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Suspected gunman appears in court; charged with assault with intent to kill

Prosecutors ask for mental health evaluation

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Law gavel, gay news, Washington Blade

Floyd Lee Corkins II was ordered held without bond on Thursday by a federal judge one day after the FBI and D.C. police apprehended him for allegedly shooting a security guard in the lobby of the headquarters of one of the nationā€™s leading anti-gay groups. (Photo via Wikimedia)

Herndon, Va., resident Floyd Lee Corkins II, 28, a part-time volunteer for D.C.ā€™s LGBT community center, was ordered held without bond on Thursday by a federal judge one day after the FBI and D.C. police apprehended him for allegedly shooting a security guard in the lobby of the headquarters of one of the nationā€™s leading anti-gay groups.

The FBI placed Corkins in custody around 11 a.m. Wednesday in the lobby of the Family Research Councilā€™s national headquarters at 801 G Street, N.W., after police said he shot security officer Leo Johnson in the arm. Police said Johnson, who sustained a non-life-threatening wound, and other guards wrestled Calkins to the floor and took away the gun.

U.S. District Court Judge Alan Kay ordered Corkins held until Aug. 24, when a joint preliminary and detention hearing will be held in which prosecutors must present evidence showing probable cause that Corkins committed offenses related to two charges filed against him Thursday morning by the FBI.

One of the charges is the federal offense of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition. The second is a D.C. offense of assault with intent to kill while armed.

FBI officials said the firearms charge was brought because Corkins transported the gun and ammunition from Virginia, where he purchased them legally, to D.C. for the purpose of committing a crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Martin, one of two prosecutors in the case, asked Kay during the court hearing to arrange for Corkins to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before the preliminary and detention hearing set for Aug. 24. Kay responded by calling the prosecutors and court appointed defense attorney David Vos to a private bench conference to discuss the request.

When the bench conference ended, Kay adjourned the hearing without announcing whether he approved or denied the governmentā€™s request for the psychiatric evaluation.

William Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office, said after the hearing that Kay granted the government’s request for a mental health evaluation of Corkins.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier called Johnson a hero for risking his life by preventing Corkins from entering the upper floors of the building where Family Research Council employees work. Lanier said that while authorities were not certain what Corkinsā€™ motive was, a stash of ammunition recovered from his backpack suggested he might have been planning a mass killing.

An FBI arrest affidavit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Thursday morning says a witness told the FBI ā€œCorkins stated words to the effect of ā€˜I donā€™t like your politicsā€™ to Johnson and other security officials in the lobby seconds before he pulled out his gun and shot Johnson.

The FBI, which is leading the investigation into the case, charged Corkins with the federal offense of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition. It also charged him with the D.C. offense of assault with intent to kill while armed.

The affidavit says authorities recovered from the scene a loaded Sig Suer 9mm pistol that Corkins allegedly used to shoot Johnson and two magazines loaded with 9mm ammunition.

It says the FBI also recovered from a backpack that Corkins had with him a box containing an additional 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition along with fifteen Chick-fil-A- sandwiches.

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, gay news, Washington Blade

Tony Perkins said the Chick fil-A sandwiches found in Corkinsā€™ backpack strongly suggest that he had targeted the FRC for its conservative political beliefs, possibly including its opposition to same-sex marriage. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

In a news conference Thursday outside the Family Research Councilā€™s headquarters, held less than an hour after Corkins appeared in court, FRC Executive Director Tony Perkins said the Chick fil-A sandwiches found in Corkinsā€™ backpack strongly suggest that he had targeted the FRC for its conservative political beliefs, possibly including its opposition to same-sex marriage.

Perkins noted that the Family Research Council had issued statements in support of Chick-fil-A during the past several weeks, after some gay activists criticized the companyā€™s president for his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Perkins appeared to make note of the LGBT organizations that spoke out against the shooting of the FRC security officer when he told reporters, ā€œI do also want to express my appreciation to the groups and organizations that we do not agree with on many public policy issues who have also expressed their outrage at what took place here yesterday.ā€

But Perkins created a stir among LGBT groups when he criticized the pro-LGBT Southern Poverty Law Center, a nationally recognized civil rights group, for being ā€œrecklessā€ for labeling groups like the FRC as hate groups.

ā€œI want to be clear that Floyd Corkins was responsible for firing the shot yesterday that wounded one of our colleagues and our friend Leo Johnson,ā€ Perkins said.

