District of Columbia
Many LGBTQ residents escaping D.C. for inauguration weekend
Some fear queer spaces could be targeted by MAGA crowd

Donald Trump will be sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as the 47th president on Monday, becoming the second person in history to ever return to the Oval Office after losing an election. As fencing and roadblocks begin to pop up in preparation for a weekend of Trump supporters gallivanting on the National Mall and across the capital, many LGBTQ people in Washington have made plans to leave the District.
Nick Gomez, a 27-year-old music director for iHeartRadio and host of PRIDE Radio told the Washington Blade he will leave the city for northern Maryland with a group of kickball team members. Gomez explained that this weekend being both a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and a weekend when he didnāt want to remain in Washington, it made sense to join some friends on a trip.
āI thought that it was a small group, but it’s actually a very large group of us looking at the group chat now,ā Gomez said. āWe’re getting a little cabin out in northern Maryland.ā He said 27 members of his LGBTQ Stonewall Kickball team are planning to ride out the inauguration away from Trump supporters and MAGA hats.
āNormally a little kickball team cabin weekend happens every year, but we did coordinate it to happen on inauguration weekend this year ā decidedly after Nov. 5 is when we booked the Airbnb,ā he said.
Gomezās choice to leave Washington was not a snap judgment though. For a while he contemplated what to do and if he should leave the city at all.
āI’ve thought about this a lot, actually,ā he said. āI was thinking, āWhat is it going to be like to live in this city while the administration is active outside of just inauguration weekend?ā There was a part of me that’s like, āI don’t need to be caught up in all that. I know that that’s probably not going to be good for me. And it very well could turn into a fucking hellscape out here.ā But there was another part of me that’s like, āWell, why am I going to leave? Because this is my city. I’m the one who lives here!ā And that kind of went into thinking about the inauguration weekend.ā
Gomez understood this would not be like any previous inauguration, given the inflammatory president-elect and his largely anti-LGBTQ followers.
āThe difference about inauguration weekend is that this inauguration is happening on the 20th, but there’s also that rally happening on the 19th,ā he said. āAnything that we can get caught up in on the 19th is just simply not going to be beneficial for queer people in the city, or the city itself.ā
The twice-impeached president-elect is planning to hold a āvictory rallyā for 20,000 supporters the day before he is sworn in. This will mark the first time Trump will speak to a crowd in Washington since Jan. 6, 2021, when groups of his supporters stormed the Capitol in hopes of overturning the fair election of Joe Biden. Trump’s fans, and their inclination to venture toward violent behavior, Gomez explains, is a large reason for why he chose to leave Washington for the weekend.
āThere are going to be so many people from out of town here, people from around the country here whose only objective is to support this man. We know what that looks like when people support this man in a physical sense. If they’re going to do that for two days, I don’t need to be here for that. I also don’t need to validate their presence by welcoming them to my city.ā
He understands that some LGBTQ community members may feel that is the exact reason to stay in Washington.
āMaybe there are some differing opinions on that,ā Gomez added. āMaybe people think, āYou know what, I’m going to sit here and stand my groundā and like, āThis is my city no matter what.ā I just think that there is a smarter way to stand my ground in my city than subjecting myself to whatever chaos is going to be here on those two days.ā
āIt’s more of a refusal to leave on my part,ā said Luke Stowell, 22, the queer assistant director of music at the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church who is hunkering down in the District this weekend. āI live here. I pay rent here. I’m not going anywhere, just because 650,000 Republicans are coming. This is my home.ā
Stowell explained that he is on the side of staying in Washington for the inauguration, if nothing else to be a voice of resistance against the Trump regime.
āI almost wish that there wasn’t such a desire for exodus,ā they added. āI wish that there were a little bit more of a āHey, like, No, we’re actually going to stand our ground.ā I appreciate the defiance, but I see it more as a defense of this territory. It’s obviously, as we know, a hugely liberal territory.ā
Stowell has debated shifting his daily routine ahead of Sundayās MAGA rally to avoid the Gallery-Place/Capital One Arena area.
