Happy Pride! The first weekend of June is upon us, and it features plenty of Pride Month events. So don’t wait to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Do it now. Do it every day. 

The annual Capital Pride parade is June 12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dyke March is TBD. But the group’s Instagram page says to “hold tight” because information is forthcoming.

Thanks to COVID-19 vaccinations and new government rules, Pride looks a lot different this year. We can actually celebrate face-to-face! (For those not fully vaccinated, mask up and social distance.) There are still plenty of virtual events if you are not yet comfortable in crowds. Check out this month’s programming: 

June 4-5: The Wig Party (in-person) 

Curated by Pussy Noir, Don Burke, and JaxKnife Complex, Millennium Stage Summer at the Kennedy Center’s REACH is hosting a festival celebrating D.C.’s legendary drag community. There will be arts markets, DJ sets, drag yoga and Zumba, and a voguing class. 

June 4-27: DC’s Royals / a Dupont Underground exhibit on drag history (in-person) 

The Washington Blade and Dupont Underground are showcasing a new exhibit on the history and power of drag in D.C. and around the country, with nighttime live drag shows in the space. 

Thursdays: Pride movie nights at Red Bear Brewing Co. (in-person) 

Every Thursday in June, Red Bear Brewing Co. is hosting Pride screenings. This is a free event. No reservations needed. In the coming weeks, the Northeast bar/restaurant is featuring The Wizard of Oz, Transamerica, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.  

Weekends: Stay Alive to Life! exhibition at The Corner at Whitman-Walker (in-person)

At The Corner, Whitman-Walker is displaying a new exhibition titled Stay Alive to Life! that explores the political, social, and cultural concerns of the LGBTQ+ community from the coronavirus pandemic. There will be conversations and performances throughout the month of June. 

June 5: Casey McQuiston talks One Last Stop at Politics and Prose (virtual)

Politics and Prose is hosting a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston. She’ll be discussing One Last Stop with Talia Hibbert. The Cut says the romcom novel, in which a lifelong loner crushes on a butch bombshell, will remind readers “what it feels like to be alive.” 

June 11: Kristen Arnett talks With Teeth at Loyalty (virtual) 

Loyalty Bookstore is hosting a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Kristen Arnett about her highly anticipated book, With Teeth. Vogue says the book is a “beautiful, startling demystification of queer family.” Donations from the event will go to Zebra Coalition, which provides services to LGBTQ+ youth. 

June 11: Black Pride Pool Party (in-person)

DC Black Pride and VIDA Fitness are hosting an evening sunset pool party. There will be DJ sets, cocktails, and some amazing views. 

June 12: Pride Parade, ZooLights-style (in-person) 

From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a pridemobile trolly and an accompanying train of decorated cars will travel around the city in select neighborhoods, including in Dupont Circle and Logan Circle. 

June 12: Gay Men’s Chorus performs (in-person)

The Gay Men’s’ Chorus of Washington, which is celebrating its 40th year, is performing on the steps of National City Christian Church. A local bluegrass band will conclude the performance. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit in Thomas Circle and listen to music. 

June 12: Help the Blade (virtual) 

The Washington Blade is looking to digitize issues. Help the oldest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the U.S. add more issues to its digital collection from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

To June 12-13: Queering Sound 2021 / an exhibit at RhizomeDC (in-person)

RhizomeDC in Takoma is hosting a new exhibit called Queering Sound 2021, which includes visual and multimedia artists, along with two outdoor in-person performance events and one streaming performance and video art event. 

June 14: Rainbow Warriors / A 100-Year History of Womxn Activists (virtual)

Using documents through The Library of Congress and Lesbian Herstory Archives, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System is offering a history lesson in fierce activism centering around LGBTQ+ womxn.  

June 15: Interfaith Panel on Pride (virtual) 

Still We Gather! Center Faith is an interfaith panel discussion on “our losses, finding ways to cope, finding sources of hope, and taking action to respond to needs and build resilience.” The conversation features Rev. Elder Robert Michael Vanzant of Faith Temple, Nabeel Kirmani of Muslims for Progressive Values, and Jonah Richmond of Adas Israel, along with others. 

City Lights has you covered with evergreen content. So educate yourself on local queer history not often taught in schools—read about the radical lesbian commune in Capitol Hill, or explore D.C.’s gay geography. 

—Amanda Michelle Gomez and Emma Sarappo (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• The only coronavirus metric in the red, at Phase 0/1 levels, is positive cases interviewed by contract tracers. This metric has dipped in and out of the red since mid-April. To see today’s coronavirus cases and more information, visit our coronavirus dashboard. [EOM]
• Mayor Bowser nominates a Philadelphia school official who oversaw charters to be the next superintendent of education. [Post]
• Casa Ruby files a complaint against the DC Department of Human Services for allegedly ignoring and failing to stop a high-level official from engaging in anti-transgender discrimination and retaliation against the organization. [Blade]
• A 13-year-old girl pleads guilty to second-degree murder in fatal carjacking that killed Uber Eats driver, Mohammad Anwar. [WTOP]

By Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)