Washington, D.C
The iconic Little Gay Pub in D.C. expands to Philadelphia
A beloved gay bar in Washington, D.C., known for its eclectic atmosphere and celebrity sightings, is expanding to Philadelphia. The owners of the Little Gay Pub, which has quickly become a hotspot for locals and tourists, are bringing their unique hospitality brand to the City of Brotherly Love.
The new location will be at the corner of 13th and Drury Lane, near the historic McGillin’s Olde Ale House.
LGP founders Dito Sevilla, Dusty Martinez, and Benjamin Gander, longtime D.C. bartenders, aim to open the Philadelphia branch as soon as late December, but no later than next spring, in time for Pride Month, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The trio’s mission is to create a pub where the LGBTQ+ community “is celebrated, more than just served.” Sevilla told the Inquirer that LGP’s decor and service “harken back to an older age in the community, when the bars were nicer, a little bit more leathery and darker, and the fixtures were better.” Both the D.C. and Philly locations are designed to capitalize on natural light, fostering a welcoming daytime drinking environment in addition to the late-night scene.
One of LGP’s standout features is its ornate restrooms with perfect lighting, which have become a social media sensation. The Instagram account Royal_Fiush_LGP is dedicated to capturing selfies taken in the pub’s bathrooms. Sevilla humorously explained, “We wanted to have over-the-top bathrooms, and there was really no specific reason…we made them crazy and kitschy— and so clean and nice.”
Sevilla told The Advocate that the team is excited about the expansion. “We love Philly! We are so excited to have the opportunity to bring our unique brand of not-so-Little Gay Pub, offering a quirky, campy, glamorously gay hospitality experience to an incredibly historic and LGBTQ-friendly city like Philadelphia.”
Sevilla emphasized the team’s dedication to detail, sharing that they always want to create a space full of personality and charm. “When we built the place, we had hoped it was going to be a gathering space for everybody, but people really have come to appreciate all the love we put into it,” he previously told The Advocate. “We wanted to put details and little hidden Easter eggs all across the bar because we all had our distinct personalities, and we wanted to have a place where we all felt represented.”
The Philly location will include a mural of the late city planner Ed Bacon, overseen by a rooftop deck, highlighting the local flavor and history. According to the Inquirer, the pub’s founders are committed to becoming part of the community, sharing an apartment to ensure that at least one of them is always in town.
The paper reports that the three plan to keep their doors open to engage with the neighborhood during construction.
“We plan to keep our doors open so the neighborhood can stop by, pop in, and ask us questions,” Martinez said. “We’re just a very friendly bunch of people that have brought greatness to D.C., and we hope to do so in Philadelphia.”
The original LGP has hosted numerous celebrities, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat, who visited last fall and took selfies in one of the pub’s famed restrooms. Other notable guests have included actors Billy Eichner and Alan Cumming. Recently, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the season 9 cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Starsdropped by the pub.
Additionally, LGP has formed a notable partnership with the British Embassy, culminating in the creation of the “GREAT Love is for Everyone” mural by artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer.
Sevilla shared that the partners have long enjoyed Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ spots and are eager to join and expand the community’s offerings. “For years, we have each enjoyed many of the LGBT spots Philly has had to offer—some of them for decades—and can’t wait to join them in expanding the offerings for our people and their allies to enjoy.”
Benjamin Gander echoed this enthusiasm: “We’re beyond excited to get up there.”
Philadelphia’s LGP aims to continue this legacy of community engagement, inclusivity, and celebration. Sevilla emphasized the pub’s ethos: “The Little Gay Pub is a small space with a big heart and an old soul. We can’t wait to share it with the City of Brotherly Love, Freedom, and the cradle of Liberty.”
WASHINGTON (7News) — A man was stabbed to death in Northwest D.C. early Saturday morning, according to D.C. police.
SEE ALSO | Police shoot knife-wielding individual at Fairfax Wawa
Officers responded to the 2900 block of 14th Street NW shortly before 1:00 a.m., where the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
SEE ALSO | Teen hospitalized following Friday night shooting in northeast D.C.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the police at (202) 727-9099 or text a tip to 50411.
Additional details were not immediately available.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Beneficial rain
- Muggy, warm temperatures to start the weekend
- Scattered afternoon showers & a few storms again Saturday
- Drier and nice for Sunday
There’s a 40% chance of showers and a few storms in the afternoon and evening Saturday.
