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Countering holiday indulgences

Local LGBT sports teams can help you get moving

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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.

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Photos

PHOTOS: World Pride March

LGBTQ rights demonstration held in Amsterdam

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A scene from the 2026 World Pride March in Amsterdam. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki

Evry Pleasure, Tiara Missou-Sidora, Indiana Bones perform

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Evry Pleasure performs at the 'Daddy Issues' drag show at Kiki on Wednesday. (Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

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Books

Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?

‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia

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(Book cover image courtesy of St. Martin's Essentials)

‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages

Mom called you in a panic the other day.

She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.

Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.

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