ā€œBut Corkins was given license to shoot an unarmed man by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center that have been reckless in labeling organizations as hate groups because they disagree with them on public policy,ā€ Perkins said. ā€œAnd I believe the Southern Poverty Law Center should be held accountable for their reckless use of terminology that is leading to the intimidation in what the FBI here has categorized as an act of domestic terrorism.ā€

In a statement posted on its website Thursday afternoon, Southern Poverty Law Center senior fellow Mark Potok called Perkinsā€™ comment ā€œoutrageous,ā€ saying SPLC has for more than 40 years denounced violence.

ā€œWe have argued consistently that violence is no answer to problems in a democratic society, and we have strongly criticized all of those who endorse such violence, whether on the political left or the political right,ā€ Potok said in his statement.

ā€œThe SPLC has listed the FRC as a hate group since 2010 because it has knowingly spread false and denigrating propaganda about LGBT people ā€“ not, as some claim, because it opposes same-sex marriage,ā€ he said.

Leaders of 40 national, state, and local LGBT advocacy organizations ā€“ including the DC LGBT Center — issued a joint statement Wednesday night condemning the shooting at the FRC building and expressing support for Johnson and his family and for his full and speedy recovery.

Officials with the D.C. LGBT Center said Corkins had been working as a volunteer at the centerā€™s front desk on weekends for about six months and there were no signs of any problems associated with his work.

“I was shocked to hear that someone who has volunteered with the DC Center could be the cause of such a tragic act of violence,ā€ the centerā€™s executive director, David Mariner, said in a statement.

ā€œNo matter the circumstances, we condemn such violence in the strongest terms possible,ā€ Mariner said. ā€œWe hope for a full and speedy recovery for the victim and our thoughts are with him and his family.”

But Mariner has declined to release additional details about Corkinsā€™ background, adding to the mystery both within the LGBT community and the community at large about who Corkins is. It could not immediately be determined whether Corkins was gay.

The FBI arrest affidavit says Corkins lived with his parents in Herndon and drove silver 2004 Dodge Neon, which is registered under the names of his parents, to the East Falls Church Metro station on the day of the shooting. The affidavit says he took the Metro to D.C. and walked from a Metro station to the Family Research Council building.

ā€œFBI special agents interviewed Jacqueline Shenise Corkins and Floyd Lee Corkins, who stated that they are the parents of Floyd Lee Corkins II,ā€ the affidavit says. ā€œThey also stated that Corkins has been living at [their] residence up to the present date.ā€

The affidavit adds, ā€œCorkinsā€™ parents informed the FBI special agents that Corkins has strong opinions with respect to those he believes do not treat homosexuals in a fair manner.ā€

News media reports have cited unnamed law enforcement sources as saying Corkins has a masterā€™s degree. The Washington Post reported that a friend of Corkins during the time the two attended George Mason University described Corkins as ā€œsecretive and somewhat odd.ā€

The friend told the Post that Corkins ā€œdisplayed an intense interest in the 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche.ā€

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Comings & Goings

Ryan Levi to lead D.C. chapter of NLGJA

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Ryan Levi

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].Ā 

Congratulations to Ryan Levi on assuming the presidency of the D.C. chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (DCNLGJA). 

“I’m incredibly excited to take on this new leadership role with an organization full of incredible journalists,ā€ Levi said. ā€œIn these uncertain and challenging times for many in our queer and trans community, I hope NLGJA can continue to be a space for queer and trans D.C. journalists to connect with their peers, find support, grow in their careers, and build community.”

Leviā€™s background includes being a reporter and producer with Tradeoffs Washington, D.C., where he reported and produced podcast episodes for the national nonprofit health policy news organization. Topics included ransomware attacks on hospitals, bias and AI in health care, and bringing Medicaid to incarcerated people. He was the lead reporter on The Fifth Branch, a special three-part series on mental health crisis response. His reporting was featured on NPR, PBS NewsHour, The Marshall Project, and Slate. He was a producer for KQED News, San Francisco, where he reported and produced sound-rich feature stories, developed, and executed engagement strategy, provided editorial feedback, and mixed pieces for the weekly Bay Curious podcast. Before that he was a producer and reporter at KBIA News in Columbia, Missouri. 

Levi earned his bachelorā€™s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and a bachelorā€™s degree in Spanish, College of Arts and Science. He has won numerous honors and recognition for his work, including: Region 2 Edward R. Murrow Best News Series award for Three Refugees, Three Journeys to California; and second place 2017 Hearst Journalism Awards Radio Competition (reporter).

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District of Columbia

LGBTQ-friendly senior living community to open near Dupont Circle

Luxury assisted living apartments located in the former Fairfax Hotel

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An upscale senior and assisted living apartment building located two blocks from Dupont Circle is set to open this month.

