a&e features
Pointer Sisters 2.0 to headline festival main stage on Sunday
Ruth Pointer says sisterly harmonics came naturally
The Pointer Sisters today are Ruth Pointer, center, with daughter Issa, left, and granddaughter Sadako. (Photo courtesy Left of Center Productions)
There’s a lot more to the Pointer Sisters than their most well-known hits.
Originally, sisters June and Bonnie Pointer started singing as a duo in 1969. By 1972, they were a quartet with sisters Anita and Ruth having joined them. Their eponymous debut album came out the following year and they worked as a quartet until 1978 and were known for highly eclectic musical experimentation. They even won a 1975 Grammy in a country category for their song “Fairytale.”
Their biggest songs came in the ‘80s with June, Ruth and Anita releasing monster chart hits like “Slow Hand,” “Jump (for My Love)” and “I’m So Excited.”
For about the last eight years, the group has continued with Ruth singing with her daughter Issa Pointer and granddaughter Sadako Pointer. June died in 2006. Anita occasionally sang with them until the last few years.
The Pointer Sisters will headline at the Capital Pride concert on the Capitol Concert Stage at 3rd & Pennsylvania Ave. on Sunday, June 11 at 4 p.m. Ruth Pointer, 71, took a few minutes last week from her home in Massachusetts where she was helping her granddaughter move into a new apartment to talk with the Washington Blade.
WASHINGTON BLADE: Your memoir “Still So Excited!” last year was noted for being unusually candid. What kind of reception did you get to it overall?
RUTH POINTER: You know, it was very positive. I think that I’m just among a group of people that are writing these types of memoirs most recently just about a life of recovery and redemption and experience, especially in this business. I really, really appreciate the response I got. I’m sure there were some negative ones as well from what I’m told but I don’t read that stuff.
BLADE: You were up front with your drug and alcohol use in the ‘80s. Do you agree that male rock stars seem to get more of a free pass on this kind of thing than women? With somebody like, say, Keith Richards, it’s treated as just part of his renegade persona whereas with Stevie Nicks, everybody acts so forlorn like, “Oh, she had a serious problem,” and she’s asked about it ad nauseam.
POINTER: In a way I think I do, but that’s sort of what I think is a gender bias in almost everything. You know, it’s just the way of the world.
BLADE: You’ve said how strict your parents were when you were growing up. Did they sort of gradually accept the kind of music the group was doing? Did it take them a long time to come around?
POINTER: Yes, they did loosen up. I think it comes from getting to a place where you’re just exhausted from fighting and disagreeing and being rigid and I know I find that in my own life with my own children. You know, after a while I just try to figure out how I can love them for who they are as opposed to how I want them to be and I think my parents came to that realization and just decided to just love us as opposed to trying to mold us and make us into these starch Christians that they were. It just wasn’t going to work (laughs). I mean you know, I consider myself a Christian today but I think a lot of religions and practices have changed over the years. You just want to kind of fit in a little bit with the world. So things are a little different now.
BLADE: I imagine gay issues were thought of as the ultimate sin, right?
POINTER: I didn’t even know anything about that when I was a kid. I had no clue.
BLADE: Do you recall when you first realized that was a thing?
POINTER: You know, I really don’t know a specific time. I’ve always had, you know, friends that were a little different in different ways, but I never thought it was anything wrong with them. They were just different.
BLADE: I’m sure your views evolved on that over the years like most other folks, right?
POINTER: Yeah, oh absolutely.
BLADE: Have the Pointer Sisters played many Pride events? Do you remember the first?
POINTER: I don’t remember the first one but we’ve always had a huge, you know, audience, gay audience, being from the Bay Area, San Francisco, you know, Haight-Ashbury. Sylvester, the Cockettes, Pristine Condition, you know, it was always just a good time. Just fun, which is what we always set out to do, just have a good time.
BLADE: What do you have planned for your D.C. performance?
