a&e features
Haus of Stone savors joys and trials of breaking into D.C. drag scene
New venues, new faces, shade from established performers affects new generation of queens
April drag events:
Birds of Prey Drag Show
Friday, April 12
10 p.m.
The D.C. Eagle
3701 Benning Rd., N.W.
Brooklyn Heights, Sasha Adams Sanchez and Iyana Deschanel.
with special guest “Drag Race” alum Roxxxy Andrews
Hosted by Ba’Naka
Pitchers Drag Picnic
Saturday, April 13
1 p.m.
Pitchers D.C.
2317 18th St., N.W.
Hosted by Brooklyn Heights
Glass House
Sunday, April 14
7 p.m.
Variety show with movie night theme
Ten Tigers Parlour
3813 Georgia Ave., N.W.
Haus of Stone Drag Show
Wednesday, April 17
8 p.m.
Denizens Brewing Co.
1115 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Md.
City Tap Dupont
1250 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sunday performances (same hours) start April 28
Ba’Naka hostesses
Avalon Saturdays
Saturday, April 13
Soundcheck
1420 K St., N.W.
Hosted by Carson Kressley and Ba’Naka
Special guest Todrick Hall
Performances by Iyana Deschanel, Judas Elliot, Crystal Edge
dougiemeyerpresents.com
As people attend drag brunches and shows at bars and restaurants throughout the D.C. area, they may be focused on ordering bottomless mimosas or snapping pictures of the soon-to-come drag performances. But the amount of blood, sweat and sequins it takes for new, local queens to make a name for themselves, especially in a post-Town/Cobalt D.C. drag scene, is something that isn’t readily apparent.
It’s a situation that DMV-based drag group Haus of Stone knows all too well. Comprised of five queens, the house was birthed from a group of college friends who simply loved the art of drag.
Citrine (AJ Williamson), 27; Logan Stone (William Burlew), 25; Drew Thatcher, 26; and Vagenesis (Anderson Wells), 28, began putting drag looks together while attending University of Maryland, Baltimore County. After performing a few times, Citrine, Logan and Vagenesis decided it would be easier to brand themselves as a drag house while performing together.
“Most drag houses take the matriarch’s last name but since we didn’t have a matriarch or a mother, we thought we should just come up with our own group name,” Citrine says. “Logan was the only one out of the three of us that had a last name. So we were like, Haus of Stone, that has a nice ring to it. Logan didn’t mind, we didn’t mind. We just ran with it.”
Haus of Stone was officially born in spring 2018. Citrine, Logan and Vagenesis dipped their toes in the water at attempting more professional drag by performing private talent shows in their living room. The evening included playing instruments, a spoken word performance and lip-syncing, backed by speakers hooked up in their apartment blaring music, all with the intention of asking their friends to pose as judges. Even though the event was fun, the trio asked their friends to sincerely give them critiques.
The girls were taking this seriously.
Shortly after, Venus Valhalla and Kittney Stone joined the group rounding out Haus of Stone.
Thatcher, who originally began performing drag with the group at University of Maryland Baltimore County, realized that he wanted to be a part of the house in a different capacity. Instead of taking on a drag persona he decided to become a self-proclaimed “drag sidekick” to the group. Among his Jack-of all-trades assistance to Haus of Stone, is to serve as a soundboard for the queens’ looks.
“One of the things that I really like about being part of the Haus of Stone is just how amazing all these queens are in the house and how much I appreciate their sisterhood and the family we’ve built,” Thatcher says. “And also just being there to help them execute the vision that they have for their drag is an awesome honor. I know there are a lot of times when they have some grand visions, as any artist often does, and I like to be there for them as a resource to help them execute their visions.”
The group started to become more active in taking their show from the living room with friends to a public audience. As new queens trying to establish themselves locally, they say they’ve encountered plenty of support.
“When we first started, the drag community was extremely welcoming,” Logan says. “We met one drag performer and they told us to go to this event and go talk to this queen named Desiree Dik because Desiree had a show at Uproar and she did nothing but support new girls coming up. We went to that show and we got the booking and through that we made so many friends that we still talk to today and have harbored relationships that are going to last forever. Now is that true of everybody in the community? No, but through that we got to meet other people like Kristina Kelly who has done nothing but support us. While personalities don’t always mesh up, there has been a support of new girls in this city ever since we started.”
