Below are our picks for some of the most fun and creative things to do this week in D.C. that are of special interest to the LGBTQ community.

Night Out at the Nationals

Tuesday, June 14 6 p.m. Nationals Park 500 South Capitol Street, S.E. $25 Facebook | Tickets Join Team D.C. for the annual Night Out at the Nationals on Tuesday. There will be a lot of Pride activities and it is a nice chance to socialize with other LGBTQ fans. The Nationals will take on the Atlanta Braves.

Pride Drag Bingo

Tuesday, June 14 7-9 p.m. Red Bear Brewing Co. 209 M Street, N.E. Facebook | Webstite Enjoy some Bombastic Bingo with drag queen Desiree Dik at Red Bear Brewing Co. on Tuesday.

DC Boys of Leather Pride Happy Hour

Thursday, June 16 6-9 p.m. Trade 1410 14th Street, N.W. Facebook Every month, the DC Boys of Leather get together for some general merriment. Wear your gear and celebrate Pride at Trade on Thursday.

Drag Underground

Friday, June 17 Doors 7:30 / Show 8:30 Dupont Underground 19 Dupont Circle, N.W. Facebook | Eventbrite Don’t miss a truly unique experience on Friday with an underground drag show.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party

Friday, June 17 8-9 p.m. JR.’s Bar 1519 17th Street, N.W. Facebook Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars 7 among friends at JR.’s on Friday.

DELMARVA Pride

Saturday, June 18 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Harrison Street Easton, Md. Facebook Looking for Pride on the peninsula? Easton, Md. is host to DelMarVa Pride for three days this week, with a festival downtown on Saturday. The event is free and family friendly with comedy, drag, music, vendors and crafts.

PridePalooza

Saturday, June 18 12-3 p.m. Annapolis Town Center 1906 Towne Centre Boulevard Annapolis, Md. $12.24 Facebook | Tickets Celebrate pride month at Annapolis Town Center’s PridePalooza. Enjoy food trucks, games, crafts, face painting, balloon animals, henna, tie-dye and more.

Pride Bar Crawl

Saturday, June 18 4-11:59 p.m. A League of Her Own 2319 18th Street, N.W. $20-$25 Facebook | Eventbrite The fifth annual Pride Crawl with take participants across several venues for an evening of fun. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Trevor Project.

Lip-sync Duels

Sunday, June 19 8-10 p.m. Freddie’s Beach Bar 555 23rd Street S Arlington, Va. Facebook The Imperial Court hosts a Lip Sync Duel at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City on Sunday.

Flashy!

Sunday, June 19 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. (Monday) Flash 645 Florida Avenue, N.W. $30 advance / $40 door Facebook | Eventbrite TWiN and Sean Morris will be spinning on the main floor for Juneteenth Holiday Weekend.

The Pride Center of Maryland has moved into a new building that allows it to expand its services to better serve Baltimore’s LGBTQ community. 

The 45-year-old organization, which hosts Baltimore Pride, will kick off its Pride celebrations on Monday, June 20 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new premises at 2418 Saint Paul Street. There will be tours of the new center, remarks from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and performances by Black Assets and Kenneth Something.

“This new building will give more freedom and opportunity to be a resource to our community,” said Kenneth Something, the center’s director of strategic partnerships and special events.

The new location, which the center owns, is four times larger than its current location and will allow it to unabashedly signal that it is a safe space for the Baltimore queer community to gather.

 “At our old location, we were told we couldn’t hang Pride flags in our window,”  said Something. “We weren’t able to display that we are a safe space for our community.”

In addition to its current roster of services, such as facilities that allow individuals to report discrimination against sexual and gender minorities, the center will welcome 40 small LGBTQ initiatives free-of-charge to use its premises to host meetings including book clubs, yoga classes, art clubs and identity support groups. 

Baltimore Pride will be a mix of fun and serving the community, according to Something. This year’s Pride month events will be the biggest the city has witnessed, with a total of 26 events featuring local and national entertainers. 

