Local

Credibility questioned in Omega robbery report

Published

14 years ago

January 20, 2011

D.C. police investigators are questioning the credibility of a customer who reported being robbed at gunpoint inside the men’s bathroom at the Dupont Circle gay bar Omega on Jan. 3, and at least one investigator doesn’t believe a gun was involved in the case, according to a police source.

A separate source familiar with a video surveillance system installed throughout Omega for security purposes said video images of the customer who reported the robbery and three people he identified as suspects contradicts the customer’s version of how the reported robbery unfolded.

The source said the surveillance video – which shows the movements of the customer and the alleged suspects inside the bar — raises questions about the customer’s claim that the robbery took place in the bathroom.

“Do I think something happened in that place? Absolutely,” said the police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But do I think it panned out the way he said it did? No I do not.”

A police report of the incident says that according to accounts by the victim and at least one witness, the reported robbery took place about 8:45 p.m. after the victim said he played pool with three people now listed as suspects in the case. The report says a witness told police that after the victim and the suspects played pool the victim bought the suspects drinks at the bar.

According to the report, the victim told police he went to the restroom and one of the suspects followed him there, pulled out a “dark colored handgun,” pointed it at his waistband, and stated “give it up.”

The report says the victim told police he turned over his wallet, which had at least $400 in cash. The report says the victim also told police the suspect stole his North Face coat, which he says has a value of more than $400; his driver’s license and his cell phone.

After committing the robbery, the suspect left the bathroom and fled the bar, and the victim ran after him, the victim told police, according to the police report.

The victim spoke to the Blade by phone on condition that the Blade not disclose his name. He confirmed that he ran out of Omega to look for the suspect, saying all three suspects “were gone” by the time he exited the bar.

But he disputed the police report’s assertion that he played pool with the suspects, saying he did not play pool with them. He also disputed the police report’s claim that the incident happened about 8:45, saying it happened no later than 6 or 7 p.m. and that he had been in the bar drinking since the time it opened at 4 p.m.

“I was too damn drunk to play pool because I was a little high,” he told the Blade. “I ain’t going to lie to you. I was drinking at the time.”

But later in the 20-minute interview, he said he wasn’t drunk. “The police knew I wasn’t even drunk at all,” he said. “The police asked me was I drinking. Yes I was drinking. And they knew I wasn’t drunk because of how I was talking to them.”

When asked if he often carries $400 or more in cash on him, he said, “No, I had to pay my rent. I went to the bank to get my rent and I had a drink in there and I was about to leave is what I was about to do.”

The police source said the case remains under investigation, with the possibility that it may be closed due to lack of evidence that an armed robbery occurred. One possibility, the source said, is the victim may have been “duped” by the suspects, who could have stolen his jacket and other possessions while he left them unattended.

Delaware

Milton Pride Fest to take place Saturday

This year’s theme is ‘Small Town, Big Heart’

Published

17 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Abigail Hatting

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Milton, Del., will host its Pride Fest this Saturday with the theme “Small Town, Big Heart.” The town’s population of just over 3,000 is in its sixth year hosting Pride.

The event is hosted by Sussex Pride and Milton Theatre and will take place from 4-8 p.m. in the area surrounding the theater. Admission is pay-what-you-can and proceeds will support the Milton Theatre’s education wing campaign, an initiative dedicated to expanding arts education and creating spaces for the next generation of performers and artists.

The musical act schedule includes Goldstar at 4 p.m., Magnolia Applebottom and Friends at 5:30 p.m., and Mama’s Blacksheep at 6:45 p.m. There will be vendors, food trucks, and a Kids Fest with an inflatable obstacle course.

“In our little corner of the world, LOVE leads the way! Milton Pride 2025 is a celebration for EVERYONE — neighbors, families, allies, and friends — because acceptance, kindness, and community belong to us all,” Milton Theatre’s website reads. “Whether you’re here to cheer, learn, or simply feel the joy … you’re welcome exactly as you are. Let’s come together and celebrate Milton, a SMALL TOWN … with a BIG HEART!”

