Arts & Entertainment
Ready to worship
A bounty of gay-welcoming local parishes have holiday services planned
Bet Mishpachah is having its Hanukkah Erev Shabbat Service tonight from 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at the D.C. Jewish Community Center (1529 16th St., N.W.) with Allan Armus leading. Attendees are asked to bring a menorah and candles. For more information, visit betmish.org.
Saturday, Dec. 24
Bet Mishpachah is having its Shabbat morning service and Hanukkah luncheon today at the D.C. Jewish Community Center (1529 16th St., N.W.) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with Larry Neff leading the service.
National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.) is having its Christmas Eve worship tonight at 7:30 p.m. with prelude music beginning at 7 p.m.
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (1830 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) is having a children’s service with Christmas carols and the Holy Eucharist today at 5 p.m. There will be a choral prelude at 10:30 p.m. and the solemn high Christmas Eucharist with choir, incense and sermon at 11 p.m.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.), the region’s largest mostly gay church, is having its Christmas Eve worship tonight at 8 p.m.
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ (3845 South Capitol St., S.W.) is having its Christmas Eve service today at 7 p.m.
Georgetown Lutheran Church (1556 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) is having its Christmas Eve service tonight at 8 p.m.
Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) is having a children-and-family Christmas Eve service at 6:30 p.m. and a music-and-candlelight service at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 25
Bet Mishpachah is having its annual movie and Chinese dinner tonight. For full details, visit betmish.org.
National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.) is having its all-church Christmas worship today at 10 a.m. followed by service in Spanish in Phillips Chapel at 11 a.m. and an Elder’s service in the Thomas House at 2 p.m.
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (1830 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) is having the Holy Eucharist with carols and homily today at 10 a.m. Dignity/Washington is having its Christmas Mass here at 6 p.m.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) is having its Christmas worship today at 10 a.m. followed by a morning brunch.
Georgetown Lutheran Church (1556 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) is having its Christmas service today at 10 a.m.
Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) is having multiple services today. There is a service at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., both followed by a coffee hour and an evening service at 5:30 p.m.
Other LGBT-welcoming and affirming houses of worship with special services planned this week include All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church (2300 Cathedral Ave., NW; allsoulsdc.org); Asbury United Methodist Church (926 11th St. NW; asburyumcdc.org);Dignity of Northern Virginia, a gay Catholic group that meets at Immanuel Church On the Hill (3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria;dignitynova.org); Dignity Washington, the D.C. gay Catholic group, meets at St. Margaret’s Episcopal (1820 Conn. Ave. NW;dignitywashington.org); Faith Temple (1313 New York Ave. NW); Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist (3401 Nebraska Ave. NW;nationalchurch.org); More Light Presbyterians (opendoorsmlp.org); Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ (5010 Little Falls Road, Arlington; rockspringucc.org); St. Mark’s Episcopal (3rd and A streets, SE; stmarks.net); St. Thomas’ Parish (1772 Church Street, NW; stthomasdc.org); The United Church (1920 G Street, NW; theunitedchurch.org) and Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ (1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda; westmorelanducc.org). Visit their respective websites for service times. The Blade regrets that space does not permit complete listings of service times or all LGBT-affirming parishes in the region.
Out & About
Equality Chamber hosts Pride in Business Expo and Profits & Pours
Entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals to meet at Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs
The Equality Chamber of Commerce is bringing together LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, advocates, and community partners on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the D.C. Mayor’s Office for LGBTQ Affairs (899 N. Capitol Street, NE).
This is an afternoon and evening focused on one essential question: How do we build businesses and a business community that can thrive? The Pride in Business Expo and Profits & Pours with Stephanie will create a powerful forum for connection, practical knowledge, and economic opportunity at the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The Pride in Business Expo, taking place from 4-7 p.m., brings the region’s LGBTQ+ business community together to showcase businesses, build relationships, discover resources, and create new opportunities.
Out & About
Learn more about Virginia’s queer history
‘The Remarkable Visibility of Hannah Nokes’ event scheduled for Wednesday
Queer Virginia Contributor Amy Bertsch will host “The Remarkable Visibility of Hannah Nokes” on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at Sprouse Rare Book Room inside the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library (717 Queen St., Alexandria, Va.).
Amy will share the story of Hannah Nokes, an African-American transgender woman who made headlines in 1933 when she testified in a high-profile murder trial. Learn about Nokes’s life, her place in history, and the broader social context of her remarkable story. Her story is among those featured in the book “Queer Virginia: New Stories in the Old Dominion.”
Register at the Alexandria Library website.
Out & About
Annapolis Pride arrives this weekend
Sixth annual LGBTQ celebration held in Maryland capital
The Sixth Annual Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. on the streets adjacent to St. John’s College.
The theme of this year’s Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival celebration is “United in Pride, Together We Thrive!” Saturday’s parade will begin on St. John’s Street adjacent to St. John’s College, continue along Calvert Street to Northwest Street, to Church Circle, and onto West Street. The parade route then turns onto Amos Garrett Boulevard and eventually ends on Constitution Avenue near Maryland Hall.
Those with disabilities will be able to watch the parade from a special viewing porch at the Graduate Hotel at 126 West St. An Annapolis Pride volunteer will be there and available to assist.
For more details, visit the festival’s website.
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