Center Programs: OutWrite

February OutWrite LGBT Book Festival planning meeting

2017-01-23T20:00:38Z

Thursday, February 2 is our next planning meeting for the OutWriteDC LGBT Book Festival @TheDCCenter

On Thursday, February 2nd from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, we will be holding our monthly planning meeting for the 2017 7th Annual OutWrite LGBT Book Festival at The DC Center (The DC Center 2000 14th St NW Suite 105, Washington DC). OutWrite 2016 was a great event--and we want you to help us make OutWrite 2017 even better!

OutWrite is a celebration of LGBT Literature. The weekend is full of book readings, writing workshops, book discussions, poetry readings and more. Several LGBT book publishers regularly exhibit at OutWrite.

What will OutWrite look like? That is in our hands--and comes from our imagination! We hope you will join us in shaping a fantastic OutWrite 2017.

Share your ideas and expertise!
Open to the public.

You are invited to the First DC Center/Center Arts Volunteer Mixer

2017-01-03T19:40:41Z

You are invited to the First DC Center/Center Arts Volunteer Mixer on Thursday, January 12,2017 at 7pm at the DC Center located at 2000 14th Street NW, Suite 105.

At this event you will have the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals who not only want to volunteer their time with Center Arts but have a good time doing it.

You will also learn about all the volunteer opportunities that we have available including for Outwrite, our literary book festival, Queer Theater Festival & Reel Affirmations: Washington DC's International LGBTQ Film Festival as well as The Ask Rayceen Show.

We will be serving libations, non-alcoholic beverages and food so come join us & learn how you can play a vital role in creating a DC Center Arts Event in 2017.

Please RSVP to kimberley@thedccenter.org no later than Monday January 9th, 2017

January OutWrite LGBT Book Festival planning meeting

2016-12-29T00:06:23Z

Tuesday, January 3 is our next planning meeting for the OutWriteDC LGBT Book Festival @TheDCCenter

On Tuesday, January 3rd from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, we will be holding our monthly planning meeting for the 2017 7th Annual OutWrite LGBT Book Festival at The DC Center (The DC Center 2000 14th St NW Suite 105, Washington DC). OutWrite 2016 was a great event--and we want you to help us make OutWrite 2017 even better!

What will OutWrite look like? That is in our hands--and comes from our imagination! We hope you will join us in shaping a fantastic OutWrite 2017.

Share your ideas and expertise!
Open to the public.

January 03,2016

World AIDS Day Art Events

2016-12-01T19:35:51Z

Looking for ways to join members of the community in uniting for World AIDS Day? Look no further. The following list is a compilation of artistic happenings in the metro area commemorating World AIDS Day 2016.

What: An Evening of Storytelling: HIV Providers and Professionals United
When: Thursday, December 1st, 2016 @ 5-7pm
Where: University of Maryland, Baltimore--School of Nursing, Room 140
655 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21201

December 1st is World AIDS Day. Please join us for a night of thought provoking discussion with HIV providers and professionals who have dedicated their life's work to addressing the HIV Epidemic.
Find more info here.

What: An Evening with Cleve Jones, author of When We Rise
When: Thursday, December 1st, 2016 @ 6:30-9:30pm
Where: all Souls Church, Unitarian
1500 Harvard St. NW, Washington, DC 20009

Join Whitman-Walker Health and All Souls Justice Ministries as we host Cleve Jones, longtime activist and creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, in an evening of conversation about his life and forthcoming memoir, "When We Rise: My Life in the Movement."
Find more info here.

What: A Day With(out) Art: A Compulsive Practice
When: Thursday, December 1st, 2016 @ 7-9pm
Where: 3229 Walbridge Pl NW, Washington, DC 20010

For the 2016 Day With(out) Art, Visual AIDS presents COMPULSIVE PRACTICE, a video compilation of compulsive, daily, and habitual practices by nine artists and activists who live with their cameras as one way to manage, reflect upon, and change how they are deeply affected by HIV/AIDS. This hour-long video program will be distributed internationally to museums, art institutions, schools and AIDS organizations.
Find more info here.

