Best Art Gallery

Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

1661 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

renwick.americanart.si.edu

Runner-up: The Phillips Collection

Best Adult Store

Bite the Fruit

1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

bitethefruit.com

Runner-up: Trick Box

Best Car Dealership

BMW of Fairfax

8427 Lee Highway, Fairfax

Runner-up: Audi of Tysons

Best Apartment/Condo Building

Atlantic Plumbing

2112 8th St., N.W.

Runner-up: The Shay

Best Doctor/Medical Provider

Ray Martins, Whitman-Walker Health

Runner-up: Dr. Robyn Zeiger

Best Fitness or Workout Spot

VIDA Fitness

1517 15th St., N.W.

1612 U St., N.W.

999 9th St., N.W.

vidafitness.com

(A perennial favorite in this category)

Runner-up: YMCA

Best Gayborhood

Shaw

Runner-up: Logan Circle

Best Hardware Store

Logan Hardware

Logan Hardware

1734 14th St., N.W.

acehardwaredc.com

Runner-up: Annie’s Ace Hardware

Best Home Furnishings

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

1526 14th St., N.W.

mgbwhome.com

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is featured on the 2016 Best of Gay DC cover.

Runner-up: Room & Board

Best Home Improvement Service

The Organizing Agency

811 4th St., N.W., Suite1013

theorganizingagency.com

(Winner of last year’s Best LGBT-owned Business award)

Runner-up: Hourly Husbands

Best Hotel

The W

515 15th St., N.W.

wwashingtondc.com

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: Donovan House

Best House of Worship

Empowerment Liberation Cathedral

633 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring

240-720-7605

empowermentliberationcathedral.org

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: All Souls Unitarian

Best Lawyer

Peter Glazer

The Glazer Law Firm

Business attorney

glazerlawfirm.com

Runner-up: Amy Nelson

Best LGBT Social Group

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington

Runner-up: D.C. Rawhides

Best LGBT Support Group

SMYAL

Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders

410 7th St., S.E.

smyal.org

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: HIPS

Best LGBT Sports League

D.C. Rollergirls

Runner-up: Stonewall Kickball

Teammates on D.C. Rollergirls say the league feels like family.

Founded in 2006, D.C. Rollergirls is centered around the group’s love for roller derby. In addition to games, the team also prides itself on contributing to community service with organizations that promote female empowerment, physical fitness and awareness of issues women, children and families face in the D.C. area.

League president Dawn Sherman, also known by her team nickname Aurora Borey All-Ass, says what makes the team stand out is the diversity of its members.

“We have women from all different walks of life,” Sherman says. “We are an inclusive environment so we have cis-gender women and we are very open to LGBT women. The fact that we all come together for this crazy common sport that we love just makes it amazing.”

Women of all skill levels are welcome on the team especially beginners. JaeLee Waldschmidt, nicknamed Switch Please, says she stepped into the world of roller derby after a friend invited her to a match.

Waldschmidt admits she was clueless and outside her comfort zone.

“My friend was like, ‘You should come watch my team play.’ I was like, ‘Play what?’ ‘Roller derby,’” Waldschmidt says. “I was like, ‘What’s that?’ I watched one of their games and showed up to D.C. Armory like, ‘Where do I get in?’ and my friend was like, ‘The door. You go in through the door.’”

After attending roller derby boot camp Waldschmidt found herself competing on the team.

She encourages other women interested in trying something new to do the same. Try out sessions are open to anyone regardless of experience level. Each Sunday the team has a roller derby boot camp where anybody, with the appropriate safety gear, can learn the fundamentals of roller derby. The next try out date is Sunday, Oct. 23 at the DCRG Warehouse (5706 LaFayette Pl., Hyattsville, Md.) from 12:30-3:30 p.m. The team consists of about 40 players, including dozens of volunteers, beginner boot campers and retired derby members who still like to stay connected.

Another big part of being a D.C. Rollergirls team member is picking a nickname that suits you.

For Sherman the name was all about who she was as a person.

“I wanted to find something that kind of gave people a little glimpse into my life,” Sherman says. “My quirky sci-fi side. Kind of just being a general science geek and my physique. So my name is Aurora Borey All-Ass and that kind of encompasses all those things.”

Waldschmidt chose her name Switch Please, from the character Switch from “The Matrix.”

Feeling comfortable to share parts of themselves with their team is the best part about the league, Waldschmidt says.

“Being a trans woman, it’s kind of hard in this world trying to find a place that accepts you for who you are,” Waldschmidt says. “I mean there are pockets here and there but roller derby was like ‘Alright, cool.’ It was a really empowering opportunity to be authentic and not have to try to conform to people’s expectations of what a man or woman is, to be myself.” (Mariah Cooper)

Best LGBT-Owned Business

Capital Center for Psychotherapy and Wellness

1330 U St., N.W.

capitalpsychotherapy.com

Runner-up: Town, Number Nine and Trade

Most LGBT-Friendly Workplace

Human Rights Campaign

1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.

hrc.org

Runner-up: Whitman-Walker Health

Best Non-Profit

Whitman-Walker Health

whitman-walker.org

Runner-up: Capital Pride

Best Pet Business

Metro Mutts

508 H St., N.E.

metromuttsdc.com

Runner-up: City Dogs

Best Place to Buy Second-Hand Stuff

Miss Pixie’s Furnishings and Whatnot

1626 14th St., N.W.

misspixies.com

Runner-up: Buffalo Exchange

Best Place to Take the Kids

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

3001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

nationalzoo.si.edu

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Best Rehoboth Business

Blue Moon

35 Baltimore Ave.

Rehoboth Beach, Del.

bluemoonrehoboth.com

(Also won Best Rehoboth Bar)

Runner-up: Purple Parrot

Best Salon/Spa

Logan 14 Aveda Salon & Spa

1314 14th St., N.W.

logan14salonspa.com

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: Salon Quency

Best Reason to Go to Baltimore

National Aquarium

501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore

aqua.org

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Best Theater

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

2700 F St., N.W.

kennedy-center.org

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: Arena Stage

Best Theater Production

“Kinky Boots” (Kennedy Center)

Runner-up: “La Cage Aux Folles” (Signature Theatre)

Best Vet

CityPaws Animal Hospital

1823 14th St., N.W.

citypawsanimalhospital.com

(Second consecutive win in this category)

Runner-up: Union Veterinary Clinic

To see winners in other categories in the Washington Blade’s Best of Gay D.C. 2016 Awards, click here.