An upscale senior and assisted living apartment building located two blocks from Dupont Circle, which is scheduled to hold a grand opening ceremony on Feb. 12, has announced it is ā€œLGBTQ+ friendly.ā€

A statement released by the new seniors home, called the Inspir Embassy Row, located at 2100 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., says it is proud to have received recognition as a SAGECare Platinum Credentialed Provider from the New York City-based LGBTQ seniors advocacy and training group SAGE.

ā€œTo earn this prestigious credential, a minimum of 80 percent of Inspirā€™s management and non-management staff completed comprehensive training in LGBTQ+ aging cultural competency,ā€ the statement says.

ā€œThe program covered crucial topics including historical and contemporary LGBTQ+ struggles, proper terminology usage related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and strategies to address the unique challenges faced by this demographic,ā€ according to the statement sent to the Washington Blade.

Inspir Embassy Rowā€™s general manager, Tim Cox, who is gay and said he lives with his husband just five blocks from the soon to open facility, provided the Washington Blade with a tour of the senior living building. He said it includes 174 apartments, including studio apartments and one and two-bedroom apartments.

Tim Cox is general manager of Inspir Embassy Row. (Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

Residents have signed up for about 45 of the apartments so far, Cox said, including some LGBTQ residents, who will begin moving in on Feb. 18. He said the upscale building is open to seniors who currently do not need assisted living services as well as those who need different levels of care, including memory loss care.

He said a doctor and nurse practitioner will be among the staff team providing services for residents. Although most of the apartments haveĀ a kitchenette with a refrigerator and microwave but no cooktop and a limited number have full kitchens, Cox said three meals a day will be served in the buildingā€™s large, first floor dining room. The building also includes common areas with spaces for entertainment such as the showing of movies and a large grand piano for visiting performers.

ā€œAt Inspir Embassy Row, weā€™re dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates the diversity of our residents,ā€ Cox said in the statement released by the building, which is the former home of the Fairfax Hotel.

(Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

ā€œThis SAGECare certification is a testament to our commitment to providing personalized, compassionate care that respects and honors the identities and experiences of all our residents, including those in the LGBTQ+ community,ā€ Cox said.

He added, ā€œOur goal is to create a home where every resident feels valued, respected and free to be themselves. The SAGECare certification is just the beginning of our journey to set a new standard for inclusive senior living in Washington, D.C.ā€

But the monthly rent for residents of Inspir Embassy Row will likely place it out of reach for many potential senior residents. Cox said the monthly rent for a one-room studio apartment is $8,100, with the monthly cost of a one-bedroom apartment ranging from $11,500 to about $15,000. A two-bedroom apartment will cost $18,500 per month.

Some of those costs will be covered for residents who have long-term care insurance, Cox said.

Asked if potential residents who can afford the monthly costs at Inspir Embassy Row would be better off staying in their own homes and hiring staff and others to comfortably assist them, Cox said Inspir provides far more than just meals and a place to stay.

(Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

When remaining at your own home ā€œyouā€™re isolated, youā€™re lonely, you donā€™t have activities,ā€ he said. ā€œWhen you have people coming to care for you, theyā€™re not there as companions,ā€ Cox said. ā€œSo, for this, we give them opportunities. We take them to the Kennedy Center. We have music here on a daily basis.ā€

Cox added, ā€œWe have authors come in. We have speakers that are renowned coming in. Since weā€™re on Embassy Row, weā€™ll have ambassadors come in to introduce their country. So, really it is being able to get to know our community better and being social, interactive.ā€

The statement released by Inspir Embassy Row says the facility will provide ā€œLGBTQ+ specific activities, events, or support groups to allow residents the opportunity to share similar experiences with other residents,ā€ and there will be ā€œpartnerships with local LGBTQ+ organizations.ā€ 

(Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)
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District of Columbia

Officials praise D.C. Office of LGBTQ Affairs, raise concern over funding delays

Leaders of local advocacy groups testify at Council oversight hearing

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Local officials praised the work of Office of LGBTQ Affairs Director Japer Bowles. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Officials with five local LGBTQ community organizations and officials with another four groups that also provide services for LGBTQ D.C. residents testified before a D.C. Council performance oversight hearing on Jan. 30 that examined the work of Mayor Muriel Bowserā€™s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

The hearing, which also examined the Mayorā€™s Office of Veterans Affairs and Office of Religious Affairs, was called by D.C Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) in her role as chair of the Councilā€™s Committee on Public Works and Operations. 

Nearly all the witnesses praised what they called the LGBTQ Affairs Officeā€™s longstanding support for the D.C. LGBTQ community through a wide range of services and programs and what they called the ā€œdedicatedā€ work of its director, Japer Bowles.

