Arts & Entertainment
DC Front Runners Pride 5K returns with focus on philanthropy
Annual race raises funds to help local LGBTQ organizations
One of D.C.’s most popular Pride season traditions is back, as the DC Front Runners Pride 5K prepares to kick off on Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.). Registration ends June 9 at 12 p.m.
“Our race starts and ends at the area colloquially known as ‘gay corner.’ It’s where Leonard Matlovich, an American Vietnam War veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal is buried,” Joshua Yankovic, race director for DC Front Runners Pride 5K, said in an email.
The epitaph on Matlovich’s tombstone reads, “When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.” For Yankovic, it is a reminder of how far the LGBTQ community has come in its fight for equal rights despite the anti-trans and homophobic rhetoric percolating across the U.S.
“We realize we have a lot more fight to go for true acceptance in the land of the ‘free,’ which is why Pride month and this race are so important,” he added. “It gives us a chance to be in a safe space and have a fabulous time doing it.”
Yankovic, who became race director in 2022, has close ties to the race not only as an avid runner with close friends who are all a part of D.C.’s LGBTQ running community, but also as a firm believer in supporting local LGBTQ organizations focused on youths in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area.
Each year, DC Front Runners Pride 5K raises and donates tens of thousands of dollars to local charities from both the race and donations to its website. In the last six years it donated just shy of $200,000. In 2022, donations exceeded $50,000.
“These organizations always need money and the money has to come in so we can continue the fight,” Yankovic said on a Zoom call.
For Ivan Cheung, the organization’s finance director, the “monetary value comes with spiritual support.” Cheung is a lifelong runner who moved to D.C. in 1999. To find community with other gay men in the area, he joined DC Front Runners where he said he felt included.
He began participating in the event, eventually became a volunteer and his increased involvement in organizing the yearly run led him to his position overseeing the organization’s finances.
Because DC Front Runners is a 501(c)(3) organization, Cheung ensures that it meets its tax commitments, helps select organizations each year to receive donations, and also helps fundraise for the organization as well.
“It’s my turn to give back,” he said on a Zoom call. “It’s my personal journey and philosophy for why I want to contribute to this organization.”
This year’s event will feature, in addition to the run, free custard from fast food chain Shake Shack, free seltzers provided by local brewery DC Brau, and there will also be a finish line party with performances from drag queens.
All in all, it’ll be a celebration of the LGBTQ community’s resilience.
“We hope to continue that upward trajectory and support these amazing institutions that not only protect at-risk youth, provide scholarships for teen athletes, celebrate inclusion and empowerment, and even provide a voice, in the case of the Blade Foundation, to the future journalists of America to keep telling our story and reporting on the injustices we see today,” said Yankovic in his email.
Beneficiaries of this year’s race include SMYAL, the Wanda Alston Foundation, Team DC, Teens Run DC, the Blade Foundation, Pride 365, and Ainsley’s Angels of America. Sponsors include Capital One Café, Choice Hotels, Knead Hospitality & Design, Wegmans, and Shake Shack.
“Thank you to all the organizers of the Pride Run 5K,” said Washington Blade Publisher Lynne Brown. “Our robust journalism fellowship program wouldn’t exist without the important contributions that come from this race.”
In addition to the race, there’s a virtual 5K where runners can submit their times online. Visit runsignup.com/Race/DC/Washington/DCFRPrideRun for details. Packet pickup for runners begins June 4; visit the website for locations.
Friday, March 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
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].
Saturday, March 28
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.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Monday, March 30
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Tuesday, March 31
Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, March 1
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 thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, April 2
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. 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.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.
Tickets can be secured via Resy.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
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