Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Nov. 23-29, 2018
Happy hours, support groups and the opening night of ‘The Laramie Project’ in the upcoming week


John Legend plays MGM National Harbor next week. (Photo courtesy MGM National Harbor)
Friday, Nov. 23
The D.C Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Woof: Happy Hour and Porn Star Bingo today from 5-11 p.m. Eddie Danger hosts Porn Star Bingo which will have prizes. There will be free pizza for the crowd at 7:30 p.m. Drink specials run until 11 p.m. No cover before 9:30 p.m. For more details, visit dceagle.com.
Gamma D.C., a support group for men in mixed-orientation relationships, meets at Luther Place Memorial Church (1226 Vermont Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The group is for men who are attracted to men but are currently, or were at one point, in relationshipa with women. For more information, visit gammaindc.org.
Women in Their 20s and 30s, a social discussion group for LBT and all women interested in women, meets tonight at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 8-9:30 p.m. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Saturday, Nov. 24
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts Small Business Saturday, a gathering of local LGBT businesses, today from noon-5 p.m. Local LGBT and LGBT-friendly small businesses will have their products and services for purchase. There will also be door prizes, music, snacks and more. There will also be a collection of winter coasts for D.C. Center clients in need. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) hosts All the Divas: a Dance Party with DJ lil’e tonight from 9:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. DJ lil’e will spin tracks by artists such as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Prince and more. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to rainn.org. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit 930.com.
Trade hosts an extended happy hour today from 2-10 p.m. Any drink usually served in a cocktail glass will be served in a large glass for the same price. Beer and wine drinks are $4. For more details, visit facebook.com/tradebardc.
The Glossary D.C. Support Group is at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from noon-2 p.m. The group is specifically for people of color who identify as masculine of center, non-binary or trans-masculine. Discussion will include family dynamics, cultural understanding and more. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Sunday, Nov. 25
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) has a drag brunch today with shows at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Drag entertainers will perform as Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Pink and more. Tickets are $41.91 and include an all-you-can-eat buffet and one mimosa or bloody Mary. For more details, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Monday, Nov. 26
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours for the senior LGBT community this morning from 10 a.m.-noon. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Tuesday, Nov. 27
The Gay Men’s Health Collaborative has free HIV testing and STI screening at the Alexandria Health Department (4480 King St., Alexandria, Va.) today from 5-6:30 p.m. For more details, text 571-214-9617 or email [email protected].
Overeaters Anonymous hosts a meeting specifically for LGBT individuals at St. George’s Episcopal Church (915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, Va.) tonight at 7 p.m. Newcomers welcome. For more information, call 703-521-1999 or email [email protected].
Wednesday, Nov. 28
John Legend brings his “A Legendary Christmas Tour” to MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.) tonight at 8 p.m. Legend will perform a mix of holiday favorites from his Christmas album of the same name.Tickets range from $111-208. For more details or to purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.
SMYAL hosts Overcoming LGBTQ Youth Homelessness: Resiliency and Hope at Verizon Technology and Policy Center (1300 I St., N.W.) today from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The panel discussion will feature youth who have experienced homelessness and are currently participating or have participated in SMYAL’s housing program. The program is held in honor of National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month to spotlight how almost half of homeless youth in D.C. identify as LGBT. Admission is free. For more information, visit smyal.org.
EntryPointDC hosts Hipster Hanukkah Holiday Market at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m. There will be musical performances, DIY activities, a hot chocolate bar and donuts. The program is aimed at people in their 20s and 30s. Entry is $6. For details, visit facebook.com/entrypointdc.
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) holds Foster Parent and Adoption Information Night tonight at 6:30 p.m. There will be presentations by LGBT foster parents and representatives of the Latin American Youth Center Child Placement Programs. All are welcome. RSVPs are encouraged. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Thursday, Nov. 29
Preservation Maryland hosts a free lecture on LGBTQ history in Maryland at Chase Brexton Health Services (1111 North Charles St., Baltimore, Md.) tonight from 6-8 p.m. Susan Ferentinos, Ph.D., author of the book”Interpreting LGBT History,” will lead the discussion on LGBT history and historic preservation efforts in Maryland and around the country. Guests can suggest relevant LGBT locations in Maryland to research. After the lecture, there will be a reception with light fare. Admission is free. For more details, search “Free Lecture: Uncovering LGBTQ History in Maryland” on Eventbrite.
The Rome School of Music, Drama and Art presents the opening night of its production of “The Laramie Project” at the Hartke Theatre (3801 Harewood Rd., N.E.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. The play is based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Moisés Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project that explore the people’s reactions to the murder of Matthew Shepard. Matt Ripa directs. The show runs through Dec. 2. General adult tickets are $20. Senior tickets are $15. Student tickets are $10. For more information, visit drama.catholic.edu.