On Friday, June 24, there will be “Ecstatic Dance in the Park- Pride Edition” at 6 p.m. at Zen Garden Druid Hill Park; “Music at the Market – Pride Edition” at 7 p.m. at Broadway Market, and Bike Party Pride Ride at 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Park — the bike party will have an expected attendance of over 500 cyclists and will conclude with a dance party with DJ Deezy, resident DJ at The Baltimore Eagle.

The organization will also host “Baltimore Pride Slam” on Wednesday, June 22 at Busboys and Poets. The event time is to be determined, according to Baltimore Pride’s website. The poetry competition will be hosted by Radi, an award-winning Black queer poet. Ten poets will compete for a chance to win $1,500 in cash prizes and the title of Baltimore Pride Slam Champion.

“It is important to center and uplift the stories of our community,” said Something regarding the event, which will also feature open mic performances. 

Of course, the usual parade and festival are on tap this year. The parade along Charles Street begins Saturday, June 25 at 1 p.m., and the adjacent Block Party runs 3-9 p.m. Visit baltimorepride.org for exact locations. The annual High Heel Race is Saturday, June 25 at 12:10 p.m. at Charles and 25^th streets. Pride in the Park takes over Druid Hill Park on Sunday, June 26 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. with more than 100 vendors, music, drag, and more. Headliners include Mya, Averie Wilson, and George Lovett.

One of the service events on the organization’s calendar is the Pride Job Fair on Tuesday, June 21 at 5 p.m. at the Pride Center’s new location. There will be 15 LGBTQ-friendly employers at the event that are geared to empowering sexually gendered minority community members by connecting them with companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion.

The job fair was one of the components of Pride month that the Pride Center wanted to grow by ensuring that people not only leave connected to their communities, but also with employment opportunities to better their livelihoods. 

“We want to make sure we don’t forget the root of where Pride started— a movement to uplift and support our community,” said Something. 

At its roots, Baltimore Pride —which also happens to be the third oldest Pride festival in the country— is a fundraiser for the Pride Center. So, the 14th edition of its famed annual “Twilight on the Terrace” fundraiser will be hosted on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m. at Gertrude’s at the Baltimore Museum of Art. 

There will also be a new fundraiser “Queens Cruise” — on Sunday, June 26 at 11 a.m. at City Cruises Baltimore— that Something describes as “one of the newest grand events of Baltimore Pride.” The event will be a drag brunch and buffet hosted by Emerald Star, featuring performances by Chanel Belladonna, Vee Vee Majesty, Angel Devero, and Lyric Bordeaux.

 “I think organizations [sometimes] get swept away by current events,” Something said. “We listened deeply to the community and created a Pride relevant to Baltimore that is not necessarily shaped by national politics.”

Friday, June 10

Friday Tea Time and social hour for Older LGBTQ+ adults will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Feel free to bring your beverage of choice. For the Zoom link or more information, contact Justin ([email protected]).

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties Happy Hour will be at 7 p.m. at Wunter Garten. Guests are encouraged to come meet new people, catch up with friends, and enjoy snacks and drinks. Like all WiTT activities, this event is trans and non-binary inclusive. You must be 21+ to attend. For more info, join WiTT’s private Facebook group.

Saturday, June 11

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. Please email [email protected]  or the group’s facilitator [email protected] to receive the password to join the meeting.

LGBTQ+ Pride Brunch will be at 10 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for those who want a good brunch and conversation with other LGBTQ+ folk. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite. 

WERQ Pride Party and Drag Show will be at 3 p.m. at DC Brau Beer Garden. This event will be hosted by CAKE and will feature performances from the winner of Painted with Raven Season 1 Crimsyn, Crystal Edge and Druex Sidora. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Socialist Contingent in DC Pride Parade will be at 2:30 p.m. at 15th Street Northwest between P and Q Streets. The Party for Socialism and Liberation will be marching in the parade and organization members and friends are encouraged to attend the march. For more details, visit Eventbrite. 

