Arts & Entertainment

Karamo Brown says D.C. High Heel Race ‘a model of what the world should be’

TV host and reality star will make a special appearance at the event

Published

3 years ago

October 24, 2023

Karamo Brown (Washington Blade photo by Christopher Kane)

Television host and reality star Karamo Brown connected with the Washington Blade on Tuesday afternoon before his special appearance at the 36th annual 17th Street High Heel Race in D.C. at the invitation of Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

The city’s historic LGBTQ event, by providing a space where participants can feel safe and supported while also welcoming other diverse groups of people to join the fun, is “a model of what the world should be,” Brown said.

Best known for his eponymously named talk show, now in season two on NBC Universal and “Queer Eye,” the Netflix series that wrapped its seventh season in May, Brown became the second openly gay Black man to appear on a reality show when he was cast in MTV’s “The Real World: Philadelphia” in 2004.

Fans of his current television projects are likely aware he is also an author and activist who has worked on behalf of causes related to racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and HIV, with a background that includes training in psychotherapy and experience working in social services.

As intra and inter-party warfare in Washington has reached new heights in recent weeks, Brown advises that divisiveness comes when “you put comprehension over compassion,” adding, “you don’t have to understand me to respect me and have compassion for me as a human being.”

Likewise, he said, being curious about the feelings and experiences of others, and being open to exploring alternative points of view — however inscrutable they may seem, and however different they might be from our own — can also lead to better interpersonal interactions.

With respect “any adult who would choose to willfully hurt a child” by advancing anti-LGBTQ policies targeting young people, Brown said, “I would have to question, ‘what are their motives?’ ‘Why are they feeling this way?'”

We are responsible for ensuring that children are loved, supported, and protected — whether in the context of policy discussions over gun violence prevention, mental health, or matters concerning sexual orientation and gender identity, Brown said.

Asked whether he is interested in inviting any special guests from Washington to appear on “Karamo,” Brown said “let’s be real, there’s tons of politicians — I could bring them and their wives and their mistresses on my show, and they’d fit right on in.”

“I don’t need to call out any names,” he said.

Up Next

Scottsdale Arizona LGBTQ+ bar closes after 35 years

Don't Miss

2023 Best of LGBTQ DC Readers’ Choice Award Finalist Voting

FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

Published

22 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.

The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.

Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.

Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.

Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.

The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”

“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”

“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”

Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Michael Key

'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week

Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Staff reports

The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.

Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026

⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP