Local
Betts murder draws attention to gay pick-up crimes
Police report three gay chat-line incidents since December

News that gay D.C. middle school principal Brian Betts met at least one of the three 18-year-old men charged with his murder through a sexually oriented chat line has prompted activists and police to caution the public about meeting people through such venues.
Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence and the D.C. police’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit issued e-mail alerts in the past two weeks urging gays and others to take precautions before inviting home someone they meet through an Internet site or telephone chat line.
“Do not invite the person into your home without meeting in a safe, public space,” GLOV said in its May 7 alert. “Get as much personal information as possible, including a real face photo, phone numbers and a home address and try to verify the information.”
Kelly Pickard, a GLOV co-chair, said the group issued its alert after learning of another report by area police that a gay man was attacked near Manassas, Va., by someone he met through a telephone chat line.
Another gay male victim was killed in D.C. in January following a liaison arranged by phone, but authorities haven’t disclosed if the hookup originated from a sex chat line.
Insiders familiar with Internet and phone services linked to sexual hookups say the reported cases are the tip of the iceberg and far more incidents go unreported to police because victims often fear embarrassment and the public disclosure of their sexual orientation.
Police in Prince William County, Va., released a photo May 5 of an unidentified male suspect believed to have robbed at gunpoint a 28-year-old man in Manassas whom he met through a phone chat line.
According to Prince William police, the suspect and a male accomplice arrived by car at a prearranged meeting place with the victim at 2:30 a.m. April 12 in the Manassas area and invited the victim into their car. Police said the two drove the victim to Colton Lane, a dead end street, and escorted him by foot to a location between several nearby townhouses.
One of the two suspects then brandished a gun and forced the victim to turn over cash. The two suspects returned to their car and drove away, leaving the victim shaken but uninjured.
The incident occurred three days before Betts’ body was found in his house in Silver Spring, Md. Police said there were no signs of a forced entry into the home. Investigators said Betts appears to have met at least one of the three men arrested in connection with the murder through a sexually oriented telephone chat line — most likely on the night of the murder.
The three men arrested for the murder were Alante Saunders, whom police said had no fixed address; Sharif Tau Lancaster of Northwest D.C.; and Deonatra Gray of Oxon Hill, Md.
At least one other phone chat line-related murder took place in D.C. on Dec. 27. Police and prosecutors said 29-year-old Anthony Perkins, who was gay, was shot to death in his car by a suspect he met through a phone chat line on the night of the incident. In court papers, prosecutors said a witness told police that 20-year-old Antwan Holcomb boasted about pretending to be gay for the purpose of luring a “faggy” to a place where he could rob him.
The witness told police he overheard Holcomb say he shot Perkins during a scuffle as Holcomb attempted to rob Perkins inside Perkins’ car. Police have charged Holcomb with first-degree murder while armed.
D.C. police also have linked the murder of a gay Maryland man in January to a phone conversation in which 17-year-old William Wren of Southeast D.C. allegedly called the victim and invited him to meet him near the youth’s home. Police have charged Wren with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting and killing Gordon Rivers, 47, inside his car while it was parked on Naylor Road, S.E. during a botched robbery.
Police have so far declined to say how Wren and Rivers met, raising speculation that the two might have met through a phone or Internet chat line.
“The New York City Anti-Violence Project documented 25 [gay-related] pick-up crime incidents in 2009, most of which involved Internet dating sites, including adam4adam and Craigslist,” GLOV says in its May 7 alert. “The types of reported crimes range from theft and drugging to sexual violence and murder.”
The alert says that these and local events “further confirms a trend — both locally and nationwide — that gay men who use these methods to arrange meetings are being targeted for violent crime.”
“While this trend has largely gone unreported by local media, GLOV believes that increased awareness and knowledge among the community is a vital component of keeping people safe.”
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Pride festival to take place July 19
LGBTQ-friendly resort town welcomes third year of celebrations

