District of Columbia
Anti-gay incident on Metro train under investigation by Metro transit police
Police response prompted by social media post of incident that drew over 5 million views
An incident on Sunday afternoon, April 7, in which an unidentified man began shouting anti-gay slurs at two men believed to be a gay couple with a child on board a Metro train as it left the Dupont Circle Station and which was witnessed by a lesbian couple who defended the gay male couple is being investigated by Metro transit police.
Mishka Espey, who witnessed the incident with their partner, Gianna Gronowski, told the Washington Blade they and their partner became fearful that the male passenger might have physically assaulted them, and the gay male couple, based on his loud yelling of anti-gay names and the angry facial expressions he displayed.
According to Espey, he did not physically attack them or the gay couple and got off the train at the Judiciary Square station shortly after the gay couple got off the train a few stops earlier, possibly at Metro Center or Gallery Place.
Espey noted that their partner Gianna used Gianna’s phone to capture part of the incident on video, which Gianna posted on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, and which has been viewed over 5 million times, according to D.C.’s Channel 7 News, which has reported the incident.
Espey said someone from Metro police called Gronowski about the incident after police learned about it through the X posting.
“Just witnessed a small child get SCREAMED at by a man for having two dads,” Gronowski posted on X. “This man yelled that everyone on the train should ‘be sick’ that this ‘innocent child’ was being raised by two fags – we yelled at him to get off the train, the family departed, and he followed them,” Gronowski states in their post.
Espey told the Blade that when they saw the man appearing to follow the gay couple as the couple left the train, Espey and Gronowski shouted at the man to divert his attention, with the hope that he would not assault the gay couple on the train platform.
“He was very angry and loud and aggressive toward this couple that was standing right in front of us,” Espey told the Blade. “And he got closer to them. They were horrified,” said Espey. “They got off the Metro and he seemed to be following them off the Metro. And at that point, me and my partner started yelling at him,” Espey recalls. “And he turned his attention to us and started yelling at us,” said Espey, who uses the pronoun ‘they.’
“He was getting off to follow them, and then when we started yelling at him, he stopped right in the middle of the Metro door and was yelling at us from the doorway and holding up the train because he was literally in the doorway,” Espey said. “He then got off the train and walked down the other end of the same car we were in and then got back on the train,” Espey continued.
At that point, Gronowski filmed the second part of their video from their phone that shows the man standing on the opposite side of the train car, Espey says. “And that’s him just glaring at us from the other side of the Metro,” as seen in the video. “And at that point I was a little bit scared he was going to follow us all the way home” to the Silver Spring Metro station, which was their destination.
But instead, the man got off the train at the Judiciary Square station, Espey points out.
Metro Transit police had not responded to a request by the Blade for comment on the incident, including the question of whether the type of hostile name-calling without a physical assault engaged in by the unidentified man constitutes a crime — including a hate crime designation — that would merit an arrest and prosecution.
Channel 7 News reports that Metro Transit Police told Channel 7 it is “investigating the alleged incident.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident onboard the train or who may have seen the video image of the man who engaged in the name-calling from the X posting and who may be able to identify him can contact Metro Transit Police at 202-962-2121.
Under D.C. law, name-calling by itself is neither a crime nor a hate crime “regardless of how offensive it may be,” according to a statement on the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department website. The MPD statement says a hate crime is also not a crime by itself but instead is a motive for an underlying crime such as assault, murder, or vandalism.
The Office of the United States Attorney for D.C., which prosecutes D.C. crimes, says in a statement that an underlying crime could be an “assault or a threat,” but the statement does not specify exactly how a threat is defined.
Espey told the Blade that they and their partner Gianna felt threatened by the man on the Metro and they believe the gay male couple also felt threatened.
Espey said they and partner Gianna boarded the Metro at the Dupont Circle station after they walked from nearby Stead Park, where they played kickball as part of the LGBTQ Stonewall Kickball League.
The X posting by Gianna Gronowski can be viewed here:
Just witnessed a small child get SCREAMED at by a man for having two dads. This man yelled that everyone on the train should “be sick” that this “innocent child” was being raised by f@gs — we yelled at him to get off the train; the family departed and he followed them (1/2) pic.twitter.com/tqv7UZoaE6
— Gianna Gronowski (they/she) (@gmgronowski) April 7, 2024
District of Columbia
D.C. Latinx Pride celebrates culture and heritage
Your guide to events throughout June
Organizers with the Latinx History Project have planned a host of events this Pride season with parties, poetry, drag and more.
