For 28 years, Freddie Lutz and Johnny Cervantes have been through nearly everything together. From starting one of the most successful and well-known LGBTQ bars in the DMV — Freddie’s Beach Bar and later opening a second location in Rehoboth — to navigating a pandemic and even overcoming death threats for supporting the LGBTQ community, the pair has been through a lot.

So it only makes sense for them to take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and get married in the middle of the WorldPride parade as it makes its way down 14th Street.

For the longest time, the couple had contemplated getting married, but according to Lutz, none of those times felt quite right.

“When they passed gay marriage in Virginia, I asked him if he wanted to get married the following day,” Lutz told the Blade. “And [Cervantes] said, ‘No, but you can take me to Tiffany’s.’”

Cervantes shared that although the thought had crossed his mind, he had seen the two as committed long before the courts deemed them worthy.

“I don’t think it was until about 2009 that we really considered marriage,” Cervantes said. “We had gone to some fundraiser where Gavin Newsom was speaking — he was such an advocate for gay rights and gay marriage, that that’s what kind of got us both thinking. Like any other marginalized group, you learn to feel that you’re not worthy, that you’re not entitled to certain rights. However, his speech at that time got us realizing that we were worthy and were entitled to marriage.”

“We still hadn’t taken advantage of marriage because it’s like—we have our daily lives together, both in Arlington and in Rehoboth,” Cervantes added. “I think spiritually, we have been committed as if we were married to each other. Going through a ceremony wouldn’t change things.”

Another—and seemingly bigger—concern the pair had about throwing a wedding was who would make the guest list—and which one of their friends would have to sit out due to the nature of hosting such an event.

“We’ve thought about getting married a few times over the past 28 years, but we know so many people that I said to him, ‘Oh my gosh, where would we cut off the invitation list?’ I’d have a lot of pissed off people at me. This way, we’re literally inviting the entire world,” Lutz said.

And invite the world they have. As their home becomes the center of the gay universe this week with WorldPride coming to Washington, the pair decided to get married with some special help and support from the Equality Chamber of Commerce DC (ECCDC).

“If you know Freddie, the idea of his wedding being in the middle of a Pride parade embodies the joy of who he is and his whole spirit,” said Kat Dean, director of the Equality Chamber Foundation. “It was this perfect alignment of continuing to lift up queer economic empowerment and give the spotlight back onto him. I mean, this is what we do as a chamber. Our whole purpose is to continue to uplift businesses—and this is a great way for us to uplift a cornerstone of queer businesses in the area. He’s brought a lot of joy and community into a lot of people’s lives. This is our way of kind of thanking him for the work that he’s done by serving the community.”

When asked what has been the most exciting part of making this idea a reality, Dean—one of the float’s original concept creators and one of the people responsible for the Pride Parade wedding idea—was ready with an answer.

“To watch the design that’s being built by this incredible designer, and seeing that concept start to come to life—it’s been, honestly, a lot of joy when a project like this unfolds,” she said. “Kevin Fenton is the designer from Walla Design that has helped with the marketing and the branding of this. He’s been really integral in pushing out the message and has done a really fabulous job. We’ve received some donated material as well and some support from the community. But really, it’s less about the organizations that have been helping, and more about the individuals who are helping to build the float, to get it up there. There’s some people from our board, some volunteers from our community—a bunch of people coming together to help make this super duper fun.”

This project has been in the works since February, according to Dean, and was inspired by her own recent path to marriage.

“We knew that we, ECCDC, were going to have a float in the parade. We got approved at the beginning of the year that we were actually able to have a float,” Dean said. “I believe it was because of our February Chamber Connect [the monthly networking series], that was conveniently at Freddie’s. But that was not the correlation at the time. It was at Freddie’s in Arlington, but no direct tie-in at all that it had come out.”

“My partner and I had just decided to get engaged and get married,” she added. “The chamber was still coming up with what the idea was for the float, and one conversation led to the next, and the topic of gay marriage came up. The day after the Chamber Connect, I sent out an email—I think at like 6:30 in the morning—to a couple people that I started talking to, including our executive director, and said, ‘Hey, here’s a rough idea following our conversation from last night,’ and everyone just jumped on it.”

As discussions of logistics continued, Dean and her wife took some time to get married ahead of the chaos of WorldPride. This led them to a mini-honeymoon in Rehoboth, where they met Lutz.

“We connected with Freddie and we were talking to him about our wedding. My wife and I were actually in Rehoboth, and we were having a little ‘mini-moon’ there after we just got married. We were telling him about the wedding and the decision of why we wanted to get married sooner rather than later.”

