a&e features
MAL goes big for 2020
D.C. tradition expected to draw thousands for queer kinkster fun


The Centaur Motorcycle Club takes over D.C. for its 44th annual Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend Friday through Sunday into the wee hours from its host venue the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.). This MAL also marks the 50th anniversary of Centaur MC.
Patrick Grady, a gay leather enthusiast who has watched his “tribe” grow over the years, is Centaur MC’s chairman for the events. He was introduced to the Centaurs back in the 1990s while he was the director of catering at the Washington Plaza Hotel.
That chance encounter with Centaur members was life-changing for the still mild-mannered and soft-spoken gentleman who describes leather as a wearable art that invites others to touch and engage it.
“When I came into leather, it awoke some inner feeling,” Grady says. “But you don’t have to own leather to come to MAL. You just go there to have a good time.”
MAL is a three-day party for leather, kink and fetish enthusiasts that continues to grow in popularity with scores of packed venues across the district. It began in 1976 when Glenn Pitcher of the Links Motorcycle Club in New York booked a suite at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel and threw an intimate cocktail party for a few friends visiting from the west coast.
The Leather Cocktails tradition, still a core feature of the current MAL event, began when one of the members dropped his metal cock ring in the hotel bathroom. The sound became a humorous signal opening the festivities.
The Centaurs took over Leather Cocktails in 1984 to keep the tradition alive and added the Sunday brunch, a Leather Exhibit hall and the Mr. MAL contest.
“It’s great to see everybody and welcome new people,” Grady says, excitement filling his voice. “I’m a Pisces, so, I’m always emotional. People take bets to see how long it takes me to cry at Leather Cocktails.”
He says the reason behind MAL and the Centaur’s longevity is despite this year’s expected 3,000-5,000 attendees it still feels like a group of friends getting together for the weekend.
“I think it’s a testament to the members themselves,” he says. “We have 31 current, all volunteers. We all enjoy each other. We enjoy hosting MAL for the masses.”
Most of the events take place at the host hotel and a schedule is available at leatherweekend.com. However, bars and clubs across the district such as Uproar, the Green Lantern and the D.C. Eagle will be hosting special MAL edition events as well.
“We are honored to be a part of such an exciting weekend,” says Miguel Ayala, marketing manager for the D.C. Eagle. “Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend has grown leaps and bounds over the years thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Centaur MC.”
Staff there is anticipating their largest crowds ever and will have additional food trucks on hand as well as a shuttle running from the host hotel to the bar Thursday through Sunday.
The Red Bear is relatively new to D.C., with only a few years of experience working MAL weekend. Cameron Raspet, the founder and director of operations, says he and his staff are expecting big crowds throughout D.C. and hope to have a significant turn out at their events which includes a leather-themed drag show.
Two groups adding diversity to the festivities this year are the People of Color Kink and Leather Experience (POCKLE) and Sadie V, a PoC leather community. Both groups are hosting MAL queer/transgender people of color kinky queer events Friday and Saturday at the Hampton Inn.
Tyesha Best, curator and owner of the POCKLE Project and social media coordinator for International Mr. Leather Inc., is looking forward to this year’s events as well.
“I think leather opens doors,” Grady says of the event’s expansion. “Because you find people with a common enjoyment and a common feel. I’ve always felt with leather communities everyone is easy to talk with, approachable, supportive and they look after each other as well.”
Each year MAL continues to grow, culminating in last year’s $100,000 donation to D.C. charities including HIPS and Casa Ruby. But Grady says Centaur members hope to maintain the warm feel of a small gathering of friends.
“We don’t want to become another IMF,” he says of the larger leather organization MAL supports. “We want everyone to have a good time instead of getting lost in the crowd.”
Though Grady currently doesn’t have a partner to share the weekend with, he is looking forward to the arrival of an English friend he met at an Irish event as well as meeting thousands of friends new and old.
Weekend jam-packed with piggybacking parties

The Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend presented by the Centaur Motorcycle Club kicks off today at 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.). A full-weekend pass for this three-day event is $30. Friday only and Sunday only passes are $15 and passes for Saturday only are $20.
