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Leisure World’s LGBT residents enjoy openness, camaraderie

Local retirees find support, acceptance in new affinity group

Published

11 years ago

August 5, 2015

Leisure World, gay news, Washington Blade

From left, Mitch Harvey, Pat Ritter and Mary Twigger at Leisure World where they’ve found LGBT camaraderie. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

When Mitch Harvey came to Leisure World (3701 Rossmoor Blvd., Silver Spring, Md.) to take care of his ill mother, he had no idea what he was going to do with himself. Harvey felt like he wouldn’t fit in.

“I thought this is not for me,” Harvey says. “I’m too young, I’m gay. Who am I going to be friends with? I looked around and didn’t see anybody. I felt very much out of place.”

Harvey was less alone than he realized.

Pam Galef and Pat Ritter, longtime friends from Long Island, N.Y., decided to move to Leisure World to join Galef’s parents who lived there. Impressed by Leisure World’s amenities, sports and clubs, they thought it would be a good fit for them.

“As we’re walking through the community our gaydar is going off,” Ritter says. “I had a headache almost every day. I know that the people knew that I knew. They would look me in the eyes and there was recognition there and they would look away.”

After seeing how many gay people were living at Leisure World, Galef and Ritter got together with their friend Mary Twigger and decided to start an LGBT group last November. They put an ad in the Leisure World newspaper inviting people to come meet one another over coffee and cake. The plan was to meet at Twigger’s home. The interest in the meeting was far greater than the three expected and instead of meeting at Twigger’s home, they moved the meeting to the main clubhouse building. The group continued to meet there a few times before becoming an organized club.

Harvey was one of the residents who responded to the ad. He joined the group and became the secretary, Galef became president, Twigger vice president and Ritter became treasurer.

Mitch Harvey created a website for out residents at Leisure World. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Leisure World’s LGBT group has since become a safe haven for senior LGBT members. The group hosts outings, including dinners, picnics, cruises and museum tours. They attend the theater together and have plans to participate in Hillwood Estate’s Rainbow Picnic.

Yet Leisure World’s residents’ diverse age range can sometimes make it tricky to plan events. Residents at Leisure World, a 55-and-over community, can be as young as mid-50s and go up through the 100s. Some residents are still working while others have been retired for many years. Harvey says that with this huge age range, it isn’t always easy to make an event that everyone can attend. He says residents in their 50s can feel overlooked in a community like Leisure World.

“If I say I want to set up a bowling trip, this group looks at me and says, ‘You think we can pick up bowling balls?’ It’s like saying, ‘Let’s go out and go boating,’ and even less can pick up a canoe paddle,” Harvey says.

There’s more diversity in the group than just age. Each resident has his or her own experiences being gay and their own coming out stories.

Harvey, who is 60 and from the suburbs of New York, came to the District area for college and settled here while working in the travel agency business. Eventually he married a woman and had children, not coming out until he was in his late 40s. He admits he didn’t really start living a gay life until he was 51 when he moved to South Beach, Fla., finally returning to the local area to care for his mother at Leisure World.

“I was taught to live a ‘normal’ lifestyle,” Harvey says. “ I was living a false life for 45 years.”

Twigger, a Washingtonian, was married to a man for 17 years and had a son. She lived with a previous partner for 18 years and even while living with another woman she did not come out until her mid 40s, after her relationship with her partner ended.

Ritter has been out since the 1970s and Galif has been out since the 1990s. Since Ritter came out sooner, her views on the struggles gay people have faced are a stark contrast to what Harvey and Twigger have been through.

While Harvey and Twigger say they haven’t experienced any blatant homophobia, they credit it to coming out later in life. Ritter recalls times when she would have to run from her car to the bar in order to avoid getting beat up by neighborhood boys for being a lesbian.

Although there are gay residents at Leisure World and an LGBT group to support them, some still find it difficult to come out of the closet at these stages in life. Harvey says that some may have had rough times with homophobia the way Ritter experienced and are still afraid to come out. These residents tend to come out after a major life change.

“There are still a lot of people in our community, especially the seniors, who are involved in a straight relationship and when the partner passes that’s when they come out. We have had a couple of people who have been in that situation,” Ritter says.

Even some residents who choose to participate in the LGBT group have chosen to remain as secretive about attending the meetings as they can. Some members will not sign their name on the roster because they do not want a record of them being there. Harvey says that some fear what their neighbors will think if they discovered that they are gay.

The culture of living a closeted life among this generation made it challenging to gain recognition for the group at first. Some residents had no idea that gay people were living in Leisure World and that there would be a need for the group at all. When Galef explained to one person about the group, the person responded by asking where these people were coming from and if they were going to bus them in.

Ritter recalls during a Leisure World dance party, she and her friend Galef got up in front of everyone and slow danced.

