The Washington City Paper's Best Of D.C. reader's poll debuts today, and we're inviting District residents to file their favorites in the worlds of food, drink, shopping—and, of course, the commercialized end of sex. Need some inspiration? Let's revisit some ghosts of Sexist past for possible nominees in the poll's sex-related categories, from Best Strip Club to Best Local Scandal:* Best Strip Club: If you're not into strip clubs, but are interested in delivering a pity vote, try Good Guys. In 2007, convicted arsonist Vasile Graure set fire to Glover Park's Good Guys strip club after being ejected for snapping a cell-phone photo of one of the dancers. The incident sparked a lengthy trial in which many of the club's dancers were forced to testify about being forced to run, unclothed, out of the flaming building. These women deserve your most generous tips.
* Best Gay Bar/Club: If you'd like to support gay bars that reach out to a wider audience, pick Cobalt. Recently, the club made an effort to move past the traditional GaGa/Madonna/Cher house mix by hosting alterna gay night SHIFT. And last year, Cobalt made a good-faith peace offering to District women when it retired its longstanding anti-high-heels policy.
* Best Local Scandal: Councilmember Marion Barry put a woman out in Denver 'cause she wouldn't suck his dick.
* Best Adult Novelty Shop: Want to support a return to extravagance in the novelty shop world? Pick The Leather Rack. Due to the recession, the District's go-to joint for BDSM and leather gear has experienced a slight downturn in sales for the most elaborate of its fetish ensembles. Customers in the Dupont shop, a manager told me last year, have been trending toward the more demure items. Going balls-out just isn't practical in the current economic climate. "Let's say you buy a whole Army uniform. That's all you can wear," he said. Here's to hoping the Leather Rack's days of subtlety are soon ended.
* Best Drag Queen: Last year, local drag queen Charles McWilliams, a.k.a. Ophelia Bottoms, surrendered all his drag secrets to the Sexist in an hour-long display of falsies, ponytail bumpers and drawn-on diva brows. How can you argue with that face:
Your turn! Get over there and submit your picks.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery