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Transitional truths

Two new projects bring trans stories into the mainstream

Published

12 years ago

October 16, 2014

Against Me! lead singer Laura Jane Grace, on left, and Emmy-nominated actress Laverne Cox host two new trans-themed profile series. (LJG photo by Leslie Lyons; Cox photos by Melissa Hamburg)

Transgender visibility in pop culture is at an all-time high and now two of its most prominent players — Against Me! front woman Laura Jane Grace and actress Laverne Cox who plays Sophia on the Netflix smash “Orange is the New Black” — have each launched documentary projects in which everyday trans folks from all walks of life will share their stories.

Grace formed punk band Against Me! in Gainesville, Fla., in 1997. After a couple major-label, Billboard-charting albums, Grace — then known as Tom Gabel — announced via a starkly candid Rolling Stone interview in 2012 she was transitioning. The autobiographical album “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” came out in January and now Grace has hosted the 10-episode series “True Trans with Laura Jane Grace” for AOL. The first four episodes were released on National Coming Out Day (Oct. 10) and are available at on.aol.com/truetrans.

Cox made history this year for her work on “Orange.” She was the first trans actress to be nominated for an Emmy and the first trans person to make the cover of Time magazine. Her MTV/Logo documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word” debuts Friday at 7 p.m. The hour-long special, which features seven trans youth who range in age from 12-24, is part of MTV’s week-long “Look Different” campaign (trans.lookdifferent.org), which MTV, mtvU and Logo TV are using to shed light on race, gender and anti-LGBT bias.

Washington Blade spoke with Grace by phone before an Against Me! concert last week in Johnson City, Tenn., and with Cox during a mutli-outlet conference call on Oct. 7.

Grace says AOL approached her for the series in a “pretty open-ended” pitch. After tracking down a list of about 50 transgender folks she met mostly on social media after her own coming out, she and an AOL crew spent about three weeks hearing their stories. The episodes are broken down by topics such as transitioning or coming out and feature many people in each episode. Grace also shares experiences from her own life and some Against Me! live concert footage is used as well.

She says a variety of factors influenced her decision to be brutally honest in detailing her journey from the Rolling Stone interview to subsequent interviews to the AOL series.

“When you come out, you start to get this momentum, this feeling behind you,” the 33-year-old rocker says. “You feel empowered, you feel good because this thing that you’ve kept inside for so long, you’re finally talking about it and I definitely knew in my personal situation, for me, it would be very public and there were lots of people who had questions, so I went in with the attitude that if they had questions, I had a chance to educate them and I’d do my best. I hoped people wouldn’t be rude, but I went in with the attitude that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.”

She says having been honest in her songwriting was a help.

“Things I’ve already said on records and in songs, to me are way more personal than anything I could ever say in an interview. A song is part of my soul, so putting that out there is harder.”

Cox calls “The T Word” a “labor of love” and says she has tremendous respect for the seven young people she calls “amazing and courageous.”

“In this world, it’s still a big deal to come forward and say you’re transgender and open yourself to all kinds of discrimination, potential violence and stigma,” Cox, a Mobile, Ala., native, says. “For these young people to come forward on national television and tell their stories openly and truthfully, I think they should be applauded and I love every single one of them and I hope that this documentary can be a critical intervention in how we think of trans young people in this country and really humanize them.”

Cox says she’s been “blown away” by the resilience demonstrated by those who participated and says she’s interested in shifting the focus on the way trans stories have been told from focusing — as she pointed out in her famous interview with Katie Couric — on “transition and surgery and bodies” to “elevate people’s stories as much as possible and giving them a platform.”

While Cox’s project focuses on youth, the energy and vision of whom she says is galvanizing, Grace says she’s learned just as much from older trans people who transitioned many years before she did.