POINTER: Well, we just want to have a really good time at any event. Where we’re playing determines what we’re going to have, what we’re going to wear. It’s just things that we want to be appropriate for the engagement we’re doing. We’re just excited about it. It’s always an exciting time to play for a gay audience. It’s always just so much fun.
BLADE: Mary Wilson has had several exhibits of the Supremes’ gowns in recent years. I know the Pointer Sisters were a whole different kind of act but do you have all your stage clothes from over the years and would you ever exhibit any of that stuff anywhere?
POINTER: No, we haven’t kept everything. I know my sister Anita keeps most everything. She has things that I don’t have. But we still have some things, we don’t have everything. I don’t know what she has because we were given a lot of things. Especially, like when we did “The Carol Burnett Show” and Bob Mackie was making all of our wardrobe for those shows. Carol was so gracious and just let us keep the costumes that were made for us.
BLADE: Wow.
POINTER: Yes, I know, I know!
BLADE: How is Anita. Do you see her often?
POINTER: I don’t see her that often because I’m on the East Coast and she’s on the West Coast. You know, when I’m in L.A. we try to get together and see each other so that’s when I can see her. We talk occasionally. My sister Bonnie and I text and talk on a regular basis and that’s just kind of the way we live our lives. I have two older brothers and we talk all the time. So we stay in touch pretty much like most families would. Nothing exceptional.
BLADE: Are you still friendly with (former Temptations lead singer) Dennis Edwards? (ex-husband and father of Pointer’s daughter, Issa.) Do you ever see him?
POINTER: I don’t see him. He’s in Saint Louis, I believe, and we have a daughter together who’s singing with me now and she’s in touch with him and his current wife, Brenda. But he’s in the hospital, you know, trying to recover from meningitis and now pneumonia. So we’re sort of praying every day that he makes a full recovery but we just don’t know. It’s really quite serious.
BLADE: What’s it like singing and traveling with your daughter and granddaughter? Did that just sort of come about organically?
POINTER: It was kind of a natural thing only because they were pretty much born into this business with me. I was pregnant with Issa on stage for eight months before she was born and my granddaughter has just always been around our music all her life. We had to make some adjustments in the music because unlike my sisters, they didn’t grow up singing together so that instinct that me and Anita and Bonnie and June had didn’t exist between Issa and Sadako. We had to teach them the notes and the moves whereas it was so easy for me and my sisters because we just kind of automatically moved together and automatically knew what we were going to do. It was a little bit of a challenge but they got it down.
BLADE: How long have they each been in the group?
POINTER: Issa has been with us since 2002. Sadako came in about eight years ago when Issa got pregnant with my first grandson. … They know what they’re doing by now.
BLADE: Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, if a group won a Grammy, did you each get one or was it just one trophy for the group?
POINTER: We each got one, yeah.
BLADE: What memory stands out most in your mind from “We Are the World”?
POINTER: The fact that I realized that there would never, ever be that group of people together in one room ever again. My God, when I look back and think of all the people that were in that room. People I admired before I even got in the business and people that I will forever admire — Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau, Janet, no wait, LaToya, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, Dionne (Warwick), oh, I could go on and on. It’s just like, wow. I was in awe of everybody.
BLADE: So even though you all were huge stars, you were still starstruck?
POINTER: Absolutely, oh yeah. I’m a fan of everybody’s.
BLADE: Were there a lot of egos on display?
POINTER: There was a banner placed across the top of the studio as we came in that said, “Leave your ego at the door.”
BLADE: Did it work?
POINTER: I think everybody did that except maybe Waylon Jennings (laughs).
BLADE: Of all people.
POINTER: It was like all of a sudden Stevie Wonder wanted to try to put in some kind of African lyric in the song and Waylon went off and he said, “I’m outta here.” Came down out of the bleachers where we were all standing and said, “I ain’t singing no Kumbaya bullshit, I’m outta here.” We all just laughed, you know?
