGBTQ, HIV groups
-
Photos3 days ago
PHOTOS: WorldPride Parade
-
Photos3 days ago
PHOTOS: WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert