Arts & Entertainment
20,000 leagues under the G
Well — almost; local gay sports teams have bounty of spring activities planned
The Cherry Bombs at the Team D.C. Sportsfest two weeks ago. (Blade photo by Pete Exis)
Earlier this month, 33 local LGBT sports teams gathered at Room & Board on 14th Street for Team D.C.’s sportsfest. In addition to long time mainstays such as the D.C. Frontrunners and the Federal Triangles Soccer Club, there were some newer clubs making their presence known on the LGBT sports scene.
The D.C. Cherry Bombs are a recently formed LGBT friendly women’s flag football team that hopes to compete on a local and national level. The group will compete at a tournament in Maryland next month and is hoping to put a team together for the women’s division of the Gay Super Bowl in Denver in September. Practices are at Garrison Elementary School on Saturdays at 11 a.m. They can be found on Facebook at D.C. Cherry Bombs.
The predominately straight group D.C. Triathlon Club was at Sportsfest to encourage members of the LGBT community to join them in training and competing in triathlons. The group recently hosted a happy hour at MOVA with more planned. The group offers a large variety of workout opportunities and members can get discounts from several local retailers. More information is at dctriclub.org.
Ultimate Out is a LGBT-friendly coed Ultimate Frisbee team that meets twice weekly. One night is reserved for league play in the Washington Area Frisbee Club recreational league. The other meet-up is for pick up play with athletes of all skill levels welcome to join. Write the group at [email protected] for more information.
The Washington Wetskins water polo team is the longest running, continuously operating LGBT water polo team in the nation. Its members practice on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Tacoma Recreation Center from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. All skill levels are welcome and they can be reached at wetskins.org.
Charm City Volleyball hosts social play on Wednesdays at the Mt. Royal Recreational Center in Baltimore from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays are reserved for competitive play, scrimmages and team practices at the Volleyball House in Elkridge, Md., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This weekend, starting on Saturday morning, the group will host the 27th annual Charm City Invitational at the Volleyball House where 40 teams will be competing in pool play on Saturday and will return for double elimination play on Sunday. Social festivities will run the course of the weekend in Baltimore. Details are at volleybaltimore.org.
Stonewall Kickball is in the middle of its spring season and will break for its All-Stars game on May 5 at Stead Park beginning at 4 p.m. League playoffs and finals will be wrapped up on May 20.. Stay tuned for fall registration as the team rosters fill up fast. Also coming up for the group is the hilarious Drag Kickball event on June 3 at Stead Park from 3 to 5 p.m. Keep up with the kickballers at stonewallkickball.com.
The Capital Splats racquetball club has begun league play, which is primarily held at the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center. New players can still be phased into the league which consists of three divisions, each of which has two tiers. Check out their new website at capitalsplats.org.
Rainbow Climbing D.C. can be found climbing on a weekly basis either indoor or outdoor. Indoor climbing sessions are at Earth Treks in Rockville or Sportrock in Alexandria. The group can sometimes be found outdoors at Carderock, just west of Bethesda. Meet up information is on their Facebook page at Rainbow Climbing D.C.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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