For Citrine, the drag community is helpful to new girls but there’s an edge of competition in the mix.
“I’ve come to find once they notice that you’re working hard and getting close to their level is when that support and fellowship starts to stop,” Citrine says. “I think part of it is that now you’re starting to look like competition and these are the people that have worked just as hard as you and now are trying to build a legacy or maintain it. ‘Yeah, sure, we’ll give you a platform, you can perform at our show, you’re going to come and go.’ That’s the expectation they think when new queens come about. But once you start to build and get a little bit stronger, that to them is a sign. Some of them love it. And then there are some that are jealous or they don’t want to support that because they’re like, ‘I don’t want you to be just as successful because now you’re taking something away from me.’”
Citrine and Logan both note that they don’t often see local drag performers at their shows showing their support, which they agree could be due to a conflict in performance schedules.
“It’s this weird melting pot where we all love each other but we’re also out for ourselves but we do support each other,” Citrine says.
Haus of Stone’s breakout on the drag scene after the closing of gay nightlife venues Town and Cobalt, which drew significant patronage for drag shows, has placed the group in a transitional period in D.C. gay nightlife.
As more venues are now opening their spaces to drag performances, Logan has noticed a surge in non-LGBT specific bars and restaurants hosting drag shows.
Venus says that specifically Town’s closing has made “things easier” for local queens.
“Town was kind of a central point for the gay community in the city. You had the cast of girls who were there every Friday and Saturday. So now with Town gone, and that rigid cast gone, there’s more opportunities for all of us other girls and people are still looking for places to replace Town, which is something that’s been kind of difficult for the community over the last year. I think Town closing was actually kind of the perfect storm that’s allowed us to be so successful. If Town was still open, I don’t think any of us would have been able to perform there,” Venus says.
An influx in venues hosting drag shows and seeing the benefit of having one place to look up all things D.C. drag, inspired Logan to create D.C. Drag Digest (facebook.com/dcdragdigest).
The directory will allow people to search for drag shows near them, look up if their favorite bars or restaurants are hosting drag shows and to see where their favorite drag performers will be next.
“There had been a lot of conversation on social media about supporting and finding the shows. I had always gotten a lot of questions. When people like what they see in a show the first thing they come up and ask you is, ‘Hey, where can I see you next?’ And for a lot of performers we have 10 shows coming up and we want people at all of them. And it’s hard to just be like, ‘You can come here, here and here.’ Nobody is going to remember any of that. So one day I had decided to just make a list of everything going on,” Logan, who runs the directory with a couple friends, says.
The queens say that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” does influence the popularity of their shows especially during the times of the year that “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” and the regular season run. They say it sparks an interest in people to check out what their local drag community is doing. The support is welcomed but Haus of Stone members say the jump from “Drag Race” to a local show can lead to unfair expectations.
“Drag Race” can pack on the pressure for local talent, according to Citrine.
“They’re seeing it on TV and enjoying it and then when they go to a local show and they’re not seeing that same level matched from what they can just see on TV that’s when they start to lose that interest,” Citrine says. “‘Drag Race’ has certainly made it a little bit more difficult for local queens to keep up. When we see it on TV we’re like ‘Oh God.’ Some of us have that internal expectation of ‘How can I be better and impress this audience when I don’t have those kind of resources?”
Money is an important factor when watching an episode of “Drag Race” versus checking out a local show.
“A prime example of that is girls we get on ‘Drag Race’ end up making a lot more money than us local girls,” Venus says. “A lot of them have connections because of their following on social media and are able to work with designers and have these glorious costumes and they see those costumes on the runway. Then a drag queen comes out who is a local girl who spent $50 on a leotard that she made herself. And it’s not as exciting as the giant Victoria’s Secret wings that Plastique Tiara wore on the runway.”
Another added challenge is keeping their shows as fresh as possible.
Venus says that an advantage that queens performing at Town had is that oftentimes audiences included new people due to the larger audience numbers. As smaller venues are tackling drag shows, the audiences are smaller and a good way to drum up interest is to nab repeat patrons who have already seen certain routines and want new material.
“It has to do with a shift in the market,” Venus says.
Even with a smaller audience size, the queens still don’t always know who is attending their shows.