Pat Ritter, left, and Mary Twigger say they enjoy life being out at Leisure World in Silver Spring. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

“It was like, ‘Oh my god, oh my god.’ But you have to break the ceiling, you have to do something,” Ritter says.

After the initial introduction, the Leisure World community’s reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents have been accepting of the group and the group’s float for Leisure World’s Fourth of July parade was greeted with smiles and cheers.

“It’s just amazing the reception,” Twigger says. “I think that’s the thing that has a lot of us going, ‘Oh my god.’”

Harvey created a website for the group, leisureworldlgbt.com, and the owner of the Leisure World Brand, Heidi Cortese, contacted Harvey. Cortese was impressed by the work Harvey and the others had done. Now, there are plans to expand the LGBT group into other Leisure World communities. Ideas include having meet ups in other states between different communities, setting up a program where members can swap houses for vacations and even a photo contest, one for gay residents and one for straight ones with a grand prize of a vacation.

Harvey, Ritter, Twigger and Galif are organizing a premiere party on Dec. 4 at their Leisure World location to celebrate being the first active LGBT group at Leisure World. An open bar, hors d’oeuvres and dancing are planned.

“I feel very passionate about it because I know what I lived through. There are many people that are gay that are afraid to say they’re gay that haven’t really had a life yet,” Harvey says. “It’s a very sad life and it shouldn’t be.”

He hopes this group can help those residents accept who they are and start living their lives fully.

“I can truly say that my happiness came when I was able to accept who I was,” Harvey says. “I didn’t have to pretend to be the husband of a wife and live like the Cleavers in ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ That’s why it’s important.”

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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Rainbows in Revolt on a mission to make LGBTQ artists’ voices heard

Published

4 days ago

July 29, 2026

Kyle Rood

Lily Erin, one of Rainbows in Revolt’s signature artists, performed at Capital Pride in June. (Photo courtesy of Rainbows in Revolt)

Last month’s Pride celebration in D.C. was so fun. Walking around my first Capital Pride with a $15 lemonade I was loving the madness and the color. Artists and small businesses battling banks you’ve never heard of collecting your personal information so you can spin a wheel to snag free merch. Great music blaring, people actually smiling and enjoying themselves, the “Great” American State Fair could never!

The Monument Stage was on Pennsylvania Avenue, directly in front of the National Gallery of Art and I can’t think of a better venue to see live music. How does someone get on the lineup for Pride? How do we accelerate the visibility of the most talented voices in our community to perform in places like this?

There is certainly not a talent gap, but there is a visibility gap. Chappell Roan went from playing for two people in a parking lot to owning the main stage at Coachella in one year. Whether it is shadowbanning or bias in AI, algorithms have been shown to suppress queer artists. In a digital age, how can queer people break through and show the world how talented they are?

Allison and Matt of Rainbows in Revolt are on a mission to make openly LGBTQ+ artists’ voices heard. Their goal is to find “musicians whose queerness is central to their identity as an artist,” and accelerate them to a place where they can actually reach fans.

The only time queer events seem to be in the spotlight is June, but this should be year round, according to Allison and Matt. Rainbows in Revolt wants to act as a “nucleus” for different sub-communities, finding common ground in the universal language of music.

Matt and Allison founded Rainbows as a way to make cheaper, higher quality merchandise for queer artists. While Rainbows has already pledged 20% of their profits to the LGBTQ+ community, with 10% to Whitman-Walker Health and 10% to LGBTQ+ organizations in need, this is just the beginning of the work that they do.

Rainbows “does the dirty work” that artists normally struggle to do on their own with limited resources. Interviews, artist profiles, social promotion, playlist discovery, radio outreach, and merch-funded support. This work is normally expensive, time consuming, and requires lots of different skills. Musicians don’t want to be editing clips to post online. Standup comedians don’t want to make graphics for their tour dates. They want to write more. They want to focus on their craft.

In addition to helping artists find their audience, Rainbows has built other digital tools to help queer people connect, including an interactive Safe Space Map for most major cities. It is hard to know which places are truly safe and supportive just from a simple Google search. Attitudes and actions change, and there should be a simple way for queer people to find other places that align with them. The Safe Spaces Maps are all up to date, and are tagged and filterable. Instead of relying on forums and word of mouth, Rainbows has created a centralized way to find authentic community quickly.

I had a chance to talk with Allison and Matt at Pride where Lily Erin, one of their signature artists, was performing on the Monument stage. Lily Erin is a folk singer who is familiar and forging her own path. Her bittersweet sound echoes through Acadia, and her garb mirrors the New England athletes I grew up with. Gorp Core meets streetwear. A graphic tee, hiking shorts, and creamsicle Jordans.

