Out & About
Wisdom Awards celebrate Black LGBTQ+ women Elders
Event honors community leaders
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and AARP hosted the virtual Black Women Legendary Elders Wisdom Awards ceremony and virtual tea party in commemoration of National LGBTQ+ Elders Day on May 16. The event honored LGBTQ+ women leaders who have contributed meaningfully to their communities. Honorees included: Mandy Carter, Poor People’s Campaign activist and co-founder of NBJC, Southerners On New Ground, and Equality North Carolina. She is one of the first Black, openly gay/same gender loving elected members of the DNC; and national steering coordinator for the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
Also honored was Bishop Yvette Flunder, presiding bishop of the largest Black LGBTQ+ clergy network, the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries and pastor of City of Refuge United Church of Christ. She is a Grammy Award-winning gospel artist and voice of Walter Hawkins’ well-loved song Thank You.
Rev. Elder Darlene Garner, co-founder of the earliest national Black LGBTQ+ organization, National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (NCBLG) was honored as well. She is former vice moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches and pastor of several MCC churches.
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who co-led the Stonewall uprising was honored; she led the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project; is a criminal justice and HIV/AIDS advocate; and is the focus of a documentary about her life called “Major!”
The final honoree was Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, founder of Spelman College’s Women’s Research and Resource Center, leader of the first national study of LGBTQ+ inclusion and campus climate at HBCUs, trans-inclusive policies at single-sex HBCUs and founder of the first ever endowed Black Queer Studies program.
Out & About
Washington Improv Theatre hosts ‘The Queeries’
Event to celebrate queer DMV talent and pop culture camp
The Washington Improv Theatre, along with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC, will team up to host “The Queeries!” on Friday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m. at Studio Theatre.
The event will celebrate Queer DMV talent and pop culture camp. With a mixture of audience-submitted nominations and blatantly undemocratically declared winners, “The Queeries!” mimics LGBTQ life itself: unfair, but far more fun than the alternative.
The event will be co-hosted by Birdie and Butchie, who have invited some of their favorite bent winos, D.C. “D-listers,” former Senate staffers, and other stars to sashay down the lavender carpet for the selfie-strewn party of the year.
Tickets are just $15 and can be purchased on WITV’s website.
Out & About
Drag Underground returns
Indiana Bones, Bombalicious Eklaver, Shi-Queeta Lee, Cake Pop! to perform
Dupont Underground and the Washington Blade have teamed up to host “Drag Underground” on Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Dupont Underground.
Performers include Indiana Bones, Bombalicious Eklaver, Shi-Queeta Lee and Cake Pop.
Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
The annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is set for Saturday, April 27 at the Washington Hilton with Colin Jost serving as emcee.
President Biden is scheduled to speak and numerous celebrities are expected around D.C. all weekend for related parties and events.
The Washington Blade is the only LGBTQ outlet that is a member of the Association and is hosting a table of VIPs, including actor Billy Porter and Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).
“We look forward to the Dinner each year to celebrate our press freedoms and to thank a range of allies and supporters for their work on behalf of the LGBTQ movement,” said Blade Editor Kevin Naff.
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