Out & About
10 LGBTQ events this week
Labor Day weekend parties and a Boy George concert among attractions
Below are our picks for some of the most fun and creative things to do this week in the DMV that are of special interest to the LGBTQ community.
DC Gaymer Social

Tuedsay, Aug. 30
7-10 p.m.
Uproar Lounge & Restaurant
639 Florida Avenue, N.W.
Facebook
DCGY wants to invite you all to a freeplay gaming social event! All gaming stations will be open for free play — hosting games such as Super Smash Bros., Ultimate, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Kirby and the Forbidden Land, Mario Party Superstars, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Brawlhalla, and more.
Underrepresented Genders Sports Mixer

Wednesday, Aug. 31
6-8 p.m.
As You Are Bar
500 8th Street, N.E.
Facebook
All women, trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming folx are welcome at this Team DC Sports Mixer at As You Are on Wednesday.
Noche de Lotería

Wednesday, Aug. 31
8 p.m.
Trade
1410 14th Street, N.W.
Facebook
Join host Mari Con Carne and special guest Desiree Dik for Noche de Loteria at Trade. Lotería is a game of chance similar to bingo popular in Mexican culture. Stick around for a show.
Shaw’s Tavern 10th Anniversary Celebration

Thrusday, Sept. 1
6:30 p.m.
Shaw’s Tavern
520 Florida Avenue, N.W.
Facebook
Celebrating 10 years, Shaw’s Tavern is holding a party on Thursday. Trivia, music, entertainment, appetizers, champagne and drag make for a fun evening out.
Boy George & Culture Club

Thursday, Sept. 1
8-10 p.m.
Wolf Trap
1551 Trap Road
Vienna, Va.
Facebook
Boy George and the Culture Club returns to the DMV on Thursday for a concert at Wolf Trap.
Xavier Entertainment “Hard Labor” Day Weekend Events

Friday, Sept. 2 – Monday, Sept. 5
Events in venues across the city catering to the LGBTQ community
- Hard Labor Kickoff Party | Friday, Sept. 2 | Club Elevate | Free – $100 | Eventbrite
- All White Rooftop Party | Saturday, Sept. 3 | Ivy City Smokehouse | Free – $100 | Eventbrite
- Sunday Funday | Sunday, Sept. 4 | Nellie’s Sports Bar | Free – $10 | Eventbrite
- Hard Labor Cookout Main Event | Sunday, Sept. 4 | Aqua | Free – $100 | Eventbrite
Movie Night at Stead Park

Friday, Sept. 2
7:30 p.m.
Stead Park
1625 P Street, N.W.
Facebook
Bring your blanket, picnic basket and friends to a movie night at Stead Park featuring “The Greatest Showman.”
Freddie’s Follies

Saturday, Sept. 3
9 p.m.
Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant
555 23rd Street S
Arlington, Va.
Website
Catch one of the area’s best drag shows at Freddie’s Beach Bar on Saturday.
Safe Space: A Queer Dance Party

Saturday, Sept. 3
10 p.m.
JR.’s Bar
1519 17th Street, N.W.
$10 donation suggested / 21+
Facebook
“For millennia, a human species called QUEERS have fought for their spaces to celebrate their community. They are still in that fight and under attack by the GLOBAL EMPIRE! However….A small group of alien beings have decided to descend to Earth to assist the RESISTANCE and help QUEERS dance their way to UTOPIA!”
Flashy Labor Day Weekend

Sunday, Sept. 4
10 p.m.
Flash
645 Florida Avenue, N.W.
$30/$40
Facebook
The city’s top DJs will be spinning into the morning at Flash for a night to remember.
Friday, October 9
Go Gay DC will host “Out in DC LGBTQ+ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, October 10
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
“Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” will be at 12 p.m. at Nellie’s Sports Bar. Come get served like a queen by a queen. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of amazing drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets cost $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, October 11
Spark Coffee Club will be at 12 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a laid-back daytime hangout built entirely around making new connections. Whether you’re new to the city, new to the community, or just looking to expand your social circle, this is an easy, low-pressure way to spark up a conversation with the person next to you. Come solo or with a friend — you never know who you might meet. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Tuesday, October 13
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Wednesday, October 14
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, October 15
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Out & About
Equality Chamber hosts Pride in Business Expo and Profits & Pours
Entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals to meet at Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs
The Equality Chamber of Commerce is bringing together LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, advocates, and community partners on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the D.C. Mayor’s Office for LGBTQ Affairs (899 N. Capitol Street, NE).
This is an afternoon and evening focused on one essential question: How do we build businesses and a business community that can thrive? The Pride in Business Expo and Profits & Pours with Stephanie will create a powerful forum for connection, practical knowledge, and economic opportunity at the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The Pride in Business Expo, taking place from 4-7 p.m., brings the region’s LGBTQ+ business community together to showcase businesses, build relationships, discover resources, and create new opportunities.
Out & About
Learn more about Virginia’s queer history
‘The Remarkable Visibility of Hannah Nokes’ event scheduled for Wednesday
Queer Virginia Contributor Amy Bertsch will host “The Remarkable Visibility of Hannah Nokes” on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at Sprouse Rare Book Room inside the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library (717 Queen St., Alexandria, Va.).
Amy will share the story of Hannah Nokes, an African-American transgender woman who made headlines in 1933 when she testified in a high-profile murder trial. Learn about Nokes’s life, her place in history, and the broader social context of her remarkable story. Her story is among those featured in the book “Queer Virginia: New Stories in the Old Dominion.”
Register at the Alexandria Library website.
