Gay Day At The Zoo Schedule & Info

graphic for Gay Day at the Zoo 2022

Gay Day At The Zoo is this coming Sunday, May 1st at the Smithsonian National Zoo! Have fun with the DC Center for the LGBT with interactive music, games, dance, and merchandise!

The annual Gay Day at the Zoo is a DC favorite for the LGBTQ community! For one day, hundreds of LGBTQ folks, families, and allies come together to show their pride and enjoy the animals and sights at the National Zoological Park. Fittingly the event takes place every year on International Family Equality Day and is a staple on the calendar for many LGBTQ families.

Support the work of the DC Center which educates, empowers, celebrates, and connects the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities this weekend!

Make sure to reserve free tickets beforehand here!

Click here to view the full schedule!

A special thanks to our sponsors: Number Nine, Trade, Metro Weekly, Jennifer Fairfax Law Firm, and Rainbow Families. 

Gay Day at the Zoo FAQs

View the image above or text below with commonly asked questions in regards to GDATZ!

When & where is GDATZ held at?
May 1st at Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Are there any planned events at the zoo?
A detailed schedule is to come soon.

How do I get tickets to the zoo?
Free pass reservations are required to enter zoo.
(Reserve at tinyurl.com/GDATZ2022)

What GDATZ merchandise can I buy and where?
GDATZ merchandise can be purchased at our pop up nights, launch party, or on May 1st.

Where can I see the full schedule of events for the day?

Click here for the full schedule!

 

Meet the Staff: Jaelyn Gonzalez

Picture of new Social Media Intern

Welcome Jaelyn Gonzalez to the DC Center! She is the Social Media Intern here at the DC Center for the Spring 2022 Quarter. Jaelyn (she/her) looks forward to supporting and aiding the LGBTQ+ community through the power of communications. You can meet Jaelyn at the DC Center on weekdays and some evenings. She is looking forward to being creative and outreaching to the community. 

Birthdate, Astro Sign
June 28th 2002, which makes me a Cancer!

Where are you originally from? 

I am from the west coast! I am a So-Cal native with my hometown being Covina, CA and I attend university in Riverside, CA.

Why did you start working at the DC Center? 

As an LGBTQ+ community member, I found the DC Center to be a great place to serve the community. WIth a strength in communications, the DC Center became the perfect fit for me.

What has been your favorite part about working at the DC Center?

The staff has been super helpful and has established an amazing work environment.

What is your music anthem? 

I love Sophie and Arca!

What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community? 

I admire the fact that the community is much like a family. No matter what you have been through, the community is more than willing to take you in and care for you. In the words of Janet Mock, “We get to choose our families. We are not limited by biology. We get to make ourselves and we get to make our families.”

What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there? 

Georgetown always has the best spots to drink coffee and read a book. Currently reading Joan Didion’s Play it as it Lays and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar.

What is your favorite queer movie?  

Moonlight or The Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Barry Jenkins is one of my favorite film directors!

What color would you paint the White House, given the chance?  

Pink! It goes well with the Cherry Blossoms and Jackie Kennedy’s rose garden.

Who do you look up to in the queer community?

Sophie! She got me into one of my hobbies, DJ’ing. She has changed my view on hyper-pop music forever and truly changed the landscape for the electronic music scene.

Temporary Closure

temporary closure info

The DC Center is temporarily closed due to a potential COVID-19 exposure in our offices. We are contacting those who were in the space during or after the possible exposure to allow them to make informed choices about seeking testing or other steps to help prevent spreading COVID-19.

Per our exposure plan, the DC Center will be closed until we can complete a deep cleaning of our space. Any in-person hybrid meetings will shift to virtual, and we’ll contact those who have RSVP’d for in-person meetings to update them.

If you have any concerns, please contact the DC Center at supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Visit our Free Food Pantry

Please stop by our Free Food Pantry. With the ongoing food shortages and struggles with Covid if you’re in need please pick up some food from the DC Center Free Food Pantry. We have all kinds of food ranging from green beans, tuna, corn, soups, pastas, to cereals and more. All of our food have expiration dates clearly marked. Don’t go hungry this winter. We have 2 cabinets full just like the one in this picture. We’re here to help everyone in our LGBTQ family. All are welcome! 

Meet the Staff: Sarah

Welcome Sarah to the DC Center! She’s our new Development Intern. Sarah [she/her] looks forward to learning all about DC and engaging with the LGBTQ community. You can meet Sarah at the DC Center on weekdays and some evenings. Sarah [she/her] is looking forward to connecting with donors and participating in events with the DC Center.

