About DC

Washington, DC is an international crossroad of government, advocacy, and business. The city will host its first Reaching Out MBA Conference in 2008, an exciting time in Washington as the nation turns its eyes to the Presidential election. Home to the HRC and NGLTF, Washington also has a visible and active LGBT population. We invite you to explore the history, culture, and energy of Washington, DC.

A few highlights about Washington, DC and the region:

• Most of the city’s museums are free! This includes the numerous Smithsonian Museums, the National Gallery of Art, and the city’s memorials.
• Northern Virginia is one of the nation’s most active technology business corridors, including firms such as Sprint and AOL Time Warner. The region’s largest private employers include Lockheed Martin (22,000), Marriott International (14,500), Verizon Communications (13,000), and Booz Allen Hamilton (11,000).
• DC is home to some of the world’s most influential NGOs, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, American Red Cross, and Amnesty International USA.

Among large metropolitan areas, Washington has one of the highest concentrations of same-sex couples. The city’s neighborhoods, rich with different cultures, are well connected by the nation’s third-largest transportation system, Metro. Trains and buses run until 3 AM on weekends.

• The region is home to 400 international associations, 700 internationally owned companies and more than 150 embassies and international cultural centers, most of which are located in northwest DC. In 2005, DC hosted over 19,000 international students at its local colleges and universities.
• The federal government employs more than 2.7 million workers across the country, and 16% reside in the DC metropolitan area.
• The DC metropolitan area is home to the third-highest number of bioscience companies in the world and a major center of human genome research. World-renowned healthcare and research facilities like the National Institutes of Health and the US Food & Drug Administration are headquartered here, along with many top medical associations and major biotech companies like MedImmune, Martek and Digene.
• Washington, DC has recognized domestic partnerships since 2002. In May 2008, it expanded those benefits, “bringing the law to a point where same-sex couples who register as domestic partners will receive most, but not quite all, of the rights and benefits of marriage under District law.” (source: Washington Blade)
• The region houses six graduate business programs, including those of Georgetown University, the George Washington University, the University of Maryland, American University, Howard University, and George Mason University.
• The Washington DC region has the largest percent of adults with advanced degrees (19%) in the U.S., more than twice the national average. 43.9% of local women have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, the highest percentage in the nation.

Unless otherwise noted, information is provided by Destination DC ,a private, non-profit corporation that supports the DC travel and tourism sector as a contracting arm of the Washington Convention Center Authority.

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DC AREA ENTERTAINMENT

The Kinsey Sicks

Reaching Out 2008 is excited to feature the Kinsey Sicks, who will be performing in Alexandria, VA at The Birchmere on Thursday, Oct. 30th.

		For nearly 15 years, The Kinsey Sicks, America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, have served up a feast of music and comedy to audiences across the United States and internationally. Combining award-winning a cappella singing, sharp satire and over-the-top drag, The Kinsey Sicks were described by the New York Times as “the hottest ticket in town…taking the cabaret world by storm.” The Kinsey Sicks have produced and performed full-length theatrical productions around the country, including an Off-Broadway hit, “DRAGAPELLA! Starring the Kinsey Sicks” at New York’s Studio 54. That production received a nomination for a Lucille Lortel award (the Off-Broadway Tony) as Best Musical of 2001 and wowed audiences with an extended run at the Las Vegas Hilton. The show was heralded by reviewers as “a feast for the eyes, the ears and the funny bone.”
For more information, please visit The Kinsey Sicks website: http://www.kinseysicks.com/ For information about the Birchmere venue: http://www.birchmere.com/ To purchase tickets, click here to be redirected to the Ticketmaster website. For booking info please contact OUTmedia at info@outmedia.org.