Pride is here. Photos from 2012. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
As of last night, Capital Pride Week is officially underway in DC. The opening events on Wednesday included the 2nd Annual Jewish Pride Happy Hour and the Heroes Gala, an annual event honoring those that have “helped to enrich the community and reflect the values and mission of Capital Pride.”
But don’t worry in case you missed out on these events. From now through June 9, there will be plenty of parties, town hall meetings, games and much more. And that’s all before the big events of the Pride Parade on the 8th and the Closing Party on the 9th. Open to any and all, for those within the LGBT community and/or those that support the LGBT community, Capital Pride Week is a great way to connect with your neighbors and neighborhood.
A Brief History of Pride Week
Capital Pride Week has existed in DC in one form or another for the past 38 years. In 1975, Deacon Maccubbin organized the first event, which was essentially a one-day block party and was held on 20th Street. Since then, the event has steadily grown to the point where instead of being organized by one individual, it’s now run by Capital Pride Alliance, Inc. Instead of being contained to one day and one city block, Pride Week now stretches close to two weeks with events taking place all around DC.
Volunteer or Stay Informed
If you enjoy celebrating and want to get more hands-on with making sure everything goes according to plan at Pride Week, it’s not too late to volunteer. Just head over to the registration page and become one of the many people that make this annual event run so smoothly.
Or, if you would simply like to be kept aware of any news or updates, register with your email address to stay informed. The full list of events can also be found here.
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By Michelle Lancaster. You can follow her and let her know your news on Twitter @MichLancaster. Email her at michellel[AT]borderstan.com.
Borderstan.com covers DC's Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.
On Tuesday morning, a call in California led to the evacuation of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) building at 1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, as well as 1325 Rhode Island Avenue NW. The call was “of an unknown origin” and answered by a California police department.
Huffington Post reports the call warned of an attack on a major gay rights organization, which prompted evacuations at HRC and the Massachusetts Avenue building, which houses several LGBT organizations. Lou Chibbaro at the Washington Blade has more details, noting that employees “working for at least 11 national LGBT organizations in Washington evacuated the two buildings in which they are housed late Tuesday morning.”
With same-sex marriage in the news of late — following North Carolina’s vote and President Barack Obama’s subsequent endorsement of gay marriage — it’s sad to say that threats and scares like this may continue.
The Capital Pride Parade is coming up (June 9, mark those calendars) and I encourage you all to stand up against the hatred that fuels scares like this. A police search indicated it was just that, a scare, after a thorough search of the building.
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Frank Kameny spoke at the 2010 17th Street Festival. The 1700 block of the street from Q to R is co-named Frank Kameny Way. He passed away Wednesday. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Michelle Lancaster. Follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster or email her at [email protected].
LGBT Rights Leader Frank Kameny Passes
Frank Kameny was an inspirational leader and a force for human rights, who we sadly lost on Wednesday, October 12. His initial protest of his firing from the US Army Map Service due to his sexual orientation sparked a lawsuit that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. He became the first openly gay candidate for Congress in 1971 and made history as the first openly gay member of the DC Human Rights Commission.
Kameny also led the protests against the American Psychiatric Association’s classification of homosexuality as a mental illness. For more on his inspirational life, check out this piece in Care2.com or this memorial in the Washington Blade. In June 2010 1700 block of 17th Street NW here in the neighborhood (from Q to R Streets) was co-named Frank Kameny Way.
DC9 to be Sued by Mohammed’s Family
As expected, the family of Ali Mohammed will file a civil suit against nightclub/bar DC9, the site of Mohammed’s death last year. Washington City Paper reports that family and friends will gather outside the venue to announce the multiple claims in the suit. You may recall that while ruled a homicide, the DC Medical Examiner did not determine the cause of death was due to the alleged beating by employees but from ‘excited delirium’. We’ll keep you posted on the suit, the vigil and all other information related to this ongoing story.
Emotionally Charged… Medians?
Apparently, Connecticut Avenue NW and its medians are a hot topic these days. The block between K and L Streets NW is home to the first phase of median beautification, and now TBD has a piece on the most ’emotionally charged median’ on Connecticut Ave. between R and S Streets NW. What makes it so charged? The lack of ability for stores to hang Christmas lights, the magnolia trees, the state of the masonry — the list is seemingly endless. That long median inspires some emotions in this pedestrian, as well, namely that is is a pain to have to go up and over or around. Yep, I’m that lazy, deal with it.
