Arts & Entertainment
Mixing it up
Get as basic or elaborate as you wish at new yogurt parlor
Bryan DeRosa of Menchie’s on U Street. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
If variety is the spice of life, new frozen yogurt shop Menchie’s (1939 12th Street, N.W.) has it in spades with 14 rotating flavors, nearly 50 toppings and the chance to get as much or as little as you want.
Danna and Adam Caldwell founded the Encino, Calif.-based chain, which offers self-serve frozen yogurt with a wide selection of toppings. The name Menchie’s comes from the Yiddish word mensch, meaning “good person.” Each person at a Menchie’s franchise wants to help the guest have a positive experience, enjoy their mix and come back for more.
Menchie’s has nearly 100 rotating flavors including a range of regular, low carb, low sugar and non-dairy yogurts. Menchie’s also has its own private label of yogurt allowing its staff to develop their own flavors and distinguish themselves from other frozen yogurt establishments throughout the United States. Menchie’s frozen yogurts include live and active cultures (a digestive aid not often found in frozen yogurt) and meet quality standards established by the National Yogurt Association.
When one walks into the playful store on 12th Street between T and U streets, it’s easy to get excited. I felt like a naughty child filling sample cups with one of the 14 flavors (or two flavors swirled together), something one is encouraged to do before deciding. Each flavor seemed better than the last and the more I tried, the harder the decision became.
But before I put myself into a self-induced diabetic coma, I stopped tasting and decide on a flavor. I chose the red velvet, a rich and creamy yogurt that replicated the flavors of my favorite cake incredibly well. I topped it with a bit of coconut and some white chocolate chips. My husband decided to go with half a cup of chocolate and vanilla snow swirl and half a cup of Dole pineapple and coconut swirl, with a bit of strawberry topping. We paid — 39 cents per ounce — and sat inside, though outdoor seating is also available.
As we sat, shop owner and friend Anthony Aligo, who’s gay along with his business partner Bryan DeRosa, pulled up a chair and joined us. Seeing that my husband had two distinctive flavors in his cup, Aligo said, “I’m looking into getting cup dividers so that you can have his-and-her cups, or just keep your flavors from touching.”
Aligo is clearly a man after my own heart, because I would have had another flavor, but I didn’t want it touching my red velvet concoction. Aligo spoke excitedly about the flavor options, the toppings, and even showed us a picture of the biggest cup of frozen yogurt he’s seen so far — a mile-high mix of flavors and toppings costing a little over $18.
“She walked out of the store with it, but I was just worried it was going to topple over onto the ground, I don’t even know if she managed to eat all or any of it,” he said.
Aligo opened Menchie’s because “he wanted a place for our LGBTQ family to be able to congregate and socialize as well as cater to our youth so that they always have a safe place to be.”
His favorite thing about the store is to be out from behind the counter and socializing with the customers. He’s working hard on outreach, partnering with local businesses as well as organizations like SMYAL so Menchie’s can live up to his vision. He says business has been strong since the July opening.
Menchie’s is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11a.m. to midnight.
Menchie’s on U Street owner Anthony Aligo (far left), store manager Sarah Null (second from the right front row) and store owner Bryan DeRosa (far right) with other employees. (Photo courtesy of Menchie’s on U Street)
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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