āThey’re saying that there’s a big rally before the inauguration down at Capital One Arena, and that’s actually where my Planet Fitness is,ā they said. āI’m very interested to see if I try to go to the gym on Sunday, will it even be open? Will it be overrun with MAGgots? Otherwise on Monday, I have choir. I have things to do on Monday. My life doesn’t really stop just because the inauguration is happening. Some people don’t even have time off for the MLK Day holiday. It seems so crazy that those are on the same day, but yeah, I’ll be around.ā
Sam Parker, a 30-year-old managing strategist at a political consulting firm, chose to use this weekend to escape from the city and to get closer to his partner after experiencing the first Trump inauguration from a very close distance.
āMy boyfriend and I are going to Philly for the weekend, all the way until Tuesday to avoid the inauguration, and to get out for the three-day weekend,ā Parker said. āIt’s definitely largely predicated on the fact that I lived in Foggy Bottom the last time he was inaugurated.ā
Parker has since moved away from any of the neighborhoods that will be fully locked down during the inauguration but would rather just avoid any repeated feeling of being locked down as he was eight years ago.
āIt was entirely in the shutdown zone ā there were armored cars on the street. It was inescapable. My current neighborhood is probably a little lessā¦ omnipresent. ā¦ But I’ve kind of gotten over the idea that there’s some kind of ānoble aimā being witness to all this stuff, and that it’s kind of better for my mental health to just get out of town. Also, politics aside, it feels like the town gets kind of locked down for an inauguration. It is kind of nice to use some Amtrak points and go somewhere else. Have a less stressful weekend.ā
Justin Westley, a 28-year-old fundraising professional for an environmental NGO, is also using this weekend as an opportunity to grow closer to their boyfriend, Matt. Matt, who works for the federal government, requested anonymity due to concerns about potential repercussions for speaking out against the incoming administration, but wholeheartedly agreed about wanting to leave the city ahead of Trumpās arrival.
āWe’re going to Boston this weekend,ā Westley said. āWe’re visiting Mattās sister, who lives up there. Weāre going to stay and visit for a while, and this just seemed like a good opportunity. It’s very practical, because we were wanting to see Matt’s sister anyway. ā¦ I know most of our friends are either doing cabin trips or small weekend getaways anyway. We probably would have left regardless. I do think going to Massachusetts, a very blue state, and Boston, a very blue city, will be nice to not have to worry at all about interacting with those people [Trump supporters] on the day-to-day.ā
āYeah,ā Matt agreed. āVisiting a city that has voted primarily blue the past several elections offers a political comfort. But also, there’s a fun aspect of exploring a new city. Justin’s never been there. And then there’s comfort there ā visiting a family member. That’s also just kind of like a safety net.ā
Matt added that he has already seen law enforcement begin taking precautions in the District ahead of Mondayās events, solidifying the choice to leave ahead of whatever the weekend holds.
āI actually live pretty close to the White House, in the general Logan Circle area, and they’ve been testing drones,ā Matt said. āI remember seeing the news articles that they’re going to be testing them throughout the week, leading up to the inauguration. I haven’t been down near the actual mall, but the traffic patterns have already changed, just walking around the neighborhood. And the transportation agency has released what streets are going to be closed and navigating the area around my apartment is just going to be a nightmare.ā
This caused Westley to reflect on where he, and the city, was four years ago.
āIāve just been thinking back to Jan. 6 ā the disrespect, the terrorism, the white supremacy, but also just the disrespect toward the people who live here,ā Westley said. āFour years later, after all of that, these people are going to be coming back under the presumption of āWelcome to the city!ā For the first Trump administration, I lived in Nashville and in Pittsburgh. Those are both red and like purple states, respectively. The cities themselves truly did feel likeā¦ not being in a bubble, but like, a true insulated community where I wasn’t on edge about seeing Trump supporters ā like MAGAs in the streets necessarilyā¦There is just going to be a lot more Trump supporters [in Washington], and that just makes me feel a lot less secure.ā
Despite feeling less secure this time around, Westley echoed Parkerās earlier sentiment on the importance of prioritizing his mental health while navigating this weekend, and the next four years.
