Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: March 7-13
Parties, support groups, exhibits and more for the week ahead
‘What’s Up Batman?,’ a piece from the ‘Portraits of Pop Culture’ exhibit which opens tonight at Del Ray Artisans. (Image courtesy DRA)
Calendar for LGBT D.C. for the week ahead.
Friday, March 7
Del Ray Artisans (2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) opens its “Portraits of Pop Culture” exhibit, a collection of artists’ cartoons and caricatures of important people in pop culture, with an opening reception tonight from 7-10 p.m. The exhibit is open through March 30th. Admission is free. For more details, visit thedelrayartisans.org.
Adodi D.C., a black same gender-loving men’s social/spiritual group, hosts its bi-monthly potluck discussion at Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. featuring guest journalist and author Wyatt O’Brian. O’Brian will be talking about intimate partner violence and abuse. Please bring food to share. For details, call 202-360-1143 or email [email protected].
“Ladies and Laughter,” a benefit for Mautner Project of Whitman-Walker Health and the Human Rights Campaign is at Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.) tonight from 7-11 p.m. Lesbian comedians Michele Balan, Gloria Bigelow and Dana Goldberg will perform with comedian Chelsea Shorte emceeing the event. Tickets are $75 for general admission and $100 for VIP. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit whitman-walker.org.
Gay District, a facilitated group discussion focused on building understanding of gay culture and personal identity for men ages 18 through 35, meets at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 8:30-9:30 p.m. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Saturday, March 8
Team D.C. hosts its annual fashion show and model competition at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-10 p.m. Fashions include club wear, swim wear, underwear and more. Tickets are $15 and proceeds help support the Team D.C. College Scholarship program for LGBT student athletes. You can bid for the clothes right off the models. For more details, visit teamdc.org/fashionshow.
The Mautner Project of Whitman-Walker Health holds its “24th Annual Mautner Project Gala and Dance” at JW Marriot (1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) tonight from 6 p.m.-midnight. Honorees include Maryland Delegate Heather Mizeur and former Mautner Project Executive Director Leslie J. Calman. Entertainment provided by Kellye Gray and DJ Rosie. Tickets are $250. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts “BEARZERK,” a bear party, tonight at 10 p.m. Music by DJs Dean Sullivan, Tommy Cornelis and George D’ADHEMAR. Well and domestic drinks are $5. Jamesons, Jagers and fireballs are $6. Cover is $5 before midnight and $7 after. Admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.
Sunday, March 9
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.
Nellie’s Sports Bar hosts its weekly drag brunch today with two seatings at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. For a full menu, including vegetarian options, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Adventuring, an LGBT outdoors group, hosts a “Snickers Gap” hike today at 8:30 a.m.The hike is along the Appalachian Trail and centered on Snickers Gap where Route 7 crosses the blue Ride in Round Hill, Va. Bring lunch, boots, beverages and $15 for transportation fees. Meet in the Kiss and Ride lot of the East Falls Church Metro Station (2001 N Sycamore St., Arlington, Va.). For more information, visit adventuring.org.
Monday, March 10
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.
Youth Working Group holds its monthly meeting at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) this evening from 6-7:30 p.m. The group works to support and advocate for D.C.’s LGBT youth. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
The D.C. Center (2000 14th 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, share perspectives and have meaningful conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts poker night tonight at 8 p.m. Win prizes. Free to play. For more information, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Tuesday, March 11
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.) holds free and confidential HIV testing drop-in hours from 3-5 p.m. today. For details, visit smyal.org.
Wednesday, March 12
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.
Big Gay Book Group meets tonight at 7 p.m. at 1155 F St., N.W. Suite 200 to discuss “The Martin Duberman Reader: The Essential Historical, Biographical and Autobiographical Writings” by Martin Duberman, who founded the first graduate program LGBT studies and his writings have focused on the medical community’s attempt to “cure” homosexuality. Newcomers welcome. For more details, email [email protected].
Queer for Christ, a young-adult LGBT Christian group, hosts a March Happy Hour at Larry’s Lounge (1836 18th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/QFCDC.
Rainbow Response, an LGBT intimate partner violence prevention group, meets in the third floor conference room at 5 Thomas Circle N.W. today from 6-7 p.m. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Thursday, March 13
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today at Food and Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) from 6-8 p.m.. Come help with food preparation and packing groceries. Coffee and donuts will be provided. For details, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.) 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.
