a&e features
Do we still need D.C. Black Pride?
Activists weigh in on relevance of annual events in Trump era
D.C. Black Gay Pride Day, May 28, 1994. (Washington Blade photo by Doug Hinckle)
In 1991, I was a 30-year-old Air Force captain and closeted. I had worked hard to earn my degree and commission and loved the Air Force.
But “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” was the law and I was always looking over my shoulder. Living two lives was physically and spiritually exhausting. I did go to the numerous bars that existed in D.C. at the time — they were fun, exciting and even dangerous. Gay bashing and HIV/AIDS were real hazards to living your life
I remember walking onto Banneker Field for the first DC Black Pride on Saturday, May 25, 1991 alone. It was the first time I was out in public, outside of the gay bar havens, with a group of black gay people, who looked like me and were dealing with the same issues I was dealing with. It was uplifting, refreshing and empowering. I bumped into a colleague from my office in the Pentagon who was in the Navy. We were not out to each other before. We laughed out loud, hugged and have been great friends ever since.
Now, 26 years later, LGBTQ people serve openly in the armed services. We have marriage equality at the federal level; and D.C. has some of the most LGBTQ positive laws in the world. Do we still need Black Pride? I posed this question to several LGBTQ leaders and activists. Here’s what they had to say:
Sheila Alexander-Reid, director, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Washington, D.C. “Yes — People want to celebrate themselves with their own community and still do not see a lot of their community at Capital Pride.” She followed up by applauding Capital Pride’s efforts to make its board more diverse by including Ashley Smith and SaVanna Wanzer who are both African American. “If the leadership is not diverse, then outreach is not diverse, then attendance is not diverse.”
Sheila Alexander-Reid
(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Dr. Anika Simpson, co-chair, Equality March for Unity and Pride. “Yes — we need safe places for Black LGBTQ people to come together to refresh and recreate; to come together in joy, solidarity and protest. The Equality March [set for June 11 in D.C.] intentionally has a majority of person of color leadership team, which has shifted the focus of the march. The mission centers very explicitly on those LGBTQ people who have been silent and neglected. There are 12 co-chairs: nine are black, Latino or Native American; the remaining three are white. Four are transgender or gender non-conforming.” Simpson added that this organization “shows the possibilities of where queer movements should go in the future.”
Ryan Bos, executive director, Capital Pride. “Yes, DC Black Pride offers that safe space for black LGBTQ people to learn and celebrate. Capital Pride is and will continue to help sponsor DC Black Pride.” Ryan stated that, “Capital Pride has a good relationship with DC Black Pride and that he’d continue to look for ways to foster partnerships.”
Peter Rosenstein, LGBTQ activist, planning committee member, Equality March for Unity and Pride. “Yes, DC Black Pride is still needed as a safe place for black LGBTQ people to come together and celebrate. It’s important that all voices are heard. On June 11, everyone needs to come together for the Equality March and resist — be unified to support and protect full civil rights for everyone – leaving no one behind.”
Abdur-Rahim Briggs, president and CEO, Project Briggs. “Yes, we still need Black Prides because of racism in the gay community. I do not see Capital Pride reaching into the black community.” Briggs does participate in Capital Pride. He has judged floats in the past and loves to march in the Pride Parade. He commented, “I would like to see more whites participate in Black Pride to build more bridges.” He’d also like to see more corporate funding to support Black Pride but he is wary of corporate control.
Ernest Hopkins, co-founder of D.C. Black Pride, legislative director, San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Yes — “Answer the question with a question, What is DC Black Pride to you? It still raises money to combat HIV/AIDS. It still provides a safe space, builds community and annual events that focus on black LGBTQ issues. The question answers itself — Yes!” Hopkins added, “There is one misconception that I must clear up. DC Black Pride was never a response or an alternative to Capital Pride. The original, Black and Lesbian Gay Pride Day, was established as a tool to sensitize the black gay community to the problems we were having with HIV/AIDS. Our friends were getting sick and needed money for rent, food and burial expenses.”
Chuck Hicks, community organizer, LGBTQ leader and historian. “Yes — Absolutely. The first Black Pride was held in D.C. as a fundraiser to help people struggling with HIV/AIDS. Welmore Cook took a leave of absence from Best Friends of DC Inc. to form the first black gay HIV/AIDS organization in DC to combat the disease. The Black Lesbian and Gay Pride Day Inc. eventually became DC Black Pride. Memorial Day weekend was chosen in homage to The Children’s Hour celebrations held at D.C.’s Club House. Black Prides became an expression of our lifestyle and culture that has spread worldwide. This wonderful result was completely unplanned. Black Prides also give black LGBTQ artists and entrepreneurs an opportunity to prosper.”
