A Maryland man who pleaded guilty in March to hitting a transgender woman multiple times with a handgun during an altercation in Northeast Washington was sentenced on Monday to 28 months, or two and one-third years, in prison, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Michael Phillips, 36, of Fairmount Heights, Md., had previously pleaded guilty to one count of bias-motivated assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from an incident in January that took place inside a convenience store in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue NE, located in the city’s Burrville neighborhood, on the District’s eastern border with Maryland.
On Monday, D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert I. Richter sentenced Phillips to 28 months in prison, a term that includes the bias enhancements, which are known colloquially as hate crime charges. Once he completes his prison term, Phillips will be placed on supervised release for three more years.
According to evidence provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Phillips approached the victim, who had entered the store with her friends, around 2:40 a.m. on January 27, saying, “Let me see who’s the real bitch here.”
Phillips pointed at the transgender woman and made a derogatory remark about her sexuality. When the victim told him to leave her alone, Phillips allegedly responded, “Well, you wasn’t born no female.”
The two continued to exchange words, at which point, according to the government’s evidence, Phillips approached the victim, took out a handgun, and beat her across the face with the weapon multiple times. At his plea hearing in March, Phillips admitted he had attacked the woman because of personal biases based on her perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Neither Phillips nor the victim knew one another prior to the incident.
In touting the successful sentencing of Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department for investigating and arresting the defendant, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Long, the lead prosecutor, and paralegal specialist Richard Cheatham for their work on the case.
A Russian court sentenced a woman to five days in prison for wearing a pair of rainbow-colored earrings, according to the human rights group Egida.
The ruling marks the second such time a person has been prosecuted following a recent Russian Supreme Court case declaring the so-called "LGBT movement" an extremist organization, which resulted in the banning of official LGBTQ organizations and raids of LGBTQ-centric establishments.
As reported by Egida on its Telegram channel, law enforcement agents tasked with combating "extremism" detained the woman after a group of "aggressive people" approached her and her friend at a local café and began filming them.
As February comes to a close, we should take time to mourn Nex Benedict, who will never see another one. The 16-year-old Oklahoma student reportedly complained of ongoing bullying before the Feb. 7 bathroom altercation that may well have led to their death.
As Freedom Oklahoma puts it: "While we continue to piece together the full story...we reflect on the growing anti-2SLGBTQ+ sentiments our youngest community members are facing more often, fueled by state law and the rhetoric around it, words and actions of our state elected officials, and the growing platforms those in power are giving to people like Chaya Raichik who continues to use her platform in a way that leads others to threaten real harm at Oklahoma kids."
On Monday, the Virginia Senate went into recess when Democrats who control the chamber walked out in solidarity with Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) after Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears misgendered Roem by referring to her with the honorific "sir."
The exchange began as Roem asked Earle-Sears, presiding over the Senate, about the number of votes required for a bill to pass under a particular rule.
"Yes, sir, that would be 32," Earle-Sears said, prompting Roem to put down her microphone and walk out of the chamber.
Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon) called a recess, grinding business in the state's upper chamber to a halt.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!