District of Columbia
D.C. queer bar owners oppose ballot initiative to end tip wage system
‘I have not met a single server who wants this’
The owners of at least three of D.C.’s gay bars have joined representatives of nearly all the city’s restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in speaking out against a measure on the Nov. 8 D.C. election ballot calling for ending the so-called tipped wage system.
The ballot measure, called Initiative 82, calls for ending an exemption to the city’s minimum wage law that allows employers of tipped workers to pay them less than the prevailing minimum wage but requires them to make up the difference if the workers don’t earn the equivalent of the full minimum wage through their tips combined with the lower “tipped” wage.
D.C. restaurant industry officials argue that ending the tipped wage system, which is in place in all but seven states in the U.S., would create an economic hardship for their mostly small, community-based businesses by dramatically increasing labor costs at a time when they have yet to fully recover from the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
They say most tipped workers make significantly more than the city’s current $16.10 per hour minimum wage. The current lower “tipped” minimum wage in D.C. is $5.35 per hour.
“I have not met a single server who wants this,” said David Perruzza, who owns the Adams Morgan bars Pitchers and A League of Her Own, which share the same building.
“My staff makes $30 or more an hour,” he said, noting that all except his small kitchen staff are tipped workers. “I pay my non-tipped workers more than the minimum wage,” Perruzza told the Blade. “The people who support this don’t know anything about the service industry.”
Like other bar and restaurant owners, Perruzza said ending the tipped wage could result in the doubling of his payroll, which could force him to raise prices and possibly lay off employees, most of whom are LGBTQ.
John Guggenmos, co-owner of the Logan Circle area gay bars Number 9 and Trade, and Jo McDaniel, co-owner of the recently opened Capitol Hill gay bar As You Are, said they too believe the approval of Initiative 82 by voters on Nov. 8 would have a negative impact on their businesses.
Guggenmos said the initiative would also have a negative impact on consumers because prices would have to be increased, and a service charge of as much as 20 percent could be put in place to offset the higher labor costs. Opponents of the initiative argue that a service charge of as much as 20 percent added to the customer’s bill would prompt at least some to cut back on tipping.
Ryan O’Leary, a gay former service industry employee who serves as chair of the Committee to Build A Better Restaurant Industry, the organization leading the campaign in support of Initiative 82, disputes the claims by restaurant and bar industry representatives that ending the lower tipped wage will seriously harm their businesses.
O’Leary told the Washington Blade that both tipped workers and the restaurants and bars for which they work are doing “very well” in the states that do not have a tipped wage system, including in California, where tipped workers earn $15 per hour minimum wage plus tips.
He said tipped workers in D.C. and other states where the tipped wage is in place have reported that restaurant employers engage in subtle forms of retaliation against workers who request to be paid the difference if they don’t earn the equivalent of the full minimum wage through tips.
According to O’Leary, a growing number of D.C. restaurants and bars are already paying their tipped workers the full D.C. minimum wage or just short of the full minimum wage, in part, because of staff shortages brought about by the COVID pandemic.
“Those that did this are doing very well,” he said. “Some restaurants are fear mongering about tipped workers losing money or losing their jobs if Initiative 82 passes.”
O’Leary also points out that under Initiative 82, the full minimum wage for tipped workers will be phased in over a five-year period from 2023 to 2027. Supporters of the initiative say this will minimize if not eliminate any significant economic impact on restaurants and bars.
Among those who strongly dispute the arguments made by O’Leary and others backing Initiative 82 is Mark Lee, coordinator of the D.C. Nightlife Council, a local organization that advocates for businesses such as restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
Lee said the decision by restaurant and bar owners to adopt a higher minimum wage is based on market conditions such as staff shortages and that’s a “good thing” that should be left to the marketplace. He said Initiative 82 would force businesses to raise tipped employees’ minimum wage in circumstances where it is not needed, and which will hurt both the businesses and the employees.
“Federal data indicates that D.C. tipped employees at bars and restaurants earn well above the local minimum wage, currently at $16.10 per hour, and earn more than tipped workers in the handful of states that either never had a tipped-credit or outlawed the tip-credit more than 40 years ago,” Lee told the Blade in a statement.
Lee points to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that the average tipped worker’s wages in D.C. are close to $27 per hour. He says the data show that average earnings of D.C. tipped workers under the current system are more than $10 per hour above the earnings of tipped workers in states that don’t have a tipped wage system.
“There’s a reason that no state has gotten rid of the tip-credit in more than four decades, and that’s because elected leaders know that workers are opposed and that worker wages will decline,” Lee said.
“Initiative 82 backers falsely claim that so-called ‘wage theft’ and ‘retaliation’ is rampant and widespread at local bars and restaurants, while offering no actual evidence,” Lee said. “First of all, it’s extremely rare that a tipped worker’s base wage and tips do not exceed the minimum wage, as the D.C. Office of Wage-Hour Compliance can attest,” according to Lee.
