Arts & Entertainment
Countering holiday indulgences
Local LGBT sports teams can help you get moving
Adventuring Outdoors Group members on a recent jaunt. They hike in Maryland Sunday. (Photo courtesy Kevin Majoros)
It’s practically impossible not to gain weight over the holidays. But if you want to get back into your tight jeans, the local LGBT sports groups have plenty of opportunities to help you get moving.
The Adventuring Outdoors Group, whose focus is hiking and recreational biking, is hosting its 14th annual Sugarloaf Solstice/Poetry Hike on Sunday. It’s a moderate circuit hike of about 7 miles with a 1,700-feet elevation gain to a series of peaks on top of Sugarloaf Mountain near Frederick, Md. Members will stop at the scenic White Rocks overlook to enjoy the view, have lunch and share favorite poems in honor of the passing of another year. They will meet at 10 a.m. at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station for carpooling or you can drive directly there. Bring a bag lunch, water, sturdy shoes and a few dollars for trip and transportation fees. Contact Chris at [email protected] for more details and directions.
On Jan. 1, the Adventuring Outdoors Group is hosting the Great Falls Hike. The starting point will be at the historic Great Falls Tavern where they will head downstream to the Falls Overlook and stop for lunch. They will head through the Gold Mine Loop and circle back to the Tavern area. Total length of the hike will be 5 miles over rolling and possibly muddy or icy terrain. They will meet at 11 a.m. at the Tenleytown Metro Station on the east side of Wisconsin Avenue for carpooling or you can drive directly there. Bring a bag lunch, water and a few dollars for trip and transportation fees. Same contact as above.
Lambda DanceSport is offering classes every Wednesday and Sunday at the Church of the Pilgrims Fellowship Hall near Dupont Circle. Work those pounds off with social ballroom, Latin, swing and two-step classes. Members are also hosting “Tango at Dupont Circle” Christmas Day and New Year’s Day milongas at the same location. The event runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 respectively with DJ Mark Sakowski. Cover is $10 and includes dancing, munchies, beverages and desserts. More information is at dancesportdupont.com.
Rainbow Climbing D.C. members can usually be found at the local indoor climbing venues on Tuesday and Thursday nights and sometimes on weekends. Check out its Facebook page under Rainbow Climbing to see if members will be at Earth Treks in Rockville or Sportrock in Alexandria.
The D.C. Front Runners continue with their Tuesday and Thursday evening runs along with their Saturday and Sunday morning runs. The group meets at 23rd and P streets except for Tuesdays when they meet at Union Station. The runners also host walks at the same locations on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Join them on Dec. 25 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for the Holiday (Jingle Bell) Fun Run along the National Mall. They will meet at Union Station. The group can be found at dcfrontrunners.com.
The Capital Splats Racquetball League offers all levels of competition for men and women as well as recreational play, group meet-ups and skills clinics. Join its Facebook page at Capital Splats or meet up with members at their monthly happy hour at Nellie’s.
Charm City Volleyball is hosting Wednesday social play at the Mt. Royal Recreation Center in Baltimore every week from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Teams are formed by 7 and all skill levels are welcome. The cost is $3 per session. Players also host Sunday competitive and scrimmage play/clinics at the Volleyball House in Elkridge, Md., every week from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $7 per session and North American Gay Volleyball Association teams are welcome to play. Details are at volleybaltimore.com.
Ski-Bums have announced their 2012 event offerings for skiing and snowboarding. Upcoming trips include Salt Lake City, Beaver Creek, Sun Valley, Killington and more. Stay tuned for local trips coming in February. Details are at ski-bums.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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