Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: April 8
Parties, dances, support groups and more through April 14
Friday, April 8
Women in Their Twenties, a social discussion and dinner group, will be meeting tonight from 8 to 9 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
BYGays AllCity Happy Hour is tonight at U Street Music Hall (115A U St., N.W.) from 7 to 10 p.m. with a performance by Jessica 6 and DJs Bill Todd and Tight Fang. This is a free event.
The annual Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce awards dinner is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Park Hyatt Washington (1201 24th St., N.W.).
DJ Seth Gold is spinning at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight with BacK2bACk providing music and videos downstairs. Doors open at 10 p.m. For attendees 21 and older, the cover is $5 before 11 p.m. and $10 after. For attendees 18 to 20, the cover is $10 all night.
The Washington Ballet will be performing Le Corsaire, an adventure of “pirates, pashas and the slave girls who love them” at 8 p.m. in the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). Tickets range from $20 to $125 and can be purchased online. For more information and to get tickets, visit kennedy-center.org.
Busboys and Poets presents “The 11th Hour” Poetry Slam hosted by “2Deep” The Poetess, tonight from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Langston Room at Busboy & Poets’ 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). There will be two rounds of poetry and the audience will choose the winner. Tickets are $5 and will be sold at the door.
Saturday, April 9
Blowoff, a dance party featuring gay DJs Bob Mould and Richard Morel, will be at 9:30 club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 11:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at 930.com.
Jacob Nathaniel Pring presents “Come Out of the Shadows,” tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.). Part of POZ D.C., this is a monthly party for those who are HIV positive.
Ten LGBT groups are co-hosting “Grandson of Mega Party Game Night” tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Bailey’s Pub in the Ballston Common Mall (4238 Wilson Blvd.) in Arlington. You do not have to be a member of any of the groups to attend. This is a free event. For more information, visit dcicebreakers.com.
“Nine on the Ninth” open mic poetry presents Rachel Eliza Griffiths hosted by Poet in Residence Derrick Weston Brown at 9 p.m. in the Langston Room at Busboy & Poets’ 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). Griffith’s newest collection of poetry, “The Requited Distance,” was just released in February. There is a suggested donation of $5 for admission.
D.C.’s Different Drummers will be performing its spring concert, “A Country Portrait,” tonight at 8 p.m. in the auditorium at the Columbia Heights Educational Center (3101 16th St., N.W.). Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. There will be another performance Sunday at 3 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit dcdd.org.
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers will serve as balloon wranglers in the National Cherry Blossom Parade today from 7:30 a.m. to noon on the National Mall. E-mail [email protected] if interested in volunteering.
The Polaroid Retrospective II, an ongoing exhibit dedicated to the world of Polaroid and instant film photography, is on display at the Lamont Bishop Gallery (1314 9th St., N.W.) from 7 to 11 p.m. A few of the artists included are Alan Campbell, Jati, and Jillian Pichocki.
Sunday, April 10
The fourth annual National Rainbow Seder is tonight at 5 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). It will be led by Rabbi Toby Manewith of Congregation Bet Mishpachah. Tickets are $36 for general admission and $24 are DCJCC members, student, seniors and those with limited income. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit washingtondcjcc.org.
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) is hosting an artist talk/coffee and cake today from 2 to 4 p.m. with Janet Wheeler and Mary D. Ott, whose exhibits, “Nests with a Twist” and “Grasses” respectively, are on display through May 1.
The D.C. Jazz Jam, a weekly jam free for both musicians and jazz lovers, is tonight from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Dahlak (1771 U St., N.W.).
Monday, April 11
The D.C. Lambda Squares is hosting an Intro to Modern Western Square Dancing and Open House Pizza Party tonight from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Scott Hall at the National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.).
Bears do Yoga at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court N.W.) tonight at 6:30 p.m. Class lasts for an hour and serves as an introduction to yoga for people of all different body types and physical abilities. Itās taught by Michael Brazell. For more information, visit dccenter.org.
Tuesday, April 12
A fundraising Bingo event will be held at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to help Jason Clauson reach his fundraising commitment of $3,000 for the 10th annual AIDS/Lifecycle cycling tour from San Francisco to Los Angeles this summer.
The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance will hold a membership meeting tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archive (1201 17th St., N.W.).
D.C. Bi Women is having its monthly meeting tonight from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the upstairs room of the Dupont Italian Kitchen.
Wednesday, April 13
Rainbow Response is holding its monthly meeting tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 8 p.m.
Politics and Prose Bookstore (5015 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) is holding the first meeting of its newest book group, Lez Read, tonight from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the discount bookroom downstairs. The first group up for discussion is Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith.
Thursday. April 14
Washington Wetskins Water Polo is having a happy hour at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. $1 from every Nellie beer sold goes to the Wetskins. For more information on Washington Wetskins, visit wetskins.org.
There will be a town hall discussion on LGBT targeted hate crimes and bias crimes in Washington, D.C., tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the community room of the Frank Reeves Building (2000 14th St., N.W.) Representatives from GLLU, the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs, Office of the Attorney General and community organizations including Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence are expected to be in attendance.
Theater
Celebrate Valentineās Day with one of these three plays
āWaitress,ā āLove Birds,ā āFuenteovejunaā offer differing takes on love

