District of Columbia
New LGBTQ bar Rush set to debut
14th & U picks up a queer lounge, dance spot with a tech focus
(UPDATE: Rush owners told the Blade they have postponed the opening of the new bar to Nov. 28.)
The LGBTQ nightlife hotbed at 14th and U is about to get another member. Rush, a bar years in the making, is set to open its doors next week.
Filling the hole left by Lost Society, Rush will be a tech-forward, two-story bar featuring fully integrated light and sound to deliver “an immersive experience,” according to owner Jackson Mosley.
Mosley began conceptualizing such a bar back in 2017. His career linking tech and hospitality stretches even further back, beginning his career at LivingSocial and Uber. And even before that, he moonlighted at Town during his college years, where he developed a passion for drag and LGBTQ nightlife.
Rush is this manifestation of both tech and nightlife coming to fruition, but it hasn’t been without setbacks. Mosley originally planned to open farther east, on 9th and U streets, but received pushback from the building in which it was supposed to be housed. “It was the universe telling me it wasn’t the right spot,” he says. Earlier this year, coming across the Lost Society vacancy, Mosley finally found his host. As the center of LGBTQ nightlife has shifted to 14th Street – as reinforced by this week’s Shakers shuttering – Mosley was eager to join the festive fray.
Rush is in the same building as Bunker, settling on the top two levels of the structure. Across a flexible, indoor-outdoor combination and 6.000 square feet, Rush entirely shakes up its two floors – “a real reimagining so that it feels entirely new,” he says, with new equipment and a new vision and a capacity of at least 300.
The lower floor leans into a lounge vibe. Relaxed seating and a huge bar dominate the area. It will feature a sound booth, furniture with built-in lighting, and plenty of places to chat.
Upstairs is the club, dance-forward space. It has a “proper drag stage,” Mosley says, one of the largest among fellow LGBTQ bars, at 7.5 feet deep by 22 feet wide. Set up for live performances and painted in matte black, this rooftop level can open the doors to the deck allowing the entire level to participate in performances.
Rush will also boast a full kitchen, distinct from many other LGBTQ bars. Set to start serving in a couple of months, it will serve a large menu of bar food and more, as well as a lively brunch on the rooftop.
“It’s long overdue to have a brunch with good food at a bar,” he says.
Mosley emphasizes sound and lighting as part of his tech focus. Dropping more than $150,000 on this multi-sensory experience, he realized his “life dream to build out a sound system I love,” he says. “Enough lighting to power Echostage,” he joked. Lasers, hazers, smoke machines, and CO2 cannons are just a few elements. “One piece lacking at a drag show has been integrated light and sound with the performers’ choreo,” he says, like when a queen performs a death drop, there should be a light and sound crescendo.
Rush also differentiates itself with its unique business model. All Rush employees are full-time exempt with benefits like healthcare and PTO. Mosley takes up the CEO position of his firm Momentux, which will operate Rush. Mosley envisions growth to open Rush locations in other cities along the same model. Patrons will swipe their credit cards at the door, reducing the number of swipes for bar staff (and reducing credit card fees), and wear wristbands to track purchases. The approach negates the need – and request – for tips. Service charges will only be levied when patrons don’t close their tabs. “I’m rethinking the role of staff, down to the barback,” he says.
As for what the staff will pour, Rush will slowly roll out an eclectic, cheeky signature cocktail list to be served beyond the usual vodka-sodas. Such drinks might include the “14th & Unhinged,” with tequila, mezcal, tamarind, and lime; the “Power Vers,” with gin, elderflower, lemon, and pink peppercorn foam; and the “Flight Attendant,” which comes with a spread based on the ever-popular in-flight cookie, Biscoff.
The bar’s opening is set for Friday, Nov. 28, with a promising lineup — popular DJ Sidekick, and a trio of local drag favorites: Cake Pop, Druex Sidora, and Mari Con Carne. A social media post promised “good energy, controlled chaos, and hot strangers.”
Rush, says Mosley, might be like “if Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga had a baby, plus drag queens,” he says.
District of Columbia
Campaign launched to elect more LGBTQ candidates to ANC seats
Capital Stonewall Democrats behind Queering ANCs effort
The Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.’s largest local LGBTQ political group, announced on July 7 it has launched a campaign to help elect large numbers of LGBTQ candidates to the city’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
The D.C. local government is believed to be unique among U.S. cities in currently having 46 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions consisting of 345 single-member districts in neighborhoods throughout the city in which unpaid Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners are elected for two-year terms.
The commissions are charged with considering a wide range of policies and programs impacting their neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and D.C.’s annual budget, according to the ANC website.