BLADE: Do you think Bonnie felt left out when you all went through the roof after she left?
POINTER: We weren’t even in touch with her during those years. Bonnie was estranged and away from us for almost 30 years. We didn’t talk, we didn’t speak, there was nothing, no communication. And I really think that it had a lot to do with the man that she was with. So I don’t know what she was feeling but I’m sure she might have felt that way.
BLADE: How did it come about that “I’m So Excited” was remixed and became a much bigger hit than it had been before?
POINTER: We had an album called “I’m So Excited” and the song was kind of overlooked and we had put so much love and effort into writing that song, so when the album “Breakout” came up, we told Richard Perry, our producer, we said, “Look, we need to re-release this song.” We said, “It’s just a shame that it’s been so overlooked and we know it’s a hit.” And that’s kind of how it happened.
BLADE: Labels can be funny about stuff like that. Did it take any arm twisting?
POINTER: No, they really didn’t, you know, argue with us on that issue. They accepted it and were willing to put it on the next album. And the rest is history.
BLADE: How did you decide who would sing lead?
POINTER: We knew that Anita had a lot to do with initiating that song, the writing with Trevor Lawrence and we all felt equally agreeable that her voice was well suited for that song so it wasn’t really a big issue or argument.
BLADE: But in general how would you divvy up lead vocal duties?
POINTER: We would go through a series of trying out different voices. Richard would take each of us to sing a certain song and then we would all decide which one we liked the best. So that’s just how we did it.
BLADE: The Pointer Sisters are heavily known for dabbling in many genres. Did you ever get label pushback from that?
POINTER: We never really got much pushback. We always knew we didn’t want to be pigeonholed. We liked singing everything and I just think we just were lucky and blest enough that the producers we worked with liked that kind of variety. We were willing to try things and they were willing to try things with us.
BLADE: Do you think much about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? I know it’s not just based on fame or chart stats, but there are many acts inducted that had a lot fewer hits than you guys did.
POINTER: Of course I think about that. Are you kidding me? Yes, yes indeed! But you know the other thing is that there are a lot of groups that I admire that aren’t in there either, you know? That when I hear the names come up on a yearly basis of the people going in, a lot of times I’m thinking, ‘God, I thought they were already in there.” So, you know, it is what it is.
BLADE: Is it political? Maybe because your biggest hits were ’80’s pop hits, that era isn’t taken as seriously perhaps?
POINTER: I really don’t know.
BLADE: Do you miss recording?
POINTER: I do, I do.
BLADE: Do you think you would ever do any recording with your daughter and granddaughter?
POINTER: I hope we can but right now, you know, it’s interesting. I’ve heard people talk about wanting to try out new material but the audience really loves the old stuff. You know, I remember even years ago, we’d try out new material and they just sit there looking at you like a deer in headlights so then you pull out something old and they go crazy. So we just stick with what we love and what they love.
BLADE: About what percentage of the year do you spend traveling these days?
POINTER: Hmmmm, I don’t know. I never tried to figure that out but I know it’s a lot. More than I ever expected it to be at this age, at this time in my life. But it’s OK because I appreciate it so much and I enjoy it so much. I think I enjoy it now more than I did then.
BLADE: What would you say to someone struggling with addiction?
POINTER: First of all just admit that you have a problem. People just don’t want to admit there’s a problem or they think they can handle it on their own. I’m so saddened with the deaths of Prince, Michael Jackson and I was just noticing this thing even with Tiger Woods the other day and I was saying, “God, they just don’t get it.” These opioids are gonna kill them and they’ve got to get a handle on it and realize they can’t beat the drug, you know? You gotta get help and you gotta admit that it’s an issue that you can’t just play around with and think, “Oh well, this won’t hurt me.” You gotta get help.
a&e features
MISTR’s Tristan Schukraft on evolution of HIV prevention
From ACT UP to apps, embracing stigma-free care
It was not too long ago that an HIV diagnosis was read as a death sentence. In its earlier decades, the HIV/AIDS crisis was synonymous with fear and loss, steeped in stigma. Over recent years, open conversation and science have come together to combat this stigma while proactively paving the way for life-saving treatments and preventive measures like PrEP. Now, in 2026, with discreet and modern platforms that meet people where they’re at in their lives, HIV prevention has evolved from hushed words of warning into something far more sex-positive and accessible. Game-changing services like MISTR are a testament to this shift, showing our community that healthcare doesn’t have to feel clinical or shaming to work. It can be empowering and, dare I say, celebratory.