The festivities begin with the DC Latinx Pride 2026 Kickoff at Crush Dance Bar (2007 14th Street, N.W.) on Friday, June 12 from 6-10 p.m. The party will include a coronation ceremony for the 2026 Royal Court: Ms. DC Latinx Pride Vida Rangel and Mx. DC Latinx Pride Steph Niaupari. RSVP at latinxhistoryproject.org. The event is free, though donations are accepted.
An outdoor event is planned for Sunday, June 14 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Anacostia River Park (1500 Anacostia Dr., S.E.). Cultivating Queer Outdoor Joy is a “peaceful outdoor community event focused on grounding, connection, and queer joy in nature.” The event is free.
A panel discussion is planned for The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Rd., N.W., 2nd floor) on Monday, June 15 from 6-8 p.m. La Plática: The Future of 2 Spirits and Trans Natives will focus upon the “stories, leadership and vision of Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer and Trans Native people.” RSVP to the free event at latinxhistoryproject.org.
A sex-positive poetry workshop, “Hoetry: Writing Erotic Poetry,” is planned for Wednesday, June 17 from 6-8 p.m. at The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Road, N.W.). The event is free.
The workshop So You Wanna Do Drag? is planned for Thursday, June 18 from 5:30-8 p.m. at The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Road, N.W.). Featured guests Ricky Rose and Mari Con Carne will hold a style showcase to discuss the basics of developing a drag persona. RSVP to the free event at latinxhistoryproject.org.
The Latinx History Project is collaborating with Rumba Queer DC to produce an official Latinx Pride Party: Sin Vergüenza. The event is at the multi-level venue, Transmission (1353 H Street, N.E.) on Thursday, June 18 from 7 p.m.-1 a.m. There are dance lessons, vendors and three different music experiences in the sprawling venue. There will also be a drag showcase from 10-11 p.m. The event is 21+ and tickets are available at shotgun.live/en/events/sin-verguenza. Tickets are $15 for entry into the party. Tickets to participate in the dance lesson are $29.98. Participants may choose between a bachata lesson or a salsa lesson from 7-8 p.m.
La Fiesta: Official DC Latinx Pride Party is planned for Friday, June 19 from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Bunker (2001 14th Street, N.W.). Serena Morena from “Drag Race México” and “Drag Race UK vs The World” is slated to headline the 21+ event. Early tickets are available for $15 (plus $0.38 service fee) until June 16. The door cover charge without early tickets is $20. Attendees can also purchase a meet and greet experience with Serena Morena for $30. Tickets are available at latinxhistoryproject.org.
The Latinx History Project plans to march in the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 20 and to have a table at the Capital Pride Festival on Sunday, June 21. Visit latinxhistoryproject.org to register to march alongside LGP in the parade or to staff the table at the festival.
The DC Latinx Pride 2026 Closing Event is scheduled for Friday, June 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Mexican Cultural Institute (2829 16th Street, N.W.). The free event is a panel discussion “centering the experiences of immigrants who have lived in Latin America and now call the United States home.”
Visit latinxhistoryproject.org for more information.
District of Columbia
JR.’s hosts meet & greet for mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George
Event organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, Queers for Janeese
D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George spoke to a crowd of LGBTQ supporters on June 1 at a meet & greet event held at JR.’s on 17th Street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
The event, organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, which has endorsed Lewis George for mayor, with support from a group called Queers for Janeese, was followed by a “get out the vote” canvassing endeavor in which several of those attending the meet & greet visited the homes of nearby residents known to be Lewis George supporters.
The purpose of the canvassing was to remind Lewis George supporters to return their mail-in ballots or go to the polls on June 16 to elect Lewis George as the city’s next mayor, according to Matthew Kavanagh, one of the leaders of Queers for Janeese who attended the meet & greet event at JR.’s.
Local political observers consider Lewis George, a Ward 4 D.C. Council member, and former At-Large D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie, to be the two leading candidates in this year’s race for mayor. The two are among seven mayoral candidates competing in the city’s June 16 Democratic primary.
