Troll Makes Bomb Threat Against Mayor’s “District of Pride” Showcase
D.C. police are investigating a message from a Twitter user who appeared to make a bomb threat against the D.C. Mayor's Pride celebration..
D.C. police are investigating a message from a Twitter user who responded to a tweet promoting the annual “District of Pride” Showcase, an LGBTQ-themed talent show scheduled for June 29 at the Lincoln Theatre.
The offending tweet was posted in response to a tweet from the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs seeking to promote the talent show and encourage additional performers to sign up.
“Join the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs for our #District of Pride Showcase on June 29th at 7 p.m.,” the office wrote on its official Twitter account. “This show-stopping event will highlight some of our amazing talent who lives right here in D.C.”
In response, a user called “Alfie Tingay” replied, “I’m gonna bomb it.”
i’m gonna bomb it
— Alfie Tingay (@alfie_tingay) May 16, 2023
That user appears to live outside the United States, as they previously tweeted, in response to a tweet from Joe Biden featuring his first 2024 presidential campaign ad, “i’m coming to america and i’m gonna 911 him and his wife with my massive chopper and then dip my balls in michelle obamas gooch.”
Tingay’s reply was sent to several LGBTQ-themed accounts that had been tagged in the Office of LGBTQ Affairs’ original post, including the Capital Pride Alliance, DC Black Pride, the Mayor’s Office on Caribbean Community Affairs, the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, and media outlets including Metro Weekly, the Washington Blade, and Tagg magazine.
An incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department states that the reporting person, whose name is being kept confidential, saw the tweet and decided to report it to local police.
“[The reporting person] believes that the subject that posted the Tweet was targeting members and organizations that are a part of and support the LGBTQ community,” the report reads.
A department spokesman told Metro Weekly in an email that the department will be “monitoring, assessing, and planning accordingly in collaboration with our local and federal law enforcement partners, along with our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Liaison Unit (LGBTLU) to ensure the safety of DC residents and visitors during the District of Pride Showcase.”
A spokesperson for the Lincoln Theatre declined to comment for this story, citing the theater’s policy of not discussing security measures to protect attendees better.
Neither the Executive Office of the Mayor nor the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs responded to a request for comment from Metro Weekly.
Zar, the creative director and founder of Team Rayceen Productions, the production company representing event emcee Rayceen Pendarvis, noted that there was also a post on Twitter talking about protesting the event.
Zar added that while the user who made the comment is likely a troll who will never physically be in D.C., it is important for the LGBTQ community to take threats to their safety seriously.
“We must always be vigilant, aware, and prepared,” Zar said in a statement. “As Rayceen Pendarvis often says, we became too comfortable. Things improved in many ways over the past several decades, but there has been a shift in our society recently and we must be conscious of it without letting it hinder or stifle us. It would behoove all organizers of Pride celebrations and other LGBTQ events to anticipate behavior from individuals which we would not have expected several years ago. It remains important for our communities to be united against those who seek to oppress us.”
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