District of Columbia
D.C. queer bar owners sound alarm on WorldPride security concerns
‘The city has a complete obligation to manage this, make it safe’
Excitement for this year’s WorldPride celebration in Washington grows more palpable by the day as more iconic performers are added to festival lineups and a steady stream of new events are announced. It’s clear that Washington is preparing for something big.
But as with any major event, concerns are emerging about how to ensure the safety of the LGBTQ community as people from around the world gather to celebrate the diversity that makes it so special.
Washington is home to about 20 bars that cater to the LGBTQ community. Some bar owners worry that as the celebration approaches their venues will bear the brunt of the influx of visitors. Without federal support, they fear the challenges that come with accommodating such large crowds will only intensify.
The Washington Blade spoke with several gay bar owners following a community meeting that included bar owners, D.C. police, and staff from the mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The discussion focused on safety concerns for WorldPride and potential solutions to ease the growing burden on these businesses.
“I think a lot of the bar owners just felt like we needed to all coordinate what we’re doing together with the 2 to 3 million people they say are coming to town,” said Stephen Rutgers, co-owner of Crush, an LGBTQ dance bar on 14th Street. (Rutgers also serves as the Blade’s sales and marketing director.) “There are 16-ish, maybe a little more, LGBTQ bars in the city, which maybe hold 3,500-plus people total. We’re sort of the backbone of the community, and so we’re going to be inundated no matter what. It is great for business, but it also brings a lot of concerns for a lot of the business owners.”
Originally not intended to focus on security, the mid-February meeting quickly shifted to safety concerns, according to Ed Bailey, co-owner of Trade and Number 9. Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, attended, taking notes as bar owners voiced their fears.
“As Japer started the conversation, there was a little bit of a general ‘WorldPride is coming. These are the dates. Here are a few marquee events that are scheduled.’ We went through the basics — when the parade is, when the main downtown festival is, the other music festival, and some other things. And then within 10 minutes of the meeting starting like that, the question of security and safety was brought up. I don’t even remember how, and I don’t think it was the topic at hand. It just became part of the topic, and then it became the only thing that was discussed for the rest of the meeting.”
The discussion centered on how to financially support bar owners in securing the additional staffing needed to handle the influx of millions of LGBTQ tourists. Many attendees emphasized the government’s responsibility to ensure safety for these visitors, especially considering that WorldPride 2019 drew 5 million people to Manhattan.
“WorldPride is going to be the largest event that has ever happened in Washington, D.C., ever, of any kind,” Bailey said. “More people will be here for WorldPride than have been here for any other thing in history. The city has a complete, 100% obligation to manage this, make it safe, be as welcoming as possible, and ensure everything is in its best form.”
This becomes more complicated given that the District’s resources are ultimately controlled by the Republican-led federal government.
“Is Washington up to that task as a city government? I don’t think it’s ever been tested like this,” Bailey added. “It is unprecedented for Washington — a city essentially controlled by the federal government — to try to maintain, manage, and operate an event of this magnitude without federal assistance. It just puts a stranglehold on the D.C. government.”
David Perruzza, owner of Pitchers, a queer sports bar, and A League of Her Own, a lesbian bar in Adams Morgan, said he sees potential security issues arising not at official WorldPride events but closer to home.
“So now it’s WorldPride, and there will be other events. And God forbid Trump does another counter-event. What are we going to do if we have an issue?” Perruzza said. “Our main concern is security for these establishments, not so much the events. The events have tons of cops for them and everything, but we just want to make sure that we’re going to be taken care of.”
Rutgers echoed Perruzza’s concerns about the possibility of interference from the president and other Republicans in power.
“I do think people have a lot of questions about whether the bigger stuff is going to be able to happen. It does raise those concerns for us. We’re on private property, so we’re safe, but if things start to get canceled, there will be fewer and fewer spaces for people to go, which then, I think, overwhelms us even more,” Rutgers said. “There are only so many bars. There are only so many larger venues that can hold big private parties that the administration can’t touch. And if they somehow take over city permitting and cancel the street festival, where are those couple hundred thousand people going to go?”
The possibility of increased police presence in LGBTQ spaces was also discussed. Initially seen as a potential solution to growing concerns, it now appears less viable as the full scale and demands of WorldPride on city resources become clearer.
“They used to have a program where bars and restaurants could hire off-duty MPD officers,” Rutgers explained. “The city would cover a portion of the cost of overtime, and the bar would cover the rest. One issue is that it wasn’t funded in the budget this year, so there’s no money for it. And, two, when MPD is fully activated, there are no off-duty officers available. MPD is already short-staffed. I think there are just flaws in the program — it’s great, we would want to hire people, but we can’t.”
“All of the bar owners were concerned. They feel like they are easier targets, and while there will likely be significant security and police presence at the festival and large events, there probably won’t be much visible police coverage in the areas where the bars are,” Bailey added. “Every single officer employed by the Metropolitan Police Department will be working that weekend. No one will have time off. There will be no extra officers in the nightclub and bar world.”
Beyond the lack of officers and funding, a police presence doesn’t always guarantee a safer space, especially considering that the first Pride was a rebellion against police.
