D.C. lesbians are used to slim pickings when it comes to nightlife — there’s A Different Kind of Ladies Night on Fridays, Phase 1 on the weekends, Wednesdays at Chaos, a usually short-lived attempt at a Saturday night party, and that’s it.

Tonight there’s not just one, but two lesbian-friendly events — Dyke Night at the D.C. Eagle, and mothertongue at the Black Cat. Both are a nice alternative to the usually-crazy nights at Chaos, making it possible to have a low-key Wednesday and still meet women.

Dyke Night at the D.C. Eagle kicks off the bar’s weeklong countdown to Halloween, with a pumpkin carving contest, dollar beers upstairs, and two for one drinks till midnight. The Eagle, which holds dyke night the fourth Wednesday of the month) is a leather bar, though not all the patrons wear leather.

First-timer? The dykes have a Yahoo group where you can meet women who usually attend.
The D.C. Eagle is located at 639 New York Ave., NW. Dyke Night kicks off at 9 p.m.

For women not in the mood to go to a bar, mothertongue celebrates its 9th anniversary — “9 Lives” — tonight at the Black Cat. On hand are special guests Karen Taggart, the co-founder of mothertongue and Sini Anderson, co-founder of Sister Spit.

A community-based organization, mothertongue gives women the opportunity to speak out and use their creative energy to address issues that women face. Tonight’s event will be slam-style, and slammers are asked to contribute poems that are inspiring, empowered, or at risk of not being heard. Community judges will award $150 to the winner and $50 to the runner-up.

mothertongue will also be celebrating the life of community activist and mothertongue friend, Cheryl Spector, who passed away last month.

The Black Cat is located at 1811 14th St., NW. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the performance begins at 9 p.m. $8.

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