a&e features
Looking back: 50 years of the Blade
3 years ago, Orlando’s LGBT community gets to work after massacre


Workers at the Center form an assembly line to load pallets of donated water into a truck for delivery to blood donation centers. (Washington Blade photo by Kevin Naff)
Three years ago this week, gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 people at Orlando’s LGBT nightclub Pulse. Two Blade staffers, Michael K. Lavers and editor Kevin Naff, flew to Orlando immediately after the attack to spearhead Blade coverage of the massacre. Below is one of their reports — an inspiring scene unfolding at Orlando’s LGBT Center.
The text of the Blade report follows:
ORLANDO, Fla. — Walking into the LGBT Center of Central Florida reveals a chaotic scene of activity. Reporters and TV crews are greeted at the door, then hustled into position to interview officials. Farther back, a room labeled simply “FOOD” is the gathering place for volunteers to exchange hugs and reassuring words over coffee and assorted treats. In the back room, a sweaty assembly line of workers fills a truck with donated water to be delivered to area blood drive centers and crisis centers.
One thing you may not see, however, are tears. The volunteers here cried those out yesterday.
“Yesterday was non-stop tears and hugs and finding out the status of friends,” said Nicole Elinoff, a six-year veteran staffer of the Center. “Today we’re in crisis mode, business mode, getting things done and taking action. The feelings are there but covered in tasks that need to be done. It’s been a whirlwind.”
She and others are busy gathering donations of water and other items to distribute. They have established a Go Fund Me page to raise money for victims’ families who are suddenly faced with bills for funerals, health care and travel costs. They are coordinating with airlines to get flights for families from out of town. The Center is also facilitating crisis counseling off site.
“As someone who’s been in this community for a long time, I’m mind blown that Orlando is the site of the largest mass shooting in U.S. history,” Elinoff said. “The community is so strong. We are heartbroken but we are going to get through this together.”
Despite the heartbreak, Elinoff stressed the importance of responding to hate with love.
“The message we want to send is to love each other,” she said. “Give friends hugs, support each other, because at the end of the day you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Love conquers hate and that is what we are demonstrating here.”
Despite talk in recent years that the gay community is now safely integrated into the American mainstream and no longer in need of LGBT-specific bars/centers/clubs/bookstores, the attack on Pulse nightclub highlights the importance of physical places where people can be themselves.
“Community centers are still important for LGBT people,” Elinoff said. “We need to have a place where they can feel safe. There’s no place like home.”
Not everyone in the Center on Monday was a veteran staffer. Kris Talbot, a law student, said Monday was her first-ever visit to the Center. She came to volunteer her time. Why did she show up?
“My city just got a black eye,” Talbot said. “This is our home, a real community, it’s not just Disney. It’s like seeing someone you love getting punched in the face and you want to do something to help.”
She’s still tracking down classmates who might have been at the club Sunday night and she has been to Pulse a few times herself.
“What happened is not typical of Orlando. I came here for college from Virginia and stayed here because it felt like a safe place for people outside the norm. Please don’t let this deter you from coming down, visiting, working, getting educated here.”
Her message to angry loners susceptible to online recruiting by ISIS and other anti-LGBT groups?
“Get out of the rage bubble, this was aimed at our community but could have been aimed at anyone. We isolate ourselves and learn to hate people who aren’t like us. I don’t think this was about religion. I think this shooter got stuck in a rage bubble. And this is what happens when you don’t touch people who are different from yourself.”
Another face at the Center on Monday advocating love over hate in response to the attack was Rev. Debreita Taylor of Oasis Fellowship Ministries, an LGBT-affirming ministry where “all are welcome.” She leaned against a wall in the Center, surveying the unthinkable scene, then said she’d had something of an epiphany last night.
“My message is love. Period. Love. Period. There’s nothing in the word of God that faith leaders can go to that teaches hate,” she said. “It’s the simple scripture we learned as kids, John 3:16, everyone knows it, for God so loved the world. We need to learn to love. Love one another. Everyone who loves is born of God. It has no place for judgment, criticism, hate, no place for rejection or prejudice or biases.”
a&e features
Summer in the City: drag, dancing, and queer culture galore
Celebrate the season with these 13 LGBTQ events in D.C.

Looking for fun LGBTQ events this summer in D.C.? Comedy, drag, history—it’s all here.
