Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Dec. 16
Concerts, meetings, parties and more through Dec. 24
The Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra plats the Mansion at Strathmore on Sunday. (Photo courtesy Strathmore)
TODAY (Friday)
The Stein Club is having its annual holiday celebration tonight at Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams (1502 14th St., N.W.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be an open white cosmo-and-white wine bar as well as complimentary hors d’oeuvres. There is a suggested donation of $25 for this event.
Girls Rock! D.C. is having its holiday party tonight at Dollhouse (1429 Madison St., N.W.) from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. with DJs Alex D-B and Alpha Betts. This is a bring-your-own-beverages-booze-and-baked goods party. For more information, visit girlsrockdc.org.
Team D.C. presents its fourth annual Holiday Extravaganza for D.C. Gay Sports tonight at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There’s no cover, free food and happy hour drink prices. For more information, visit teamdc.org.
DJs Aaron Riggins, Della Volla and AVM will be spinning at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight for “Pop Goes the World,” an international dance party starting at 10 p.m. There is a $5 cover.
Gay/Bash!, a “queer night of rock and pop gems” with DJs Joshua and Dean, is tonight at the Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.). Admission is $5 and doors open at 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17
D.C. Leather Pride is holding a fundraiser tonight at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. featuring Mr. D.C. Leather. There will be drink specials and raffle tickets for $1 each.
Youth are invited to the Stereo Chromatic GSA Youth Dance tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Clarendon Presbyterian Church (1305 N. Jackson St.) in Arlington. There is a $2 entry fee and snacks will be provided.
Zoom Lesbian Excursions presents Christmas in Morocco, a seven-course Moroccan meal at Marrakesh Restaurant (617 New York Ave., N.W.) tonight at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 to be paid at the venue. For more information, visit phatgirlchic.com/zoom/index.html.
Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) is having a night of queer music tonight with The Lost Bois, SolRose and Angie Head from D.C. as well as Constance Sick and Eli Conley. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Lure D.C. presents “Bare: How the Grinch Stole Bare” tonight at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. featuring DJs Rosie and Keenan Orr. The best dressed Grinch look-a-like wins $100. For more information, visit Lure’s Facebook at facebook.com/lurewdc. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Will Eastman’s dance party “Bliss” returns to U Street Music Hall (1115 U St., N.W.) tonight with Chris Nitti and Richard Richard. There is a $10 cover and attendees who are 18 to 20 must purchase tickets in advance. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ustreetmusichall.com.
Sunday, Dec. 18
SAGE Metro D.C. is co-sponsoring a workshop presents by AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly on understanding the benefits of Medicare and Medicaid at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) is having an open mic night tonight from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. All kinds of performers are welcomed. There is no cover to this event.
The National Symphony Orchestra presents Handel’s “Messiah” today at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 1 p.m. Ticket range from $30 to $85 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Busboys & Poets presents “Sunday Kind of Love,” an open mic night celebrating LGBT Jewish poetry featuring Yermiyahu Ahron Taub and readings from “Milk and Honey: A Celebration of Jewish Lesbian Poetry” with editor Julie R. Enszer and contributor, Eryca Kasse tonight at 5 p.m. in the Robeson room of its Shirlington location (4251 S Campbell Ave.) in Arlington. There is a $5 suggested donation.
Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra play “A Bohemian Christmas” today at the Mansion at Strathmore (10701 Rockville Pike) in North Bethesda at 8:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at strathmore.org.
Monday, Dec. 19
The Choral Arts Society of Washington presents “Christmas Music: Holiday Treasures from Russia” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $65 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org. There will be two other performances on Wednesday and Dec. 24.
Ledroit Park is having its holiday party at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 5 to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 20
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) presents its production of “Billy Elliot: The Musical” directed by Stephen Daldry and featuring music by Elton John, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $150 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Join Burgundy Crescent Volunteers to help pack safer sex kits from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at FUK!T’s packing location, Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.
Wednesday, Dec. 21
“A Very Faerie Yule 2011” is tonight at the Open Hearth Foundation (1502 Massachusetts Ave., S.E.) from 7 to 9 p.m. Hot and heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts and beverages will be served. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Radio one presents “Know Your Status” concert at 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. hosted by Wale and featuring Chuck Brown and more. Tickets are available for free when tested at one of the D.C. Department of Health’s participating testing sites. For a list of site and more details, visit dctakesonhiv.com.
Thursday, Dec. 22
Trixie and Monkey’s seventh annual “Holiday Spectac-U-Thon” is tonight at the Patterson at 8 p.m. The neo-burlesque show will feature acrobatic antics, trapeze and more. Tickets are $22 for general admission and $17 for Creative Alliance members. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit creativealliance.org.