For theatergoers seeking to mark Valentineās Day with live music, love, and friendship, the DMV offers some new spins on traditional themes.
Poised to make its regional debut at Olney Theatre Center, Sara Bareillesās hit musical āWaitressā (Feb.13-March 30) may not seem like a usual love story, but itās a love story nonetheless.
āItās about learning to love and value yourself,ā says MALINDA who plays Jenna, the showās titular server/baker with aspirations to bake prize-winning pies and change her life. āItās also about sisterhood. From the start, the women involved in the show decided to be there for each other onstage and off, and it shows. For anyone with girl group love in their lives, this is an especially good show to see.
āJenna doesnāt get a lot of satisfaction out of her primary partnership. Along with self-love she explores the antithesis of that ā partner violence. Our director [Marcia Milgrom Dodge] took the lesson of community support and community love to heart.ā
Prior to coming out as bisexual in 2022, MALINDA considered herself more of a “quiet queer.ā However, the inspiration derived from Irish music (“music of the oppressedā), which sheās famed for singing on TikTok, compelled her to go public.
She didnāt always believe her queerness to be special: āFor me,ā MALINDA says, āit was like saying my eyes are hazel. There wasnāt much to celebrate. But then I realized there were missing voices in my community. Felt like the right thing to do, and itās been one of the great blessings of my life.ā
Six years ago, after her Helen Hayes Award-winning turn in āOnce,ā MALINDA took a break from musical theater. She needed time to age into dream parts, and one of those roles was Jenna. She recalls, āGoing back to theater was prominently featured on my vision board, so when Marcia asked me to commit to āWaitress,ā I happily agreed.ā
For her, Valentineās Day is an opportunity to reach out and tell friends, family, and, of course, romantic partners, just how much you love them.
And she adds āthatās exactly how I plan to celebrate.ā
D.C.ās delightful Holly Twyford is spending Valentineās Day working at the Folger on Capitol Hill. Sheāll be on stage, her wife will be in the audience, and depending on the length of the program, theyāll go out to dinner afterward.
For four performances, the multi-Helen Hayes award-winning actor is serving as narrator for āThe Love Birdsā (Feb. 14-16), a new Folger Consort work that blends medieval music with a world-premiere composition by acclaimed composer Juri Seo and readings from Geoffrey Chaucerās āA Parlement of Foulesā by Twyford.
Standing behind a podium, sheāll read Chaucerās words (translated from Middle English and backed by projected slides in the original language), alternating with music played on old and new instruments.
āThe new music is kind of dissonant with the sounds of birdcalls and nature sounds, painting a picture of whatās going on in Chaucerās poem thatās beautiful and funny. Chaucer describes the male eagles pleading for the hand of the female eagle. Chaucer seems almost unwittingly feminist when he has the female eagle ask her eagle suitors to give her a year to think about it.ā
GALA Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights presents āFuenteovejunaā (through March 2), a timely production staged by out director JosĆ© Luis Arelleno. Penned in 1613, this work from the Spanish Golden Age ranks among playwright Lope de Vega’s most performed plays.
Itās about tyranny and love, Arellano explains. Within Lope de Vegaās timely tale of brutish power lies an intense love story. In fact, at the top of the show, four characters, two males and two females play a game. What is love? One of the players asserts that love doesnāt exist, while the others disagree. Itās a charming way to kick off the play.
The celebrated director isnāt one to telegraph messages, preferring audiences think for themselves. That said, he does, of course, make strong directorial choices: āIf I have to choose between love or war, itās more important to talk about love. For me, itās a revolution.ā
And apropos of a Valentineās Day date, GALAās production of āFuenteovejunaā (performed in Spanish with English surtitles) is imbued with live music and verse, an important part of any romantic experience, adds David Peralto, the productionās poetry and verse consultant as well as Arellanoās longtime partner.
The busy Spain-based couple will celebrate Valentineās Day in Seville and couldnāt be happier. Arellano describes Seville as the most romantic city in the world.

The LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL held the “SMYAL for the New Year” fundraiser at Shakers on Thursday, Jan. 30.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



















a&e features
Valentineās gifts for the queers you love
Fragrances, X-rated sweet treats, candles, and more

Put a little love in your heart. Thatās what Jackie DeShannon encouraged with her 1969 hit song of the same name, and itās never been more appropriate than in the context of our current state of affairs. Mute the vitriol this Valentineās Day and concentrate on what really matters ā those you love and who love you back.
Gucci Guilty Love Edition

Sniffies? Youāll put the site on hold after a whiff of Gucci Guilty Love Edition on the nape of his neck ā featuring captivating notes of juniper oil, orange flower absolute and aphrodisiatic Ambrofix ā which one review claims to āmake your brain sparkle like a fine Champagne.ā Cheers to that. $25-$133, FragranceNet.com
Hunky Burning Love Pillow

Sweet dreams are on the docket when you rest your head on the Hunky Burning Love faux-suede square pillow printed with illustrations of shirtless himbos pining for your affection. An exercise in fantasy more than reality, but it beats sitting alone at a bar getting no attention at all. $30, ThePillowTopShop.com
Love Deck
Whatās in the cards for your love life in 2025? Fuck around and find out with astrologist Lisa Stardustās 70-card Love Deck, a tarot set of short spells, meditations and rituals designed to conjure enough love, passion, clarity and confidence to make Potion No. 9 jealous. $13, Amazon.com
āMaking the Case for Equalityā
Weāll continue to fight the good fight over the next four years and beyond ā perhaps harder than ever ā and Lambda Legalās āMaking the Case for Equality,ā a detailed half-century history of our hard-won judicial victories, is a solid reminder of how far weāve come in the war for LGBTQ+ rights. $45, Amazon.com
Lola Blankets

Schedule an at-home streaming marathon of this yearās Best Picture noms before the big night ā thereās a lot to love in 2024ās Oscar picks ā and the coziest way to settle in is all snuggled up in the squishiest Lola blankets, reminiscent of the adorable ripples of the cutest Shar Pei. Pick up a couple for the cuddle puddle. $109-$299, LolaBlankets.com
Asa Akira x Cake Life Cookies

Cue the collaboration you didnāt see coming: Adult film star Asa Akira teams up with award-winning trans-owned bakery Cake Life Bake Shop for its sweet-and-spicy Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies, featuring Akiraās XXX-tra special curated box decorated with NFSW phrases like āCowgirl,ā āCream Pie,ā and the ever-subtle āAnalā ā that are sure to leave mouths agog at your Gaylentineās get-together. $19-$21, CakeLifeBakeShop.square.site
Mind Games Candles

Since the late 1990s, the Backstreet Boys have implored us to quit playinā games with our loversā hearts, which is probably why we play mind games instead ā and now they come in luxury scents like Jasmine Milk, Tobacco Tonka Bean and Cherry Sandalwood, so you can enjoy mood lighting with your gaslighting. $135, MindGamesFragrance.com
Delysia Chocolates

Inspired by Greek Goddess-of-Love Aphrodite, Delysia Chocolatierās 16-piece, limited-edition truffle collection includes four each of symbolic Passion (almond-honey-fig), Adoration (raspberry-rose petal-hibiscus), Unity (pomegranate-strawberry), and Love (spiced wine-berry) bite-size chocolates rich enough for savoring and abundant enough for sharing. $60, Delysia.com
DIY Whiskey Hot Sauce

Variety is the spice of life in Thoughtfully Gourmetās Whiskey-Infused DIY Hot Sauce Kit that combines your favorite cereal spirit with high-quality global ingredients, like Mexican hot peppers, to create sophisticated flavor experiences of varying Scoville heat levels, handsomely housed in fancy decanters. Recipe book, spices and seasonings included; alcohol and antacids are not. $20, Amazon.com
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBTQ lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets around the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.
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