Brightest Young Things

In case you haven't noticed, there is a LOT of gay happening in Washington, DC this week. In fact, beyond Homo Erectus: The Evolution of Pride (GET YOUR TICKETS!), and the rest of the great programming put together by Capital Pride (see the full schedule here), our friend Zack Rosen at The New Gay and Ebony Dumas (Anthology of Booty's DJ Natty Boom) have put together a stellar lineup of events for Alt.DC.Pride. Zack and Ebony sat down with the BYGays to discuss Pride, the amazing fun to be had this week and how much we all love a good parade.

BYT: Let's just start from the beginning. What was the inspiration for you guys to do Alt.DC.Pride?

Zack: A movement was afoot much earlier this year to try to get all the gay alternative promoters together to put a party together but it proved inviable to get that many different personalities working on one event. A friend of mine said the way to do it is to just serve as an umbrella for a lot of existing events and personalities and that clash won't come up.

BYT: So that's why the symbol of Alt.DC.Pride is the umbrella.

Zack: Right and Ebony, I guess you and I had started to talk about this way back in March.

Ebony: Zack and I got together to discuss projects, had a nice little gay lunch and started talking about Pride coming up. He told me what he was thinking, and I told him well, here's what I'm thinking and that became here's what we're thinking.

BYT: Was it similar? Had you guys had similar thoughts?

Ebony: I frankly didn't think I had the capacity to pull off what was up here in my head for  a week long list of events. I hadn't thought about logistics, about existing parties, putting them under an umbrella. What I had thought about were <<strong>ons of other great events going on in DC already that generally aren't on the Capital Pride calendar because they are much smaller and serve a smaller segment of people. I've had fun at a lot of those events and thought it would be awesome to let folks know if they're coming into town, in addition to Capital Pride events there are also a lot of smaller parties going on that may fit their needs.

Zack: My reasoning is pretty similar. Like Ebony I agree there are a lot of cool, small niche events that by virtue of that wouldn't work in a big space. Something like BALLS or Blowoff, those are specific parties in a small space so if you blow it up you lose the party. But it would be nice to let people know things like that are happening and to work in a way that didn't supplant Capital Pride.

BYT: Were these mostly events that you guys already knew about or did you find more through this process?

Ebony: I think we knew about all of them. Capital Pride does have educational events but expanding on the those was something that was pretty important. So the Queers in the Arts panel was something I was pretty passionate about from the get go.

BYT:  And you created some events, didn't you?<</strong>/p>

Zack: Yeah, we created Queers in Art,  Queers in Media -the two panels. And Booty Rex is a Frankenstein that was born for the first time.<</p>

Ebony: A Frankenstein of Anthology of Booty DJs and the She.Rex event that's been going on. We've all been friends for years, actually. Maegan Wood taught me how to DJ. So the Anthology of Booty folks and She.Rex folks have known each other for years.

Zack: Yeah, that'll be a really cool combination. I think you guys might collapse the floor of Chief Ike's. If we're lucky. And then the panels gave us a chance for us to do something that wasn't just a dance party. Ebony's really passionate about queers in art and I'm passionate about queers in media so that came out pretty well.

BYT: When you started TNG, a large portion of your mission was to serve communities that maybe felt disconnected from the larger gay community. Is that who you're trying to reach with Alt.DC.Pride? What's your target audience?

Zack: This is different for both of us. The fact that your party (Homo Erectus) exists makes this a little less valid, but I think had you asked me two years ago I would have said that a lot people are turned off from participating in Pride because ... the same way a sixth grader would draw a house as a square with a triangle on top of it, if you said "draw pride" it's going to be some huge over-the-top event with the most outlandish, outrageous elements of our community. Which is great, this is a time to celebrate that, but a lot of people aren't really able to connect with that. And the existing pride events, again, with the exception of yours, follow some shorthand about what gays or lesbians may like. It's valid, because if you're serving a lot of people you have to find the common ground. You may be this lowkey bookworm with a cat that likes to read and you go to gay pride, you're automatically a dyke on a bike or you're in a Speedo with a fire hydrant up your ass dancing on your head or something. Hanging from the float. So it's not to say that dance parties that we're doing are 180 degrees from that because they're not. But our events just provide a chance for people to feel more involved in Pride by accessing smaller niches where they feel more comfortable and connected and served.

Ebony: I hope to reach people who are proud of who they are. Maybe that isn't gay or lesbian-identified, but people of many different sexualities, many different gender identities. I've gone to pride in DC  for about 5 years now and oftentimes see a large segregation of those people in the events. And hopefully, just bringing people together to party and learn and be celebrated under the same roof is, in my opinion, what Anthology of Booty strives to do, and is something I've always been interested in.<</p>

BYT: Are there any events that you are particularly excited about? Not to make you pick your favorite child or pets or anything.