āWhile I can’t control being around staffers in the streets for the next four years, I can control when I’m around the sort of enthusiastic supporter that would be coming to the inauguration,ā Westley said. āRemoving myself from the situation felt like the healthiest thing for me, especially thinking about the next four years and for the energy that I’ll have to devote to protecting the people I love, the people close to me, as well as the community more broadly. I want to make sure that I’m starting that from a place of safety and resilience and not fear.ā
Stephen Hayes, 37, a non-profit fundraising professional, will use the long holiday weekend to celebrate his wedding anniversary and avoid unnecessary political conflict with people who may not support him and his husband.
āI had already planned on going out of town this weekend,ā Hayes told the Blade. āIt’s my husband and my 11th wedding anniversary. We got married in New York and we return every year for our anniversary. Our anniversary happens to fall in the middle of the week, so we’re going the weekend prior.ā
Hayes initially was more hopeful the country would go in a different direction than a second Trump presidency and kept that in mind when originally planning his anniversary weekend.
āI had originally planned to return in time for the inauguration, because I was hopefully optimistic that things would go the other way. But once we learned that they didn’t go the way that I’d like, I changed my plans to extend my stay in New York through the inauguration and return the following day, hopefully avoiding most of the people who will be here in town for the event.ā
This trip, Hayes recalls, seems to be very similar to his holiday weekend during Trumpās first inauguration two terms ago.
āIt’s kind of funny because eight years ago I was in New York during some of the first protests [against Trump] with the āpussy hat/pink hatā protests that took place in New York,ā he said. āI wasn’t planning to be there during the inauguration, and I wasn’t yet a D.C. resident, but now it will be interesting to be in New York City again for the inauguration.ā
āIt feels like there’s a lot of unknown right now,ā Hayes added. āPersonally, I kind of have my guard up. The people coming to town might not be as friendly as your average visitor so I would just be hyper vigilant. Be aware of what’s going on around you. I want to say that queer spaces are safe spaces, but they might be a targeted place. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but the pessimist in me says be prepared.ā
āIt is super easy to feel really helpless and we’re all allowed to feel helpless, but eventually something has to come of that helplessness,ā Gomez added. āI have no doubt that the queer community in this city will do that, and something will come out of it. But I think if there’s anything that I would want to share just from my personal experience over the last however many weeks, it’s that helplessness is OK, and it will not last forever. There’s an entire city of people around you that are there to lean on.ā
Trumpās inauguration happens Monday, Jan. 20 at noon on the Capitol steps. If youāre staying in town, Metro has released information regarding the change in transportation schedules ahead of the three-day weekend.
āMetro is prepared to move customers for Inauguration Day with additional train service and earlier hours,ā WAMATA announced. āPer the request of the United States Secret Service and the United States Capitol Police, Metrorail will open at 4 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 to accommodate the crowds. Five stations will be closed, and trains will bypass these stations for security reasons from Sunday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21: McPherson Square (Blue, Orange, Silver lines), Federal Triangle (Blue, Orange, Silver lines), Smithsonian (Blue, Orange, Silver lines), Mt. Vernon Sq.-Convention Center (Green, Yellow lines), Archives-Navy Memorial (Green, Yellow lines).ā
For more information on public transportation in Washington ahead of the holiday weekend, visit inauguration.dc.gov/ or wmata.com/service/inauguration-2025.
District of Columbia
Dancing protesters denounce Trumpās Kennedy Center takeover
āThis is an attack, not only on free speech, but on artistsā

Waiting in the windy cold of a 45-degree February day in Washington, Tara Hoot stood in Washington Circle wearing a canary yellow dress, heels, and a rainbow feather boa. Hoot was waiting, along with about 100 others, although most of them were wearing layers of clothes, for a protest to begin.
