Connect with us

Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: Oct. 11-17

Parties, concerts, exhibits and more for the coming week

Published

on

Honey LaBronx, drag, gay news, Washington Blade
Honey LaBronx, drag, gay news, Washington Blade, events

New York City based ‘Vegan Drag Queen’ Honey LaBronx hosts Acorn-A-Go-Go’s Vegan Fall Festival Saturday. (Photo courtesy Honey LaBronx)

Friday, Oct. 11

The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival kicks off its 39th year at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg, Md.,) today from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Festival continues through Sunday. Meet the jury selected artists and purchase their artwork including pottery, sculpture, home accessories, jewelry, fashion, furniture, photography and more. Sample gourmet food, listen to live music and participate in interactive children entertainment. Tickets are $8 online for adults and $10 at the door. Children under 12 are free. Free parking. For more information, visit sugarloafcrafts.com.

“Love Heals Homophobia” screens at St. Marks Episcopal Church (301 A St., S.E.) tonight from 7-8 p.m. The film was made in response to the appeals made by countries where it is illegal to be LGBT. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

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 more information, visit towndc.com.

SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts “National Coming Out Day Celebration” today from 5-7 p.m. Decorate cupcakes, listen to music and more. For details, visit smyal.org.

Saturday, Oct. 12

Washington National Opera (WNO) honors Giuseppe Verdi’s 200th birthday with a performance of “The Force of Destiny,” the tale of three lives on a path to ruin, beginning tonight at 7 p.m. and running through Oct. 26 at The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). Tickets range from $25-$300. For more details, visit kennedy-center.org.

The D.C. Center (1316 U St., N.W.) hosts free and confidential HIV testing from 4-7 p.m. today. For details, visit thedccenter.org.

Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts adult entertainment stars Levi Karter, Jake Bass and Max Ryder tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. Cover is $8 from 10-11 p.m. and $12 after 11 p.m. $3 drinks before 11 p.m. Drag show starts at 10:30 p.m. Admission limited to guests 21 and over. For more information, visit towndc.com.

Acorns A Go-Go hosts its vegan fall festival today at the Roosevelt Center (131 Centerway, Greenbelt, Md.,) today from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Enjoy vegan food vendors, exhibitors and live music. Watch demonstrations including how to use acorns in vegan bread and cookies. Kids can participate in a hula hoop competition and activities at the Animal Rights Youth Booth. The mistress of ceremonies is “Vegan Drag Queen” Honey LaBronx. For more details, visit facebook.com/acornsagogo.

A free screening of the documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So” is today at 11 a.m. at Mt. Pleasant Library (3160 16th Street, N.W.) hosted by Queers For Christ and Revive DMV: A Gathering of Queer Christian Women.

Sunday, Oct. 13

Club Bunns (606 W. Lexington St., Baltimore) hosts “Baltimore Black Pride Block Party” today from 4-9 p.m. Cover TBA. For more details, visit facebook.com/n.g.a.clubbunns.

Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.,) celebrates its third anniversary with “Pop Art Fun: Free Family Day” from noon-4 p.m. today. The Andy Warhol-inspired day includes the interactive Warhol “Silver Clouds” exhibit, pop art projects and a magic show. Baby Loves Disco hosts a dance party for all ages in the ballroom. Admission is free. For more details, visit artisphere.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 more details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.

Monday, Oct. 14

The D.C. Center Youth Working Group hosts its monthly meeting today at the D.C. Center (1316 U St., N.W.) from 6-7:30 p.m. The meeting focuses on positively impacting the lives of D.C. area youth. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

Us Helping Us holds its 25th anniversary awards celebration “A Passion for Living” featuring Jennifer Holliday this evening at Arena Stage (1101 6th St., S.W.) from 6-9 p.m. The event raises funds for Us Helping Us’s prevention programs and recognizes individuals and businesses in their commitment to fight HIV/AIDS. Tickets are $150. For details, visit tickets.arenastage.org.

