Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Feb. 24
Parties, concerts, meetings and more through March 1
The Washington National Opera presents ‘Così fan tutte’ at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (Photo by Richard H. Smith for the Royal Opera House, courtesy Kennedy Center)
TODAY (Friday)
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) is hosting a community conversation on the National Strategy for Black Gay Youth tonight at 6:30 p.m. with featured guests Frank Walker and Ezra Littleton from Youth Pride Services.
Busboys & Poets will be hosting ASL open mic poetry tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston Room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). Anyone with sign language knowledge may sign up to recite a poem or sign a song by e-mailing [email protected]. There is a $5 cover.
D.C. Women4Women presents “Tryst,” a monthly professional lesbian happy hour at its new location, Topaz Bar (1733 N St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 10 p.m.
Fab Lounge (1805 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) presents “Honey, I Shrunk the Queers!” tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. featuring music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. All attendees to this free event must be 21 or older.
Phase 1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St., N.W.) presents “Talkin’ Bout’ Dub,” a queer dubstep night featuring DJ Encryption from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Attendees must be 21 and older and there is a $10 cover.
DJ Chad Jack will be spinning at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after. Attendees must be 21 or older. Doors open at 10 p.m.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) is having a military party tonight with DJ Sean Morris on the main floor and DJ Keenan Orr in the 30degrees lounge. Doors open at 10 p.m. and the open vodka bar starts at 11.
Saturday, Feb. 25
SpeakeasyDC is performing as part of Intersections tonight at the Sprenger Theater at Atlas (1333 H St., N.E.) from 7 to 9:30 p.m. SpeakeasyDC will be exploring the impact of queer culture featuring Regie Cabico, Andrew Korfhage, Natalie E. Illum and Sandra Faria.
Irish music ensemble Cherish the Girls plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available online at wolftrap.org.
Tom From Prague brings “Tainted Love: An International ‘80s Dance Party” to Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. There is a $5 cover.
“Several Species: The Pink Floyd Experience” is at Rams Head Live (20 Market Place, Baltimore) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advanced, $25 day of show and can be purchased online at ramsheadlive.com.
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Hellmouth Happy Hour where every week an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will be screened and drink specials will be offered. This week the episode is “Consequences.”
The Duke D.C. LGBT Network is hosting a networking social at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) today at noon as the Blue Devils take on Virginia Tech.
Sunday, Feb. 26
Busboys & Poets presents “Mature Voices,” an open mic for performers 55 and older, hosted by Saleem Wayne Waters tonight in the Zinn room of its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104) at 6 p.m. There is a $5 cover. For more information, visit busboysandpoets.com.
The Washington Ballet honoring choreographer Twyla Tharp is at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m., in a program showcasing her work spanning two decades. It will include performance of Tharp’s “Nine Sinatra Songs,” “Push Comes to Shove” and “Surfer at the Styx River.” Tickets range from $20 to $125 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike, Boonsboro) presents Saving Grace with the Draghetti Sisters, starring Araya Sparxx, Dannica Lauder and Jayden Elyse with special guest performances by Nicole James and Chi Chi Ray Colby at 6:45 p.m. followed by karaoke from 8 p.m to close. Doors open at 6 p.m. There is no cover.
Monday, Feb. 27
Out singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick plays Jammi’ Java (227 Maple Ave., E Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online atjamminjava.com.
Tuesday, Feb. 28
GLAA is having a membership meeting tonight in the second floor community room at the Reeves Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Lace Lounge (2214 Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) presents “Meet the Chef Tuesdays” tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. with Chef Raymond. There will be cooking tips, recipes, food samples and live demonstrations.
The Washington National Opera presents “Così fan tutte” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7:30 p.m. The show follows two friends as they make a bet about their fiancées fidelity. The opera is performed in Italian with English supertitles. Tickets range from $25 to $300 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Wednesday, Feb. 29
Singer/songwriter Lauryn Hill plays Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $150 and can be purchased online atlivenation.com.
Grammy-winning band Buckwheat Zydeco plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 and available online at wolftrap.org.
Busboys & Poets’s monthly book club is meeting tonight at its Shirlington location (4251 S. Campbell Ave., Arlington) at 7 p.m. to discuss the book “The Change I Believe In: Fighting for Progress in the Age of Obama” by Katrina vanden Heuvel. The book will be available for purchased in the Global Exchange store.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., SE — across from Marine Barracks) for duplicate bridge. No reservations needed; newcomers welcome. Visit lambdabridge.com if you need a partner.
Thursday, March 1
Gregory Lawson of Morgan Stanley Smith will be presenting a seminar in wealth planning for LGBT couples at the MAA Carriage House (1781 Church St., N.W.) tonight starting at 6:30 p.m. with a reception. Space is limited so attendees are asked to RSVP to [email protected].
SAGE Metro D.C. is having a steering committee meeting today at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at 12:30 p.m. The center is also is hosting a transmen discussion group tonight at 7 p.m.
D.C. Lambda Squares, a local gay square dancing group, is having its annual meeting tonight as well as its weekly club night with mainstream and plus dancing at the National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The 13th annual Frederick Pride Festival was held at Carroll Creek Park in Frederick, Md. on Saturday, June 27.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Photos
PHOTOS: Fredericksburg Pride March and Festival
LGBTQ celebration held in historic Virginia town
The sixth annual Fredericksburg Pride March was held in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, June 27. Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chair Deuntay Diggs led the march alongside Fredericksburg City Council Member Jannan W. Holmes. The Fredericksburg Pride Festival took place at Riverfront Park after the march. Bree Fram was the featured speaker.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Iran and Egypt on Friday faced off during the World Cup’s “Pride Match” in Seattle.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death. Discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity is commonplace in Egypt.
Friday’s match coincided with Pride weekend in Seattle. The Egyptian Football Association and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran both objected to playing in the “Pride Match.”
Egypt and Iran tied 1-1.
FIFA, for its part, allowed Pride flags inside the stadium during the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events. General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”
Human Rights Watch welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow Pride flags inside the stadium. Outright International, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, distributed Pride flags in Seattle on Friday, which was Pride Match Day.
“Visibility matters,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this year told Die Weltwoche, a Swiss magazine, that “there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup.”
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city,” said Infantino. “But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
Peter Tatchell, a long-time LGBTQ activist from the U.K. who is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was among those who traveled to Seattle for Friday’s match. Tatchell accused FIFA of not vetting World Cup teams — specifically Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Algeria — over whether they would allow gay players.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility in the stands while failing to protect LGBT+ players on the pitch,” said Tatchell.
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