Mar 13, 2009  |  By: Rebecca Armendariz  | COMMENTS     

Morrissey at the Warner

Former Smiths front man and maybe-gay Morrissey takes the Warner Theatre stage Saturday in support of his new album, “Years of Refusal.”

Morrissey’s solo career began in 1988 with “Viva Hate,” which contains some of the Moz’s most-loved singles, like “Suedehead” and “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” which still find their way onto set lists today.

Morrissey declines to discuss his sexual orientation. He insisted he was asexual and celibate for years until 2006, when he admitted to British music rag NME that he was having sex, but wouldn’t say with whom.

The year 2004 found Morrissey releasing records for the first time since 1997’s “Maladjusted.” Since then his releases have been consistent with successful singles.

The British singer-songwriter, who turns 50 this year, has publicly expressed his disapproval of George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton and his love for Barack Obama, which should make his return to the District a happy one.

The Warner is located at 1299 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are $57.50 and $47.50 and may be purchased through livenation.com or the Warner box office.

Isabel Bishop at NMWA

Isabel Bishop, ‘trong>Campus Students No. 1,’ 1972, Oil on board, National Museum of Women in the Arts. (Image courtesy of National Museum of Women in the Arts

An exhibition of works from American painter Isabel Bishop is now open at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. “Miracle of Movement: Isabel Bishop in Union Square, New York” features 20 works from the museum’s collection, all of them depicting daily life in Manhattan from the view of Bishop’s 14th Street studio.

Bishop, who was straight, maintained a studio in Union Square from 1934 until 1984, four years before her death. Her subjects were typically blue collar women engaging in everyday activities. She also produced many images of female nudes in her studies of human activity.

“Miracle of Movement” runs through May 17. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is located at 1250 New York Ave. N.W.

SLDN national dinner

Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Frank

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network will hold its 17th annual national dinner and silent auction, “Stronger Military, Stronger America!” at the National Building Museum on Saturday.

SLDN is a non-profit that aims to end discrimination through advancing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the U.S. military’s ban on openly gay personnel. On March 2, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to repeal the law.

The keynote speaker will be Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, USNR (Retired). The 2009 Barry Winchell Courage Award recipient will be Maj. Margaret Witt.

The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with the dinner at 7:45 p.m. Individual tickets are $250 and may be purchased at sldn.org. The National Building Museum is located at 401 F St. N.W.

Isabel Bishop, ‘Campus Students No. 1,’ 1972, Oil on board, National Museum of Women in the Arts. (Image courtesy of National Museum of Women in the Arts

Nathaniel Frank at Lambda Rising

Nathaniel Frank, one of the most widely recognized experts on gays in the military and the writer who broke the story of the Army’s firing of gay Arabic linguists in 2002, will appear at Lambda Rising Bookstore Monday. Frank is a senior research fellow at the Palm Center, a research institute of the University of California in Santa Barbara.

Frank will read from and speak about his new book, “Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America.”

The book includes exclusive interviews with policymakers and attempts to predict what lies ahead for the policy. The book contends that evidence was concealed by the military when research concluded there was no rationale for the ban.

Frank’s work on gays in the military and other topics has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Republic, Slate, the Los Angeles Times and the Huffington Post.

Frank speaks at 6:30 p.m. Lambda Rising is located at 1625 Connecticut Ave. N.W.