Take a nap, drink some water, and wipe the glitter from your eyes—or don’t. D.C.’s official Pride Weekend may have concluded with Sunday, June 9, but as we always say, June is a marathon, not a sprint. With 20 more days left of Pride Month, we’ve rounded up some especially great events aimed at offering something to everyone—from bibliophiles to film lovers, partygoers to museum visitors, and, of course, music lovers. So turn the coffeepot on cause it’s time for part two of our Pride Guide.
And just like D.C., our ongoing Pride coverage—offering unique in-depth looks at the city’s queer communities and histories—continues all month long.
June 11: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 4 and 7:15 p.m. at Landmark E Street Cinema; $10
Long before Neil Patrick Harris famously played Hedwig on Broadway, John Cameron Mitchell wrote, directed, and starred as the titular character in the original 2001 film based on Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s 1998 stage musical. See his star turn on-screen at Landmark’s Retro Replay Pride Series.
June 11: My Own Private Idaho, 7 p.m. at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market; $15
If Hedwig and the Angry Inch doesn’t appeal to you, catch Gus Van Sant’s 1991 queer cult classic My Own Private Idaho starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V.
June 12: Greg Lockard and Philip Dean Walker, 7 p.m. at Little District Books; free
Catch a conversation on queer historical fiction across prose and graphic novels with Greg Lockard, co-creator of LIEBESTRASSE and TRICK PONY, and local author Philip Dean Walker.
June 14: LGBTQ+ Artists in Woven Histories, 1 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art; free
The NGA is hosting a free gallery talk to dig into the contributions and works of LGBTQIA artists in its Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction exhibition.
June 14: Hillary Gonzalez, 7 p.m. at Little District Books; free
The Baltimore author will discuss their poetry book, Seasons. Divided into four sections—spring, summer, fall, winter—Seasons explores grief, love, abuse, bisexuality, and the neurodivergent experience.
June 14: DECLASSIFIED: Ben Folds Presents Julien Baker and BANKS, 9 p.m. at the Kennedy Center; $29–$119
Contemporary lesbian icon Julien Baker packed Merriweather Post Pavilion twice last year as part of the queer supergroup Boygenius. Now see her in action solo-ish at this “part concert, part party” event. Come early and stay late for a live Drag Salute to Divas.
June 15: Mortified DC Live: Pride Edition, 7 p.m. at the Black Cat; $25
Mortified, a grassroots live storytelling series, requires bravery and openness from its attendees as they tell potentially mortifying stories to a live audience. This month’s Pride Edition features performers sharing childhood diaries, poems, notes, letters, and more that recount their gender and sexuality journeys.
June 15: Walk on the Wild Side Pride Party, 4 p.m. at Dock5; $22.50–$45
Wild Side Media hosts its first Pride block party that’ll feature a four-hour set from the fabulous Lez the DJ while raising money for the DC Center’s new home opening soon in the U Street Corridor.
June 15: Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, 8 p.m. at Songbyrd; $23.18
Queer, rattling country rock music at its finest.
June 16: Broadway Drag Brunch, 11 a.m. at the Kennedy Center; $85
A first in KenCen history plus bottomless mimosas (because this is D.C., after all, where drag queen brunches are plentiful). 2024 Capital Pride Honoree Tula, Queen of Comedy Regina, and four other local drag performers will serve Broadway musicals and classic hits.
June 16: Nectar, 3 p.m. at Wild Days; $10–$20
Lavender Evolutions is bringing the heat with their QTBIPOC Pride Month dance party on the roof of the Eaton Hotel. Expect good music and even better fits.
June 16: The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Presents Portraits, 5 p.m. at the Kennedy Center; $25-$80
For just one night only, the GMCW will present its groundbreaking and multidisciplinary project Portraits. The nine-movement oratorio features commissioned visual artworks brought to life by original music and dance performances to celebrate the “vibrant spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural identities,” according to the Chorus.
June 17: Black Queer Summer Romance Reads, 8:30 p.m. online; free
This virtual conversation proves Pride Month is far from over. Authors Chencia C. Higgins (A Little Kissing Between Friends), Karmen Lee (The 7-10 Split), Frederick Smith (One and Done), and Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters (Second Night Stand) come together for a fun talk on all things Black, queer, Pride, and summer filled with romance.
June 17: Kumbia Queers, 8 p.m. at Songbyrd; $25.75
This five-women band promises explosive energy with a unique blend of cumbia beats and punk-inspired style. Get ready to dance.
June 18: Moonlight, 4 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. at Landmark E Street Cinema; $10
Barry Jenkins’ 2016 masterpiece, Moonlight, will be screening if you need to escape the crowds and beat the heat with some powerful movie theater AC. Bring the tissues!
