Local
Casa Ruby fundraiser at JR.’s pulls in $17,000
‘Coming together to fight hate’
JR.’s manager David Perruzza organized a fundraiser to benefit Casa Ruby. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
A fundraiser on March 23 at the 17th Street, N.W. gay bar JR.’s drew about 150 people and pulled in more than $17,000 for Casa Ruby, the D.C. LGBT community services center.
The fundraiser, organized by JR.’s manager David Perruzza, took place less than two weeks after an attacker smashed the front door to Casa Ruby’s offices on Georgia Avenue, N.W., assaulted a transgender woman, and shouted anti-trans slurs and threats at the center’s clients.
“I know the only way we can stand against hate and intolerance is by coming together and raising our voices,” said Ruby Corado, Casa Ruby’s founder and executive director, while standing amid the overflowing crowd at the JR.’s fundraiser.
“And the people who showed up today are not only contributing their money but they’re also coming together to say to the people out there we’re standing together against violence,” she said.
Perruzza announced in a Go Fund Me campaign he created that the money would help Casa Ruby replace its damaged front door with a stronger, more secure security system that would ideally prevent another attacker from breaking open the door.
He said that through people attending the fundraiser, through purchases in a silent auction held at the bar during the event, and through the Go Fund Me site, a total of $17,902 was raised as of March 23.
D.C. police on March 13 arrested Andrew J. Cook, 20, of Southeast Washington on charges of destruction of property, simple assault, and making threats to do bodily harm in connection with an incident at Casa Ruby’s offices on Georgia Avenue, N.W., one day earlier.
Corado said Cook, who identifies as straight, had been a visitor at Casa Ruby during the past several weeks prior to the incident and suddenly became violent after accusing some of the trans women of “talking about him,” according to a police arrest affidavit.
A D.C. Superior Court judge on March 14 released Cook from jail on his own recognizance pending a hearing scheduled for April 3.
“Since the week of the incident there have been hundreds of people sending us love cards, making calls, emailing and sending messages on Facebook and other social networks, letting us know that we’re not alone,” Corado said. “So I take this moment as the coming together of our LGBT community to fight hate.”
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Congratulations to Jaime Christopher Pierce on their appointment to serve as a member of the Virginia Governor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Pierce was sworn in on Sept. 3 by Greg Parks, clerk of the Alexandria Circuit Court.
Pierce currently serves as vice chair of the Alexandria City LGBTQIA+ Task Force and as a member of the Alexandria Pride planning committee. They previously served on the board of directors of Equality Virginia.
Upon being sworn in, Pierce said, “Public service has been a central part of my life for more than 30 years, and this appointment gives me an opportunity to serve the Commonwealth in a different and very personal way. My career has allowed me to work with people and communities throughout Virginia, and I hope to bring that experience, along with my own lived experience and my involvement in the LGBTQ+ community, to the work of the Board.” They added, “Having Greg administer the oath makes the occasion even more meaningful because of his own historic role as Virginia’s first openly gay elected circuit court clerk.”
Pierce also serves as Circuit Court Services Manager for the Department of Judicial Services, at the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. They began their career in Virginia’s judiciary in 1994 as a deputy clerk with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court and have since held several professional and leadership positions within the court system. Pierce is a member of the National Association for Court Management (NACM) and the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management. At the national level, Pierce participated in the workgroup that developed the National Association for Court Management’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guide, a resource designed to help court professionals advance inclusive practices and strengthen access, fairness and belonging within the justice system.
Pierce earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University, and a certificate in Paralegal Studies from Norfolk State University.
Maryland
Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
Pride Center of Maryland among recipients
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy are awarding a total of $10 million in grants in the 2027 fiscal year to nonprofit organizations that work to prevent hate crimes in the state.
The funds will be used to support those who feel targeted or discriminated against because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.
The Pride Center of Maryland is among the recipients. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and LGBTQ organizations are all eligible to receive grants
“The safety and security of all Marylanders is my top priority, so we are drawing a hard line because we have no tolerance for hate,” said Moore, according to media reports. “We are committed to protecting and ensuring safe and sacred spaces stay that way by investing in non-profit organizations, houses of worship, and community centers to protect and honor every community that makes our state so diverse and special.”
“Protection Against Hate Crime funding has strengthened the Pride Center of Maryland’s ability to protect, educate, and support the communities we serve … at a time of heightened concern associated with the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ/SGL (same-gender-loving) policies and pressures,” Pride Center of Maryland CEO Cleo Manago said. “PAHC funding helps us do more than improve physical security — it strengthens our community’s knowledge, preparedness, connection to resources, and ability to respond to hate with greater awareness and support.”
Maryland’s hate crimes law includes both sexual orientation and gender identity. The state’s nondiscrimination statute is also LGBTQ-inclusive.
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
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Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
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