āI am here because, well, I’m angry at the situation we find ourselves in,ā Hoot told the Blade amid a growing crowd of pro-drag and pro-LGBTQ protesters who gathered behind her. āI’m just so annoyed that this sitting president is attacking a marginalized population. It’s a distraction for the country when everything’s falling apart. The cost of eggs is up there, and inflation is rising, and he’s here attacking a marginalized population in D.C.? It’s like, go do your job, right? It’s immoral what he’s doing, and it’s weak to attack the marginalized population. He’s just showing his own weakness.ā
Last week President Trump promised followers that he would remove anyone that ādo not share our vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” specifically targeting drag performers at the Kennedy Center. On Wednesday he made that goal a reality by removing the 18 Democratic members on the formerly bipartisan Kennedy Center board, replacing them with Trump loyalists.
This raised questions of the legality of removing the board, and his seeming attempt to silence First Amendment rights. As a result, the Kennedy Center issued a statement following Trumpās post.
āPer the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members,ā the statement read. āThere is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.”
Of the newly appointed board members, all have stood behind the twice impeached president as he continues to slash the federal government. These loyalists include Richard Grenell, a gay man who served as Trumpās ambassador to Germany in his first term; Usha Vance, the second lady of the United States; Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff; and Patricia Duggan, a philanthropist and top GOP donor.
The newly appointed board then elected Trump as chair.
When asked what Hoot, a local drag icon who has performed at the Kennedy Center, would say to the current board, she was quick with an answer.
āWell darling, they missed their chance!ā Hoot said. āI was running for board president of the Kennedy Center, the people’s princess, I would say. Art is gorgeous and diverse and beautiful, and it’s a way that we all tell our stories. The board needs to keep the heart of the Kennedy Center in mind, no matter who their board chair is. They actually need to have a spine and push back when these ideas that art has to be one thing or another, the board needs to push back and keep the Kennedy Center a people’s place for art.ā
Brooke N Hymen, a self-described āprofessional crossdresserā and trans person explained that to them, the changes in public attitude is more than a silencing of free speech, but an erasure of trans people.
āI find that attacks on drag are not just an attack on my heart, my livelihood, but also a veiled attack on trans people,ā Hymen said. āThey want to code trans people and what they do in their daily expression as drag as a way to ban trans people. So if we don’t stand up against these attacks on drag, trans people are the first people that will be harmed.ā
Hymen went on to say there are clear and simple ways that the board could offset these actions that directly and negatively impact the LGBTQ community.
āMore drag programming, more queer artists, more queer musicians, and more queer casts,ā they said. āTara Hoot was running for board of the Kennedy Center. I don’t know how possible that is under Trump, but I think that it’s a lovely sentiment and something that we should all push for.ā
Putting Hoot back in the Kennedy Center was also on the mind of other participants of the protest dance party. John Borstel, a former arts administrator, also said that appointing someone like Hoot to the board would be beneficialāif only to ensure that someone would speak out at the Kennedy Center.
āGet out and let the bipartisan board back in,ā Borstel said. āGet out and get people who know the arts back in. Let Tara Hoot in here! The drag queen who’s performed at the Kennedy Center. She’s been outspoken about this. She’s gone on record where the Biden appointed and ousted board members won’t even make a public statement about what happened. They’re afraid for themselves. We’ve got drag queens speaking out. The bureaucrats won’t speak up.ā
His sentiment regarding the lack of response from former Kennedy Center officials was echoed in his grievances with other established members of the arts community who didnāt show up at the protest. It did make him proud in a unique way though.
āI have never been prouder than I am tonight, to be a gay man, to be queer, because it’s the queers who have come out to protest it ā but it’s affecting everybody,ā Borstel said. āHe’s going to cut it all down. Everybody should be out here. I worked in the arts sector for over 30 years here. Where are those folks? But the queers are here. And they’re dancing!ā

Bennett Shoop, one of the protest organizers with the Claudia Jones School for Political Education, told the crowd at Washington Circleājust before their march down New Hampshire Avenue to the front of the Kennedy Centerāthat drag is deeply intertwined with Washingtonās history and that ignoring it means erasing that history.
