Out & About
Christmas services at affirming churches
Many in region welcome gay worshippers
Washington National Cathedral (Washington Blade file photo)
Christmas Eve
Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) holds a children and family Christmas Eve service from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in fellowship hall. From 8-9 p.m. there will be “a Time of Lessons, Carols and Candlelight” service from 8-9 p.m. in the sanctuary. For details, visit foundryumc.org.
The Christ Church on Capitol Hill (620 G St., S.E.) has multiple Christmas Eve services and events. At 4:30 p.m. there will be a “Come as you are” family service with carols, pageant and communion. At 6:30 p.m. there will be a formal family service with a homily, communion and music from the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble. At 10 p.m. the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble will perform in the Choral Prelude before the Festival Eucharist at 10:30 p.m. A festive reception will follow at 11:30 p.m. with food and drink. For more details, visit washingtonparish.org.
Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church (3401 Nebraska Ave., N.W.) has many services through Christmas Eve. At 5 p.m. there will be a family Christmas Eve service led by the children. At 7:30 p.m. there will be a candlelight communion service. At 11 p.m. there is a candlelight service with a musical prelude starting at 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit nationalchurch.org.
Dumbarton United Methodist Church holds a Christmas Eve child-friendly service with a repeat of their Christmas pageant at 5 p.m. At 9 p.m. there will be a formal Christmas Eve worship service with candles and caroling. Rev. Mary Kay Totty will lead both services. For more information, visit dumbartonumc.org.
Rockville United Church (355 Linthicum St., Rockville, Md.) has Christmas Eve Under the Stars, a Christmas Eve celebration, at 5 p.m. A service will be at 8 p.m. For more details, visit rockvilleunitedchurch.org.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) holds a Christmas Eve service from 8-9:30 p.m. For more information, visitmccdc.com.
Seekers Church (276 Carroll St., N.W.) has a Christmas Eve dinner at 6 p.m. followed by a service of lessons and carols at 7:30 p.m. Visit seekerschurch.orgfor more details.
Saint John’s Episcopal Church (1525 H St., N.W.) holds a “festive” holy eucharist from 8-9:30 p.m. For more information, visit stjohnsgeorgetown.org.
Washington National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) has “carols by candlelight” with Rev. Mariann Budde at 6 p.m. Festival of the holy eucharist service is at 10 p.m. Passes are required for both events. Carols by candlelight is sold-out but passes for the 10 p.m. Holy eucharist service are still available. VisitNationalcathedral.org for more details.
National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle,N.W.) holds a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. For more information, visit nationalcitycc.org.
Christmas Day
Washington National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) holds the Festival Holy Eucharist service today at 11 a.m. “The Blessing of the Crib: A Service of Christmas Lessons and Carols” will be at 3 p.m. There will be scripture readings and Christmas carols. No passes are required for any of the day’s programs. For more information, visit nationalcathedral.org.
Sweat DC is officially expanding to Shaw, opening a new location at 1818 7th St., N.W., on Saturday, March 28 — and they’re kicking things off with a high-energy, community-first launch event.
To celebrate, Sweat DC is hosting Sweat Fest, a free community workout and social on Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. at the historic Howard Theatre. The event features a group fitness class, live DJ, local food and wellness partners, and a mission-driven partnership with the Open Goal Project, which works to expand access to youth soccer for players from marginalized communities.
For more details, visit Sweat DC’s website and reserve a spot on Eventbrite.
Friday, Feb. 20
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon with Yoga will be at noon at the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the D.C. Center. This will be a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome! We’ll have card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Go Gay DC will host “First Friday LGBTQ+ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, Feb. 21
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.
LGBTQ People of Color will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Queer Talk DC will host “The Black Gay Flea Market” at 1 p.m. at Doubles in Petworth. There will be more than 15 Black queer vendors from all over the DMV in one spot. The event’s organizers have reserved the large back patio for all vendors, and the speak easy for bar service, which will be serving curated cocktails made just for the event (cash bar.) DJ Fay and DJ Jam 2x will be spinning the entire event. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, Feb. 23
“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 at [email protected].
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
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 percent cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
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.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, Feb. 26
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center. To be more fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. 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.
Friday, February 13
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at noon 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.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour Meetup” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the D.C. area. For more details, visit the group on Facebook.
Saturday, February 14
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.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host a screening of “Love and Pride” at 1:30 p.m. This event is a joy-filled global streaming celebration honoring queer courage, Pride, and the power of love. It’s a bold celebration of courage and community — a fearless reminder of what we’ve overcome, how love is what makes us unstoppable, and how we have always turned fear into fierce. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Sunday, February 15
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, February 16
Queer Book Club will be at 7:00p.m. on Zoom. This month’s read is “Faebound” by Saara El-Arifi. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
“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]).
Tuesday, February 17
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, February 18
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.
Thursday, February 19
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. 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, breath work 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.
José Zayas brings ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ to GALA Hispanic Theatre
2026: prices, pace, and winter weather
PHOTOS: Cupid’s Undie Run
Sweat DC expands to Shaw
D.C. police arrest man for burglary at gay bar Spark Social House
Trump falsely links trans people to terrorism
LGBTQ activists mourn the Rev. Jesse Jackson
EXCLUSIVE: Markey says transgender rights fight is ‘next frontier’
Lawsuit to restore Stonewall Pride flag filed