Although the ANCs do not have authority to set or reject policies or proposals, such as applications for liquor licenses, city agencies are required to give “great weight” to ANC recommendations, according to the law creating the ANCs.
Kent Boese, a gay former ANC commissioner, currently serves as executive director of the D.C. Office of ANCs.
“We are launching the most ambitious hyperlocal LGBTQ+ candidate pipeline initiative in the country,” said Stevie McCarty, the Capital Stonewall Democrats president, in a July 7 statement that announced the Queering ANCs campaign.
“As an ANC member, I know firsthand how these seats shape our neighborhoods, from housing and public safety to sanitation,” McCarty says in the statement. “I’m proud to lead this effort to ensure more LGBTQ+ Washingtonians see themselves as leaders in their communities,” he said.
The ANC Rainbow Caucus, which was created by LGBTQ ANC members, shows on its website that there are currently 38 caucus members consisting of elected LGBTQ ANC commissioners serving in the current 2025-2026 two-year term.
The website shows there are LGBTQ commissioners who are caucus members in each of the city’s eight wards, with six in Ward 1, eight in Ward 2, one in Ward 3, six in Ward 4, five in Ward 5, three in Ward 6, eight in Ward 7, and one in Ward 8.
The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately determine how many of them will be running for re-election in D.C.’s general election in November. But McCarty said Capital Stonewall Democrats hopes to recruit many more LGBTQ candidates to run for ANC seats.
The D.C. Board of Elections website shows the deadline for filing 25 required petition signatures to be placed on the ballot is Aug. 5.
A Queering ANCs website launched this week by Capital Stonewall Democrats provides details on how to run for an ANC seat and offers help for those interested in running.
“Think of someone in your building, neighborhood, friend group, community organization, or professional network who cares deeply about D.C. and would make a strong leader,” McCarty says in his statement. “Send them QueeringANCs.org and personally ask them to consider running,” he said.
The website can be accessed at QueeringANCs.org.
District of Columbia
Mary’s House founder, CEO retires
Dr. Imani Woody played leading role in opening DC’s first home for LGBTQ seniors
The board of directors for Mary’s House for Older Adults, DC’s first official home dedicated to providing affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors, announced on July 7 that its founding president and CEO, Dr. Imani Woody, has retired.
Woody, who holds a PhD in Human Services, is credited with playing a leading role over many years in arranging both city and private funding needed to construct and operate the Mary’s House three-story building located at 401 Anacostia Road, S.E., in the city’s Fort Dupont neighborhood.
The house, which opened in March 2025, with a grand opening ceremony held in May 2025, includes 15 single-occupancy residential units and more than 5,000 square feet of shared communal living space.
“It is with profound gratitude and hearts full of celebration that the board of directors of Mary’s House for Older Adults, DC (MHFOA) announces the retirement of our visionary founder, Dr. Imani Woody, from her role as president and CEO,” the Mary’s House board says in a statement.
“Dr. Woody’s journey with Mary’s House began with her vision and a kitchen table gathering of women with a bold, urgent, and loving vision: to create safe, affirming, affordable housing for LGBTQ/SGL older adults in Washington, DC,” the statement says.
It adds, “What started as a dream has grown into DC’s first affordable LGBTQ+/SGL affirming communal living space for adults 60 and over, a 15-room community residence at 401 Anacostia Road in Southeast Washington.”
The statement says Woody will continue to serve on Mary’s House board.
“The board will be sharing information about the leadership transition process in the coming weeks,” the statement continues. “We are committed to honoring Dr. Woody’s legacy by ensuring Mary’s House continues to thrive and grow in faithful service to LGBTQ/SGL elders experiencing housing insecurity and isolation.”
District of Columbia
SMYAL receives $25,000 award for ‘courageous acts’
D.C. group provides support services for LGBTQ youth
The D.C.-based organization SMYAL, which provides services for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced on June 30 that it received a $25,000 award for its “courageous acts” in support of the community it serves.
The award was a monetary grant from The Courage Project, which describes itself as a “national initiative investing in acts of courage and compassion that strengthens our communities and democracy.”
A statement on its website says it was launched in May 2025 and is funded and backed by leading national foundations in the U.S.
“At SMYAL, we are deeply grateful to receive support from The Courage Project and are inspired by their bold investment in LGBTQ+ youth at such a critical moment,” SMYAL CEO Erin Whelan said in a statement. “For queer and trans young people, simply showing up as themselves each day requires immense courage, and that courage is strengthened when organizations like The Courage Project stand behind them loudly, proudly, and without hesitation,” Whelan said.
In its statement announcing the award SMYAL says The Courage Project will recognize SMYAL and other awardees and their work on July 3 at the Washington National Cathedral as part of a special interfaith service marking the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery – the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level,” the project states on its website.
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