 

Birthdate, Astro Sign

12/16/99, Sagittarius 

 

Where are you originally from? 

San Diego born and raised! Though I’ve lived in Davis for college for the last 4 years.

 

Why did you start working at the DC Center? 

I was inspired by the DC Center’s focus on community support and artistic expression.

 

What has been your favorite part about working at the DC Center?

I’ve only just started, but I can say that it has been wonderful to have been greeted with nothing but friendly faces.

 

What is your music anthem? 

For the last couple of weeks it has been Absentee by Jack Campbell.

 

What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community? 

The desire for authenticity, the subsequent unbounded creativity, and the unconditional support of each other.

 

What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there? 

I’ve only just arrived, but I love the Korean War Memorial. I find the statues to be haunting and disconcerting in a very intriguing way. 

 

What is your favorite queer movie?  

I don’t watch a lot of movies, but my favorite queer show is called Within the Wires. It’s a chilling and poetic take on an alternate history’s dystopia. 

 

What color would you paint the White House, given the chance? 

I’m a fan of the classic white, but I would not say no to a holographic effect that displays diverse imagery of the country depending on what angle you looked at the white house from.

 

Who do you look up to in the queer community?

Yasmin Benoit and David Jay! Both are such influential and integral voices in the aromantic and asexual communities. 

Meet the staff: Brenda

Welcome, Brenda to the DC Center! I am a social media intern. Brenda She/Her looks forward to helping celebrate the community. You can meet Brenda at the DC Center on weekdays and some evenings. Brenda, she/her is looking forward to creating a more open and honest form of communication through social media to help people in the community.

 

 

 

Birthdate, Astro Sign

09/30/1999, Libra

 

Where are you originally from? 

Moreno Valley, CA

 

Why did you start working at the DC Center? 

I thought the organization was cool and they did a lot for the community so I wanted to be part of an organization like it.

What has been your favorite part about working at the DC Center?

I haven’t started yet but the staff seems very welcoming.

What is your music anthem? 

Achilles come down by Gangs of Youth and Mikrokosmos by BTS

What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community? 

There is a sense of comradery you can get with people.

What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there? 

I haven’t been here for long but I have enjoyed goingKramers to hang out with people and the farmers market.

What is your favorite queer movie?  

Book smart

What color would you paint the White House, given the chance?  

Periwinkle or a sage green

Who do you look up to in the queer community?

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard 

Fashion FREEway

graphic clothing surrounding text box with information about event, dc center logo at bottom

We are opening the doors to our community closet! On March 30th, 12:00-3:00 pm we will be having a “yard” sale, stop by the front of the DC Center for pants, jackets, shirts, shoes, and more. We suggest a donation of $1 per clothing piece or for you to take what you need and give what you can. Please email supportdesk@thedccenter.org for more information. 

Mental Health Resources: Staying Safe and Connected During the Holidays

Dear All,

We recognize that many of us in the LGBTQ+ community struggle during the holidays. We hope that during this time, you can connect with loved ones for support and community. Here are some helpful suggestions from PFLAG for LGBTQ+ folks, and our families and allies, for getting through family gatherings.

If you are having an emergency, please see these options for assistance:

LGBTQ National Help Center: 888-843-4564 or www.glbthotline.org (all ages–various lines/hours)
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
LGBTQ+ folks under 25–Trevor Lifeline: 866-488-7386  
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
DC Mobile Crisis: 202-673-9300
Maryland Mobile Crisis: 240-777-4000
Virginia Mobile Crisis: 703-573-5679
DC Counseling Access Helpline 24/7: 888.793.4357
DC Victim Hotline: 1.844.4HELPDC (443-5732) 24/7 confidential info & referral
DC LGBT Special Unit of the MPD: 202.506.0714

Seeking Candidates for Board of Directors & NEW Advisory Council

The DC Center invites you to get more involved in our work by applying to join the Board of Directors or our new Advisory Council.

Why apply?

  • Contribute strategic counsel to the DC Center’s organizational priorities, financial decisions and long-term vision
  • Contribute to a future where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people feel healthy, safe, and affirmed
  • Advance the Center’s mission of educating, empowering, celebrating, and connecting the LGBT communities.
  • Deepen relationships within the DC LGBT community

For the Board of Directors, we are seeking candidates with experience and/or interest in fundraising, finance, operations, communications or strategic planning who can commit 1-3 hours per week to this role.

If you are interested in supporting the DC Center, but do not have the time to support efforts, consider joining the Advisory Council.

Board of Directors Application

Advisory Council Application

Please send your completed applications to nominations@thedccenter.org.