Lewis George told those attending the meet & greet, which was held on the JR.’s outdoor patio, that she has a long record of advocating for and initiating city polices and laws in support of the LGBTQ community. She said large corporate donors were backing her opponents and urged her LGBTQ supporters to help raise funds for her in the remaining days of the campaign.
Among those attending the meet & greet was gay longtime Dupont Circle civic activist Randy Downs who last November opened a nearby eatery called Protest Pizza. “I am queer and I am a Janeese supporter,” Downs told the Blade.
Stevie McCarty, president of Capital Stonewall Democrats, who also spoke at the meet & greet event, said his group would organize events in support of Lewis George in the remaining days of the campaign. Among them, he said, was an LGBTQ bar crawl in which supporters of Lewis George, including the candidate herself, would visit LGBTQ bars to promote her candidacy.
District of Columbia
D.C. kicks off Pride month with flag raising ceremony
Mayor, Council members join LGBTQ activists in 4th annual event
Members of the D.C. Council joined Mayor Muriel Bowser and a crowd of LGBTQ activists and supporters on June 1 for the city’s fourth annual LGBTQ Pride flag raising ceremony held outside the John A. Wilson Building, which serves as the D.C. City Hall.
Since its inception four years ago by Mayor Bowser, the event has served as the official kickoff of D.C. Pride month, which culminates this year with the annual Capital Pride Parade on June 20 and Pride festival on June 21, which takes place on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. near the U.S. Capitol.
“As I like to say, we’re celebrating Pride month in the gayest city in the world,” Bowser told a crowd that included city officials and Council members joining her on the front steps of the Wilson Building.
“Fifty-one years of Pride in the future 51st state,” she said, adding, “And both movements are rooted in the same belief – every person deserves to be seen, heard, and fully represented.”
Among those who spoke at the event in addition to Bowser were Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs; D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb; and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large).
“This year is special,” Bowles told the gathering. “It’s special because we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs,” he said. “For two decades this office has helped make Washington, D.C. one of the most welcoming and affirming cities in the world.”
He added, “We have expanded LGBTQ services across agencies, invested millions of dollars into community organizations, championing culturally competent care and training, supporting LGBTQ supportive businesses and workers and celebrated our history.”
Schwalb said his Office of the D.C. Attorney General continues to safeguard the city’s laws protecting residents against discrimination but expressed concern about “high court” rulings that he said continue to roll back civil rights, voting rights, and human rights.
He said, “We’re seeing cases limiting medical care for transgender youth while at the same time green lighting so-called conversion therapy.” He pointed to cases or policies “excluding transgender girls from participating in sports and excluding story books with LGBTQ characters from our school libraries.”
He said his office is committed to protecting all residents, including LGBTQ residents, from all forms of discrimination. “And that includes the right to be our authentic selves, to freely express our identities and ourselves to be who we are and to love who we love.”
Mendelson, who also expressed strong support for the LGBTQ community and for the upcoming Pride events, said 10 of the Council’s 13 members were attending the Pride flag raising event, including gay Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5).
“I’m just here with gratitude,” Parker told the Washington Blade. “There’s a lot to be grateful for and a lot more to fight for,” he said. “And so, raising this flag is a reminder that our government is here to serve all of our residents regardless of how you identify or who you love.”
Shortly after Mendelson spoke, D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), who is running for mayor in the city’s June 16 primary, arrived at the event, becoming the 11th Council member to turn out for the event.
Among those also attending the event were Ryan Bos and June Crenshaw, the two top officials of the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events.
Bowser, who is not running for re-election this year and will be stepping down as mayor in January 2027, thanked those attending the Pride flag raising event for playing a role in an all-inclusive city.
“We speak with one clear voice – that D.C. is a welcoming city,” she said in her remarks. “But also, we know that our work has been robust, but it is not done. We fly this flag in front of the John A. Wilson Building because it tells a story,” she said.
“It tells a story of a city that takes care of itself,” she added. “And we take care of each other. We are a city that is diverse and welcoming.”
Serving as the event’s master of ceremony and who introduced Bowles as the first speaker was longtime D.C. drag performer Tara Hoot.
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