Officials with at least four of the LGBTQ organizations, including the D.C. LGBTQ Budget Coalition and the LGBTQ youth advisory group SMYAL, expressed concern over what they called long delays in funding from grants awarded to LGBTQ and LGBTQ supportive groups by the Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

Several of the witnesses, including Kimberley Bush, executive director of the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center, who submitted written testimony, said the funding delays were being caused by other D.C. government agencies that administer city grant programs. 

Bush stated that the delays in funding for the LGBTQ+ Community Center for a  $50,000 Community Development Grant and a $50,000 Violence Prevention and Response Team (VPART) Grant, ā€œby no faultā€ of the LGBTQ Affairs Office, ā€œcaused extraordinary and substantial financial strain on our cash flow.ā€

Heidi Ellis, coordinator of the D.C. LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition, raised a related issue of concern that the mayorā€™s office, based on ā€œshifting priorities,ā€ sometimes significantly lowers the level of grant funds from the Office of LGBTQ Affairs to community-based LGBTQ grant recipients.

Ellis and other witnesses at the hearing referred to this as ā€œyo-yo funding and shifting of mayoral prioritiesā€ that they said makes it difficult for LGBTQ groups receiving city grants to continue their programs and services.  

In his own testimony, and in response to questions from Nadeau and D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), who is the Councilā€™s only gay member, LGBTQ Affairs Office Director Bowles said some of the delays in grant payments were due to a vacancy in the office staff position that administers the grants, which he said has now been filled.

Among other things, Bowles said the complexity of the grant approval process, which he said involves ā€œdifferent layers of funding decisionsā€ by other D.C. government offices, also has caused some delays. He said that despite what he called some of his officeā€™s challenges, the office continues to expand its role in supporting the local LGBTQ community.

ā€œWith Mayor Bowserā€™s leadership and support, Iā€™m proud to have led efforts that transformed the office,ā€ he stated in his testimony. ā€œWe secured the bid for WorldPride 2025, expanded our grant programs from $75,000 to over $6 million, revamped our community engagement strategy, and much more,ā€ he said.

ā€œThese changes have had a direct impact on addressing public safety concerns and providing housing and support to vulnerable residents,ā€ he added. According to Bowles, his officeā€™s LGBTQIA+ Community Development Grant program saw a record expansion in fiscal year 2024, with more than $1 million awarded to 29 community-based organizations. (The Washington Blade has been a recipient of a grant that funds a journalism fellow who reports on local LGBTQ community news.)

ā€œThese grants support a wide range of LGBTQIA+ dedicated initiatives, including mental health counseling, youth leadership, and arts and culture projects,ā€ he said. ā€œAs part of our broader advocacy efforts, we secured funding for the Violence Prevention and Response Team, which provides trauma-informed legal and counseling services to survivors of hate-based incidents.ā€

Among the LGBTQ officials who praised Bowlesā€™s work and the LGBTQ Affairs Office while raising concerns about the officeā€™s ability to carry out its ambitious programs was Vincent Slatt, chair of the D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commissionā€™s Rainbow Caucus. The caucus currently consists of 38 out LGBTQ ANC commissioners based in all eight D.C. wards.   

Slatt called on Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council to increase the number of full-time staff members for the LGBTQ Affairs Office from its current six staff members to 10 or 11 full-time staffers.

ā€œTo address these challenges, we strongly recommend increasing the officeā€™s staff to match the scale of its responsibilities and the growing needs of our community,ā€ Slatt told the committee. He added that the officeā€™s current ā€œchronic staffing and budget shortage disparities will become even more concerning in light of the recent and anticipated homophobic and transphobic attacks expected from the White House and Congress.ā€

The other LGBTQ community witnesses who praised the LGBTQ Affairs Officeā€™s overall work were Rebecca York, SMYALā€™s director of Youth Development and Community Engagement; Justin Johns, director of operations for the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center; Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance; and Bo Belotti, development manager for the community services organization HIPS.

In response to a request from the Washington Blade for comment on whether the mayor and other city officials were taking steps to address the issue of grant funding delays raised at the D.C. Council hearing, the office of the mayor released this statement: ā€œWashington, D.C. is proud to support the LGBTQIA+ community. The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs continues to deliver impactful programs with its dedicated staff, and we are always assessing ways to enhance support across all community affairs offices.ā€

The Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) responded to the Blade inquiry with its own statement: ā€œDMPED has been working closely and collaboratively with the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center to finalize their grant agreement. We are proud to support this transformative project that is delivering a world-class services center for our LGBTQ community.ā€

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