Arts & Entertainment
Out & About
Queer music fest kicks off Thursday at the Phase, the Nationals hold LGBT family day, ‘Sugar’ author to present book and new Vida opens on U Street
Queer band Jen Urban and the Box play Phasefest next week. (Photo courtesy of PhaseFest)
Queer music fest kicks off Thursday at the Phase
The fifth annual Phasefest Queer Arts and Music Festival kicks off Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Phase 1 Lounge (525 8th St., S.E.) with performances by the Athens Boys Choir, Jen Urban and the Box, Coolots, Frankie and Betty, Ashley Linder, Nikki Smith and Erin Brown.
It continues Friday night with performances by Men, People at Parties, Tayisha Busay, Rad Pony, Lost Bois, G.U.T.S. and Glitter Lust.
The festival ends Saturday night with a performance by the queer, all-female band Sick of Sarah, as well as Hunter Valentine, Allison Weiss, Mitten, Melissa Li and the Barely Theirs, Clinical Trials and Michelle Raymond.
Admission is $10 on Thursday and $20 each night for Friday and Saturday. A festival pass is also available for $45. All attendees must be 21 or older.
For more information, visit phasefest.com.
Local sports teams continue gay days
The Washington Nationals continue to promote their gay-friendly ways. Sunday is LGBT family day. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Washington Nationals are hosting their first LGBT Family Day on Sunday as they take on the Florida Marlins.
Tickets are $16 for Outfield Reserve seat or $25 for an Outfield Reserve seat, a hot dog, soda and a bag of chips and are available online at nationals.com/lgbtfamily.
First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. and kids will be able invited to run the bases after the game.
Also Team D.C. presents the second annual “United Night Out” Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium as D.C. United takes on Chivas USA.
D.C. Different Drummers will have a pre-game performance and the national anthem will be sung by Peter Fox.
Tickets are $25, a portion of which will benefit Food & Friends.
For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit UnitedNightOut.com.
‘Sugar’ author to present book
Wayne Hoffman, former Washington Blade reporter, will be in the D.C. area doing two events for his new gay-themed novel, “Sweet Like Sugar,” which is set in and around D.C. and follows the friendship between Benji Steiner and Rabbi Jacob Zuckerman
Hoffman will be leading a discussion at Bet Mishpachah at the D.C. Jewish Community Center (1529 16th St., N.W.) starting at 7:30 p.m. with services to follow at 8:30. He will also have a reading at Barnes & Noble (4801 Bethesda Ave.) in Bethesday on Sunday at 2 p.m.
For more information, visit Hoffman’s website, waynehoffmanwriter.com.
Interiors for the new Vida U Street location, formerly Results. (Photo courtesy Vida)
New Vida opens on U Street
Vida Fitness has opened on U Street after a four-month renovation overhaul, unveiling more than 40,000 square feet of fitness space with four levels devoted to cardio, strength, group and personal training making this Urban Adventures Companies fourth location in Washington at 1612 U Street, NW.
This is the largest, most fully equipped location and is the company’s flagship site.
David von Storch is president of Urban Adventures Companies, Inc. His expansion of the U Street complex delivers high-end amenities that are found in Vida’s other three locations at Verizon Center, Logan Circle and the Renaissance Washington Hotel.
For the first time, with Vida Fitness added into the mix, the U Street complex will include all of von Storch’s four Urban Adventures affiliate companies under one roof. Capitol City Brewing Company will build a restaurant space specifically designed for upscale dining. Bang Salon is also located on the first level. The Aura Spa is slated to open on the first floor in late spring 2012.
Friday, March 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. 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.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, March 28
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.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Monday, March 30
“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 ([email protected]).
“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Tuesday, March 31
Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, March 1
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.
Thursday, April 2
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. 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.
Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.
Tickets can be secured via Resy.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
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