Arts & Entertainment
Calendar through August 22
Pat Benatar, Will Gartshore among next week’s events

The D.C. Mystics in action. Night OUT with the team is Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Mystics)
Friday, August 16
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. There is no cover charge, and admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit towndc.com.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts “Deejay Gauthreaux’s Mother F*ckin’ Birthday Bash” tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. for guests 21 and over. Free rail vodka drinks will be served from 10-11. Admission is $10. For details and to purchase tickets, visit cobaltdc.com.
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8t St., S.E.) at 10 p.m. tonight. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Aqua Bar and Lounge (1818 New York Ave., N.E.) hosts “Club Fuego,” a Latino gay dance party, from 10:30 p.m.-3 a.m. tonight. Admission is $10 and limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit aquadc.com.
Will Gartshore performs “Dressed Up: A Class-Conscious Cabaret” in the “Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret Series” at Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, Va.) at 7 p.m. tonight. Gartshore will perform classic hits by Sondheim, The Beatles and Gershwin with pianist Christopher Wingert. Admission is $31.15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit signature-theatre.org.
Saturday, Aug. 17
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts a “We Love the ‘90s” party tonight for guests 21 and over. The evening features all ‘90s music and videos upstairs, with a ‘90s drag performance at 10:30 p.m. Doors open at 10. Cover is $8 from 10-11 and $12 after 11. For details, visit towndc.com.
Phase 1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Booty Beach Ladies Dance Party.” The winner of the party’s bikini and board shorts contest will receive cash and prizes. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $5. Visit phase1dc.com for more information.
The Black Lesbian Support Group meets at the University of D.C. Student Services Building (4200 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) at 3 p.m. today. For more information, visit blsg.com.
Matchbox (1901 14th St., N.W.) hosts a retreat for the D.C. Center’s Youth Working Group from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit thedccenter.org for more information.
D.C. Eagle (639 New York Ave., N.W.) hosts a bar night for the Centaur Motorcycle Club tonight at 9 p.m. For more details, visit dceagle.com or centaurmc.org.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for a lost dog and cat rescue foundation at the Falls Church PetSmart (6100 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va.) from 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit burgundycrescent.org for more information.
Sunday, Aug. 18
K&C Productions hosts its weekly “Sizzling Hot Sundays,” an LGBT hip-hop and house music dance party, at Club Muse (717 6th St., N.W.) tonight from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. For details, visit clubmuse.com.
Perry’s (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
The Black Fox Lounge (1723) hosts “Tula’s Cabaret,” a classic lip-sync drag show, from 8-11 p.m. tonight. Admission is free. For more information, visit
blackfoxlounge.com.
Special Agent Galactica performs tonight with jazz guitarist, Peter Fields, at L’Enfant Café (2000 18th St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. The show features music from the Golden Age of Jazz, the Blues of Burlesque and some Hollywood classics. Admission is free. For details, visit pinkhairedone.com.
Monday, Aug. 19
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Casa Ruby, a safe space for members of the Latino transgender community, (2822 Georgia Ave., N.W.) provides Spanish-language career development today from 4-6 p.m. For more information, visit the dccenter.org or casaruby.org.
Tuesday, Aug. 20
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at Panam Supermarket (3552 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts its weekly FUK!T Packing Party tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit thedccenter.org or greenlanterndc.com.
Team D.C. presents “Night OUT at the Mystics vs. the Chicago Sky” tonight at 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center (601 F St., N.W.). Tickets range from $17-300. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit teamdc.org.
Pat Benatar, who has maintained an LGBT following with her ‘80s smash hits and involvement in gay Pride parades, performs tonight with Neil Giraldo of Cheap Trick at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.). Admission is $25-42. For details and to purchase tickets, visit wolftrap.org.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at Congresswoman Eleanor Norton’s annual job fair today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Pl., N.W.). For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) hosts a support group for black gay men living with HIV tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit uhupil.org.
Midtown (1219 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) hosts “Mix It Up 2.0,” an LGBT dance party, tonight from 8:30-midnight. All groups of six entering together get a free bottle of champagne. For details, visit midtown-dc.com.
“WAIFs,” an all female stand-up and sketch comedy group, perform tonight at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5 and limited to guests 21 and over. For more information, visit blackfoxlounge.com.
The Dupont Drawing Group meets tonight at 7 p.m. at The Church of the Pilgrims (2201 P St., N.W.) to draw from the live model. The session is self-directed with no formal instruction, and no materials are provided. Drawing spots and easels are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, so guests should arrive anytime after 6:45. No reservations are required but a modest fee to pay the model will be collected. For more information, visit paulreuther.com.
Thursday, Aug. 22
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, today at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.). Doors open at 5 p.m. for happy hour until 9, and the club closes at 1 a.m. Admission is $5 all night and limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit rudeboientertainment.wordpress.com.
Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) meet tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.). The organization works to reduce violence toward LGBT people through community outreach, education and monitoring legal cases to ensure the dignity of LGBT victims. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
D.C. Eagle (639 New York Ave., N.W.) hosts a “Beltway Bears Bar Night” this evening at 9 p.m. For details, visit dceagle.com or beltwaybears.com.
Photos
PHOTOS: Fredericksburg Pride March and Festival
LGBTQ celebration held in historic Virginia town
The sixth annual Fredericksburg Pride March was held in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, June 27. Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chair Deuntay Diggs led the march alongside Fredericksburg City Council Member Jannan W. Holmes. The Fredericksburg Pride Festival took place at Riverfront Park after the march. Bree Fram was the featured speaker.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



















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Iran and Egypt on Friday faced off during the World Cup’s “Pride Match” in Seattle.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death. Discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity is commonplace in Egypt.
Friday’s match coincided with Pride weekend in Seattle. The Egyptian Football Association and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran both objected to playing in the “Pride Match.”
Egypt and Iran tied 1-1.
FIFA, for its part, allowed Pride flags inside the stadium during the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events. General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”
Human Rights Watch welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow Pride flags inside the stadium. Outright International, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, distributed Pride flags in Seattle on Friday, which was Pride Match Day.
“Visibility matters,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this year told Die Weltwoche, a Swiss magazine, that “there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup.”
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city,” said Infantino. “But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
Peter Tatchell, a long-time LGBTQ activist from the U.K. who is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was among those who traveled to Seattle for Friday’s match. Tatchell accused FIFA of not vetting World Cup teams — specifically Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Algeria — over whether they would allow gay players.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility in the stands while failing to protect LGBT+ players on the pitch,” said Tatchell.
The second annual Frederick Pride Parade was held in the streets of downtown Frederick, Md. on Friday, June 26.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)


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