What: World AIDS Fashion Show (Shades of Blue 2.0)
When: Thursday, December 1st, 2016 @ 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Busboys and Poets
235 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012

Join us for a night of art and fashion while discussing matters surrounding women and sexual reproductive health. Get the facts about PrEP as an HIV prevention tool. Refreshments will be provided.
Find more info here.

Finally, we'd be remiss to not invite our community to the Reel Affirmations screening of "Pushing Dead", a film about living with HIV directed by Tom E. Brown. Following the film, there will be a Q&A with the director and leaders from the HIV prevention community. Cocktails and light fare available with purchase of Reel Affirmations reception ticket. Both reception and general admission tickets can be purchased at reelaffirmations.org

What: Reel Affirmations Presents in Honor of World AIDS Day: Pushing Dead
When: Friday, December 2nd @ 7-9pm
Where: Human Rights Campaign building
1640 Rhode Island ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Find more info here.

Book Discussion on Lincoln's Sexuality

2016-11-03T16:53:06Z

See below for a message from President Lincoln's Cottage about an interesting upcoming book event:

Attention, history nerds! Next Thursday (11/10) President Lincoln's Cottage (on the corner of Upshur and Rock Creek Church in Petworth) will be hosting a book discussion on Lincoln's sexuality. Join us as author Charles Strozier and consulting public LGBT historian Susan Ferentinos discuss Strozier's book, Your Friend Forever, A. Lincoln: The Enduring Friendship of Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed.

Strozier and Ferentinos will discuss Lincoln's lifelong friendship with Speed, and deeper examine how male intimacy has been treated in our country during the Civil War, and over time.

President Lincoln's Cottage's Cottage Conversations offers relaxing evenings to socialize and learn something new about our 16th president from authors, collectors, and artists. The program begins with a cocktail reception (6PM), is followed by the lecture (6:30PM), and concludes with a book signing.

For more information, or to reserve tickets, please visit our website.

Book Event with Kate Bornstein, Author of "Gender Outlaw"

2016-10-31T19:53:18Z

A message from sixth&i about an upcoming book event:

On Wednesday, November 30 at 7:00 pm, sixth&i is hosting an event with the celebrated transgender trailblazer, Kate Bornstein, who will discuss the updated edition of her book Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. Profoundly ahead of its time when it was originally published in 1994, Gender Outlaw is the first book of gender theory written by a trans person.

Kate, who has recurring appearances on Caitlyn Jenner's show "I Am Cait," was assigned male at birth and underwent gender confirmation surgery at age thirty-eight in 1986 to become a woman. She later came to realize that, at her core, she identified as neither male nor female. So she began to wonder: what if there are not two genders, but a whole spectrum? What if the gender binary is not only restricting trans people, but anyone who has ever felt like less than a perfect man or woman?

We hope you will join for a night of meaningful conversation as Kate shares personal insights and outlines her investigation into our notions of gender.

More information about the event can be found here.

(This is a ticketed event)

Where Love Is Illegal

2016-10-11T20:59:04Z

National Geographic photographers have sparked change for over a century. Photographer Robin Hammond shares how platforms like Instagram are making it possible to amplify important stories and connect with audiences like never before--revolutionizing how we capture and consume world-changing photography.

Robin has been sparking change for his entire career, using his camera to record human rights and development issues around the globe through long-term photography projects. His work documenting the abuses under strongman Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe was featured in National Geographic magazine, displayed in an exhibit in Paris, and culminated in his first book, Your Wounds Will Be Named Silence. Robin has been awarded a W. Eugene Smith Fund Grant for Humanistic Photography, a World Press Photo prize, the Pictures of the Year International World Understanding Award, and four Amnesty International awards for human rights journalism.

Read more about Where Love Is Illegal in The New York Times.

Free parking is available to ticket holders with proof of purchase. Garage opens at 6:30 p.m.

Event Date/Time: Friday, November 18, 2016 7:30PM
Location:1600 M St NW, Washington, DC 20036

BUY TICKETS HERE

USE PROMO CODE : LOVE20 to get your discount.

OutWrite Planning Meeting

2016-10-11T15:41:49Z

On Wednesday, November 16th from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, we will be holding our monthly planning meeting for the 2017 7th Annual OutWrite LGBT Book Festival at The DC Center (The DC Center 2000 14th St NW Suite 105, Washington DC). OutWrite 2016 was a great event--and we want you to help us make OutWrite 2017 even better!