“Even if nobody ever sees this series, I know what it has meant to me to live it and to have these conversations,” she says. “One of the most reassuring things hearing from so many people, from older people or from those who’ve been transitioning much longer, I would have assumed they would have had it way more figured out, had more concrete, definite answers, so to hear them say, ‘Yeah, I still don’t know some things,’ or, ‘I’m still figuring it out,’ or even to hear them say they’re still in transition, that was so reassuring to me and gave me the feeling of, ‘Oh, OK. You don’t have to have it all figured out.’”

OUTTAKES:

Laura Jane Grace on:

• the career impact of transitioning: “Our last three albums have all sold exactly the same amount in X period of time … we’re all lifers; it’s not like we have this other thing to fall back on. … It’s not a race, it’s a marathon.”

• the potential of having her personal story upstage her music: “The press never wants to talk about the things that you as a musician would like to talk about, like, ‘Oh, I used this guitar on this song or this amplifier,’ you know, the geeky musician stuff that is really a lot of times what records are about. They want to spin it. … But when you’re a good band, you make good records and write good songs, that’s what keeps it alive and keeps it all going. If people aren’t interested in that, they’re only going to pay attention for a second.”

• the effect of transitioning on her vocals: “It doesn’t really work that way. … When I was a kid starting in bands, I din’t know how to sing. I just liked punk so I thought, ‘OK, I’ll just get up there and scream,’ but eventually you have to learn how to sing in a way to save your voice if you’re playing something like 200-odd shows a year. … There are definitely songs I wrote at 21, 22 that I can’t sing the same way now at (nearly) 34.”

• the right of Chelsea Manning to get hormone replacement therapy in prison: “I think it’s borderline torture not to give it to her.”

• the fate of the band’s instruments in the wine monsoon of the “Thrash Unreal” video shoot: “James’ Les Paul was fine. That was a solid body guitar. And Andrew’s was pretty fine too, except for some discoloring. My Rickenbacker, being that it has a semi-hollow body, it warped some of the body but I still have it, I still play it. It’s fine. … I wanted to do that video in drag but the A&R people at the label said no, so we ended up making this shitty video that ruined our guitars and dyed our skin pink.”

Laverne Cox on:

• Candis Cayne who made history on “Dirty Sexy Money” as the first recurring transgender character on a prime time show: “I’ve said it many times: I would not be here if it weren’t for Candis Cayne. She is a huge inspiration to me and her work on ‘Dirty Sexy Money’ made me believe it was possible for me to have a career as an actor.”

• why “Orange” has captured the zeitgeist: “Our fans are really intense and they love the show so much. I’m really lucky that I’m on this show that’s insanely popular and I’m not delusional to think that any platform I may have, that it’s not because I’m on a show that people really love and that’s struck a chord.”

• why trans issues have exploded: “Because ‘Orange’ is an internet show and with the way the internet has exploded with Facebook and Twitter — it’s just a much different thing than it was in 2007 when “Dirty Sexy Money” hit. I mean obviously, yeah, the internet was there, it was a thing, but the social media has really given the trans community a platform and a voice and a support that has just reverberated in a different way.”

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a&e features

Rainbows in Revolt on a mission to make LGBTQ artists’ voices heard

Published

5 days ago

July 29, 2026

Kyle Rood

Lily Erin, one of Rainbows in Revolt’s signature artists, performed at Capital Pride in June. (Photo courtesy of Rainbows in Revolt)

Last month’s Pride celebration in D.C. was so fun. Walking around my first Capital Pride with a $15 lemonade I was loving the madness and the color. Artists and small businesses battling banks you’ve never heard of collecting your personal information so you can spin a wheel to snag free merch. Great music blaring, people actually smiling and enjoying themselves, the “Great” American State Fair could never!

The Monument Stage was on Pennsylvania Avenue, directly in front of the National Gallery of Art and I can’t think of a better venue to see live music. How does someone get on the lineup for Pride? How do we accelerate the visibility of the most talented voices in our community to perform in places like this?

