Local
Police log: March 2
Investigations by the DC Metro Police Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit participated in the following investigations:
- On Feb. 20 in the Unit block of Forrester Street, S.E., a man reported that he and another man were in a verbal argument with a suspect over a noise complaint. During this dispute, a suspect brandished a handgun and tried to force his way into their residence. The suspect was later arrested.
- On Feb. 19 in the 1200 block of Vermont Street, N.W., a man reported that he and two suspects left a local nightclub together in one suspect’s vehicle to drive the victim to his vehicle, which was located in the 1200 block of Vermont Avenue, N.W. They became involved in a verbal altercation and once they got to the vehicle, the suspect attacked. The suspect punched the victim about the face, head and body and removed property from him, then jumped back into a vehicle and fled in an unknown direction.
- On Feb. 23, in the 700 block of Upshur Street, N.W., a man reported that while walking in the block he observed several males on the opposite side of the sidewalk. The males made homophobic remarks toward him. Two suspects assaulted him and threw him to the ground and took his property. The suspects were stopped by police and arrested.
- On Feb. 19, in the 1800 block of 13th Street, N.W., a complainant and the suspect were engaged in a verbal argument. The suspect sprayed the victim with pepper spray and then struck the victim with a bottle. The suspect was arrested on scene.
- On Feb. 19, in the 2300 block of Green Street, S.E., a complainant got into an argument with the suspect. The argument escalated and the suspect shoved the victim and punched him in the face. The two are in a domestic relationship. The case closed with the arrest of the suspect.
Photos
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)
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
House passes reconciliation with gender-affirming care funding ban
PHOTOS: D.C. Trans Pride
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WorldPride events round-up
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