Arts & Entertainment
D.C. arts briefs: events through Jan. 17
Marga Gomez at Busboys, La Ti Do returns and more
Marga Gomez brings her stand-up show to Washington this weekend. (Photo by Kent Taylor)
Lesbian jokester to play Busboys and Poets
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Marga Gomez returns to Washington Sunday night when she brings her 2013 comedy show “Laughterglow” to Busboys and Poets (14th St., NW).
Gomez brings her commentary of the 2012 elections and the Mayan prophecies with a queer Latina twist. She is one of the first openly lesbian comedians and is the winner of a GLAAD Media Award. Doors open at 7:45 p.m. for the 70-minute show, which starts at 8.
Tickets are $10. For more information, visit margagomez.com.
La Ti Do resumes at Black Fox Lounge
La Ti Do, a weekly word-based and musical cabaret series, returns Monday night for its first installment of the new year at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., NW). It starts at 8 p.m. and features Regie Cabico, DonMike Mendoza and Jonathon Tuzman.
Cabico is a leading guru in poetry slam having won three national top prizes and winning The Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam. He teams up with Mendoza, a local gay actor, and Tuzman, a local pianist active in the cabaret scene.
Cover is $10. For more information, visit blackfoxlounge.com.
Showcase features D.C.-based talent
The Capital City Showcase brings some of the best comedians, musicians and performing artists in the D.C. area to the D.C. Arts Center (2438 18th St., NW) Saturday tonight at 10.
This weekend features comedians Damo Hicks, Shahryar Rizvi, Emily Ruskowski and Brandon Wardell along with rock band Yellow Tie Guy.
Tickets are $10 online and $15 at the door. For more information, visit capitalcityshowcase.com.
Arts & Entertainment
2026 Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles nominations
We are looking for the most eligible LGBTQ singles in the Washington, D.C. region.
Are you or a friend looking to find a little love in 2026? We are looking for the most eligible LGBTQ singles in the Washington, D.C. region. Nominate you or your friends until January 23rd using the form below or by clicking HERE.
Our most eligible singles will be announced online in February. View our 2025 singles HERE.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
2026 Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles nominations
Gay Venezuelan man who fled to Colombia uncertain about homeland’s future
PHOTOS: Freddie’s Follies
Imperial Court of Washington drag group has ‘dissolved’
What to watch for in 2026: midterms, Supreme Court, and more
A look back at the best books of 2025
D.C.’s 10 best theater productions of 2025
Safer Ways to Pay for Online Performances and Queer Events
The year in photos
