Pride flags flying atop Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Virginia – Photo: TJ Flavell.
Even though the bulk of the D.C.-area Pride celebrations has passed, the nearby suburbs of Alexandria and Arlington aren’t finished, with two events scheduled for Sunday, June 27 and Monday, June 28.
On Sunday, The Garden ALX, Alexandria Makers Market, and Safe Space NOVA will be hosting “Growing Pride at The Garden,” a family-friendly Pride event featuring 15 local LGBTQ “makers” offering various crafts, art, and other goods available for sale.
“I define a maker as anybody who has an original idea and makes it into a product,” says Alyssa Kovach, founder of Alexandria Makers Market. “I represent the people that are usually working from home. They don’t usually have a storefront, but it will be, to give an analogy, like a holiday market, a pop-up, and so they’ll have the things that they make. There is a huge range of products, from stained glass to jewelry to T-shirts to bags and more.”
In addition to serving as an open market to showcase the work of makers, the event will feature yoga activities, courtesy of YogaSix and abellaYoga; live music; kid-friendly crafting activities, led by Kids Create Alexandria; a rock-climbing experience, courtesy of Sport Rock climbing gym; and a bevy of food trucks offering various fare. Admission is technically free, but attendees are encouraged to donate at least $5, with proceeds going to benefit Safe Space NOVA, a Northern Virginia organization serving LGBTQ youth.
“We’re really hoping this is just like a really fun family event,” explains Kovach. “The Garden and I were the ones that kind of put out heads together and said, ‘Who do we want to have involved?’ And so our first step was contacting Safe Space NOVA. We wanted them involved, and thought they could give us some guidance in terms of like what would be really a fun and successful event. So we’re glad to have them on board, and we’ll be accepting donations and trying to kind of drum up some money for them.”
On Monday, June 28, marking the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising, Go Gay DC will host a free-to-attend Pride Month social at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington.
“This is an opportunity to mingle and to celebrate pride in a fabulous environment and basically a chance to connect with the community,” says Go Gay DC leader TJ Flavell, who is the chief organizer. “It’s come as you are, but you should definitely feel free to express yourself and feel free to come decked out in ‘Prideful’ attire.”
As with Go Gay DC’s regularly held happy hours at Freddie’s, which occur each month, organizers will be collecting cans of food or nonperishable food items for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, which is the county’s chief food bank, serving over 2,300 local families each week.
Those wishing to dine at Freddie’s following the social can reserve a table by calling the restaurant at (703) 685-0555, or can choose to purchase food at the bar. For a full menu, visit www.freddiesbeachbar.com/menu.
As people begin emerging from their homes as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, Go Gay DC will begin resuming its monthly socials and happy hours, beginning with its “First Friday Social” at Commentary, in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood, on July 2 from 7-9 p.m. There will also be a “First Tuesday Social” on July 6 from 7-9 p.m. at Hi-Tide Lounge in Alexandria.
“These ongoing social events bring a wide-range of fascinating people together for professional networking and friendship. As past president of three local community organizations, hosting these socials is a way to continue to make a positive impact for the social good,” says Flavell.
“Growing Pride at the Garden” is on Sunday, June 27, from 2-7 p.m. at The Garden ALX, 5380 Eisenhower Ave., Suite C, Alexandria, Virginia. Attendees are asked to pre-register. To register, or for more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Go Gay DC’s Pride Month Social, Stonewall Edition, is on Monday, June 28, from 6-9 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar, 555 23rd St. S., Arlington, Virginia. Attendees are asked to register beforehand to get an accurate head count. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
James Lantz, a 64-year-old gay man with terminal cancer -- known online as the "Angry Gay Grandpa" -- has been ordered to pay $16,575 in damages and a $200 fine after gluing his hand to a railing in the Pennsylvania State Capitol last year to protest anti-transgender lawmakers. The Burlington, Vermont, resident was initially charged with two felonies -- institutional vandalism and criminal mischief -- along with a misdemeanor offense.
Lantz later accepted a plea deal in which prosecutors reduced the vandalism charge to a misdemeanor. In exchange, he pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, agreed to pay restitution for damage to the railing and nearby seating in the State Senate’s visitors’ gallery, and will serve a year on probation, according to PennLive.
Baylor University, a Baptist college in Waco, Texas, is rescinding a $643,000 grant it received to study the inclusion of LGBTQ people and women in the church.
The grant, awarded to Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact in the School of Social Work, came from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which funds progressive, faith-related initiatives focused on church-state separation, interfaith projects, and social justice.
The money was intended to "help foster inclusion and belonging in the church" by funding research into "the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations," with the goal of encouraging more inclusive practices.
Misha Brown, a 37-year-old influencer, actor, and host of the Wondery podcast The Big Flop, revealed in a TikTok video on July 17 that he had received an apology from his former high school bully -- 20 years after graduation -- after the bully's 15-year-old son came out as gay.
"Hey man, I just felt like I needed to tell you that I'm sorry I was a damn jerk in school," the message read. "Really, I'm sorry. But I've been following what you've done lately and it's really cool. I'm proud of you. You're like really helping people. The reason I wanted to tell you all this is I've got a son now. He's 15, and he told me he's gay. Man, all I thought about when he told me that was how I hope people are nicer to him than I was to you. It makes me proud to be his dad. And hopefully that makes up for something."
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