It’s been a year now since Uproar became the cozily intimate home for Charger Stone’s long-running, hirsute happy hour event. And this Friday, Aug. 9, those in the Crüe can opt to get even more intimate if they’d like. Two hours after doors open at 5 p.m., Stone has invited “Adonis” Ryan Lahr, a representative with Athena’s Home Novelties, to present, discuss, and sell the company’s wares. Taking a page from Tupperware, Athena’s enlists and instructs salespeople such as Lahr to host gatherings in a somewhat private, sex-positive “safe environment,” one where attendees can “view, sample, and purchase sensuous products.” At Uproar, interested bears will have to make their way to the relatively secluded second floor to see and buy the sex enhancers and insertables on offer until 9:30 p.m. Everybody else can drink, converse, and cruise as usual, missing out on newfound pleasures, perhaps, but not on the standard special of $5 per rail cocktail or 32 ounce draft pitcher of Bud Light or Shock Top. Free appetizers will also be offered, with additional food available for purchase off the restaurant’s food menu. Uproar is at 639 Florida Ave NW. Call 202-462-4464 or visit www.facebook.com/uproarloungedc.
AVALON SATURDAYS: MADSCIENCE VS. WESS
On Saturday, Aug. 10, Dougie Meyer offers a roundabout but novel way of toasting the legacies of two of D.C.’s best-known and longest-standing LGBTQ dance clubs — Cobalt and Town — both of which closed over the past year. At the popular weekly LGBTQ party he throws at downtown’s trendy Soundcheck, Meyer welcomes two veteran local DJs for what is playfully billed as a “Battle of the DJs.” On one side, you have Jesse “Madscience” Jackson, who was an omnipresent resident at Cobalt, spinning through hip-hop and rock or techno and EDM as much as dance-pop and for both weeknight and weekend parties. On the other side, there’s DJ Wess, who essentially lived at Town every weekend, setting the pace for alt-night events and Friday nights in particular, throughout the Shaw danceboutique’s decade-long run. The party kicks off at 10:30 p.m. with a drag show hosted by Ba’naka and with additional performances from Brooklyn Heights, Bambi Necole Farrah, and Kristina Kelly, as well as the birthday queen du nuit Iyana Deschanel. Doors are at 10 p.m., and the bar offers $4 Absolut cocktails until midnight. Soundcheck is at 1420 K St. NW. Tickets are $14.99 to $19.99, or $24.99 for VIP with express entry and access to a private lounge with a dedicated bartender. Ages 18 and up. Call 202-789-5429 or visit www.dougiemeyerpresents.com.
Meanwhile, Trade is offering a delayed toast to the summer solstice this Saturday, Aug. 10, with a party that’s ultimately inspired by this summer’s hit scary Swedish-set movie Midsommar. Starting at 10 p.m., the party will offer a series of special ceremonies, capped off by a May Pole Dance competition in which the winner takes the title of May Queen. The prize is a flower crown and a gift card to IKEA. (Mid)Summer Camp is mistress of ceremonies, and DJ Ed Bailey is the musical guide. Maja will offer a cocktail with “special properties” for all those in attendance at this seasonal affair, which is Rated 21+. Trade is at 1410 14th St. NW. Call 202-986-1094 or visit www.tradebardc.com.
TART: QUEER DANCE PARTY
Next Friday, Aug. 16, U Street Music Hall presents the debut of a new quarterly series geared to the LGBTQ crowd, with each edition programmed around what could be called poptarts, or select contemporary pop music artists. The first harvest is a puckering blend of divas, pretty girls, and rude boys — as featured in the the music of Britney, Beyoncé, and Rihanna, played by DJs Matt Bailer and Honey. And then there’s the sweettart performances at midnight from some of the tartiest drag queens in town: Riley Knoxx, BABY, Desiree Dik, Brooklyn Heights, Iyana Deschanel, and Sasha Adams Sanchez. Washington Heights hosts. Party starts at 10 p.m., with dancing until 3 a.m. U Street Music Hall is at 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 202-588-1880 or visit www.ustreetmusichall.com.
A judge declared a mistrial in the case of a Mississippi man accused of murdering gay University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") student, Jimmy "Jay" Lee.
Lee is believed to be dead but a body has never been found.
The mistrial was declared by Third Judicial Circuit Judge Kelly Luther after a jury deadlocked three separate times -- following nine-and-a-half hours of deliberation -- on whether 24-year-old Sheldon "Timothy" Herrington, Jr. was guilty of capital murder in the 2022 killing of Lee.
Mississippi law defines capital murder as a killing committed along with another felony -- in this case, kidnapping.
Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed a mobile banking app security bill that was motivated by the murders of two gay New Yorkers.
The Financial App Security Act would have required mobile banking applications like Zelle, Venmo, and CashApp to require the use of a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when a user made any transaction exceeding a monetary limit of their choosing.
The bill also would have required a PIN before making any payments to another user whose account was created less than 24 hours before the transfer, any payment transactions beyond three made within the same hour, any attempt to sign into the service using a new or unrecognized device, and any other situations that indicating fraud. Most financial institutions, including official banking websites, already have similar, though not identical, security measures in place.
Eleven Illinois teenagers have been charged with felony crimes for allegedly assaulting two men. The teens, all males aged 16 or 17, reportedly lured the men to two separate locations in July using a gay dating app.
On July 8, around 9:45 p.m., a 41-year-old man reported to police that he'd been beaten by a group of teenagers earlier in the evening after arranging to meet someone in the parking lot of a local gas station. Upon arriving, he was approached by a group of teenagers who confronted him verbally and beat him while also damaging his car. The man told police he was able to flee the scene in his vehicle and was eventually able to get away from the teens, who followed him in their vehicles.
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