David Bruinooge, founder, Equality March for Unity and Pride. “Yes, people should celebrate anyway they want. So yes. Communities can come together in many different ways. The various Prides celebrate their unique identities. Communities should come together to celebrate their uniqueness and see themselves.” Asked what motivated his interest in the Equality March, he said, “It is even better when we can all come together and celebrate together. The Equality March centers the margins to highlight those that have been forgotten and neglected. More people must be educated to support [LGBTQ] people who live in the margins. We need to mobilize our community and allies and rally behind the voiceless and poor. It is time that those issues are centered. We need to stand together as one.”
Earl Fowlkes, executive director, Center for Black Equity. “Yes, Black Prides are annual events driven by attendance. If they were not relevant, no one would come. Our Prides provide an opportunity to celebrate being black and LGBTQ — a duality that has to be addressed and acknowledged. Black Prides have workshops, poetry slams, plays and visual arts. Black Prides are also social. Social media doesn’t replace socializing face-to-face. The big parties are important too as we lose black bars and clubs.”
The Center for Black Equity supports 32 member Black Prides that include major cities across the U.S., DC Black Pride and London. “I’m encouraging the other Black Prides to come to support the Equality March. All hands on deck.” Fowlkes is an Equality March honorary co-chair and he also feels that the march is important and must not fail due to lack of local support.
Earl Fowlkes (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Khadijah Tribble, Ground Game, organizer, Equality March for Unity and Pride. “Yes, we need safe spaces and we need to be visible. We need DC Black Pride as long as we have people who are challenged about coming out and need resources. DC Black Pride has social as well as political consciousness and focus. Local D.C. politicians find some way to connect to DC Black Pride.” Tribble said she would like to see DC Black Pride workshops put more focus on “building, and rebuilding organizations, to create pipelines for new leaders, activists and entrepreneurs.” She would also like to see, “a method to pass national-level issues identified by Black Pride organizations to the DNC and Congressional Black Caucus for resolution.
Khadijah Tribble (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Devin Barrington Ward, president, Impulse Group DC. “Yes, we need Black Prides now more than ever. As DC and the country change, it is more important than ever to have spaces created by and for black people to contribute to Chocolate City. DC is changing and gentrification is a fact not just a discussion. It’s harder for black folks to have black spaces, which is so important.” Asked if DC Black Pride was missing anything for younger people, he said, “As the president of Impulse group DC, I have the luxury and responsibility to create the things that are missing.” Ward recognizes his privilege as a cis-gender black queer man. “Trans people will think differently. Our spaces will always be inclusive of trans and gender nonconforming folks.” Impulse Group’s mission is to educate gay, bisexual and queer men about HIV.
Whitman-Walker Health has announced Devin Barrington Ward will become its new communications director. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Dr. Ron Simmons, executive director emeritus, Us Helping Us. “Yes, the initial purpose of DC Black Pride was to raise money for HIV/AIDS organizations. Black gay men and lesbians need to be affirmed and see themselves as part of empowerment. You don’t see yourself at white pride. The events they have may not be what you need. It is like the difference between going to a white club and a black club.” Asked about the Equality March, he replied, “I think people must participate in the national march. We must be seen as part of the national community. As a young person, going to the gay march showed me I was not alone. Everyone should actually march and go to the rally.”
Ron Simmons (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Jamil Fletcher, publisher, SWERV Magazine. “Yes, we still need to celebrate Black LGBTQ Pride. We actually need it now more than ever given the state of the world today. At the root, Black Prides are about building community. A community that is empowered, healthy, financially strong, educated, and vibrant. Those of us living at this unique intersection of being black and queer know too well the challenges within our community. Pride affords us an opportunity to come together in a way that embraces all of our identities without condition.”
It was a unanimous, resounding “yes,” we still need DC Black Pride for the health and vitality of black LGBTQ communities. As the White House submits its budget to Congress this week, it’s clear that health and social services programs are being reduced to levels that threaten LGBTQ communities, particularly those already living in the margins. Moreover, several states are pushing anti-LGBTQ legislation, bringing a renewed sense of urgency to both Black Pride and the upcoming Equality March for Unity and Pride
Marvin Bowser is a lifestyle blogger and Blade contributor. Follow him on Instagram @FirstBroDC.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
a&e features
New book celebrates 1970s dance music icons
‘A Night at the Disco’ features interviews with Donna Summer, Debbie Harry, more
If you’re a fan of 1970s-era dance music, don’t miss the irresistible new book by Christian John Wikane and Alice Harris, “A Night at the Disco,” which revisits more than 90 interviews conducted with some of the biggest names in pop culture.
