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D.C. Jail guards accused of beating gay inmate

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A 39-year-old gay man being held in the D.C. Jail has accused jail guards of severely beating him last month, saying they carried him, handcuffed, down three flights of stairs while deliberately knocking his head against the walls and handrails.

The gay inmate, John Burrows, a D.C. resident, gave a detailed account of the incident to his mother and sister, who released the information this week to the DC Agenda.

ā€œThey handcuffed his hands behind his back and handcuffed his feet, picked him up and carried him down three flights of steps and in the process they were banging his head against the railings and into the wall,ā€ said Margaret Groat, Burrowsā€™ sister, in an e-mail.

ā€œ[T]hey beat him in the stairwell and choked him,ā€ she said. ā€œI think they were trying to kill him. He has two black eyes, a concussion; he still canā€™t feel three of his fingers from the handcuffs being so tight.ā€

A spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Corrections, which oversees the jail, said the Dec. 17 incident was under investigation and the department had no immediate comment.

ā€œPlease be advised that this matter is currently under investigation by the Department of Corrections,ā€ said department spokesperson Sylvia Lane in an e-mail to the Agenda. ā€œThere is no further information available at this time.ā€

Groat said Burrows gave a detailed description of the incident in two letters he mailed to their mother, Judy Burrows. She said her brother noted in one of his letters that the beating may have been triggered when he threw a bar of soap at one of the guards after the guard ā€œharassedā€ him.

According to Groat, jail officials have refused to allow her and her mother to contact John Burrows by phone and informed them that they could not visit him at the jail.

ā€œThey said they put him in protective custody and that he canā€™t have any visitors until Jan. 27 at the earliest,ā€ Groat said.

Lane did not respond by press time to questions by the Agenda about why D.C. Jail officials placed Burrows in protective custody and have refused to allow his sister and mother to visit him.

Mafara Hobson, a spokesperson for Mayor Adrian Fenty, said she would look into the matter. But she added, ā€œMs. Lane is correct in that the matter is under investigation, so we canā€™t comment further on the incident.ā€

When informed about Burrowsā€™ alleged jail beating, D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), who chairs the Council committee that oversees the jail and Department of Corrections, said he, too, would make inquires to learn more about what happened.

Court records show that Burrows is being held in jail without bond on felony charges of first-degree sexual abuse and robbery of a senior citizen in connection with an October 2008 encounter with a D.C. man over age 60. The records show that Burrows was arrested for the two offenses in September while he was incarcerated in an out-of-state prison for an unrelated theft charge, to which he pleaded guilty.

A D.C. Superior Court charging document says the two charges for which Burrows is currently being held were filed against him by a man who told police he engaged in consensual oral sex acts with Burrows on Oct. 5, 2008, in the manā€™s Northwest Washington apartment. The man, who is listed as the complainant in the case, told police he paid Burrows $100 in cash after the sexual encounter for the purpose of having Burrows use the money to purchase marijuana for the man, according to the charging document.

The next day Burrows returned. But the man said that instead of handing over the marijuana, Burrows grabbed him in a ā€œchoke hold,ā€ bound him ā€œby ligatures,ā€ and forced him into his bedroom, according to the charging document. It says the man told police that Burrows then sexually abused the man before stealing $100 in cash and his ATM card. The man told police that Burrows pressured him into revealing the PIN number for the card.

The charging document says police obtained surveillance video from the complainantā€™s bank showing Burrows making an illegal withdrawal of $500 with the use of the complainantā€™s ATM card.

Margaret Groat, Burrowsā€™ sister, acknowledged that her brother has a substance abuse problem and a record of arrests on drug and theft-related charges, all of which, she said, were non-violent offenses. Groat said her brother denies assaulting or sexually abusing the complainant in the case pending against him.

Premal Dharia, an attorney with the D.C. Public Defender Service who is representing Burrows, did not return calls seeking comment on the alleged jail beating or the criminal charges pending against her client.

According to Groat, her brother said the sexual encounters between Burrows and the complainant were entirely consensual. She said her brother told her a dispute arose over a prior agreement that the complainant would pay Burrows for the sex and that Burrows may have taken some money for the payment he believed he was owed. She said the complainant had requested to be bound as part of a pre-arranged ā€œbondageā€ encounter, according to her brotherā€™s account of what happened.

ā€œWhatever he did or didnā€™t do in terms of his arrest, he didnā€™t deserve to be beaten in jail,ā€ Groat told the Agenda in a telephone interview. ā€œHeā€™s had problems and issues with the law, but I can tell you that heā€™s not a violent person.ā€

Groat said she contacted the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance and the D.C. LGBT community center about her brotherā€™s allegation that he was the victim of a prison beating by guards.