“But more than that, no worker would stay at a venue if it did violate the law, as hospitality jobs are plentiful as the second-largest local employment sector,” he said.
O’Leary said claims by opponents of Initiative 82 that nearly all tipped workers earn more than the full D.C. minimum wage cannot be verified because the D.C. Office of Employment Services has failed to enforce a law requiring service industry businesses like restaurants and bars to submit to the office wage data for all their employees.
He points to a nearly identical measure calling for ending the tipped wage system that D.C. voters approved in 2018 by a 55 percent vote margin that strongly indicates voters will approve Initiative 82 on Nov. 8.
In a highly controversial development, the D.C. Council overturned the 2018 measure, called Initiative 77, on grounds that most tipped workers did not support it and it would be harmful to restaurants and bars.
But political observers this year note that the makeup of the D.C. Council changed since it overturned Initiative 77 in 2018 and the current Council is expected to allow Initiative 82 to become law if voters approve it this time around.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, who supported the decision to overturn Initiative 77 in 2018, have each said they will not support an attempt to overturn Initiative 82 if D.C. voters approve it next week.
District of Columbia
D.C. Black Pride 2025: Events, parties, and empowerment
Annual Black LGBTQ culture, community, and resilience celebration starts Wednesday
Beginning on Wednesday, Washington will host a weekend-long celebration of melanated LGBTQ talent, power, and resilience with the return of D.C. Black Pride. From glamorous balls and dance parties to drag performances and more, the weekend offers something for everyone looking to celebrate Black queer existence.
The Washington Blade sat down with Keyna Hutton, president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity and organizer of D.C. Black Pride, to discuss the event’s current significance and the programming they are most excited about.
While the weekend may appear to be all about parties and celebration, Hutton emphasized that the heart of D.C. Black Pride lies in the connections it fosters.
“I always try to remind people that Black Pride is a safe space for communities, for people that don’t have these kinds of safe spaces where they live,” Hutton said. “People that live in some rural parts of the country, some very conservative spaces, they don’t have a space to be Black and queer. Many don’t have a space that they are able to be their full authentic selves. So Black Pride is that space. D.C. Black Pride creates that space for folks to be able to come to and just be free and live at all your intersections, to be glorified and be appreciated for who you are, as diverse as you are.”
They continued, pointing to the importance of this year’s theme — freedom — especially amid a political climate that remains hostile toward marginalized groups, particularly the transgender community.
“The real root of D.C. Black Pride is about creating a safe space and supporting community,” Hutton said. “If you think about what’s going on right now politically, it is even more important for us to maintain these spaces.”
Despite the external pressures facing the Black LGBTQ community, Hutton made clear that the weekend is also about celebration, especially for those traveling from near and far to be part of it.
“I am very excited for the Mr. & Miss D.C. Black Pride Pageant,” she said. “We have Ts Madison, Monroe Alise, Kerri Colby, Ben Garson, Anthony Oakes, Heather Mahogany, Apple Brown Betty. We have so many Black queer folks and queer allied people that are going to be here taking up space with us, loving up on us, entertaining us, all for free!”
For the first time this year, a free shuttle will run between the Capitol Hilton and official D.C. Black Pride events all weekend long, making it easier than ever to join in the celebration.
D.C. Black Pride party roundup
Weekend-long parties
Supreme Fantasy Weekend Party
All weekend long, the D.C. Black Pride party Supreme Fantasy will be in full swing beginning on May 22. With 12 events across five days, there’s something for everyone! From drinking and dancing to drag and so much more, this five-day celebration will keep the D.C. Black Pride party pumping through May 26. Tickets and additional information for this 21+ event are available at xavierpartydc.com.
Bliss Party Lineup
Celebrate being a Black LGBTQ woman with the Bliss party lineup! From brunches to dance parties to panels, Bliss has something for everyone. For tickets and additional information for this 21+ party series, visit eventbee.com.
Wednesday, May 21
Cocktails & Conversations
Join hundreds of Black queer women as they kick off D.C. Black Pride with a cocktail reception. Grab a drink and settle in at one of Washington’s swankiest cocktail bars, ZOOZ (636 Maine Ave. S.W.), at 7 p.m., and mingle before the weekend gets going. This is a 21+ event. For tickets and more information, visit BlissPride.com.
Thursday, May 22
Welcome to D.C. Happy Hour
Celebrate the beginning of D.C. Black Pride with drinks in the heart of the Dupont gayborhood! From 5-10 p.m. on the rooftop of Decades (1219 Connecticut Ave. N.W.), take in the spring weather and mix with other Black queer folks. For tickets and more information about this 21+ event, visit BlissPride.com.
