Diverse and Welcoming
Rich in history and at the forefront of politics and culture, the Capital Region is as diverse as it is
welcoming. And with same sex marriage legal throughout the Capital Region, our vibrant cities
and lush landscapes make the ideal location for a destination wedding.
Washington, DC
As the nation’s capital, Washington, DC is an international crossroads and an all-American
hometown, home to people and preferences from all colors of the rainbow. Explore
neighbourhoods like Dupont Circle, synonymous with gay life in Washington, DC. It’s where
DC hosted the first official Gay Pride celebration, and where some of the LGBT community’s
most enduring restaurants, bars and businesses took root. You’ll also find an impressive mix of
shops, hotels, quaint B&Bs, galleries and museums (The Phillips Collection, The Textile
Museum, Woodrow Wilson House and National Geographic Museum, to name a few).
washington.org/DC-guide-to/lgbt-dc-neighborhood
Capital Pride is Washington, DC’s weeklong pride celebration featuring a series of educational,
civic and social events culminating with a traditional parade and street festival drawing over
250,000 people. The festival features nearly 300 exhibits, three entertainment stages, two
beverage gardens, a family area and numerous food vendors. Hosted on Pennsylvania Avenue,
the US Capitol Building serves as the iconic backdrop to the Capitol Stage which hosts
hundreds of performances from local and national entertainers, politicians and activists.
www.capitalpride.org
The nightlife in DC will have you up till dawn. Let your hair down & dance the night away at a
variety of clubs offering beats for every musical taste. Located in the heart of Adams Morgan,
Habana Village specializes in all things Cuban – from cuisine to music to dance. Find a partner
and salsa the night away at this Cuban hotspot featuring three dance floors. Learn basic salsa
steps every Wednesday through Saturday night. Then practice what you learn on one of three
dance floors. DJs spin the best of salsa, merengue, bachata, timba and more nightly, while a
live five-piece band entertains on Fridays and Saturdays.
www.habanavillage.com
Richmond, Virginia
In Virginia, check out the capital city of Richmond, welcoming LGBT travellers with old-world
charm and forward-thinking sophistication. Explore the city’s more than 900 restaurants and
nightclubs like Babes of Carytown, a hotspot for patio drinks, volleyball and dancing. Wake up
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and do it again with a Bloody Mary at Godfrey's legendary drag brunch. Barcode hits the spot
week after week with drinks and staff that please as well as Sunday night karaoke.
www.visitrichmondva.com/about-richmond-region/diversity/lgbt/diningnightlife
Richmond is also home to a dynamic LGBT arts and entertainment scene, including the
Richmond Triangle Players, the only performing arts group in the mid-Atlantic dedicated to
LGBT-themed theatre. The Richmond Triangle Players has been staging productions for more
than twenty years and moved to its first brick-and-mortar playhouse in 2010. The Players host
an annual mainstage season of plays, internationally known cabaret artists, staged readings
and workshops.
www.rtriangle.org
Richmond's locally-owned shops and service providers have style. Homegrown clothiers
Ledbury and Shockoe Denim will keep you dressed to impress while old-school barbers Main
Street Mercantile, Highpoint and Refuge For Men keep you high and tight. Sip your bourbon in
mid-century barware from Era Vintage. Dig for the perfect find at Diversity Thrift and rack up the
good karma because you’ll be supporting the Gay Community Center of Richmond when you
shop. Take in the smell of paperbacks in Carytown at Chop Suey Books before hopping across
the street to Mongrel to pick up a perfect unique gift and stationery to suit.
www.visitrichmondva.com/about-richmond-region/diversity/lgbt/shoppinglgbt
Baltimore, Maryland
The waterfront city of Baltimore, Maryland features a beautiful skyline, a vibrant downtown, and
the city’s famous Inner Harbor. Check out the Mt Vernon neighbourhood, the center of the city’s
LGBT community. Numerous LGBT-owned businesses and organizations can be found along
Charles Street north of the Washington Monument including Club Hippo, Baltimore’s premier
destination for female impersonation and drag performances. The Hippo also hosts Gay Bingo
every Wednesday to benefit AIDS Action Baltimore.
clubhippo.com
Baltimore welcomes LGBT friendly accommodation choices ranging from intimate bed-andbreakfasts to historical water front hotels. LGBT hotels are TAG-Approved which enforce nondiscriminatory policies, treat heterosexual and domestic partners equally, and provide diversity
and sensitivity training to employees.
baltimore.org/article/lgbt-tag-approved-hotels
John Waters fans and cinema aficionados will enjoy a divine pilgrimage through the
filmmaker’s hometown, where he still maintains a residence. Head to “The Avenue” along 36th
Street in the Hampden neighborhood, where Hairspray and Pecker were filmed, and where
Café Hon still epitomizes Waters’ kitschy Baltimore. Stop into Atomic Books where the artist
shops and receives his fan mail. True die-hards can visit Divine’s gravesite in Prospect Hill
Cemetery in Towson. Or, you can view the star in all her glory at the American Visionary Art
Museum, which boasts a larger-than-life statue of Baltimore’s most famous diva.
www.avam.org
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