Arts & Entertainment
Sportin’ all summer long
Gay D.C. leagues in high gear in coming months


Lawrence Magali, left, and DeJay Johnson at Night OUT at the Nationals last week, one of Washington’s biggest annual LGBT sports events. (Photo by Kevin Majoros)
Last week, Team D.C. hosted the ninth annual Night OUT at the Nationals as roughly 4,000 members of the LGBT community came out to watch the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-5.
Next up in the Night OUT series is Night OUT at the Kastles on July 22 as the Washington Kastles take on the Philadelphia Freedom at 7 p.m. The Kastles just drafted Martina Hingis, who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 13. Tickets are $12 and can be found at teamdc.org.
The North American Gay Volleyball Association recently awarded the 2014 NAGVA Championships to Washington D.C. The event will run from May 23-25, 2014 and will be contested at the Washington Convention Center. The Championships will be co-hosted by Capital City Volleyball and New York-based Gotham Volleyball and is expected to draw about 135 teams with more than 1,000 players. NAGVA is online at nagva.org.
The District of Columbia Aquatics Club will be hosting the 22nd annual Maryland Swim for Life on July 13 on the Chester River. The event features 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-mile races. Also this year, the swimmers are partnering with the DC Triathlon Club to offer a 2.4 mile Triathlon Challenge.
Proceeds from Swim for Life support a number of small local organizations such as Heart to Hand, Quality of Life Retreats, Metro TeenAIDS and the Chester River Association. More information on the event along with volunteer opportunities can be found at swimdcac.org.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League will be hosting the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series from Aug. 26-31 at three separate complexes in the area. The tournament, the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the world, will welcome 170-plus teams participating in more than 600 softball games.
In total, they are expecting more than 4,000 athletes and fans visiting Washington for the weeklong tournament. More information on the event is at dcseries2013.com. The League can be found at capssoftball.org.
The inaugural Freedom Sports Festival will kick off on July 18-21 with six sports being contested all within the D.C. city limits. Local LGBT sports teams will come together to host tournaments in beach volleyball, golf, racquetball, kickball, ballroom dancing and basketball. Registration for the tournaments will open soon and will be posted at teamdc.org.
The Festival will open at the Team D.C. Champions Awards and College Scholarship reception on July 18 at George Washington University. Former NFL player Wade Davis will be the guest speaker. Tickets are available at teamdc.org.
The festival will conclude with Pride Splash & Ride at Six Flags America on July 21 from 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. The event will feature a private water park party from 7-10:30 p.m. Tickets are available at capitalpride.org.
Members of the D.C. Gay Flag Football League just returned from a strong showing in Pride Bowl VI in Chicago which ran from June 27-30. The tournament featured 28 teams from across the United States with the Washington Generals finishing runner-up, the D.C. Commanders finishing third and the D.C. Admirals placing sixth. The players will travel to Phoenix for Gay Bowl XIII from Oct 10-14. The flag football league is at dcgffl.org.
The World Out Games will be contested from July 31 to Aug. 11 in Antwerp, Belgium in 33 different sports. A contingent from D.C. will be attending and a uniform has been organized for the opening ceremonies. More information will be at teamdc.org.
Books
A boy-meets-boy, family-mess story with heat
New book offers a stunning, satisfying love story

‘When the Harvest Comes’
By Denne Michele Norris
c.2025, Random House
$28/304 pages
Happy is the bride the sun shines on.
Of all the clichés that exist about weddings, that’s the one that seems to make you smile the most. Just invoking good weather and bright sunshine feels like a cosmic blessing on the newlyweds and their future. It’s a happy omen for bride and groom or, as in the new book “When the Harvest Comes” by Denne Michele Norris, for groom and groom.

Davis Freeman never thought he could love or be loved like this.
He was wildly, wholeheartedly, mind-and-soul smitten with Everett Caldwell, and life was everything that Davis ever wanted. He was a successful symphony musician in New York. They had an apartment they enjoyed and friends they cherished. Now it was their wedding day, a day Davis had planned with the man he adored, the details almost down to the stitches in their attire. He’d even purchased a gorgeous wedding gown that he’d never risk wearing.
He knew that Everett’s family loved him a lot, but Davis didn’t dare tickle the fates with a white dress on their big day. Everett’s dad, just like Davis’s own father, had considerable reservations about his son marrying another man – although Everett’s father seemed to have come to terms with his son’s bisexuality. Davis’s father, whom Davis called the Reverend, never would. Years ago, father and son had a falling-out that destroyed any chance of peace between Davis and his dad; in fact, the door slammed shut to any reconciliation.
But Davis tried not to think about that. Not on his wedding day. Not, unbeknownst to him, as the Reverend was rushing toward the wedding venue, uninvited but not unrepentant. Not when there was an accident and the Reverend was killed, miles away and during the nuptials.
Davis didn’t know that, of course, as he was marrying the love of his life. Neither did Everett, who had familial problems of his own, including homophobic family members who tried (but failed) to pretend otherwise.
Happy is the groom the sun shines on. But when the storm comes, it can be impossible to remain sunny.
What can be said about “When the Harvest Comes?” It’s a romance with a bit of ghost-pepper-like heat that’s not there for the mere sake of titillation. It’s filled with drama, intrigue, hate, characters you want to just slap, and some in bad need of a hug.
In short, this book is quite stunning.
Author Denne Michele Norris offers a love story that’s everything you want in this genre, including partners you genuinely want to get to know, in situations that are real. This is done by putting readers inside the characters’ minds, letting Davis and Everett themselves explain why they acted as they did, mistakes and all. Don’t be surprised if you have to read the last few pages twice to best enjoy how things end. You won’t be sorry.
If you want a complicated, boy-meets-boy, family-mess kind of book with occasional heat, “When the Harvest Comes” is your book. Truly, this novel shines.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.

The Victory Fund held its National Champagne Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday, April 27. Speakers included Tim Gunn, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.), Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

















Music & Concerts
Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’
Out singer/songwriter to perform at Red Bear Brewing Co.

Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co.
Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.
For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.
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