This weekend is Capital Pride a festival which has been happening in one form or another in Washington since 1975. This brings with it plenty of events and activities for the whole DC community to get out and enjoy.
I asked my friend Shevonne, Editor in Chief of Where the Girls Go – a great blog for anybody, focusing on arts, culture, and life in DC with a queer bent – to give me her tips on parties, parades, and Pride.
On the parade: “A given is Dupont Circle. You have the Metro nearby, so you don’t have to worry about parking. Also, you have a great view of the parade while passing by. If you want to hear the comments from the broadcasters, then you want to be around 18th St and New Hampshire Ave. Another great spot is near the Judges/Review stand, located around 14th St and P St. You can analyze their facial expression while the parade passes by.”
On parties: “This weekend, the great parties that people should go to are [Friday], the BYT party at Newseum and Booty.Rex at Chief Ikes for sure. Booty.Rex is the Backdoor party + She.Rex party combined. It’s the queer rock’n’roll party that looks like a dump and feels like a speaker! [Saturday] night is an amazing event called Queering Sound at Artisphere – spoken word, live performances, etc. After, there is definitely a throw down at Phase 1, Girls Girls Girls is theme of the night. Plus the women’s closing pride party at Apex. Sunday night is DC King show at Phase1. The Pocket Gays have a special Sunday School event at Local 16. It’s mostly guys, but they’re all super hot and it’s fun. For the rest of the week, check out our event calendar”
On why this all matters: “The biggest take-away is that the community unite and embrace each other’s differences. There seems to be a lot of separation between the different groups, and I think that Capital Pride is a great time to remember that we have to unite, so that we can become a stronger LGBTQ community. It also helps other people who don’t identify as LGBTQ to realize that we are a fun crowd.”
Get out, party, show your support for, and have fun with your friends and neighbors this weekend – whoever you are. While out, be sure to pick up a copy of the new, print-edition WTGG magazine – and check WTGG out next week at Gold Leaf Studios when they host a screening of “Who Took the Bomp: Le Tigre on Tour.
’12 – Caroline Rhea’
courtesy of ‘Chris DiGiamo’
