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The year’s biggest A&E moments

Caitlyn, ‘Carol,’ ‘Stonewall’ and more

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11 years ago

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Arts & Entertainment Year-in-Review 2015, gay news, Washington Blade
2015 Entertainment, Arts & Entertainment Year-in-Review 2015, gay news, Washington Blade

(Washington Blade editorial cartoon by Ranslem)

#10 Neil Patrick Harris just so-so at the Oscars

After successful stints hosting the Tonys and Emmys, expectations were high in February when long-time out actor Neil Patrick Harris hosted the 87th Academy Awards, becoming the first openly gay man (Ellen hosted the year before) to take on the tough assignment.

Showing off a remarkably fit physique, he lampooned a scene from “Birdman” by appearing on stage in tighty-whities, a move that drew mixed reviews. The New York Times said overall he was “bland.” Time said he was “glum and low energy.”

Viewership was down 16 percent, the lowest rating in six years according to Variety. Harris told Huffington Post later he doubts he’ll ever do it again.

“I don’t know that my family nor my soul could take it,” he said in that interview.
After a white-hot run of successes in recent years, Harris fumbled in 2015. His fall NBC show “Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris,” a live TV variety series, was cancelled in December after just eight episodes.

#9 Return of Madonna and Janet

In March, Madonna released her 13th studio album “Rebel Heart.” Despite a massive leak, it debuted solidly at No. 2 on Billboard (121,000 units) and received generally better reviews than her previous two releases. Her “Rebel Heart Tour” opened in September with strong reviews and sales.

Janet Jackson returned in October with her 11th album “Unbreakable,” her first new studio project in seven years. With 116,000 units, the album was No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart the week it debuted and garnered strong reviews. The “Unbreakable World Tour” kicked off in August in Vancouver with several fast sell-outs. After taking December off, she goes back out Jan. 9 in Denver and plays Baltimore on Feb. 29 and D.C. on March 1. It’s her first tour since 2011 and marks a return to arenas after playing smaller venues last time.

Despite the buzz and media interest, U.S. radio continued to mostly ignore the singers. On the Hot 100, a chart the two dominated in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Janet’s first single “No Sleeep” made it only to No. 67. She found more success on the Adult R&B chart, where the single spent a record 10 weeks at No. 1. The title cut was the second single and didn’t chart. Neither did Madonna’s first single “Living for Love” or second single “Ghost Town.” Both singers had some success (Madge always manages a No. 1 dance hit for practically everything she releases) on other Billboard charts. Madonna’s third single “Bitch I’m Madonna” peaked at No. 84 on the Hot 100.

#8 ‘Hamilton’ hits big on Broadway

With a score “rooted in hip-hop but also encompassing R&B, jazz, pop, Tin Pan Alley and the choral strains of contemporary Broadway,” as the New York Times put it, “Hamilton,” which opened on Broadway in August, is this year’s monster hit where it’s turned the notion of the “Great White Way” on its head with a cast of mostly black and Latino actors playing the founding fathers.

Based on a 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton, the show has drawn raves for its ability to “redefine what an American musical can look and sound like,” as the Times wrote.
Out actor Jonathan Groff plays King George III, a nice change of pace for him after HBO’s “Looking” ended its second and last season in March.

#7 ‘Transparent’ goes through the roof

“Transparent,” the hit Amazon Studios show that tells of Maura Pfefferman’s (Jeffrey Tambor) transition process and the effect it has on her family, went through the roof this year.

In addition to the Golden Globe for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy (the first time a streamed show has taken this award) Tambor also won a Globe and later an Emmy as well.
The show’s second season premiered in December. It’s been renewed for a third. It has an impressive 98 percent freshness rating on critical roundup site Rotten Tomatoes.

#6 ‘Glee’ signs off

Although it wound down with more of a whimper than a bang, “Glee,” the hit Fox series that debuted in 2009 and told of the ups and downs of the William McKinley High School glee club, the show, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, deserves praise for its brave handling of LGBT issues.

From out cast members Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer and Alex Newell to its sensitive handling of LGBT storylines, the show was an awards magnet winning four GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, six Emmys, four Golden Globes and a bounty of other accolades.

Ratings had fallen steadily in recent years after a second season high.

#5 Danny Pintauro comes out as HIV positive

Although he’d been out of the pop culture limelight, former “Who’s the Boss?” and “Cujo” actor Danny Pintauro, who’d been out for years, told Oprah on an episode of her show “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” in September that he’s been HIV positive for 12 years.

Although initially embraced for his candor, Pintauro later drew criticism for saying on “The View” that he believes he contracted the virus through oral sex, a possibility HIV experts said was highly unlikely.
He later told the Blade at the AIDS Walk in October — he was on hand to accept an award — that he didn’t mean he knew that definitively but that it was his “best guess” as to how he contracted HIV.

#4 ‘Stonewall’ tanks

In August when the public got its first look at “Stonewall,” this year’s dramatization of the 1969 New York LGBT riots from director Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day”), the trailer was widely trashed for slickly whitewashing the watershed moment for gay rights.
Upon its September release, critical consensus was extremely negative in both the gay and mainstream press with a wide spate of reviews condemning the filmmaker’s decision to center the events around a fictional hunky white character (played by straight actor Jeremy Irvine) and reducing trans women and people of color to the sidelines.

Although Emmerich said he was intrigued by the issue of LGBT youth homelessness, a Vanity Fair critic said he managed to take “one of the most politically charged periods of the last century” and make it into a “bland, facile coming-of-age story.” Some activists called for an LGBT boycott of the movie.
The film cost about $17 million to make with part of it self-financed by Emmerich. It bombed at the box office. According to IMDB, its U.S. gross as of October was just short of $200,000.

#3 Big year for LGBT film

There’ve always been LGBT movies but even just a few years ago, most of the gay content was in smaller indie fare with a token mainstream release like “Brokeback Mountain” here or there. That is no longer the case.
With “Freeheld,” the Julianne Moore project about a woman’s fight to have her pension benefits transferred to her domestic partner after being diagnosed with terminal cancer; to “The Danish Girl,” the Eddie Redmayne vehicle that finds him starring as trans pioneer Lili Elbe; to “Carol,” the Todd Haynes-helmed film based on a Patricia Highsmith novel, LGBT themes in major films were no longer token occurrences.

#2 U.S. women’s soccer team out and proud

When the U.S. beat Japan in July to take the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the international women’s football (i.e. soccer) world championship, it was not just a triumph for the United States women’s national soccer team, the tournament was a watershed moment for out athletes with 18 publicly out players on the field for various countries including the U.S.’s Jillian Ellis (coach), Ali Krueger, Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach.

“While the men’s professional game has been reluctant to be fully inclusive and supportive of anyone within the game who identifies as LGBT, it’s generally regarded that football is much more accepting of women who are lesbian or bisexual,” said Lindsay England, head of Just a Ball Game, an organization that works to end anti-LGBT bias in soccer, in an Out Sports interview.
Wambach, who treated media interest in her 2013 marriage to Sarah Huffman bemusedly, retired in

December with too many accolades and wins to count, including two Olympic gold medals and a ranking in this year’s Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of the year.

#1 The world meets Caitlyn Jenner

It was in many ways the year of Cait and few would argue she is anything but the most prominent transgender person in the country.

The Olympic champion who found a second wind of fame as patriarch of reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” came out officially as transgender in an April Diane Sawyer interview on ABC’s “20/20” and was first seen as Caitlyn in a lavish cover story and fashion spread in the July issue of Vanity Fair.

Her (what else?) reality show “I Am Cait” debuted over the summer on E! and has been renewed for a second season (no premiere date for season two announced yet). It’s enjoyed decent if hardly rapturous ratings and reviews and has been noted for a more serious tone than that of the “Kardashians.”

Jenner’s long-held Republican views, especially her half-hearted endorsement of same-sex marriage for one, have induced winces on several occasions from LGBT activists. After speaking at a luncheon in Chicago in November, Jenner — camera crew in tow — was confronted by an angry mob of trans protesters who said she was a “disgrace.” Their basic beef was that the 65-year-old Cait has enjoyed such a life of privilege that she could never fully understand their plight. To her credit, Jenner engaged them.

In an early episode of her show, she seemed to grasp the import of her role and said, “I just hope I get it right.”

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

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

Published

5 hours ago

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July 29, 2026

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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.

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

America 250 celebrations continue

Published

3 days ago

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July 26, 2026

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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

6 days ago

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July 23, 2026

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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.
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