a&e features
QUEERY: David McMichael
The VIDA fitness instructor answers 20 queer questions
David McMichael is a new face at VIDA Fitness — well, kinda sorta. He’s been a member for two years but started working at the company just four months ago. He’s a “SweatBoss” teaching SweatBox (fitness studio at the U Street location) four times per week.
“VIDA is unique in its commitment to creating a welcoming environment, which can be hard to do in the fitness industry,” the 32-year-old Philadelphia native says. “I remember when I first moved to D.C., I was a little intimidated by how fit everyone was at VIDA. It’s totally understandable to feel like a novice when everyone around you seems to know exactly what they’re doing. But I quickly realized that those were my own preconceptions, and that VIDA is full of people who want you to succeed and to get stronger. VIDA taught me that you don’t have to be a fitness professional to start your fitness adventure.”
McMichael’s fitness goals for 2020 are to continue getting stronger through SweatBox and to find “new ways to venture out of my fitness comfort zone,” he says. “Things that used to intimidate me no longer do, so it’s time to find the next challenge.”
McMichael came to Washington two-and-a-half years ago because of his husband’s job. He and Evan Lambert have been together for 10 years, married for seven. They live in Columbia Heights.
McMichael enjoys sofa time with his dog watching “bad TV” in his downtime.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I started coming out to friends in high school, but didn’t come out to family until late in college. The hardest person to tell was my Mom, which in retrospect is odd since she’s probably the most liberal and open-minded person I know. I told her while I was driving her somewhere. It was just the two of us, and she basically told me she already knew.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
This is tough, I’ve never really thought about it! I’m always impressed by people who are “firsts,” the first person to be publicly out in their particular line of work or segment of society. Even if it’s not a public figure, it’s heroic to leap with no guarantee of a safety net to catch you.
What LGBTQ stereotype most annoys you?
I genuinely try not to think about what other people think about us. Their assumptions are a reflection on them, not me.
What’s your proudest professional achievement?
Because of my husband’s job, we’ve moved around a lot in the last 10 years. When I look back at that decade, I’m incredibly proud at how many times I’ve successfully reinvented myself. I taught dance, I got a master’s degree, I worked in higher education administration, I had a full and successful professional dance career, I worked in arts administration and now I’ve found a home in the fitness industry.
What terrifies you?
Obvious, unobscurable public failure.
What’s something trashy or vapid you love?
Cartoons that are geared toward adults but are still, ya know, cartoons.
What’s your greatest domestic skill?
Knowing where everything is in the kitchen cabinets and storage closet. It helps when you’re the one who unpacked everything!
What’s your favorite LGBTQ movie or show?
“Queer As Folk” helped me come to terms with myself and to start coming out, so I owe a lot of my identity to that show. More recently, I was reminded of my coming out story by the movie (and book) “Love, Simon.” There’s a lot of work to be done in representation on film, but that movie (for me, at least) was about as mirror-image as I’ve ever seen of my own life on the screen.
What’s your social media pet peeve?
When people post something, then repost it on their story and say “new post!” Yes, I saw it the first time.
What would the end of the LGBTQ movement look like to you?
There is no end to the LGBTQ movement. We will always need protection, we will always need defense of our rights, and we will always need to maintain those rights in the face of people trying to take them away.
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Not a custom per se, but I wish it were more socially acceptable to greet dogs directly instead of having to say hello to their people first.
What was your religion, if any, as a child and what is it today?
I was raised Jewish and still identify that way, although I’m not observant and don’t practice.
What’s D.C.’s best hidden gem?
So. Many. Amazing. Burgers! I have a top five list.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
For me, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the first time I saw Beyonce’s music video for “Single Ladies.” I was in college at the time, as a dance major, and it was amazing to see arguably the biggest star in the world putting dance squarely in the forefront with no embellishment.
What celebrity death hit you hardest?
I’ve never really felt a deep personal connection to a celebrity, but I’ll never forget people around me reacting to the death of Princess Diana. Even though I was young, I knew that that kind of emotional response was unique and something I hadn’t seen before (and haven’t since).
If you could redo one moment from your past, what would it be?
I would have jumped into the professional dance world sooner. I don’t know why, but I always thought I wasn’t good enough to turn what had been a life-long pursuit into an actual career. I loved every second of my dance career and I only wish I had started it sooner.
What are your obsessions?
Food. I always say I can talk myself out of buying anything, except food.
Finish this sentence — It’s about damn time:
… people stop assuming that people who do what they love for a living are just wasting time until they get a “real job.”
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
I wish I’d known to trust my instincts without reservation. I’ve made lots of leap-of-faith decisions, and they’ve led me somewhere I never thought I’d be doing something I’d never thought I’d do (and that’s been true multiple times in the last 10 years).
Why Washington?
We went to college here, our friends are here, our families are nearby. D.C. is the greatest city and it’s second-to-none with its LGBTQ community.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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