Welcome, DC LGBT Ballroom, Latin, C/W & Swing dancers

The Washington DC LGBT Ballroom, Latin, Swing & C/W DanceMeetup is the Meetup group for Lambda DanceSPORT DC (http://www.LambdaDanceSportDC.org) which supports the art and sport of partnership dancing of all styles for same-gender couples and LGBT-friendly mixed-gender couples in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area. Lambda DanceSPORT DC (http://www.LambdaDanceSportDC.org) is an affilliate of the LGBT DC Sports Connection, Team DC (http://www.TeamDC.org), one of the main Washington DC organizations that is actively bidding to bring Gay Games (http://www.gaygames.com/) 2014 to Washington DC. Also promoting this bid are the Mayor, DC department of economic development (which promised an incredible amount of support to in excess of 1,ooo,ooo bring them here for the economic impact) and the Greater Washington Sports Alliance. Among the 25+ sports that will be offered in competition, C/W, Ballroom & Latin DanceSport would definitely be included. If you might want to participate in Gay Games or be added to the Federation of Gay Games email list, visit http://gaygames.org/phplist/?p=subscribe&id=1 to sign up for their monthly newsletter.
Meet and dance with other members and supporters of the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and LGBT-friendly dance Community, whether strictly for social dancing or competition during the upcoming World Outgames (http://www.copenhagen2009.org/) Copenhagen, 2009 or Gay Games (http://www.gaygames.com/) Cologne, 2010.
Much of the focus of Lambda DanceSPORT DC (http://www.LambdaDanceSportDC.org) is to promote dance events that are available to everyone in our LGBT community as well as a high priority toward training since so few in this community are already familiar with the social Ballroom, Latin, Swing and more couples' dances or higher level competitive C/W dances. The time is long overdue for us in the USA to develop our talents as same-gender couples "Out On The Dance Floor" (Visit http://www.pleasedancewithme.com/gmyopinion.htm#grassroot...) as is extensively done in the LGBT community of Europe. Same-gender DanceSport is an activity that could well become one of the most effective forms of grass roots gay activism available to us today. Grass roots gay activism which is essential when it comes to influencing those that enter the voting booths to ultimately decide for or against our fair and equal treatment. As we get comfortable with our dancing skills, we'll find ourselves easily taking them out into society without reservations of dancing socially as couples in public which will eventually change the strictly "sex, drugs and alcohol" images that the the right wing loves to portray about us; and which they can get away with because by hiding away in our LGBT-only venues, we never prove otherwise in our social lives. The only way for us to change that image is to feel comfortable socializing as male and female couples right along with the rest of society and without hesitation. And what better way is there to socialize with them than by joining them... "Out On The Dance Floor"? I can guarantee that without even asking for attention, when we're good at what we do in our dancing as same-gender couples, there won't be a single pair of eyes in the room that won't give us more attention than we'd ever imagined. And it will eventually change their perceptions of us unbelievably.
Some of us have already proven this fact by dancing together as couples in huge non-LGBT venues where same-gender couples JUST DON'T GO. And in the process we made more friends for our community than any one of us ever thought could be possible in a single night; just by taking a stand and by being good at what we do. How can hard-core bigots who love to criticize us do so when we're out-dancing them in droves? And when we can both lead and follow at ease, they go NUTS! making it impossible for them to be in the slightest way condescending, even among their own peers.
Start preparing today in Ballroom, Latin, C/W, Swing and more for socializing, Gay Games, World Outgames and IAGLCWDC Country/Western events in addition to any upcoming US dance competition events, the GMCW Spring Fling, the PFLAG Gala and the Mautner Project Gala. Not to mention the many non-LGBT dance events such as weddings and black-tie affairs that we attend and stand around watching instead of really expressing our Ballroom, Latin, C/W, Argentine Tango, Hustle & more talents in public. In no time at all we soon become true grass roots gay activists; not in the courts or at the ends of picket signs, but rather "Out On The Dance Floor"!(http://www.pleasedancewithme.com/gmyopinion.htm#grassroot...)
Training is available every Sat morning, all day Sun & throughout the week in all dances. Schedules for Meetup training opportunities and events can be found on the Washington DC LGBT Ballroom, Latin, Swing & C/W DanceMeetup calendar of this web site.
And Thanks! ~ Terry Chasteen - Meetup Group organizer