Mr. & Miss D.C. Black Pride Pageant
Get ready for the ultimate showcase of Black excellence and pride with the Mr. & Miss D.C. Black Pride Pageant! The competition begins at 6 p.m. at the Capital Hilton (1001 16th St. N.W.), celebrating the history, beauty, and diversity of the DMV’s Black drag and entertainment scene. For tickets, visit Eventbrite.
D.C. Black Pride Unity Free Ball
Join the Capitol Ballroom Council for their 9th annual Unity Free Ball at the Capital Hilton (1001 16th St. N.W.). From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., show off how you embody this year’s theme of “Freedom.” With over 50 categories, there’s something for everyone. Hosts Icon East Coast Father Duante’ Balenciaga, Legendary East Coast Mother Daijah West, Legendary Domo Alpha Omega, and Empress Angel Rose Garcon will ensure the night is unforgettable. For categories, prizes, and free tickets, visit dcblackpride.org.
The Pre-Pregame Act I
Pregame D.C. Black Pride with Daryl Wilson at The Ugly Mug (723 8th St. S.E.). Expect food, drinks, hookah, and more starting at 10 p.m. For tickets, visit dcblackpride.org.
Friday, May 23
Shoot Your Shot & Drink
Date. Dance. Collaborate! Join Lamont White and Tyrice Johnson for a special in-person LGBTQ+ dating experience at North Gate Grill (1001 16th St. N.W.). Tickets available at dcblackpride.org.
D.C. Black Pride Opening Reception
Kick off the 34th annual D.C. Black Pride with award-winning comedian Anthony Oakes as he hosts an evening of music, drag, and more. Queer icons including Ts Madison, Kerri Colby, and Monroe Alise will be in attendance. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. at the Capital Hilton (1001 16th St. N.W.). Free tickets are available at dcblackpride.org.
Host Hotel Welcome Reception
Start the weekend with a party hosted by Daryl Wilson Events at the Capital Hilton, the official host hotel. Beginning at 3 p.m., guests can pick up VIP passes, connect with other attendees, and get into the Pride spirit. More info at dcblackpride.org.
The Pastel Party
Celebrate Black queer womanhood at the Pastel Party at STRAND Nightclub (1400 I St. N.W.). Beginning at 10 p.m., this event offers a vibrant, affirming space. For tickets to this 21+ event, visit BlissPride.com.
Saturday, May 24
D.C. Black Pride Writers Forum
Join Black LGBTQ writers from across the country for a discussion on storytelling, publishing, and politics. Special guests, including Volo Akili (Dear Universe), will be featured. The event begins at 1 p.m. at the Capital Hilton. More info at dcblackpride.org.
Mary Bowman Poetry Slam
Celebrate Black queer voices at the Mary Bowman Poetry Slam at the Capital Hilton. Open mic registration starts at 5:30 p.m., with the show beginning at 6 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded. More info at dcblackpride.org.
PURE BLISS – The Main Event
Dance the night away with other Black queer women at PURE BLISS, starting at 10 p.m. at Next Level (15 K St. N.E.). Enjoy music, drinks, and community. Tickets are $25 at BlissPride.com.
D.C. Black Pride White Party
Put on your best white outfit and party with the Black queer community at the iconic White Party. Rapper KHIA performs live at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Road N.E.), starting at 10 p.m. Tickets available at dcblackpride.org.
Meatloaf Saturday
Join over 5,000 Black queer men across three dance floors with four DJs, go-go dancers, and live performances. Meatloaf Saturday kicks off at 10 p.m. at Public Nightclub (1214 18th St. N.W.). Tickets at dcblackpride.org.
Sunday, May 25
Euphoria: D.C. Black Pride 2025 Closeout – The Finale
Close out Pride weekend with one last rooftop party at Twelve After Twelve (1212 18th St. N.W.) from 4-10 p.m. Celebrate with drinks, dancing, and community in Dupont Circle. Tickets are $15 at dcblackpride.org.
Wet Dreamz Mega Day Party
Join hundreds of Black LGBTQ people at one of the biggest events of the weekend — Wet Dreamz Mega Day Party — at The Bullpen @ Nats Stadium (1201 Half St. N.E.), starting at 5 p.m. Hosted by Daryl Wilson Events. Tickets available at dcblackpride.org.
Sunday Night Super Party
Four floors. Multiple DJs. One unforgettable night. Daryl Wilson’s Sunday Super Party at The Park (920 14th St. N.W.) begins at 10 p.m. and keeps going late. This 21+ event is free to attend. Details at dcblackpride.org.
Tuesday, May 27
WorldPride Black Queer Film Festival
Celebrate the art and impact of Black queer filmmakers with D.C. Black Pride and WorldPride at the three-day Black Queer Film Festival, kicking off at 6 p.m. at Howard University’s Blackburn Digital Auditorium (2397 6th St. N.W.). Free tickets available at dcblackpride.org.