The Washington Chorus presents “A Candlelight Christmas” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $65 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
History
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Tuesday marked 60 years since four gay activists held protest
While Stonewall is widely considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the U.S., a lesser-known protest inside a Greenwich Village bar three years earlier helped lay critical groundwork for what would follow.
Tuesday marked 60 years since the Julius’ Bar “sip in.”
On April 21, 1966, four gay rights activists — Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and later Randy Wicker — walked into Julius’ Bar and staged what would become known as a “sip-in” to challenge state liquor regulations on serving alcoholic beverages to gay men — with a drink.
Modeled after the sit-ins that challenged racial segregation across the American South, the protest was designed to confront discriminatory practices targeting LGBTQ patrons in public spaces.
At the time, the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s earliest gay rights groups — was actively pushing back against policies enforced by the New York State Liquor Authority. One of those policies could have resulted in the loss of liquor licenses for serving known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The participants had visited multiple establishments, openly identified themselves as homosexual, and requested a drink — with the anticipation of being denied.
Their final stop was Julius’, where reporters and a photographer had gathered to document the moment. When Leitsch declared their identity, the bartender covered their glasses and refused service, reportedly saying, “I think it’s against the law.” The next day, the New York Times ran a story with the headline, “3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars,” cementing the moment in the public record.
Though initially framed with disrespect — the term “sip-in” itself was coined as a play on civil rights protests — the action marked a turning point. It brought national attention to the systemic discrimination LGBTQ people faced and helped catalyze changes in how liquor laws were enforced. In the years that followed, the protest contributed to the emergence of licensed, more openly gay-friendly bars, which became central social and organizing spaces for LGBTQ communities.
The Washington Blade originally covered when the bar was officially added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Today, historians and advocates increasingly recognize the “sip-in” as a key pre-Stonewall milestone. According to the New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, the protest not only increased visibility of the early LGBTQ rights movement but also exposed widespread surveillance and entrapment tactics used against the community.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the event, commemorations have taken place in New York and across the country. Reflecting on its enduring legacy, Amanda Davis, executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, spoke about the event.
“Julius’ Bar is a place you can visit and viscerally connect with history,” said Davis. “We’re thrilled to have solidarity locations across the country join us in commemorating the ‘sip-in’’s 60th anniversary and the queer community’s First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.”
For current stewards of the historic bar, the responsibility of preserving that legacy remains front of mind.
“It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be the steward of a place so important to American and LGBTQ history,” said current owner of Julius’ Bar, Helen Buford. “The events of the 1966 Sip-In here at Julius’ resonated across the country and inspired countless others to stand proud for their rights.”
The timing couldn’t have come at a more important moment, Kymn Goldstein, executive director of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, explained.
“At a time when our community faces renewed challenges, coming together in resilience and solidarity reminds us of the power in our collective resistance,” Goldstein said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization dedicated to defending rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, is currently tracking 519 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. The majority are targeted at restricting transgender rights — particularly related to gender-affirming care, sports participation, and the use of public bathrooms.
Some additional groups and bars that held their own “sip-in” as solidarity events to uplift this historic milestone are from across the country include:
Alice Austen House at Steiny’s Pub, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bellows Falls Pride Committee at PK’s Irish Pub, Bellows Falls, Vt.
Brick Road Coffee, Mesa, Ariz.
Brick Road Coffee, Tempe, Ariz.
Dick Leitsch’s Family at Old Louisville Brewery, Louisville, Ky.
The Faerie Playhouse & LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at Le Cabaret, New Orleans
Harlem Pride & John Reddick at L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar, New York
JOYR!DE KiKi at Loafers Cocktail Bar, New York
Matthew Lawrence & Jason Tranchida / Headmaster at Deadbeats Bar, Providence, R.I.
Mazer Lesbian Archives at Alana’s Coffee, Los Angeles
New Hope Celebrates at The Club Room, New Hope, Pa.
Queer Memory Project at the University of Evansville Multicultural Student Commons / Ridgway University Center, Evansville, Ind.
Sandy Jack’s Bar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
St. Louis LGBT History Project at Just John Club, St. Louis
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch was held at Salamander Washington DC on Sunday, April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) was presented with the Allyship Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The umbrella LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C. held its annual Night of Champions Gala at the Georgetown Marriott on Saturday, April 18. Team D.C. presented scholarships to local student athletes and presented awards to Adam Peck, Manuel Montelongo (a.k.a. Mari Con Carne), Dr. Sara Varghai, Dan Martin and the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Sean Bartel was posthumously honored with the Most Valuable Person Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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