Trump's July 4th Bankrupts Washington DC Security Fund

Donald Trump at his 4th of July 'ego rally'

Donald Trump's water-logged July 4th extravaganza cost the D.C. government $1.7 million, an amount that has bankrupted a special fund used to protect the city from terrorist threats and provide security at events such as rallies and state funerals.

From the Washington Post:

President Trump’s overhauled July Fourth celebration cost the D.C. government $1.7 million, an amount that — combined with police expenses for demonstrations through the weekend — has bankrupted a special fund used to protect the nation’s capital from terrorist threats and provide security at events such as rallies and state funerals.

In a letter to the president Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) warned that the fund has now been depleted and is estimated to be running a $6 million deficit by Sept. 30. The mayor also noted that the account was never reimbursed for $7.3 million in expenses from Trump’s 2017 inauguration.

“We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events,” she wrote.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Video: Pride Flag Vandalized In DC Neighborhood

A man in Washington D.C. was caught on video walking into a resident’s front yard and ripping down a rainbow Pride flag, all while yelling homophobic slurs.

The 30-second security camera video shows the man walking down the sidewalk, seemingly talking to himself. In the clip's audio, he can be heard shouting, “F*gg*t motherf**ker, you f*gg*t flag-flying motherf**ker.”

Clear as day, the man enters the yard, striding right up to the flag and snatching it from its mount.

Continuing to rant, the man attempts to destroy the flag slamming it on the ground before exiting the scene.

Twitter user @mjasonrhoades posted the clip to his account as well as the local D.C. community blog, Popville.

“This happened in broad daylight at our house on Independence at 17th St SE this morning while my wife was walking our dog,” wrote the Twitter user. “People like this should not be on our streets.”

. ⁦@PoPville⁩ ⁦@CMCharlesAllen⁩ ⁦@MayorBowser⁩ ⁦@DCPoliceDept⁩ This happened in broad daylight at our house on Independence at 17th St SE this morning while my wife was walking our dog. People like this should not be on our streets. pic.twitter.com/L6DEIrrbEp

— No One (@mjasonrhoades) July 2, 2019

The Washington Blade reports that D.C. police have seen the video but haven’t been able to contact the resident.

“We saw the Popville post as well and have attempted to make contact with and have the property owner make a report,” said D.C. Police Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit. “They were encouraged to contact the LGBT Liaison Unit Duty Phone or call 911.”

“We stand ready to respond, investigate, and provide support,” added Parson.

Watch the report from the Washington NBC News affiliate below.

News Round-Up: May 30, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• When the hot tub gets 'that much hotter' thanks to InstaHunk Guoyang510 (above).

• Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, key figures in the gay rights movement, will be honored with a permanent monument in Greenwich Village near the Stonewall Inn.

• A 38-year-old gay man wrote to Slate’s “Dear Prudence” advice column asking whether he’s morally obliged to tell a female co-worker that he found her 18-year-old son appearing on an adult cam site.

• For the first time in decades, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform has scheduled a hearing to discuss legislation to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state. Republicans have routinely opposed statehood due to the vast majority of registered Democrats that reside there.

• A Brazilian man has been left in a vegetative state after being beaten in a homophobic attack.

• A new animated children's series from Hulu, The Bravest Knight, features two gay dads, (voiced by TR Knight and Wilson Cruz) Sir Cedric and Prince Andrew, who share the adventures of Cedric's journey to knighthood with their daughter and aspiring knight, Nia.

RuPaul, Christine Baranski, Wanda Sykes, Donna Murphy and A.J. McLean (of the Backstreet Boys) also appear in the series which debuts June 21.

DC Restaurant Fined For Barring Trans Patron From Restroom

Charlotte Clymer (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Clymer

During a visit last summer to Cuba Libre, a popular Washington DC bar and restaurant, Charlotte Clymer was stopped as she attempted to use the women restroom by an employee.

The employee demanded to see the transgender woman’s ID claiming the restaurant ‘required’ her to show legal identification to prove she was female.

Clymer, who was at the venue celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party, dismissed the employee and entered the ladies room. According to the Washington Blade, the employee didn’t ask anyone else for identification.

After entering a stall to do her business, Clymer heard the man walk into the bathroom in an attempt to search for her.

“I go into a stall to do my business and I hear him walk in and search for me in this busy restroom full of women,” Clymer shared on her Facebook. “He is doing everything but opening the stall doors. I ignore him, and after a few minutes, he leaves. I do my business, wash my hands, and walk out.”

“On the other side of the door are the attendant and the manager, who says it’s D.C. law that you must have ‘female’ on your ID to use the women’s restroom,” added Clymer. “I tell him he’s wrong and there’s no chance I’m showing him my ID.”

This is where it’s important to note that Clymer works with the Human Rights Campaign, and if anyone knows the law on transgender protections, it’s Clymer.

In fact, she pulled up the DC Human Rights Act on her phone and showed the manager the ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression in regard to housing, employment and (ahem) public accommodations.

After the manager, who Clymer described as “condescending and dismissive,” threatened to call the police, she was eventually ejected from the restaurant.

