Arts & Entertainment
Writing and ruminating
Center gives queer authors forum with Outwrite Book Fair
Outwrite LGBT Book Fair
Friday and Saturday
Various times
D.C. Center
1318 U St., N.W.
Readings and discussions are scheduled throughout the event
Visit thedccenter.org/outwritedc for times
Lesbian writer and performance artist Kimberly Dark is one of the performers at this weekend’s OutWrite LGBT Book Fair. (Photo by Roni Galgano; courtesy Dark)
Even in a culture-rich town like Washington, there are always a few pockets of time — usually in the dead of winter after the holidays or right about now when the novelty of summer has worn off but nobody’s ready for fall yet either — when there’s almost nothing going on.
Organizers at the D.C. Center think the “dog days” are a perfect time for the OutWrite Book Fair, which is back this weekend for a second installment. Organizers guess between 200-300 attended last year’s maiden event and say it’s important, even with book sales having migrated mostly online, for queer authors and readers to have a place to gather.
“Literature is one of the many ways in which we express ourselves and find echoes of our own lives,” says Lin Wang, a Center intern who helped organize the event. “Hosting an LGBT book fair is one way to affirm queer identities and give them an empowering environment where they can keep creating and celebrating their art.”
Several readings, performances, discussions and spoken word events are planned throughout today and Saturday. Many new and used LGBT-themed books will be available.
Among the highlights:
• Gay author and former stripper Rick McGranahan will read from his memoir “The Ghost of Puppyboy,” which tells of his years in the ‘90s working at the former D.C. gay strip club WET, where he found what he calls “microcelebrity” status, good money but also drugs and alcohol. His reading will be Saturday at 11 a.m.
“I kept journals during all of my dancing years,” he says. “The relationships, people, places and endless nights. I would revisit the journals and read them over and over and end up with insomniac attacks from the memories.”
• Lesbian poet and mother Brittany Fonte of Annapolis, Md., will read from her book “Buddha in My Belly,” a prose poetry collection, Saturday at 5 p.m. She says having two kids, now 2 and 6, made novel writing too time consuming. She found the shorter windows of time she had available more conducive to writing poetry. Her book just came out two weeks ago.
“I think when I was a kid, I didn’t see any gay or lesbian authors,” she says. “We heard about Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes in school but we didn’t know anything about them being gay. … Teens coming out now have so much more experience with being able to find role models and people to talk to … there’s less suppression and bullying.”
• Gay poet and novelist Rashid Darden, a life-long Washingtonian, will be part of a poetry reading with several other poets dubbed “head/heart/soul” Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
He says with Lambda Rising no longer in business in D.C. and precious few mainstream bookstores remaining anywhere, it’s important for writers to have a place to gather.
“There’s a chance to do some of that at Pride events, but that’s not the kind of thing where you can have much of a niche market either,” he says. “I think it’s really important for the Center to provide an alternative to the existing constructs, as a sort of replacement for the bookstores that no longer exist.”
• Saturday night at 8:15, performance artist Kimberly Dark will close the festival. The San Diego-and-Hawaii-based lesbian has been performing for LGBT audiences in arenas of all sorts since the mid-‘90s. She says issues of sexual orientation and gender, which largely inform her work, provide almost endless fodder for observation and discussion.
“Everyone’s lives matter and even today, we still have a really narrow image of who’s who in the world,” she says. “It’s very hard for many people to see their own lives reflected on stage or TV.”
Out & About
Plan your wedding the LGBTQ way
Washington D.C. LGBTQ+ Wedding Expo scheduled for Sunday
Rainbow Wedding Network will host “Washington D.C. LGBTQ+ Wedding Expo” on Sunday, March 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Guests can meet and mingle with a curated selection of LGBTQ-welcoming wedding professionals from across the region, each ready to help bring your vision to life, and spend a beautiful afternoon exploring everything they need to create a celebration that reflects them.
There will be a relaxed, self-guided look at the Watergate’s spaces and amenities, savor signature cocktails and delicious tasting samples, and connect with other couples who are on the same journey.
Visit Eventbrite to reserve a spot.