Rehoboth Beach Pride is back for a day of summer celebration next Saturday.
The Delaware beach town will host its Pride festival at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center on July 19 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by an after-party at Freddie’s Beach Bar and a ticketed event in the evening with a film screening, comedian, and musician.
“It will be a day of community engagement, fun, celebration and learning, all sorts of things rolled into one,” David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, told the Washington Blade. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to be together, to support each other.”
Pride is organized by Sussex Pride and Gay Women of Rehoboth. The festival will include a free, family-friendly event with vendors offering information and resources, health screenings, and other activities.
Drag queen Roxy Overbrooke will host the festival, with performances throughout the day by Ivy Blu Austin, Goldstar, the cast of Clear Space Theatre, JC Pizzaz, and Kadet Kelly.
Mariner said Rehoboth Pride has not seen a decrease in corporate support this year, as some Pride celebrations have. Last year, the vendor spots were capped at 50 but increased to 60 this year.
“The main thing that’s different this year is what’s happening in the world and what’s happening in the country so it changes the tone,” Mariner said. “I go into this with strength and determination and an awareness and appreciation for the rights that we have here in Delaware. I go into this … knowing there are people in our community feeling under attack. There are a lot of things happening at the national level that impact us from healthcare to education that affect our lives in various ways.”
Funds raised from a raffle will be used to support unhoused LGBTQ youth in Delaware. Last year, the raffle raised $1,000, which was donated to the Safeguards Housing Committee, a program of PFLAG Wilmington.
In response to LGBTQ youth “increasingly targeted by harmful rhetoric and policies,” the festival will hold various workshops with topics such as supporting the LGBTQ Latinx community, suicide prevention, and an ACLU activist training.
Mariner referenced a Dan Savage quote from the AIDS epidemic that he loves. He said it reflects Pride festivals and the celebration of pride in the LGBTQ community.
“During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for,” the quote reads.
Mariner said having an event like this that combines education, advocacy, and celebration is reflective of “who we are as queer people.” He said it’s important to learn and recommit to the work that needs to be done and that he is looking forward to every piece of the day.
“I would just like to see everyone leave the convention center feeling loved and connected and supported and with a renewed sense of strength and determination to face whatever challenges may come,” Mariner said.
District of Columbia
Gay ANC member announces candidacy for Ward 1 D.C. Council seat
Community leader Brian Footer seeking seat held by Brianne Nadeau

Gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Brian Footer, a community activist who has been involved for many years in local and national government affairs, has announced his candidacy for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat up for election in 2026.
Footer, a Democrat, will be running in the city’s June 2, 2026, Democratic primary for the Ward 1 Council seat, but it is uncertain whether he will be running against incumbent Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau (D). Nadeau has not yet announced if she plans to run for re-election for a fourth term following her 12 years on the Council.
Nadeau has been a longtime vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community.
If Footer were to win the primary and the November 2026 general election, he would become the Council’s second openly gay member. Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker (D) is currently the 13-member Council’s only gay member.
Footer is a three-term ANC commissioner who currently serves as Chair of ANC 1E, which represents the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.
“Brian has worked at every level of government — federal, state, and local — building a career rooted in public service, aging policy, and inclusive urban planning,” a statement on his campaign website says.
“I’m running for Council because too many people in Ward 1 are doing everything right and still feel ignored by the city they call home,” Footer states on his website.
“I’m running because we can do better,” his statement continues. “That means making housing more affordable, addressing homelessness with real solutions, and keeping our neighborhoods safe with smart, community focused strategies.”
When contacted by the Washington Blade for comment, Nadeau said she was not ready at this time to discuss her plans about running again or about Footer’s candidacy.
“The primary is a ways away, and I’m very focused right now on the budget and the stadium deal and all the work that we’re doing at the Council,” she told the Blade. “So, I really haven’t had time to turn to my plans. So, as a result, I’m also not going to be commenting on anybody else who is determined that they’re running at this time.”
She first won election to the Council in 2014 after she defeated four-term gay Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham in the Democratic primary after Graham became embroiled in an ethics controversy.
In the 2022 Democratic primary Nadeau defeated gay challenger Salah Czapary in a three-candidate race, by a margin of 48.5% of the vote compared to Czapary’s 30.9%.
With the third candidate, Sabel Harris, receiving 20.4%, the outcome showed that the two challengers had a combined total vote count higher than Nadeau.
Further details of Footer’s candidacy can be accessed from his campaign website, brianfooterdc.com.
District of Columbia
Gay GOP group hosts Ernst, 3 House members — all of whom oppose Equality Act
Log Cabin, congressional guest speakers mum on June 25 event

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and three women Republican members of the U.S. House appeared as guest speakers at the June 25 meeting of Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., the local chapter of the national LGBTQ Republican group with that same name.
The U.S. House members who joined Ernst as guest speakers at the Log Cabin meeting were Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), and Julia Letlow (R-La.).
Neither D.C. Log Cabin Republicans President Andrew Minik nor spokespersons for Ernst or the three congresswomen immediately responded to a request by the Washington Blade for comment on the GOP lawmakers’ appearance at an LGBTQ GOP group’s meeting.
“Please join us for an inspiring evening as we celebrate and recognize the bold leadership and accomplishments of Republican women in Congress,” a D.C Log Cabin announcement sent to its members states.
“This month’s meeting will highlight the efforts of the Republican Women’s Caucus and explore key issues such as the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act and the broader fight to preserve women’s spaces in society,” the message says.
It was referring to legislation pending in Congress calling for banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports events.
According to media reports, Ernst and the three congresswomen have expressed opposition to the Equality Act, the longstanding bill pending in Congress calling for prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The Log Cabin announcement says the meeting was scheduled to take place at the Royal Sands Social Club, which is a restaurant and bar at 26 N St., S.E. in the city’s Navy Yard area.
D.C. Log Cabin member Stuart West, who attended the meeting, confirmed that Ernst and the three congresswomen showed up and spoke at the event.
“It was a good turnout,” he said. “I would definitely say probably 30 or 40 people attended.” West added, “Four women came to talk to a group of mostly gay men. That’s something you don’t see very often.”
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