“Queering the District” Captures the History of DC’s LGBTQ Bars

After Abby Stuckrath learned that the Washington Blade is the oldest LGBTQ newspaper in the country, she began digging into its archives for glimpses of gay life in decades past. The research eventually led her to DC’s Rainbow History Project, where she kept seeing the names of certain bars and clubs: now-defunct spots such as the Brass Rail, the Showboat, and Phase One. Stuckrath, now a WTOP producer, and her sibling, Ellie Stuckrath, a nonprofit communications professional, had moved to DC from Colorado and were still searching for a sense of belonging in their new home. They decided to channel their casual research into an intriguing podcast, Queering the District, which recently completed its first season.

“DC is where I discovered myself and fell in love with the queer community,” Ab