Local
Gay men targeted in 5 D.C. hate crimes
Police issue alert, seek information
D.C. police put out a call for help this week in their investigation into five separate attacks against male victims in the city between June 2 and July 30 that investigators believe were motivated by anti-gay bias.
“In an attempt to raise community awareness and solicit information from the public, the Metropolitan Police Department is releasing this information relative to our ongoing investigation into a number of crimes as possible bias-related crimes,” according to a police e-mail alert sent to LGBT activists.
“Moreover, MPD is examining the cases for possible similarities. However, at this time, it has not been determined that these incidents are related,” the e-mail message says.
The alert says the first of the string of incidents took place June 2 about 5:20 p.m. along the 1500 block of R Street, N.W., when three young male suspects approached a male victim as he was “bending over to tie his shoe.” It says one of the suspects used a “homophobic epithet” before he or the other one struck the victim with a wooden object. It describes the suspects only as young black men.
On July 6 at about 9:20 p.m. a male victim was approached by two male suspects along the 800 block of Emerson Street, N.W. and knocked to the ground and assaulted while one of the suspects called him an anti-gay name, the police alert says.
The alert doesn’t disclose the names of any of the victims in the five incidents. In this incident, the victim, 29-year-old D.C. resident Francisco Martin, contacted the Blade shortly after the assault occurred to tell what happened, saying one of the attackers struck him in the head with a strip of plywood.
Martin, a makeup artist, described the suspects as black males, with one appearing between 30 to 35 years old, about 5’ 11” to 6’ tall and weighing between 170 and 180 pounds with a short haircut and wearing a white tank top and blue shorts. He said the other suspect appeared between 25 and 30, was between 5’7” and 5’8” tall and weighed about 150 pounds, with short black hair, a goatee, and wearing a yellow Polo shirt and jeans.
The alert says the third incident took place shortly after midnight on July 24, when the victim says he was approached by several black males after walking outside a club on the 2000 block of P Street, N.W. near Dupont Circle. “It is alleged that the assailants approached the victim and asked if the victim called them a homophobic epithet,” the police alert says
“At this point, the victim was knocked to the ground, assaulted and kicked,” it says. “When the victim attempted to call police from his cell phone, two of the suspects returned, assaulted him more, grabbed his cell phone and fled.” It says the victim described one of the suspects as having a dark complexion, weighing about 170 pounds and wearing a red shirt.
The next incident took place July 27 when “approximately six black males approached a male victim as he entered the lobby of a building in the 1400 block of R Street, N.W.,” the alert says. It says one of the suspects made an anti-gay remark as he and the others “began punching and kicking the victim.” It says the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. It describes the suspects as black males in their teens.
The last of the five incidents occurred July 30 at about 1:45 a.m. as a male victim “was leaving an establishment at 22nd and P Streets, N.W. It says a “subject bumped into him and used a homophobic epithet.” It says the victim walked away but the subject and as many as 15 to 20 other “black males and black females” followed the victim. One or more of the people following him struck him from behind and knocked him to the ground, according to the police alert. It says the suspects fled in three vehicles, including a white Chevy Impala, a blue Toyota Corolla, and a Silver Dodge Charger with Virginia license plates.
The police alert says that anyone with information about the five incidents should call police at 202-727-9099 or 1-888-919-2746. It says people with information may also call the department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit at 202-727-5427.
District of Columbia
Anti-LGBTQ violence prevention efforts highlighted at D.C. community fair
Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs organized May 8 event
Detailed advice on how LGBTQ people can avoid, defend themselves against, and prevent themselves and loved ones from becoming victims of violence, with a focus on domestic and intimate partner violence, was presented at a May 8 LGBTQIA+ Safety in Numbers Community Fair.
The event, organized by the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, included five workshop sessions and information tables set up by 14 LGBTQ-supportive organizations and D.C. government agencies or agency divisions, including the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s LGBT Liaison Unit and the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center.
Also playing a lead role in organizing the event was the D.C. LGBTQIA+ Violence Prevention and Response Team, or VPART, a coalition of D.C. officials and leaders of community-based organizations that work with the Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
The event was held in meeting space in the building where the Office of LGBTQ Affairs is located at 899 N. Capitol St., N.E.
The workshop topics included de-escalation training on healthy relationships, bystander intervention, self-defense training, violence prevention grants, and suicide prevention.
