Arts & Entertainment
FALL ARTS 2019 MISC. EVENTS: Things to do, places to go, people to see
Some events — galas, benefits, stand-up acts, etc. — don’t fit in our other fall arts categories. We gathered up all the miscellany here!
Get out your calendar!
The eighth annual Charlottesville Pride Festival is Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Details at virginia.org.
Rainbow History Project presents walking tours called “Queering Capitol Hill” by Philip Clark Sept. 14 and 22. Sign up at culturaltourismdc.org. More info at rainbowhistory.org.
Rayceen has several events throughout fall including “Art All Night” (Saturday, Sept. 14), “Rayceen’s Reading Room” (Monday, Sept. 23), “Rayceen, Fix Me Up!” Autumn Mixer” (Thursday, Oct. 17), and regular “Ask Rayceen Show” dates Oct. 2 and Nov. 6 at the HRC Equality Center (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). Team Rayceen is also presenting “AfroQueer: Black LGBTQ Immigrants in America” on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the HRC Equality Center (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) at 7 p.m. It’s free. Details at askrayceen.com.
“LGBT! #ShowUp4DC!” is Thursday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building (45 Independence Ave., S.W.) for a hearing on H.R. 51, a D.C. Statehood Bill. Organizers say “statehood has always been an LGBTQ issue.” Look for the event on Facebook for details.
“A Tupperware Party with Dixie Longate,” a benefit drag performance for D.C. Different Drummers, is Thursday, Sept. 19 at Arena Stage (1101 6th St., S.W.). Tickets are $45 at dcdd.org/dixie.
The Washington Blade has its 18th annual Best of Gay D.C. readers’ poll awards on Thursday, Sept. 19 (earlier this year) at Dacha Navy Yard (79 Potomac Ave., S.E.). Tickets are $25 via Eventbrite or Facebook.
The Maryland Trans Resilience Conference is Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. at the Lord Baltimore Hotel (20 W. Baltimore St.) in Baltimore.
AIDS Walk Delaware is Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Details at aidswalkdelaware.org.
Night Out for The Trevor Project is Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. at Pitchers (2317 18th St., N.W.). Details at thetrevorproject.org.
The 14th annual Hispanic LGBTQ Heritage Awards are Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. at HRC (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). Admission is free but donations will be accepted at the door. Details at latinoglbthistory.org.
Washington-Israel LGBTQ & Allies Reception is Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at Sonoma (223 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.). It’s a chance for locals to meet queer CEOs from Israel, here for AWB’s Reverse Mission project. Tickets are $18 at awiderbridge.org.
“Queer Eye’s” Jonathan Van Ness is at Sixth & I (600 I St., N.W.) on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. to talk about his new book “Over the Top.” It’s sold out but last-minute tickets may become available at sixthandi.org.
The National Trans Visibility March is Saturday, Sept. 28 at Freedom Plaza. Registration is suggested but not required. The Torch Awards are the night before.
The 23rd annual HRC National Dinner is Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Pl., N.W.) at 5 p.m. Tickets are $400 at hrcnationaldinner.org.
Desiree Dik’s “Slay Them” drag competition is held the first Friday of each month at 9 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing (209 M St., N.E.). The next is Friday, Oct. 4.
The Bachelors Mill Reunion 2019 is Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at District Soul Food Restaurant & Lounge (500 8th St., S.E.), the original Bachelors Mill location.
The fifth annual VIDA Thrive 5k is Saturday, Oct. 12 at 8 a.m. in Rock Creek Park. Register and find info at vidathrive5k.com.
Rainbow Families Family Camp is Oct. 14–16 at Camp Tockwogh in Worton, Md. Details at rainbowfamilies.org.
Out figure skater Adam Rippon, who won a team bronze at the 2018 Olympics and later won “Dancing With the Stars,” will be at Sixth & I Synagogue (600 I St., N.W.) on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. to speak about his new memoir “Beautiful on the Outside.” Tickets are $20-45 at eventbrite.com.
The Washington Blade has its 50th Birthday Gala on Friday, Oct. 18 starting at 6 p.m. with cocktails at the InterContinental (801 Wharf St., S.W.). Tickets are $300. Details at blade50th.com.
La Fantasy presents the Superhero Underwear Party with Eliad Cohen on Friday, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. at Saint Yves (1220 Connecticut Ave., N.W.). Tickets are $25 at seetickets.us.
“Drag Race” champ Bianca Del Rio brings her “It’s Jester Joke” tour to The Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.) on Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.50-199 at ticketfly.com.
The SMYAL Fall Brunch is Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Marriott Marquis (901 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $250 at bidpal.net/smyal.
The fourth annual CAMP Rehoboth Block Party is Sunday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center (37 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.). Details at camprehoboth.com.
The eighth annual Chefs for Equality event (an HRC benefit) is Tuesday, Oct. 22 at Washington National Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. Tickets went up this year — they’re $225. Details at chefsforequality.org.
Baltimore Black Pride 2018 is Oct. 25-27. This year’s theme is “Revival.” It opens with a networking event Oct. 25, a brunch with the theme “Healing Black LGBTQ Trauma” and Halloween masquerade party are Oct. 26. Oct. 27 is Sunday Family Fun Day. Details at cbebaltimore.org.
Swazz presents “Queer Halloween Party” on Friday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. at Smith Public Trust (3514 12th St., N.E.). Tickets are $10 at swazzevents.com.
Miss Adams Morgan is Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut Ave., N.W.).
The Walk & 5K to End HIV 2019 is Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. (check-in) kicking off and ending at Fredom Plaza (Pennsylvania Ave. and 13th streets, N.W.). The 5k begins at 9:15. The walk begins at 9:20. Post-race activities start at 10. Details at walktoendhiv.org.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World Tour” is Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. at The Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.). Tickets start at $52 at ticketmaster.com.
The 32nd annual High Heel Race is Tuesday, Oct. 29 on 17th Street, N.W.
“Randy Rainbow Live!” is Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Hippodrome (12 N. Eutaw St.) in Baltimore. Tickets are $57-77 at ticketmaster.com.
Todrick Hall brings his “Haus Party Tour” to the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) on Saturday, Nov. 9. He plays Baltimore Nov. 10. Tickets are $23-42 at livenation.com.
The Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony for LGBT veterans is Monday, Nov. 11 at noon at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.).
Transgender Day of Remembrance is Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W., suite 105). Details at thedccenter.org.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Gay D.C. police lieutenant arrested on child porn charges
Demonstrators disrupt OMB director hearing over PEPFAR
HIV/AIDS group NMAC is ‘destabilized’ and in financial crisis: sources
Madonna announces release date for new album
Senegalese court issues first conviction under new anti-LGBTQ law
An effort to increase the number of psychiatrists of color
Trump budget targets ‘gender extremism’
Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