There is certainly not a talent gap, but there is a visibility gap. Chappell Roan went from playing for two people in a parking lot to owning the main stage at Coachella in one year. Whether it is shadowbanning or bias in AI, algorithms have been shown to suppress queer artists. In a digital age, how can queer people break through and show the world how talented they are?

Allison and Matt of Rainbows in Revolt are on a mission to make openly LGBTQ+ artists’ voices heard. Their goal is to find “musicians whose queerness is central to their identity as an artist,” and accelerate them to a place where they can actually reach fans.

The only time queer events seem to be in the spotlight is June, but this should be year round, according to Allison and Matt. Rainbows in Revolt wants to act as a “nucleus” for different sub-communities, finding common ground in the universal language of music.

Matt and Allison founded Rainbows as a way to make cheaper, higher quality merchandise for queer artists. While Rainbows has already pledged 20% of their profits to the LGBTQ+ community, with 10% to Whitman-Walker Health and 10% to LGBTQ+ organizations in need, this is just the beginning of the work that they do.

Rainbows “does the dirty work” that artists normally struggle to do on their own with limited resources. Interviews, artist profiles, social promotion, playlist discovery, radio outreach, and merch-funded support. This work is normally expensive, time consuming, and requires lots of different skills. Musicians don’t want to be editing clips to post online. Standup comedians don’t want to make graphics for their tour dates. They want to write more. They want to focus on their craft.

In addition to helping artists find their audience, Rainbows has built other digital tools to help queer people connect, including an interactive Safe Space Map for most major cities. It is hard to know which places are truly safe and supportive just from a simple Google search. Attitudes and actions change, and there should be a simple way for queer people to find other places that align with them. The Safe Spaces Maps are all up to date, and are tagged and filterable. Instead of relying on forums and word of mouth, Rainbows has created a centralized way to find authentic community quickly.

I had a chance to talk with Allison and Matt at Pride where Lily Erin, one of their signature artists, was performing on the Monument stage. Lily Erin is a folk singer who is familiar and forging her own path. Her bittersweet sound echoes through Acadia, and her garb mirrors the New England athletes I grew up with. Gorp Core meets streetwear. A graphic tee, hiking shorts, and creamsicle Jordans.

Her debut single, “Bus Stop,” tells a sad story about unconditional love, and the conditions that still seem to come with it. Graduating into lockdown, Erin needed a new way to connect with herself and others. Lily made “Bus Stop” without an intention to share it, but doing so was a liberation. People have been responding to her honesty around queer-ness, family, and the “ghosts which haunt us” even in the daytime.

Rainbows in Revolt has helped Lily Erin go from bars and backyards to The Monument Stage at Pride. This is a meteoric rise, and a testament to both Erin’s talent and the work of Rainbows to promote her. “A little encouragement goes a long way with early artists,” and by “planting a seed” Rainbows is already seeing their artist garden grow. Community is power, and Erin is a perfect example of how effective simple modern techniques of promotion can be.

A next step for Rainbows is putting on shows themselves. On Oct. 3, Rainbows in Revolt will host an Evening with Ray Boltz at the National City Christian Church. Boltz grew up in the Catholic Church and for many years was the soundtrack to many services, youth camps, and church groups. He was celebrated by millions until he came out in 2008. Allison remembers her community “never playing his music again.”

Rainbows in Revolt is helping him to return to the church, and proving that identity does not need to be exclusive. We live in a complicated world with complicated lines being drawn. Boltz proves that these lines don’t exist, and will be breaking down barriers to bring together communities. To Allison, “a trans woman standing next to a straight white man in church is a powerful teacher.”

The Safe Space maps bridge all types of spaces, and one of the unlikely ones is, perhaps, churches. Matt said that “BYU has only nine safe spaces around their campus and seven of them are churches.” Not all churches are anti-gay, and many times they are the only place for people to find community.