Friday, February 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga and Drag Bingo will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour Meetup” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, February 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black lesbian. You do not need to be a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter or the Beta Phi Omega Sorority in order to join, but they do ask that you either identify as a lesbian or are questioning that aspect of your identity.Send an email to [email protected] to receive the zoom link.
Sunday, March 1
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, March 2
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, March 3
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email [email protected].
Wednesday, March 4
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more information, email [email protected].
Thursday, March 5
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
a&e features
Transmission DC breathes new life into a storied sound space
A fresh home for boundary-pushing culture on H Street
Late last year, phoenix-style, a fresh home for boundary-pushing culture arose on the H Street corridor. Transmission DC – a queer, trans, and POC-owned, operated, and centered community-focused venue – powered on in the former home to the Rock & Roll Hotel (famously, not a hotel, but very much rock & roll). Transmission (1353 H St., N.E.) arrives secure in its mandate – or even birthright – to provide a place to celebrate creativity and music through a lens of inclusivity and respect.
Transmission’s team brings experience, but also representation. Owners/partners Kabir Khanna (who is also programming director), Katii B, Ellie McDyre, and Kelli Kerrigan together previously managed 618 productions, a venue in Chinatown, crafting “some of D.C.’s freakiest parties, raves, and mosh pits” they note.
They packed up operations last fall to a space curated specifically for D.C.’s underground music and culture scene, building their efforts in Chinatown to bring in more fans in queer and POC circles.
Transmission, Khanna points out, is built on DIY values. In the music scene, DIY means that promoters and organizers – often disconnected from the mainstream and part of marginalized communities – build shows and programs collaboratively, but independently from institutions, supporting each other as smaller, independent venues close. Here, Transmission aims to ensure that those putting together these underground inclusive shows have a more permanent and stable home, can have access to resources, and can provide more sustainable income to artists. “We’re trying to get more people to support and enjoy the music, and also give artists and organizers within the DIY community more structure and a larger cut,” says Khanna.
Khanna also notes that Transmission operates “under the principles of safety, inclusivity, and respect.” McDyre added that even at venues that claim inclusivity, that statement might not take place in practice. We’re “not just pitting up a rainbow flag,” says McDyre, but as some of the owners are trans and POC, audiences can see themselves reflected at the top.
Much like the DIY nature of the music community, the Transmission owners brought a DIY ethos to turning around their space.
In March 2020 – the height of COVID lockdowns – Rock & Roll Hotel suddenly shuttered, though not due to the pandemic; instead, the venue claimed that decreasing sales and increasing competition led to the closure. For 14 years, it was the central spot for cheap beer and lesser-known and celebrated acts. The space stood vacant for more than five years, until Transmission turned the power back on.
“When we got into the space, it was effectively abandoned for years,” says Khanna. “There was a ton of mold, and paint primer covering all surfaces. It was nearly falling apart.” Khanna noted that many music venues like this one, regardless of how well it was maintained, “get the shit kicked out of it,” given the nature of shows. The team called in mold removal contractors, ripped up most of the floorboards, and started fresh.
Transmission’s first floor is styled as a stripped-down black box: the better to take in the music. “It’s minimal on purpose to act as a canvas for set design and music,” without a specific aesthetic, says Khanna. Moving upstairs, the second floor has been opened up, removing some walls, and now has a larger dance area than the first floor. Beyond the first two performance levels, and a holdover from Rock & Roll Hotel, is the rooftop. Though without a stage, the rooftop space is filled with murals splashed across the walls, with a full bar. Transmission’s current capacity is 496, but the team is looking to grow that number. Transmission will also leverage the full kitchen that Rock & Roll Hotel operated, bringing in Third Hand Kitchen to offer a variety of food, including vegan and vegetarian options.
Khanna pointed out an upcoming show reflective of Transmission’s inclusive ethos: Black Techo Matters on Feb. 27. The event is set to be “a dynamic, collaborative night of underground electronic music celebrating Black History Month.” Khanna says that techno came from Black music origins, and this event will celebrate this genesis with a host of artists, including DJ Stingray 313, Carlos Souffront, and Femanyst.
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