āDrag is really important to D.C. and it’s important to D.C. history,ā Shoop said to the diverse and growing crowd of people listening. āWilliam Dorsey Swann was the first drag queen in the United States, an enslaved person who called themselves āthe queen of drag,ā who threw drag balls right here in this city. Drag is a D.C. institution, one that Trump has decided is going to be one of his top targets for his fascist administration. But it’s not just about drag performers at the Kennedy Center. This administration wants to remove all kinds of gender non-conformity and LGBTQ people at large from public life, just like the Nazis did at the Hirschfeld Institute when they burned all of those books.ā
āThis is D.C.,ā he continued as the crowd cheered him on. āD.C. is the queerest city per capita in the United States. We may not have representation in the federal government, but we do have a fighting spiritā¦He could pass all the executive orders and do all of the fascist takeovers that he wants, but queer and trans people will still be here. You know, we will still dance, and that dance will long outlive them.ā
One of those members of the LGBTQ community who resisted oppression through dance and protest, Shoop explained as he concluded his speech, could be credited with sparking the modern gay rights movement.
āLet us never forget that it was none other than drag king StormĆ© DeLarverie who inspired the Stonewall uprising that led to the gay liberation revolution of the ā70s. Drag was a part of our revolution then, and it must be a part of our revolution now. I just want to end with a quote from the namesake of our school, Claudia Jones, who once said āthat a people’s art is the genesis of their freedom.ā So like our predecessors, let this be the genesis of ours.ā
Following speeches by the other organizing groups, the group of 200 or so walked in the middle of the road toward the Kennedy Center singing and occasionally stopping to dance. Onlookers from apartments along the road opened windows waving at the group, occasionally screaming words of support from stories up.
One of those marching in protest was Jennifer Ives of Germantown, Md. She was bundled up in a coat and hat while holding a sign, dancing along the protest route.
āIām here because I want to support the trans and gay communities,ā Ives told the Blade. āI believe that soldiers should get their hormone treatment, their therapy, their pills. I believe that Trump should get out of the Kennedy Center. I believe that right now, there’s an assault on the trans community, and we just can’t stand for it. So we gotta protest, and we gotta dance.ā
Another participant, dressed in full dragāfrom voluminous black and red hair to a sparkly, tinsel-covered suit and thick white heelsāemphasized that no matter what executive orders are signed or what bans pass through state legislatures, LGBTQ people have always been here and always will be.
āThe main reason is to show that even though these actions have been taken, and though they want to strip us of our power, that we’re still here,ā said drag performer Rhiannon LLC. āI think an important thing that stuck with me after the election, even though we lost, Kamala Harris, her main message was, we’re not going back. And if we let that message die, then we kind of go along with it. So to be here and to be out, it’s awesome.ā
They continued, saying that if they had the ability to say one thing to the Kennedy Center board, it would be two words: āHave integrity. Although Trump may be there for the next four years, you are there after. These actions will follow you, and your job right now is to support the arts. So support the arts.ā
One of the last speeches of the night was delivered directly in front of the Kennedy Center, its marble walls and gold columns providing a final backdrop for the protest. Pussy Noir, another local drag legend, was handed a mic to wrap up the night.
āThis is an intense time for all of us,ā said Noir, who currently has a residency with the Kennedy Center REACH program and performs in drag across the city. āI don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m the main drag queen that brought drag to the Kennedy Center, and with many other drag queens in this city, helped establish it as a real art form.ā
Noir took a moment to look out at the crowd, their faces illuminated by the glow of the Kennedy Center, before finishing with a message of resilience and solidarity for all drag artists ā those currently protesting in front of the Kennedy Center and those performing in hole-in-the-wall gay bars across the country.
