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2021 Queer Women of Washington

Celebrating voices of change in D.C.

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The Washington Blade, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Office of Women’s Policies and Initiatives, is proud to present our annual Queer Women of Washington.

Here we celebrate some of the city’s many inspiring queer women who are the voices of change from a diverse group of industries. Nominations came from our readers; that list was then trimmed to the queer women profiled here.

Rewatch the Queer Women of Washington Awards presented by DC Department of Health HERE.

Meg Metcalf

Meg Metcalf (Photo courtesy of Metcalf)

Occupation: Library of Congress (Librarian & Collection Specialist, Women’s, Gender, & LGBTQIA+ Studies)

Where do you live? Ward 5

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a non-binary queer femme in Washington, D.C. has given me an unparalleled opportunity to influence the way cultural memory institutions document and remember LGBTQIA+ life, history, and cultures in our nation’s capital and beyond. What happens in D.C. resonates nationally and globally, so it’s a wonderful place to live and work as a librarian, activist and advocate.

Michele Zavos

Michelle Zavos (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Zavos Law

Where do you live? Ward 5

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

I identify as a lesbian, as I have my entire adult life. That identification to me means a certain way of looking at the world, as a woman who loves and prioritizes women.

D Magrini

D Magrini (Photo courtesy of Magrini)

Occupation: Whitman-Walker Health

Where do you live? Ward 3

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

A native Washingtonian proudly being myself.

Yvette Scorse

Yvette Scorse (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Communications Director, ByteBack

Where do you live? Ward 6

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. is about more than embracing and enjoying my own identity and love openly. It’s about celebrating other LGBTQ+ people, about nurturing a safe and welcoming environment for my colleagues, and it’s about putting equity and inclusion first in our community. I’m proud to be among a group of diverse, strong, creative, inspiring queer women in D.C.

Tiera Craig

Tiera Craig (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: The DC Center

Where do you live? Ward 3

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

I am a proud Black combat service disabled veteran lesbian professional committed to the LGBTQ community and passionate about All Things Lesbian. I strive to represent, educate, encourage, and empower members of the community in any way necessary. Being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. means that I have a greater opportunity to affect change on a micro and a macro level. It means that I am in a position to have my finger on the pulse of transformation in policy. It also means that I am a part of the dopest community in the country!

Sunu P. Chandy

Sunu P. Chandy (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Legal Director, National Women’s Law Center

Where do you live? Ward 3

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

While we are lucky to be queer women in D.C. given all of our local legal protections for LGBTQ individuals, we also need to push the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act so that our rights in this country don’t depend on our zip code. We also need to keep organizing and advocating for social justice across the areas of our lives here in D.C. too. I am excited to keep building, alongside so many terrific comrades, toward gender justice, racial justice, disability justice, immigration justice and more.

Cee Smith

Cee Smith (Photo courtesy of Smith)

Occupation: Color Wheel Capital

Where do you live? Ward 5

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer woman in D.C. means that I’m a part of a small but mighty percentage of the population that’s known to overcome despite the disparities. It means working daily to advance a community I believe in.

Heidi Ellis

Heidi Ellis (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Founder, HME Consulting & Advocacy

Where do you live? Ward 6

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

My identity has always been my compass as I’ve navigated different spaces throughout my upbringing, education, and career. For me, it’s not about only being a woman, or queer, or Black, or Latinx. I am all of those things. The experiences I have occupying space as a woman with an intersectional lens dictate my priorities when allocating some of my most precious resources, including time, money, and my mental capacity. I am dedicated to building coalitions and improving systems that will ultimately lead to liberation for the most marginalized members of our community. I feel inspired living in Washington, D.C., as we are uniquely able to see the progress, and sadly the failures, of our government and the power structure. Local culture and history also inspire me. D.C. is a treasure trove of historical events and stories that influence our community, and I hope to continue learning while adding to the rich history.