Most of the weekend’s official events take place at the Hyatt; however, other events and parties are also held at other venues around the city. Official events include Saturday evening Leather Cocktails, Sunday brunch, a Mr. MAL contest, a Leather Exhibit Hall and the Sunday night closing party.
For a complete schedule and other details, visit leatherweekend.com.
Friday, Jan. 17
The Bear Happy Hour’s Leather Bear Party presented by D.C. Bear Crue is tonight from 5-10 p.m. at Uproar (639 Florida Ave., N.W.). Bears, otters and their furry friends are celebrated at this MAL weekend event. There is no cover charge, select drinks are $5 and free appetizers are handed out all night. Drink specials end at 10 p.m. Visit uproarlounge.com and Facebook events for details.
MIR at MAL: A Rubber Meet and Greet hosted by Mr. International Rubber is tonight from 7-10 p.m. at the MAL host hotel, Hyatt Regency (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.). This cocktail party is an opportunity for rubber enthusiasts to meet, socialize and start the weekend off right. Part of the space will be black lit to show off colorized rubber wear. For more information, visit mirubber.com.
The Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts Rough House: Leather Edition tonight at 9 p.m. This lights off, hands-on dance party features DJS offAxis, Lemz, Sean Morris and The Barber Streisand. Cover is $5 before 10 p.m. and $10 after with a free clothes check. More information is available at greenlanterndc.com.
Impact: Sauvage is a Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend kick-off party hosted by The Highwaymen TNT in the MAL host hotel at 10 p.m. TWiN spins the music until 3 a.m. for this MAL opening night event. Visit Facebook events for more information.
Pervert: The Pleasure of Darkness is tonight at 10 p.m. at Karma D.C. (2221 Adams Place, N.W.). Tickets are $42 for this party featuring entertainment by DJ Cindel and Flavio Zarza. Hosts La Fantasy, Hilton Wolman Events and Matinee Group team up for this MAL weekend production. Visit seetickets.us/pervertdc for more information.
Furball D.C. hosted by the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) is tonight at 11:30 p.m. This MAL weekend kick off party offers a bus shuttle all night to the MAL host hotel as well as music by Dan De Leon. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. VIP tickets are $30. For more information, visit furballnyc.ticketleap.com.
Saturday, Jan. 18
Deviant (1348 H St., N.E.) hosts a circuit party and celebration for queer people of color in time for MLK and MAL weekend. This event sets things off tonight at 10 p.m. and features performances by Tryfe with special guest Mr. Maryland Leather 2020 “Sir Oya.” General admission is $30 and tickets are available at deviantevents.eventbrite.com.
Spank, a hard-hitting all-night party presented by The Needle Exchange and Sequence, is tonight at 10 p.m. This event celebrates both the D.C. Leather weekend and the third anniversary of the D.C. Women’s March and features sets from DJ Lisa Frank, Juliana, Ash Lauryn and Juana with sounds by Grand Ancestor. The venue location will be sent to ticket holders on the day of the event. Visit bit.ly/SPANKDC for details.
Brut takes over the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) tonight at 10 p.m. DJs Dan Darlington and Morabito are set to spin NYC underground house music during this leather weekend party. Tickets start at $30 and are available at tickets.hedonicproductions.com. Find more information on this and other events at dceagle.com.
Sunday, Jan. 19
Harder, a hard tea dance party, is today from 3-9 p.m. at the U Street Music Hall (1115 U St., N.W.). This event recreates New York’s gay underground night scene with house music by Keenan Orr and Shaun J. Wright, an intimate space and a hardcore party crowd. Tickets start at $10 on bigneon.com. More information is available at ustreetmusichall.com.
Uproar’s (639 Florida Ave., N.W.) Sunday Beer Bust MAL edition kicks off today at 3 p.m. There is no cover for this event which includes a complimentary dinner buffet from 3-6 and the Beer Bust with DJ Mike Babbitt from 4-9. For more information on the venue and on Uproar’s first Daddy Night event, visit uproarlounge.com.