Standing outside the restaurant, an angry Clymer called the police herself. According to the Washington Post, the officers showed up and reassured her the law was on her side.

Eventually, Clymer filed a complaint with the Office of Human Rights, and the DC Attorney General got involved as well.

As a result of her complaint, the owner of Cuba Libre has apologized and been ordered to pay a $7,000 fine for violating the Human Rights Act. Additionally, the settlement with the Attorney General calls for the restaurant to “institute policies on civil rights compliance and training.”

Plus, signage is now required in the establishment that states the local ordinance that “all individuals are allowed to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity or expression.”

For her part, Clymer Clymer told the Washington Blade that she’s pleased with the outcome.

“I am quite grateful for the work of Attorney General Racine and his staff to ensure that discrimination has no place in D.C., and I am thankful that Cuba Libre and CEO Barry Gutin have worked in good faith since the fall to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Clymer said.

“All parties worked together to make sure a terrible night was turned into a great teaching moment, which was built on the history of advocacy by trans folks in D.C., particularly trans women of color.”

Two Gay Men Attacked In Washington DC

William Southern in the ER after alleged gay bashing

William Southern, who recently moved to Washington, D.C., says he and a friend were the target of a violent hate crime this past Sunday.

In a post on his Instagram, Southern wrote that he and his friend, Robbie Barletta, were at the corner of 16th and U Street when the incident occurred.

According to Southern, they were attacked and beaten by mob of 4 men and a woman simply because they were gay.

Both men suffered several cuts and bruises, and Southern was sent to the emergency room for stitches to treat a split lip.

Southern posted photos of his injuries as well as their bloodied t-shirts.

But the social media post was not a ‘woe-is-me’ story. Southern makes it clear the incident only underscores his self-confidence in knowing who he is and living his life out loud.

“I will never stop being gay, I will never feel ashamed of who I am,” writes Southern. “Most importantly, I will never let anyone around me feel like less of a person simply because of who they are!”

He also thanked members of his Stonewall kickball league family for being there for him even though he’s a fairly new transplant to the DC area.

Southern closed his post with an upbeat message of community unity, writing, “May we stand strong and move forward.”

View this post on Instagram

So, this is extremely hard for me and I have not 100% settled on how I feel it. But, Sunday a friend of mine @robertandre and I were the target and the victims of a hate crime. We were attacked by 4 men and a women on the corner of 16th and U in Washington DC, simply because we were gay. The four men and the lady brutally attacked myself and my friend, I was sent to the ER where I received stitches to pull my lip back together. But, the moral of this story is not that it happened or for people to feel sorry for me. This is a statement, I will never stop being gay, I will never feel ashamed of who I am. Most importantly, I will never let anyone around me feel like less of a person simply because of who they are! I am fortunate enough to have an amazing support system even though I have only lived in DC for a few months. I am proud and honoured to be apart of @stonewallkickball, my kickball family came together and has given me amazing support and I never would have met them without the lady’s and gentlemen who were courageous enough to put together these teams to support LGBTQ rights and give them a safe haven to be themselves. May we stand strong and move forward.

A post shared by William Southern (@wsouthernxd) on Sep 18, 2018 at 1:54pm PDT

(h/t Towleroad)

John Oliver Contemplates Statehood For Washington, D.C.

Have you ever wondered why Washington, D.C. isn't a state?

In fact, the city doesn't even get a vote in the House of Representatives even though the residents pay federal taxes, the population is larger than Vermont and Wyoming, and has a Gross Domestic Product higher than that of 16 states.

John Oliver of HBO's Last Week Now wondered too.

Make sure you stick around for the nifty little song at the end.

Department of Defense authorizes color guard to march in Capital Pride parade

There will be more than the rainbow flag flying at this year's Capital Pride parade in Washington, DC, this Saturday.

The Department of Defense has approved, for the first time, a color guard presenting the American flag as well as each flag of the military, to march in the Capital Pride parade.

From the Washington Post:

The eight-member team is scheduled to help lead off the 11 / 2-mile parade, immediately preceding the Capital Pride lead banner and grand marshal Chris Kluwe, a former National Football League punter and the author of the book “Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies.”

While no policy has precluded a U.S. Armed Forces color guard from participating in gay rights events since the 2011 repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, gay rights organizations from D.C. to Hawaii say they have routinely faced rejection from local military offices, saying the color guards were otherwise occupied on the days of pride parades.

Man sets himself on fire on National Mall in Washington DC

Friday afternoon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a man doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire. People passing by rushed to put out the flames.

NPR is reporting the man has died in the hospital due to the severity of the burns. Authorities are searching for clues to his motivation to kill himself.

"Officer Araz Alali, a police spokesman, said the man died Friday night at a Washington hospital," . "The man's name and age were not immediately known, and his burns were so severe that authorities will need to use DNA and dental records to identify him, Alali said."

Joggers and others tried to use parts of their own clothing to save the man, as Friday. The incident occurred around 4:20 p.m. ET, apparently without warning and without a hint of the man's motivations. He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital for treatment. But officials said Friday that his injuries were severe.