16 Out in the Mountains March 2000 The GLBTO Guide to Washington, DC BY LAURA MILLER ith the ever-controver- W sial Millennium March fast approaching, gays and lesbians nationwide are turning their eyes towards Washington, DC as a possible tourist-slash-political lobbying destination. What many don’t know is how much the DC area has to offer GLBTQ travelers year-round. It should hardly be surpris- ing that Washington boasts an enormous and highly visible gay community; most national gay—rights organizations are headquartered in DC. While the heavily politicized character of Washingtonian social life can GLBTQ newspaper, the Washington Blade, reveals dozens of professional organi- zations, including Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies and USDA GLOBE. There are also groups such as Bisexual People of Color, Girth & Mirth (fat gay men), CMRA (deaf Gays), Khush-DC (South Asian GLB), American Boyz, Inc. (FTM transgendered), Hotbox (railroad enthusiasts), Washington Wetskins (water polo team), and something known only as “Men of Discipline.” Many of these and other organizations regularly host get—togethers and special events. The best way to find out DC RESOURCES Washington Blade online www.washblade.com National Museum of Women www.nmwa.org Smithsonian Institute www.si.org Holocaust Museum www.ushmm.org in the Arts often have a closeting effect (you tend to run across a num- ber of people who are hush- hush about where they work and whom they’re dating), an impressive number of federal employees are very much “out and about.” Casual perusal of the resources listing in the city’s about them is to consult the Blaa'e’s website. However, in a city like Washington, you hardly need a special event to find gay or gay-friendly entertainment. This article cannot hope to touch upon all of the city’s nooks and crannies, but here are a few of the highlights: Washington IN Ilav Any GLBTQ tour of Washington should start at Dupont Circle, long recognized as the spiritual center of the gay community; in less politically correct times, it was affection- ately known as the “Fruit Loop.” Unfortunately, attempting to park a car in or near Dupont often turns into an all—day event. Yo’u’re far better off tak- ing the Metro, which is fairly idiot-proof, even for those who have never attempted to use public transportation. Take the Red Line to Dupont Circle, take an escalator up what looks like about 500 floors, and then follow the rainbow flags all the way up Connecticut Avenue. Along the way, you’ll run across one of the finest GLBTQ bookstores in the country, Lambda Rising, which offers an impressive array of new and used books and videos on every conceivable topic of interest to queer folks. For those long-suf- fering souls who have depend- ed upon Burlington’s Peace and Justice Center as their only source for GLBTQ-related lit- erature, this store is well worth a trip, ‘and it’s a good place to pick up a Washington Blade, a Metro Weekly, and a DC FunMap. Farther up the hill along Connecticut Ave, you’ll find a number of other shops offering a wide variety of sex toys, risque greeting cards, and various rainbow-colored knick- knacks. As Dupont Circle has become more gentrifred in recent years, the gay community has been gradually gravitating eastward, to the extent that real-estate agents are now shamelessly referring to the neighborhood surrounding 17th Street as “Dupont East.” Walk directly east from Connecticut Avenue along Q Street and eventually you will emerge into a second cluster of gay and gay-friendly shops and restaurants. A second bookstore, Lammas, is more women-orient- ed; less showy than Lambda Rising, it has a vaguely Peace- and—Justice Center feel to it. Down the street is another gay icon, Annie’s Paramount Steak- house, a delightful if often crowded destination for a week- end brunch or afternoon snack. If the weather is nice, the sidewalk cafes are an excellent vantage point for scoping gay men. By now, the lesbian traveler may be wondering where all the women are — not that you won’t see the occasional dyke couple strolling along 17th Street, but they are decidedly in the minority. Since Washington has no shortage of single, professional, educat- ed, rabidly feminist career women, the question of why the gay male community is so much-more vis- ible than the lesbian community is one which yields no easy answers. If you’re determined to find out where all the enlightened, intelli- gent professional women are hiding, or just want to see something slightly off the beaten path, consider a trip to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Located on the corner of New York Ave. and 13th Street, one block north of the Metro Center Metro stop, it features several centuries of paintings and sculpture by female artists, most of which easily rivals what you see in the more main- stream museums. Of course, if you’re willing to forego the gay scene com- pletely, Washington offers all the old stand—by tourist attrac- tions. Most charge no admis- sion, and many are worth a trip to Washington in and of them- selves: the Smithsonian muse- ums, Arlington Cemetery, the White House, the FBI building, and various monuments in between. lfyou’re prepared for a more sobering experience, set aside a few hours for the Holocaust Museum, located just a block away from the Smithsonian on 14th Street and Raoul Wallenberg. It attempts to do justice to all victims of the Holocaust, including homosex- uals. Passes are free, but are often available only on a limit- ed basis; check the museum’s Web site. Washington BU Nitlltt The options for dining out in Washington are virtually end- less. Any number of restaurants are located within- a stone’s ax‘; GAYELLDW PAGES” INFORMING THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SINCE 1973 All editions include a separate WOMEN'S SECTION USA/CANADA: $16 by first class mail Includes all states and provinces, national headquarters oi organizations, mail order companies, etc. EAST and SOUTH Edition: $12 by first class mail AL, AR, AZ, CT', DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NH. NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, TX, US Virgin Is, VA, VT, WV You can order directly from the address above, or you can find us at local gay-friendly bookstores, such as v Peace & Justice (Burlington) 802-863-2532 :":_ fix Everyone’s Books (Brattleboro) 802-254-8160 . é1‘j3\§§,Bear Pond Books (Montpelier) 802-22.9-0774 K_,:-_: For an application to be listed (no charge), or for details of current editions and prices, or Information about mailing labels, please send a sell-addressed stamped envelope to Renaissance House, PO Box 533-OIM, Village Station, New York, NY 10014 212-674-0120 gaye|lo@banet.net http://gayel lowpages.com .