Charlotte Cleveland

Charlotte Cleveland (Photo courtesy of Cleveland)

Occupation: American College of Surgeons

Where do you live? DMV Area

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. means being a part of a profoundly embracive, proud, diverse, and welcoming community. By nature, it means I get to be both national and local. We live at the epicenter of American politics, which can be an ugly and treacherous space to exist as a queer person and we see the progress, and failures, of our government in real-time. This allows me to use my voice and uplift the voices of others to advocate for change. On the local level, D.C. is one of the queerest cities in America and I can unabashedly be my queer self every day.

Morgan Butler

Morgan Butler (Photo courtesy of Butler)

Occupation: Public Allies DC

Where do you live? Ward 4

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

So much of my gender identity, sexuality and spirit has been nurtured and influenced by D.C. As a gender fluid femme queer, it’s been important for me to acknowledge all my selves, to care for them, to inspire them, to reparent them and heal them from childhood wounds. D.C. has been the safest place for me to reparent myself — this city has provided me and (with extreme reverence) allowed me to provide platforms and opportunities for others to experience the beautiful, whimsical, magical, intense heat that quite honestly, no other city has. The way D.C. is continuously birthing renaissance astounds me every moment of every day. The way this city breeds and nurtures talent is something I intentionally try to emulate in every space I’m welcomed in outside of the city. My work is so intrinsically connected to this city, in the same ways that my person and my spirit is.

Aditi Dussault

Aditi Dussault (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Co-Founder & Director, GovContractPros, LLC

Where do you live? Ward 1

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

I first moved to D.C. to attend college – a somewhat typical story of “finding myself” in a new place. My favorite part of being queer in D.C. is not only have I found myself, but also I have found so many amazing people who are so different from me. In finding and exploring differences, I have found incredible threads of commonality and I think D.C. is particularly unique city for bringing it all together.

Melissa DeShields

Melissa DeShields (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: CEO, Frontline Solutions

Where do you live? Ward 4

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a Black queer woman in Washington, D.C. means that I live in the intersection of race and identity. My work, my politics, my life is about justice and dismantling systems of oppression.

Ashley Carothers

Ashley Carothers (Photo courtesy of Carothers)

Occupation: Minority Veterans of America

Where do you live? Ward 5

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer woman in D.C., our nation’s capital gives me the opportunity to mentor folks not just within our LGBTQ+ community but those outside of our community. I’m able to have conversations with people from all spectrums, change hearts and minds. I’m also able to open the door for the voiceless so that they can be seen and heard in the room. I’m able to cross lines and push boundaries so those coming behind me are able to live more as their true selves.

Olivia O’Neal

Olivia O’Neal (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: IONA, WWH, Mary’s House for Older Adults, DACL, Seabury Resources for Aging

Where do you live? Ward 6

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer woman in D.C. means that I can advocate for all women’s rights no matter what their sexual orientation may be.

Jade Flower

Jade Flower (Photo courtesy of Flower)

Where do you live? Ward 7

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer woman in D.C. means being a part of rich legacy — generations of Black lesbians in Washington have made this city a safe, inclusive and celebratory place. I grew up here, had my first kiss on a front porch off Nannie Helen. My first Pride (before I was out), I wore a different rainbow color every day of the week. My first party experiences were at the Edge and the Delta. My first time on a board was with Women in the Life Association. I screened my first film at HRC headquarters. I hope to continue to honor a tradition of so much self-love that it effortlessly pours into the LGBT community and allies alike.