“A Night at the Disco” (ACC Art Books) was published on March 24, and distributed by Simon & Schuster. It celebrates more than 100 artists who sparked a phenomenon in dance music from 1970-1979 and features excerpts from interviews with everyone from Donna Summer to Debbie Harry.
Lost City Books (2467 18th St., N.W.) will welcome author Christian John Wikane for a book signing and conversation about “A Night at the Disco” on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m. Details at lostcitybookstore.com. Bird in Hand Coffee & Books in Baltimore (11 E. 33rd St.) )will also host a Q&A with the author on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Details at theivybookshop.com.
Below is an excerpt from “A Night at the Disco.”
“I’ll let in anyone who looks like they’ll make things fun.” Steve Rubell is guiding a New York Times reporter through Studio 54 as resident DJ Richie Kaczor dazzles the crowd with records by CHIC, Odyssey, and T-Connection. “Disco, that’s where the happy people go,” The Trammps sing as dancers spin and twirl underneath tubes of flashing lights. Seven months since Rubell and co-owner Ian Schrager opened Studio 54 in April 1977, it’s welcomed untold numbers of “happy people” … at least those lucky enough to pass through the doors.
“We were part of the chosen few,” says André De Shields, who immortalized the title role in The Wiz on Broadway at the time. “We could show up at Studio 54 and the doorman at the velvet stanchion would look over everyone and point to us from The Wiz to come in, that kind of thing.” As the lead vocalist in the GRAMMY-nominated Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, whose debut modernized big band sophistication for the discothèques, Cory Daye had carte blanche in the club. “The energy was like a New Year’s Eve party every night,” she says. “I would go up to the mezzanine and watch the mechanical light pillars go up and down, metallic confetti falling from the ceiling, the spoon and the moon. I was so fascinated and enamored by it.
“When a certain song came on, the people would just rush to the dance floor. There was no contact dancing — the hustle was pretty much on its way out — but it was just an amazing experience to see all the cultures together. It was a fusion of cultures, which described my life and my band, so I was right at home there.”
“Studio 54 was the place,” adds Linda Clifford. “Crazy parties. If you could think it, you would see it. It was like a circus. Just an amazing place to be. I worked 54 so many times. It was like a second home to me. The people there treated me so well. The crowd always seemed to enjoy my show. I always had a good time with them. That was the most important thing: making sure that they had fun.”
Well before Studio 54 opened, disco had become a business juggernaut. “A four billion dollar market and still growing,” Billboard announced in February 1977, with dance music offering more variety than ever. “There is no longer a single, readily identifiable disco beat, but a kaleidoscope of sounds that are melodic and danceable,” Tom Moulton told the magazine. In the clubs, records by veteran artists like Stevie Wonder and the Bee Gees were mixed in with a range of new acts like Grace Jones, Boney M., and The Ritchie Family, while everyone from ABBA to Marvin Gaye scored number one pop hits with songs that had club-centric storylines.
Beyond the charts, disco itself remained as idiosyncratic as ever, especially on several productions by Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis, whose studio creations, El Coco (“Let’s Get It Together,” “Cocomotion”) and Le Pamplemousse (“Le Spank”), joined their own “Lust” from Seven Deadly Sins (1977) among the most tantalizing releases on AVI Records. Rinder & Lewis also produced acts for the newly hatched Butterfly Records in Los Angeles, where Saint Tropez (“On a Rien à Perdre”) and Tuxedo Junction (“Moonlight Serenade”) reflected the duo’s high gloss sound, spanning everything from European sophistication to a more literal translation of the ’40s sensibilities popularized by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band.
12-inch singles had also grown as the preferred format to approximate the club music experience at home. Nearly a year after Atlantic Records introduced its series of promotional 12-inch singles for DJs, New York-based Salsoul Records released the industry’s first commercially available 12-inch single, “Ten Percent” by Double Exposure, in May 1976. A year later, T.K. Records was the first label to certify a gold record for a 12-inch single when Peter Brown’s “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me” tallied one million sales.— Christian John Wikane
(From “A Night at the Disco” by Alice Harris & Christian John Wikane. Published by ACC Art Books.)
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