“Even for me I had two girls come up to me at brunch yesterday and I had never noticed them before but they both came up and were like, ‘We saw you at this show.’ You never know who is going to come back and see you and you don’t want them seeing the exact same thing over and over,” Logan says.
a&e features
Visible and unapologetic: MAL brings the kink this weekend
Busy lineup includes dances, pups, super heroes, and more
MLK Weekend in D.C. brings the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) Weekend. Just a short walk from where Congress has been attacking queer Americans this year, MAL takes place at the Hyatt Regency Washington for several days of intrigue, excitement, leather, and kink.
The Centaur Motorcycle Club — one of several similar groups dedicated to leather in the country — has been hosting MAL in its current form for more than 40 years. Originally a small gathering of like-minded people interested in the leather lifestyle, MAL has grown to include a full four days of events, taking place onsite at the Hyatt Regency Washington (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.). Select partner happenings take place each night, and many more non-affiliated events are scattered across the DMV in honor of and inspired by MAL.
MAL Weekend has become an internationally renowned event that celebrates fetish culture, yet it also raises funds for LGBTQ organizations, “reinforcing its legacy as both a cultural and philanthropic cornerstone of the global leather community,” according to MAL organizers.
During the day, MAL events at the Hyatt include workshops, social gatherings, shopping, and other in-person engagements for the community.
“The Hyatt underwent an extensive top to bottom renovation after last year’s event,” says Jeffrey LeGrand-Douglass, the event chair. The lobby, meeting spaces, guest rooms, and other areas have been updated, he notes, “so I am very excited for our guests to experience the new design and layout for the first time. And of course as with every year, we look forward to the contest on Sunday afternoon and seeing who will become our new Mr. MAL.”
In the evening, MAL hands the reins to partner KINETIC Presents, the D.C.-based nightlife production company. KINETIC will host four consecutive nights of high-production events that fuse cutting-edge music, immersive environments, and performance. This year, KINETIC is popping open doors to new-to-MAL venues, international collabs, play zones, and a diverse lineup.
According to KINETIC managing partner Zach Renovátes, 2026 is the most extensive MAL production to date. “The talent lineup is unreal: an all-star roster of international DJs, plus drag superstar performances at the Saturday main event,” he says.
Renovátes added that he’s “most excited about the collaborations happening all weekend — from bringing in MACHO from WE Party Madrid, to teaming up with local leather groups, to nonprofit partners, and Masc Diva [a queer nightlife collective].”
Official MAL events begin on Thursday with the Full Package/Three Day Pass Pick-Up from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hyatt.
Thursday night is also the KINETIC kickoff party, called LUST. Running 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., it’s being held at District Eagle. DJ Jay Garcia holds it down on the first floor, while DJ Mitch Ferrino spins in the expansive upstairs. LUST features special performances from the performers including Serg Shepard, Arrow, Chase, and Masterpiece.
Renovátes notes that the LUST opening party at District Eagle coincides with the bar’s grand re-opening weekend. The bar will unveil its new permanent home on the renovated second floor. “it felt like the perfect place to start Mid-Atlantic Leather weekend — right in D.C.’s only dedicated home for kink communities,” he says.
After Thursday night, Friday is when daytime events begin at the Hyatt. The Exhibit Hall, on the ballroom level below the lobby, hosts upwards of 30 vendors, exhibitors, and booths with leather goods, fetish wear, clothes, toys, other accessories, providing hours of time to shop and connect with attendees and business owners. The Exhibit Hall will be open on Friday from 4-10 p.m., as well as on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
DC Health is once again back at MAL, to provide preventative health services. In the past, DC Health has provided MPox vaccines, Doxy PEP, HIV testing, Narcan kits, and fentanyl test strips. This booth will be open on Friday 4-10 p.m.
Later, at 6 p.m., the Centaur MC is holding its welcome reception on the ballroom floor. After the Centaur’s Welcome Reception, the MIR Rubber Social is 8-11 p.m. A Recovery Meeting is scheduled at 10 p.m.
Many attendees enjoy visiting the guest room levels of the hotel. Note that to get in an elevator up to a hotel room, a staff member will check for a hotel room wristband. Non-registered guests can only access host hotel rooms if they are escorted by a registered guest with a valid wristband. Registered guests are permitted to escort only one non-registered guest at a time. Non-registered guests with a wristband who are already in the hotel before 10 p.m. may remain until midnight. However, non-registered guests without a wristband will not be admitted after registration closes.