Adalphie Johnson Wilhite

Adalphie Johnson Wilhite (Photo courtesy of Wilhite)

Occupation: SMYAL – Programs Director, The Community Church of Washington DC UCC – Assist. Pastor, Mx. Boss Lady Enterprises – Founder/Consultant

Where do you live? Ward 8

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a Queer Womxn in the DMV to me means, having the knowledge, courage, and ability to be and create agents of change in the community in all of my queerness. As a Black, queer woman, mother, wife, leader, and pastor I recognize many spaces are not affirming of my identities. In knowing that, it is my responsibility to be unapologetic about my identities while speaking truth to power and empowering others to live in their authentic truth. Being a queer womxn means penetrating spaces, and holding leadership positions that historically have been held by male-identified persons while also carving spaces of our own. It is our responsibility to be visible in responding to the injustices that plague our communities in an effort to build a better present and future. Being a Queer Womxn in the DMV means to be proud, passionate, caring, unapologetic, fierce, and in the words of the beloved Audrey Lorde, deliberate and afraid of nothing.

Alexis Grady

Alexis Grady (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Law Student

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a queer non-binary person in Washington, D.C. has been an incredible and enlightening experience. The protections and opportunities afforded to me as a queer person in this city have allowed me to live more openly than I ever anticipated, and to be a fierce advocate for people in the LGBTQ community. From interning with the Victory Institute to serving as the president of Howard University’s CASCADE, my interactions with our community here have been overwhelmingly meaningful and positive. The protections and support for queer people, particularly women and non-binary people of color, are a large part of the reason I have chosen to make Washington, D.C. my permanent home. I am so grateful to be considered among the women and queer people who have made it possible for me to survive and thrive. Being a queer non-binary person in Washington, D.C. means being a step closer to freedom and being wrapped in the support of my community at all times.

Elizabeth Birch

Elizabeth Birch (Photo courtesy of Birch)

Occupation: VP CBRE and CEO Elizabeth Birch Company

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being a lesbian or anyone on the LGBTQ spectrum in Washington, D.C. is a gift. It gives you a perspective on humanity that might elude you in a purely straight world.

Yvonne Z. Smith

Yvonne Z. Smith (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Occupation: Disability and Mental Health Advocate

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

Being an out queer woman in D.C. allows me a amount of personal and emotional freedom. Although it’s been decades since I opened those closet doors it’s still refreshing not to be anything other than who I am. The Washington region is best place to work or play for any age of queer women. Although it still has some significant challenges that I work on through many LGBT organizations as well as disability organizations in the city I have never had to hide who I am or not advocate for all segments of the community I am a part of, including the Queer community.

Kisha Allure

Kisha Allure (Photo courtesy of Allure)

Occupation: Director of Victim Services/Resilient Development, Casa Ruby

What does being a queer woman in Washington, D.C. mean to you?

As a Queer woman, I have been classified as the unexplained subject of a marginalized population. However, As Queer Woman I will continue to stand in my truth. Living the way I feel, from the inside out. I will walk, work, and experience equal opportunity as every human being. I will continue to bridge the gaps and create systems of tangible resources, for all genders to access, which is the biggest barrier in the LGBTQ community.

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Visit Cambridge, a ‘beautiful secret’ on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

New organization promotes town’s welcoming vibe, LGBTQ inclusion

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Cambridge, Md., is home to quaint shops, restaurants, and Victorian homes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (Photo courtesy James Lumalcuri)

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.”

James Lumalcuri and Lou Cardenas sailing in Cambridge, Md. The couple bought a second home there and are spreading the word about the town’s pro-LGBTQ culture. (Photo courtesy the couple)

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.”

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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

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(Book cover image courtesy of FSG)

‘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.

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Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C

Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

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Gay Pride Day 1976 (Washington Blade archive photo)

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.

D.C.’s Different Drummers march in the 2006 Capital Pride Parade. (Washington Blade archive photo by Adam Cuthbert)

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 1995 Lesbian and Gay Freedom Festival was held on Freedom Plaza on June 18. (Washington Blade archive photo by Clint Steib)

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.

The D.C. Black Gay Men & Women’s Community Conference table at Gay Pride Day in 1978. (Washington Blade archive photo by Jim Marks)
A scene from 1985 Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
A scene from the 1988 Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
A scene from the Capital Pride Block Party in 2018. (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Keke Palmer performs at the 2024 Capital Pride Festival. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
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