What will OutWrite look like? That is in our hands--and comes from our imagination! We hope you will join us in shaping a fantastic OutWrite 2017.

Update: More Volunteer Slots for OutWrite!

2016-07-26T17:43:54Z

The OutWrite LGBT Book Festival is a three day long event filled to the brim with talented LGBT authors, speakers, entertainers, journalists, and organizations!
In order to bring this to life, we need volunteers to help us set up and tear down on Friday, August 5th and Sunday, August 7th. These volunteers slots are only for an hour! Come get involved in your DC LGBT community and enjoy all the festival has to offer!

To check out the volunteer time slots (and sign up for one!) click the button below:

OutWrite LGBT Book Fair- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

In Name and Memory

2016-07-25T22:55:01Z

In this panel moderated by Anthony Moll, we will discuss efforts to immemorialize, remember and honor members of our communities lost to violence as well as examining the systems that perpetuate and enable the crimes that led to those losses.

As a 1st grader, who had just learned the art of "Beginning Middle End," Imani wrote a story about a tiny elephant, named Tinka, who felt different because she was smaller than all the other elephants. At the time, Imani had no idea that this short story would go on to be the debut work of a poet. Much later in life, as a high school student, she didn't know that a pesky moment of curiosity would lead to her first performance poem. As a nosey little sister, she would regularly bother her older brother as he was doing his homework. On a fateful fall day he taught her to write poetry, and she instantly knew poetry was a great way to alleviate teenage angst around being younger and smaller than everyone else. Since then, she has developed an infinitely rippling love for poetry in all of its forms. She believes in the healing power of words and the transformational nuance of the human story. Imani lives in Seattle, WA where she continues to share her story and collect the stories of other QWOC. Her book Twisted Oak is available on Requiem Press and her second collection Beloved:Collision is available via Amazon. Her third book (A)live Heart is forthcoming on Sibling Rivalry Press.

Francisco-Luis White is an agender, AfroLatinx writer, poet and storyteller currently residing in District of Columbia. They have presented at the Carolina Conference on Queer Youth (2014 and 2015), Fire & Ink Conference for LGBTQ Writers of African Descent (2015), and the United States Conference on AIDS (2014). In 2015, they were recognized by National Black Justice Coalition as an SGL/LGBTQ Emerging Leader to Watch and one of Qnotes Faces of The Future. White is a contributor toTheBody.com and for HIV Equal. Francisco-Luis White on social media: @FranciscoLWhite & Facebook.com/franciscoluiswhite

Alexis De Veaux was born and raised in Harlem, the product of two merging streams of black history in New York City-immigrants from the Caribbean on her mother's side and migrants from North Carolina on her father's side-who settled in Harlem in the early decades of the Twentieth Century. The social movements of the 1960s, and the black writers associated with them, had a determining impact. Alexis began to envision the possibilities of living as a writer. In the early 1970s she joined the writer's workshop of the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center in Harlem. In the ensuing decades, the tensions between the Black Arts Movement, an emerging black feminist movement, and, later, the Third World Gay and Lesbian Liberation Movement, were the backdrop for Alexis's writing. Her work began to be defined by two critical concerns: making the racial and sexual experiences of black female characters central to her work, and disrupting boundaries between forms. Today, Alexis is a celebrated writer and activist recognized for her lifelong contributions to a number of women's and literary organizations. She has collaborated with the visual artist Valerie Maynard and poet Kathy Engel on the digital project, "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been Terrorized?"(available on YouTube); and co-founded with Kathy Engel, Lyrical Democracies (www.lyricaldemocracies.com), a cultural partnership aimed at communities interested in working with poets to enhance existing social projects. With her new work, Yabo, Alexis has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

RSVP to our Facebook event here

A Lil' Laughing Color: A Workshop with Chelsea Shorte

2016-07-25T22:48:05Z

A Lil' Laughing Color: An introduction to writing and performing life-affirming stand up comedy

Workshop Instructor: Chelsea Shorte

So often as trans and queer people we come together to process the macro- and micro-aggressions affecting our lives. Rarely, do we discuss them in such a way as to bring us comfort in their ridicule, but laughter is a vital resource for our communities' healing and survival. Life affirming comedy includes performances that bring us joy and affirm our lives and the lives of those we love. Life affirming comedy is funny without making fun of people, especially marginalized people or experiences. In this workshop we will conquer our fear of standing alone on stage and attempting to make an audience laugh; learn some basic structure for writing stand up comedy and practice these writing structures with solo, partner, and group exercises. We will use instructor, partner and group feedback to mold funny ideas into anti-oppressive comedy.