Friday night, for the first time, KINETIC Presents is joining forces with WE Party to bring MACHO to Washington, D.C. This official MAL Friday event delivers two stages and two genres. On the UNCUT XXL stage, international Brazilian circuit superstars Erik Vilar and Anne Louise bring their signature high-energy sound. On the MACHO stage, Madrid’s Charly is joined by Chicago’s tech-house force, Karsten Sollors, for a blend of techno and tech house. UNCUT also features the XL Play Zone, a massive, immersive space exclusive to this event. The party takes place at the Berhta space from 10 p.m.-4 a.m..
“This year we’re bringing back the two-room format we debuted at WorldPride for both Friday and Saturday, so attendees can really tailor their experience — whether they’re in the mood for circuit or tech house.” says Renovátes.
Directly after Friday’s UNCUT XXL, UNDERWORLD Afters takes over District Eagle, from 3:30-8 a.m. International DJ Eliad Cohen commands the music.
Saturday, the Exhibit Hall opens earlier, at 11 a.m.. DC Health will also be back from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday is also time for one of the most anticipated events, the Puppy Mosh, running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the event, pup culture comes to life, when pups, handlers, and friends can enjoy an inclusive, safe pup zone. There is also a Recovery Meeting at 11 a.m., and the IML Judges Announcement takes place at noon.
The popular Super Hero Meet Up will be held 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m., sponsored by One Magical Weekend, for cosplayers, comic enthusiasts, and their friends.
From 2-6 p.m., the Onyx Fashion Show will take place to showcase and highlight people of color in leather.
Finally, the Leather Cocktail Party – the original event of MAL – will be held 7-9 p.m. in the Ballroom. While this requires special tickets to attend, at 9 p.m. is the MAL cocktail party, which is open to wider attendees.
The last event of Saturday leaves the hotel, again a partnership with KINETIC. Kicking off at 10 p.m. and running until 4 a.m., it’s just the second time that KINETIC’s Saturday night party is an official MAL event and serves as the main weekend engagement.
Saturday night’s centerpiece is called KINK: Double Trouble. The night will feature a first-ever back-to-back set from international electronic music icons Nina Flowers and Alex Acosta on the Circuit/Tribal Stage. The other room – the Tech House Stage – curated by The Carry Nation and Rose, provides a darker, underground counterpoint, reinforcing the event’s musical depth and edge.
Beyond the DJs, KINETIC has called in the big shots for this party: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” legends Nymphia Wind and Plastique Tiara are set to headline. The party also takes place at Berhta.
Sunday, back at the hotel, there will be another Recovery Meeting at 10 a.m., and the Exhibit Hall opens again from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
At 1 p.m., the anticipated and prestigious Mr. MAL Contest that celebrates the achievements of the leather community will be held in the Ballroom. This highly sought after title gives one man the power to become the Mid-Atlantic Leather man of the year. Sash and title winners must be (1) male, (2), a resident of North America, (3) At least 21 years of age; and (4) self-identify as gay. The first Mr. MAL was crowned in 1985. The Winner of Mr. MAL has the privilege of later competing in International Mr. Leather (IML) in Chicago on Memorial Day Weekend 2025.
From 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., MAL will hold its Game Night for the gaymers in attendance. There will also be a special screening of A24’s new film, “Pillion,” about a man who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Sunday closes with a community partner event produced by Masc Diva, featuring Horse Meat Disco with support from Coach Chris, at A.I. Warehouse in the Union Market district. It’s the same team that produced HMD during WorldPride at A.I. Warehouse.
Note that there are several types of passes for attendance to the hotel and parties. KINK VIP Weekend Passes include express entry, VIP areas, and enhanced amenities throughout the weekend, while MAL Full Weekend Package holders receive access to the official Sunday closing event.
At last year’s MAL events, KINETIC Presents raised more $150,000 for LGBTQ charities, and expects to match or exceed that impact in 2026.