June 18: The Watermelon Woman, 7 p.m. at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market; $15
Cheryl Dunye is a prolific lesbian Liberian American filmmaker whose work explores those intersections. The Watermelon Woman is Dunye at her best as she stars in a meta role as a filmmaker named Cheryl working to challenge racist and sexist stereotypes in film.
June 20: Book Launch With Tina Horn, 8:30 p.m. at Little District Books; free
A writer, “educatrix,” and media-maker, Tina Horn does a lot. Horn’s book Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink (named after her podcast) was just published, and her detective thriller comic book series, Deprog, comes out in September. Horn talks about all things kink with the local-ish professional dominatrix and “leather dyke multidisciplinary artist” Mistrix Sunmi.
June 22: Out & About Festival, 2:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap; $49–$89
Out & About is back with another very queer lineup that includes Brittany Howard, Jenny Lewis, Kim Gordon, local artist Be Steadwell, and others. Though only running one day this year, the fest features community partnerships including SMYAL, Equality Virginia, League of Women Voters, PFLAG, Trans Pride DC, and the Washington Spirit soccer team. Food trucks and local breweries will keep you fed and quenched.
June 23: Anhell69, 2 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art; free
This haunting docu-fiction hybrid film showcases the queer community of Medellín, Colombia. Director Theo Montoya uses Anhell69 as a vehicle to recognize and mourn the life of actor Camilo Najar, who died of a heroin overdose a week after being cast in Montoya’s short film Son of Sodom. The movie tells the story of a young community marked by loss and dreams.
June 25: But I’m a Cheerleader, 4 and 7:15 p.m. at Landmark E Street Cinema; $10
The movie that awakened a generation of baby queers, But I’m a Cheerleader will be showing for both those seeking a nostalgic rewatch and today’s baby queers discovering the classic for the first time (beyond the MUNA music video it inspired). It also answers the question, why are so many millennial sapphics in love with Natasha Lyonne?
June 25: Trivia Night: Pride, 5 p.m. at the National Portrait Gallery; free, but registration encouraged
In honor of Pride, the National Portrait Gallery is hosting a queer-themed happy hour trivia night in the majestic Kogod Courtyard. The questions will test attendees’ knowledge of historic LGBTQIA figures, events, and artwork inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection. You can play individually or form teams of up to six.
June 25: Paris Is Burning, 7 p.m. at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market; $15
Another quintessential queer film, Paris Is Burning provides a glimpse into New York’s Black and Latinx ball scene of the 1980s. Made over seven years, the documentary captures the emergence of a critical cultural moment and the politics—from the AIDS epidemic, to racism, homophobia, transphobia, and poverty—it came from. Above all, Paris Is Burning captures how queer communities carry us through our worst moments.
June 26 through July 7: Panti Bliss: If These Wigs Could Talk at Studio Theatre; $54
Studio Theatre has had a phenomenal run of queer performances this past year, including Fun Home and Fat Ham. Now it has teamed up with Solas Nua, the D.C. arts org dedicated exclusively to contemporary Irish arts, to bring the “Queen of Ireland” to D.C. If you love drag (or Ireland), don’t miss your chance to see the iconic Irish drag queen Panti Bliss’s residency this Pride.
June 28: DC Pride Poem-a-Day, 7 p.m. at Little District Books; free
Loca poets Richard Hamilton, Kim Roberts, Natasha Sajé, and Dan Vera will share from this year’s poetry project, which celebrates queer and trans poets from the D.C. region by releasing a poem a day for all of June.
June 29: Fightmaster, 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis; $18
New name to your ears? This is the musical endeavor of nonbinary comedian, actor, performer, and activist E.R. Fightmaster, best known for acting on Grey’s Anatomy and starring in Lucy Dacus’ “Night Shift” music video. Their sophomore EP, Bloodshed Baby, was released June 7 and the DMV can catch them live to close out Pride Month.
June 29 to 30: LavenderCon at the National Press Club; $35 and up
Little District Books honors LGBTQIA authors and stories at this two-day fest that’s jam-packed with readings, panels, signings, and more all celebrating the power, potency, and potential of queer storytelling!
July 12 through April 20, 2025: This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance at the National Portrait Gallery; free
This just-announced exhibition is meant to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the writer, essayist, playwright, and activist James Baldwin, so how could we not include it in our Pride Guide? Curated by NPG’s Director of Curatorial Affairs Rhea L. Combs (in consultation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New Yorker staff writer Hilton Als), the one-room exhibit will explore Baldwin’s legacy alongside his contemporaries in art, music, film, literature, and activism.