Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: Nov. 8

Parties, concerts, exhibits and more for the week ahead

Published

13 years ago

November 7, 2013

Shane and Tom, the central figures in the film ‘Bridegroom,’ which will be screened Thursday at HRC. (Still courtesy Mozark Productions)

Friday, Nov. 8

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.

Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts “JOCK” tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. with DJ Jake Marx. Dress code is sports gear or just a jock. Dress code strictly enforced. There is an open bar from 9-10 p.m. Cover is $10. For details, visit greenlantendc.com.

Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts “Kickoff” featuring DJ Matt Bailer tonight from 10 p.m.-closing. For more information, visit nelliessportsbar.com.

Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) holds a happy hour from 5-7:30 p.m. tonight with all drinks half price. Hip music begins at 11 p.m. Enjoy pool, video games, and cards. Admission is $5 after 9 p.m. Must be 21 and over. For more details, visit bachelorsmill.com.

Saturday, Nov. 9

Singer and actress Melissa Errico performs “A Passion for Broadway” with Broadway songs focusing on Stephen Sondheim and more, at The Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$42. For details, visit wolftrap.org.

Stonewall Kickball hosts its “Fall 2013 All Stars Game” at Stead Park (1625 P St.,) today from 2-4 p.m. Cobalt and JR.’s division will be playing. For details, email [email protected].

Team D.C. presents its fall casino night at Buffalo Billards (1330 19th St., N.W.) tonight from 8 p.m.-midnight in support of local LGBT sports clubs. Play poker, blackjack and craps to win raffle prizes. The LGBT sports teams will be running the tables including D.C. Aquatics, D.C. Strokes Rowing Club, Capitol Area Rainbowlers and more. There is no cover charge. $10 is worth $100 in chips and $20 is worth $250 in chips. For more details, visit teamdc.org.

Sunday, Nov. 10

Temple Emanuel (10101 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, Md.) hosts its “Brotherhood Brunch with Guest Speaker Professor Ethan Hutt” this morning at 9:15 a.m. Hutt is an assistant professor at University of Maryland who recently published an article on educational malpractice. Admission is $7 for non-Brotherhood members and $5 for Brotherhood members. RSVP at [email protected] or call 301-942-2000.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers for D.C. Central Kitchen (425 2nd St., N.W.) today from 9 a.m.-noon. Volunteers will cook alongside chefs who are graduates of D.C. Central Kitchen’s job training program. To volunteer, RSVP at [email protected]. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Arlington Philharmonic presents a free concert for its season opener featuring soloist Jeffrey Work, principal trumpet of the Oregon Symphony, today at 3 p.m. at the Washington-Lee Auditorium (1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington, Va.). For details, visit arlingtonphilharmonic.org.

The Choral Arts Society of Washington presents the East Coast premiere of Steven Stucky’s “Take Him, Earth,” an orchestral commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination, today at 4 p.m. at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). Tickets range from $23-$68. For more details, visit kennedy-center.org.

The D.C. Center celebrates the life of Joe Rio from the Center Careers program at DC9 (1940 9th St., N.W.) today from 2-4 p.m. Rio assisted individuals to find jobs and careers, facilitated weekly “Job Club” and “Masterminds” groups at the D.C. Center and the Spanish language Career Development at Casa Ruby for the D.C. Center. To RSVP, email larryd2156. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

Church of the Holy City (1611 16^th Street, N.W.) hosts its “Music with the Angels” concert series today at 3:30 p.m. featuring cellist Natalie Spehar and violinist Zachary Wu performing works by Fiorillo, Ravel and more. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for children and seniors. Visit churchoftheholycitydc.org for details.

Monday, Nov. 11

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

Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) holds a support group for gay black men to discuss topics that affect them today, share perspectives and have meaningful conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.

Tuesday, Nov. 12

Us Helping Us is having a town hall meeting tonight at 7 p.m. to discuss implementation of the Affordable Care Act at its headquarters (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.). The meeting will discuss the impact the act will have on the LGBT community and provide an overview of the D.C. Health Exchange. On-site enrollment will also be offered. The event is free and open to the public. Visit uhupil.org for details.

D.C. Bi Women hosts its monthly meeting in the upstairs room of Dupont Italian Kitchen (1637 17th St., N.W.) from 7-9 p.m. tonight. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts a “Rap Group” today from 5-6:30 p.m. Discuss stressful issues like school, bullying, getting into college or finding a job in this support group. For more details, visit smyal.org.

Wednesday, Nov. 13

Big Gay Book Group meets tonight at 1155 F St., N.W. Suite 200 at 7 p.m. to discuss “Mary Ann in Autumn” by Armistead Maupin, a story about Mary Ann Singleton’s homecoming to San Francisco after spending 20 years pursuing a television career in New York City. For details, email [email protected].