Few people embody this evolution quite like Tristan Schukraft, founder of MISTR. With one hand in healthcare and the other high-fiving through queer nightlife, Schukraft gets that, from the bar to the bedroom and beyond, prevention happens in person and in real life. His approach has helped turn PrEP, DoxyPEP, and testing into normalized parts of our daily queer life, reaching hundreds of thousands of people across the US.
In our conversation, Schukraft shares candidly about stigma, policy, and why the future of sexual health depends on keeping it real.
BLADE: You have one hand in healthcare and the other in nightlife and queer spaces. Can you share with us how these two spheres impact and inform each other? How do they impact and inform you?
SCHUKRAFT: Honestly, for me, they’ve never been separate. Nightlife and queer spaces are where people meet, date, hook up, fall in love, and make friends. That’s real life. Being in queer spaces all the time keeps me grounded and reminds me who we’re building MISTR for.
BLADE: MISTR markets sexual health in a sex-positive, stigma-free fashion. Can you share with us how you measure the impact of this approach?
SCHUKRAFT: This year, we held the first-ever National PrEP Day. Dua Lipa performed, and Cardi B was there. After the event, Cardi B went on her Instagram live to encourage people to sign up for PrEP.
When you make sexual health stigma-free and sex positive, people talk about it. We see it in how people use the platform. When 700,000 people are willing to sign up, get tested, start PrEP, and add things like DoxyPEP, that tells us we’ve made it feel safe and normal instead of scary or awkward. And then we see it in the results. Since we expanded DoxyPEP, STI positivity among our patients dropped by half.
BLADE: How have you seen the conversation of sexual health in our LGBTQ+ community change in mainstream culture in recent years?
SCHUKRAFT: Ten years ago, nobody was casually talking about PrEP, and if they did, it likely referenced one being a Truvada whore. Now it’s part of the culture. Popstars like Troye Sivan post pictures of their daily PrEP pill on social media. Cardi B goes on Instagram Live telling people to get on PrEP.
For many sexually active gay men, taking PrEP is simply part of the gay experience. For people in more remote areas, it might not be as talked about. Particularly in rural or more conservative places, MISTR can be a life-changing option. No awkward visits to the family doctor or the local pharmacy where everybody knows your business. It’s all done discreetly online and shipped straight to your door.
BLADE: You have publicly argued that cuts to government HIV prevention funding are of high risk. Would you please elaborate for us on what those budget decisions mean on an individual level?
SCHUKRAFT: It means real people fall through the cracks. Someone doesn’t get tested. Someone waits too long to start PrEP. Someone finds out they’re HIV-positive later than they should have. Community clinics will be the hardest hit, especially those in underserved communities. The good news is that MISTR is ready to help people who might lose their access to care. All you need to do is sign up at mistr.com, and it’s totally free with or without insurance.
BLADE: From your (and MISTR’s) perspective, how do these funding cuts threaten ongoing efforts to end the HIV epidemic?
SCHUKRAFT: For the first time, we have all the tools to end HIV. If everybody who is HIV negative is taking PrEP and everyone HIV+ is virally suppressed, we can end all new HIV transmissions in the United States. We have everything we need today. All we need is to get more people on PrEP. Cutting funding risks losing that momentum. Ending HIV requires scale and consistency. Every time funding gets cut, you lose momentum, trust, and infrastructure, and rebuilding that takes years.