ā€œWe have been in touch with the family and weā€™re following this closely,ā€ said David Mariner, executive director of the LGBT Center. ā€œThis raises concerns.ā€

Court records show that BurrowsĀ was scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, after the AgendaĀ press deadine, for a status hearingĀ and possible discussion of a plea bargainĀ offer by the government.

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District of Columbia

Bill to repeal D.C. home rule would jeopardize LGBTQ rights: activists

Measure introduced by homophobic lawmakers

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ā€˜Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city,ā€™ said U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn). (Washington Blade file photo by Giuseppe LoPiccolo)

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn) on Feb. 6 introduced legislation in the Senate and House calling for repealing the D.C. Home Rule Act, which would eliminate the cityā€™s limited home rule government with a mayor and city council.

The two lawmakers named the bill the ā€œBringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Actā€ or the ā€œBOWSER Act,ā€ saying in a statement that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was responsible, in part, for leaving ā€œour nationā€™s Capital in crime-ridden shambles.ā€

Lee and Robles each received a ā€œ0ā€ rating, the lowest possible rating, on the Human Rights Campaignā€™s Congressional Scorecard, which assesses the record of members of Congress on LGBTQ related issues.

Most political observers point out that far-right Republican lawmakers have introduced similar bills in the past, including one in 2024, which have died in committee with little support.

Both Democratic and some Republican lawmakers expressing opposition to the previous bills noted that under the existing D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress retains full authority to reject any legislation passed by the D.C. Council and signed by the mayor. They note that Congress also retains authority to impose any law it wishes on D.C.

But some observers, including LGBTQ rights advocates, say the prospects of the current bill could go further with the current GOP-controlled Congress and at a time when President Donald Trump raised the issue of  alleged ā€œout of controlā€ crime in D.C. during his presidential campaign. Trump has said he plans to issue one or more executive orders targeting D.C. home rule.

The bill introduced by Lee and Ogles does not address or propose who or what federal entity would operate D.C.ā€™s local government after the Home Rule Act of 1973 is repealed. The two-page-long bill states, ā€œEffective on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93-198) is repealed.ā€

Prior to the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1973, which Congress approved under the administration of then-President Richard Nixon, the city was governed by a commission whose members were appointed by the U.S. president and approved by Congress. A ā€œcommissioner-mayorā€ appointed by the president served as the head of the commission.

LGBTQ rights activists believe a similar type of governing body under the current Republican Congress and the Trump administration could pose a threat to the LGBTQ rights laws currently on the books in D.C., including the cityā€™s Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

ā€œRepeal of Home Rule at this time can only be a negative for the LGBTQ community, especially the transgender community, because of the virulent antagonism toward that community of the MAGA Republicans in control of Congress,ā€ according to D.C. gay Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein.

Howard Garrett, president of the Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.ā€™s largest local LGBTQ political organization, also expressed concern that repeal of D.C. home rule would pose a threat to the local LGBTQ community.

ā€œRepealing D.C. home rule would be a direct attack on our cityā€™s ability to govern itself and protect the rights of all residents, especially the LGBTQ+ community,ā€ Garrett told the Washington Blade. ā€œWashington, D.C. has been a leader in advancing LGBTQ+ rights, from nondiscrimination protections to access to affirming healthcare,ā€ he said. ā€œIf Congress were to strip away our autonomy, it would leave us vulnerable to reactionary policies that do not reflect the values of our residents.ā€

Garrett added, ā€œThis latest attempt to revoke home rule is nothing more than political interference that undermines democracy.ā€

In a joint statement released on the day they introduced their D.C. home rule repeal bills, Lee and Ogles denounced what they called a ā€œradically progressive regimeā€ of Bowser and the City Council.

ā€œWashington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness,ā€ Ogles said n the statement. ā€œBowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city,ā€ he said.

Lee stated, ā€œThe corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nationā€™s capital for decades. It is long past time that Congress restored the honor of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.ā€  

Daniel Solomon, co-founder of D.C. Vote, a local nonpartisan group that advocates for D.C. statehood, said in a statement that supporters of the home rule repeal bill were putting out misleading information about crime in D.C.

ā€œMake no mistake: This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to punish D.C. for political differences under the guise of public safety,ā€ he said. ā€œWe all agree that public safety is paramount, but dismantling home rule will do nothing to make our communities safer,ā€ his statement continues.

ā€œInstead, it will silence the voices of D.C. residents and threaten the progress weā€™ve made on criminal justice reform, economic growth, and local accountability,ā€ he said.

