Arts & Entertainment
Music duo PWR BTTM dropped from label after sexual abuse allegations
band member Ben Hopkins has been accused of being a ‘known sexual predator’
(Ben Hopkins and Liv Bruce of PWR BTTM. Screenshot via YouTube.)
Gay punk duo PWR BTTM has been dropped from their music label, and are on the verge of canceling their nationwide tour, amid sexual abuse and anti-Semitism allegations involving band member Ben Hopkins.
According to Jezebel, Kitty Cordero-Kolin wrote a Facebook post calling Hopkins a “known sexual predator” and alleged Hopkins had initiated “inappropriate sexual conduct” with multiple people. The post also included a photo of Hopkins posing and smiling with a swastika drawn in the sand.
An anonymous woman also spoke with Jezebel and alleged that Hopkins, “made sexually aggressive advances and started having sex with her without permission while also refusing to wear protection.”
Their management, Salty Artist Management, tweeted that it was cutting ties with the band.
— Salty Artist MGMT (@SaltyArtistMGMT) May 12, 2017
The label Polyvinyl, which released PWR BTTM’s album “Pageant,” also announced it will no longer be selling and distributing the duo’s music.
Numerous opening acts for PWR BTTM’s tour have pulled out of planned shows including T-Rextasy, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Tancred and iji in response to the allegations.
The duo has begun canceling scheduled shows, including its D.C. date at the Black Cat on June 16, with rumors swirling the tour may get canceled altogether.
PWR BTTM released a statement addressing the situation on their Facebook page calling the allegations, “a surprise.”
“We want to respond to some very serious allegations that have been made against Ben. The allegations come as a surprise, but we are trying to address them with openness and accountability,” the statement begins.
“Unfortunately we live in a culture which trivializes and normalizes violations of consent. There are people who have violated others’ consent and do not know. Ben has not been contacted by any survivor(s) of abuse. These allegations are shocking to us and we take them very seriously. Further, the alleged behavior is not representative of who Ben is and the manner in which they try to conduct themselves,” the statement continued.
PWR BTTM notes that they have set up an email address for survivors of the alleged abuse, or someone working with a survivor, to discuss the allegations.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2015, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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