Sungay, an outdoor day party with leather aficionados, muscle boys, bears and more, runs today from 4-10 p.m. at Eden D.C. (1716 I St., N.W.). This party takes place at a multilevel nightclub to include three floors and an outdoor space equipped with patio heaters. DJs Jerac and Paulo Fagroso spin the music at this MAL weekend event. Visit seetickets.us for tickets and details.
JOX returns to the Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) tonight at 9 p.m. for a special MAL edition. This event features all-night drink specials, a $10 cover, music by DJ UltraPup and performances by the JOX boys. For details visit greenlanterndc.com.
Flashy Leather Edition hosted by Flashy Sundays (645 Florida Ave., N.W.) starts tonight at 10 p.m. The cover charge is $30 for this first Flashy event of 2020, celebrating both the MLK holiday and MAL weekend. Doors open at 10 p.m. with an extended bar until 4 a.m. TWiN and DJ Sean Morris will be spinning tunes on the main floor while DJ Mike Babbitt will be running the roof top all night long. Visit facebook.com/flashydc for details.
MAL Reaction Dance: The Official Closing Party of MAL is tonight at 8 p.m. at the 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.). Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. This intimate venue which launched hit makers like Lizzo plays host to the MAL weekend finale. For tickets and information, visit 930.com.
a&e features
Visit Cambridge, a ‘beautiful secret’ on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
New organization promotes town’s welcoming vibe, LGBTQ inclusion

CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Driving through this scenic, historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you’ll be charmed by streets lined with unique shops, restaurants, and beautifully restored Victorian homes. You’ll also be struck by the number of LGBTQ Pride flags flying throughout the town.
The flags are a reassuring signal that everyone is welcome here, despite the town’s location in ruby red Dorchester County, which voted for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by a lopsided margin. But don’t let that deter you from visiting. A new organization, Proudly Cambridge, is holding its debut Pride event this weekend, touting the town’s welcoming, inclusive culture.
“We stumbled on a beautiful secret and we wanted to help get the word out,” said James Lumalcuri of the effort to create Proudly Cambridge.
The organization celebrates diversity, enhances public spaces, and seeks to uplift all that Cambridge has to share, according to its mission statement, under the tagline “You Belong Here.”
The group has so far held informal movie nights and a picnic and garden party; the launch party is June 28 at the Cambridge Yacht Club, which will feature a Pride celebration and tea dance. The event’s 75 tickets sold out quickly and proceeds benefit DoCo Pride.
“Tickets went faster than we imagined and we’re bummed we can’t welcome everyone who wanted to come,” Lumalcuri said, adding that organizers plan to make “Cheers on the Choptank” an annual event with added capacity next year.
One of the group’s first projects was to distribute free Pride flags to anyone who requested one and the result is a visually striking display of a large number of flags flying all over town. Up next: Proudly Cambridge plans to roll out a program offering affirming businesses rainbow crab stickers to show their inclusiveness and LGBTQ support. The group also wants to engage with potential visitors and homebuyers.
“We want to spread the word outside of Cambridge — in D.C. and Baltimore — who don’t know about Cambridge,” Lumalcuri said. “We want them to come and know we are a safe haven. You can exist here and feel comfortable and supported by neighbors in a way that we didn’t anticipate when we moved here.”

Lumalcuri, 53, a federal government employee, and his husband, Lou Cardenas, 62, a Realtor, purchased a Victorian house in Cambridge in 2021 and embarked on an extensive renovation. The couple also owns a home in Adams Morgan in D.C.
“We saw the opportunity here and wanted to share it with others,” Cardenas said. “There’s lots of housing inventory in the $300-400,000 range … we’re not here to gentrify people out of town because a lot of these homes are just empty and need to be fixed up and we’re happy to be a part of that.”
Lumalcuri was talking with friends one Sunday last year at the gazebo (affectionately known as the “gayzebo” by locals) at the Yacht Club and the idea for Proudly Cambridge was born. The founding board members are Lumalcuri, Corey van Vlymen, Brian Orjuela, Lauren Mross, and Caleb Holland. The group is currently working toward forming a 501(c)3.
