Arts & Entertainment
Night Out of soccer
Several sponsorship levels available for Sept. event
United Night Out relay participants last year. (Photo courtesy of the Federal Triangles)
On Sept. 21, the Federal Triangles Soccer Club, in partnership with D.C. United will host the second annual United Night Out at RFK Stadium as the D.C. United take on Chivas USA at 7:30 p.m. This will be the fourth Night Out of the season sponsored by Team D.C., following on the heels of events with the Nationals, the Kastles and the Mystics.
Tickets are $25 (regularly $32) and ticket holders will have access to the Champion’s Club beginning at 6 p.m. throughout the game. Reserved seating will be in sections 201, 202, 203, 301, 302 and 303. There will be a pre-game performance by the D.C. Different Drummers and the national anthem will be sung by local gay crooner Peter Fox. At halftime, there will be a relay race pitting local LGBT sports teams against each other.
D.C. United has generously offered to donate a portion of each ticket to D.C. based non-profit, Food & Friends, whose mission is to foster a community caring for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling.
Families are encouraged to be a part of the event. Children can be signed up to participate in the D.C. United High-Five Tunnel. The kids will get exclusive access to watch part of the warm-ups from field level, and then high-five the starters as they come through the tunnel for introductions. Contact D.C. United representative Brad Snook at 202-587-5494 to book your kid’s spot.
D.C. United has a long history of supporting the LGBT community. Its members were early and avid supporters of the Federal Triangles Soccer Club when they hosted the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association World Championships in 1997, and then again when the Triangles hosted the championships in 2009.
This month, D.C. United will release an “It Gets Better” video to become the first Major League Soccer team to participate in the campaign. Brad Snook, D.C. United representative, says the players are proud to lend support to the anti-bullying campaign founded by Dan Savage. Its tagline “win championships, serve the community” rings true in such endeavors.
Group participation levels for United Night Out are:
Team Captain (10 tickets) — name on website and one raffle entry to win a jersey.
Supporters’ Club (25 tickets) — live link on the website, recognition on the stadium scoreboard during the match, two raffle tickets to win a jersey.
Community Partners (50 tickets) — two tickets to Food & Friends’ 22nd annual Chef’s Best dinner and auction (a $500 value), logo and link on the website, recognition on the stadium scoreboard during the match, five raffle tickets to win a jersey.
Tickets can be purchased at Nellies Sports Bar and the HRC Clothing Store. Online purchases are available at unitednightout.com.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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