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.
Cupid’s Undie Run, an annual fundraiser for neurofibromatosis (NF) research, was held at Union Stage and at The Wharf DC on Saturday, Feb. 21.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Sweat DC is officially expanding to Shaw, opening a new location at 1818 7th St., N.W., on Saturday, March 28 — and they’re kicking things off with a high-energy, community-first launch event.
To celebrate, Sweat DC is hosting Sweat Fest, a free community workout and social on Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. at the historic Howard Theatre. The event features a group fitness class, live DJ, local food and wellness partners, and a mission-driven partnership with the Open Goal Project, which works to expand access to youth soccer for players from marginalized communities.
For more details, visit Sweat DC’s website and reserve a spot on Eventbrite.
Friday, Feb. 20
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon with Yoga will be at noon at the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the D.C. Center. This will be a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome! We’ll have card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Go Gay DC will host “First Friday LGBTQ+ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community 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.
LGBTQ People of Color will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Queer Talk DC will host “The Black Gay Flea Market” at 1 p.m. at Doubles in Petworth. There will be more than 15 Black queer vendors from all over the DMV in one spot. The event’s organizers have reserved the large back patio for all vendors, and the speak easy for bar service, which will be serving curated cocktails made just for the event (cash bar.) DJ Fay and DJ Jam 2x will be spinning the entire event. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, Feb. 23
“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 information, contact Adam at [email protected].
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. 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 percent cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. 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.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, Feb. 26
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center. To be more fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
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