District of Columbia
Local officials weighing impact of Trump’s D.C. executive order
‘Safe and Beautiful Task Force’ slammed as ‘blatant federal overreach’
D.C. government officials and local LGBTQ rights advocates have expressed differing views on the potential impact of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on March 27 that creates a federally controlled D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
A statement released by the White House says the task force, among other things, will be directed to, “Surge law enforcement officers in public areas and strictly enforce quality-of-life laws in public areas like drug use, unpermitted demonstrations, vandalism, and public intoxication.”
The White House statement adds that the task force will also, “Maximize immigration enforcement to apprehend and deport dangerous illegal aliens, including monitoring D.C.’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.”
According to the five-page executive order, the newly created D.C. task force will take on a wide range of other functions, including overseeing and coordinating “more robust local law enforcement presence” throughout the city, including in federal parks such as the National Mall, museums and national monuments, Union Station, and widely used public roads and highways such as Rock Creek Parkway.
One of its provisions calls for government entities to provide “assistance to increase the speed and lower the cost of processing concealed carry license requests in the District of Columbia.” The provision refers to D.C.’s process for licensing the right to carry a concealed handgun.
D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is among the city’s elected officials who have denounced the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force as a serious infringement on the city’s locally elected home rule government.
“President Trump’s thoroughly anti-home rule EO is insulting to the 700,000 D.C. residents who live in close proximity to a federal government, which continues to deny them the same rights afforded other Americans,” Norton said in a statement.
“The task force created by the EO would not include a single D.C. official to represent the interests of the people who reside within the District,” Norton said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has been cautious in her response to the Trump administration’s controversial policies to downsize the federal government, has not yet taken a position on the Trump D.C. executive order, according to mayoral spokesperson Daniel Gleick.
D.C. City Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) is among the local officials and community advocates who have said it is too soon to make a definitive judgment on the Trump created task force’s impact on D.C. home rule. Mendelson pointed out at a March 31 news conference that a large part of the stated actions for the task force are aimed at overseeing federal parklands and other federally controlled areas such as national monuments.
“I don’t want to say that everything in there is innocuous,” Mendelson told reporters at the news conference. “But overall, a lot of it, if not most of it, is directives to the federal government to do things that are within the federal government’s purview, not as a let’s step on home rule,” Mendelson said.
But others, including Norton, said they believe the overall executive order and the task force it creates will result in a serious infringement on D.C. home rule and possibly the rights of D.C. residents.
Gay D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) issued a statement pointing out that over two decades D.C. has had a balanced local budget, achieved “historic decline in crime,” and had one of the nation’s “fastest improving urban school districts,” suggesting the Trump task force was not needed.
“Based on my reading of the executive order, I think it is impossible to determine if it will have any direct impact on the LGBTQ community in the District,” said longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate Peter Rosenstein.
But Rosenstein added, “The EO is an offense to all the people of the District, as it disregards home rule. It will be crucial to see who is finally appointed to the panel and see what their plans are to implement it.”
He was referring to the fact that the order itself and the White House so far have not announced which federal officials will be appointed to serve on the task force. However, the White House statement names nine federal agencies whose leaders or designees will be among the task force’s members. Among the agencies named are the Departments of Interior, Transportation, and Homeland Security, along with the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The leaders of D.C.’s local LGBTQ Democratic Party and local LGBTQ Republican Party organizations – Capital Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans of D.C. – had sharply differing views on the impact of the executive order and task force on the LGBTQ community.
The Washington Blade reached out to the two leaders for comment.
“This executive order is not about D.C. ‘Safe and Beautiful’ – it’s about control,” said Capital Stonewall Democrats president Howard Garrett in a statement to the Blade. “It’s about stripping away the power of the people who live, work, and love in the city,” Garret said.
“History has shown that when authoritarian leaders impose their will on a people without their consent, it is the most vulnerable – LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, the unhoused – who bear the brunt of that oppression,” Garret’s statement continues. “We will not be silent as our community is put at risk under the guise of ‘safety and beautification.’”
He added, “Capital Stonewall Democrats reject this blatant federal overreach, and we stand firm in the belief that D.C.’s future must be decided by D.C. residents – not by those who neither understand nor respect our community.”
Andrew Minik, president of Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., expressed strong support for the Trump executive order and its D.C. task force, saying it will have a positive impact on the city as a whole and on the LGBTQ community.
“The only thing negatively impacting D.C. residents is the incompetent leadership of local Democratic politicians,” Minik said in his own statement. “’Home rule’ means nothing when the people in charge surrender the city to criminals, allow our parks to become open-air drug markets, and treat public spaces like dumpsters,” he said.
Minik called the commission “a breath of fresh air,” adding, “Finally someone is stepping in to do what the city government refuses to: clean up the filth, restore safety, and make our Nation’s Capital beautiful again.”
Asked by the Blade if he feels the commission could have a negative impact on the LGBTQ community, Minik said, “Absolutely not.” He added, “What does harm LGBT Washingtonians is having to walk through trash-strewn streets, sleep deprived from sirens and gunshots and live in fear of crime.”
