Arts & Entertainment
Blade to host first LGBTQ Pride Pop-Up during MLB All-Star Week

The Washington Blade, the first LGBT publication to serve as an official sponsor of MLB All-Star Week, is excited to announce the first LGBTQ Pride Baseball Pop-Up during the festivities. The pop-up will be open from Friday, July 13 at 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Tuesday, July 17.
The Pride Baseball Pop-Up will provide a safe space for  LGBTQ attendees 21 and older during the 2018 All-Star events and will include a beer garden and full cash bar. The pop-up is located directly across the street from Nationals Park and will give fans easy access to official events. Located on the corner of South Capitol and N Street, S.E. (1221 Vann St., S.E.), the pop-up will be the future home of Walters Sports Bar starting in 2019.
The Pride Baseball Pop-Up will host the launch of the Blade’s 6th Annual Sports Issue on Friday, June 13 from 6-8 p.m.
This year’s All-Star festivities include GEICO All-Star FanFest from Friday, July 13 through Tuesday, July 17 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center; the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and Legends & Celebrity Softball on All-Star Sunday, July 15 at Nationals Park; the T-Mobile Home Run Derby as part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 16 at Nationals Park; and the 89th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Tuesday, July 17, also at Nationals Park.
Pride Baseball Pop-Up Hours
Friday, July 13th: 4PM-3AM
Saturday, July 14th:noon-3AM
Sunday, July 15th: 10AM-2AM
Monday, July 16th:noon-2AM
Tuesday, July 17th:noon-2AM
For more information and updated information about special events, please visit www.pridebaseballbar.com.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony

The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



























2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)











a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.