Her debut single, “Bus Stop,” tells a sad story about unconditional love, and the conditions that still seem to come with it. Graduating into lockdown, Erin needed a new way to connect with herself and others. Lily made “Bus Stop” without an intention to share it, but doing so was a liberation. People have been responding to her honesty around queer-ness, family, and the “ghosts which haunt us” even in the daytime.

Rainbows in Revolt has helped Lily Erin go from bars and backyards to The Monument Stage at Pride. This is a meteoric rise, and a testament to both Erin’s talent and the work of Rainbows to promote her. “A little encouragement goes a long way with early artists,” and by “planting a seed” Rainbows is already seeing their artist garden grow. Community is power, and Erin is a perfect example of how effective simple modern techniques of promotion can be.

A next step for Rainbows is putting on shows themselves. On Oct. 3, Rainbows in Revolt will host an Evening with Ray Boltz at the National City Christian Church. Boltz grew up in the Catholic Church and for many years was the soundtrack to many services, youth camps, and church groups. He was celebrated by millions until he came out in 2008. Allison remembers her community “never playing his music again.”

Rainbows in Revolt is helping him to return to the church, and proving that identity does not need to be exclusive. We live in a complicated world with complicated lines being drawn. Boltz proves that these lines don’t exist, and will be breaking down barriers to bring together communities. To Allison, “a trans woman standing next to a straight white man in church is a powerful teacher.”

The Safe Space maps bridge all types of spaces, and one of the unlikely ones is, perhaps, churches. Matt said that “BYU has only nine safe spaces around their campus and seven of them are churches.” Not all churches are anti-gay, and many times they are the only place for people to find community.

Rainbows in Revolt is just getting started bridging gaps and building community.

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Summer in the City: Free exhibits, movies, more fill D.C.’s calendar

America 250 celebrations continue

Published

7 days ago

July 26, 2026

Emma LaPointe

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in ‘Wicked,’ screening Sept. 12 at Union Market. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

From late-night museum visits and outdoor jazz concerts to free movie screenings and America250 exhibitions, Washington’s summer calendar is packed with events that don’t charge admission. Here’s a look at some of the free activities happening across the District through September and beyond.

Museum exhibitions

The Renwick Gallery is presenting State Fairs: Growing American Craft, an exhibition that looks at unique and unconventional crafts from the 19th century to the present. It will run until Sept. 7, and admission is free.

The Arts and Industries Building, located next to the Smithsonian Castle, is presenting the exhibition Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America. The exhibition features the development of American independence and what that has meant over time, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibition runs until Sept. 7.

The National Gallery of Art presents Dear America, an exhibit featuring more than 100 pieces of work, including letters, photographs, and drawings that depict American landscapes and depictions of freedom. The exhibition will run until Sept. 20.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is exhibiting Burnished: Pueblo Pottery until Sept. 27. The exhibit features pottery from the Southwest, and while most of the pottery belongs to women artists, a few also reflect those who have advocated for women.

Extending past this summer, the exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa will be at the National Museum of the American Latino until July 2028. The exhibition shows how Afro-Cuban music has become a staple in the U.S. Admission is free.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will feature the exhibition District Vibes / American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture, which will highlight all of the ways D.C. has impacted American life. The exhibit will run until Sept. 27.

At the Folger Shakespeare Library, the exhibit Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era will be on view through Aug. 2. All the portraits on display come from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London.

The United States Botanic Garden will be open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 and Sept. 17, as part of America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration. The evenings will include live music, mocktails, ice cream, and snacks.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will have extended hours, staying open until 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday until Sept. 3.

Live performances

On Aug. 7, the postgame Nationals concert series will continue with Jordan Davis performing. To see the concert, guests just need to buy tickets to the Nationals game.

Jazz in the Garden will run each Friday until Aug. 14. The event has free admission, but those interested have to enter a lottery due to the high demand for the event.

From May to October, Capital Harvest Market occurs every Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The market features fresh foods, crafts, and recipes for unique dishes. A full list of vendors is available on Capital Harvest’s website.

Live! Concert Series on the Plaza will feature live performances at Woodrow Wilson Plaza until Sept. 25. The performances run Monday to Friday from 12-1 p.m. Admission is free to the performances.

DowntownDC Live! at Anthem Row is running until July 30, with free performances every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The final performance will feature HUE and a vintage flea market hosted by Get Flee Marketplace.

Located in Adams Morgan, AdMo Vibe will present live performances every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Kalorama Park. Guests are encouraged to check out Adams Morgan before and after shows, and it is an event for all ages.

Other events

Union Market is hosting drive-in movies on Aug. 8, featuring “Monsters, Inc.”, and Sept. 12, featuring “Wicked.” On Aug. 8, the parking lot will open at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 8:25 p.m. On Sept. 12, the parking lot will open at 6:35 p.m., and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Cinema at the Wharf will also be available one day a month. On Aug. 12, “10 Things I Hate About You” will premiere, and on Aug. 26, “Project Hail Mary.” No tickets are necessary.