Friday, July 18, 7 P.M. Lesbian Happy Hour @ Ven at Embassy Row (2015 Mass Ave NW). Are you a Lesbian looking for a group of sapphic friends or love? Look no further than the three-hour happy hour at the Ven Hotel. Enjoy specials on beer, canned cocktails, and select wine with karaoke in the gallery of the hotel. Take in the “Let’s Stand for Love” LGBTQ art exhibit while meeting other female-identifying women who love women and enjoy a drink. The event is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available at Meetup.com.
Saturday, July 19, 11 A.M. LGBTQ+ Community Brunch @ Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant (555 23rd St. S, Arlington, Virginia 22202).
Join TJ Flavel and the Go Gay DC team as they support one of the longest running LGBTQ+ establishments in the DMV while meeting new LGBTQ community members and allies for brunch. Cost is free to attend, but food is pay for yourself. Tickets are required for a head count. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.
Sunday, July 20, 8 P.M. 2025 DC Drag Awards @ Trade (1410 14th St NW).
Join some of D.C.’s most revered drag performers as they put on the third annual D.C. Drag Awards. Watch as Evry Pleasure, Crystal Edge, and Cake Pop! Host a night dedicated to honoring all things LGBTQ nightlife. From the best DJs, Drag Queens (and Kings!), and much more. The event is 21+ with tickets $10 available online at sickening.events or at the door day of.
Wednesday, July 23, 7 P.M. LGBTQ+ Women’s History Walking Tour @ Logan Circle. Take a one-hour guided tour focusing on the accomplishments and history of LGBTQ women in the Logan Circle neighborhood, including the queer women poets and scholars of D.C.’s Black Renaissance, the historic Sisterspace bookstore, and much more. The tour will be given by a Rainbow History Project researcher and will cover the west side of Logan Circle to 14th Street. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at eventbrite.com.
Thursday, July 24, 6:30 P.M. LGBTQ+ Museum After Hours @ Capital Jewish Museum (575 3rd St., N.W.). Looking for a fabulous way to celebrate queer Jewish history in D.C.? Head to the Capital Jewish Museum for LGBT Jews in the Federal City After Hours—a night of storytelling, cocktails, and glittering drag, Explore the museum’s powerful exhibition with curator spotlight talks, lavender gin and tonics from the cash bar, make your own Pride button, and catch electrifying drag performances by ANDi EROGENOUS, Druex Sidora, and many more. Catalyst Hot Dogs Food Truck will be on site (with veggie and vegan options). Tickets include access to all exhibitions and cost $10 for members and $15 for general admission. Must be 21+ with valid ID. Tickets available at capitaljewishmuseum.org.
Friday, July 25, 10 P.M. Broke Gay Boys @ BUNKER (2001 14th St NW)
Summer’s been hot—but your bank account? Not so much. Enter Broke Gay Boys, BUNKER’s monthly recession-friendly rager for the fabulous and financially unstable. There’s no cover all night with $6 drinks until midnight and a whole lot of sweaty, stress-free dancing. This month features the return of NYC DJ Autogyro, spinning high-energy house and techno to help you forget about that Fire Island impulse trip or your mounting brunch debt. Come party like your rent’s not due. 21+ only.
Saturday, July 26, 9 P.M. JOX: Underwear Party @ The Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct NW). Strip down and gear up for JOX, the original Green Lantern underwear party. This monthly bash invites you to show off your best jocks, briefs, or boxers on a packed dance floor fueled by beats from DJ Jake Maxwell. All genders are welcome with a $5 cover at the door- that includes complimentary clothes check. The party starts at 9PM and goes late. 21+ only.
Sunday, July 27, 1:30 P.M. Gaymer’s Tabletop Sunday @ MLK Jr. Library (901 G St NW) room 401-G. Join DC’s LGBTQ board game group DC Gaymers as they play classic and new board games with fellow LGBTQ board game enthusiasts. For more information, visit the DC Gaymers’ instagram at dc.gaymers.
Monday, July 28, 8 P.M. CLOCKED Comedy x SqueakyFest ’25 @ As You Are (500 8th St SE). In honor of Disability Pride Month, CLOCKED Comedy is teaming up with nonprofit The Squeaky Wheel SqueakyFest ’25—the first-ever national disability comedy festival. Catch hysterical sets from disabled DMV superstars including Brian Beddoe, Lee Swanson, host Ryan Schaefer, and headliner Jenny Cavallero. Expect wit, unapologetic humor, and a lineup that proves laughter is the best medicine—especially when healthcare isn’t accessible. Tickets benefit Squeaky Wheel Media. Tickets are $15 and available at As You Are’s linktree (linktr.ee/ayadc).
Wednesday, July 30, 7 P.M. LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour @ Dupont Circle.
