District of Columbia
From synagogue to Stonewall: LGBTQ Jewish stories in D.C.
Capital Jewish Museum exhibit showcases resiliency of local LGBTQ Jews
From clandestine Shabbat dinners with chosen family in Dupont Circle in the 1950s to proudly marching in the world’s biggest Pride celebration in 2025 under the Bet Mishpachah banner, LGBTQ Jews are deeply intertwined in the queer history of Washington. Despite their consistent presence in the fight for equality, LGBTQ Jews have not, historically speaking, received their flowers.
One museum in Judiciary Square is trying to change that by highlighting the historic contributions LGBTQ Jews have made to D.C. The Capital Jewish Museum officially opened its doors to its “LGBTQ Jews in the Federal City” exhibit in May and has been educating the community — and history fans — since.
The Washington Blade sat down with the two major forces behind bringing the exhibit to life at the Capital Jewish Museum to discuss some often-neglected parts of D.C.’s queer history.
The exhibit begins with a timeline of important moments in both Judaism, like the establishment of the six genders mentioned in ancient rabbinical writings, and in America’s LGBTQ history, like the Stonewall Riots. As you walk further in, the timeline begins to highlight important events for LGBTQ Jews in Washington, spanning from the 1800s to the current day.
When asked why produce an exhibit on LGBTQ Jews, Sarah Leavitt, the director of Curatorial Affairs, was quick with an answer and a smile. Aside from teaching the detailed ways LGBTQ Jewish icons—like Frank Kameny, for example, who led the fight for gay and lesbian people to work openly in the federal government—alongside other spectacular histories, it was clear it was also meant to inspire.
“‘Why not?’” Leavitt said. “This is an important story to tell. We wanted to tell it, so that’s what we did… It encourages people to do the work of the next stage, as whatever that is.”
Jonathan Edelman, collections curator at the Capital Jewish Museum, explained that for him, the exhibit was more than showcasing the revolutionary work of LGBTQ Jews in D.C.—it was also about making the museum’s archives more accurately reflect all colors of the Jewish rainbow.
“My number one responsibility… is to help enhance our archives, so that it’s a collection that more accurately reflects the Jewish community we claim to represent,” Edelman said. “This exhibit helped us start to fill one gap… But we have a lot more work to do.”
That work began at kitchen tables across the DMV — and took off from there.
“I sat at a lot of kitchen tables and listened to people tell their stories,” he said. “When we started collecting, I really got the sense, especially from LGBTQ Jewish elders, that people were just waiting for someone to ask about their story… a button from a protest in 1979 that meant so much to them… was also empowering.”
In addition to the multitude of political buttons that announce “LOUD PUSHY JEW DYKE” and the piece of the AIDS memorial quilt hung on the wall with a square highlighting some of the Jewish people who died alongside a sewn synagogue, there is an astonishing number of artifacts in the exhibit. The two creators of the exhibit shared their favorite artifacts for all to see. Edelman’s favorite is one of the earliest editions of the Washington Blade (known as the Gay Blade back in 1969). Leavitt’s is a copy of meeting minutes from Bet Mishpachah, Washington’s LGBTQ Jewish congregation—both representing queer resilience in Washington.
Jocelyn Kaplan was one of those people who shared their special objects and stories with Edelman and Leavitt. She gave the museum stacks of old “Gay Blade” prints from when they were a single sheet of paper.
“She thought she was the only one who had these feelings,” Edelman explained. “One night she was at a bar or a restaurant, and saw copies of the Blade, and she picked one up, and discovered community for the first time. And so this very ordinary piece of paper may have saved her life. And the power that this publication had in helping people find community before the internet is meaningful.”
Leavitt’s favorite piece, the meeting minutes, was made more special after a member of Bet Mishpachah found herself in the notes.
“Several of the people at the meeting were listed without their last name because it was the early ’90s,” Leavitt said. “They were worried that somehow their boss was gonna get a copy of these meeting minutes from their synagogue… she remembered that fear. … That was a moment from 35 years ago that kind of stabbed her in the heart again.”
The exhibit is eye-opening, to say the least. Touching on cultural icons of D.C. history like Esther Goldberg, a well-known Jewish drag queen—complete with a disco ball and gown—to signs of progress toward a more inclusive space for LGBTQ Jews, like the Hebrew workbook on display without gender-specific pronouns for non-binary Hebrew learners.