“He told me that he had had similar thoughts with his partner of 28 years, and they were deciding to do the same thing. And after a couple orange crushes, I turned and looked at him, and I said, ‘Hey, how about you do this in the middle of the Pride parade? We’ve got a chapel already being built.’ It was fate! This was almost identical to the idea that he and Johnny wanted to have, and there was just no better choice for us than having somebody who’s been an incredible member of the DMV queer community and an awesome chamber member for many years.”

Lutz explained that this organic conversation between the two sparked an unexpected but perfect alignment of dreams and opportunity.

“I have a second Freddie’s location in Rehoboth Beach, and I’m literally down there two weeks ago, and I’m chatting this girl up at the bar, and she says, ‘I’m with the Equality Chamber of Washington. We are doing a wedding chapel float in the WorldPride Parade,’” Lutz said. “And I said, ‘Wait, what? That’s my all-time dream—to get married on a Pride float with Johnny.’ I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been actually thinking about doing a wedding float with Freddie’s for years—I’ve been talking about it for years. So she says to me, ‘We’re going to be marrying several couples on the float. Would you like to be one of them?’ And I said, ‘No, but if you’ll do just us and let me put Freddie’s signage on the float, I’ll do it.’”

“I do think I probably owe that couple [Dean and her wife] a nice wedding gift,” Lutz added, laughing.

“I know that this is something that he always wanted,” Cervantes said. “Freddie and I are like yin and yang. We’re almost exact opposites of each other. And I like to think I bring the voice of reason to the relationship and he brings creativity and excitement.”

The meeting of Dean and Lutz in an LGBTQ bar—which ultimately led to the wedding coming to fruition—closely mirrors how the soon-to-be-wed grooms first met.

The couple met in another of Washington’s best-known LGBTQ institutions—JR.’s.

“I was actually meeting with a group of people, and we were celebrating my birthday and my friend Dylan’s birthday,” Lutz said. “We all met for a drink at JR.’s, and then went to dinner at Trumpets. Johnny was sitting way down at the end of the table, and I kept looking at him, and that’s how we met.”

The opportunity Lutz and Cervantes had to meet—specifically at an LGBTQ-run business—is exactly the message Dean hopes to highlight with the float and with ECCDC overall.

“We keep going with this tagline—‘Love is good for business,’” Dean said. “Support of queer economic power. But it’s also to remind you guys that we’re here to support you and support our community in whatever it is that they’re doing. We’re just really excited to share in the joy and share in Pride with everyone.”

“I’m so excited,” Lutz said. “I can’t believe that this dropped in my lap just two weeks ago. I mean, we just agreed to do it six days ago.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Cervantes said. “I’ve ridden with Fred in the Pride Parade—just what to expect from the crowd and the number of people there—and it’s always very friendly and celebratory, and I think that’s going to just make our event even more special.”

As the parade rolls through the heart of D.C., the float will transform into the ultimate queer altar, giving the couple the chance to say “I do” while the world celebrates love, visibility, and acceptance around them.

The Little Gay Chapel will be decorated to the nines—with floral arrangements, music, signage, and surprise elements—making it a rolling celebration of queer joy. The float will travel down the increasingly queer 14th Street, pass through Thomas Circle, and head toward Pennsylvania Avenue, where the celebration will culminate at the annual Tea Dance Party overlooking the U.S. Capitol.

When asked if there was anything special about the float—besides the fact that a whole wedding would be taking place as the Little Gay Chapel travels down 14th Street—Lutz said to keep an eye out for the outfits and party invitations.

“I asked them to build a little box for Johnny, because he’s shorter than I, and he will be in black tails with a top hat, and I’ll be in white tails with a white bow tie and a white dress under it,” Lutz said, beaming while showing the Blade inspirational images of the outfits. “And the wedding reception invitation that will be passed out along the parade route says, ‘You are cordially invited to drag your gay asses across the river to celebrate the marriage of Freddie Lutz and Johnny Cervantes at Freddie’s Beach Bar, the only straight-friendly gay bar in Northern Virginia.’”

In lieu of the right-wing takeover both in the government and the country as a whole, the current view of patriotism from marginalized communities is often seen as supportive of patriarchal, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ ideals. The patriot is often seen as someone who supports the idea that America is only one way and that way is one not so geared towards progress. Right now, there are plans in place for several marginalized people, whether they be queer or racial minorities, to perhaps abandon the country, or at the very least lose respect for it, given the whole passport debacle, because of how strong conservatives came in after the induction of the second Trump administration. The response is warranted. We are being told that who we are and what we stand for are not American.

