That’s the rule of the annual fundraising event, Wig Night Out. Each year, D.C.’s gay bar-goers don wigs and hairpieces — complete with bows, hats and various other accoutrement — and venture out with friends for a night of frivolity. Each years, the wigs are more decorative, more ornate, more flamboyant.
“The wigs were hitting the ceilings — that’s why we had to take it out of Dito’s Bar and couldn’t have it downstairs at Cobalt anymore,” says Jack Jacobson, who’s been involved with the event since 2010.
Wig Night Out 2013 – Photo: Ward Morrison
Wig Night Out began in 2009 when ten friends wore wigs to Dito’s Bar at Floriana before hitting up other local establishments. One interested patron asked if the wigs were part of a fundraiser, which sparked the idea. Now in its seventh year, Wig Night Out raises money for Point Foundation, which provides financial scholarships and support for LGBT students. This year’s fundraiser will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30 at JR.’s, starting at 9 p.m.
Over the past six years, the event has raised more than $37,000, and has sparked spin-offs in Chicago and New York.
Wig Night Out 2013 – Photo: Ward Morrison
“It’s the easiest fundraiser I’ve ever thrown,” says Jacobson, who serves as the chair of Point Foundation’s trustees for the D.C. area. “It’s literally as easy or as fantastic as you want to make it. Some folks grab whatever they can find in the back of their closets, some will buy special wigs that are made by wigmasters. About four years ago, I had an extra large ’50s-style bouffant. That was my favorite. I nicknamed it my ‘Doris’ wig. And halfway through the event I traded my mom for her wig. She had a beehive.”
For Jacobson, the event evolved into a family outing, something he never could have envisioned growing up in a conservative South Dakota household.
“When I was in college, my mother found out I was gay and threatened to withdraw the financial and emotional support I needed to get through college,” he says. “Now, almost 20 years later, both she and my dad support Point Foundation, and two years ago, the three of us wore wigs and worked the door together.”
Jorge Valencia, Point Foundation’s executive director, say it recently received 2,200 applications from LGBT scholars, vying for up to twenty-five slots. On average, each Point Foundation scholar receives about $25,000 per year.
Wig Night Out 2013 – Photo: Ward Morrison
“Every time I have an opportunity to sit with the scholars, I’m still shocked to hear the amount of obstacles and challenges that young people have because of who they are,” Valencia says, recalling the story of one young finalist who appeared very nervous and struggled to make eye contact during his final interview.
“During the buffet lunch that followed, I was standing next to him and said, ‘See? It wasn’t that bad. You did really well.’ And he said, ‘No, it wasn’t that bad at all. What was tough for me was to be in a room where, for the first time in my life, everyone wanted me to succeed.'”
Valencia is grateful to events like Wig Night Out, as the money raised is essential to supporting Point Foundation’s mission of cultivating future LGBT leaders.
“We are investing in young people who are going to be our doctors, our educators, our politicians, in every aspect of our lives,” he says. “If you have people committed to diversity, then you start to change and move the needle when it comes to inclusiveness.”
Peruzza – Photo: Ward Morrison
Dave Perruzza, general manager of JR.’s, says the lighthearted atmosphere of Wig Night Out is what makes it so enjoyable. It’s more effective than other charity fundraisers because participants are getting something in exchange for their donations: a fun, memorable time.
“I can’t wait for it,” he says. “I love this event.”
Wig Night Out allows Perruzza to indulge his creative side as he cobbles together a different look each year. One year, he and several others took advantage of a sale on styrofoam wigs at Target. Last year, he and his friends decided to go in male wigs as opposed to female wigs, with Perruzza wearing a wig made of real hair — something he’ll likely repeat this year.
“I kind of like the boy wigs,” he laughs. “They give me hair that I don’t have anymore. It’s a good way to make my receding hairline disappear.”
The 7th annual Wig Night Out is Saturday, Jan. 30, from 9 to 11 p.m. at JR.’s, 1519 17th St. NW. Suggested donation is $10, with all proceeds going to the Point Foundation. Visit facebook.com/wignightout.
Organizers of the annual Tucson Pride festival have dissolved the organization’s board and canceled the upcoming 2026 Pride festival and all related events.
As reported by the Arizona Daily Star, the two-member board -- Sam Cloud and Jeff Fulgham -- announced the decision in a note posted to the Tucson Pride website and its social media accounts on January 21, exactly one month before the festival was scheduled to take place.
"This decision was not made lightly," the note reads. "We recognize the deep importance Tucson Pride has held in our community since 1977, serving as a space of visibility, advocacy, celebration, and resilience for nearly five decades. We are profoundly grateful to every volunteer, sponsor, artist, activist, and community member who has supported Tucson Pride throughout its history."
Police in Thailand have arrested a suspect in connection with the violent murder of an LGBTQ TikTok influencer from Myanmar, who was found beaten to death in a remote forest on January 20.
Authorities were alerted after a villager herding animals discovered a body beneath a tree in a forested area near Phathong village in Thailand’s Mae Sot District, roughly 300 miles northwest of Bangkok.
The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Ko Tin Zaw Htwe, a prominent LGBTQ TikTok influencer with more than 1.1 million followers who posted under the handle "Irrawaddy Ma." He had been missing for two days before his body was discovered. His final video, uploaded on January 19, showed him lip-syncing to a popular song.
After years of playing while closeted, Jesse Kortuem says the HBO series Heated Rivalry helped him finally reconcile his identity with the sport he loves.
Jesse Kortuem, a hockey player who has competed in several adult leagues but never at the professional level, says he was inspired to come out after watching HBO's Heated Rivalry, a romance centered on closeted gay hockey players.
In a Facebook post, Kortuem recalled growing up in Minnesota as the youngest of four boys and playing hockey from a young age, while struggling to reconcile his love for the sport with his sexuality.
"To any hockey player, the sounds of the rink and the feel of cold air are unmistakable. The slapshots, the pucks hitting the boards, the skates carving fresh ice, and the high-pitched clang of a puck hitting the post bring immense comfort," Kortuem wrote. "For a long time, however, the rink did not feel like a place where I could be all of me. I felt I had to hide parts of myself for far too long."
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.