Bowser, who has declined to comment specifically on the current bill to repeal D.C. home rule, has pointed out that violent crime in D.C. dropped by 35 percent from 2023 to 2024 and property related crime declined by 11 percent during that same period.

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Virginia

Virginia High School League reverses policy on transgender athletes

Trans athletes previously allowed to compete on teams that corresponded with gender identity

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Virginia flag flies over the state Capitol. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Virginia High School League on Monday announced it will no longer allow transgender athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their gender identity following another executive order signed by President Donald Trump targeting trans people.

The VHSL announced their policy change on their X account. It undoes a 2023 announcement that said it would not change their policy that allowed trans athletes to compete on teams that affirmed their identities.

Following a Jan. 28 executive order signed that stopped hospitals and other medical institutions from providing gender-affirming care to minors under that age of 19, Trump on Feb. 5 signed another executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

The ban seeks ā€œto rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls.ā€ The NCAA and many other educational institutions agreed to implement the ban in fear of losing federal funding.

“The VHSL is an association comprising 318 member schools with more than 177,000 students participating yearly in sports and academic activities. The VHSL is the governing body, and our member schools look to and rely on the VHSL for policy and guidance. To that end, the VHSL will comply with the executive order,” said VHSL Executive Director John W. “Billy” Haun. “The compliance will provide membership clear and consistent direction.”

The VHSL also said staff will be making changes to their handbook and policy manual in the coming days, reminiscent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scrubbing all of the papers in its database of any now-banned language regarding LGBTQ people and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The VHSL’s own data indicates only 29 of the student athletes it oversees have been reported as trans since 2022.

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District of Columbia

Booz Allen withdraws as WorldPride corporate sponsor

Company updated programs to comply with Trump executive orders

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(Screenshot courtesy of WorldPride's website)

The U.S. technology company Booz Allen Hamilton has confirmed it has withdrawn as a corporate sponsor for the international LGBTQ WorldPride events scheduled to take place in D.C. from May 17-June 8, according to a report by the Washington Business Journal.

In an exclusive story published Feb.10, the business publication reports that Booz Allen Hamilton disclosed in a statement that its decision to withdraw as a WorldPride sponsor was based on its need to comply with ā€œrecently issued presidential executive orders.ā€

Although the statement did not say so directly, it is referring to executive orders issued since Jan. 20 by President Donald Trump that, among other things, ban government agencies and companies doing business with the government through contracts from promoting or carrying out diversity, equity, and inclusion or ā€œDEIā€ programs.

On its website, Booz Allen Hamilton describes itself as an ā€œadvanced technology company delivering outcomes with speed for Americaā€™s most critical defense, civil, and national securities priorities.ā€ Among the government agencies it does business with, the website statement says, are the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

ā€œWe take this responsibility to our nation seriously,ā€ Washington Business Journal quoted the Booz Allen Hamilton statement regarding WorldPride as saying. ā€œIt demands from us commitment to their best principle to flawless execution and to full compliance with all laws and regulations, including executive orders,ā€ Washington Business Journal quotes the statement as saying.

The Washington Business Journal article includes a photo of more than a dozen of Booz Allen Hamilton employees marching in D.C.ā€™s Capital Pride parade in 2017.

The company did not immediately respond to a request from Washington Blade seeking comment on its WorldPride decision.

Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes most D.C. LGBTQ Pride events and is the lead organizer of WorldPride 2025, in response to a request by the Blade released a statement responding to Booz Allen Hamiltonā€™s sponsorship withdrawal.

ā€œBooz Allen Hamilton is the only organization that has withdrawn its committed financial support for WorldPride,ā€ the statement says. ā€œCPA is proud of its many longstanding legacy sponsors, many of whom have already reaffirmed their commitments to participate in WorldPride this summer,ā€ the statement continues.

ā€œJust like many American companies and LGBTQ+ organizations, we are navigating current challenges and many unknowns,ā€ the statement says. ā€œWe are confident, however, that we will have the support necessary to have a successful and safe WorldPride that meets this moment,ā€ it says.

ā€œThat support includes families, organizations, and businesses from across our community and corporations that truly celebrate diversity and value equity and inclusion for all,ā€ the statement concludes.

The Capital Pride Alliance website last year listed Booz Allen Hamilton as a corporate sponsor for the 2024 Capital Pride events in the category of a ā€œTrue Colorsā€ sponsor, which it said represented a donation of $75,000. But the Capital Pride Alliance statement to the Blade this week says, ā€œWe are not going to share their previously planned commitment for 2025.ā€

The statement adds, ā€œMany in our community are extremely vulnerable right now, and standing up for them, standing with them, standing with us, in this movement is what we all need.ā€

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