Arts & Entertainment
Britney Spears ‘broke’ the GLAAD Media Awards
Jim Parsons, Lena Waithe were also recognized


Britney Spears at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards (Screenshot via YouTube)
Britney Spears was honored with the Vanguard Award at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Thursday but her appearance caused a stir.
Spears, who attended the ceremony with her boyfriend Sam Asghari, was recognized for promoting LGBT acceptance and equality. Jennifer Lopez, Cher, Antonio Banderas and Demi Lovato are among the award’s past recipients.
Ricky Martin presented the award to Spears before she took the stage.
“She could be one of those stars with a huge LGBTQ following who does nothing and says nothing,” Martin said of Spears. “Instead, she uses her platform to remind audiences around the globe that intolerance is unacceptable.”
Spears thanked her family, friends and fans for their support and noted that her role as a mother taught her “what it means to be loved unconditionally.”
“I feel like our society has always put such an emphasis on what’s ‘normal’ and to be different is unusual or seen as strange. But to be accepted unconditionally and to be able to express yourself as an individual through art is such a blessing,” Spears says.
“Being a mother has shown what it means to love unconditional. And you all in this room throughout my career have shown me what it means to be loved unconditionally. It’s such an honor to be here. Thank you so much GLAAD and thank you to the LGBTQ community and all my friends and fans. I love you very much. Thank you,” she added.
People reports that after Spears accepted the award the show briefly fell apart. People were out of their seats, the crew was trying to get a look at Spears backstage and even the teleprompter broke.
“Britney broke the damn show. Everybody lost their minds,” host Wanda Sykes joked. “She broke the damn show.”
Spears revealed on Instagram that she met Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon who also attended the star-studded event. Kenworthy, Rippon and Spears fangirled over each other on Twitter during the Winter Olympics.
Oh. My. God. Was really not prepared to wake up to this. Not sure how I’m gonna ski today because I’m LITERALLY dead now but I’m gonna go that extra mile for you, Britney! Ilysm!!! ?❤️ https://t.co/yhoEJq1qRL
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 17, 2018
I could feel you on the ice with me @britneyspears. I now have an OVERWHELMING desire to post Instagram fashion shows, google stock imagines of corn, and paint on the balcony of my dorm in the Olympic village. Thank you for not being in denial, LOVE YOU ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/CfeyGNecM3
— Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 18, 2018
Other notable moments included Ryan Murphy presenting Jim Parsons with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award and Lena Waithe being honored for writing the “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving.” The episode, which also earned Waithe an Emmy, focused on Waithe’s character Denise coming out to her family.
The GLAAD Media Awards air on April 18 at 8 p.m. on LOGO.

The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)






















The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)



















In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.

Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”