Arts & Entertainment
Baltimore arts briefs: March 23
AIDS Action hosts weekend brunch, new exhibit explores gender and more
Support groups span LGBT spectrum
The GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (241 West Chase St.) has several groups meeting this week.
On Saturday, Sufficient As I Am, a group for youth 24 and younger dealing with issues of sexuality, coming out, relationships, family and more, is meeting in room 201 at 12:30 p.m. The Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance, a support group for FTMs, meets in room 202 at 6 p.m. followed by Tran*quilility, a support group for MTFs at 8 p.m.
Men Like Me, a support group for adult males to discuss coming out, homophobia and more meets Monday in room 202 at 6 p.m.
POZ Men, an LGBT-affirming peer support group, meets Wednesday in room 202 at 6 p.m.
For more information on this groups, visit glccb.org.
New exhibit explores gender
The Maryland Institute College of Art is hosting an opening reception for one of its newest exhibits “The Outliers: Occupying the Spaces Between Genders,” which features photographs by alumni Elle Perez. It’s Monday in the main building’s main gallery (1300 W. Mount Royal Ave.) from 5 to 7 p.m.
Perez, recipient of the 2011 Meyer Photography Traveling Fellowship, explores the margins of gender expression and seeks to question the notion of gender.
The exhibit will be on display through April 4. For more information, visit MICA.edu.
A still from 'Jitters.' (Photo courtesy the filmmaker)
More Hippo fun this weekend
Club Hippo (1 West Eager St.) is hosting a variety of events as usual.
Tonight, the Ladies of LURe present “Lust” with DJ ROsie and the DystRuXion Dancers. There is a $5 cover before midnight which goes up to $7 afterward. Doors open at 10 p.m. All attendees must be 21 or older.
Saturday is the 2012 Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR, Leatherboy, Community Bootblack and Leather Woman contests for Chesapeake Leather Awareness Pride with DJ Brian Mongeon. Doors open at 1 p.m. and admission is $20. Also that night is Kuhmeleon’s Hit Parade at 10 p.m. featuring dance remixes of the hottest hits.
Wednesday is the weekly bingo game benefitting the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland. Attendees could win a copy of the new film, “Jitters.”
For more information, visit clubhippo.com.
AIDS Action has Sunday brunch planned
AIDS Action Baltimore is having its 25th anniversary awards brunch Sunday at the Four Seasons Baltimore (200 International Drive) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This year, special awards will be given to John G. Bartlett, M.D., Rev. Debra Hickman and Charlie Reid.
Tickets are $100 and available online at aidsactionbaltimore.org.
AIDS Action Baltimore raises money to support its own patient services programs and to advocate for more efficient and more effective treatment services and research programs for people with HIV as well as fair pricing for newly approved drugs and reasonable price increases for all HIV drugs.
It has also recently begun advocating for research, treatment and support services for people with hepatitis C.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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