“We need visibility and support for those who need it,” Mross said. “We started making lists of what we wanted to do and the five of us ran with it. We started meeting weekly and solidified what we wanted to do.”
Mross, 50, a brand strategist and web designer, moved to Cambridge from Atlanta with her wife three years ago. They knew they wanted to be near the water and farther north and began researching their options when they discovered Cambridge.
“I had not heard of Cambridge but the location seemed perfect,” she said. “I pointed on a map and said this is where we’re going to move.”
The couple packed up, bought a camper trailer and parked it in different campsites but kept coming back to Cambridge.
“I didn’t know how right it was until we moved here,” she said. “It’s the most welcoming place … there’s an energy vortex here – how did so many cool, progressive people end up in one place?”
Corey van Vlymen and his husband live in D.C. and were looking for a second home. They considered Lost River, W.Va., but decided they preferred to be on the water.
“We looked at a map on both sides of the bay and came to Cambridge on a Saturday and bought a house that day,” said van Vlymen, 39, a senior scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton. They’ve owned in Cambridge for two years.
They were drawn to Cambridge due to its location on the water, the affordable housing inventory, and its proximity to D.C.; it’s about an hour and 20 minutes away.
Now, through the work of Proudly Cambridge, they hope to highlight the town’s many attributes to residents and visitors alike.
“Something we all agree on is there’s a perception problem for Cambridge and a lack of awareness,” van Vlymen said. “If you tell someone you’re going to Cambridge, chances are they think, ‘England or Massachusetts?’”
He cited the affordability and the opportunity to save older, historic homes as a big draw for buyers.
“It’s all about celebrating all the things that make Cambridge great,” Mross added. “Our monthly social events are joyful and celebratory.” A recent game night drew about 70 people.
She noted that the goal is not to gentrify the town and push longtime residents out, but to uplift all the people who are already there while welcoming new visitors and future residents.
They also noted that Proudly Cambridge does not seek to supplant existing Pride-focused organizations. Dorchester County Pride organizes countywide Pride events and Delmarva Pride was held in nearby Easton two weeks ago.
“We celebrate all diversity but are gay powered and gay led,” Mross noted.
To learn more about Proudly Cambridge, visit the group on Facebook and Instagram.
What to see and do
Cambridge, located 13 miles up the Choptank River from the Chesapeake Bay, has a population of roughly 15,000. It was settled in 1684 and named for the English university town in 1686. It is home to the Harriet Tubman Museum, mural, and monument. Its proximity to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge makes it a popular stop for birders, drawn to more than 27,000 acres of marshland dubbed “the Everglades of the north.”
The refuge is walkable, bikeable, and driveable, making it an accessible attraction for all. There are kayaking and biking tours through Blackwater Adventures (blackwateradventuresmd.com).
Back in town, take a stroll along the water and through historic downtown and admire the architecture. Take in the striking Harriet Tubman mural (424 Race St.). Shop in the many local boutiques, and don’t miss the gay-owned Shorelife Home and Gifts (421 Race St.), filled with stylish coastal décor items.
Stop for breakfast or lunch at Black Water Bakery (429 Race St.), which offers a full compliment of coffee drinks along with a build-your-own mimosa bar and a full menu of creative cocktails.
The Cambridge Yacht Club (1 Mill St.) is always bustling but you need to be a member to get in. Snapper’s on the water is temporarily closed for renovations. RaR Brewing (rarbrewing.com) is popular for craft beers served in an 80-year-old former pool hall and bowling alley. The menu offers burgers, wings, and other bar fare.
For dinner or wine, don’t miss the fantastic Vintage 414 (414 Race St.), which offers lunch, dinner, wine tasting events, specialty foods, and a large selection of wines. The homemade cheddar crackers, inventive flatbreads, and creative desserts (citrus olive oil cake, carrot cake trifle) were a hit on a recent visit.
Also nearby is Ava’s (305 High St.), a regional chain offering outstanding Italian dishes, pizzas, and more.
