Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Oct. 12-18, 2018
Concerts, parties, support groups and more for the week ahead
The annual SMYAL Fall Brunch is Sunday morning. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Friday, Oct. 12
SMYAL hosts its National Coming Out Day Dance at Eastern Market North Hall (225 7th St., S.E.) tonight from 7-10 p.m. Youth ages 13-24 are invited for dancing, music by DJ Honey, food, performances and more.
Bang Salon and VIDA Fitness host “Runway to Recovery” a fashion show benefitting N Street Village, at Penthouse Pool Club (1612 U St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30-9 p.m. Ba’Naka Devereaux will host the show. DJ Alex Mavro will play music. All proceeds will benefit homeless and low-income women. Tickets are $30 and includes one glass of sparkling wine. For more information, visit nstreetvillage.org.
Gamma D.C. a support group for men in mixed-orientation relationships, meets at Luther Place Memorial Church (1226 Vermont Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The group is for men who are attracted to men but are currently, or were at one point, in relationships with women. For more information about the group and location, visit gammaindc.org.
Go Gay D.C. hosts its LGBTQ Community Social at the Embassy Row Hotel (2015 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) tonight from 6-9 p.m. TJ Flavell will be on site to greet guests. All are welcome. There will be a cash bar and an appetizer and dinner menu available. Name tags will be provided. Dress code is casual attire. No cover. For more details, visit gogaydc.org.
Saturday, Oct. 13
VIDA Fitness hosts its fourth annual 5K Run/Walk at Hains Point in East Potomac Park (Ohio Dr., S.W.) today. Warm-up and stretch starts at 7:30 a.m. followed by the National Anthem at 7:55 a.m. The race kicks off at 8 a.m.
Bethesda Row Arts Festival is at 4841 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, Md., today from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 190 artists will showcase and sell their work. There will also be live musical entertainment and performance art. For more details, visit facebook.com/bethesdaartsfestival.
Distrkt C: Dungeon, a gay dance party, is at the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) tonight from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. DJ Kirk and DJ Joe Ross will play music. Tickets are $25.
Team D.C. hosts its Fall Casino Night at Buffalo Billiards (1330 19th St., N.W.) tonight from 8 p.m.-midnight. Attendees can play poker, blackjack and craps with their favorite teams. There will also be raffle prizes.
The Mighty Tucks hosts Rainbow Race Fundraiser, an “Amazing Race” style fundraiser, at Francis Field (2500 N St., N.W.) from noon-5 p.m. Teams of two will travel to Cobalt and Nellie’s Sports Bar and compete in games. Competitions will include finding hidden clues, trivia duels, navigating your partner through a maze and tightrope walking. The winning team will receive $200. There will also be prizes for best team name and best team outfit. Registration is $30 per team. All proceeds will be donated to Strength in Our Voices, a D.C.-based, LGBT-led non-profit that works toward defeating stigmas about mental health
Sunday, Oct. 14
SMYAL hosts its 2018 Fall Brunch at the Marriott Marquis (901 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) today from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be an open bar cocktail reception with a silent auction and a three-course brunch. Guests will also hear from community leaders and SMYAL youth.
Red Derby (3718 14th St., N.W.) hosts LGBTQ Prison Letter Writing Workshop today from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Attendees will write letters to an inmate pen pal. Stamps, envelopes and other materials will be provided. The event is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/redderby.
Silver Spring Record Fair is at Denizens Brewing Co. (1115 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, Md.) today from 1-6 p.m. More than 20 vendors will sell records and local DJs will play music throughout the night. Nocturnal Wax, Marcello Bentine, Kenny M and Wade Hammes and Elliott Sloan will perform. For more details, visit facebook.com/citizensbrewco.
Monday, Oct. 15
Trixie Mattel brings her “Now With Moving Parts Tour” to Rams Head Live (20 Market Pl., Baltimore) tonight at 8 p.m. The “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3” winner will bring a mix of live music, comedy and drag.
Tuesday, Oct. 16
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts its Packing Party from 7-9 p.m. tonight. Volunteers will assemble safer sex kits to distribute to the LGBT community. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
Wednesday, Oct. 17
The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social bridge. No partner needed. For more information, call 301-345-1571.
Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay literature group, discusses the poetry collection “Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror” by John Ashbery at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. For details, visit bookmendc.blogspot.com.