Take a one-hour guided tour of the west side of Dupont and the P Street corridor. The tour will be given by a Rainbow History Project researcher and will a multitude of topics and events including the Gay Liberation Front of the 1970s, Queer spaces like Badlands and Apex, how Lesbians swallowed fire at the First Dyke March, and how P Street beach became one of the cruising spots in the city. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at eventbrite.com.
Wednesday, July 30, 8 P.M. LGBTQ+ Self-Defense Seminar @ VIDA Fitness – U Street (1612 U St NW). Looking to feel safer, stronger, and more supported? Join the DC LGBTQ Community Center and the Wanda Alston Foundation for a free Jiu-Jitsu self-defense seminar designed specifically for LGBTQ+ survivors of partner violence. Held at VIDA Fitness on U Street, this empowering evening will cover practical techniques to boost confidence, foster safety, and connect you with affirming resources. The seminar is free, but space is limited — and a signed waiver is required to participate. Must be 21+ with valid photo ID. RSVP is available at wandaalstonfoundation.org.
Thursday, July 31, 9 P.M. Deep Cvnt: CVNTRY Mini Ball Deluxe @ Crush (2007 14th St NW). Giddy up, glam fam! Deep Cvnt is back for another wild ride with a CVNTRY Mini Ball Deluxe—a queer rodeo hoedown like no other. Throw on your cowboy hat, dust off your chaps, and head to Crush for a night of high-energy ballroom, fashion, and fierce competition. Join the stacked panel of judges including Bombshell Monroe, Tonka Garcon, Aphrodite, Bang 500, and Girliepop! Expect a rodeo chitlin circuit with a whole lot of cvnt. 21+ only.
Thursday, July 31, 2025 5 P.M. Live at the Library @ The Library of Congress (101 Independence Ave SE). Step into the Library of Congress for one of the coolest happy hours in the city. Immersing yourself in the library’s exhibits, collections and programs with drinks and food (available for purchase) in some of the most stunning spaces in the District. Tickets are free but required. They are available at loc.gov.
Saturday, August 9, 8:30 P.M. – Movie in the Park: “The Greatest Showman” @ Stead Park (1625 P St NW). Join the community for an enchanting outdoor screening of “The Greatest Showman” under the stars at Stead Park. Celebrate individuality, inclusion, and the magic of being unapologetically yourself with the help of Zendaya, Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Michelle Williams. Bring a blanket, some snacks, and your chosen family—no tickets required.
a&e features
From Prohibition to Pride: Queering the District podcast reveals local LGBTQ history
The new podcast explores the hidden history and enduring impact of queer spaces in Washington, D.C.

On June 25, as Pride month inched toward its end, three queer creators launched an ambitious project to honor the spaces that built D.C.’s LGBTQ community—and connect them to today’s queer life. The first episode of their podcast, Queering the District, hit streaming platforms that day, aiming to spotlight what host and co-creator Abby Stuckrath calls “third places”: bars, clubs, and gathering spots that have served as hubs for queer life across the city.
Each episode of the 10-part series delves into a different piece of D.C.’s queer past—from landmark clubs to untold personal stories—told through the voices of drag legends, activists, DJs, historians, and patrons who lived it. The show also threads together personal experiences from today’s community, bringing the listener on an auditory journey from Prohibition-era speakeasies to contemporary nights out at places like As You Are or Saints & Sinners.
Abby Stuckrath, alongside her sibling Ellie Stuckrath, and producer Mads Reagan, make up the podcast’s creative team. A recent journalism graduate of American University, Abby told the Blade that her passion for queer storytelling began during college—and that D.C. itself played a defining role in shaping her queer identity.
“I went to American University. I graduated last year and studied journalism. When I was in school, I always wanted to focus on queer stories – especially in D.C., because I’m from Denver, Colorado, I’ve never lived in a place like this before. D.C. has always just kind of been a place I call home when it comes to my queer identity.”
But breaking into the media to tell those stories wasn’t easy. Stuckrath quickly learned that editorial support—and funding—for queer-focused projects is limited. So she decided to do it her own way.
“I kind of found out that if you want to tell stories, you kind of have to do it on your own– especially when it comes to queer stories. There’s not a lot of people begging for us to talk about queer people and to pay you for it. So I was like, ‘Okay, let’s just do it on my own.’”
