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HOME > LOCAL LIFE > BEST OF GAY DC
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The Blade’s annual roundup of the Best of Gay D.C. includes many perennial favorites, like Annie’s and JR.’s, along with a few fresh faces that help keep this city lively and dynamic.
In a year marked by disappointments on the gay rights front — from anti-gay marriage amendments winning approval in 11 states on Election Day to the untimely death of activist Wanda Alston to a push by the Catholic Church to bar gay seminarians — it is refreshing to read the story of Revs. Dennis and Christine Wiley, two pro-gay ministers who preside at Covenant Baptist Church. The Wileys are our pick for best straight ally.
Blade readers voted for the best of gay D.C. in our online poll, while the editors debated choices that frequently diverged from the readers’ picks. Chris Crain, Kevin Naff, Rhonda Smith, Ken Sain, Brian Moylan, Lou Chibbaro Jr., Eartha Melzer, Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Katherine Volin, Jorge Valencia and Patrick Folliard contributed to this year’s guide.
For the first time in the four years that the Blade has conducted this survey, VelvetNation has been unseated as the city’s top gay nightclub. Maybe that has something to do with Apex’s universal appeal, which spans several nights rather than just one big party each week. Thursday is college night, and with no cover with a student ID and no classes on Friday, all the young guys (and the guys who love them) come out to play. On Fridays, some of the city’s best DJ talent and the venue’s multi-floor layout attracts a bit of an older crowd, but one that certainly knows how to have fun. Saturday’s Liquid Ladies party is one of the hottest spots for lesbians in town, especially those who love dance music and hip-hop.
Apex
1415 22nd St., NW
202-296-0505
www.apex-dc.com
Yes, this six-year-old Saturday gay dance party may have been bounced as the readers’ choice and it may not be as popular as it once was, but it is still one of the best joints in town. If you were at its annual Madonnarama recently, you know that Velvet still gets packed, the music is still bumpin’, and the boys still love it. And just wait, the rest of the year brings Junior Vasquez, Victor Calderone, and Abel (on New Year’s Eve, no less) to this iconic D.C. venue. It may be getting older, but it is way too soon to count Velvet out of the running.
VelvetNation
Saturday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Half & K Sts., SE
www.velvetnation.com
It’s a shame that D.C. really only has one dedicated lesbian bar, but as long as we only have one bar, it might as well be this Capitol Hill gem, which is also the city’s oldest continuously running gay bar. Sure, lesbians in the District have other options if they want to go out and party, but the Phase offers a safe place to relax, have a nightcap, dance, shoot pool, catch a drag king show or just meet some friends. It may not attract the most diverse crowd, but there really isn’t any other place in town like the Phase.
Phase One
525 8th St., SE
202-544-6831
For as long as anyone can remember, Wednesdays at Chaos has meant ladies night, and it has always been a popular one. Many other bars (some even on the same 17th Street strip) have tried and failed to pull the loyal crowd away. Maybe it’s the mix of both newly out women and those who have been in town for a few years. Maybe it’s the low ceilings and intimate venue. Maybe it’s the burlesque show the third Wednesday of each month. But, no matter what the secret is, everyone knows that if it’s the middle of the week and you’re looking for a hot time with hot lesbians, this is the place to be.
Chaos
Wednesdays
1633 Q St., NW
202-232-4141
www.chaosdc.com
The name may be a little clunky, but it’s the only way to describe these happenings for the hippest and sexiest of the city’s Sapphic crowd. Masterminded by local lesbian Bridget Hieronymus, who wanted, “somewhere I could sit or walk around and have a good drink and talk to people,” she partnered with Kimpton Hotels — the swank chain that also ...
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