Rainbows in Revolt is just getting started bridging gaps and building community.

a&e features

Summer in the City: Free exhibits, movies, more fill D.C.’s calendar

America 250 celebrations continue

Published

1 week ago

July 26, 2026

Emma LaPointe

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in ‘Wicked,’ screening Sept. 12 at Union Market. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

From late-night museum visits and outdoor jazz concerts to free movie screenings and America250 exhibitions, Washington’s summer calendar is packed with events that don’t charge admission. Here’s a look at some of the free activities happening across the District through September and beyond.

Museum exhibitions

The Renwick Gallery is presenting State Fairs: Growing American Craft, an exhibition that looks at unique and unconventional crafts from the 19th century to the present. It will run until Sept. 7, and admission is free.

The Arts and Industries Building, located next to the Smithsonian Castle, is presenting the exhibition Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America. The exhibition features the development of American independence and what that has meant over time, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibition runs until Sept. 7.

The National Gallery of Art presents Dear America, an exhibit featuring more than 100 pieces of work, including letters, photographs, and drawings that depict American landscapes and depictions of freedom. The exhibition will run until Sept. 20.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is exhibiting Burnished: Pueblo Pottery until Sept. 27. The exhibit features pottery from the Southwest, and while most of the pottery belongs to women artists, a few also reflect those who have advocated for women.

Extending past this summer, the exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa will be at the National Museum of the American Latino until July 2028. The exhibition shows how Afro-Cuban music has become a staple in the U.S. Admission is free.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will feature the exhibition District Vibes / American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture, which will highlight all of the ways D.C. has impacted American life. The exhibit will run until Sept. 27.

At the Folger Shakespeare Library, the exhibit Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era will be on view through Aug. 2. All the portraits on display come from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London.

The United States Botanic Garden will be open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 and Sept. 17, as part of America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration. The evenings will include live music, mocktails, ice cream, and snacks.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will have extended hours, staying open until 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday until Sept. 3.

Live performances

On Aug. 7, the postgame Nationals concert series will continue with Jordan Davis performing. To see the concert, guests just need to buy tickets to the Nationals game.

Jazz in the Garden will run each Friday until Aug. 14. The event has free admission, but those interested have to enter a lottery due to the high demand for the event.

From May to October, Capital Harvest Market occurs every Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The market features fresh foods, crafts, and recipes for unique dishes. A full list of vendors is available on Capital Harvest’s website.

Live! Concert Series on the Plaza will feature live performances at Woodrow Wilson Plaza until Sept. 25. The performances run Monday to Friday from 12-1 p.m. Admission is free to the performances.

DowntownDC Live! at Anthem Row is running until July 30, with free performances every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The final performance will feature HUE and a vintage flea market hosted by Get Flee Marketplace.

Located in Adams Morgan, AdMo Vibe will present live performances every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Kalorama Park. Guests are encouraged to check out Adams Morgan before and after shows, and it is an event for all ages.

Other events

Union Market is hosting drive-in movies on Aug. 8, featuring “Monsters, Inc.”, and Sept. 12, featuring “Wicked.” On Aug. 8, the parking lot will open at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 8:25 p.m. On Sept. 12, the parking lot will open at 6:35 p.m., and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Cinema at the Wharf will also be available one day a month. On Aug. 12, “10 Things I Hate About You” will premiere, and on Aug. 26, “Project Hail Mary.” No tickets are necessary.

The Library of Congress will also show movies. On Aug. 6, guests are invited to watch “Apollo 13.” The movie will be shown at 8 p.m., with additional live performances beginning at 7 p.m.

For fans of Asian media, the Okaton convention will be at Walter E. Washington Convention Center from July 31-Aug. 2. Festivities will include cosplay contests, skits, live music, and panel discussions.

Washington Spirit’s season also begins in August. The Spirit is Washington’s National Women’s League, with matchups occurring between the San Diego Wave, the North Carolina Courage, the Orlando Pride, and the Bay FC.