The idea for the podcast first took root in conversations with Ellie, Abby’s sibling and biggest supporter. Ellie had also moved to D.C. to find more space to explore and express their queer and gender identities. Together, the two began shaping a vision that would combine storytelling, sound design, and grassroots community input.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know what exactly I want to do yet, but I want it to be queer, and I want it to be about D.C., and it’s going to be called Queering the District, and we’re going to find out what that means.’ And Ellie is my biggest supporter, and my best friend. And they were like, ‘Hell yeah. Like, let’s do this.’ And so we decided to just do it together.”
The name stuck—and so did the mission. The team began researching queer D.C. history and found a city overflowing with stories that had rarely been documented, especially in mainstream archives.
“We started looking up the history of queer culture in D.C., and it kind of just clicked from there,” Stuckrath said. “I did not know anything about how rich our history is in the city until one Google search, and then I just kept learning more and more. I was kind of pissed because I studied gender studies in school in D.C. and didn’t learn shit about this.”
Season one focuses on the role of third places—non-work, non-home spaces where queer people could gather, exist fully, and build community.
“Third places have always been the epicenter of queer life… places outside of just your own personal home, because sometimes that isn’t a safe place. And of course, the work most commonly in the past and still today, isn’t a safe place for queer people to be full of themselves. So like, bars were the first place for queer people to really thrive and meet each other.”
To make the show participatory, Queering the District includes a twist: a voicemail line where anyone can call in and share a memory or question. The team calls the phone “Fifi”—a nod to the kind of retro guestbooks often used at weddings, but reimagined for queer nightlife and history.
“We wanted to find a way for people to share their stories with us anonymously… so even though we start in Prohibition, we wanted to connect it to now—like, those people who were singing jazz to each other in a white queer bar are connected to you singing karaoke on a Sunday night at your favorite gay bar. We’re all interconnected by this third place of queer bars in D.C.”
Those connections are emotional as well as historical. While building the series, one realization hit Stuckrath particularly hard: the immense loss of queer spaces in D.C., especially in neighborhoods that have since been heavily redeveloped.
“Every time I go to a Nats game, I think about, well, this just replaced five gay bars that used to be here. It used to be the home of Ziegfeld’s… Tracks, which was almost 2,000 square feet, with a volleyball court in the back, a fire pit, and iconic light show. I just didn’t know that we had that, and it made me sad for the queer elders that are in our city now who walk the streets and don’t see all those places they used to call home.”
That sense of loss—alongside the joy and resilience of queer community—is what the show aims to capture. As the podcast continues, Abby hopes it serves as both a celebration and an educational tool, especially for young LGBTQ people arriving in D.C. without realizing the queer foundations they’re walking on.
“D.C. is a unique city, and specifically young queer people who are hoping to move to the city—to know that you’ve got to know your history to be here. I hope this serves as an easier way for you to consume and learn about queer history, because queer history defines how we move in life.”
And for all the voices still left out, Abby is clear: this podcast is an open door, not a final word.
“This is a perfectly imperfect podcast. We should just be a starting point. We shouldn’t be the ending point.”
New episodes of Queering the District drop every Wednesday on all major platforms.
a&e features
Doug Spearman takes his chance
‘Noah’s Arc: The Movie’ debuted on Paramount+ last month

There’s no question that when Patrik-Ian Polk’s series “Noah’s Arc” premiered on Logo 20 years ago, it was a groundbreaking creation. The story of a group of Black gay men and their wonderful friendship. The titular arc was that of the cute main character, Noah (Darryl Stephens), and his close-knit circle of friends, including Chance played by gay actor Doug Spearman. This compelling and loving fraternity may, in fact, be what brought viewers back repeatedly, including a 2008 movie, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” as well as the 2020 “Noah’s Arc” short, and now, a new full-length feature “Noah’s Arc: The Movie,” debuting on Paramount+ on June 20. In the movie, filled with equal measures of laughs and tears, Chance, who has faced a devastating loss, finds his dependable friends there, ready to support and comfort him at a moment’s notice. I had the pleasure of speaking with Spearman the morning of the streaming premiere of “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.”
WASHINGTON BLADE: Doug, since the early 2000s, when the “Noah’s Arc” series premiered on Logo, you have been playing the character of Chance, including in the latest installment, “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.” What was it about Chance that appealed to you as an actor?
SPEARMAN: When Patrik (-Ian Polk) called me to ask me to play him (Chance), I was at JFK airport in the baggage claim, waiting for a suitcase. He explained what the part was. The thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Chance was in a long-term relationship with another Black man. And, they had a child; they had a 4-year-old daughter named Kenya. I had never seen two Black gay men raise a child on TV before. I thought it was the most revolutionary thing I’d ever seen. I immediately thought I’ve got to do this because that was something nobody had seen. I thought it was incredibly important to take the part.