The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No reservations required and new comers welcome. If you need a partner, call 703-407-6540.

SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) provides free and confidential HIV testing drop-in hours today from 3-5 p.m. For more information, visit smyal.org.

Thursday, Nov. 14

Human Rights Campaign hosts a free screening of the documentary “Bridegroom” this evening at 6 p.m. at its headquarters (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) as part of its “Equality Talks” speaker series. Shane Bitney Crone, the film’s producer, will speak. “Bridegroom,” directed by Linda Bloodworth Thomason, tells the story of two men in a committed relationship and what happens after an accident cuts short their lives together. The film explores how a partner can be legally shut out without having proper protections in place. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the event. View the trailer at bridegroommovie.com. Details on the event are at hrc.org/bridegroom.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers for Food and Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) tonight from 6-8 p.m. Volunteers will chop vegetables and pack groceries. To volunteer, email [email protected]. For more details, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. Drink specials $5 and vodka shots $3 all night. No cover charge. Admission limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit rudeboientertainment.wordpress.com.

The D.C. Center and Professionals in the City host speed dating for women in their 20s and 30s at Finn and Porter located inside the Embassy Suites Hotel (900 10th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. Dating is approximately one hour. After enjoy a mixer with fellow speed daters. Cash bar. Check in is at 7 p.m. and dating begins at 7:20 p.m. Complimentary valet parking offered to anyone who purchases two drinks or other items from the bar or restaurant. Cost is $30. For details, visit thedccenter.org.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Pandora Boxx performs her standup comedy show at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.

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Books

New book reveals what we can learn from animal sex

‘Poking the Squid’ on homosexuality, gender swapping, and more

Published

2 days ago

July 13, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy W.W. Norton)

‘Poking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex’
By Perrin Roosevelt Ireland
c.2026, W.W. Norton
$29.99 241 pages

Birds do it.

According to Cole Porter, bees do, too, but it’s not exactly what he imagined. Wild and tame, avians, insects, and mammals all have sex – although not always as you’ve been told or for reasons you might think. Even educated fleas do it and, as in the new book, “Poking the Squid” by Perrin Roosevelt Ireland, humans can learn from them all.

If you read through scientific papers on animal reproduction, you might notice something unusual: for scientists, the word “sex” means a lot of different things.

Says Ireland, “It’s used to describe behaviors, biology, life histories, and more.”

That might be because animals are not simply binary.

Take, for instance, hyenas. It’s easy for the casual observer to mistake a male hyena for a female and vice versa because of stereotypes of anatomy. Mating, for hyenas, requires subordination for the male and a nifty trick on the part of the female’s body to get things done.

Our feathered friends are no birdbrains, either: black-browed albatrosses were once thought to be monogamous but global warming seems to have changed their nesting habits sometimes. Male flamingos have sex with one another, as a territorial thing; other birds and animals form same-sex pairs for other reasons.

The Chinese mantis eats her mate after fertilization. Female snakes, alpacas, guinea pigs, and monkeys are anatomically able to enjoy sex. Genitalia between species varies quite a bit; in fact, the vaginas of ducks “are highly complex.” Lionesses will mate up to 100 times when in heat. Female damselflies will change into a “third sex” to avoid overly aggressive mating males. Bearded dragons can change their sex, if needed, as can yellow clown goby fish. And seahorse pregnancy and birth sparked a book banning in Tennessee.

So, asks Ireland, if animals, including us, vary so much in biology and life, “… why are we using the word sex like it means something, anything, consistent?!”

Pick up “Poking the Squid,” page through it a few seconds, and you’ll see that the information here is largely told through cartoon-like drawings mixed with captions. It seems to be something on the lighter side, but don’t let that artwork fool you.

Author Perrin Roosevelt Ireland offers readers solid information that cozies up to the scholarly, with hard science, philosophy, feminism, and quotations from researchers to support it, thus furthering the narrative and hitting the points squarely. If you see the art and expect something lighthearted, comic, and small-talk-worthy, you could be disappointed.

On the other hand, if you want solid, wryly serious facts, you’re in for a treat.

There’s lots of learning to be gleaned here, and some slight nudge-wink whimsy to emphasize the absurdity of wrong-headed thinking. This can make readers feel like they’re in-the-know on the jokes, and the playfulness balances the seriousness of the information well.

So, serious, scholarly, or slightly silly, none of these are negative but you’re going to know what you want from a book like this. For the right reader, someone in the mood, “Poking the Squid” is wild.

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