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.

Tuesday, Oct. 15

Green Lantern (1335 Green Crt.. N.W.) hosts its “FUCK!T Packing Party” this evening from 7-9 p.m. Bring friends or make new ones while packing safer-sex packets. Challenge yourself and your friends to see how many FUK!T packets you can pack in two hours. For details, visit thedccenter.org.

Whitman-Walker Health offers free HIV testing in honor of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day today at Whitman-Walker Health Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center (1701 14th St., N.W.) 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Whitman-Walker Health Max Robinson Center (2301 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E.) from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Columbia Heights Fountain (1345 Park Rd., N.W.) from 3-6 p.m. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) offers all drinks half price tonight until 2 a.m. Enjoy pool, video games and cards. Admission is free. Must be 21 and over. For more details, visit bachelorsmill.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 16

Queers for Christ, a young adult LGBT Christian group, has a happy hour this evening from 6:45-9 p.m. at Number Nine (1435 P Street, N.W.).

Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay literature group, meets this evening at 7:30 p.m. at the American Foreign Service Association (2101 E Street, N.W.) to discuss “The Lost Library: Gay Fiction Rediscovered,” an anthology. All are welcome. Visit bookmendc.blogspot.com for details.

The National Symphony Orchestra presents organist Cameron Carpenter at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) in the concert hall at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $15. For details, visit kennedy-center.org.

The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) this evening at 7:30 p.m. for social bridge. No partner needed. For more information, call 301-345-1571.

Big Gay Book Group meets tonight at 1155 F St., N.W. Suite 200 at 7 p.m. to discuss “The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths About the Murder of Matthew Shepard” by Stephen Jimenez. For details, email [email protected].

Thursday, Oct. 17

The Dance Theatre of Harlem performs the world premiere of its ballet “past-carry-forward” at the Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Other performances include “Gloria” and “Contested Space.” Tickets range from $40-$75. For more information, visit shakespearetheatre.org.

Publick Playhouse presents “Bailé Folklórico de Bahia” at 8 p.m. tonight. The dance blends Afro-Brazilian folk, samba reggae, African liturgical dance and capoeira. It includes dances from the days of slavery and dances that celebrate Carnival. Tickets are $20. For details, visit arts.pgparks.com.

Wear purple today to show support for LGBT youth and stand against bullying for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) Spirit Day. Showcase your support on social media platforms using “#spiritday.” For more information, visit glaad.org/spiritday.

“Marriage Equality,” a free seminar presented by the law firm of Gimmel, Weiman, Ersek, Blomberg & Lewis, is this evening at 7 p.m. at Hampton Inn (960 N. Frederick Ave.) in Gaithersburg, Md. It’s free to attend but a reservation is required as seating is limited. Local attorneys will speak about Maryland’s same-sex marriage law and the repeal of key sections of DOMA and their effect on several LGBT issues such as marriage, adoption, custody and more. To make a reservation, call 301-840-8565 or visit gweblaw.com.

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Celebrity News

HRC releases ‘Queer Renaissance Syllabus’

Beyoncé’s hit album inspired curriculum

Published

on

Beyoncé performs at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Aug. 6, 2023. The Human Rights Campaign has released a curriculum that her "Renaissance" album inspired. (Washington Blade photo by Isabelle Kravis)

In a move aimed at celebrating the beauty, brilliance and resilience of the LGBTQ community, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” that Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album inspired. 

Curated by Justin Calhoun, Leslie Hall and Chauna Lawson of the HRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, the syllabus includes a variety of academic articles, essays, films and other media rooted in Black queer and feminist studies. Each piece is directly inspired by the tracks on Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping dance album, “Renaissance.”

Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” stands as a cultural milestone, celebrating the Black queer roots of dance music while shedding light on overlooked Black queer artists. Inspired by her late-Uncle Johnny, the album not only garnered critical acclaim but also shed light on the often marginalized contributions of Black queer artists. Winning four Grammys and yielding chart-topping hits like “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It,” the album sparked discussions about economic impact and cultural representation.