RSVP to our Facebook event here

The OutWrite Festival Needs Volunteers!

2016-07-25T22:32:11Z

OutWrite is a celebration of LGBT literature. The nonprofit festival takes place at the DC Center for the LGBT community and consists of readings, panels, workshops and book vendors. The event is free and open to the public, and occurs on August 5th, 6th, and 7th.

In order to make this event happen, we need volunteers on August 6th! As the date looms ever closer, check your schedule and see if there is a volunteer time slot that is right for you!

To check which volunteer slots are available, as well as sign up for one, click the button for Sign Up Schedule!

OutWrite Volunteer Sign Up

Latinx Authors at OutWrite Book Festival! / Escritores Latinx en el festival de libros OutWrite!

2016-07-25T17:40:50Z

At this year's OutWrite LGBT Book Festival, there are many events to look forward to (almost too many!). Center Latinxs is particularly excited for these Latinx-focused events - Queer Brown Voices and Fuego y Hielo - but did you know there are other Latinx authors featured at OutWrite? Check them out and see you at the festival!

Lázaro Lima and Michael Nava at OutWrite kick off event, the book launch of Love Unites Us, Friday, August 5 at 6:30 PM.

Lázaro Lima is a Research Fellow at American University's Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. Lima's writing, research, and films focus on the political emergence of Latino forms of civic personhood, and the attendant institutional, juridical and cultural industries that enable Latino democratic legibility and participation to emerge in civil society. Lima has published several books and most recently co-wrote and executive produced the documentary, Las Mujeres: Latina Lives, American Dreams.

Michael Nava is an award winning author of numerous books, including a series of novels featuring the character Henry Rios, a gay, Latino defense attorney in Los Angeles. Nava has also had a distinguished career as a lawyer working primarily in the California court system. As a lawyer, he has been a tireless advocate for greater diversity in the legal profession. You can also catch Nava at Of Poverty, Beauty and Joy on Saturday, August 6 at 3pm.

Francisco-Luis White at Muses Fair and Sundry: Poetry Reading on Saturday, August 6 at noon, and at In Name & Memory, Saturday, August 6 at 2pm.

Francisco-Luis White is an agender, AfroLatinx writer, poet and storyteller currently residing in DC. They have presented at the Carolina Conference on Queer Youth, Fire & Ink Conference for LGBTQ Writers of African Descent, and the United States Conference on AIDS. In 2015, they were recognized by National Black Justice Coalition as an SGL/LGBTQ Emerging Leader to Watch and one of Qnotes Faces of The Future. White is a contributor to TheBody.com and HIV Equal.

Joanna Cifredo at Of Poverty, Beauty and Joy, Saturday, August 6 at 2pm.

Joanna Cifredo is a writer and healthy equity advocate. She works at the National Center for Transgender Equality, where she serves as policy expert on issues related to communities of color, immigrants and lower income transgender people. Joanna also serves as an Advisor to the D.C. Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Whitman Walker Health's Board of Directors, and on Empoderate Youth Center's Community Advisory Board.

____________________________________________________________

Este año en OutWrite, el festival de libros LGBT, hay bastante que ver (casi demasiado!). Nosotrxs en Centro Latinxs estamos especialmente ansiosxs para estos eventos de nuestra comunidad - Queer Brown Voices y Fuego y Hielo - pero sabia que autores Latinx se presentaran en otros eventos de OutWrite? Conozca un poco mas de ellxs y nos vemos en el festival!

Lázaro Lima y Michael Nava en el primer evento de OutWrite, el lanzamiento del libro Love Unites Us, el viernes 5 de agosto a las 6:30pm.

