Out & About
Calendar: July 19-25
Parties, shows and more in the week to come
Friday, July 19
The 9:30 club (815 V St., N.W.) hosts the “Beyonce vs. Rihanna” summer dance party tonight starting at 9 p.m. In an artist-for-artist, track-for-track music showdown, DJ Mills will be dropping Beyonce tracks while Craig B will be spinning Rihanna tunes. Tickets start at $15 and are limited to six per customer. For tickets and information, visit ticketfly.com.
The Chinatown Block Party “Words Beats & Life” continues tonight and every Friday from 5-8 p.m. through Aug. 9 in the Chinatown Park (I St. N.W.). Attendees can enjoy live performances while exploring a host of free activities including graffiti art, DJing, double dutch, mega chess, a dance workshop and more. The Chinatown Block Party is part of the Discover Chinatown Parks programming series supported jointly by the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District and the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. For more information, visit eventbrite.com.
Saturday, July 20
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St. N.W.) presents “NSO Pops: Apollo 11: A 50th Anniversary – One Small Step, One Giant Leap” tonight starting at 9 p.m. In collaboration with NASA, the National Symphony Orchestra celebrates 50 years since the 1969 moon landing with a concert hosted by Meredith Vieira and Adam Savage. Emil de Cou conducts with performances and appearances by Pharrell Williams, LeVar Burton and more. The evening also includes a never-before-seen video of David Bowie performing “Space Oddity” live on his 50th birthday. Tickets start at $29. Visit kennedy-center.org for more information.
Red Bear Brewing Company (209 M St., N.E.) presents its Drag Show Extravaganza hosted by Desiree Dik tonight from 9 p.m. Performers include Leronica Vargas, Nadia Cole, CAKE and Bombalicious Eklaver. Desiree and Bombalicious also co-host Drag Bingo every second and fourth Tuesday at Red Bear Brewing, which is free to play and open to the public. Tonight’s performance starts at 9 sharp. Look for the event on Facebook for more information.
Sunday, July 21
Frederick County Public Schools hosts its annual LGBTQ and allies family picnic today from 4-7:30 p.m. at the Pavilion in Nottoway Park (9601 Courthouse Rd., Vienna, Va.). Bring your own meat or vegetables to grill and the district will provide the charcoal and two grills. Children are welcome to this family-friendly event, which includes volleyball for teens at 5 p.m. Look for the event on Facebook for more information.
The Miss Gay Maryland United States Icon yearly competition continues today from 4-11:59 p.m. when D’Marje hands her title over to the new winner. The event takes place at Baltimore Eagle Night Club and Bar (2022 N Charles St., Baltimore) and competition categories include presentation (non-judged), evening gown, Americana runway and talent. Look for the event on Facebook for more information.
Monday, July 22
Wicked Bloom Social Club (1540 North Capitol St., N.W.) presents “Wicked Bloom Mondays” this evening from 5-10 p.m., featuring entertainment by DJ Mim, whose repertoire includes an eclectic mix across multiple musical genres. The venue is a cozy bar serving craft cocktails and offering a globally inspired bar menu. For more information, visit wickedbloomdc.com.
Tuesday, July 23
The Latino GLBT History Project and Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) present Drag Bingo for D.C. Latinx Pride tonight at 7 p.m. The Latino GLBT History Project is a non-profit volunteer-led organization founded to respond to the critical need to preserve Latinx LGBTQ History and promote tolerance and acceptance of the community by the public. For more information, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Wednesday, July 24
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) across from Marine Barracks for duplicate bridge. No reservations are needed and newcomers are welcome. For more information or if you need a partner, phone 202-841-0279.
The Hate-Bias Task Force Meeting presented by the D.C. Anti-Violence Project and hosted by the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W., Suite 105) takes place tonight from 7-8:15 p.m. The task force is a collaboration of agency and community partners in the District and focuses on addressing the needs of various affinity groups in the city in combating hate-bias crimes. The group facilitates the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Thursday, July 25
Reel Affirmations presents “Queer Japan” tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Landmark Theaters E Street Cinema (555 11th St., N.W.). This documentary explores the lives of LGBTQ people living in Japan to include activists, manga artists, drag queens, dancers, party planners and politicians. It shares their lives and stories in a world that frequently ignores them. “Queer Japan” offers an intimate look into the everyday triumphs and struggles of being a sexual minority in modern Japan. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Out & About
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Friends of Dorothy Cafe hosts event at City-State Public House
Friends of Dorothy Cafe will host “Living History: How We Loved” on Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. at City-State Public House.
Guests will hear how queer and trans people have loved and cared for one another, especially when legal, medical, and social systems did not recognize those relationships. We’ll reflect on chosen family, long-term partnerships before marriage equality, caregiving during the AIDS crisis, hidden romances, friendship as survival, chosen family, and the loves that changed the course of our lives. This evening is about honoring lived experience, preserving community memory, and strengthening the bridge between generations.
Tickets are $24.57 and are available on Eventbrite.
Friday, May 8
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at noon at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “We Are Pat” at 12:30 p.m. This event takes a fresh look at the iconic Saturday Night Live sketch “It’s Pat” and traces how ideas about gender and what we laugh at have shifted from the ’90s to today. What began as a character born out of cultural anxiety around gender now lands in a world shaped by ongoing debates about transness and queerness. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Saturday, May 9
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, May 10
Drag Queen Sip and Paint Experience Washington DC will be at 4 p.m. at Town Tavern. This is a fabulous experience brought to you by Sip and Paint USA and combines the joy of painting with the lively energy of a drag queen, offering an hour and a half of fun, creativity, and entertainment. Participants paint a canvas while enjoying cocktails, all under the guidance of a glamorous drag queen host. Tickets are $47.19 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Monday, May 11
Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Tuesday, May 12
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans* people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Wednesday, May 13
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, May 14
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Lesbifriends Travel will host “Queer Night Out: DC Power FC Game” on Wednesday May 6 at 7 p.m. at Audi Field.
This will be a fun night out as DC Power FC takes the field at Audi Field, kicking off with a happy hour meetup in Navy Yard before the group walks to the stadium together. Lesbifriends and Travel group will be seated together in the stands, making it easy to connect, cheer, and enjoy the game with people who just feel like your people.
More details are available on Eventbrite.
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