Local
Teen charged in D.C. lesbian attack held without bond
Prosecutors list incident as hate crime
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered a 19-year-old District man held in jail without bond following his arrest one day earlier for allegedly assaulting five lesbians on July 30 on the sidewalk next to the Columbia Heights Metro station.
Judge Karen Howze issued the order after prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office charged Christian Washington with one count each of hate related simple assault and hate related threats to do bodily harm. Both charges are listed as misdemeanors.
A report of the incident prepared by an officer with the police department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit says Washington allegedly called the five women “dyke bitches” before he and an unidentified male suspect allegedly punched each of the women in the face and head.
Police said the incident took place at 14th and Irving Streets, N.W. about 3 a.m. Police said they are continuing to investigate whether others were involved in the attack.
Two of the victims told the Blade that one of the two suspects became enraged when the women politely spurned his attempt to flirt with them and one of the women informed him she was with her girlfriend. The two women said a second suspect joined in the attack and a third man who was with the attackers used his cell phone to capture the incident on video.
In a court hearing Wednesday, Washington pleaded not guilty to the two charges.
Howze scheduled a follow-up hearing on Aug. 17 to determine whether Washington should be released while awaiting trial or continue to be held. The judge set a status hearing on the case for Sept. 6.
Court records show that Washington was arrested on July 26 — four days before his alleged role in assaulting the five women — on a charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle that police say was a motor scooter. That arrest took place near the 1300 block of Columbia Rd., N.W.
A police report shows that Washington and a second man riding on the scooter with him led police on a Hollywood-style chase through streets and alleys before the men dismounted the scooter and attempted to flee on foot. The report says police apprehended Washington but the second suspect escaped.
Court records show Washington was released on his own recognizance at a July 27 court hearing after being formally charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle.
The attack against the five women drew widespread media attention when news surfaced that police officers arriving on the scene refused to take a report of the incident and released a suspect they apprehended upon their arrival.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier released a statement calling the officers’ behavior “appalling.” She told members of the D.C. group Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence that the officers could be fired for not taking a report depending on the finding of an investigation of the incident.
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PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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