Goat Yoga at Faith Lutheran Church Celebrating Pride will be at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. This event will be an hour of mellow yoga suitable for all levels with friendly goats from Walnut Creek Farm roaming among guests, with plenty of time for goat cuddles and selfies. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey will be at 8 p.m. at Spooky Action Theater. In this show, Nine characters are brought to life as one actor introduces us to the lives changed by the bright spark that is a 14-year old boy, Leonard. Tickets cost $37 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Little SMYALs in the Pride Parade will be at 11:30 a.m. at SMYAL. This is an opportunity for any youth who have previously attended Little SMYALs and their families to march in the Capital Pride Parade. Tickets are free, required, and available on Eventbrite. 

Exploring Entrepreneurship will be at 7 p.m. at Town Tavern DC. The National Association of Asian American Professionals will host an event where guests have a productive space to discuss ideas and goals with people already doing it! It will start with a scripted Q&A session with a panel then an open floor for other discussions and questions. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite. 

Sunday, June 12

“We Say Gay Party” will be at 3 p.m. at Dirty Habit. The event will be hosted by Bombalicious Eklaver, voted DC’s ‘Best Drag Queen’ in 2019 and 2021. Guests can also expect live DJs sets and festive food and drink specials, including rainbow-colored churros and a mouthwatering “Spunk” cocktail made with Vodka, Lemon, Raspberry and Spice. Details are available on Eventbrite.

AfroCode DC Sundays will be at 3 p.m. at Decades DC. This event will be an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes, and a crossover of genres and fusion of cultures such as Afrobeats, hip hop and soca. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Lost in Sauce Tour will be at 5 p.m. at Little Penn Coffeehouse. Queer artist, Mariah Counts, will team up with DC Little Penn Coffee House to kick off Pride month with an evening of human connection and music. She will take guests through her music with an acoustic storytelling performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Together Again: Baltimore’s Community Thriving and Surviving will be at 4 p.m. at The Garage. This event will involve free education, food, music, libations, dancing and entertainment. This event will be hosted by Coalition of Baltimore HIV Providers whose mission is to improve the health and social well-being of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and provide culturally sensitive education and clinical care. For more details, visit Eventbrite. 

Kiki Sundays will be at 6 p.m. at Wunter Garten. Kiki is a monthly drag party featuring hosts Crystal Edge and Katrina Colby! Guests are encouraged to come enjoy drag bingo, games, and music provided by a live DJ. There will also be a special guest. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite. 

Monday, June 13

Center Aging Coffee Drop-In will be at 10 a.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and online on Zoom. LGBT Older Adults — and friends — are invited to enjoy friendly conversations and to discuss any issues you might be dealing with. For more information, visit the Center Aging’s Facebook or Twitter. 

Wicked Mondaze will be at 5 p.m. at Bidwell Restaurant. Guests are encouraged to come “chill with friends” or mix & mingle to make new connections while enjoying delicious craft cocktails and food bites during the happy hour vibe. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Tuesday, June 14

Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group and a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more information, visit the Coming Out Discussion Group Facebook page. 

2nd Tuesdays open mic will be at 8 p.m. at Busboys and Poets in D.C. This is a two-hour event where audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians and a different host every week. Tickets cost $8 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Wednesday, June 15

Center Faith will host a Pride Interfaith Service at 7 p.m. virtually on YouTube and Facebook. The service aims for togetherness and reaching out in love to people of all faiths, sexual orientations, and gender identities in all communities. The theme is “Born in a pandemic. Quilted Together. United by Faith.” For more information, visit the DC Center’s website. 

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. in-person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and online on Zoom. The Job Club 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.”

Thursday, June 16

Poly Group Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is designed to be a forum for people at all different stages to discuss polyamory and other consensual non-monogamous relationships. For more information, email [email protected]. 

The DC Center’s Food Pantry Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.