Local
Credibility questioned in Omega robbery report
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.
Virginia
Gay Va. couple hopeful voters will enshrine marriage equality in state constitution
Early voting has already begun in the state
A referendum on whether to enshrine marriage equality in Virginia’s constitutional amendment is on the ballot this year.
If voters approve Question 2, it will codify the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell ruling in 2015 that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples across the country — gays and lesbians have been able to legally marry in Virginia since Oct. 6, 2014.
Rob Bookbinder and James Fisher are a married couple who live in Arlington.
They have been together for 38 years — Bookbinder and Fisher married in 2014.
“We think this is a critical vote to remove this discriminatory language from the constitution and to ensure that going forward, no matter what happens, the state of Virginia will ensure marriage equality,” Fisher told the Washington Blade. “It is it is really difficult and upsetting to think that our current state constitution would prohibit same-sex marriage, even though the federal government overrides that now. There’s no saying what may happen in the future.”
Bookbinder said it was important for him and Fisher to get married “to gain social equality.”
“I was surprised how good it felt, how important it was to begin to say, ‘my husband rather than my partner,'” Bookbinder said.
Bookbinder then explained why it feels good to be married.
“Is it a legal partner, a business partner, a tennis partner, you know, or a romantic partner? But when you say my husband James, everyone knows exactly what you mean and confers an equal status with everyone else who’s married, and we were both surprised at how good it felt and how equal it felt to suddenly be married and be able to state that you were married and discuss your husband rather than your partner, and I would hate to lose that,” he said.
Bookbinder and Fisher said they are hopeful that voters will approve the amendment, noting Virginia has become more progressive over the years.
“I think people have, with the Supreme Court decision, people have seen that a same-sex marriage is just a marriage,” stated Fisher. “It’s just two people who love each other, and I think more and more people have attended a same-sex marriage, someone in their family or a friend, and the experience of what this is, firsthand experience, is so important in shaping people’s opinions, and I think the period of time that we’ve had since the Obergefell decision has given a lot of voters that experience, which I think is really important and powerful.”
The couple also said the push to enshrine marriage equality in Virginia’s constitution is in response to the Trump-Vance administration.
“And I think due to President Trump doing all the horrible things he’s done to so many groups, including LGBTQ, especially trans people, that Virginians are kind of pushed to be even more progressive to protect those who need protection, which would include the LGBTQ community in terms of marriage equality, so I’m confident it will pass,” said Bookbinder.
Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, sent the Blade a statement about early voting on Question 2 that has already begun.
“With early voting now underway, our focus is making sure every Virginian knows Question 2 is on their ballot,” said Rahaman. “The outdated ban on same-sex marriage still in Virginia’s state constitution leaves a gap in protections for the thousands of same-sex couples that call this state home, but after 20 years we have the chance to fix it.”
Log onto www.mobilize.us/vaformarriage to find out more about the campaign in support of Question 2.
By JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | Those legendary heavy-handed pours, spirited karaoke and trivia nights, and groan-worthy wall-to-wall patrons on packed nights are back!
Leon’s will live to see another day.
Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, which opened in the 1950s, closed in July following the death of its owner, Ron Singer.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Leigh Miles Jackson, Ph.D., named executive director of The Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker, and Angel Earle, Ph.D. named as chief operating officer, Whitman-Walker Health System.
Upon her appointment Dr. Jackson said, “Under my leadership, I would love for The Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker to be known as a trusted, forward-looking research organization that shapes policies, strengthens practices and creates measurable change for the community.” Dr. Jackson spent 12 years with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, leading national initiatives on minority-serving institutions and economic evidence for investments in children, youth and families. Dr. Jackson holds an extensive educational background, including postdoctoral fellowships in developmental Psychology and Neurogenomics from Vanderbilt University, a Ph.D. in molecular and systems pharmacology from Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University.
Upon her appointment Dr. Earle said, “When we talk about parity and inequities and research, it’s never just about the dollars that are out there. It’s about making sure that we’re cultivating a change that embraces equity at the heart of everything that it does. As the COO for Whitman-Walker Health System I will be working closely to support The Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker and the Whitman-Walker Foundation to drive advancement in research and support the strategic goals of all of the Whitman-Walker Heath System entities.”
Dr. Earle is a genetic epidemiologist and senior executive. She brings a background from the London School of Economics and the University of South Carolina, with expertise in global health, corporate strategy and socioeconomic policy. She has co-authored peer-reviewed research on cancer genetics, nephrology biomarkers and reproductive genomes.
Dr. Heather Aaron, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health System said, “both leaders bring research-driven expertise and operational strength to the organization as it continues expanding research, health care access, and health outcomes for residents across the Washington, D.C., region, including the LGBTQ+ community, people living with and at risk for HIV, and communities experiencing persistent health disparities.”
The Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker is also expanding its research agenda beyond HIV to address the complex health conditions affecting people living with and at risk for HIV, as well as the broader communities The Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker serves.
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