Local
Metro mum on teen suspects linked to anti-gay assault
Victim suffered concussion, broken jaw
Investigators have identified two suspects linked to an April 11 incident at the Congress Heights Metro station. (Photo by elipatwood; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
A spokesperson for Metro Transit Police disclosed on April 15 that investigators had identified two juvenile suspects linked to an April 11 incident at the Congress Heights Metro station in which a gay man was attacked and beaten while being called anti-gay names.
The 23-year-old victim suffered a concussion, broken jaw and loosened teeth at the hands of four male suspects who assaulted him inside the station at about 10:45 p.m., according to a police report.
Nearly one month later, neither Metro Police nor D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, who is in charge of prosecuting juvenile offenders, have disclosed whether the two juvenile males, ages 16 and 17, have been arrested or prosecuted under the city’s juvenile justice system.
On April 22, Metro spokesperson Morgan Dye told the Blade the two suspects had not been arrested at that time. She said a juvenile court proceeding known as a Pre-Petition Custody Order (PPCO) hearing was expected to be held the following week to determine how the case should proceed.
But since that time Dye said she has been unable to determine from Metro Transit Police whether arrests have been made in the case. Detectives were seeking to identity at least one more suspect, she said.
The victim, who has asked that his name not be disclosed, told the Blade he was invited to a meeting with a Metro Transit detective and a representative of the Attorney General’s Office on April 28.
“They asked me if I want to press charges and I said yes I do want press charges,” he said. “They have my medical records from the hospital,” the victim said. “I signed papers to have them released.”
He noted that he underwent emergency surgery to reset a broken jaw, which included the wiring of the jaw in a closed position to allow the bone to heal.
The Attorney General’s representative told him he would likely be called to testify in court, but as of Tuesday he had not heard back from anyone, he said.
Robert Marus, a spokesperson for the D.C. Attorney General’s Office, said his office could not comment on any juvenile case, including whether or not an arrest has been made, under the city’s strict confidentiality rules pertaining to juvenile offenders.
LGBT activists following cases of anti-LGBT violence have expressed concern over past cases in which authorities declined to disclose whether juveniles implicated in anti-LGBT assaults were prosecuted and, if so, what the outcome of the case was. Some activists have asked why this information could not be disclosed as long as the names and identities of the juvenile defendants remain confidential.
Racine won election in November as the city’s first elected independent attorney general. He told the Blade during his election campaign that he would look into ways to provide more information on juvenile cases while complying with existing rules and statutes that require confidentiality.
Local
Comings & Goings
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].
Some people are especially inspiring to write about, and one such person is Joseph Poduslo. He is justly proud of his “Luminary of the Year” nomination, which is granted to survivors, caregivers, and researchers, by the Brain Industry Association of America (BIAA). I urge you to take a look at its website, and maybe help Poduslo raise some funds for this incredible organization.
“I have always wanted to share my journey to help and inspire others,” he said. “The brain is the most amazing creation and retraining the brain takes time and effort. But I’m doing it.” You can read his story in his own words. You will find it as inspiring as I did.
After spending time with his family in Texas, he is now back in D.C. He is Senior Vice President, and founding agent, the Poduslo Group. His bio notes, “His work for his real estate clients has garnered him industry-wide recognition. Joseph has been featured in the Washington Post, NBC, CNN, and in 2018, Washington Life Magazine’s ‘Most Influential Business Person Under Forty.’ … When Joseph is not redefining the real estate industry, he has invested in numerous small businesses and restaurants in downtown D.C. over the last 17 years. He founded the D.C. Progressive Dinner, an organization that helps SMYAL, a local non-profit. Joseph formerly served on the Capital Alliance Board in the DC area.”
Delaware
GOP candidate in Del. House race expresses LGBTQ support
Simpler says trans residents deserve protection from discrimination
Early voting is underway in Delaware and one race that has captivated the LGBTQ community is the 14th District House seat being vacated by longtime ally Pete Schwartzkopf. Claire Snyder-Hall, a lesbian, won the Democratic primary and faces Republican Mike Simpler. But Simpler says the LGBTQ community shouldn’t discount him simply because he’s a Republican.