HIV transmissions don’t pause because budgets change.
BLADE: In our current climate of decreased federal investment, what role do you feel private healthcare and business should play in sexual health?
SCHUKRAFT: With reports that the current administration is considering cuts to HIV and prevention funding, we face a moment of reckoning. At the same time, some employers are seeking to exclude PrEP and HIV prevention from their coverage on religious freedom grounds. If these challenges succeed, and if federal funding is slashed, the consequences for public health will be devastating. But this is where the private sector must step up to fill the gap, bridge divides, and deliver results.
Businesses have the power and platform to normalize HIV prevention and drive measurable outcomes. At MISTR, we see firsthand what’s possible: since introducing DoxyPEP, STI positivity rates among our patients have been cut in half. But it’s not just about medication. It’s about messaging.
Our sex-positive, stigma-free marketing speaks directly to our community, making sexual health part of everyday life. No awkward doctor visits, no needles, no paperwork — just free online PrEP and STI testing, prescribed by real physicians and delivered to your door. That kind of impact could grow exponentially if more employers embraced this approach and made HIV prevention part of their employee wellness programs.
Employers, this is your call to action. Start by making sure your health plans cover PrEP and DoxyPEP. Partner with platforms like MISTR to give employees private, stigma-free access to care. Offer on-site testing. Talk openly about sexual health, not just during Pride, but every day of the year. This is not political — this is about protecting lives, strengthening communities, and building a healthier, more productive workforce. Because healthy employees aren’t just good for public health — they’re good for business.
When the private sector steps up, outcomes improve. And when businesses align with platforms like MISTR, scaling impact isn’t just possible — it’s happening.
BLADE: Has MISTR experienced any direct effects from these recent shifts in public health funding?
SCHUKRAFT: MISTR’s unique model is totally free for patients with or without insurance, and we don’t cost the government or taxpayers a penny. We are scaling up our efforts to reach people who might be losing their access or care.
BLADE: What would be your message to policymakers who are considering further cuts to HIV/AIDS programs?
SCHUKRAFT: During his first term, President Donald Trump committed unprecedented resources to the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative here at home. Bipartisan support has shown what’s possible when bold leadership meets smart strategy. To policymakers: I urge you to reconsider any cuts to HIV prevention funding. This is not the time to pull back. It’s the time to push forward. Ending HIV is within reach — but only if government, private industry, and community organizations stand together.
BLADE: What is one perhaps overlooked win from last year that impacted you on a personal level?
SCHUKRAFT: Seeing our STI positivity rate drop by half after expanding DoxyPEP.
BLADE: Looking at the year ahead, what are MISTR’s most significant priorities for sexual health in 2026?
SCHUKRAFT: Expanding access, especially in the South and in communities that still get left out. Rolling out injectable PrEP. And just continuing to make sexual healthcare easier and more normal.
a&e features
Visible and unapologetic: MAL brings the kink this weekend
Busy lineup includes dances, pups, super heroes, and more
MLK Weekend in D.C. brings the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) Weekend. Just a short walk from where Congress has been attacking queer Americans this year, MAL takes place at the Hyatt Regency Washington for several days of intrigue, excitement, leather, and kink.
The Centaur Motorcycle Club — one of several similar groups dedicated to leather in the country — has been hosting MAL in its current form for more than 40 years. Originally a small gathering of like-minded people interested in the leather lifestyle, MAL has grown to include a full four days of events, taking place onsite at the Hyatt Regency Washington (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.). Select partner happenings take place each night, and many more non-affiliated events are scattered across the DMV in honor of and inspired by MAL.
MAL Weekend has become an internationally renowned event that celebrates fetish culture, yet it also raises funds for LGBTQ organizations, “reinforcing its legacy as both a cultural and philanthropic cornerstone of the global leather community,” according to MAL organizers.
During the day, MAL events at the Hyatt include workshops, social gatherings, shopping, and other in-person engagements for the community.
