Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Feb. 4
Events, concerts, parties and more through Feb. 10
‘The Promise of Love Broken in Timeless Waiting’ by Newton More is one of the art works on display as part of Touchstone Gallery’s “Color of Love” exhibit. (Image courtesy of Touchstone)
Friday, Feb. 4
RAW, hosted by DJs Bil Todd and Shea Van Horn with special guest DJ Cale of Brightest Young Things, will be at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Free entry before 11 p.m. with a $3 cover after. There will be an open bar from 10 to 11 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) is hosting an opening reception tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for its newest exhibit, “Color of Love” featuring 50 artists. The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 27.
There’s a new group for D.C. area gay professional women, “First Friday of the Month.” Its mission is to connect with other like-minded women for fun, friendship and more. The first meeting is tonight at 7 p.m. at Beacon Bar and Grill (1615 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.)
Justin Crockett Elzie, the first U.S. Marine kicked out under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” will have the only D.C. signing of his book, “Playing By the Rules” today from 6 to 10 p.m. at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.). A limited number of books will be available for purchase at the event.
Metropolitan Community Church (474 Ridge St., N.W.) hosts neighborhood bingo tonight at 7 p.m. The doors open at 6:10 p.m. Free parking is available. Bring this announcement and play the early bird games for free. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 202-297-6884.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike)in Boonsboro, Md., presents “So You Think You Can Sing” with DJ Christy from Brown Entertainment Group tonight from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. There will be karaoke and dancing all night. No cover before 9 p.m. and $5 cover after. For more information, visit thelodgemd.com.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) is hosting its open mic night tonight from 8 to 10 p.m. featuring Chris August from Baltimore. For more information, visit thedccenter.com.
National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.) has its first “Magical, Mystical, Musical Machine” Friday organ recital of the month today at 12:15 p.m. featuring Charles Miller and Jacqueline Pollauf. This is a free event.
Saturday, Feb. 5
Zoom Urban Lesbian Excursions presents “Hookah Love” tonight at 6 p.m. at Soussi Restaurant (2228 18th St., N.W.) The event is free, but attendees with have to purchase their own hookah pipes and shisha. For more information, visit zoomexcursions.com.
The organizers of the Capital Queer Prom present Wizards Night Out. Watch the Washington Wizards take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center. Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) will be hosting an after party following the game. Tickets are $32 and $10 of each ticket will go to Capital Queer Prom. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit verizoncenter.com/wiz/2011wiznightout.
Team D.C. is holding its annual meeting today at 10 a.m. at the Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut Ave., N.W.). This meeting will also include the first meeting of the new Sports Council which will vote for the board of the newly organized Team D.C. Executive Committee.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts a Brother Tongue poetry workshop today from 1 to 4 p.m. Brother Tongue is a spoken word and poetry group for gay, bi, trans and queer men. For more information, visit thedccenter.com.
Whitman-Walker Clinic will join other local health organizations today to present a National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day community event at the Metropolitan Community Church (474 Ridge Rd., N.W.) from noon to 6 p.m. The event will include free HIV testing and counseling, educational workshops, food and entertainment.
DJ Phil Romano, resident DJ for Push Club and Circuit Festival will be at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. with music and video downstairs by Wess. Drag show starts at 10:30. There is an $8 cover before 11 p.m. and a $12 afterward. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Sunday, Feb. 6
Buddha-Bar D.C. (455 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) begins its weekly “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Sundays” tonight from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m Drink specials will include $6 signature cocktails and $5 mixed drinks.
David A. Richardson presents “Fire and Desire: A Cocktail of Song and Poetry” at Busboys & Poets (2021 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. In recognition of National Black AIDS Awareness Day, proceeds from the show will be donated to Us Helping Us.
Watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Packers battle each in Super Bowl XLV today at 6:30 p.m. at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.).
Monday, Feb. 7
D.C. Gay Flag Football League presents “Speed Dating at Nellie’s” (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. There is a $15 cover and will be $3 drinks. Check in begins at 6 p.m.
The D.C. Center presents “Double Rainbow: Jessica Halem and Ben Lerman” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Source Theater (1835 14th St., N.W.). For more information, visit thedccenter.com.
Tuesday, Feb. 8
Cowboy Mouth, a New Orleans rock band, will be performing at 9:30 Club tonight. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at 930.com. The club is at 815 V Street, N.W.
The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance is holding a membership meeting tonight from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archive (1201 17th St., N.W.).
Wednesday, Feb. 9
Mautner Project is holding an open house tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at its offices (1875 Connecticut Ave., Suite 710). For more information and to RSVP, visit mautnerproject.org.
The Big Gay Book Group will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at 1155 F St., N.W., Suite 200. The book up for discussion today is “Faggots” by Larry Kramer. For more information, visit biggaybookgroup.com.
Rainbow Response is holding its monthly meeting tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.)
Thursday, Feb. 10
DCBiWomen will be having its monthly dinner at Café Luna (1633 P St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit dcbiwomen.org.
GLOV will be holding its elections tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
The 13th annual Frederick Pride Festival was held at Carroll Creek Park in Frederick, Md. on Saturday, June 27.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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PHOTOS: Fredericksburg Pride March and Festival
LGBTQ celebration held in historic Virginia town
The sixth annual Fredericksburg Pride March was held in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, June 27. Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chair Deuntay Diggs led the march alongside Fredericksburg City Council Member Jannan W. Holmes. The Fredericksburg Pride Festival took place at Riverfront Park after the march. Bree Fram was the featured speaker.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Iran and Egypt on Friday faced off during the World Cup’s “Pride Match” in Seattle.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death. Discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity is commonplace in Egypt.
Friday’s match coincided with Pride weekend in Seattle. The Egyptian Football Association and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran both objected to playing in the “Pride Match.”
Egypt and Iran tied 1-1.
FIFA, for its part, allowed Pride flags inside the stadium during the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events. General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”
Human Rights Watch welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow Pride flags inside the stadium. Outright International, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, distributed Pride flags in Seattle on Friday, which was Pride Match Day.
“Visibility matters,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this year told Die Weltwoche, a Swiss magazine, that “there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup.”
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city,” said Infantino. “But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
Peter Tatchell, a long-time LGBTQ activist from the U.K. who is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was among those who traveled to Seattle for Friday’s match. Tatchell accused FIFA of not vetting World Cup teams — specifically Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Algeria — over whether they would allow gay players.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility in the stands while failing to protect LGBT+ players on the pitch,” said Tatchell.
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