BLADE: “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” was, once again, written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, who you just mentioned, is the creator of the entire franchise. What’s the secret to your long-standing working relationship?
SPEARMAN: [Laughs] the whole team, all of us, are like a band of brothers. We fight like brothers, we come together like brothers, we hash things out, we talk, because we’re all very different from our characters. I think the challenge of playing these guys and then uplifting these men, playing a part, especially something written by Patrik, is like solving a math equation. There’s always a challenge that’s enjoyable for me as an actor: to try to find out what it is that Patrik wants, and then how do I do it.
BLADE: I think you do a very good job of it.
SPEARMAN: Thank you very much
BLADE: In the years between “Jumping the Broom” and the new full-length movie, many changes have occurred, and the story addresses some of them, including gay widowhood, which is something that the aging community is now confronting, as well as mental health issues. Please say a few words about how you approached those subjects in the new movie.
SPEARMAN: I had a lot of loss in my life, right before we started shooting. Two months before we started shooting the first series, my mother died. I was going through the grief process through that whole first season. Since then, I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. In fact, when we started shooting the second season, the second week we were shooting, my ex died of a heart attack. I was having to fold that into what I was doing with my life on the set and off the set. You’ve got to show up and you’ve got to do your work. The first two seasons of “Noah’s Arc” are always tinged with the memory of grief. So, when I had to deal with the death that Chance faces (in the new movie), which is a significant death in his life, it wasn’t that hard to reach back, especially the scene in the graveyard. It was something that I unfortunately could pull from personal experience.
BLADE: Shifting gears, the movie features delightful cast surprises, including Jasmine Guy and TS Madison. Did you have a chance to interact with either or both when they were on set?
SPEARMAN: No, I didn’t have any scenes with Jasmine, and I missed her. I wish I had gotten to see her because I actually got to direct Jasmine for a CBS promo shoot for “Queen,” back in the early ‘90s. I had a huge crush on her when she was on “A Different World.” So, I really would have liked to reconnect. But TS and I got to see each other every day because I was in all her scenes. It was extraordinary being around somebody like that. That is one outspoken woman!
BLADE: Even though Beyoncé never makes an appearance in the movie, there’s a lot of talk about her. Would you say you are a Beyoncé fan?
SPEARMAN: Yes! I’m breathing! Yes, I’m a Beyoncé fan. I actually got the chance to meet her. I knew her mom. Her mom was extraordinary to me. She is in the second movie I directed. She also gave us a wedding gown to use in the very first scene of the movie. That family is extraordinarily important to me. Not only just to be a fan, but to be somebody who’s gotten to know them and work with them and see how hard they work. I don’t think anybody works as hard as Tina or Beyoncé.
BLADE: There was a recent news item about gay actor Benito Skinner of the Amazon Prime series “Overcompensating” being told not to bother auditioning for straight roles. As an out actor yourself, how important do you think it is for queer characters to be portrayed by queer actors, and vice versa?
SPEARMAN: Being queer is a multifaceted identity. There’s no one kind of queer person. I think finding the best actor that’s your first circle of casting. I think one of the joys about being an actor is that you get to play different parts. I play straight guys all the time. Dads and husbands and things like that. I think a lot of people are told not to do it. In fact, I wouldn’t be Chance if the actor who was originally cast as Chance hadn’t been pulled out of the series by his agents because they didn’t want him to play a gay character.
BLADE: That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing that. Without giving away too much, the ending of the movie is a little ambiguous, even ending with a question mark. If there was a “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” sequel, would you come back for that?
SPEARMAN: Yeah! A lot of it would depend on what Chance’s journey is going to be like. Patrik and I have conversations like that all the time. He’s very interested and supportive of input. I hope I would be, as we all would be, part of the creative growth with these characters. They live in Patrik’s head, and he writes them, but we’re the ones who have to flesh them out. It’s a conversation, it’s always a conversation.
BLADE: You are currently performing in Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid” as part of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane. What has this experience been like for you?
SPEARMAN: It’s extraordinary! I started on stage when I was seven. There’s nothing like working with a live audience and having that immediacy. I’m working with an extraordinarily talented cast in a really great play, and I have some of the best scene partners I could ever want.
BLADE: Are there any upcoming film or TV projects you’d like to mention?
SPEARMAN: I’m still a writer, and I’m still a director, and I’ve still got scripts that I would like to make. I have a little something that’s a cross between “Treme” and “Bridgerton” that I want to do. I’m always trying to figure out what the next thing is.
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