Amid its success, legislative challenges arose, with Florida and Texas enacting bans on DEI initiatives in public colleges. Recognizing the album’s transformative potential, HRC developed the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” to leverage its impact for education and activism.

Tailored for educators, youth-serving professionals, DEI practitioners, higher education leaders and admirers of Beyoncé’s artistry, the syllabus aims to encourage meaningful discussions, enrich lesson plans, and explore innovative ways to honor the vibrancy and significance of LGBTQ individuals and their culture.

With six themes anchoring the syllabus, ranging from “intersectionality and inclusivity” to “social justice and activism,” it provides a comprehensive exploration of various facets of LGBTQ experiences and expressions. Fan-favorite tracks from the album are paired with scholarly readings, offering insights into empowerment, self-acceptance and the transformative power of artistic expression. The syllabus also reinforces HRC’s efforts to highlight, amplify and re-center Black and queer voices.

By providing links to articles, books, podcasts and interviews, each associated with a song from the album, it celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Black queer community.

The concluding section of the syllabus includes Beyoncé’s tribute to O’Shea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to “Renaissance” songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.

Continue Reading

Movies

Neo-noir ‘Femme’ offers sexy, intense revenge fantasy

A work of real and thrilling cinematic vision

Published

on

George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett star in ‘Femme.’ (Photo courtesy of Utopia)

They say “revenge is sweet,” and it must be true. Why else would so many of our popular stories, dating all the way back to “Medea” and beyond, be focused on the idea of getting “even” with the people who have done us wrong?

It’s a concept with obvious appeal for anyone who has felt unjustly used by the world – or, more accurately, by the people in it – but that has particular resonance, perhaps, for modern queer audiences, long used to being relegated to the status of “victim” in the narratives we see on our screens. In “Femme” — the new UK indie thriller helmed by first-time feature directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, now in limited theatrical release and expanding wider over the next two weeks — it provides the irresistible hook for a gripping tale of calculated vengeance in the face of anti-queer violence. Like the best of such stories, however, it’s as much a cautionary tale as it is a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

Set in London, it centers on Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), aka Aphrodite Banks, a popular drag performer in the city’s queer club scene who, after a performance one night, steps out in full costume to buy a pack of cigarettes and becomes the victim of a traumatic “gay bashing” incident at the hands of a young man goaded to violence by a thuggish gang of friends. Months later, though he’s recovered from his physical injuries, he is still deeply affected by the inner scars that linger. Robbed of the confidence that allowed him to perform, he’s withdrawn into a reclusive life, until concern from his friends and housemates prompts him to finally venture out into the world for a night of cruising at a gay sauna – where he encounters his bully doing the same thing. 

Unrecognizable and anonymously masculine out of his drag persona, Jules finds himself beginning a dangerous and duplicitous game in which he plans to “out” his former attacker – whose name, as he learns, is Preston (George MacKay) – in the most humiliating way possible. As his scheme begins to play out, however, he encounters an obstacle: in getting to know the closeted Preston, he is surprised to discover not only empathy for someone living their life in terrified camouflage, but a mutual attraction that develops despite the horrific history between them.

Framed as a self-described “neo-noir” story, a designation that implies a certain flavor of moral ambiguity as much as it does a tense and shadowy tale of intrigue or a psychologically complex tone, it’s a movie that relies heavily on style in order to sell its conceptual premise. Realistically, we might question the boldness that permits our protagonist to enact such a potentially hazardous scheme, but in the context of its genre trappings we are lulled into accepting it. And while most of us are likely “jaded” enough to question the possibility of tenderness between its two leading characters, the accepted conceits of the film noir form are enough to sell it to us – or at least allow us to grapple with it alongside Jules, whose righteously Machiavellian master plan is threatened by the feelings he “catches” in spite of himself.

