Local
Silver Spring buildings hit with anti-gay graffiti
Police seek help in finding vandal who paints ‘no gay’
The words ‘no gay’ were painted on a building multiple times in Silver Spring. (Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro Jr.)
The words “no gay” appeared more than 50 times Sunday night along the top of a four-foot-high white cement wall that stands in front of a flower bed and shrubbery surrounding an office building in downtown Silver Spring, Md.
Tony Eastridge, the property manager for the 12-story upscale building at 1010 Wayne Ave., told the Washington Blade that his maintenance staff has painted over the anti-gay graffiti at least three times over the past year, only to see it reappear shortly after it’s removed.
“There’s not a whole lot of crime here,” Eastridge said. “It’s just this kind of stuff, which is unnecessary and uncalled for but unfortunately it happens.”
He said one of the building’s security officers called Montgomery County police on Monday to report the graffiti incident. Lt. Jennifer McNeal, deputy commander for the department’s Third District, which includes Silver Spring, said police would open an investigation into the graffiti incident.
Among other things, McNeal said police would seek assistance from the public. Unless someone comes forward to help police identify the person or persons responsible for the graffiti it will be difficult for police to close the case, she said.
According to McNeal, the scrawling of the graffiti along the top of the wall surrounding the office building has been classified as a form of vandalism.
Thomas Petry, a gay Silver Spring resident who has observed the “no gay” graffiti while waiting at a bus stop for his daily commute to work in D.C., said the same person also appears to be writing the words “FBI gay, FBI gay” dozens of times near where he or she writes “no gay, no gay.”
“I have no clue what that tie in is,” Petry said. “Maybe they blame the FBI for gays.”
Petry said that over the past year or two he has observed similar graffiti appearing on a similar white decorative wall in front of an adjacent office building at 1100 Wayne Ave., which is owned by the same company as the other building, Brandywine Realty Trust.
McNeal said anyone with information that could help police identify the person responsible for the graffiti should call the police non-emergency dispatcher’s office at 301-279-8000.
WorldPride 2025 concluded with the WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert held along Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. on Sunday, June 8. Performers on the main stage included Doechii, Khalid, Courtney Act, Parker Matthews, 2AM Ricky, Suzie Toot, MkX and Brooke Eden.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Celebrating the transgender community, Baltimore Safe Haven, an organization committed to empowering LGBTQ individuals in Baltimore City, plans to host their fourth annual Baltimore Trans Pride on Saturday.
Instead of the usual parade and march, this year’s Trans Pride will be a block party on Charles Street and between 21st and 22nd Streets. The event will start at 1 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and last until 10 p.m.
Community members can go on guided tours, enjoy refreshments by local vendors, listen to presenters, and watch performances by special guests.
Sukihana, the event’s headliner, plans to take to the stage to entertain the crowd, along with a variety of local performers, according to Melissa Deveraux, Baltimore Safe Haven’s executive assistant to Executive Director Iya Dammons.
“Some (are) prominently known, some (are) just making a name for themselves,” Deveraux said. Iya is always making sure that community talent is showcased at all of our functions.”
In company with Pride on Saturday, Baltimore Safe Haven will be opening its new building on Friday from 1-4 p.m.
“That is sort of going to be the prelude to pride,” Lau said. “Thanks to Sen. Mary Washington and the Weinberg Foundation, we were able to purchase the building outright, and it’s going to be a community hub of administrative buildings and 12-bedroom apartments.”
Renee Lau, administrative assistant for special projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, said the planning process for Baltimore Trans Pride began in January, and putting it all together was a collaboration of multiple city agencies and organizations.
“Safe Haven is an LGBT community organization, but we service the entire community, and that’s the message we try to spread,” Lau said. “We’re not just here for the LGBT community. We’re here to spread goodwill and offer harm reduction and housing to the entire community.”
Lau said the organization’s biggest goal for the event is to gain exposure.
“(We want) to let and let people know who we are and what our community is about,” she said. “Right now, because of what’s happening in DC, there’s a lot of bad untruths going on, and the total thing is bringing out the truth.”
Deveraux said having a place of inclusivity, acceptance, and togetherness is important in today’s political climate and the current administration.
“This event will have people seeing the strength and resilience of the transgender community, showing that no matter what we are going through, we still show up,” Deveraux said. “We are here, we will not be erased.”
The 2025 WorldPride Parade was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 7. Laverne Cox and Renée Rapp were the grand marshals.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key and Robert Rapanut)
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