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Summer in D.C. brings sports, Restaurant Week, festivals, and more

Published

2 weeks ago

July 23, 2026

Evan Caplan

Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone hosts Pride Night OUT on Sunday, Aug. 23. (Photo courtesy of Washington Spirit)

Summer in D.C. just hits different. Congress is out, school is out, the sun is out, thighs are out. With the skies clearing from Canadian smoke, here are a few ways to stay entertained.

Dining

Summer restaurant week: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is once again hosting Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-24. This weeklong dining experience showcases the dynamic dining scene of the DMV, including 2026 RAMMY Award-winning favorites (the annual D.C. food awards show that took place June 29). Participating restaurants will offer three-course brunch and lunch selections for $25 or $35 per person, and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65 per person.

New Restaurants: A handful of new spots have opened, so the summer is a great time to check them out:

Oribu: A new Mediterranean-Japanese restaurant in the Grand Hyatt hotel, which just underwent a remodeling effort. The sleek restaurant brings upscale charm, with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare with potato pavé and caviar.
The Oak Room: A snazzy old-school American grill has just opened in Georgetown, alongside its sister upstairs supper club (Bernadette’s) restaurant, in the old El Centro space.
Uchi: This showy Japanese sushi-forward chain has landed in Dupont with a chef’s tasting menu of favorites like fatty tuna.
Kathmandu: Recalling the capital of Nepal, this warm, buzzy subterranean restaurant right in the heart of U Street brings spice, flair, and rare ingredients to its dishes (see: buffalo burgers) and drinks.

Sports

Washington Spirit Pride Night OUT: On Sunday, Aug. 23, head to Audi Field for a massive, high-energy game following the exciting month of World Cup. The designated Pride Night OUT game promises boisterous crowds plus pre- and post-game community engagements.
Washington Tennis Open – Now called the Mubadala DC Open, this annual tournament is only combined mens’ and womens’ 500-level tennis tournament in the world. The open is one of D.C.’s longest-standing sports traditions, and will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 25-Aug. 2. Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and others are expected to play.

Festivals

Afro Plus Fest: This huge, three-day Afro-Caribbean Hip-Hop Festival brings together headliners Davido, Alkaline, and Wizkid, plus Tems and Ayra Starr. The event moves from RFK to the Northwest Stadium Complex for three days, Sept. 4-6.
Capital Fringe Festival: Running from July 11-21, this massive celebration features dozens of live theater, comedy, dance, and boundary-pushing nighttime performances across multiple DC neighborhoods.
The National Book Festival returns, with headliners like Cynthia Erivo, and Martin Scorsese. The one-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 22, brings together bookworms and word nerds under the theme “America 250: It’s Your Story.” There are talks, workshops, musical sessions and more.
All Things Go: A three-day festival Sept. 25-27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion featuring Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many, many more artists. There are single-day and three-day tickets. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members.
Fuchsia Fest: The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to celebrate LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. The event takes place Sept. 18-20 and is hosted by Capital Pride.

Art and Music

United We Dance: A high-energy rave with house, techno, bass, and festival music, on Aug. 1 at the 9:30 Club.
The Fray. On Aug. 14, this American rock band famous for How To Save A Life is at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Kesha: Kesha’s high-energy The Freedom Tour comes to the D.C. area on Aug. 14 at Jiffy Lube Live.
ALOK: On Sept. 3 at Lincoln Theater, ALOK (they/them) performs. The poet, comedian, and actor is putting on a new comedy show.
2charm, the emerging Australian electronic club-pop duo popular with the queer community, which blends hyperpop and dance music, comes to the Atlantis.
Sapphic Dance Party: a vibrant, inclusive nightlife and social event designed specifically for queer women, lesbians, bisexuals, trans individuals, and nonbinary folks, at Atlantis on Aug. 21.
Jazz in the Garden: The most quintessential of D.C. activities returns Friday evenings through Aug. 14. This season’s theme, “American Sounds,” is a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tunes themes range from Appalachian and Americana to Creole jazz, Hill Country blues, contemporary jazz, and more. Tickets are available through a lottery system a week before each event.