“I also am astutely aware that having police at your establishments is not something that is welcome or comfortable for a very large portion of our community, so that becomes tricky,” Bailey said. “But I believe that given the scenario and the situation, if there were a way to create a system where neighborhoods could collectively pay a fee to have an officer in a patrol car on the block — so businesses could access that officer when significant issues arise — that might bring some comfort. Removing that officer from directly standing at the bar would lessen the impact on customers who may not feel comfortable with a police presence.”
Bowles from the mayor’s office issued a statement to the Blade responding to the bar owners’ concerns.
“We are proud to welcome more than 3 million visitors to Washington, D.C. for WorldPride 2025,” the statement reads. “Washington, D.C. has extensive experience providing world-class security and hospitality for large-scale public events, and this will be no exception. The District continues to work diligently with community organizers and partners to ensure that WorldPride is a safe, accessible, and bold celebration of our community.”
Capital Pride issued a statement to the Blade in response to the concerns: “The Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) continues to navigate the evolving political circumstances impacting WorldPride and our local community, which is preparing to host visitors and events around the city. We understand the urgent need for confidence in this historic undertaking and we are working with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, as it is the lead agency charged with supporting our local LGBTQ community. Programmatic support includes ongoing workshops and trainings, in partnership with the Equality Chamber of Commerce DC (ECCDC) and other DC government agencies. CPA is also working directly with the Mayor’s Special Event Group and an interagency Health and Safety Committee, to ensure the proper agencies responsible for public safety have a complete picture of all the events taking place.”
Regardless of how it’s achieved, safety remains the top priority for LGBTQ bar owners, even if it means sacrificing profits or taking on additional responsibilities, the owners said.
“Everybody’s got to step up,” Bailey concluded. “It’s a long, difficult, hard weekend from a working standpoint, but hopefully, a joyous and remarkable experience.”
The MPD released a statement to the Blade addressing the bar owners’ safety concerns: “The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is working closely with our local, state, and federal partners as we prepare for World Pride 2025. As with any other events in the District, it is our priority to ensure the safety and security of District residents and visitors.
“Further details about securing these events, road closures, and additional impacts will be released as we get closer to these events.
“While there are no known threats to World Pride 2025, we always encourage the public to remain vigilant. If you see something, say something. Please report threats and emergencies to 911. Keep your community safe by reporting suspicious activity by calling 202-727-9099, texting 50411, or visiting iwatchdc.org.”
District of Columbia
U.S. Attorney’s Office drops hate crime charge in anti-gay assault
Case remains under investigation and ‘further charges’ could come
D.C. police announced on Feb. 9 that they had arrested two days earlier on Feb. 7 a Germantown, Md., man on a charge of simple assault with a hate crime designation after the man allegedly assaulted a gay man at 14th and Q Streets, N.W., while using “homophobic slurs.”
But D.C. Superior Court records show that prosecutors with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C., which prosecutes D.C. violent crime cases, charged the arrested man only with simple assault without a hate crime designation.
In response to a request by the Washington Blade for the reason why the hate crime designation was dropped, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office provided this response: “We continue to investigate this matter and make no mistake: should the evidence call for further charges, we will not hesitate to charge them.”
In a statement announcing the arrest in this case, D.C. police stated, “On Saturday, February 7, 2026, at approximately 7:45 p.m. the victim and suspect were in the 1500 block of 14th Street, Northwest. The suspect requested a ‘high five’ from the victim. The victim declined and continued walking,” the statement says.
“The suspect assaulted the victim and used homophobic slurs,” the police statement continues. “The suspect was apprehended by responding officers.”
It adds that 26-year-old Dean Edmundson of Germantown, Md. “was arrested and charged with Simple Assault (Hate/Bias).” The statement also adds, “A designation as a hate crime by MPD does not mean that prosecutors will prosecute it as a hate crime.”
Under D.C.’s Bias Related Crime Act of 1989, penalties for crimes motivated by prejudice against individuals based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and homelessness can be enhanced by a court upon conviction by one and a half times greater than the penalty of the underlying crime.
Prosecutors in the past both in D.C. and other states have said they sometimes decide not to include a hate crime designation in assault cases if they don’t think the evidence is sufficient to obtain a conviction by a jury. In some instances, prosecutors have said they were concerned that a skeptical jury might decide to find a defendant not guilty of the underlying assault charge if they did not believe a motive of hate was involved.
A more detailed arrest affidavit filed by D.C. police in Superior Court appears to support the charge of a hate crime designation.
“The victim stated that they refused to High-Five Defendant Edmondson, which, upon that happening, Defendant Edmondson started walking behind both the victim and witness, calling the victim, “bald, ugly, and gay,” the arrest affidavit states.
“The victim stated that upon being called that, Defendant Edmundson pushed the victim with both hands, shoving them, causing the victim to feel the force of the push,” the affidavit continues. “The victim stated that they felt offended and that they were also gay,” it says.
District of Columbia
Capital Pride wins anti-stalking order against local activist
Darren Pasha claims action is linked to his criticism of Pride organizers
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Feb. 6 partially approved an anti-stalking order against a local LGBTQ activist requested last October by the Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C.-based LGBTQ group that organizes the city’s annual Pride events.