While sitting on the couch in the middle of the exhibit, next to rotary phones that have LGBTQ Jewish elders sharing their stories with the spin of the wheel, Leavitt admitted that the exhibit wouldn’t do justice to LGBTQ history if it were a perfect balance of struggle and success. One struggle some Jewish people had internally wrestled with was the inclusion—or rather lack of inclusion—of the history of gay men in the Holocaust. Some wanted these museums and memorials to honor only the Jewish people who suffered the most during the time. Others wanted gay men who died alongside Jewish people to be memorialized and recognized.
“It’s not always a pretty story, but it can be one,” Leavitt said about the twisting of LGBTQ and Jewish histories. “I think grief weaves its way through all of our stories… But we can’t do a show like this without talking about trauma.”
On the opposite side, there are remarkable accounts across the exhibit floor that show the relationship between the LGBTQ community and the Jewish community supporting each other. Bet Mishpachah, for example, has been marching in D.C.’s Pride celebrations since the 1970s.
“Some felt that this was holy work—their activism,” she added.
When asked what they hoped visitors to the museum would take away from the exhibit, they gave different answers, but both put LGBTQ Jews at the center.
“I hope queer Jewish elders feel seen, like their story is finally being told,” he said. “I hope younger queer people learn the history of this movement… and then I hope our non-queer visitors understand that queer history is Jewish history.”
“I hope it shows we can do it, and that the community can trust us with their stories,” she finished. “Hopefully this is just the beginning.”
Admission to the Capital Jewish Museum’s LGBTQ exhibit is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 65+ and students with valid ID, and free for children 12 and younger.
District of Columbia
Over 2,000 turn out for Hands Around the Kennedy Center protest
Drag performer Tara Hoot serves as MC, Gay Men’s Chorus of DC performs, attendees shout for Trump to keep ‘hands off’ Kennedy Center
More than 2,000 supporters of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts turned out on Sept. 18, for a rally in support of the performing arts center and a vocal protest against President Donald Trump’s threats to permanently close the center and possibly demolish it.
The event was organized by a group called Hands Off the Arts, which initially called for participants to form a “human chain” around the Kennedy Center’s main building following a rally on the plaza in front of the building.
However, due to a decision by the Trump-controlled Kennedy Center’s board of trustees to close the center earlier in the week and install fencing around part of the building, participants could only form the chain around part of the building, according to organizers.
Drag performer Tara Hoot, who co-organized the event and served as master of ceremonies for the rally preceding the “human chain,” said the large turnout could have fully surrounded the building at least twice had the fencing not prevented a full encirclement.
Among the musicians and singing groups that performed at the rally was the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, which, like other rally performers, had performed at the Kennedy Center in past years. They drew loud applause after singing one of their favorite songs from the Broadway musical show Ragtime, which includes the lyrics, “Will justice be demanded by 10 million men? Make them hear you. When they hear you, I’ll be near you again.”
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Prior to their performance, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s artistic director, Thea Kano, spoke at the rally, reminding participants that shortly after the Trump takeover of the center last year, Kennedy Center officials cancelled a concert the chorus was scheduled to perform there for World Pride 2025.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson said the cancellation was due to a scheduling conflict, but chorus members and LGBTQ activists believe it resulted from policies put in place by Trump and his leadership team at the Kennedy Center following Trump’s statements that he would end controversial “woke” performances that he claimed the majority of Americans disapprove of.
“Now this building sits empty in silence,” Kano told the crowd at the rally. “Let us raise our voices together and bring back the Kennedy Center as it was intended, a place where American culture could be celebrated and elevated, embracing the vibrancy with the spectrum of identify without censure and without politics,” she said.
Among the others who spoke at the rally were U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), and D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At-Large).
Most speakers, along with LGBTQ participants in the hands-around-the-building event expressed strong opposition to Trump’s demand that the Kennedy Center name be changed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
At Trump’s request, his appointed board initially made that name change and placed Trump’s name on the front wall of the building along with the Kennedy name. But following legal action taken by opponents who pointed out that Congress must approve such a name change, a judge ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the building. Trump has said he will take steps to reverse that order and has said he will stop plans to renovate the Kennedy Center building and possibly demolish it if his name is not restored in the Kennedy’s Center’s official name.
Throughout the Sept. 18 rally, LGBTQ participants repeatedly responded to the Trump threats by shouting, “Hands Off!”
Chris Raleigh, one of the founders of Hands Off the Arts and a lead organizer of the Sept. 18 event at the Kennedy Center who spoke at the event told the Washington Blade that more similar events are being planned and he welcomes the support the event has received from the LGBTQ community.