āSo no matter what anyone says, If you are a drag performer, you are an artist. If you support drag, you are supporting artists. Right now this is an attack, not only on free speech, but on artists, on small business owners, and I think that’s something that everyone in this country can understand. We must be supportive of each other and kind to each other. More than anything, that is the only way that we can fight this.ā
District of Columbia
Protests against Trump executive orders to take place in D.C. on Thursday
Demonstrations will happen outside attorney general’s office, Kennedy Center

The Trump-Vance administration has taken an aggressive stance against the LGBTQ community by passing executive order after executive order that restricts the ability of transgender people to exist. In response, LGBTQ activists in Washington will take to the streets on Thursday to protest the slew of actions the White House has undertaken.
In back-to-back protests, demonstrators will rally against a federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors, followed by a protest at the Kennedy Center condemning a newly imposed ban on drag performances at the venue.
The first protest of the day will take place outside the D.C. Attorney General’s Office (400 6th St., N.W.) to oppose Trump’s executive order banning gender-affirming care for minors. Originally scheduled for the previous day but postponed due to snow, the protest will run from 12-2 p.m. Organizers aim to pressure D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage to join 15 other states in issuing official public guidance against the order and declaring it unlawful.
Under the D.C. Human Rights Act, passed by the D.C. City Council in 1977, discrimination based on gender identity and expression is explicitly prohibited. The law defines gender identity and expression as āa gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individualās assigned sex at birth.ā Trumpās executive order, officially titled the āProtecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilationā order, directly violates this act by banning all forms of gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, effectively preventing them from accessing medical care necessary for their transition.
The 15 other statesā that objected to the order include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
This protest was organized by the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America Bodily Autonomy Working Group, which focuses on āthe fight for queer, trans, and feminist liberation and against systems of patriarchal capitalist oppression that devalue women and LGBTQIA+ people, under the guidance of reproductive justice.ā
Organizers encourage protesters to bring friends and signs to get their voices heard.
The second protest of the day will take place in Washington Circle in between the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods to protest Trumpās takeover of the Kennedy Center. Trump removed all 18 members that former President Joe Biden appointed to the Kennedy Center board and has started installing Trump loyalists into their roles.
The sudden board shake-up was first announced on Truth Social, Trumpās social media platform, as a response to what he called the boardās lack of āvision for a Golden Age in arts and culture.ā Many found this statement puzzling, given that Trump has openly admitted he has never attended a performance at the nonpartisan arts center.
The āTrans & Queer Dance Party and Protest,ā which will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the circle only a few blocks from the Kennedy Center, is an attempt by six DC based organizations to show the Trump administration that āas D.C. residents, we say the Kennedy Center is our house, and weāre not going to let fascists tell us what to do or censor our artists.ā The collaborating organizations encourage supporters of art, drag, the Kennedy Center, and the LGBTQ community to show up in āour best (warm) looksā to let the administration know that D.C. will not be silenced.
Richard Grenell, a gay man who served as Trumpās ambassador to Germany in his first term, was given the title of āinterim executive directorā of the Kennedy Center, tasked with realigning the arts center to better fit Trumpās agenda. The announcement initially caused confusion because before this announcement, there had never been an acting director, but a president elected by the board.Ā Ā
His agenda so far includes banning any performances in the famous performing arts center, including “Dancing Queens Drag Brunch,” “A Drag Salute to Divas,” and āDixie’s Tupperware Party,ā which were put on at the Kennedy Center and aimed at adults.
This protest was organized through a collaboration of six local left-leaning organizations. They include the DC Dyke March, Harrietās Wildest Dreams, Occupation Free DC, Good Trouble Cooperative, and Claudia Jones School.
For more information on the trans gender-affirming care protest, visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/schwalb-trans-rally or https://mdcdsa.org/. For more information on the Kennedy Center dance party protest, visit any of the organizers’ Instagram pages.
District of Columbia
Bill to repeal D.C. home rule would jeopardize LGBTQ rights: activists
Measure introduced by homophobic lawmakers

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn) on Feb. 6 introduced legislation in the Senate and House calling for repealing the D.C. Home Rule Act, which would eliminate the cityās limited home rule government with a mayor and city council.