The ruling by Judge Robert D. Okun requires former Capital Pride volunteer Darren Pasha to stay at least 100 feet away from Capital Pride’s staff, board members, and volunteers until the time of a follow up court hearing he scheduled for April 17.
In his ruling at the Feb. 6 hearing, which was virtual rather than held in-person at the courthouse, Okun said he had changed the distance that Capital Pride had requested for the stay-away, anti-stalking order from 200 yards to 100 feet. The court records show that the judge also denied a motion filed earlier by Pasha, who did not attend the hearing, to “quash” the Capital Pride civil case against him.
Pasha told the Washington Blade he suffered an injury and damaged his mobile phone by falling off his scooter on the city’s snow-covered streets that prevented him from calling in to join the Feb. 6 court hearing.
In his own court filings without retaining an attorney, Pasha has strongly denied the stalking related allegations against him by Capital Pride, saying “no credible or admissible evidence has been provided” to show he engaged in any wrongdoing.
The Capital Pride complaint initially filed in court on Oct. 27, 2025, includes an 18-page legal brief outlining its allegations against Pasha and an additional 167-page addendum of “supporting exhibits” that includes multiple statements by witnesses whose names are blacked out.
“Over the past year, Defendant Darren Pasha (“DSP”) has engaged in a sustained, and escalating course of conduct directed at CPA, including repeated and unwanted contact, harassment, intimidation, threats, manipulation, and coercive behavior targeting CPA staff, board members, volunteers, and affiliates,” the Capital Pride complaint states.
In his initial 16-page response to the complaint, Pasha says the Capital Pride complaint appears to be a form of retaliation against him for a dispute he has had with the organization and its then president, Ashley Smith, last year.
“It is evident that the document is replete with false, misleading, and unsubstantiated assertions,” he said of the complaint.
Smith, who has since resigned from his role as board president, did not respond to a request by the Blade for comment at the time the Capital Pride court complaint was filed against Pasha.
Capital Pride Executive Director Ryan Bos and the attorney representing the group in its legal action against Pasha, Nick Harrison, did not immediately respond to a Blade request for comment on the judge’s Feb. 6 ruling.
District of Columbia
D.C. pays $500,000 to settle lawsuit brought by gay Corrections Dept. employee
Alleged years of verbal harassment, slurs, intimidation
The D.C. government on Feb. 5 agreed to pay $500,000 to a gay D.C. Department of Corrections officer as a settlement to a lawsuit the officer filed in 2021 alleging he was subjected to years of discrimination at his job because of his sexual orientation, according to a statement released by the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C.
The statement says the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Sgt. Deon Jones by the ACLU of D.C. and the law firm WilmerHale, alleged that the Department of Corrections, including supervisors and co-workers, “subjected Sgt. Jones to discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment because of his identity as a gay man, in violation of the D.C. Human Rights Act.”
Daniel Gleick, a spokesperson for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, said the mayor’s office would have no comment on the lawsuit settlement. A spokesperson for the Office of the D.C. Attorney General, which represents the city against lawsuits, said the office has a longstanding policy of not commenting on litigation like the Deon Jones lawsuit.
Bowser and her high-level D.C. government appointees, including Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, have spoken out against LGBTQ-related discrimination.
“Jones, now a 28-year veteran of the Department and nearing retirement, faced years of verbal abuse and harassment from coworkers and incarcerated people alike, including anti-gay slurs, threats, and degrading treatment,” the ACLU’s statement says.
“The prolonged mistreatment took a severe toll on Jones’s mental health, and he experienced depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and 15 anxiety attacks in 2021 alone,” it says.
“For years, I showed up to do my job with professionalism and pride, only to be targeted because of who I am,” Jones says in the ACLU statement. “This settlement affirms that my pain mattered – and that creating hostile workplaces has real consequences,” he said.
He added, “For anyone who is LGBTQ or living with a disability and facing workplace discrimination or retaliation, know this: you are not powerless. You have rights. And when you stand up, you can achieve justice.”
The settlement agreement, a link to which the ACLU provided in its statement announcing the settlement, states that plaintiff Jones agrees, among other things, that “neither the Parties’ agreement, nor the District’s offer to settle the case, shall in any way be construed as an admission by the District that it or any of its current or former employees, acted wrongfully with respect to Plaintiff or any other person, or that Plaintiff has any rights.”
Scott Michelman, the D.C. ACLU’s legal director said that type of disclaimer is typical for parties that agree to settle a lawsuit like this.
“But actions speak louder than words,” he told the Blade. “The fact that they are paying our client a half million dollars for the pervasive and really brutal harassment that he suffered on the basis of his identity for years is much more telling than their disclaimer itself,” he said.
The settlement agreement also says Jones would be required, as a condition for accepting the agreement, to resign permanently from his job at the Department of Corrections. ACLU spokesperson Andy Hoover said Jones has been on administrative leave since March 2022. Jones couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
“This is really something that makes sense on both sides,” Michelman said of the resignation requirements. “The environment had become so toxic the way he had been treated on multiple levels made it difficult to see how he could return to work there.”
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