“The Hyatt underwent an extensive top to bottom renovation after last year’s event,” says Jeffrey LeGrand-Douglass, the event chair. The lobby, meeting spaces, guest rooms, and other areas have been updated, he notes, “so I am very excited for our guests to experience the new design and layout for the first time. And of course as with every year, we look forward to the contest on Sunday afternoon and seeing who will become our new Mr. MAL.”
In the evening, MAL hands the reins to partner KINETIC Presents, the D.C.-based nightlife production company. KINETIC will host four consecutive nights of high-production events that fuse cutting-edge music, immersive environments, and performance. This year, KINETIC is popping open doors to new-to-MAL venues, international collabs, play zones, and a diverse lineup.
According to KINETIC managing partner Zach Renovátes, 2026 is the most extensive MAL production to date. “The talent lineup is unreal: an all-star roster of international DJs, plus drag superstar performances at the Saturday main event,” he says.
Renovátes added that he’s “most excited about the collaborations happening all weekend — from bringing in MACHO from WE Party Madrid, to teaming up with local leather groups, to nonprofit partners, and Masc Diva [a queer nightlife collective].”
Official MAL events begin on Thursday with the Full Package/Three Day Pass Pick-Up from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hyatt.
Thursday night is also the KINETIC kickoff party, called LUST. Running 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., it’s being held at District Eagle. DJ Jay Garcia holds it down on the first floor, while DJ Mitch Ferrino spins in the expansive upstairs. LUST features special performances from the performers including Serg Shepard, Arrow, Chase, and Masterpiece.
Renovátes notes that the LUST opening party at District Eagle coincides with the bar’s grand re-opening weekend. The bar will unveil its new permanent home on the renovated second floor. “it felt like the perfect place to start Mid-Atlantic Leather weekend — right in D.C.’s only dedicated home for kink communities,” he says.
After Thursday night, Friday is when daytime events begin at the Hyatt. The Exhibit Hall, on the ballroom level below the lobby, hosts upwards of 30 vendors, exhibitors, and booths with leather goods, fetish wear, clothes, toys, other accessories, providing hours of time to shop and connect with attendees and business owners. The Exhibit Hall will be open on Friday from 4-10 p.m., as well as on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
DC Health is once again back at MAL, to provide preventative health services. In the past, DC Health has provided MPox vaccines, Doxy PEP, HIV testing, Narcan kits, and fentanyl test strips. This booth will be open on Friday 4-10 p.m.
Later, at 6 p.m., the Centaur MC is holding its welcome reception on the ballroom floor. After the Centaur’s Welcome Reception, the MIR Rubber Social is 8-11 p.m. A Recovery Meeting is scheduled at 10 p.m.
Many attendees enjoy visiting the guest room levels of the hotel. Note that to get in an elevator up to a hotel room, a staff member will check for a hotel room wristband. Non-registered guests can only access host hotel rooms if they are escorted by a registered guest with a valid wristband. Registered guests are permitted to escort only one non-registered guest at a time. Non-registered guests with a wristband who are already in the hotel before 10 p.m. may remain until midnight. However, non-registered guests without a wristband will not be admitted after registration closes.
Friday night, for the first time, KINETIC Presents is joining forces with WE Party to bring MACHO to Washington, D.C. This official MAL Friday event delivers two stages and two genres. On the UNCUT XXL stage, international Brazilian circuit superstars Erik Vilar and Anne Louise bring their signature high-energy sound. On the MACHO stage, Madrid’s Charly is joined by Chicago’s tech-house force, Karsten Sollors, for a blend of techno and tech house. UNCUT also features the XL Play Zone, a massive, immersive space exclusive to this event. The party takes place at the Berhta space from 10 p.m.-4 a.m..
“This year we’re bringing back the two-room format we debuted at WorldPride for both Friday and Saturday, so attendees can really tailor their experience — whether they’re in the mood for circuit or tech house.” says Renovátes.
