Out & About

D.C. Black Pride is Memorial Day weekend

Seminars, parties, concerts, picnics and more on packed schedule

Published

9 years ago

May 18, 2017

Mariah Cooper

D.C. Black Pride, gay news, Washington Blade

Us Helping Us Picnic in the Park at Fort Dupont Park (Washington Blade photo by Hugh Clarke)

The 27th annual D.C. Black Pride is at various locations in town May 25-29.

Black Pride’s 2017 theme is “The Ties That Bind: Twenty Seven Years of Black Pride,” in celebration of the strong bonds within the LGBT community. On Thursday, May 25 there will be an HIV/AIDS Town Hall, a sexual health seminar, at the Grand Hyatt Washington from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free. Lunch is included.

Unleashed D.C. hosts “Welcome 2 D.C.,”a ladies happy hour, at Dirty Martini (1223 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) with music by DJ L Stackz and DJ Jai Syncere. Admission is free before 8 p.m. and $7 after. “The Jump Off: Wet Dreamz Reloaded,” a men’s dance party, is at Stone Fish Lounge (1708 L St., N.W.) from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Admission is $10 before 11 p.m. DJ Sedrick spins.

On Friday, May 26, there will be an opening reception at the Grand Hyatt (1000 H St., N.W.) from 6:30-8:30 p.m.LGBTQ Speed dating and networking will follow from 8:30-10:30 p.m. Omega Entertainment hosts “The Annual 5,000 Men Pride Mega Party” at Bliss Nightclub (2122 24th Pl., N.E.) from 9:30 p.m.-4 a.m. R&B singer K. Michelle will perform.

On Saturday, May 27 there will be the Grown Folks Speak Out 2017, a discussion about growing older in the black LGBT community, at the Grand Hyatt from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Admission is free. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. There will also be workshops throughout the day including resume writing and interview prep, overcoming hurt in the black church, understanding the trans-attracted man and more. A film festival, screening films such as “Moonlight” and “Check It,” runs from 2-7:15 p.m. Omega Entertainment hosts “The Grandiose Fantasy Mega Pride Party” at the Washington Marriott (2660 Woodley Rd., N.W.) from 9 p.m.-3:30 a.m. featuring a live performance by Lil Kim.

There will be an interfaith worship service with guest speaker Pastor Mitchell Jones on Sunday from 9-11 a.m. at the Grand Hyatt. D.C. Black Pride Brunch is at Dirty Martini (1223 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) from noon-6 p.m. with unlimited food and mimosas. Admission is $40.

On Monday, the annual Us Helping Us Picnic in the Park will be at Fort Dupont Park (3600 Minnesota Ave., S.E.) from noon-7 p.m. There will be food and live performances. Admission is free.

For a complete list of events and prices, visit dcblackpride.org.

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Entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals to meet at Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs

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Tinashe Chingarande

(Photo by auremar/Bigstock)

The Equality Chamber of Commerce is bringing together LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, advocates, and community partners on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the D.C. Mayor’s Office for LGBTQ Affairs (899 N. Capitol Street, NE).

This is an afternoon and evening focused on one essential question: How do we build businesses and a business community that can thrive? The Pride in Business Expo and Profits & Pours with Stephanie will create a powerful forum for connection, practical knowledge, and economic opportunity at the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The Pride in Business Expo, taking place from 4-7 p.m., brings the region’s LGBTQ+ business community together to showcase businesses, build relationships, discover resources, and create new opportunities.

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Learn more about Virginia’s queer history

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October 4, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Image by larich/Bigstock)

Queer Virginia Contributor Amy Bertsch will host “The Remarkable Visibility of Hannah Nokes” on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at Sprouse Rare Book Room inside the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library (717 Queen St., Alexandria, Va.).

Amy will share the story of Hannah Nokes, an African-American transgender woman who made headlines in 1933 when she testified in a high-profile murder trial. Learn about Nokes’s life, her place in history, and the broader social context of her remarkable story. Her story is among those featured in the book “Queer Virginia: New Stories in the Old Dominion.”

Out & About

Annapolis Pride arrives this weekend

Sixth annual LGBTQ celebration held in Maryland capital

Published

6 days ago

October 2, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Annapolis Pride is set for Saturday. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Sixth Annual Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. on the streets adjacent to St. John’s College.

The theme of this year’s Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival celebration is “United in Pride, Together We Thrive!” Saturday’s parade will begin on St. John’s Street adjacent to St. John’s College, continue along Calvert Street to Northwest Street, to Church Circle, and onto West Street. The parade route then turns onto Amos Garrett Boulevard and eventually ends on Constitution Avenue near Maryland Hall.

Those with disabilities will be able to watch the parade from a special viewing porch at the Graduate Hotel at 126 West St. An Annapolis Pride volunteer will be there and available to assist.

For more details, visit the festival’s website.