Arts & Entertainment
East Coast extravaganzas
Philly’s Pride also this weekend, Baltimore next; others later in June
Baltimore Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The Baltimore Pride Celebration kicks off June 13 with “Twilight on the Terrace,” a cocktail party and fundraiser at Gertrude’s Restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The festival continues throughout the weekend, including a high heel race on Saturday and a block party on Sunday.
“We’ve expanded our footprint for Pride,” says Kelly Neel, interim executive director of the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland, noting potential for a growing number of attendees.
Unlike previous years, this year’s Pride will feature entertainment and vending booths on both Saturday and Sunday instead of keeping those attractions separate from the parade, an adjustment Neel is looking forward to.
Baltimore Pride, which expects about 10,000 each day of the weekend-long celebration, will likely host a mass wedding this year, making a tradition out of a ceremony first held at last year’s Pride, the first year same-sex marriage was legal in the state.
Decades after the first Pride festivals were celebrated, Neel says there is still a place for them each summer, even as barriers fall for LGBT couples across the country.
“It’s great that there’s more awareness now and people are being more accepting of the LGBT community,” Neel says. “But I think that will just serve to make the parades bigger. Pride is not only a celebration of what’s going on in the now. It’s more a celebration of the past and a history of activism as well as the future.”
The city of brotherly love celebrates Philly Pride this weekend with a parade starting Sunday at noon from Philadelphia’s 13th and Locust streets. At this year’s pride — the first in Pennsylvania since same-sex marriage was legalized last month — the Hon. Dan Anders of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas will conduct marriage ceremonies at Independence Hall. Married couples will receive wristbands to the Pride festival.
The entertainment headliner is the Village People. Other Pride weekend events include a kick-off block party from 6-11 p.m. tonight on 12th Street between Walnut and Spruce, and the annual Dyke March on Saturday in Kahn Park at 3 p.m. For more details, visit phillypride.org.
New York City Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The weeklong New York City Pride celebration starts June 24 this year, beginning with a family movie night featuring “The Wizard of Oz” at Hudson River Park’s Pier 46.
Other events include the rally on June 27, hosted by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” judge Michelle Visage and featuring performances from season four winner Sharon Needles as well as Betty Who, also set to play D.C. this weekend.
The centerpiece of the city’s Pride weekend is the New York Pride March, which steps off at noon. It begins at 36th St. and Fifth Ave., and ends at Christopher and Greenwich streets. What began as a 500-person “gay power” demonstration in June 1969 after the Stonewall Riots, has since grown into an annual civil rights celebration featuring 50 floats and more than 300 organizations.
This year’s Pride boasts big-name grand marshals: “Orange is the New Black” star Laverne Cox; lead actor in the hit HBO television series “Looking” Jonathan Groff; and Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Following the parade is Dance on the Pier from 4-10 p.m. on Hudson River Park Pier 26. All proceeds from this year’s dance, featuring a live performance from pop performer Demi Lovato, benefit the city’s official Pride events and LGBT community organizations. For more details on pride celebrations in New York City, visit nycpride.org.
Frederick’s third annual pride festival takes place June 28 from noon-6 p.m. in Carroll Creek Linear Park. Attractions include a pie eating contest, music performances, booths from local businesses, as well as an interfaith service at 11 a.m. the morning of Pride, a new addition this year. For more information, visit thefrederickcenter.org.
Chesapeake Pride festival kicks off later in the summer on Aug. 2 from noon-6 p.m at the Mayo Beach Park in Edgewater, Md. Head to the beach for “fun in the sun and a fabulous drag show,” Chesapeake Pride’s website says. Visit chesapeakepridefestival.org for details and updates.
Chesapeake Pride (Washington Blade file photo by Pete Exis)
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center is marking a milestone year in its new home with a vibrant birthday celebration, inviting the community, allies, and media to join the festivities on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m.
Since opening its doors in Shaw, The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center has become a hub of support, advocacy, and celebration for LGBTQ+ residents across the District.
The birthday bash promises a day of programming including Yoga (Center Wellness), Micro Bouquet Making (Center Social), Zine Making (Center Arts), and so much more. Guests can also enjoy tours of the Center’s expanded facilities, showcasing spaces for programs, services, and community events.
Since relocating, the Center has expanded its programs, providing critical services. The birthday bash underscores the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s commitment to creating an inclusive space where everyone regardless of identity, age, or background can find community and empowerment.
For more details, contact Paul Marengo at 202-705-2890.
Friday, April 24
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Lesbian Visibility Week will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. There will be a special screening of “Ahead of the Curve.” Enjoy an evening of film, conversation, and community, with cocktails and beverages available throughout the night For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, April 25
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, April 26
Nellie’s Sports Bar will host “Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” at 12 p.m. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets start at $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, April 27
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Tuesday, April 28
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Candlelight Vigil” at 6:30 p.m. This is a vigil centered on reflection, support, and collective care. Attendees are encouraged to gather at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning promptly at 7 p.m. and concluding by 8 p.m. The event will take place on the closed-off Wiltberger Street, providing a dedicated and intimate space for remembrance. Electronic candle lights will be available to participants. For those seeking additional support or who have questions ahead of the event, please contact [email protected].
Wednesday, April 29
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, April 30
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
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