“This commission is a win for LGBT residents who are sick of being ignored by a local government more concerned with virtue signaling than actual leadership,” he said. “The LGBT community in D.C. and across the country deserves more than broken promises and chaos. We deserve leadership that works, and President Trump is giving us that.”
Norton and other city officials have disputed claims by Trump and his fellow Republicans that crime in D.C. has been out of control.
“The ‘Fact Sheet’ about the EO currently on the White House website states that crime in D.C. is ‘near historic highs,’” Norton says in her statement on the executive order. “This simply isn’t true. It’s contradicted by the Department of Justice, which noted on January 3 that violent crime was down by 35% in 2024 and overall violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low,” according to Norton.
“Like cities, states, and counties across the country, D.C. has passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status,” Norton said. “In passing these laws, D.C. followed its values and was convinced of the benefits for the entire city,” she said.
Details of the Trump D.C. executive order and the task force it creates can be accessed on the White House website.
District of Columbia
D.C. police investigating threat of shooting at WorldPride festival
Police chief says weekend was ‘success without incident’
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a June 9 press conference that police investigators are looking for a man who reportedly threatened to “shoot up” the WordPride festival on Sunday, June 8, inside the fence-enclosed festival grounds.
Smith, who joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at the press conference to discuss public safety issues, said aside from the shooting threat, WorldPride events took place “without an incident’ and called WorldPride 2025 D.C. a success.
“I think last evening at the festival footprint there was an individual inside the festival who said there was an individual who was there and that they were going to shoot up the place in some terminology they used,” Smith told news media reporters.
“As you know, the event went off without incident,” she said. “We did have appropriate resources down there to address it. We did put out a photo of the individual – white male. That’s all we have right now. But our team is working very diligently to find out who that individual is.”
Smith added that D.C. police made 15 arrests during the WorldPride weekend with at least 23 violent crimes that occurred across the city but which she said were not related to WorldPride.
“There was a lot going on,” she said. “But I’m so grateful we were able to have a WorldPride 2025 in this city that was very successful.”
In response to reporters’ questions, Bowser said she regretted that an incident of violence took place in Dupont Circle Park shortly after she persuaded the U.S. Park Service to reverse its earlier decision to close Dupont Circle Park during WorldPride weekend.
The mayor was referring to an incident early Saturday evening, June 7, in which two juveniles were stabbed inside the park following a fight, according to D.C. police. Police said the injuries were nonfatal.
Bowser noted that she agreed with community activists and nearby residents that Dupont Circle Park, which has been associated with LGBTQ events for many years, should not be closed during WorldPride.
Park Service officials have said their reason for closing the park was that acts of vandalism and violence had occurred there during past LGBTQ Pride weekends, even though LGBTQ Pride organizers have said the vandalism and violent acts were not associated with Pride events.
“I think if I were standing here this morning and we hadn’t opened up the park you would be asking me were there any requests for not pushing hard to have a D.C. park opened that’s important to the LGBT community during Pride,” Bowser told reporters.
“So, any time that there is harm to someone, and our responsibility, we regard it as our number one responsibility to keep the city safe and keep from harm’s way, certainly I have some regrets,” she said. “But I know I was working very hard to balance what our community was calling for with our preparations. And that was the decision I made,” she said, referring to her call to reopen Dupont Circle Park.
Bowser also noted that the National Park Service would not likely have agreed to reverse its decision to reopen Dupont Circle Park if an event had not been planned to take place there over the WorldPride weekend.
She was referring to a Saturday, June 7, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation “DISCO” party in Dupont Circle Park, which took place after the decision to reopen the park.
“Step Outside, Feel The Beat, And Shine With Pride,” a flyer announcing the event states.
District of Columbia
WorldPride wraps up after epic weekend of events
Historic LGBTQ celebration brings color, music, activism to nation’s capital
After more than two years of preparation, thousands of volunteers, countless LGBTQ community members and allies, queer celebrities, and hundreds of events across the District, WorldPride in Washington has come to a close.
“It has been an extremely powerful three weeks,” Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, told the Blade on Sunday at the International March on Washington for Freedom. “This weekend has been well above expectations in relation to the energy and the crowds.”
WorldPride celebrations were set to kick off on May 31 with Shakira’s “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour,” but following reports of stage issues, the Colombian superstar canceled her D.C. show — and her Boston stop the day prior.
The festivities got into full swing on June 4 with the 2025 Human Rights Conference. Held at the J.W. Marriott, the three-day gathering brought together more than 800 attendees, including Jessica Stern, Spanish Sen. Carla Antonelli, Peruvian Congresswoman Susel Paredes, and Mariann Edgar Budde of the Washington National Cathedral.
Following the conference, Capital Pride hosted the annual Capital Pride Honors and Gala, recognizing outstanding figures in LGBTQ advocacy. Honorees included Cathy Renna, Jerry St. Louis, Ernest Hopkins, Lamar Braithwaite, Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Kriston Pumphrey, Gia Martinez, Kraig Williams, and SMYAL.