For something off the beaten path, visit Emily’s Produce (22143 Church Creek Rd.) for its nursery, produce, and prepared meals.
“Ten minutes into the sticks there’s a place called Emily’s Produce, where you can pay $5 and walk through a field and pick sunflowers, blueberries, you can feed the goats … and they have great food,” van Vlymen said.
As for accommodations, there’s the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (100 Heron Blvd. at Route 50), a resort complex with golf course, spa, and marina. Otherwise, check out Airbnb and VRBO for short-term rentals closer to downtown.
Its proximity to D.C. and Baltimore makes Cambridge an ideal weekend getaway. The large LGBTQ population is welcoming and they are happy to talk up their town and show you around.
“There’s a closeness among the neighbors that I wasn’t feeling in D.C.,” Lumalcuri said. “We look after each other.”
a&e features
James Baldwin bio shows how much of his life is revealed in his work
‘A Love Story’ is first major book on acclaimed author’s life in 30 years

‘Baldwin: A Love Story’
By Nicholas Boggs
c.2025, FSG
$35/704 pages
“Baldwin: A Love Story” is a sympathetic biography, the first major one in 30 years, of acclaimed Black gay writer James Baldwin. Drawing on Baldwin’s fiction, essays, and letters, Nicolas Boggs, a white writer who rediscovered and co-edited a new edition of a long-lost Baldwin book, explores Baldwin’s life and work through focusing on his lovers, mentors, and inspirations.
The book begins with a quick look at Baldwin’s childhood in Harlem, and his difficult relationship with his religious, angry stepfather. Baldwin’s experience with Orilla Miller, a white teacher who encouraged the boy’s writing and took him to plays and movies, even against his father’s wishes, helped shape his life and tempered his feelings toward white people. When Baldwin later joined a church and became a child preacher, though, he felt conflicted between academic success and religious demands, even denouncing Miller at one point. In a fascinating late essay, Baldwin also described his teenage sexual relationship with a mobster, who showed him off in public.
Baldwin’s romantic life was complicated, as he preferred men who were not outwardly gay. Indeed, many would marry women and have children while also involved with Baldwin. Still, they would often remain friends and enabled Baldwin’s work. Lucien Happersberger, who met Baldwin while both were living in Paris, sent him to a Swiss village, where he wrote his first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” as well as an essay, “Stranger in the Village,” about the oddness of being the first Black person many villagers had ever seen. Baldwin met Turkish actor Engin Cezzar in New York at the Actors’ Studio; Baldwin later spent time in Istanbul with Cezzar and his wife, finishing “Another Country” and directing a controversial play about Turkish prisoners that depicted sexuality and gender.
Baldwin collaborated with French artist Yoran Cazac on a children’s book, which later vanished. Boggs writes of his excitement about coming across this book while a student at Yale and how he later interviewed Cazac and his wife while also republishing the book. Baldwin also had many tumultuous sexual relationships with young men whom he tried to mentor and shape, most of which led to drama and despair.
The book carefully examines Baldwin’s development as a writer. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” draws heavily on his early life, giving subtle signs of the main character John’s sexuality, while “Giovanni’s Room” bravely and openly shows a homosexual relationship, highly controversial at the time. “If Beale Street Could Talk” features a woman as its main character and narrator, the first time Baldwin wrote fully through a woman’s perspective. His essays feel deeply personal, even if they do not reveal everything; Lucian is the unnamed visiting friend in one who the police briefly detained along with Baldwin. He found New York too distracting to write, spending his time there with friends and family or on business. He was close friends with modernist painter Beauford Delaney, also gay, who helped Baldwin see that a Black man could thrive as an artist. Delaney would later move to France, staying near Baldwin’s home.
An epilogue has Boggs writing about encountering Baldwin’s work as one of the few white students in a majority-Black school. It helpfully reminds us that Baldwin connects to all who feel different, no matter their race, sexuality, gender, or class. A well-written, easy-flowing biography, with many excerpts from Baldwin’s writing, it shows how much of his life is revealed in his work. Let’s hope it encourages reading the work, either again or for the first time.
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.





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