Lázaro Lima trabaja como investigador en el Centro de Estudios de Latino America y de Latinos en la Universidad American. Sus investigaciones toman forma a traves de la escritura y en peliculas y se enfocan en la participacion de Latinos en la politica. Lima ha publicado varios libros y recien trabajo como co-escritor y productor ejecutivo del documental Las Mujeres: Vidas Latinas, Sueños Americanos.

Michael Nava es escritor de numerosas novelas premiadas, incluyendo la serie del personaje ficcional Henry Rios, un gay Latino que trabaja como abogado defensor. Nava tambien trabaja como abogado y ha abogado por mas diversidad en la profesion legal. Tambien puede ver a Nava en otro evento de OutWrite, Of Poverty, Beauty and Joy, el sabado 6 de agosto a las 3pm.

Francisco-Luis White en el evento Muses Fair and Sundry: Poetry Reading el sabado 6 de agosto a las 12pm, y en In Name & Memory, el 6 de agosto a las 2pm.

Francisco-Luis White is una persona AfroLatinx sin genero, escritor y poeta quien actualmente vive en DC. Ellxs se han presentado en varias conferencias, incluyendo la conferencia Carolina de jovenes queer, Fire & Ink para escritores Afrodescendientes LGBTQ, y la conferencia de estados unidos para el SIDA. En el 2015, fueron recognizado como lider de la comunidad por la coalicion nacional de justicia para la gente negra. White escribe para el sitio de web TheBody.com y HIV Equal.

Joanna Cifredo en el evento Of Poverty, Beauty and Joy, el sabado 6 de agosto a las at 2pm.

Joanna Cifredo es una escritora y aboga para la equidad en salud. Ella trabaja en el Centro Nacional para la Igualdad Transgenera como experta de políticas acerca las comunidades de color, inmigrantes, y las personas transgeneras de bajo recurso. Joanna tambien trabaja como consejera a la oficina de asuntos LGBTQ de la alcaldia de DC, y esta en la junta directive de Whitman Walker Health y del centro de jovenes en Empoderate.

QUILTBAG Representation in Media

2016-07-18T17:47:43Z

A panel moderated by co-authors Rachelne Maltese and Erin McRae!

Racheline Maltese is a queer writer living a big life from a small space. She flies planes, sails boats, and rides horses, but as a native New Yorker, has no idea how to drive a car. A performer and storyteller focused on themes of celebrity, gender, desire and mourning, Racheline has a journalism degree from The George Washington University; studied acting and directing at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School (New York City) and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (Sydney, Australia); and is a proud SAG-AFTRA member. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their two cats.

Erin is a writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C. She has a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto, and a Master's degree in International Affairs from American University. Together, Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese write the LGBTQ Hollywood romance series Love in Los Angeles (Torquere Press) and the theater-based Love's Labours series (Dreamspinner Press). Their work has also been published with Cleis Press and Supposed Crimes.

RSVP to our Facebook event here

Bones, Blood, and Time

2016-07-18T17:42:28Z

Readings from Alexis De Veaux and Victor Yates!

Victor Yates was raised in Jacksonville, Florida and now lives in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in Windy City Times, Edge, and The Voice. As a graduate of the Creative Writing program at Otis College, he is the recipient of an Ahmanson Foundation grant. He is the winner of the Elma Stuckey Writing Award (1st place in poetry) at Morehouse College. He received an Oprah Winfrey Scholarship and appeared on Oprah's Surprise Spectacular show. Two of his poems were included in the anthology, For Colored Boys, which was edited by Keith Boykin. The book won the American Library Association's Stonewall Book Award. Also, he has taught writing workshops at the University of Southern California, Job Corps, Whaley Middle School (Compton), Gindling Hilltop Camp (Malibu), and Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy (Inglewood). His novel, A Love Like Blood is a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award aka The Lammys for LGBT Debut Fiction. He has read at the prestigious ALOUD Reading Series produced by Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles. He has read at West Hollywood Book Fair, the West Hollywood Library, West Hollywood's City Council Chambers, One City, One Pride Arts Festival, and The Last Bookstore. Also, Yates has worked with Borders, the Hollywood Black Film Festival, Martha Stewart Fresh Finds, EraseDoubt (L.A.-county campaign), Top Chef, and Winter Party Festival.

RSVP for our Facebook event here