Renovátes stated that “now more than ever, it’s important to create safe, affirming spaces for our community — but it’s just as important to be visible and unapologetic. We want to make it clear that the LGBTQ+ and leather communities aren’t going anywhere. We’ve fought too long and too hard to ever feel like we have to shrink ourselves again, no matter what the political climate looks like.”
In addition to the KINETIC events, various LGBTQ bars will hold parties celebrating the theme of the weekend. For example, Kiki, located on U Street NW, is hosting a party called KINKI, hosted by DJ Dez, on Saturday night. Sister bar Shakiki, on 9th Street NW, is hosting a party called Railed Out, a fetish-inspired party that features a play zone, on Thursday night. Flash, on U Street NW, will hold its infamous Flashy Sunday party to close out the weekend.
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
a&e features
Looking back at the 10 biggest A&E stories of 2025
‘Wicked,’ Lady Gaga’s new era, ‘Sexy’ Bailey and more
Although 2025 was a year marked by countless attacks on trans rights and political setbacks, the year also saw brilliant queer artists continuing to create art. From Cannes and Sundance Award winners now vying for Oscar consideration to pop icons entering new stages of their careers, queer people persevered to tell their stories through different media.
With the state of the world so uncertain, perhaps there’s no more vital time to celebrate our wins, as seen through some of this year’s top pop culture moments. While there’s no collection of 10 stories that fully encompass “the most important” news, here are some events that got the gays going:
10. ‘Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo’ wins big at Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival has become a crucial start for films hoping to make their way to the Oscars, and first-time director Diego Céspedes won the top Un Certain Regard prize for his intimate western “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo.” The film is set in the ‘80s and is intended as an allegory for the AIDS epidemic. Seeing a film that unpacks vital queer history win one of the most coveted awards at Cannes has been a huge point of pride in the independent filmmaking community.
Since the film bowed at Cannes, it has been selected as Chile’s Oscar entry in the Best International Feature race. Speaking with The Blade during the film’s AFI Fest run in October, Céspedes said: At first, I was kind of scared to have this campaign position in the times that we’re living [in] here. But at the same time, I think the Oscars mean a huge platform — a huge platform for art and politics.”
9. ‘The Last of Us’ returns for an even gayer season 2
While the first season of The Last of Us gave us one of TV’s most heartbreaking queer love stories in the episode “Long, Long Time,” Season 2 doubled down on its commitment to queer storytelling with the blossoming relationship between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced). The show expanded on the pair’s relationship in the original video game, making it perhaps the central dynamic to the entire season. That unfortunately came with more homophobic backlash on the internet, but those who checked out all the episodes saw a tender relationship form amid the show’s post-apocalyptic, often violent backdrop. For their performance, Ramsey was once again nominated for an Emmy, but Merced deserved just as much awards attention.
8. ‘Emilia Pérez’ sparks controversy
Jacques Audiard’s genre-bending trans musical “Emilia Pérez” proved to be an awards season juggernaut this time last year, winning the Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy. But when the lead star Karla Sofia Gascón’s racist, sexist, and homophobic old tweets resurfaced, the film’s Oscar campaign became a tough sell, especially after Netflix had tried so hard to sell Emilia Pérez as the “progressive” film to vote for. Mind you, the film had already received significant backlash from LGBTQ+ audiences and the Mexican community for its stereotypical and reductive portrayals, but the Gascón controversy made what was originally just social media backlash impossible to ignore. The only person who seemed to come out of the whole debacle unscathed was Zoe Saldaña, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress over Ariana Grande.
7. ‘Sorry, Baby’ establishes Eva Victor as major talent
Back in January at the Sundance Film Festival, Eva Victor (known by many for her brand of sketch comedy) premiered their directorial debut “Sorry, Baby” to rave reviews, even winning the Waldo Salt Screening Award. Victor shadowed Jane Schoenbrun on the set of “I Saw the TV Glow,” and seeing Victor come into their own and establish such a strong voice immediately made them one of independent cinema’s most exciting new voices. A memorable scene in the film sees the main character, Agnes (played by Victor), struggling to check a box for male or female, just one example of how naturally queerness is woven into the fabric of the story.
Most recently, Victor was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the film, and she’s represented in a category alongside Jennifer Lawrence (“Die My Love”), Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”), Julia Roberts (“After the Hunt”), Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”) and Tessa Thompson (“Hedda”). The film also received four Independent Spirit Award nominations overall.
