Arts & Entertainment
ARTS NEWS IN BRIEF: ‘Homo’ performance at Dance Place
Thomas to perform, pro-gay African Bishop in town and Richmond Pride slated
Gay dancer Vince E. Thomas performs a gay-themed work in D.C. this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Thomas)
Vince E. Thomas brings his VTDance to the D.C. area to present his newest solo work, “iWitness,” a three-part performance, at Dance Place (3225 8th Street, N.W.) on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.
“I Pledge” explores the simple truths in human behaviors and the implied truths found in human documents. Another part, “Render & Proceed” investigates the convolution of media and its impact on the human spirit. The last part, “Come Change,” considers the past and present for a hopeful tomorrow.
The evening will also include a work called “Homo Will Not Inherit,” a collaboration with Iron Crow Theatre based on the poetry of Mark Doty dealing with the transformation of space physically and culturally.
Tickets are $22 for general admission, $17 for Dance Place members, seniors, teachers and artists, $10 for college students and $8 for children and teens 17 and younger.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit danceplace.org or call 202-269-1600.
Pro-gay Uganda bishop makes Lutheran, Episcopal weekend appearances
The Lutherans Concerned, Metro-Washington, D.C. is having its chapter banquet tonight at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation (212 E. Capitol St., N.E.) starting at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour followed by the banquet at 7:30.
Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, the retired Anglican bishop in Uganda and leader of St. Paul’s Reconciliation and Equality Centre in Kampala, is the guest speaker. He’ll also be speaking at All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church (2300 Cathedral Ave., N.W.) on Sunday morning at its 11 a.m. Mass. A discussion time will be held in the church hall after the service.
There will also be a silent auction to benefit SYMAL, the Trinity Place Shelter for LGBT youth in Manhattan, and the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation, the U.S.-based organization that supports the Bishop’s work in Uganda.
Tickets are $25 and $40. Contact Philip Moeller at 202-543-1282 or by e-mail at [email protected] to RSVP.
Richmond, Va., has Pride event Saturday
Local gay singer/songwriter Tom Goss plays PrideFest in Richmond this weekend. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Virginia Pride PrideFest 2011 is Saturday starting at noon at Kanawha Plaza in Richmond with performances by local and national performers including Martha Wash, Amy Henderson and Tom Goss.
The festival will also include the athletic wear and swimwear rounds of the Mr. VA Pride competition. The four finalists are Mr. Richmond Julius Smith, Mr. Fairfax Brian Reach, Mr. Arlington Chip Clapp and Mr. Virginia Beach Matt Belcher.
For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit vapride.org.
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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