As the week went on, the tone shifted from formal to festive. Venues across the city filled with partygoers draped in glitter and rainbows, dancing and celebrating love in all forms. From the 17th Street Block Party and Full Bloom celebration to Kinetic’s dance events and the Pride on the Pier boat parade and fireworks (presented by the Washington Blade), nearly every corner of D.C. turned into a dancefloor. The Wharf was transformed into a Pride dance party on both Friday and Saturday nights for the Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier and culminated in the city’s only Pride fireworks display.
The annual Pride Parade was a standout. The nearly six-hour-long march drew hundreds of thousands to 14th Street, stretching toward the Capitol. A 1,000-foot rainbow flag led the way as parade grand marshals Renée Rapp and Laverne Cox waved to cheering crowds. Confetti, beads, condoms, and joy poured from elaborate floats.
The parade fed into the WorldPride Street Festival and Concert, which for the first time spanned two days. The festival featured hundreds of booths — from queer merch and leather vendors to nonprofit fundraisers — and drew thousands of LGBTQ attendees under sunny skies.
Evenings wrapped with free concerts headlined by LGBTQ talent and allies, including Cynthia Erivo and Doechii. Other crowd favorites included Khalid , David Archuleta, and Kristine W.
At the RFK Stadium grounds, the WorldPride Music Festival drew thousands for powerhouse performances by Troye Sivan, RuPaul, Kim Petras, and Renée Rapp. Under glowing rainbow lights, fans danced and sang through the night.
Despite security concerns, no major issues were reported, though a few minor incidents occurred.
One of the biggest pre-event concerns was safety for LGBTQ attendees amid rising anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and anti-trans policies from the Trump administration. Multiple countries issued travel warnings for trans and gender-nonconforming individuals visiting the U.S., but turnout — including trans folks and their allies — remained strong and visible throughout.
Another flashpoint was the temporary closure of Dupont Circle, a cornerstone of D.C.’s — and the nation’s — LGBTQ rights movement. The U.S. Park Service initially closed the park, citing the need to “secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presence” — despite the MPD chief’s request to keep it open. Strong public backlash led to a reversal, and soon the park was full of rainbow-clad LGBTQ people celebrating freely.
On Saturday night following the parade, two juveniles were stabbed in Dupont Circle. However, MPD later confirmed the incident was unrelated to WorldPride celebrations.
The weekend ended with the International Rally and March on Washington for Freedom. Hundreds of LGBTQ people and allies gathered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to hear prominent activists speak on why Pride is still essential in 2025. Speakers called out rising hate and violence — and named Trump directly. As rain began to fall, the crowd only grew, marching from the Memorial to the Capitol, signs raised high, ending WorldPride as the first Pride began — as a protest.
District of Columbia
Two juveniles stabbed in Dupont Circle Park hours after U.S. Park Service reopens it
Early police reports don’t indicate connection to nearby WorldPride events
D.C. police are investigating a stabbing incident inside Dupont Circle Park early Saturday evening, June 7, in which two juvenile males were injured about 12 hours after U.S. Park Service workers removed a fence they installed closing the park.
Park Service officials said they initially decided to close Dupont Circle Park during the concluding weekend of WorldPride 2025 D.C. out of concern over possible destruction of property and violence. They cited incidents of vandalism and violent acts that occurred in the park during previous Capital Pride weekends over the past several years.
Capital Pride Alliance officials have said the destruction of property and reported acts of violence were not associated with any Pride events.
Capital Pride Alliance organizes most of D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events and is the lead organizer of WorldPride 2025.
Around 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, Park Service workers began removing the fencing they had put up one day earlier to close Dupont Circle Park and reopened the park.
A short time later on Saturday the National Park Service and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a joint statement saying it was decided that the park should be reopened and the fence taken down following strong objections to the closing by nearby community leaders, including at least two gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners.
“We are pleased that the mayor’s office and the National Park Service could work together overnight on a solution that protects the historic features of this park while also ensuring the safety of all who enjoy it,” the statement says. “We want this weekend to be a safe and fun celebration in our nation’s capital – and one that includes one of the best parks and community spaces in our city, Dupont Circle,” it says.
In response to a request from the Washington Blade for information about the stabbing incident, a D.C. police spokesperson said a more detailed incident report had not yet been completed but released this statement:
“At 7:02 p.m. a stabbing occurred in Dupont Circle Park during a fight between groups of juveniles. Two juvenile males were transported to area hospitals conscious and breathing.”
The spokesperson, Public Affairs Specialist Freddie Talbert, included in his statement information about an unrelated shooting that occurred a short time later just outside Dupont Circle Park.
“At 7:52 p.m., after MPD officers cleared Dupont Circle Park, a shooting occurred in the 1300 block of 19th Street, N.W. immediately south of the circle. One adult male was transported conscious and breathing with a gunshot wound to the foot.”
No further information was provided, and Talbert didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up question from the Blade asking if police investigators knew whether the victims and perpetrators in the two incidents were in any way involved with WorldPride events.
At the time of the stabbing and shooting the WorldPride parade was nearing its end, with the last parade contingents traveling several blocks away from Dupont Circle on 14th Street from T Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. The first day of the two-day WorldPride Festival was also still taking place on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. from 9th Street to 3rd Street, N.W.
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