Ebony: I hate kids. I hate parties. No, just joking.

Zack: I'm very excited about Homo/Sonic. All these parties are really exciting. Lady Miss Kier is incredible. I'm happy we were able to get her. But Homo/Sonic's been a baby of me and Michael's and now Ebony's - though you hate kids - for a couple years now. So hopefully it's a chance to get a lot of people in town to Homo/Sonic. And the same night is Booty Rex so people have options.

Ebony: For me it's pretty split between Booty Rex and the arts panel. Booty Rex because we're all really good friends and have been around each other and supported each other for years and are really proud of what we're doing in the city. It'll be amazing to have all of us together doing some kickass shit one night. And then the arts panel because it's something I've wanted to see for a while. Being involved in the visual arts and performing arts community, I know many queer people who are well known and respected in the visual arts community, but lots of times queer folks don't know about those people and their talents or understand to what scale this person is making an impact in their field. So I'm really excited to have the panel, having those artists talking and bouncing off one another, but also to let the larger queer community know these are the people that are out there representing you that we may be reading about in art history books a couple years from now.

Zack: That's a cool thought. On a similar note, with my Queers in the Media panel - I think nothing shapes being queer in the year 2010 (or any time) and nothing shapes a given culture like the way it's represented in the media. That's why TNG has been a such a baby for me and why it's so awesome to have BYGays. It's this weird relationship where queer life has nothing to do with how it's covered in the media but people see media and then queer life comes to look like the media. So I'm excited to get the four people I have - like the BYGays own Deb Greenspan - and get them talking.  <<strong> think one thing they have in common is they're trying to do something to change what being gay in the year 2010 means. I really think you can do so much with the media. I'm excited to hear what they have to say.

BYT: Has it been a lot of work?

Ebony: Yeah, I'm in hiding right now. It's been easier than I anticipated. I didn't anticipate it being controversial or anything but I did anticipate a lot more logisitcal issues working with so many people and so many different events and venues. So on that end it's been a lot easier and a well-oiled machine.

BYT: Has it been controversial?

Ebony: No. Of course there was an initial thought of "How is this going to be received?" But everyone's been very supportive. And we've been clear that this isn't anything that's going to take over Capital Pride and we're not saying Capital Pride is no longer necessary.

Zack: No one has called me an asshole over the course of this so that's a success. Like Ebony said, we made it clear it's in addition to Capital Pride versus against Capital Pride. And big thanks to Josh Vogelsong, Maegan Wood, Coach, and Annie Nguyen especially.

BYT: Which of the Capital Pride events (other than Homo Erectus) are you most looking forward to?

Ebony: I really enjoy the parade. I've been in the parade a number of times and at the end you're always exhausted and sweating but seeing so many people having a great time, seeing people I haven't seen in years. The parade is really fun for me.

Zack: Same for me. I love the parade. I do actually feel really great about being gay for the parade.

Ebony: Yeah, it's like I will wear a rainbow once in a year. Give me that boa.

You can see the full lineup of Alt.DC.Pride events at http://altdcpride.com. And a special treat to those of you who read all the way through, you can win tickets to both Homo/Sonic and the Alt.DC.Pride closing party featuring DJ Lady Miss Kier (of Deelite) and Miss lesbanAnnie.

To win tix to Homo/Sonic, tell us your favorite dino sex position. To win tix to Lady Miss Kier and the Alt.DC.Pride closing party, let us know what will put the groove in YOUR heart this weekend.

Please do indicate what event you want to win tickets for too.

*****And to shake your booty with Natty Boom at Homo Erectus: The Evolution of Pride, get off it and get your tickets already!

Previously in Giveaway:

• 5/24: #BYTNYC Giveaway: Governors Ball @ Randall's Island
• 5/24: Ticket Giveaway: The Dandy Warhols @ 930 Club
• 5/23: Movie Ticket Promo: Snow White And The Huntsman
• 5/23: "Win Before You Can Buy" Ticket Giveaway: Jane's Addiction @ Lyric Opera House
• 5/22: Ticket Giveaway: Bachelorette @ Studio Theatre
• 5/21: Ticket Giveaway: Yann Tiersen @ 930 Club
• 5/18: TICKET GIVEAWAY: BYT PRESENTS: ZOU BISOU BISOU @ MAISON FRANCAISE
• 5/17: Ticket Giveaway: The Adicts @ RNR Hotel
• 5/17: "Win Before You Can Buy" Giveaway: Hot Chip + Sleigh Bells + James Murphy @ Merriweather
• 5/17: "Win Before You Cam Buy" Giveaway: Metric @ Strathmore