MARCH

Free registration for The Petal Porch Parade runs from Feb. 15 to March 15 and is part of the mostly virtual festivities for this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival. Participants who register and decorate their porch’s windows, yard and/or sidewalk will be added to the official Petal Porch Parade map and receive a free lawn sign to include in their display while supplies last. The Petal Porch Parade takes place from March 20 until April 11. Neighborhoods featuring more registered Petal Porches have a better chance for the Petal Procession to pass through on the weekend of April 10-11. To register and for more information, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

“Genderosity” from Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., is a “glam rock spectacle celebrating self expression.” Songs include “Dancing Queen,” “Vogue,” “Born This Way,” “Changes,” “Home,” and “My Strongest Suit.” The Genderosity video will be available from March 13 at 7 p.m. until March 28 at 11:59 p.m. Tickets are $25; visit gmcw.org for details and tickets.

DC Gaymers hosts “Codenames,” a virtual interactive word game Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. This event is free, open to the public and is part of the Gaymers ongoing activities every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Keep monitoring their Facebook page for more information on this and future events.

A virtual Transmasculine and Nonbinary Art Night hosted by the D.C.-area Transmasculine Society is Friday, March 19 at 7 p.m. Transmasculine and nonbinary folks as well as their friends, spouses and allies of any gender are welcome to join this virtual crafting circle. This free event is a chance to chat while working on new or ongoing craft projects, from coloring to more involved creations. Visit dcats.org for more information.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off with a livestream event Saturday, March 20 at 6 p.m. This annual event runs March 20 to April 11 and is co-presented by the Japan Foundation and co-hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi and ABC 7’s Michelle Marsh. The virtual opening ceremony features 2.5-Dimensional Musical performances of Naruto, “My Hero Academia” and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Musical; TAIKOPROJECT; tap artist Kazunori Kumagai and the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for information and to reserve access to this free event.

Stacey Abrams, founder of the voting rights organization Fair Fight, and Fair Fight Action’s CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo are guests of the Woman’s National Democratic Club Tuesday, March 23 at noon. This free virtual event features a discussion with Abrams and Groh-Wargo about their efforts to produce meaningful change in Georgia and on lessons moving forward. For updates and information, visit democraticwoman.org.

That Way Madness Lies hosted by P&P Live! is a virtual discussion of 15 of Shakespeare’s most notable works as reimagined by YA authors for a new generation. This free panel takes place Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. and features nonbinary queer authors Anna-Marie McLemore, an award-winning Latinx author, and Mark Oshiro, a 2019 Lambda Literary Award finalist, as well as YA authors Lily Anderson, Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley. For tickets and information, visit the events page at politics-prose.com.

The Cherry Blossom Festival’s Pink Tie Party, sponsored by Events DC and Amazon, is Friday, March 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100-$135 and include three-course carryout dinners from a choice of popular D.C., Maryland and Virginia restaurants. Party-goers are to wear their finest pink apparel while mingling and dining virtually with partygoers from around the world. Sake experts will be on hand to present the nuances and culture of Japan’s national drink. Tickets and information are available through nationalcherryblossomfestival.org and Eventbrite.

DC Queer Flix presents “Southwest of Salem” Friday, March 26 at 7 p.m. This film screening is part of the monthly discussion of LGBTQ cinema with the Mayor’s Office on LGBTQ Affairs and is shown in recognition of Women’s History Month. It is an award-winning documentary about the wrongful conviction of four Latina lesbians in Texas. Attendees will watch the film together and discuss it on Twitter using hashtags. For more information, visit lgbtq.dc.gov or the event pages on Facebook and Eventbrite.

APRIL

BookMen D.C. meets virtually Wednesday, April 7 and every first and third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. Most members of this gay literature group live near D.C. but visitors to the area are welcome to join in the discussion. More information is available at bookmendc.blogspot.com and thedccenter.org.

Smut Slam D.C. presents an online open-mic event Friday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. via Facebook. Femme-cee Diva Darling hosts a sexy night of virtual storytelling as open-mic participants share true stories of consensual erotic adventures gone wrong. The evening’s theme is “Womp Womp” and online audiences will hear real tales of epic fails during this queer-friendly, kink-friendly, body-positive event. For more information, visit dc.smutslam.com.

Depeche Mode 20th Anniversary Dance Party is live on Twitch Saturday, April 17 at 9 p.m. This free public event is hosted by FYM Productions and streamed live from the Black Cat D.C. main stage. Visit FYM Productions on Facebook and Twitch for details.

QT Fusion Dance D.C. hosts free, with donations suggested, LGBTQ partner dance social events featuring Bachata, blues, fusion and other partnered dance instruction and social mixers. Since the onset of the pandemic, these events have moved to the group’s Facebook and Twitch accounts. Visit twitch.tv/qtfusiondance, their Facebook page or email [email protected] for more information on upcoming events.

P&P Live! presents “Madame Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power,” a discussion with the book’s author Susan Page Monday, April 19 at 6 p.m. online. More information on this free event is available at politics-prose.com.

The GLSEN Day of Silence is Friday, April 23. This annual event is a national LGBTQ student and ally demonstration to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools. Every April, students go through the school day without speaking and end the day with Breaking the Silence rallies and events to share their experiences. The goal is to bring attention to the problem so schools and communities can discuss methods for inclusion. Visit glsen.org for information and ideas for participating during a pandemic.

The National Cryptologic Museum presents Queens of Code and Technology Wednesday, April 28 at 7 p.m. This free virtual event features historical stories of women working for the National Security Agency from the 1960s to the ‘80s. For more information, visit queensofcode.com.

MAY

DC Black Pride has been cancelled as an in-person event for 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. But the Center for Black Equity has announced an ongoing campaign called “12 Months of Black Pride” that will consist of monthly virtual or hybrid events running until February 2022. For more information on planned community conversations, panels, parties and more, visit dcblackpride.org.

The theme is “Back in the day” for Smut Slam DC: Old School on Friday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. via Facebook. This online open-mic event is a chance for participants to sign up and share true stories of consensual encounters from the days before a hanky was a cheap pandemic precaution. Join host Diva Darling for a socially distanced queer-friendly, kink-friendly and body-positive trip down memory lane. Visit dc.smutslam.com for details.

The DC-area Transmasculine Society hosts Transmasculine and Nonbinary Chat, Chill and Game on Monday, May 24 at 5 p.m. This free event takes place on the fourth Fridays of the month and is primarily for transmasculine and nonbinary folks, but friends, spouses and allies of any gender are welcome. For more information, visit dcats.org.

NOTE: An earlier version of this calendar erroneously included a listing for the National Cannabis Festival. That event was cancelled. The Blade regrets the error.