In addition to these events, Thurst Lounge (2214 14th St. N.W.) — D.C.’s only Black-owned LGBTQ lounge — will host nightly celebrations of Black queer excellence. The weeklong celebration, Thurstnik Reloaded, runs from Wednesday through Memorial Day Monday. No cover charge, but a 21+ ID is required.
District of Columbia
LGBT exhibition at D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum opens May 16
‘LGBT Jews in the Federal City’ arrives for WorldPride and beyond
The D.C. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum is opening a special exhibition called “LGBT Jews in the Federal City” on Friday, May 16, that will remain at the museum at 575 3rd St., N.W. until Jan. 4, 2026.
Museum officials have said they are pleased that the LGBT exhibition will be open concurrently with WorldPride 2025 D.C., which takes place May 17-June 8. The exhibition also takes place during Jewish American Heritage Month in May and during LGBTQ Pride Month in June, the museum points out in a statement.
“This landmark exhibition explores a turbulent century of celebration, activism, and change in the nation’s capital led by D.C.’s LGBTQ+ Jewish community,” the museum statement says. “This is a local story with national resonance, turning the spotlight on Washington, D.C. to show the city’s vast impact on LGBTQ+ history and culture in the United States.”
LGBT Jews in the Federal City includes “more than 100 artifacts and photographs representing the DMV region’s Jewish LGBTQ+ celebrations, spaces, struggles, joys, and personal stories,” the stamen points out.
A pre-opening tour of the exhibition provided for the Washington Blade shows that among the displays are first-ever shown materials from Bet Mishpachah, D.C.’s LGBTQ supportive synagogue, which is the nation’s fourth-oldest LGBTQ friendly synagogue.
Also included is a prominent display about Barrett Brick, a longtime D.C. LGBT rights advocate and Jewish community leader who served as a board member and president of Bet Mishpachah in the 1980s and as executive director of the World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish organizations from 1987 to 1992. Brick passed away following a 10-year battle with cancer in 2013.
Another display in the museum’s several rooms accommodating the exhibition includes the ability to listen to audio clips of local LGBTQ community members sharing in their own voices their oral histories provided by D.C.’s Rainbow History Project.
Other displays include campaign posters and photos of prominent gay rights icon Frank Kameny, who led efforts to end discrimination against LGBTQ people from the federal government; and a panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt that includes the name of a prominent Jewish Washingtonian who died during the AIDS epidemic.
“Through prompts, questions, and thoughtful design throughout the exhibition, visitors will be encouraged to ponder new ways to understand Jewish teachings and values as they relate to gender and sexuality,” the museum’s statement says.
“After leaving the exhibition, visitors can contribute to the Museum’s collecting and storytelling by sharing photographs, personal archives, or by recording stories,” it says.
The museum is open for visitors to see the LGBT exhibition and other museum exhibits 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission to LGBT Jews in the Federal City is $12.
District of Columbia
Rainbow History Project WorldPride exhibition to open May 18
‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’ to be on display at Freedom Plaza
D.C.’s Rainbow History Project is scheduled to open its WorldPride 2025 exhibition called “Pickets, Protests, and Parades: The History of Gay Pride in Washington” on Sunday, May 18, in Freedom Plaza.
Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. between 13th and 14th streets less than three blocks from the White House, the exhibition will be open to the public free of charge for 24 hours through July 6.
The exhibition “will chronicle the local LGBTQ+ Pride movement and how the pickets and protests of the 1960s led to the vibrant celebrations of the 2020s,” a statement released by Rainbow History Project says.
The statement notes that the exhibition’s displays will include photos and information about a 1965 protest in front of the White House by 10 gay men and lesbians carrying picket signs in what is believed to be one of the city’s and possibly the nation’s first public demonstrations in support of the then homosexual community.
“The exhibition disrupts the popularly held belief that the LGBTQ+ rights movement began with the Stonewall Riots in 1969 in New York,” the statement points out. It says the 1965 gay protest outside the White House, which took place four years before Stonewall, represents “the start of D.C.’s rich queer history.”
“Covering 1965 to the present, the exhibition explores the history of Pride in D.C. in 10 distinct thematic eras,” according to the statement. “Large hero images around the perimeter will draw people into the exhibit to explore a timeline wall with historic quotes from Pride’s organizers. Each of the 10 eras are detailed in thematic cubes rich with history and visuals.”
The statement says Rainbow History Project is seeking community members to serve as Exhibit Monitors to assist in operating the display in four shifts each day and night to be compensated from between $80 and $100 per shift depending on the time of the shift.
Information about applying to become an exhibit monitor can be accessed at Rainbow History’s website.
Let love and compassion guide our response to Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis
D.C. Black Pride 2025: Events, parties, and empowerment
Cuban lawmakers to consider simplifying process for trans people to change IDs
Frank Kameny’s legacy lives on