“The LGBTQ community was here first, and we’re following them,” he said. “They’ve been the spearhead; they’ve been the vanguard. And I’m so thankful for heroes like Tara Hoot,” he said, adding, “It’s because they know what it means and how this is a safe place – the theater – for many LGBTQ people.”
The DMV’s own furry group was on full display on the Metro on Sept. 12.
Shutterpaws is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Maryland.
The furry group has been doing the FurRide event since 2024 and has blown up in popularity for furries around DMV. They showcased themselves on the Silver and Blue Lines near the Smithsonian on Sept. 12.
“A lot of careful planning goes into running these events, with the goal being a seamless and enjoyable experience for everyone who attends,” says Zayre, a Shutterpaws staff member. “There’s a lot that you learn just by trial and error, and as Shutterpaws hosts more and more events, our team of event organizers continues to learn and refine our approach to keep things running smoothly and finding new ways to engage with our community.”
With a larger growth of participation in the community comes many challenges with the group, especially when it comes to the Metro rides and organizing.
“The biggest challenge that we face as organizers is keeping things fresh and finding new and engaging venues to host events,” says Zayre. “Recently we saw a lot of success hosting a meet at On Target Battlezone, an indoor NERF gun battle arena where our crew was welcome to show up and play both with and without a fur suit.”
Nevertheless, Shutterpaws receive overwhelming support from the community and partners.
“Across the DMV there are so many amazing places to host a Shutterpaws event so we can pursue our mission of helping connect fur suiters and photographers, and we’re blown away with the amount of support we’ve received from our community partners,” says Zayre.
Shutterpaws plans to do more events for anyone in the DMV who is interested.
Their next event in collaboration with DC Fur Meet will take place at Pitchers (2317 18th St., N.W.) on Saturday. Visit Shutterpaws’ website for more information.
District of Columbia
Hands Off the Arts to form ‘human chain’ around Kennedy Center
Drag performer Tara Hoot among event organizers
An organization called Hands Off the Arts has announced it is holding a protest on Friday, Sept. 18, in which between 400 and 800 participants are expected to create a “human chain” around the Kennedy Center to voice their strong objection to President Donald Trump’s call for possibly demolishing the Kennedy Center.
“Hands Off the Arts is organizing a rally Sept. 18 against the president’s defacing of JFK’s memorial, his removal and censorship of art, and the threat to demolish the center if he can’t remake the site in his image,” a statement released by the group says.
The statement says the event will start with a rally at 6:30 p.m. on the Kennedy Center steps and culminate with a “human chain” around the building. “There will be musical performances, testimonials from current and former employees, along with other special guest speakers,” it says
A separate announcement by the group says longtime D.C. drag performer Tara Hoot, who has performed at the Kennedy Center in past years, was among the organizers of the Sept. 18 protest.
The planned protest follows Trump’s decision last year to use his authority to replace the existing members of the Kennedy Center’s board of directors with new members loyal to him. Over the objection of longtime Kennedy Center supporters, the Trump-appointed board changed the name of the center, at Trump’s request, from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
But following the threat of legal action by opponents who pointed out that the name change could not be legally made unless approved by Congress, the name change was cancelled, with Trump saying he would take steps to restore it later.
The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports in a Sept. 13 news story that because of negative publicity related to Trump’s actions, the Kennedy Center was facing “fiscal collapse” and possible bankruptcy and could be forced to shut down as early as this week.
According to the Post report, a 57-page document presented to the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees says the center was facing a financial and structural building crisis, with the recent collapse of part of the building’s inside ceiling, indicating the building was unsafe for employees and the public. Among other things, the document says the Kennedy Center may not be able to make payroll or pay for routine maintenance “within a matter of weeks,” the Post reports.
Some LGBTQ advocates were among those who joined others in boycotting the Kennedy Center to express their objections to Trump’s actions, including a statement by Trump that he objected to the Kennedy Center’s practice of hosting drag performances.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington has been among the LGBTQ performing arts groups and artists that have performed at the Kennedy Center.
“With the future still very much uncertain, now more than ever, the Center needs you to stand up for freedom of expression and against authoritarian overreach into arts and culture institutions,” the Hands Off the Arts group says in its announcement of the Hands Around the Kennedy Center protest.
“You have the opportunity to make a difference — show up with Hands Off the Arts and show your power as part of Hands Around the Kennedy Center,” it says.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
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