Local
City pushes D.C. bid for Gay Games
City faces competition from Hong Kong, Guadalajara
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has pledged full city support for the Gay Games bid. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The leader of the city’s official convention and sports authority has pledged to wage an aggressive campaign in support of D.C.’s bid to host the 2022 Gay Games, the quadrennial LGBT athletics competition that draws as many as 15,000 competitors and between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators.
Max Brown, chairman of the board of Events D.C., which owns and operates more than a dozen D.C. sports and events facilities, including RFK Stadium and the Washington Convention Center, said the organization has already lined up locations where most of the Gay Games events would be held should D.C. win its bid to host the competition.
Last week, the Federation of Gay Games, the organization that selects the host city, announced that D.C. had been picked as one of three finalists to host the Games in July 2022. The other two cities in contention are Hong Kong and Guadalajara, Mexico.
“We’re just really excited about being part of the team pursuing the Gay Games,” Brown told the Washington Blade. “We have a lot of experience working in large-scale events like this, not only in the city but across the region,” he said. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be selected.”
Brent Minor, chair of the Gay Games Washington, D.C. 2022 Bid Committee, said Brown and Events D.C. have been doing a “great job” in working with the committee in support of the bid.
He noted that Events D.C. and its sister organization, Destination D.C., which serves as the city’s lead promoter of conventions and sporting and entertainment events, are listed as partner organizations in the official bid for the Games.
According to Minor, the two organizations will provide support for the bid committee in May when representatives of the Federation of Gay Games come to D.C. for an official site visit of all of the locations where Gay Games events would be held.
“The delegation will visit and inspect all proposed sites for Games events, evaluate the logistics for the Games, and appraise the level of community support for the bid,” Minor said in a statement.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. City Council have also pledged full city support for the bid, including financial support.
Last October, Council members Anita Bonds (D-At-Large) and Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) introduced a Council resolution supporting the city’s bid for the Games.
“D.C. looks forward to welcoming LGBTQ athletes from around the world and I truly hope the committee selects D.C. because of our rich history of support for equal rights and world renowned cultural attractions,” Bonds said in a statement.
The FGG is scheduled to make its final decision selecting the host city at its Annual General Assembly meeting in Paris in October.
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Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”
Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
District of Columbia
Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert
Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter came out as bisexual in 2024
Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on May 7 that nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who identifies as bisexual, will be the headline performer at this year’s Capital Pride Concert scheduled for June 21.
The concert takes place as part of the annual Capital Pride Festival held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., usually between 3rd Street near the U.S. Capitol and 9th Street.
“Morris, known for her genre-blending sound and outspoken support of LGBTQ+ rights, will be joined by a standout lineup, including acclaimed queer rapper Leikeli47, pop icon Lisa Lisa, Juno-nominated producer and DJ from the ‘Heated Rivalry’ soundtrack, Harrison, and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 winner Myki Meeks,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride.
“In a moment when LGBTQ+ people are being challenged across the country, the Capital Pride Concert is a space where our community is fully seen and heard,” Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and president, said in the statement. “Bringing Maren Morris to the stage reflects this year’s theme: Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” Bos said.
The statement notes that the concert takes place as part of the annual D.C. Pride Festival, which is open to the public free of charge, with tickets available for purchase for specific areas listed as the Capital Stage Pit Zone and the VIP Concert Zone.
It says the festival takes place from 12 –10 p.m. and points out that in addition to the music performed by multiple other performers on several stages, festival attendees “can explore hundreds of exhibitors, community organizations, and artisans, along with multiple food courts and beverage gardens throughout the festival footprint.”
Information on the Capital Pride Alliance website shows that the festival takes place one day after the annual Capital Pride Parade, scheduled for June 20 and which is expected to travel from 14th and T Streets, N.W., to Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., where it is expected to end at 9th Street.
The statement adds that following the stage performances during the June 21 festival, which are expected to conclude around 8 p.m., “the celebration will continue with the Capitol Sunset Dance Party, closing out the evening against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.”
The online publication Today, which is part of the NBC “Today” television show, reported that Morris came out as bisexual in a 2024 during Pride. It reports Morris “shared several images of herself holding a Pride flag to mark the occasion, writing, ‘Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+’”
Comings & Goings
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