The Library of Congress will also show movies. On Aug. 6, guests are invited to watch “Apollo 13.” The movie will be shown at 8 p.m., with additional live performances beginning at 7 p.m.

For fans of Asian media, the Okaton convention will be at Walter E. Washington Convention Center from July 31-Aug. 2. Festivities will include cosplay contests, skits, live music, and panel discussions.

Washington Spirit’s season also begins in August. The Spirit is Washington’s National Women’s League, with matchups occurring between the San Diego Wave, the North Carolina Courage, the Orlando Pride, and the Bay FC.

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Summer in D.C. brings sports, Restaurant Week, festivals, and more

Published

1 week ago

July 23, 2026

Evan Caplan

Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone hosts Pride Night OUT on Sunday, Aug. 23. (Photo courtesy of Washington Spirit)

Summer in D.C. just hits different. Congress is out, school is out, the sun is out, thighs are out. With the skies clearing from Canadian smoke, here are a few ways to stay entertained.

Dining

Summer restaurant week: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is once again hosting Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-24. This weeklong dining experience showcases the dynamic dining scene of the DMV, including 2026 RAMMY Award-winning favorites (the annual D.C. food awards show that took place June 29). Participating restaurants will offer three-course brunch and lunch selections for $25 or $35 per person, and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65 per person.

New Restaurants: A handful of new spots have opened, so the summer is a great time to check them out:

Oribu: A new Mediterranean-Japanese restaurant in the Grand Hyatt hotel, which just underwent a remodeling effort. The sleek restaurant brings upscale charm, with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare with potato pavé and caviar.
The Oak Room: A snazzy old-school American grill has just opened in Georgetown, alongside its sister upstairs supper club (Bernadette’s) restaurant, in the old El Centro space.
Uchi: This showy Japanese sushi-forward chain has landed in Dupont with a chef’s tasting menu of favorites like fatty tuna.
Kathmandu: Recalling the capital of Nepal, this warm, buzzy subterranean restaurant right in the heart of U Street brings spice, flair, and rare ingredients to its dishes (see: buffalo burgers) and drinks.

Sports

Washington Spirit Pride Night OUT: On Sunday, Aug. 23, head to Audi Field for a massive, high-energy game following the exciting month of World Cup. The designated Pride Night OUT game promises boisterous crowds plus pre- and post-game community engagements.
Washington Tennis Open – Now called the Mubadala DC Open, this annual tournament is only combined mens’ and womens’ 500-level tennis tournament in the world. The open is one of D.C.’s longest-standing sports traditions, and will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 25-Aug. 2. Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and others are expected to play.

Festivals

Afro Plus Fest: This huge, three-day Afro-Caribbean Hip-Hop Festival brings together headliners Davido, Alkaline, and Wizkid, plus Tems and Ayra Starr. The event moves from RFK to the Northwest Stadium Complex for three days, Sept. 4-6.
Capital Fringe Festival: Running from July 11-21, this massive celebration features dozens of live theater, comedy, dance, and boundary-pushing nighttime performances across multiple DC neighborhoods.
The National Book Festival returns, with headliners like Cynthia Erivo, and Martin Scorsese. The one-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 22, brings together bookworms and word nerds under the theme “America 250: It’s Your Story.” There are talks, workshops, musical sessions and more.
All Things Go: A three-day festival Sept. 25-27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion featuring Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many, many more artists. There are single-day and three-day tickets. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members.
Fuchsia Fest: The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to celebrate LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. The event takes place Sept. 18-20 and is hosted by Capital Pride.

Art and Music

United We Dance: A high-energy rave with house, techno, bass, and festival music, on Aug. 1 at the 9:30 Club.
The Fray. On Aug. 14, this American rock band famous for How To Save A Life is at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Kesha: Kesha’s high-energy The Freedom Tour comes to the D.C. area on Aug. 14 at Jiffy Lube Live.
ALOK: On Sept. 3 at Lincoln Theater, ALOK (they/them) performs. The poet, comedian, and actor is putting on a new comedy show.
2charm, the emerging Australian electronic club-pop duo popular with the queer community, which blends hyperpop and dance music, comes to the Atlantis.
Sapphic Dance Party: a vibrant, inclusive nightlife and social event designed specifically for queer women, lesbians, bisexuals, trans individuals, and nonbinary folks, at Atlantis on Aug. 21.
Jazz in the Garden: The most quintessential of D.C. activities returns Friday evenings through Aug. 14. This season’s theme, “American Sounds,” is a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tunes themes range from Appalachian and Americana to Creole jazz, Hill Country blues, contemporary jazz, and more. Tickets are available through a lottery system a week before each event.