The two lawmakers named the bill the āBringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Actā or the āBOWSER Act,ā saying in a statement that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was responsible, in part, for leaving āour nationās Capital in crime-ridden shambles.ā
Lee and Robles each received a ā0ā rating, the lowest possible rating, on the Human Rights Campaignās Congressional Scorecard, which assesses the record of members of Congress on LGBTQ related issues.
Most political observers point out that far-right Republican lawmakers have introduced similar bills in the past, including one in 2024, which have died in committee with little support.
Both Democratic and some Republican lawmakers expressing opposition to the previous bills noted that under the existing D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress retains full authority to reject any legislation passed by the D.C. Council and signed by the mayor. They note that Congress also retains authority to impose any law it wishes on D.C.
But some observers, including LGBTQ rights advocates, say the prospects of the current bill could go further with the current GOP-controlled Congress and at a time when President Donald Trump raised the issue of alleged āout of controlā crime in D.C. during his presidential campaign. Trump has said he plans to issue one or more executive orders targeting D.C. home rule.
The bill introduced by Lee and Ogles does not address or propose who or what federal entity would operate D.C.ās local government after the Home Rule Act of 1973 is repealed. The two-page-long bill states, āEffective on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93-198) is repealed.ā
Prior to the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1973, which Congress approved under the administration of then-President Richard Nixon, the city was governed by a commission whose members were appointed by the U.S. president and approved by Congress. A ācommissioner-mayorā appointed by the president served as the head of the commission.
LGBTQ rights activists believe a similar type of governing body under the current Republican Congress and the Trump administration could pose a threat to the LGBTQ rights laws currently on the books in D.C., including the cityās Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
āRepeal of Home Rule at this time can only be a negative for the LGBTQ community, especially the transgender community, because of the virulent antagonism toward that community of the MAGA Republicans in control of Congress,ā according to D.C. gay Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein.
Howard Garrett, president of the Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.ās largest local LGBTQ political organization, also expressed concern that repeal of D.C. home rule would pose a threat to the local LGBTQ community.
āRepealing D.C. home rule would be a direct attack on our cityās ability to govern itself and protect the rights of all residents, especially the LGBTQ+ community,ā Garrett told the Washington Blade. āWashington, D.C. has been a leader in advancing LGBTQ+ rights, from nondiscrimination protections to access to affirming healthcare,ā he said. āIf Congress were to strip away our autonomy, it would leave us vulnerable to reactionary policies that do not reflect the values of our residents.ā
Garrett added, āThis latest attempt to revoke home rule is nothing more than political interference that undermines democracy.ā
In a joint statement released on the day they introduced their D.C. home rule repeal bills, Lee and Ogles denounced what they called a āradically progressive regimeā of Bowser and the City Council.
āWashington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness,ā Ogles said n the statement. āBowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city,ā he said.
Lee stated, āThe corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nationās capital for decades. It is long past time that Congress restored the honor of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.ā
Daniel Solomon, co-founder of D.C. Vote, a local nonpartisan group that advocates for D.C. statehood, said in a statement that supporters of the home rule repeal bill were putting out misleading information about crime in D.C.
āMake no mistake: This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to punish D.C. for political differences under the guise of public safety,ā he said. āWe all agree that public safety is paramount, but dismantling home rule will do nothing to make our communities safer,ā his statement continues.
āInstead, it will silence the voices of D.C. residents and threaten the progress weāve made on criminal justice reform, economic growth, and local accountability,ā he said.
Bowser, who has declined to comment specifically on the current bill to repeal D.C. home rule, has pointed out that violent crime in D.C. dropped by 35 percent from 2023 to 2024 and property related crime declined by 11 percent during that same period.
-
District of Columbia4 days ago
Protests against Trump executive orders to take place in D.C. on Thursday
-
a&e features4 days ago
D.C.ās most eligible queer singles
-
District of Columbia3 days ago
Dancing protesters denounce Trumpās Kennedy Center takeover
-
Politics4 days ago
Trump picks Richard Grenell as interim Kennedy Center executive director