Arts & Entertainment
11-year-old ‘drag kid’ slams conservative website for trying to humiliate him
Alex Jones bashed Desmond is Amazing for demonstrating for gun control
Desmond Napoles ‘Desmond is Amazing’ (Screenshot via YouTube)
Drag performer Desmond is Amazing, real name Desmond Napoles, slammed a conservative blog for shaming his passion.
The 11-year-old is a self-proclaimed “drag kid” who has appeared in Jinkx Monsoon’s music video “The Bacon Shake” and was honored with the Marsha P. Johnson Award during New York City Pride.
Desmond also participated in a demonstration for gun control with Gays Against Guns during New York Fashion Week.
Writer Alex Parker took issue with Desmond’s drag and activism and penned an article criticizing Desmond’s choices for the right-wing blog, Red State.
“That’s right — sometimes it isn’t enough to slap on some rouge, top yourself with a daffodil wig, and pull on a pleather polka-dotted sequined v-neck tapered blousy netted metallic backless cocktail dress; sometimes ya gotta rage against the 2nd Amendment,” the article reads.
Desmond took to Instagram to let Jones and other critics know that he isn’t ashamed.
“They meant to make me look like a fool and hurt and embarrass my family. They tried to make me look crazy for protesting against gun violence in schools with @changetheref and @gaysagainstgunsn,” Desmond writes.
“But really, they made me look even more AMAZING, even going so far as to emphasize that I’ve earned awards for my work in the LGBTQ+ community, that my career started in 2014 with @thejinkx, and that I created the term ‘drag kid.’ I mean, they ain’t lying! I’ve done ALL of those things and I’m grateful for the recognition,” he went on.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2015, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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