6. Paul Reubens comes out in posthumous doc
While Paul Reubens never publicly came out as gay before passing away in 2023, the two-part documentary “Pee-wee as Himself” premiered back in May on HBO Max, giving the legendary comedian a chance to posthumously open up to the world. Directed by Matt Wolf, the documentary explores how Reubens found his alter ego Pee-Wee Herman and why he kept his private life private.
The documentary won an Emmy in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special category and remains one of the most critically acclaimed titles of the year with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Also worth noting, the National Geographic documentary Sally told the posthumous coming out story of Sally Ride through the help of her long-time partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy.
5. Lady Gaga releases ‘Mayhem’
Lady Gaga entered a new phase of her musical career with the release of Mayhem, her seventh album to date. From the frenzy-inducing pop hit Abracadabra to the memorable Bruno Mars duet featured on “Die With a Smile,” seeing Gaga return to her roots and make an album for the most die-hard of fans was especially rewarding after the underwhelming film releases of “House of Gucci” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Gaga has been touring with The Mayhem Ball since July, her first arena tour since 2018. She even extended her tour into 2026 with more North American dates, so the party isn’t stopping anytime soon. And Gaga is even set to make an appearance next May in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
4. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande perform at the Oscars
While “Wicked: For Good” didn’t quite reach the heights of the first film, we will forever have Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s breathtaking live performance that opened the 97th Academy Awards. The pair sang a rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” “Home,” and “Defying Gravity,” paying proper homage to the original 1939 “Wizard of Oz.” Even non-Wicked fans can’t deny how magical and brilliantly staged this performance was. With both Erivo and Grande up for acting Oscars last year, they’re hoping to repeat success and make history with consecutive nominations. Either way, let’s hope there’s another live performance in the making, especially with two new original songs (The Girl in the Bubble and No Place Like Home) in the mix.
3. Indya Moore speaks out against Ryan Murphy
Indya Moore has consistently used social media as a platform for activism, and in September, posted a 30-minute Instagram live speaking out against “Pose” co-creator Ryan Murphy. Moore claimed that Murphy wasn’t being a true activist for trans people. “Ryan Murphy, we need you to do more. You need to address the racism, the violence, and the targeting of people on your productions, Ryan Murphy. You do need to make sure trans people are paid equally. Yes, Janet did the right thing,” Moore said. Murphy was also back in the headlines this year for the critically panned “All’s Fair” and the controversial “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” starring Laurie Metcalf and Charlie Hunnam.
2. Cole Escola wins Tony for Best Leading Actor
Few pop culture moments this year brought us together more than Cole Escola winning a Tony award for “Oh, Mary!” the Broadway show they created, wrote and starred in (we love a triple threat!) Escola made history by becoming the first nonbinary person to win a Tony in the leading actor category, and seeing them excitedly rush to the stage wearing a Bernadette Peters-inspired gown instantly became a viral social media moment.
The cherry on top of Escola’s major moment is the recent news that they are writing a Miss Piggy movie with Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone producing — news that also broke the internet for the better. We cannot wait!
1. Jonathan Bailey makes gay history as ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
The same year as his on-screen roles in blockbusters “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Wicked: For Good,” Jonathan Bailey made history as the first openly gay man to be named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” The fact that it took 40 years for an openly gay man to earn the title is a signifier of how far we still have to go with queer representation, and seeing Bailey celebrated is just one small step in the right direction.
“There’s so many people that want to do brilliant stuff who feel like they can’t,” he told PEOPLE, “and I know the LGBT sector is under immense threat at the moment. So it’s been amazing to meet people who have the expertise and see potential that I could have only dreamed of.” In 2024, Bailey founded the charity titled The Shameless Fund, which raises money for LGBTQ+ organizations.
Do not forget that Renee Good was queer
Gay Venezuelan opposition leader: Country’s future uncertain after Maduro ouster
Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated
Comings & Goings
D.C.’s annual MLK Peace Walk and Parade set for Jan. 19
Ford’s ‘First Look’ festival showcases three new productions
Mid-Atlantic Leather kicks off this week
PHOTOS: ‘ICE Out For Good’ Sunday protests
Mark Levine running in ‘firehouse’ Democratic primary to succeed Adam Ebbin