District of Columbia

Drive with Pride in D.C.

A new Pride-themed license plate is now available in the District, with proceeds directly benefiting local LGBTQ organizations.

Published

1 day ago

June 13, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

A sample of the license plate with the "Progressive" Pride flag. (Screenshot from the DCDMV website)

Just in time for Pride month, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles has partnered with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs to create a special “Pride Lives Here” license plate.

The plate, which was initially unveiled in February, has a one-time $25 application fee and a $20 annual display fee. Both fees will go directly to the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs Fund.

The MOLGBTQA Fund provides $1,000,000 annually to 25,000 residents through its grant program, funding a slew of LGBTQ organizations in the DMV area — including Capital Pride Alliance, Whitman-Walker, the D.C. Center for the LGBTQ Community, and the Washington Blade Foundation.

The license plate features an inclusive rainbow flag wrapping around the license numbers, with silver stars in the background — a tribute to both D.C.’s robust queer community and the resilience the LGBTQ community has shown.

The “Pride Lives Here” plate is one of only 13 specialty plates offered in the District, and the only one whose fees go directly to the LGBTQ community.

To apply for a Pride plate, visit the DC DMV’s website at https://dmv.dc.gov/

Delaware

Delawareans march in D.C. WorldPride parade

CAMP Rehoboth contingent among marchers

Published

1 day ago

June 13, 2025

Abigail Hatting

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The nation’s capital welcomed WorldPride this past weekend, a massive celebration that usually takes place in a different city every two years.

The Saturday parade attracted hundreds of thousands of people from around the world and the country. The state of Delaware, a few hours drive from D.C., saw participants in the parade, with CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ community center in Rehoboth Beach, hosting a bus day trip.

Hope Vella sits on the board of directors and marched with CAMP Rehoboth. Vella said that although the parade took a long time to start and the temperature was hot, she was “on a cloud” from being there.

“It didn’t matter to me how long it took to start. With the current changes that are in place regarding diversity and inclusion, I wanted my face there,” Vella said. “My life is an intersection. I am a Black woman. I am a lesbian, and I have a disability. All of these things are trying to be erased … I didn’t care how long it took. I didn’t care how far it was going to be. I was going to finish that parade. I didn’t care how hot it was.”

The nearly two mile parade route didn’t feel as long because everyone was so happy interacting with the crowd, Vella said. The group gave out beads, buttons, and pins to parade watchers.

“The World Pride celebration gave me hope because so many people came out. And the joy and the love that was between us … That gave me hope,” Vella said.

Vella said that people with disabilities are often overlooked. More than one in four Americans have disabilities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vella said it was important for her “to be out there and to be seen in my wholeness as a Black woman, as a lesbian, as a woman with a disability and to not be hiding. I want our society to understand that we exist in LGBTQ+ spaces also.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith is involved with CAMP Rehoboth and marched with a coalition of LGBTQ military members. Smith said they were walking to give transgender military members visibility and to remind people why they are serving.

“When we are not visible, what is allowed to take our place is stereotypes,” Smith said. “And so without visibility, people think all veterans are conservative and perhaps not open to full equality. Without visibility, they might think a small state with a farming background may be a place that’s unwelcoming, but when you actually meet the people who are from those places, it sets aside those stereotypes and the real authenticity is allowed to come forward.”

During the parade, Smith said she saw trans military members in the parade make eye contact or fist bump with transgender people in the crowd.

“They were seen. Both sides were seen during that parade and I just felt privileged to be able to witness that,” Smith said.

Smith said Delaware is a state that is about freedom and equality and is the first state for a reason. The LGBTQ community is engrained as part of life in the Rehoboth and Lewes areas.

“What pride means to me is that we must always be doing what is necessary to maintain our dignity as a community,” Smith said. “We can’t let what people with negative messaging might be tossing our way impact us and the celebration of Pride. I don’t see it as being self-promoting. I see it as an act of dignity and strength.”