Sunday looks like it will bring the best weather of the weekend. We’ll start to see some cooler, drier air come in.
Big-time heat may be coming right back to the D.C. area by Wednesday of next week.
Weather radar
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
10-day forecast
QuickCast
SATURDAY:
Partly sunny
Muggy
Scattered showers & storms (40% chance)
Highs: middle 80s
SUNDAY:
Decreasing clouds
Lower humidity
Highs: mid 80s
MONDAY:
Mostly sunny
Highs: upper 80s
SUNSET: 8:35 p.m.
AVERAGE HIGH: 89° // AVERAGE low: 72°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
Washington, D.C., has been a popular spot this summer, especially since it’s the nation’s 250th anniversary. And it’s where many Grand Canyon University students have traveled, including the campus’s student body leaders.
Associated Students of GCU President Judah Floyd and Vice President Gracie Zimbardi traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Campus Victory Forum conference and celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary of signing the Declaration of Independence.
“It was a humbling opportunity to be able to represent GCU and be poured into by so many admirable Christian leaders,” Floyd said. “It reminds me of the leader I want to be as a Christ follower and as someone who’s been put in a position to have influence on the students of GCU.”
The three-day conference was organized by Campus Victory, an organization empowering collegiate leaders to step into civic engagement. It featured workshops, sessions and activities that equipped students with practical tools to step into their leadership roles.
Roughly 250 student leaders from universities all around the country traveled to the nation’s capital for the conference, where they met and heard from politicians and community leaders, including U.S. Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona.
He addressed the young crowd with a personal testimony about his experience in public leadership and gave an empowering message from 1 Timothy 4:12, which reads, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
He encouraged students to boldly press on in their positions despite their young age.
Sharing a home state with Crane was made extra special to Floyd and Zimbardi when Crane invited all Arizona students backstage to meet and have conversations with him.
“He was phenomenal,” Zimbardi said. “He talked about how being firm in our faith is so important in this time, and though we are young leaders, we do have the knowledge, experience and people to look up to, so use it. It was so inspiring to hear from him.”
When sessions concluded, students explored significant landmarks, including memorials, museums, and federal and local government buildings.
Everything was decked out in red, white and blue, with flags and banners hanging everywhere to commemorate the milestone anniversary.
Celebratory events unfolded one after another on Independence Day, finishing with the largest fireworks show in history. Some 850,000 pyrotechnic effects were detonated over 40 minutes, with thousands gathered for the once-in-a-lifetime event.
Floyd waited five hours in line to attend Salute to America 250, which concluded yearlong celebratory festivities. The six-hour event on the National Mall featured presidential remarks, musical performances and military flyovers.
“President Donald Trump talked about how America is really a land of people of faith and people who overcome challenges time after time,” Floyd said. “It really rekindled in us the spirit of liberty that we all carry as Americans and the importance of defending that liberty for generations to come.”
Military veterans were brought onstage and honored for their commitment to serving the country. Flags from every generation of America were displayed, and singer Lee Greenwood led the crowd in singing “God Bless the U.S.A.”
The World Cup was happening at the same time. While Floyd and Zimbardi were in Washington, D.C., they witnessed another level of patriotism when a Team USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina watch party, complete with a projector screen, was organized in front of the U.S. Congress.
“Thousands of people all wearing U.S.A. jerseys were shouting and screaming and spraying water in the sky when we scored a goal. It was deafening,” Floyd said.
As the start of academic year approaches, Floyd and Zimbardi’s tenure as student body president and vice president will soon commence.
The duo said that participating in the Campus Victory Forum conference, networking with student body presidents and vice presidents from other universities, and witnessing everyone’s patriotism prepared them to lead with passion and boldness.
“It means a lot to me that someone in this organization thought of us, GCU, and said, ‘We need them there.’ Zimbardi said. “It was really unique hearing from other students about how they do things at other universities.
“We got to sit down and spitball back and forth. We talked about things like, ‘Wow, that’s what works for you? We are struggling in that area, do you mind if we try it?’ Having conversations like that is extremely helpful, and it is cool how unified we can all become.”
***
Related content:
GCU News: Ingram Honors students visit nation’s capital in honor of its 250th anniversary
GCU News: Critical Mass in harmony with national jubilee of prayer in Washington, D.C.
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