Arts & Entertainment
Queer celluloid
Festivals, docs, features, retrospectives, contests and more among local spring film season
Val Lauren and Christian Patrick in the controversial ‘Interior. Leather Bar.’ (Photo courtesy Strand Releasing)
The spring film season in Washington starts with a bang with “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me,” a comic and poignant documentary by Chiemi Karasawa that captures the legendary performer’s days in New York City. The film interweaves footage from Stritch’s professional life (teasing Alec Baldwin on the set of “30 Rock” and struggling to remember the tricky lyrics of Stephen Sondheim for her final show at the Café Carlyle) and personal life (medial crises and packing for her move from Manhattan to Michigan). “Shoot Me” opens at West End Cinema on March 14.
The works of groundbreaking gay writer Tennessee Williams will be among those featured at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring this spring. A celebration of Vivien Leigh’s centenary will include “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” and Leigh’s iconic performance as Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” A retrospective on the career of Burt Lancaster will include his sizzling performance opposite Oscar winner Anna Magnani in “The Rose Tattoo,” as well as his powerful appearance in the classic “Come Back, Little Sheba” by gay playwright William Inge. Details at afi.com/silver.
Samantha Master in ‘The New Black.’ (Photo by Jen Lemen)
Two documentaries about anti-gay campaigns will be released on DVD this spring. Michael Lucas’ “Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda” will be available on April 1 and finds the gay porn legend continuing his branching out into non-porn terrain. Yoruba Richen’s documentary “The New Black” examines how the black community is grappling with the issues of marriage equality and civil rights, and how the Christian right is exploiting anti-gay sentiment in black churches. It comes to home formats in June after it is broadcast on PBS as part of its Gay Pride Month celebration.
April 1 is also the DVD release date for the documentary “I Am Divine,” which explores the transformation of mild-mannered Baltimore native Harris Glenn Milstead into Divine, a “cinematic terrorist” and legendary international drag icon. Filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz combines interviews with Milstead’s mother and Divine’s cinematic collaborators to create a complex portrait of a fascinating artist.
On a lighter note, the trend of female buddy movies continues with “The Other Woman,” a comedy featuring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton as three women turn the tables on the man who cheats on all three of them. The movie, which opens in wide release on April 25, also features a performance by pop singer Nicki Minaj.
B’more QFest (formerly/formally known as the Baltimore Queer Film and Media Festival) strives to “bring unity to the community” by bringing quality LGBT film to Charm City. Upcoming events include a double bill of “Sordid Lives” and “Southern Baptist Sissies” with screenwriter Del Shores on April 6 and Leslie Jordan (“Sordid Lives” and “Will & Grace”) performing his one-man show “Fruit Fly” on June 10-11. Details at bmorequeer.org.
Pierre Deladonchamps in ‘Stranger by the Lake.’ (Photo courtesy Strand Releasing)
“Stranger by the Lake,” the gay erotic thriller that won the Queer Palm (an independent award given to entries made to the Cannes Film Festival) and was named one of the top films of 2013 by the influential Cahiers du Cinema is still looking for a venue in D.C. If all else fails, this steamy tale of murder and sexual awakening set by a scenic lake in rural France will be available on DVD May 13.
“Interior. Leather Bar.,” inspired by the mythology surrounding the 1980 film “Cruising,” will be released on DVD on April 15. Filmmakers James Franco and Travis Mathews (“I Want Your Love”) reimagine the “lost footage” from the controversial film as they document their own challenges with shooting sexually explicit material.
LGBT filmmakers will have a chance to strut their stuff in the annual 48 Hour Film Fest. From 7:30 p.m. on May 2 to 7:30 p.m. on May 4, teams of local artists will create original short films. The films will be screened the following weekend at AFI Silver Theatre and the winner will advance to the national competition. Teams can register at 48hourfilm.com.
Although the D.C. Shorts Film Festival won’t be held until September, the staff and volunteers, under the direction of founder Jon Gann, an openly gay director, will host a variety of events this spring. In March, the Mentors program will offer a series of workshops for filmmakers of all skill levels. On June 13-14, the D.C. Shorts Laughs will offer evenings that combine funny short films and stand-up comedians. And most importantly, the Festival is now accepting entries from both directors and screenwriters. For more information, visit dcshorts.com.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
a&e features
Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths
The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.
This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.
This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.
Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis
Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers
ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES
- Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives - Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream - Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC - Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency - Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision - Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry - Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine - Queen Adesuyi (she/they)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice - Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives) - Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra - Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer - Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital - Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space - Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Diana Rodriques (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women - Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader - Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation - Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle - Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle
LEGEND AWARDEES
- Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau - Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP - leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography - Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University - Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation - AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU - RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart - Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign - Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group - Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame - Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction) - Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Formerly of Voto Latino - Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade - Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer - Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures - Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association - Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Coalition - Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted - Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies - Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter - Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington - Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit - Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio - Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT - J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
Celebrity News
D.C. goes gaga for Gaga
Bisexual icon brought ‘The Mayhem Ball’ tour to Washington this week
Lady Gaga this week took D.C. by storm.
The bisexual icon and LGBTQ rights champion brought “The Mayhem Ball” tour to Capital One Arena on Monday and Tuesday.
“Abracadabra,” “Paparazzi,” “Applause,” and “Bad Romance” are among the songs Lady Gaga performed during the 2 1/2-hour long concert. Lady Gaga also celebrated her many queer fans.
“You are precious to us,” she said on Tuesday night before she performed “Born This Way.”
‘No Kings’ protests set for D.C.
Border to border: modern slavery and human trafficking in refugee movements across East Africa
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Pa. House passes bill to codify marriage equality in state law
PHOTOS: Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary
‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think
Small is beautiful: subcompact SUVs
Polish court rules country must recognize same-sex marriages from EU states
Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary gala draws sold out crowd
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Photos3 days agoPHOTOS: Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary
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Theater4 days ago
‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think
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Autos4 days ago
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Poland3 days ago
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