“I was kind of upset that they would even think of me being a Republican, that I would discriminate against the LGBTQ community in general,” Simpler told the Blade. “It’s kind of upsetting knowing that I’m born and raised here, and I’ve had family members that way. I mean the treasurer of my campaign is a lesbian. It’s just upsetting that people feel that way about the gay community in general.”
Simpler, a lifelong resident of Sussex County and the current president of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company said that his experience in the role has allowed him to work alongside many different types of people, including members of the LGBTQ community.
“We probably have the most diverse fire company in the state of Delaware, when it comes to the LGBTQ group,” he said. “People need to realize that the LGBTQ [community] is no different than the rest of the people in the world.”
Simpler also shared with the Blade that he has had firsthand experience with a unique aspect of LGBTQ culture — drag. He dressed up in drag at a fundraiser held at The Pines, a popular gay venue in Rehoboth Beach.
“I was asked to volunteer for a fundraiser, and next thing you know, I find out I’m going to be in drag at The Pines,” Simpler said. “We had a ball! I mean, I had so much fun.”
Not only did Simpler definitively say he supports the LGBTQ community in Delaware, but he added he supports legislative protections for these communities. He pointed out that providing a safe space for marginalized communities is ingrained in American history.
“Protect them,” he said when asked about the potential of supporting pro-transgender legislation amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ state legislation being passed nationwide. “You’ve got to. They’re trying to escape. For example, they’re trying to escape the process like the Jews did, like the Chinese when they came here. They’re trying to move away from an issue where they’re being prosecuted against to somewhere where they can be free and enjoy their life that they want to live.”
In addition to promising LGBTQ support, Simpler says he backs smarter growth in the region by prioritizing better development and efforts to alleviate traffic. He also pledges to attract high-quality jobs to the region.
Simpler faces Synder-Hall in the Nov. 5 general election. Read the Blade’s profile of her, here: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/09/24/claire-snyder-hall-interview/
Early voting is already underway.
Virginia
New Virginia license plate celebrates LGBTQ diversity
450 applications needed for it to become official option
Diversity Richmond has designed a license plate that allows Virginia drivers to celebrate and raise the visibility of LGBTQ diversity. The Virginia-based LGBTQ nonprofit needs 450 applications by January for the plate to become an official state option.
The license plate design features a group of hands stacked on top of each other in the far left corner, and the Progress Pride flag runs horizontally across the bottom of the plate. The words “Celebrate Diversity” are prominently displayed over the flag.
Rev. Dr. Lacette Cross, executive director of Diversity Richmond, said the design celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community.
“[The design] reflects the diversity of the intersecting identities of our community,” she said.
Applications are available on Diversity Richmond’s website, and the license plate costs $25. Once completed, applicants should email the form to Diversity Richmond, not to the Virginia DMV, as Diversity Richmond will submit both the applications and fees to the DMV on their behalf.
If the organization gathers 450 applications and payments by the start of the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session in January, Del. Betsy B. Carr (D-Richmond) will sponsor the plate through the approval process to make it an official option.
The initiative also serves as a fundraiser for Diversity Richmond, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from the license plate registration fees.
“The ultimate benefit,” Cross said, “is the continual visibility of LGBTQ persons, our allies, and our supporters that are driving around the Commonwealth of Virginia, spreading the message of acceptance and of allyship.”
She described Diversity Richmond as the hub of the LGBTQ community in Greater Richmond, noting the organization’s “really dynamic” work within the community. The nonprofit runs the popular thrift store Diversity Thrift, hosts the annual Virginia Pridefest in September, and exhibits the work of LGBTQ artists in its art gallery.
Diversity Richmond is planning to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a public party at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
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Is the Washington Post editorial board asleep?
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