Arts & Entertainment
‘Matilda’ star Mara Wilson says she regrets coming out after Pulse tragedy
the child actress announced her sexuality after the Pulse nightclub shooting
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
“Matilda” star Mara Wilson came out as bisexual in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016 but says she now regrets the timing of her announcement.
Wilson, 30, spoke with Lambda Legal about how she received backlash for coming out after the tragedy.
“I often wish that I hadn’t done it then. Because I got accused of taking advantage of a tragedy for personal attention,” Wilson says. “Now clearly I like attention, but I am not so callous as to make a tragedy about myself, my life and my story. That isn’t what I was going for.”
She continued on that the reason she waited so long to come out was because of the negative stereotypes of bisexuals.
‘”One of the reasons I didn’t come out for a very long time was because I grew up hearing that bisexual girls were ‘crazy.’ I heard that all the time. I heard that bisexual girls were “crazy,” they were greedy, they were selfish and they caused drama. They were the worst. They wanted attention.” Wilson says.
“When you think of bisexuals, you think of villainy,” she added. “You think of people using their sexuality to get what they want, using other people and hurting other people. Or just having a lot of sex, and …if you are ‘promiscuous,’ that is seen as being inherently a bad thing.”
Celebrate the start of Pride month at the Queer Magic Dance Party at the Black Cat on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 9 p.m.
There will be pole performances and demonstrations, a free photo booth with glitter bar, a queer vendor market, tarot readings by Skye Marinda Tarot, a drag performance by Sapphica, and dancing to a blend of smooth R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop and pop by Slammer & Saba. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 (plus fees) in advance, purchased here.
Local queer journalists will celebrate Pride this weekend at the annual NLGJA-DC Pride Happy Hour event at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, June 6, 3-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Out & About
DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
Annual event held at historic Congressional Cemetery
The 14th annual DC Front Runners’ Pride 5K run/walk is set for Saturday, June 6 at historic Congressional Cemetery. The race starts and ends at the cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) and passes through scenic D.C., along the Anacostia River trail and the fields at RFK campus. Registration ends Friday at 11:59 p.m.
Runners can pick up their race packets on Saturday from 7-8:30 a.m. at Congressional Cemetery; the race begins at 9 a.m.
The fee to run the 5K in person is $65 ($35 for those under age 20). Proceeds benefit local LGBTQ nonprofits, including Thrive DC, Wanda Alston Foundation, Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels, SMYAL, and Team DC. Visit DCFrontRunners.org for more information.
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Queer Magic dance party planned
NLGJA-DC Pride happy hour at Trade
DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
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