This weekend marks the return of the District’s queer spoken word summit: Capturing Fire. The three-day event takes place throughout NW D.C. and will host a slew of international performers. “I wanted to create an international network of queer spoken word poets and to fortify local queer poetry voices in Washington, D.C.,” says Regie Cabico, one of several founders of the festival. The festival’s mission became focused on increasing visibility and exposure of LGBTQ performing artists. Cabico, along with D.C.’s Natalie E. Illum—a well known slam champion, published writer and storyteller—and the national poetry organization Split This Rock, joined forces to make Capturing Fire. It was their response to the “lack of representation of queer voices in the poetry community,” says Lindsay Tauscher, Cabico’s second-in-command for the festival. Since its founding in 2010, the annual poetry summit has become a unique showcase of talented writers. Kicking off Friday night (tonight!)...
by Katy Ray I remember the first time I discovered my cameltoe: I was a sophomore in high school and just joined the color guard team. As if that weren’t enough social self-destruction on its own, our instructor selected tight, gold Lycra unitards for our show’s theme, Pearl Harbor. The day our uniforms arrived, I begrudgingly slipped into the soft, form-fitting fabric and stood in front of a full-length mirror, drowning in a sea of my own self-consciousness. My eyes’ journey to my cameltoe was painfully quick, simple and unmistakable: My eyes traveled from my small breasts down to my somewhat protruding stomach, further on to my wide hips and thighs, stopping when I noticed a small, distinct crease where I’d never seen one before. Immediately, I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed. Why could I see my... Before I could even process the picture in front of me, my best...
By now you’ve probably all noticed DJ Jay Von Teese moving the crowd at Phase 1. Maybe some of you have shared a dance or one of Anne’s margaritas with her. Now, get ready to watch her spin next Wednesday – June 5 – at CAMELTOE – a Pride party presented by Tagg Magazine and Where The Girls Go. But who is the lady behind the DJ booth? Jay Von Teese, aka Jasmine Andrews, considers herself a California girl, having spent most of her life (on and off) in the Golden State. “My mother moved me around a lot when I was younger — trying to find her place in the world, and I feel she passed it on to me,” says Jasmine. “But Cali always seems like a place I go back to.” She came to DC three years ago by way of Fresno, with a broken heart. Seeking...
By Kate Craig In college, being awake at 4:30 a.m. meant I’d enjoyed a good night on the town, probably hit up the local Taco Bell and replayed the night’s events with my roommates around the kitchen table. I’d be heading to bed soon and it wouldn’t be until noon when I next opened my eyes. A decade later, things certainly have changed. Going to sleep late means 9:30, so when my alarm sounds seven hours later at 4:30, I’m willing to climb out of bed. I realize that 4:30 a.m. probably sounds ungodly to many. But allow me to paint a picture for you. A city that is charged with the energy and desire to change the world is still sleeping. The sun has yet to crest above the horizon. I-395 is passable and not a parking lot. If you’re the coxswain like me, you’re on the water with...
You’ve seen her getting down at Madam’s Organ. You’ve heard her spinning at OverEasy, at Bar Hop or at countless other events across D.C. Get to know the lady behind the DJ booth—old-school, professional and totally dedicated to keeping the party crankin’. DJ India has been a professional DJ for over a decade, but she began spinning records at age 10 at her father’s house. “When my sister and I would visit him on the weekends, we would have the whole block shakin’,” she says. She eventually started DJing his parties. “Other kids would ask, ‘Why do you get to go to the parties? And I would be like, see you guys later!” says India. Today she plays up and down the East Coast and all over the country, and she’s been the resident DJ at Madam’s Organ for the past five years. DJ India has been in the game...
Happy Clitoris Week! Clitoraid, an organization that promotes sexual freedom and fights female excision practices worldwide, has declared May 6-12 International Clitoris Awareness Week. How will you celebrate? Here are our top 10 favorite ideas. Let us know yours on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments section below! Celebrate your clit: 1. Get a hand mirror (or a full-length one, if you're feeling extra curious) and a cheap speculum, and get a good look at what kind of party's raging down there. 2. Blast Tweet's "Oops, Oh My" in an empty house and romance yourself properly before worshiping your little missus. 3. If there's any good week to try out a cheesy pick-up line on a stranger, it's this one. Hey, you're just spreading awareness, right? 4. Look through a book of Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings and tilt your head until you can kind of see how anyone ever saw anything but giant...
Pink and Purple Weekend returns to DC for the third year this Friday with DUSK: a party for women & their friends, hosted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The annual ladies event is part of the Task Force's Pride Kickoff Weekend. Founded in 1973, the Task Force is the oldest national LGBT organization in the U.S. and is headquartered here in the District. While it might seem a little early for Pride parties, the national organization will be attending Pride festivals throughout the country all season long, so they have a good excuse to start early. And the 2013 weekend packs an even bigger punch than the last two years. “We’re celebrating our 40th anniversary of movement building,” says lead volunteer for DUSK and board member of the Task Force advocacy arm- the Action Fund, Monique Hall. “This year, Pink and Purple Weekend will highlight all of...
Three things come to my mind when I think about summer: day drinking, rooftop parties, and beach trips. And none of these things would be complete without the perfect soundtrack to accompany it. With the first OverEasy of the season quickly approaching- it's SUNDAY- and this week's Best Coast ticket giveaway, co-sponsored by the 9:30 Club, Where The Girls Go has been thinking A LOT about the greatest summer songs. We've asked you to tell us your favorites and here's what our Twitter followers have told us: @louiedizon - "Girls" by Santigold @c8emini - "Genius of Love" by the Tom Tom Club #ultimate #SummerJam Can't get any better than that! @swirladay - "With Arms Outstretched" by Rilo Kiley will always be the best summer song! @ladiesrockthis - "40 Oz. To Freedom" - Pretty much anything from Sublime reminds me of SoCal summers. @zyxwvalentina - "Breezeblocks" by Alt-J @kateonhealthit - "Uner...
Photos by Elise Parvati If band rehearsal starts with beers and shots of Patron, it’s going to be a good time and that’s just how Company Calls likes it on Wednesday nights. What comes next is a mix of original and diverse songs, debates over the best girl party in the DMV (BARE and She.Rex taking the top spots), and the band’s plans for the future. Not to mention, more beer, more great songs and a few stories suggesting that Sam, the drummer, doubles as the group’s resident heartthrob. Regardless of where the conversation topics take us throughout the night, Company Calls has been taking the DMV and the queer music scene by storm ever since they blew up after their first appearance at 2012's Phasefest. With plans for a debut EP, a tour and summer music festival appearances planned out, Company Calls is going to be very...
By Guest Contributor, Cara Rockhill I like to watch the reactions when I tell someone I’m talking to in a bar that I’m in seminary. It’s like this: Or this: Or this: Okay, so I don’t like it when someone walks away, but generally it’s a fun reaction that leads to an interesting conversation. Frequently, it starts with a quizzical look that implies one of two questions: “So, why are you in a bar?” or “Does that mean you’re celibate?” To clarify: I’m not Catholic. I might end up becoming a priest, but not a Catholic one. I see no reason to live a life without drinking (or sex), and fortunately my denomination doesn’t think I should, either. That would be dull. I find that there are a lot of questions about religion, though, and that makes sense. I was yelled at for being a sinner during 2009's March for...
