Arts & Entertainment
Former ‘American Idol’ contestant returns to compete in drag
Ada Vox received three yes votes from the judges


Ada Vox on ‘American Idol’ (Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)
A former “American Idol” contestant returned to audition as their drag queen persona on Sunday night’s episode.
Adam Sanders first auditioned for the reality competition series in season 12 when he was 19 years old. Sanders was cut after making it to the top 50.
He shares that after appearing on TV he received hateful messages on social media about his sexuality and weight.
“I let it get to me in the wrong way. It killed me inside,” Sanders says.
He decided to reinvent himself as his drag alter ego, Ada Vox.
Vox sang “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals for her audition receiving praise from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. However, before giving an answer Perry asks Vox if she’s ready to be a serious pop star.
“I’m not here to play with anybody. I’m here to chase my dreams and make them come true,” Vox replies.
Her audition ends with three yes votes and a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Watch Vox’s audition below.
https://youtu.be/ofdSsBKW6NU

The 2025 Capital Pride Honors awards ceremony and gala reception was held at the National Building Museum on Thursday, June 5. Honorees included Cathy Renna, Jerry St. Louis, Ernest Hopkins, Lamar Braithwaite, Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Kriston Pumphrey, Gia Martinez, Kraig Williams and SMYAL. Presenters and speakers included U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Amber Ruffin, Raven-Symoné and Paul Wharton.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)




































La Fiesta: The Official Latinx Pride Party was held at Bunker on Thursday, May 29. The event was hosted by Lady J Monroe and featured performances by Mia Carlisle, Stefon Royce, Evry Pleasure and Alexis Carter St. James.
(Washington Blade photos by Robert Rapanut)











Arts & Entertainment
Eugene Levy: Every queer character is ‘steppingstone to a better place’
Equality PAC honored actor on Wednesday

Award winning actor and comedian Eugene Levy was in Washington as the city’s WorldPride festivities kicked into high gear on Wednesday, joining members of Congress in the Mellon Auditorium to receive the 2025 Nancy Pelosi Equality Ally Award from the Equality PAC.
Co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who also serve as the chair and a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, the PAC works to elect LGBTQ candidates and allies to public office.
With his son, Dan, who is openly gay, Levy created and starred in the enormously popular series “Schitt’s Creek.” The show has been celebrated for centering a queer love story that was not marred by tragedy or slapstick — just joy.
The Washington Blade spoke with the actor briefly before he accepted the award on Wednesday. The conversation below has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
BLADE: Here you are accepting an award from the Equality PAC named for Nancy Pelosi. I wonder if you might be leaning into the politics a bit more than usual. Is there something, maybe, about this new administration that has made you more vocal?
LEVY: I’m actually not leaning into the politics of it. I am Canadian. I wasn’t that familiar with the organization. Though I learned about it. And I know the cause. And then when this came up, I went, ‘Wow, this is really quite an honor. ‘
As an actor, I sometimes find it hard when actors speak out — necessarily about, you know, issues that sometimes are over their heads in terms of exactly what they know and how much information they have, and how qualified they are to make certain statements. I’m not that guy.
In the work that we did, in what the show has done for the cause, I think you couldn’t have made a stronger statement in support of what this is, other than what we did on the show. And my son gets a lot of credit in that regard, it goes without saying. That did more to stir things up and make people in the LGBTQ+ community feel like somebody’s looking out for them and understanding what they’re going through.
BLADE: I loved a film that you starred in about 20 years ago, “Best in Show.” Do you have thoughts about the evolution of queer characters on screen in projects that you’ve been involved in, from that movie to “Schitt’s Creek”?
LEVY: Every appearance by a gay character is a steppingstone to a to a better place. I mean, you have to keep it alive. You can’t stop writing for gay characters. The more you put out there, and the more people see, the more they’re able to digest it and see that, ‘Oh, I guess this is okay.’ I’m talking about those people. [On the other hand] there are some people you’re probably never going to get.
BLADE: Your and Dan’s show explored that dynamic between a dad and his gay son more deeply than we’re used to seeing on television. Do you have a Pride month message for the fathers out there?
LEVY: Just accept your kid for who he is. That’s it. And just support him as a father. You should support your kids. You should support your kids. My God, I’ve heard parents try to support their kids when they’ve, you know, gone to prison for 38 years. ‘Well, he didn’t mean that, it’s the first time he’s ever shot anybody,’ you know, so that — I mean, really, that’s what it is. Just, he’s your kid. He’s your own flesh and blood. You gotta support. There’s no other way you can go outside of be supportive, you know, of your own kids — and respect who they are.
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