Your guide to Pride weekend

What's CITY Talking About?

Dash Cams Draw Rebuke

D.C. is partnering with DoorDash to provide up to 5,000 dash cameras to local delivery and ride-hailing drivers. The program is voluntary; the city says it would help police solve crimes, especially carjackings, and increase public safety. The ACLU, on the other hand, has raised privacy concerns, saying it’s a dangerous expansion of government surveillance. [Washington Post 🔒]

Purple Haze Moment

The air quality went from bad to worse yesterday, dipping into “Code Purple”, aka “very unhealthy,” air. It isn’t expected to improve until this weekend and it’s affecting city services. Trash pick-up was postponed yesterday, creating a backlog for pickup services city-wide. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) closed its inspection station, and the parks department and public schools have canceled all outdoor activities. [City Cast DC 🎧/Twitter]

A Tragic Record

There have been more than 100 homicides in D.C. already this year, marking the fastest the District has reached this grim milestone in two decades. What’s especially worrying for D.C. — murder rates in other big cities across the U.S. are significantly down. [NBC4]

• Related: Crime in the District is up across the board, and MPD is handling it without a permanent police chief. [City Cast DC 🎧]

New Health Director

Mayor Muriel Bowser named Ayanna Bennett the new director of D.C’s health department after a year-long search. Bennett is a pediatrician and health equity officer from San Francisco. D.C. and San Francisco deal with many similar issues such as the opioid crisis, gun violence, and HIV. [Washington Post 🔒]

What To Do

📼 Mixtape Pride Party | Friday | 10 p.m.

Local DJs Matt Bailer, Diyanna Monet, Khelan Bhatia, and Pwrpuff will be mixing it up at this queer-friendly party at the 9:30 Club. [$25, U Street Corridor]

🖼️ The Ground We Stand On | Saturday | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

This Dupont Underground exhibition showcases past and present LGBTQ changemakers who have left their mark on D.C. [Free, Dupont Circle]

📚 Preserving Queer History | Saturday | 12 - 2:30 p.m.

Build your own archive of the queer experience with DCPL's Memory Lab. Bring photos, letters, and items to document with the help of library staff. [Free, Mt. Pleasant]

🎆 Pride at the Pier | Saturday | 2 - 9 p.m.

Head to The Wharf for DJs, dancing, and drinks. Cap the night off with a fireworks show over the water. [Free, The Wharf]

🏳️‍⚧️ HIPS Pride | Saturday | 4 - 8 p.m.

The Owl Room is hosting this afternoon dance party and show with local DJs and performers. [$20, 14th Street]

📸 Queer Portraits From the Park | Saturday | 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Get a free personal portrait session by D.C. photographer Airin Yung Chen in Malcolm X Park. [Free, Malcolm X Park]

🎨 Takoma Pride | Sunday | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This low-key and family-friendly Pride event will have a kid's parade, drag queen story time, and face painting. [Free, Takoma]

🌈 Pride Festival | Sunday | 12 - 10 p.m.

This festival on Pennsylvania Avenue NW will have three performance stages, food, beer gardens, and advocacy tables with over 300 exhibitors. [Free, Penn Quarter]

🎥 Fierceness Served! | Sunday | 2 p.m.

STABLE Arts is screening “Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Coffeehouse,” a movie on The Coffeehouse, a community of Black LGBT artists and activists in D.C. in the ‘80s. [Free, H Street]

Today on City Cast

Suffocating Smog, Congress Attacks D.C. Elections, and Local Pride History

It’s still hazy out there! We chat about what to do about the Canadian smoke spreading across D.C. Plus, Congress has some thoughts on voting rules in the District. And of course, it’s Pride month, and CCDC contributor Dan Reed has been reading up on local queer history.