More on the Lincoln Theatre
It’s not news, but Robert Bettmann, chair of DC Advocates for the Arts, took to Huffington Post to make the case for keeping the Lincoln open. Its financial woes have not been helped by city funds drying up, hence Bettmann’s call for additional funding for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The ‘trickle up effect’ he describes comes from less funds given to smaller arts organizations that would rent the theatre, so they lose rental revenue as well as their original funding source. It’s a heated issue, and there is much history at stake. That said, the money has to come from somewhere, and there are not a lot of areas in the city budget that are fat enough to borrow from these days.
How to Handle Lines at Estadio
I guess the prize bit of wisdom in the piece is ‘deal with it.’ That, or ‘get a buzz at the bar while you wait’, which is really just good common sense. At any rate, Eater DC has a long sit down with GM Justin Guthrie, the manager at Estadio, to assess his take on the lines. Don’t offer him money, woo him with George Brett and Royals trivia and don’t ask if Dolly Parton actually ate there are some salient points. Or head out to Two Amy’s or 75 in Arlington, Guthrie’s go-to’s, if you get tired of waiting.
Feminist Ryan Gosling
Damn, this was a depressing SYMHM for a Friday. So here’s the most important thing you may have missed this week — an effing hilarious and delicious looking collection of photos of Ryan Gosling discussing feminist scholars. Why? I have no idea, but I do know it will be an enjoyable expenditure of your 4:30 to 5 pm time at work on a Friday, or hungover morning reading. You are WELCOME.
Find our ad in this year’s Capital Pride Guide. (Ad by Six-Five Design Group)
The theme of the 2011 Capital Pride celebration is “Celebration and Opportunity: Paving the Way,” created in recognition of the many pioneers who fought for LGBT rights over the previous decades. Borderstan.com is proud to be among this year’s sponsors.
You can find the entire list of Pride events on the Capital Pride website calendar. What follows are some highlights, with a special emphasis on events in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area. Dupont, and increasingly Logan, is the heart of the D.C. LGBT community, so many of the events are close to home.
Remember to check event details for cover charges, ticket prices and ticket availability.
Two big events: The parade is Saturday, June 11 at 5:30 pm, starting at Dupont Circle and winding its way to Thomas Circle NW (check out Luis’ photos from the 2010 parade). The festival on Pennsylvania Avenue is Sunday, June 12 at 11 am. DJ Tony Moran will DJing on stage at Capital Pride Sunday June 12 to premiere the title track of his new album “Magic” with legendary singer Jennifer Holliday.
Taste of Pride runs June 6 through 12. There are seven establishments here in the neighborhood — Cafe Saint-Ex, Floriana, Hank’s Oyster Bar, Level One, Local 16, Policy and Tabaq. Check the Taste site for details — when you eat at one of the participating restaurants a donation will be made to Captial Pride.
Also, keep an eye out for our Breaking News section on the landing page — we will be highlighting Pride events of the day.
Below the fold: Events listed by day.
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Click on the collage for the slide show: Board members, volunteers and staff of Capital Pride 2011 got together for brunch at Local 16 on May 22. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Matty Rhoades and Luis Gomez
“Paving the Way” is the theme of the 36th Annual Capital Pride, which is the celebration of D.C.’s lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Appropriately themed “Celebration and Opportunity: Paving the Way,” it recognizes the pioneers who have fought for LGBT rights over the years.
The 12 days of Pride begin June 1, and run through the festival on Sunday, June 12.
The Dupont Circle neighborhood has long been considered the center of the gay community in D.C. and Borderstan.com is proud to be among this year’s sponsors. We will cover a number of Pride events, including the June 11 parade (from what better perspective than inside the parade itself!) and the June 12 festival.
Two big events: The parade begins Saturday, June 11 at 5:30 pm at Dupont Circle and winds its way to Thomas Circle NW. The festival on Pennsylvania Avenue is Sunday, June 12 at 11 am. Check out Luis’ photos from the 2010 parade.
Dog lovers that we are here, it should come as no surprise that we will also cover the 18th Annual Pride of Pets Fun Dog Show, which benefits PETS-DC; this year’s dog show in Dupont Circle is Saturday, June 18, at 4 pm.
You can find the entire list of Pride events at the Capital Pride website calendar. Dupont, and increasingly Logan, are the heart of the LGBT community in D.C. We created a list for you of events close to home in the Borderstan area. Also, keep an eye out for our Breaking News section on the landing page — we will be highlighting Pride events of the day.
Happy Pride!
