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GAY LIFE:

Washington has a substantial gay and lesbian community, made up of people from literally all over the world. A few key facts will give you an idea of how gay-friendly Washington is:

  • Several studies have indicated that D.C. has the second-highest concentration of gay and lesbian citizens of any city in the country after San Francisco.

  • Washington is home to most of the country's major GLBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

  • Two of the city's 13 elected council members are gay, as are many other prominent civic leaders.

  • Washington has a long history as one of the most politically progressive cities in the country (regardless of who is in power at the federal level), having passed domestic partnership legislation and other legal protections for sexual minorities many years ago.

  • A prominent sociologist who studies urban communities recently declared Washington to be the best city in the U.S. for young gay people to live, based on quality of life, civil rights, and other factors!

A majority of the gay establishments are found in the Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and U Street-Cardozo neighborhoods, with a few in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and elsewhere. The best starting point will be to check the online edition of the Washington Blade at http://www.washblade.com/ (IGLA sponsor) and MetroWeekly, http://www.metroweekly.com/. Paper copies can also be picked up around town and at local bars and bookstores.

The following link will take you to a list of gay bars and restaurants:
http://www.funmaps.com/pdf/geographicalLocation/WashingtonDC_FunMap_2008ws.pdf

Some of the best streets and places for "gay-watching" are:

  • Dupont Circle Park (within the traffic circle of the same name) is a must-do. Sit in "the Circle" (or "Fruit Loop") and people-watch. Although it is not as gay as it used to be, this is still a great way to check out a cross-section of Washingtonians, heavy on the gay boys, but also popular with other folks!

  • Connecticut Avenue, NW, between Dupont Circle and Florida Avenue, which includes the Human Rights Campaign store, Lambda Rising (one of few country's remaining GLBT bookstores), and the Leather Rack.

  • 17th Street, NW, between P and S Streets, which includes long-standing gay establishments such as JR's, 17th Street Cafe, Windows, Cobalt, and various restaurants.

  • P Street, NW, between Dupont and Logan circles, and 14th Street, NW, between Thomas Circle and T Street, which includes the oh-so-gay Whole Foods Market, Halo Bar, Universal Gear clothing store, and various gay-owned, -friendly, and -oriented shops and restaurants.

  • Weekend evenings, more and more gays and lesbians are found on U Street, NW, between 8th and 14th Streets, thanks to the recent openings of Nellie's Sports Bar and Town nightclub.

There are, of course, many gyms in the city. Results (www.resultsthegym.com), with locations on U Street, NW, between 16th & 17th (the gayest) and a new location at Connecticut Avenue and L Streets, NW, is gay-owned AND an IGLA sponsor


DC Lesbian Life

Most would argue that the lesbian scene in DC is harder to come by. That's why the DCAC IGLA committee turned to local lesbian expertise to pull together a special 2008 IGLA Lesbian Map. The interactive map provides the where/when regarding local bars with special "ladies' nights," links to get women's basketball game tickets, and even information about how to get tickets to see Melissa Etheridge in concert - all during the week of IGLA 2008! Thanks to DC lesbian connoisseur Linsey Peciokonis for her help on this.


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