The March for Drag was held on Saturday, March 8. Local drag artists and supporters gathered at Washington Circle for a rally to advocate for trans rights, queer art, artistic expression and free speech. Participants then marched to the Kennedy Center.
Read a report from the March for Drag here.
(Photos by DuHon Photography | Instagram | Facebook)














Grizzly Happy Hour was held at Crush Dance Bar on Friday, March 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)









Books
A taste for the macabre with a side order of sympathy
New book ‘The Lamb’ is for fans of horror stories

‘The Lamb: A Novel’
By Lucy Rose
c.2025, Harper
$27.99/329 pages
What’s for lunch?
You probably know at breakfast what you’re having a few hours later. Maybe breast of chicken in tomato sauce. Barbecued ribs, perhaps? Leg of lamb, beef tongue, pickled pigs’ feet, liver and onions, the possibilities are just menus away. Or maybe, as in the new book, “The Lamb” by Lucy Rose, you’ll settle for a rump roast and a few lady fingers.

Margot was just four years old when she noticed the mold on the shower walls, and wondered what it might taste like. She also found fingers in the shower drain from the last “stray,” the nails painted purple, and she wondered why they hadn’t been nibbled, too.
Cooked right, fingers and rumps were the best parts.
Later, once Margot started school, Mama depended on her to bring strays from the woods to their cottage, and Mama would give them wine and warm them up. She didn’t often leave the house unless it was to bury clothing and bones, but she sometimes welcomed a gardener who was allowed to leave. There was a difference, you see, between strays and others.
But Eden? Margot couldn’t quite figure her out.
She actually liked Eden, who seemed like a stray but obviously wasn’t. Eden was pretty; she never yelled at Margot, although she did take Margot’s sleeping spot near Mama. Eden made Mama happy; Margot could hear them in the bedroom sometimes, making noises like Mama did when the gardener visited. Eden was a very good cook. She made Mama softer, and she made promises for better times.
And yet, things never got better. Margot was not supposed to call attention to herself, but she wanted friends and a real life. If she was honest, she didn’t want to eat strays anymore, either, she was tired of the pressure to bring home dinner, and things began to unravel. Maybe Mama didn’t love Margot anymore. Maybe she loved Eden better or maybe Mama just ached from hunger.
Because you know what they say: two’s company, three’s a meal.
Not a book to read at lunch? No, probably not – although once you become immersed in “The Lamb,” it’ll be easy to swallow and hard to put down.
For sure, author Lucy Rose presents a somewhat coming-of-age chiller with a gender-twisty plot line here, and while it’s occasionally a bit slow and definitely cringey, it’s also really quite compelling. Rose actually makes readers feel good about a character who indulges in something so entirely, repulsively taboo, which is a very surprising – but oddly satisfying – aspect of this unique tale. Readers, in fact, will be drawn to the character Margo’s innocence-turned-eyes-wide-open and it could make you grow a little protective of her as she matures over the pages. That feeling plays well inside the story and it makes the will-they-won’t-they ending positively shivery.
Bottom line, if you have a taste for the macabre with a side order of sympathy, then “The Lamb” is your book and don’t miss it. Fans of horror stories, this is a novel you’ll eat right up.
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