Directly after Friday’s UNCUT XXL, UNDERWORLD Afters takes over District Eagle, from 3:30-8 a.m. International DJ Eliad Cohen commands the music.
Saturday, the Exhibit Hall opens earlier, at 11 a.m.. DC Health will also be back from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday is also time for one of the most anticipated events, the Puppy Mosh, running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the event, pup culture comes to life, when pups, handlers, and friends can enjoy an inclusive, safe pup zone. There is also a Recovery Meeting at 11 a.m., and the IML Judges Announcement takes place at noon.
The popular Super Hero Meet Up will be held 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m., sponsored by One Magical Weekend, for cosplayers, comic enthusiasts, and their friends.
From 2-6 p.m., the Onyx Fashion Show will take place to showcase and highlight people of color in leather.
Finally, the Leather Cocktail Party – the original event of MAL – will be held 7-9 p.m. in the Ballroom. While this requires special tickets to attend, at 9 p.m. is the MAL cocktail party, which is open to wider attendees.
The last event of Saturday leaves the hotel, again a partnership with KINETIC. Kicking off at 10 p.m. and running until 4 a.m., it’s just the second time that KINETIC’s Saturday night party is an official MAL event and serves as the main weekend engagement.
Saturday night’s centerpiece is called KINK: Double Trouble. The night will feature a first-ever back-to-back set from international electronic music icons Nina Flowers and Alex Acosta on the Circuit/Tribal Stage. The other room – the Tech House Stage – curated by The Carry Nation and Rose, provides a darker, underground counterpoint, reinforcing the event’s musical depth and edge.
Beyond the DJs, KINETIC has called in the big shots for this party: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” legends Nymphia Wind and Plastique Tiara are set to headline. The party also takes place at Berhta.
Sunday, back at the hotel, there will be another Recovery Meeting at 10 a.m., and the Exhibit Hall opens again from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
At 1 p.m., the anticipated and prestigious Mr. MAL Contest that celebrates the achievements of the leather community will be held in the Ballroom. This highly sought after title gives one man the power to become the Mid-Atlantic Leather man of the year. Sash and title winners must be (1) male, (2), a resident of North America, (3) At least 21 years of age; and (4) self-identify as gay. The first Mr. MAL was crowned in 1985. The Winner of Mr. MAL has the privilege of later competing in International Mr. Leather (IML) in Chicago on Memorial Day Weekend 2025.
From 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., MAL will hold its Game Night for the gaymers in attendance. There will also be a special screening of A24’s new film, “Pillion,” about a man who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Sunday closes with a community partner event produced by Masc Diva, featuring Horse Meat Disco with support from Coach Chris, at A.I. Warehouse in the Union Market district. It’s the same team that produced HMD during WorldPride at A.I. Warehouse.
Note that there are several types of passes for attendance to the hotel and parties. KINK VIP Weekend Passes include express entry, VIP areas, and enhanced amenities throughout the weekend, while MAL Full Weekend Package holders receive access to the official Sunday closing event.
At last year’s MAL events, KINETIC Presents raised more $150,000 for LGBTQ charities, and expects to match or exceed that impact in 2026.
Renovátes stated that “now more than ever, it’s important to create safe, affirming spaces for our community — but it’s just as important to be visible and unapologetic. We want to make it clear that the LGBTQ+ and leather communities aren’t going anywhere. We’ve fought too long and too hard to ever feel like we have to shrink ourselves again, no matter what the political climate looks like.”
In addition to the KINETIC events, various LGBTQ bars will hold parties celebrating the theme of the weekend. For example, Kiki, located on U Street NW, is hosting a party called KINKI, hosted by DJ Dez, on Saturday night. Sister bar Shakiki, on 9th Street NW, is hosting a party called Railed Out, a fetish-inspired party that features a play zone, on Thursday night. Flash, on U Street NW, will hold its infamous Flashy Sunday party to close out the weekend.
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
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