I‘ve noticed that when people distance themselves from the idea of being American or a patriot, it allows these right-wing ideas to take over and distort the image of what being American means in a way that is unchallenged. It is manipulating the entire image of what it is like to be American, which is being presented as cisgender, straight, and white. Right now, transgender service men and women are having their right to serve this country stripped from them simply because of their gender identity. Their sacrifices are seen as wrong or even weak.

However, I feel like now is a time to bolster a new form of patriotism for those who are still here and cannot afford to leave. As WorldPride makes its way to Washington, D.C., I’ve taken a moment to reflect on what it is like to be both a queer and racial minority born and raised near the nation’s capital. I find that regardless of how much conservatism has emboldened right-wing supporters and clutched the federal government, I am very much proud to see the revolt and the pride that people have for who they are regardless of.

Living in a country founded on freedom and the right to self-actualization, that being proud of oneself, and fighting for the freedom to be oneself is innately American.

The intersectionality of being both queer and African American, paired with the historical knowledge of how both identities have been treated does in fact make it hard to be proud of the American title of ”patriot.” But the country and history of the country are not owned by the conservative body. Right now, they are scrambling and trying to control every facet to re-brand the image of what a patriot looks like to change both the history and future of America. 

With that being said and WorldPride merely days away, there now needs to be a call to maybe not reject patriotism, but reshape it into a form of patriotism that reflects the progress that marginalized communities wish to see. Marsha P. Johnson sparked a movement with her revolt at Stonewall, an act just as American as the shot heard around the world. Perseverance, courage and determination during this time is as American as it gets. Queer, trans, and other marginalized people are shining examples of what it means to be Americans. We give our time, money, and lives to make this country thrive. 

Though the past has been dark, stealing both land, people and ideologies from those deemed unfit to be seen as American, this is our country as much as it is theirs. The right feared the progress that was being made over the past decade and made their moves to halt it. Now is the time to counter those moves and show them what our patriotism looks like.

There are few performers who have maintained as consistent and authentic a relationship with Washington—and its LGBTQ community—as Betty Who.

Betty Who, the Australian-American pop singer originally from Sydney, has spent the last 15 years taking her breathy, synth-driven sound from hole-in-the-wall venues to some of the most iconic stages in the world. She’s been around —and she’s not going anywhere.

The Blade recently sat down with the beloved pop princess to talk about her recent Broadway run in Hadestown, her evolving sound, and why performing at Pride events in the nation’s capital holds such a special place in her heart.

Born Jessica Anne Newham in 1991, Who moved to the U.S. in her teens to pursue a promising music career. A multi-instrumentalist since childhood—she plays the cello, piano, and guitar—she’s collected devoted fans, especially LGBTQ ones, along the way.

“It feels pretty crazy,” Who said, reflecting on her unique connection with D.C. “D.C. is one of those cities that I never really expected to have the relationship with that I have at this stage. I started coming to D.C. in the first year of my career—I was playing a couple East Coast cities because I was based in Boston for school, and then I moved to New York.”

In 2014, Who was one of the headlining performers at Capital Pride and has kept that relationship close ever since.

“I would pack up the rental car with my friends from Berklee and go play these shows. And D.C.— what I remember is playing at the Rock & Roll Hotel. I have a long history of playing shows in D.C., and there are few cities that have shown up for me in the way that D.C. does whenever we come around. It’s always one of the biggest shows of the tour. And there’s something about the energy there that is just undeniable for me.”

That energy, she said, continues to fuel her artistic evolution. Her 2022 album “BIG!” marked a shift for her development.

“’BIG!’ was such a huge turning point for me,” Who said. “I think because I was trying to reinvent, but I think I was stuck in a lot of the same patterns that I had been stuck in for a long time. And through making ‘BIG!,’ I thought that I was breaking a lot of those patterns. And on looking back, I realized that I still had so much work to do, and maybe that’s just being an adult. Being in your life, you think you’ve got it all figured out, and then five years later, you look back and you’re like, ‘You silly little girl!’”

One major change has been her approach to releasing music.

“The interesting thing about this era and phase of music is that I do feel like the urgency has been turned up a lot for me,” she explained. “When I came into the business, the model was like: make a song, submit it to your label, and maybe two and a half years later somebody hears it. And now, I finished ‘Run!’ eight weeks before everybody heard it. That direct-to-consumer pipeline that I’m now exploring feels really exciting. That urgency feels more real and tingly for me. I think I used to lose steam sitting on music for so long. Now, it’s like—I haven’t decided that I love these songs, I just like them enough to put them out. It takes me a long time to decide how I feel about music, and I’m excited about this new era.”

