Arts & Entertainment
Heroes assemble!
Pride festivities continue with Heroes gala
Ed Baily (Washington Blade file photo)
Capital Pride hosts its Heroes Gala and Silent Auction Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Powerhouse in Georgetown (3255 Grace St., NW).
The community each year nominates individuals who have helped further the causes of LGBT rights. The recipients of the Capital Pride Heroes this year include Ed Bailey, a DJ who has changed the landscape of the LGBT nightlife in D.C.; Barbara Lewis, who has worked to promote culturally competent health care in the LGBT community; Darren Phelps, senior and founding pastor of Bethel Christian Church D.C.; Jamie Raskin, a professor of Constitutional Law at American University’s Washington College of Law and a Maryland State Senator; and Margot Rosen, director of Membership Outreach at the Human Rights Campaign.
Tickets are $25-$1,000. For more information, visit capitalpride.org.
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
PHOTOS: The Audacity Brunch
D.C. Council approves expanded grant funding for Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
Hundreds of thousands expected to attend D.C. Pride events
PHOTOS: Pride Run
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
EXCLUSIVE: Pelosi reflects on four decades of LGBTQ advocacy