That, of course, is part of the whole point. “Femme,” though it establishes itself by virtue of its very title as a testament to the struggle to “pass” for straight in a world that places a value judgment on perceived adherence to a strict norm for gender and sexuality, hinges on the idea that such things aren’t quite as clear-cut as we want to make them. Despite the black-and-white certainty we cling to when it comes to the subject of abusive or toxic relationships, there’s an emotional component that can only be ignored or dismissed at our peril, and even our most resolute intentions can be undermined by the shades of gray we discover in our hearts. 

Freeman and Ng – who also wrote the screenplay, adapting their own BAFTA-nominated short film from 2021 (starring Harris Dickinson and Paapa Essiedu) into a feature-length expansion – seem bent on challenging our snap judgments, on forcing us to sympathize with our oppressors by showing us the ways in which they, too, are prevented from living a fully authentic life by the expectations of their cultural environment. Even more challenging for many modern audiences, perhaps, may be the unavoidable observation that, in enacting his plan of revenge, Jules crosses the line between being a victim and being a victimizer – a fine point that may trigger uncomfortable implications in a social environment that has become marked by divisive moral constructs and hardline ethical posturing.

Before we scare you off with discussion of high-concept themes and “culture war” rhetoric, however, it’s crucial to bring up the elements that lift “Femme” above and beyond the level of so many such narrative films and makes it a somewhat unexpectedly potent piece of cinematic storytelling – and all of them have to do with the skill and intention behind it.

As to the former, the movie’s first-time directors manage a remarkable debut, steeping their film in moody, genre-appropriate visuals and murky morality. They pave a path beyond the easy assessments proscribed for us by conventional thinking, and force us to follow our sympathies into a disquieting confrontation between what we “know” as right and what we feel as true; at the same time, they push back against any natural sentimentality we might have about the situation, stressing the toxicity of the relationship in the middle of their film, the ironically-reversed insincerity of its dynamic – and, perhaps most importantly, the reality of the defining circumstances around it. While we might find ourselves longing for a happier resolution than the one we expect, the film makes no pretense that these two men might overcome the deep denial and traumatic associations – not to mention the calculated lack of honesty on the side of its de facto protagonist, to achieve some kind of “happy ending” between themselves. Nevertheless, we hope for it, in spite of ourselves.

That delicate dynamic works largely because of the movie’s lead actors. Both Stewart-Jarrett (“Candyman”) and MacKay (“Pride”, “1917”) deliver fully invested, utterly relatable performances, finding the emotional truth behind their interactions with as much palpable authenticity as they bring to the chemistry between them. They force us to abandon our preconceived ideas about each character by finding the human presence behind them, and it makes the story’s final outcome feel as heartbreaking as it does inevitable.

As for intention, “Femme” – which premiered at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival and went on to gather acclaim across the international film fest circuit – might be a little hard to take for the easily triggered, we won’t deny it. Still, it’s a work of real and thrilling cinematic vision that goes beyond easy morality to highlight the tragedy that comes from being forced to live behind a mask for the sake of societal acceptance. It’s also exciting, smart, and unexpectedly sexy – all of which make it a highly- recommended addition to your watchlist.

Continue Reading

Out & About

Trans Day of Visibility is here and here’s how to celebrate

Howard County LGBTQIA Commission to host Columbia event

Published

on

Howard County LGBTQIA Commission will host its inaugural event celebrating Trans Day of Visibility on Sunday, March 31 at 4 p.m. at Busboys and Poets in Columbia, Md.

The purpose of this inaugural event is to create a welcoming and inclusive space that celebrates and amplifies the voices of the trans community and its allies, highlights the joy and resilience of trans and non-binary individuals everywhere, and elevates their voices and shares their diverse experiences. 

This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Sign Up for Weekly E-Blast

Follow Us @washblade

Advertisement

Popular