Thursday, Oct. 18
Rainbow History Project Foundation hosts Cops and Queers: The History of the Police and the LGBTQ+ Community in D.C. at Thurgood Marshall Center for Service & Heritage (1816 12th St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30-9 p.m. Rayceen Pendarvis moderates the panel discussion featuring Earline Budd, Craig Howell, Mindy Daniels, Dee Curry and Brett Parson. The discussion will focus on the intersection between the LGBTQ community and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Admission is free but RSVP is required.
BloominGays, a group for LGBT residents of Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park, Shaw and Eckington, hosts its fall kickoff happy hour at Tyber Creek Wine Bar & Kitchen (84 T St., N.W.) tonight from 9 p.m.-midnight. There will be happy hour drink specials and small bites. For more information, visit bloomingays.com.
Whitman-Walker Health held the 40th annual Walk and 5K to End HIV at Anacostia Park on Saturday, Sept. 19.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Photos
PHOTOS: Wanda Alston Foundation Fall Reception
LGBTQ youth services organization honors Robert White, Japer Bowles, Washington Capitals
The Wanda Alston Foundation held its Fall Reception at the Penthouse Rooftop at The Wharf on Friday, Sept. 18. Honorees included D.C. Councilmember Robert White, Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs Japer Bowles, and the Washington Capitals. Rayceen Pendarvis served as the emcee and entertainment was provided by the Thomas Circle Singers.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Books
Curl up with a good book this fall
New releases include mysteries, biographies, religion, and more
The fall books season offers lots of options so curl up and get ready to read.
FICTION
For the mystery fan who likes a sprinkle of thriller, look for “The Longest Death” by Kevin Jagernauth (Soho Crime, December). Richard Cobson hates his small town, he’s bored and desperate to get away. Stealing from his employer is the only thing that makes life bearable. That all changes when Marlon Montgomery comes to town and the two fall in love because if one guy can steal so easily, what can two do?
If you like graphic novels, try the “Tripping Over You” trilogy by Suzana Harcum and Owena White. Milo and Liam are finally able to be open about their relationship, no more hiding their love. They’re living together now, but can it last? “Tripping Over You Book 3” (First Second Books) is in stores in early November.
Also try “Diana: The Punk Singer Who Ripped Through Time” by Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts, October). It’s about a young woman who’s trying desperately to escape her past, until a mysterious murder sidetracks her plans.
So you say you’re a romantic at heart? Then look for “Unspeakable Things: A Novel” by Elizabeth Hand (Little, Brown & Company, October). It’s a story set in the 1920s, when two young women arrive in the English Countryside to a dark and ancient manor. But, of course, nothing in a Gothic novel is easy, right? And you’ll love this tale.
NONFICTION
So this upcoming year is going to be one of exploration, right? Then look for “Free Love: Adventures in Marriage and Polyamory” by Michelle Tea (HarperOne, November). It’s a well-researched, personal, and interesting look at the lives of polyamorous couples and what it’s like to live what used to be called an “alternative” lifestyle.
If “fall” says “biography” to you, then look for “Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man” by Murray Hill (Gallery Books, October). For decades, Hill has been making audiences laugh with his signature humor, but getting laughs hides his past all too well. He grew up in an abusive family and learning to hone his talents took some ingenuity. If you’re not a Hill fan yet, you will be, once you read this book.
For the reader who’s searching for a spiritual place, “Reading the Bible Through Queer Eyes: Good News for LGBTQ+ People from Genesis to Revelation” by podcasters Brian G. Murphy and Shannon T.L. Kearns (HarperOne, December) might help. Here, the authors look deeply at Scripture to find the queerness that’s there, proving to readers that the Word is not always what it seems.
Young readers may want to check out “Bitter Pill: Randy Shilts and the Dawn of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic” by Clement Xavier, illustrated by Heloise Cochois, foreword by Michael Lee (Abrams ComicArts, November). It’s a highly researched true story of activist Shilts, but also of Harvey Milk, and the earliest days of the AIDS crisis, when gay men needed a loud voice to advocate for them.
And finally, if you want a fun book for your kids or a child you love, look for “Good Night, Break a Leg: Life with Broadway Dads” by Bret Shuford, illustrated by Elena Hager (Penguin Workshop). What do parents do when they go to work? A little boy learns that his dads have very special jobs by day – and by night! It’s a cute book for kids, but a special tale for lovers of Broadway.
Be aware that publication dates change, titles change, books can be canceled, and your librarian or favorite bookseller can help you find what you need. Season’s readings!
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