Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Feb. 10
Parties, concerts, meetings and more through Feb. 16
Lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes performs at Strathmore on Friday. (Photo courtesy Strathmore.)
Friday, Feb. 10
Women in Their Twenties, a social discussion and dinner group, meets tonight from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
Red Eye Gravy Theatre Company presents a same-sex version of “Romeo and Juliet,” a benefit for the Trevor Project at the Fridge (516 1/2 8th St., S.E.), tonight at 8 p.m. This production will feature the title roles as a lesbian couple and the show will be followed by a discussion. The show will run through Feb. 18. Tickets are $20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit thefridgedc.com.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is performs at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $99 and can be purchased online atkennedy-center.org.
Out comedian Wanda Sykes performs at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $39 to $99 and can be purchased online atstrathmore.org.
Busboys & Poets presents “The 11th Hour” poetry slam hosted by “2Deep” the Poetess, tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). There is a $5 admission at the door starting at 10:30 p.m.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court) hosts Mama’s Trailer Park Dance Party tonight upstairs from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and a $16 Smirnoff “All-U-Can-Drink” buffet from 10 to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Blowoff, a dance party featuring gay DJs Bob Mould and Richard Morel, will be at 9:30 club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 11:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at 930.com.
There will be a viewing and service for slain trans murder victim Deoni Jones today at the King Emmanuel Baptist Church (2324 Ontario Rd., N.W.) from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information contact Earline Budd or Brian Watson at 202-636-1646 or Ron Moten at 202-615-0204.
The Dupont Social Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary by taking over the 18th and U Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) at 6 p.m. featuring drag queen waitresses, bartenders and hostesses. Tips from talents will be donated to teamdc.org. There will also be celebrity appearances, DJs and performances.
Zoom Urban Lesbian Excursions presents “Vino: The Singles Edition” tonight. The group will be meeting at Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar (2121 P St., N.W.) at 6 p.m. Reservation for this event is free. Wine and food is purchased individually. For more information, visit phatgirlchic.com/zoom.
Tony Award-winning musical “La Cage aux Folles” starring Christopher Sieber and George Hamilton will be at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) today at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $65 to $130 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Hellmouth Happy Hour where every week an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will be screened and drink specials will be offered. This week the episode is “The Zeppo.”
Sunday, Feb. 12
Khush D.C. is having its first book club meeting of the year today at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at 2 p.m. The group will be discussing the book, “Ninny’s Natter” by Ninade Jog and there will be a Q&A session with the author after the discussion. For more information contact Jeff Ajanee at [email protected].
The D.C. Kings are performing their “King of Hearts” show tonight at Phase 1 (525 8th St. S.E.) at 10 p.m. Performers for the night include Sammy Smooth, celebrating his seven year anniversary, Bona Fyde, Dash, Valentino and more. Doors open at 7 p.m. and their is a $10 cover. This is a D.C. Kings Fundraiser.
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) presents Drag Brunch hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee today at 11 a.m. with a $20 brunch buffet. There will also be a special edition “Guil-Tea” Dance today from 3 to 8 p.m. on the roof deck featuring Sweet Tea vodka specials.
Monday, Feb. 13
MotherTongue D.C. is holding its annual “Anti-Valentine’s Day Slam!” tonight at the Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 and are available in advanced online atblackcatdc.com.
Tickets for Madonna’s Sept. 23 concert at the Verizon Center go on sale today at 10 a.m. Several package deals and price ranges are available. Visit ticketmaster.com orlivenation.com for details.
The Youth Working Group, a gathering of people committed to impacting the lives of D.C. area youth, will be meeting tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 14
D.C. Bi Women will have its monthly dinner at Dupont Italian Kitchen (1637 17th St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.
The Child and Family Services Agency’s LGBTQ Task Force is holding a full-day retreat today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). The retreat is a way to identify steps needed to support LGBTQ youth in the foster care system. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
LezGetTogether.com is having its Valentine’s Day party tonight at Buffalo Billairds in the Adirondack Room (1330 19th St., N.W.) from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 online, $8 at the door or $4 with invite of 10 or more women to LezGetTogether.com and promotional code.
Wednesday, Feb. 15
Women’s Wednesday is being co-hosted by the Human Rights Campaign and held in the Equality Center (17th and Rhode Island, NW) tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Registration is fee for CAGLCC members and their guests.
The D.C. Ice Breakers will be having its monthly skate and social tonight. The group will be skating at Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Rd.) in Arlington from 8 to 9 p.m. then they’ll hit a local bar for a social hour. Skating is $8 and skate rentals are $3.
Thursday, Feb. 16
The D.C. Center, with the Deaf Abused Women’s Network, Deaf Queer Kaleidoscope and Gallaudet University with sponsorship from Access Interpreting is facilitating its second deaf/hard of hearing/deaf-blind LGBT community needs assessment for the area today from 6 to 9 p.m. in Flex A/B at Gallaudet (800 Florida Ave., N.E.). For more information, e-mail Alex Nelson at [email protected].
Lesbian comedian Judy Gold will be performing at Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) tonight at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online atriotactcomedy.com She will also perform on Friday and Saturday.
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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