History
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Tuesday marked 60 years since four gay activists held protest
While Stonewall is widely considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the U.S., a lesser-known protest inside a Greenwich Village bar three years earlier helped lay critical groundwork for what would follow.
Tuesday marked 60 years since the Julius’ Bar “sip in.”
On April 21, 1966, four gay rights activists — Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and later Randy Wicker — walked into Julius’ Bar and staged what would become known as a “sip-in” to challenge state liquor regulations on serving alcoholic beverages to gay men — with a drink.
Modeled after the sit-ins that challenged racial segregation across the American South, the protest was designed to confront discriminatory practices targeting LGBTQ patrons in public spaces.
At the time, the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s earliest gay rights groups — was actively pushing back against policies enforced by the New York State Liquor Authority. One of those policies could have resulted in the loss of liquor licenses for serving known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The participants had visited multiple establishments, openly identified themselves as homosexual, and requested a drink — with the anticipation of being denied.
Their final stop was Julius’, where reporters and a photographer had gathered to document the moment. When Leitsch declared their identity, the bartender covered their glasses and refused service, reportedly saying, “I think it’s against the law.” The next day, the New York Times ran a story with the headline, “3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars,” cementing the moment in the public record.
Though initially framed with disrespect — the term “sip-in” itself was coined as a play on civil rights protests — the action marked a turning point. It brought national attention to the systemic discrimination LGBTQ people faced and helped catalyze changes in how liquor laws were enforced. In the years that followed, the protest contributed to the emergence of licensed, more openly gay-friendly bars, which became central social and organizing spaces for LGBTQ communities.
The Washington Blade originally covered when the bar was officially added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Today, historians and advocates increasingly recognize the “sip-in” as a key pre-Stonewall milestone. According to the New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, the protest not only increased visibility of the early LGBTQ rights movement but also exposed widespread surveillance and entrapment tactics used against the community.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the event, commemorations have taken place in New York and across the country. Reflecting on its enduring legacy, Amanda Davis, executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, spoke about the event.
“Julius’ Bar is a place you can visit and viscerally connect with history,” said Davis. “We’re thrilled to have solidarity locations across the country join us in commemorating the ‘sip-in’’s 60th anniversary and the queer community’s First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.”
For current stewards of the historic bar, the responsibility of preserving that legacy remains front of mind.
“It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be the steward of a place so important to American and LGBTQ history,” said current owner of Julius’ Bar, Helen Buford. “The events of the 1966 Sip-In here at Julius’ resonated across the country and inspired countless others to stand proud for their rights.”
The timing couldn’t have come at a more important moment, Kymn Goldstein, executive director of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, explained.
“At a time when our community faces renewed challenges, coming together in resilience and solidarity reminds us of the power in our collective resistance,” Goldstein said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization dedicated to defending rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, is currently tracking 519 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. The majority are targeted at restricting transgender rights — particularly related to gender-affirming care, sports participation, and the use of public bathrooms.
Some additional groups and bars that held their own “sip-in” as solidarity events to uplift this historic milestone are from across the country include:
Alice Austen House at Steiny’s Pub, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bellows Falls Pride Committee at PK’s Irish Pub, Bellows Falls, Vt.
Brick Road Coffee, Mesa, Ariz.
Brick Road Coffee, Tempe, Ariz.
Dick Leitsch’s Family at Old Louisville Brewery, Louisville, Ky.
The Faerie Playhouse & LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at Le Cabaret, New Orleans
Harlem Pride & John Reddick at L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar, New York
JOYR!DE KiKi at Loafers Cocktail Bar, New York
Matthew Lawrence & Jason Tranchida / Headmaster at Deadbeats Bar, Providence, R.I.
Mazer Lesbian Archives at Alana’s Coffee, Los Angeles
New Hope Celebrates at The Club Room, New Hope, Pa.
Queer Memory Project at the University of Evansville Multicultural Student Commons / Ridgway University Center, Evansville, Ind.
Sandy Jack’s Bar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
St. Louis LGBT History Project at Just John Club, St. Louis
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch was held at Salamander Washington DC on Sunday, April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) was presented with the Allyship Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The umbrella LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C. held its annual Night of Champions Gala at the Georgetown Marriott on Saturday, April 18. Team D.C. presented scholarships to local student athletes and presented awards to Adam Peck, Manuel Montelongo (a.k.a. Mari Con Carne), Dr. Sara Varghai, Dan Martin and the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Sean Bartel was posthumously honored with the Most Valuable Person Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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