Connect with us

Arts & Entertainment

Queery: Angel McNatt

The She Scenes Entertainment co-founder answers 20 gay questions

Published

on

Angel McNatt (Blade photo by Michael Key)

She Scenes Entertainment is having its three-year anniversary party Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and co-founder Angel McNatt is excited about the event/clothing line company branching into new areas.

Saturday’s party, to be held at Argana (2147 P Street, N.W.), will feature performances by Lower Case Letters, DSCA and D-Ron and DDM. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door (visit sweetsceneent.com for details). McNatt expects a diverse crowd as Ashley Head, a local entrepreneur with Natural International talent Agency, is co-hosting. Another arm of McNatt’s company — Loverboi Apparel — is having the launch of a new T-shirt line called Cocky Edition that will be unveiled Saturday. And it’s just the start of what McNatt and co-owners Sharee Brown and Tia Gaymon hope will be a big year of expansion for the company. Though they’re all black lesbians, they hope the company is mor than that.

“We’re trying to diversify all the time,” McNatt says. “D.C. is so segregated. It’s like a subculture within a subculture and we’re trying to break that out so it’s not all black people. Saturday’s concert should be a good mixed crowd. With Ashley along, there’ll be lots of gay boys as well.”

McNatt works in property management by day — which she has been doing for years and still enjoys — but started She Scenes three years ago with Brown, her ex, and Gaymon, who has event planning background. Their first event — a fashion show at the Washington Convention Center — drew about 800 people according to McNatt and they felt they’d hit a nerve. Eventually they’d like to quit their day jobs and do She Scenes full time.

McNatt, 29,  grew up in Washington but now lives in Hyattsville, Md., and works in Bethesda. She graduated from American University and still has family here. She’s single and enjoys working out, reading and attending happy hour and nightlife events in her free time. She and her team are working on more fashion shows and are hoping to launch an LGBT swimwear line this year. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

I’ve been out for 13 years now and the hardest person to tell was my grandmother at that time. However, now she is totally accepting over it.

Who’s your LGBT hero?

Ellen Degeneres

What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? 

U Street, Dupont and Adam’s Morgan corridor.

Describe your dream wedding.

My dream wedding would be a destination wedding on the sand, on a beach. The attire would be extremely relaxed; white or tan linen, no shoes. Small ceremony of close friends, family and associates. Large reception, with open invitation plus one; live band, open bar and a sushi option is a must.

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?

World hunger and homelessness — it really doesn’t have to be this way.

What historical outcome would you change?

George Bush becoming president.

What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

The life and legacy of Michael Jackson. The impact that he had globally was and still is phenomenal.

On what do you insist?

I insist that the U.S. government has something to do with the 9-11 events. I’m not a radical, but come on people.

What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?

Picking out an outfit for my 3rd year anniversary on January 21, 2012 at Argana (formerly Pasha) at 2147 P street NW Washington, DC…Purchase online tickets at http://concertedition.eventbrite.com to enjoy the concert by Lowercase Letters, DDM and DSCA.”

If your life were a book, what would the title be?

“Life in the fast lane — What will slow me down?”

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?

I would leave the country and find a small island in the middle of nowhere to live on. A person’s sexual orientation is something they naturally have a connection with. Contrary what some may be believe, it’s not a choice; you are who you are and attempting to tamper with that changes who we are as people and what we “allegedly” stand for as a country.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world? 

I believe that an acquired sense and acknowledgement of spirituality is the ultimate key to success and self preservation.

What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?

The fight is never over as long as you continue to believe in what you’re supporting, your sincerity and efforts will always prevail ultimately paving the way for those who don’t have the courage to stand up for themselves.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

I would walk across hot coals for overall equality across the nation. I believe that the abolition of different classes (economic and social) would serve as a platform to end world hunger, crime, financial deficits and constraints.

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?

That women or men are gay because the opposite sex didn’t do their job.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie?

Spike Lee’s independent film “She Hate Me”

What’s the most overrated social custom?

I think that having to say excuse me when you burp or pass gas in so overrated, more so in American culture. Flatulence is natural and most people do it in their sleep.

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

All of my competitive trophies, which include basketball, football (yes I said football), soccer, basketball, track and even Bible Study. Among them all my Punt, Pass and Kick trophy is what I covet the most. It was the last year that they had both men and women completing against each other on a regional and national level. The competition is sponsored by the NFL and I was interviewed by the retired Charles Mann.

What do you wish you’d known at 18?

That life is too short and that what most people hold high or place value on really isn’t as important as family and friends. Although truly nice to have and lots of it, money can truly be the root of all evil.

Why Washington?

Why not? I was born and raised here. It’s the capitol of the United States; politically, economically and socially driven. The District has an incredible amount of accessibility to entertainment, museums, restaurants and economical stability (hey I can only speak for myself). Its thriving subculture seems to be ever changing.

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

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

Published

on

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.”

Continue Reading

Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

on

'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)

Continue Reading

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

on

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

Continue Reading

Popular