Beyond the Landmarks walking tours provide guests with an introduction to a specific time period in Washington DC history or a specific cultural group’s unique experience. Each tour lasts 2-3 hours and is led by a knowledgeable guide who is able to share information and answer questions. While these tours visit some of the traditional tourist DC landmarks, the information presented goes significantly beyond the guidebook content, covering the stories and experiences that are often overlooked.
Beyond The Closet
The Persecution and Liberation of Washington DC’s LGBTQ Community
Today Washington DC is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly jurisdictions in the country with gay-friendly laws, an inclusive school curriculum, anti-discrimination protections, and marriage equality. But from the 1940s-1970s, this city was ground zero for actively uncovering closeted gay federal government employees and firing them without justification. On this walking tour, you’ll see Washington DC’s iconic government buildings through the eyes of the committed government servants who were persecuted because of their sexual orientation. You’ll see the sites where the brave few chose to fight back and demand their civil rights. And you’ll see where they built their own communities and paved the way for today’s more inclusive city. Our country chose fear over competence and denied the service of hundreds of eminently qualified researchers, diplomats, and leaders. But in the end, learn how this discrimination caused the LGBTQ community to organize, to unite, and to emerge from the closet.
PARENTAL ADVISORY: Tour contains non-graphic descriptions of sexual encounters, police harassment, and discrimination. Please contact for more information.
Length: 2.5 hours
Meeting Location: Farragut Square
Included:
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The site of the first gay rights protest in the United States
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The White House, where the first openly lesbian employee was hired in 1977
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DuPont Circle, Washington DC’s “gayborhood” beginning in the 1970’s
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Former home to the state department and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), epicenter of the "Lavender Scare"
Price: $25 per guest (discounts and special pricing for groups available)
Beyond the Insurrection
The history of political and social protest on the United States National Mall
We all have some memory of the political protest that occurred on January 6, 2021, when protesters used violence in an attempt to subvert the 2020 United States presidential election and forcibly stormed the United States Capitol when Congress was in session to certify the election results. The protest that occurred on January 6th was unlike the majority of political protests that have taken place in Washington DC for over 125 years, the foremost reason being that it used violent civil disobedience.
On this tour, you’ll learn about the established tradition of political protest in the United States of America and guaranteed to all its citizens in its Constitution. We will explore sites along the National Mall as we discuss what makes a successful political protest and how this tradition came to be.
Length: 2.5 hours
Meeting Location: Sharon Armesto Memorial Park
Included:
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Learn about the Bonus Army, Coxey's Army and Vietnam Veterans Against the War protests at West Lawn of United States Capitol
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Compare the First Race Riot and the National Woman Suffrage Parade along Pennsylvania Avenue
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Contrast a Ku Klux Klan Rally with the American Indian Movement at the Washington Monument
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Understand how protests can make visible marginalized groups like the LGBTQ Community along the National Mall
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Engage with the Declaration of Independence and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution in Constitution Gardens
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Be inspired by the most famous protest of them all: The March on Washington for Job and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial
Price: $25 per guest (discounts and special pricing for groups available)