That new era is also one of self-discovery—both musically and personally. Her recent Broadway debut as Persephone in the Tony Award-winning “Hadestown,” a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, was transformative.

“I think having an experience that’s really outside your wheelhouse, that makes you uncomfortable, that’s fresh and new—it’s that beginner’s mindset,” she said. “I’ve put in my 10,000 hours in music and songwriting. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. I feel quite grown now. So to step away from everything I know and feel comfortable in—and throw myself into both of those experiences—helped me so much. It taught me a lot about leadership and about being part of a grander purpose. Because sometimes with Betty Who music, I’m like, ‘Who’s this for? What do I care about?’”

She continued: “I was like, ‘Wow, all these incredibly talented people have been working their whole lives to be on Broadway, and I got this chance to step into that world without the 5 a.m. auditions at Ripley-Grier.’ I felt very grateful. My imposter syndrome was definitely alive and well, but I tried to tamp it down because I wanted to be present and really experience it. Walking away from that and returning to music, I thought, ‘What if I could give that same energy to my own project? What if I could show up for this with that same beginner’s mindset?’ I learned so much.”

That renewed mindset has carried over into every aspect of her work.

“It feels a little bit more reckless—but in a good way, in a healthy way,” she said. “Where it’s like, great, I like it, put it out. That’s given me a little more freedom and more opportunity to experiment with sound and genre. I’m coming back to music with a lot more purpose and vision.”

That includes dance.

“We’ve been working really hard in the dance studio,” Who said. “Me and my boys—these two dancers I’m bringing on tour—we’ve really worked our asses off on this show. We’re creating shape and feeling and storytelling. It’s big theater ‘Hadestown’ energy. I’m asking, ‘How does this choreography serve the story of these songs?’ So I think if you’re coming to the show for the first or 15th time, you’ll see familiar moments, but also be transported somewhere new. There’s a new layer we’re adding, and I can’t believe it’s happening this weekend.”

She’s also drawing inspiration from artists who challenge traditional boundaries, including Beyoncé.

“I’m really inspired by so many artists right now—particularly my queen, my number one, Beyoncé—who said gender is made up,” Who laughed. “I was saying genre, but now gender and genre are both in my head—Freudian slip! Genre is made up. Her winning Country Album of the Year just showed me how silly it is to think I have to ‘be something.’ I should just make stuff I’m proud of. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Her current listening rotation reflects that mindset.

“I’m a huge Kenny Loggins fan—big Ken-ergy in this one,” she said. “His Vox Humana record has this song ‘No Lookin’ Back,’ and that album has been really inspirational to me sonically.”

She paused and pulled up her Spotify library. “I’m going to open my Spotify… Jennie’s record from Blackpink—because I’m a Blink, I’m a Blackpink stan. I love K-pop. Between the girls’ solo records and also XG—that’s a new discovery of mine. I guess I’ve been living under a rock,” she said with a laugh. “Six months ago, I was like, ‘Who’s XG?’ Their music is so good. XG is up there for me right now.”

It’s clear this new chapter for Who is rooted in empowerment, freedom, and connection.

“I think it sounds obvious to say, ‘Who you are is beautiful,’” she said. “But what I’m trying to embody right now is: you can be whoever you want to be, regardless of how other people see you. It’s about your agency, your choice, your ability to show up for yourself—and about creating the life and world you want to live in, in the body you want to be in.”

As she prepares to return to multiple stages during WorldPride, she couldn’t help but reflect on the significance.

“I feel so grateful and excited to be a part of this huge event. Especially now. The fact that WorldPride is happening in D.C.—the irony of it all, a little bit—feels like it’s time for us to show up and show out even bigger and better than we ever have. To be ourselves and celebrate that, especially when so many people don’t want to celebrate us.”

And just in time for Pride season, she has a brand-new single to dance to.

“My new song, ‘Sweat,’ comes out tonight—so it’ll be out by the time this is published. It’s a song I’m really excited about. It makes me want to dance and celebrate. I wrote it about a night I went out with all of my gay friends to a club in New York City and had a little too much fun. I was like, ‘Wow, this is… a lot.’ It’s very applicable for Pride. I’m really proud of it. It feels like a new sound, a big swing—even if other people listen and think, ‘Yep, that sounds like a Betty Who song.’ As an independent artist, I appreciate every single person who streams it. It means something. I look at artists with 100 million streams overnight and I’m like, that’s nice for them. But my world has more DIY, scrappy energy. We’re doing it together.”