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).

DanceSport in C/W, Ballroom & Latin is one of the 25+ sports offered in competition during Gay Games. If you might be interested in participating 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.

 
You'll 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 Gay Games (http://www.gaygames.com/) 2014.

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 lgbt activism available to us today. Grass roots lgbt 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 same-gender couples in public which will eventually change the strictly "sex, drugs and alcohol" images that the the right wing loves to portray about this community; 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 this 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 male and female 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 more than we would ever believe.

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 have made more friends for our community than any one of us ever thought possible in a single night; just by putting our reservations aside 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 even more impossible for people to get away with being in the slightest way condescending, even among their own peers. I know that. I've heard them try and I've heard them rebuked for not being able to match our abilities and our role-changing talents.

 
Start preparing today in Ballroom, Latin, C/W, Swing and more for social dancing, Gay Games, World Outgames and IAGLCWDC Country/Western events in addition to any upcoming US Same-gender DanceSport events, the GMCW Spring Fling, the PFLAG Gala and the Mautner Project Gala. Not to mention the numerous 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 for same-gender couples is available every Wednesday evening and all day Sunday from 3pm-11pm during DanceSport at Dupont Circle (http://www.DanceSportDupont.com) plus at other venues when provided by their organizers. If you know of any DanceSport events, send them to TerryChasteen@yahoo.com for posting. Schedules for Meetup training opportunities and events can be found on the Washington/Baltimore LGBT Ballroom, Latin, C/W, Swing DanceMeetup calendar of this web site (http://www.meetup.com/Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-transgender-Ballroom-Latin-Swing-Meetp/#calendar).

And Thanks! We hope to see you very soon "Out on the Dance Floor!"

 ~ Lambda DanceSPORT DC

http://www.LambdaDanceSportDC.org
http://www.OutOnTheDanceFloor.org

or contact

http:/www.CapitolCountry.org for Country/Western dancing.