Metro Weekly

Hearsay

Queer as Folk comes to Lizard Lounge, Lagoon party at Washington Plaza, new Halo club on P Street

The QAF Cast enters the political fundraising fray…
A gay pool party that makes a cool splash…
An exclusive sneak peek inside Halo…

It was a sweltering summer night last Tuesday when Todd "Nothing Sticks Better" Elmer glued himself to everyone he came into contact with at the Washington Plaza Poolside Bar & Terrace to tout an upcoming event of special import to him. It’s par for the course for this a man on a mission, this rebel with a cause, this card-carrying homosexual with a need to see ushered in a new presidential era featuring a new JFK. Elmer, you see, is the organizer — along with Wayne "Thin" Skinner — of a John "Very" Kerry and John "Hairy" Edwards fundraiser at Lizard Lounge early this Sunday, July 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is being advertised as "An Exclusive Queer As Folk Cast Party," at which Robert "I’m the Real Gay One" Gant, Gale "I Wouldn’t Bottom for the Queen of England" Harrold and Scott "Does Oral Sex Mean You Talk While Shtupping?" Lowell will appear alongside Michelle "My Muffins Are Ready For Nibbling" Clunie, who Elmer credits with having the idea for the star-studded fundraiser in the first place. As far as Hearsay can determine, neither Kerry nor Edwards is planning to attend. But easy-on-the-eyes Chris "57 Ways to Season Steak" Heinz, son of Kerry’s wife, Teresa "Tomatoes Are My Best Friend" Heinz, will be there, as will, Hearsay presumes, Elizabeth "I Prefer Mustard" Birch and David “Gimme the Works" Mixner, since their grassroots Ripple of Hope initiative is behind the effort (for more info on how to attend, see the first Nightlife Listing for Lizard Lounge in this week’s issue). And while Hearsay is on the subject of Ripple of Hope, what the hell is one ripple going to do? True, in theory it leads to the next ripple, which leads to the next, but when all is said and done, someone really needs to own up to their mistake add an “s” to one of those three words. Hearsay will let you guess whichÂ…

The preceding announcement was not paid for by the John F. Kerry Fund for Removing Poisonous Shrubbery from The White HouseÂ…

Hearsay now feels the burning need to give the other party equal time. And that party is the monthly Friends of Friends bash at the Washington Plaza, hosted by that fun-lovin’ couple Keith "Please Don’t Touch the Muscles" Petrack and Mark "Touch Away" Morgan. More than one hundred hot young men (and one slightly dazed family of four visiting from Székesfehérvár, Iceland) drank alcoholic slushies (and occasionally hiccupped), which can be had any day and night of the week (the slushies, not the hiccups), regardless of whether you have a summer-long sun-and-swim pool pass. Every Thursday, in fact, from 6 to 10 p.m., the hotel’s Stacy "It Takes a Village" Potemkin helps organize a "Lagoon" poolside party, open to all, with various DJs spinning tribal and deep house not far from the pool’s deep endÂ…

It seems a certain angel is finally getting its wings — as well as its Halo. Yes, David "Guys Gone Wild" Lett’s Empire Video on P Street will get topped by the long-awaited club beginning next week. This is the latest undertaking from those D.C. nightlife heavyweights John "Let’s Dance" Guggenmos and Ed "Beetle" Bailey. Last week, Hearsay got an exclusive sneak peek at the club and will now do its best to be your eyes, ears, but not your nose (never the nose), as it takes you on a guided tour. After you enter through the door to the right of Empire Video and walk up the stairs, you’ll find you’ve entered a minimalist universe with few décor distractions. Though white is the predominant color — it’s not named after an angel’s headdress for nothing — this heavenly gay heaven haven is hardly afraid of colors: teal and pink halogen lights beam slightly down or straight across — but never in one’s eyes — from a perch at the uppermost edge of the right-hand wall. And though it might not appear so from the building’s outside, the ceilings on this second floor are higher than they appear. Hearsay would say they come close to being 12 inches. Sorry, Hearsay means 12 inches. Let’s try this again: 12 feet. Phew! While there’s ample standing room, the whole point of the place is to lounge. And sure enough, there are high-quality, brown-leather box sofas — or, if you prefer, divans — surrounding the rectangular-shaped venue. The couches butt up against the walls and are fronted by a couple of bright orange and grey leather circular centerpieces, and several squared, movable white lacquered drink stands. As for drinks, word is that the place will serve fey frappes and the other whipped drink concoctions, with or without alcohol, doled out by trendoid (and hopefully shirt-unencumbered) bartenders. Somehow it all reminded Hearsay of the old Lizard Lounge, which was, after all, just around the corner in what is today Logan’s Condominiumland. The whole world knows Hearsay absolutely adores Lizard’s current locale, but still, it’s happy to welcome another lounge, particularly one that’s gay seven days a week…

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