“This will be a public safety and violence prevention event where community partners will educate attendees on various methods of violence intervention and trauma-informed practices,” according to a statement released by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs prior to the start of the event.
The statement adds, “We will have live demos, interactive games, and workshops focused on strategies for self-defense, protecting vulnerable communities, increasing access to mental health resources, providing tools for recognizing domestic violence/intimate partner violence signs in intimate relationships, and assistance for substance abuse.”
Sonya Joseph, associate director of engagement for the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, told the Washington Blade that studies have shown rates of domestic or intimate partner violence are higher in the LGBTQ community than in the community at large.
“Domestic violence and intimate partner violence are two very big prevalent issues in the LGBTQ community,” she said, adding that some of the workshops at the event would be providing “training on healthy relationships and how to recognize and prevent intimate partner violence and the signs of it.”
About 35 to 40 people attended the workshop sessions.
Experts specializing in violence impacting the LGBTQ community have said domestic violence refers to violence among people in domestic relationships that can include spouses but also siblings, parents, cousins, and other relatives. Intimate partner violence, according to the experts, refers to violence perpetuated by a partner in a romantic or dating relationship.
These D.C. based organizations or agencies that participated in the LGBTQIA+ Safety in Numbers event, and which can be contacted for assistance, include:
• Defend Yourself
• DC LGBTQ+ Community Center
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Joseph’s House
• Us Helping Us, People into Living, Inc.
• MCSR (formerly known as Men Can Stop Rape)
• MPD LGBT Liaison Unit
• Volunteer Legal Advocates
• DC SAFE
• Destination Tomorrow
• D.C. Office of Victims Services and Justice Grants
• Life Enhancement Services
• ONYX Therapy Group
• U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Rehoboth Beach
Celebrated performer Rose Levine plays Rehoboth on May 15
Freddie’s to host Fire Island legend
Rose Levine is a celebrated entertainer best known for her longstanding performances in Cherry Grove, Fire Island, since 1955 where she has become a beloved fixture of the community’s vibrant arts and nightlife scene. With a career spanning decades, Levine has captivated audiences with her cabaret singing shows full of charisma, classic numbers, humor, and unmistakable stage presence—proving that some stars don’t fade, they simply get better lighting.
Levine is also closely associated with the legendary Fire Island Invasion of the Pines, the annual Fourth of July spectacle in which performers and revelers make their grand (and gloriously over-the-top) entrance by boat from Cherry Grove to Fire Island Pines, now a 50-year tradition. Her role in launching and sustaining this tradition has helped make it one of the most iconic—and entertaining—events of the summer season.
A consummate storyteller, Levine brings audiences along for a glittering ride through entertainment history. Rose will sing her Broadway melodies by Jerry Herman, Irving Berlin, Cy Coleman, Cole Porter, and others. With music direction by Mark Hartman the one-night-only event will celebrate Levine’s legendary life in drag, featuring signature crowd-pleasers and celebrity stories. A friend of Broadway composer Jerry Herman, she shares delicious stories of legends like Ethel Merman and recalls a young Barbra Streisand before she became Barbra Streisand while both performing at the famed singing contests at Greenwich Village’s famed Lion nightclub before her big break at the Bon Soir. Her shows are a mix of music, mischief, and memories of old New York and Fire Island — back when Cherry Grove didn’t even have electricity, but somehow still had better nightlife than most cities today.
Her legendary Fire Island home, Roseland, has hosted its fair share of unforgettable gatherings (and likely a few stories that can’t be printed in a family newspaper), making it a cornerstone of the community’s social scene. Levine splits her time between Manhattan and her summer perch on Fire Island—though audiences across the country are grateful she travels.
In fact, she performs at The Green Room and 54 Below in Manhattan, Cherry Grove in Fire Island, Act 2 and The Palm in Puerto Vallarta, Red Dot Cabaret in Hudson, N.Y., and now Freddie’s in Rehoboth Beach—because retirement, frankly, sounds boring. Her place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest continuously performing drag queen in the world only adds to the legend and gives her bragging rights she fully intends to use.
And now, Rehoboth—consider yourself warned.
Don’t miss Rose Levine live on May 15 at Freddie’s Beach Bar. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., with the show at 7 p.m. Come for the cocktails, stay for the stories, and leave wondering how one person can have that many fabulous decades.
Levine’s legacy is defined not only by her remarkable career, but by her ability to connect with audiences across generations—usually while making them laugh, gasp, and occasionally blush. Don’t miss this show.
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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