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‘HUMP!’ Fest offers porn by the people, for the people

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Image courtesy HUMP! Film Festival

Dan Savage’s HUMP! Film Festival is on the road again, bringing a carefully curated collection of porn to a city near you.

Yes, that’s right, porn.

Now in its 15th year, the HUMP! Festival brings audiences “a new kind of porn,” according to its website. The films it screens are submitted, on condition of anonymity and limited viewership, by sexually adventurous couples and friends, “people who aren’t porn stars but want to be one for a weekend.”

The best of the crop, selected by Savage and a 12-person jury, then go on a tour across the country, screened in theatres for a short, limited run and then never to be seen again. The movies are short – each less than five minutes – and they offer proof that, when it comes to sex, it’s all a question of taste. The HUMP Fest’s entries feature “whatever their amateur filmmakers and stars think is hot and sexy, creative and kinky, their ultimate turn-ons and their craziest fantasies […] a cornucopia of body types, shapes, ages, colors, sexualities, genders, kinks, and fetishes, united by a shared spirit of sex-positivity.”

The official line from its creators:

“HUMP! is a celebration of creative sexual expression. You will see films at HUMP! that shock you. You will see films at HUMP! that make you laugh. And you will see films at HUMP! that turn you on. You will also be touched by the sincerity and vulnerability with which these films are lovingly made. HUMP!’s main mission is to change the way America sees—and makes and shares—porn.”

Savage, the out journalist and activist behind the “Savage Love” sex advice column and the “It Gets Better Project,” started the festival back in 2005. He told BuzzFeed in a 2015 interview, “We are reviving old-school, artisanal pornography.”

He explained the purpose of the festival by offering an example from the many films submitted for consideration.

“A couple years ago, there was a film called “Go Ahead and Pee.” It was just a normal, average-looking woman jumping on a trampoline with a leotard, saying, ‘Go ahead, pee.’ Eventually, she’s jumping on the trampoline, and you begin to see that she is urinating. She’s peeing herself. Her leotard is changing color as she pees down her own legs. That was the video. That’s all that happened. And we were like, ‘That’s someone’s kink. That’s somebody’s porn. That’s something we want in the festival.’ Juxtaposed with the other films, I thought it worked really well. It was beautiful.”

He summed it up by saying, “It makes people better humans to be comfortable with and down with what other people are doing, what other people are into. To witness it and cheer for it.

“Under the plumbing, under the kinks, under the gender identity, everything is the same: the desire, the lust, the passion, the humor, the vulnerability. All of those things, the more important things, are the same. That’s the cake, and the differences are the frosting. We are all the fucking cake.”

If you’re interested in seeing some of the many flavors of frosting on display at this year’s HUMP! Film Festival, you can find the tour schedule and ticket info, along with a full listing and description of the selected films, at their website.

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Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns bigger than ever with two-day WorldPride celebration

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The Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier will be extended to a two-day celebration in honor of WorldPride coming to D.C. this year. Taking place on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at The Wharf, this year’s event promises more entertainment, more community, and more pride than ever before — all set against the stunning waterfront backdrop of our nation’s capital.

With the addition of Friday, the party kicks off at 3 p.m., with the inaugural WorldPride Boat Parade at 7 p.m. As an Official WorldPride Partner event, the boat parade will feature 30 decorated boats parading along the Washington Channel. For information on signing up for the boat parade contact Stephen Rutgers at [email protected].

Saturday’s signature Pier Party kicks off at 12 p.m., featuring a drag show, DJ’s, streaming of the WorldPride Parade, and the iconic Fireworks Show Presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation — one of D.C. Pride’s most anticipated spectacles.

“We’re expanding Washington Blade Pride on the Pier to reflect the excitement and momentum building for WorldPride in D.C.,” said Blade publisher Lynne Brown. “It’s a celebration of our community’s progress and a powerful reminder of the joy and visibility Pride brings to the heart of our city.”

Now in its seventh year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access, hosted bars, and private viewing areas for the boat parade and the fireworks show. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip

Friday VIP: 5-9 p.m., enjoy an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, cash bar and complimentary drink.

Saturday VIP Session #1: 2-5 p.m., enjoy an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catered food, and an open bar.

Saturday VIP Session #2: 6-9 p.m., enjoy the air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catered snacks and dinner, and open bar with a front-row view of the fireworks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq., S.W., Washington, D.C.)
📅 Dates: Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2025
🛥️Boat Parade: 7 p.m. (June 6). 🎆 Fireworks Show: 9 p.m. (June 7)
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP

Event sponsors include Absolut, Capital Pride, DC Fray, Infinate Legacy, Heineken, Leonard-Litz Foundation, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Relish Catering,  Washingtonian, and The Wharf. More information regarding activities will be released at www.PrideOnThePierDC.com

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Arts & Entertainment

Win a pair of tickets to Grace Jones & Janelle Monáe @ The Anthem on June 5, 2025!

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Enter by filling out the form below or by clicking HERE. Purchase tickets HERE.

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PHOTOS: Cherry ‘Fire’

Detox of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ meets with fans

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Cherry's "Fire" party is held at Betty on Saturday, April 12. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Cherry Weekend main event party was “Fire” at Betty (1235 W Street, N.E.) on Saturday, April 12. Detox of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” met with fans.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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