Arts & Entertainment
D.C. fall calendar filled with virtual events
SMYAL Brunch, Helen Hayes Awards, others move online
Some upcoming events don’t fit in our regular fall arts categories. And although many events have been cancelled due to COVID, here are a few to mark on your calendar.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is premiering several new weekly virtual programs through the end of October. “Writing Hour” is every Tuesday at 5 p.m. via Zoom. “Introducing…” is a program to highlight Latinx history makers in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. New episodes can be found every Wednesday at 11 a.m. on the National Portrait Gallery’s YouTube page. “Drawn to Figures” is an online workshop to teach viewers how to sketch the human body. New episodes will be posted to their Youtube page every Thursday at 11 a.m. “Open Studios” is a weekly art workshop with artist Jill Galloway. Every Friday at 11 a.m., new episodes will be posted to the Gallery’s Youtube page. The workshops are geared toward all age groups and skill levels.
The Capital Pride Alliance is hosting its first completely virtual Pride Stride, a nationwide event to celebrate National Coming Out Day. To register for the 5k or 10k race go to pridestride.org. The race can be completed any time between Sept. 15 and Oct. 31.
The Victory Fund NextGen Network event is on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is hosting a Virtual Portrait Signs event on Sept. 24, at 5 p.m. A deaf gallery educator will conduct the conversation in ASL. For details and to register, email [email protected].
The Human Rights Campaign’s Unite For Equality event will be held virtually on Sept. 24 starting at 8 p.m. HRC is offering a no-cost ticket option this year to engage with voters before the November elections.
The 2020 Helen Hayes Awards will be held virtually on Sept. 25. The event will be hosted by Felicia Curry and Naomi Jacobson and will include additional award announcements for outstanding productions, ensembles, and the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company.
Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is hosting a Zoom event on Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. titled “Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain: Power, Femininity and Portraiture in the Court of Felipe III”. Led by Ross Karlan, world languages educator at UCLA, the lecture will cover a series of portraits of Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain by Juan Pantoja de la Cruz and Andrés López Polanco. The event is free but registration is required.
DC Front Runners’ 5k Pride Run is happening virtually from Oct. 1-10. Registration is $30 and participants are encouraged to run anywhere they feel safe.
The National Trans Visibility March is holding its virtual Torch Awards on Oct. 2. The Torch Awards recognize achievements and honor individuals whose work has impacted the lives of transgender and gender nonconforming people across the nation. This work includes areas related to activism, practice and policy, journalism, education, as well as programs and service.
Capital Pride Alliance is partnering with the National Trans Visibility March to bring the first ever Capital Pridemobile. The Pridemobile will kick off the 2020 National Trans Visibility March on Oct. 3 from 2-4 p.m. Details at nationaltransmarch.com.
In recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day, the Capital Pride Alliance is holding an Out Brigade on Oct. 10 from 2-5 p.m. The brigade is an opportunity for community members to register their cars and drive through the city to show their pride.
SMYAL’s Annual Fall Brunch is on Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. The event will be held completely virtually this year.
The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club will hold its State Board of Education Forums on Oct. 13 and 15.
The Equality Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 2020 Mega Networking event on Oct. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Reel Affirmations is holding its film festival on Oct. 25-27 The screenings will all be online and will showcase international, documentary, short and feature films that center LGBTQ stories.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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